Nothing beats being taught proper exercise technique by a qualified and experienced professional.
But that's not always possible within some people's budgets, so here is a link to a source that will benefit both the newbie and the experienced exerciser.
This site, Hyperstrike, has some really cool animations for performing a bunch of different exercises that can give the person new to exercise some confidence with their technique and provide refreshing alternatives for those who find themselves stuck in a routine "rut".
I personally dislike prolonged periods of low-intensity running. It's boring and leads to muscle wasting that I would prefer not to happen.
The fact that most elite level distance runners have extremely low levels of muscle mass or that a lot of fat people finish a marathon should give you some pause to wonder if running for improved health is really all we're lead to believe it is (great for fat loss, heart health, etc.).
This quote from Dr. Arthur DeVany pretty much sums up my feelings on cardio:
"My cardio is the fast pace of my workout. And it's sprinting in a field or on a stationary bike. I alter the pace intermittently. I never put in the miles or time on a treadmill. It's boring and worthless.
Look at joggers and distance runners. They aren't slender, they simply have no muscle mass. They're weak, they can't generate power, and in spite of their slender appearance, joggers aren't lean. The average body fat content of jogging club members was 22 percent in one study. Anything above 13% is deleterious.
I wouldn't jog for health, but playful runs are wonderful. Vary the speed and terrain and you have a really great activity that's fun and healthful. Routinized jogging is factory work, not natural activity. If you log long miles on a track, I believe you're compromising your health."
Read the full interview (where this quote came from) with Dr. DeVany here.
I'm a big fan of helping people to think for themselves when it comes to movement and exercise.
Frank Forencich is one of the leaders in that respect. Creative and informative.
Check out some of the latest video clips from Exuberant Animal here.
I did a workshop the other day with a group of really wonderful people and I mentioned that sometimes I have to turn away a client because it's clear that adding an exercise program is just one more stress in an already stressful existence and I just can't contribute to that.
I often refer these people out to a specialist who can help them tackle the major stressors in their life, so that when they can start exercising, they're ready to get the most benefit from it.
In an earlier post, I mentioned the six categories of stress; Physical, Nutritional, Thermal, Electromagnetic, Psychic and Chemical.
They all overlap to some degree, but it's the last one that is really the simplest to control. Especially the stress of chemicals in your home environment. Simply choose not to use household or personal hygiene cleaning products that contain harmful ingredients (both to you and the planet).
But what about the furnishings in your home?
Luckily, there is a resource like Amy Woidke, owner of EcoKind Design, who can not only give your living space a much needed makeover, but do it with materials that can help you feel better on multiple levels.
Go to her site and learn about how you can drastically reduce the affects of chemical stressors that are in your home (and that you're being exposed to daily).
Her site is extremely informative with lots of links to additional resources, decorating tips and her writing style is enthusiastic and joyful.
When your goal is to optimize your level of health and well-being, remember that everything counts.
I can give you my thoughts about this particular issue (and I will) but I wanted to hear from readers first.
Why are you on a diet? What is your biggest challenge? Do you dread holidays?
Send me your comments and I'll give you my perspective. It may not solve anything completely, but it might give you some clarity and I'll get a chance to learn something from you as well.
Thanks!
Yesterday, I met one of my youth athletes at a school playground for his training session.
I design an individualized and detailed plan for every client, but I often like to do the sessions in an unfamiliar environment. In this way, we can add unpredictability to the workout and variety for hand grips, angles, surfaces for foot placement, etc. (at one point, he was doing reverse walking lunges along the top of a retaining wall 3 inches wide).
It keeps both the body and mind alert and the results are far better. Even if the time spent training isn't as long.
We had a good session going, but we needed to cut it short because the lightening and thunderstorms were getting closer to where we were and climbing on and around a metal structure like the monkey bars during weather like that isn't a real good idea.
Which was a bummer for me, because I had planned to stay after and get my own training in. I drove home thinking about taking a detour to the gym, but lifting weights anymore than twice week and my mind goes numb. And besides, now I was stuck in traffic and inching along. I was playing this tug of war with myself; should I bag it for today, should I try to do something? On and on.
We don't stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing
- George Bernard Shaw
Now that the weather is finally improving around here, I'm spending more time outside for exercise. But then, that's the natural cycle isn't it?
All animals (in the northern hemisphere) take a break in the winter to conserve energy while food is scarce and the weather is dangerous, but then shift into high gear once those two elements reverse in the spring and summer.
I always find that the easiest way to ramp my own activity level is to incorporate more "play" into my work outs. Whether it's climbing trees or on and around the play structures in the local parks, I find it invigorating to the body and mind to get away from the predictability of the gym and just improvise with whatever is available to me in that moment.
Playgrounds are excellent for two reasons; 1) there's endless variety for improvising pushing and pulling (try doing these using the swing set for example), squats, lunges, etc. and 2) you have to get up early to beat the 4-year-olds to all the cool equipment.
Get outside and play! (you can tell people you're working out)
Need some ideas? Click here to see some folks getting outside to train. Check out my friend Tyson in the black tank top. The guy hasn't lifted a weight in years (with the exception of his pet rock he took along for the run in this video) and has built a phenomenal physique with just body weight exercise.
Last night, I awoke to the sound of heavy rain outside my open bedroom window. Two thoughts immediately came to mind; It's going to be wet in the morning (if I choose to cycle, it will be slippery roads and if I choose to go hiking, the trails will be muddy) and the air is going to be much cleaner.
Fortunately, by the time I left the house the ground had dried pretty well and the quality of the air was great!
As I hiked along some of our beautifully forested local trails, I wondered how I could bring the benefits of these plant "air quality controllers" indoors.
I already have quite a few large plants in my home, but I chose them rather randomly, so I went to this site and found all sorts of additional choices that I can use to help improve the quality of my indoor air.
By increasing the quality of the air you breathe, you'll also be reducing the overall accumulation of stress that your body has to deal with and thus improve your ability to recover from all the other stressors you might not be able to control so easily.
Here is a link to another article submission of mine in a weekly sports agent newsletter.
This one features local professional athlete and the first Asian Harlem Globetrotter, Eric Sandrin,
This one is best done multiple times during the day and is great for all athletes (not just 6-9 basketball players).
And even better for all of you that spend most of your day at a desk.
I'm lucky that I get to work with some great people, who have been for the most part, guided to me through a referral. So they know before beginning, what to expect.
My clients participate in the programs I design. I don't mean that they just do what I tell them, but that they are required to understand what we're doing and why. In this way, they will learn information that they can use on their own and won't need me for any longer than necessary.
I like to warn people who are interested in hiring me, "This will not be a passive experience. If you want to just mindlessly go through the motions, then I'm not the guy for you. If you want to do something passive, go get a massage."
What I do is active; for more than just the body. As Jack Black would say, "You're going to need to use your brain, your mind and your head."