Time in
today’s hectic pace of life seems to be the only thing
we haven’t developed a gadget to control. With the internet,
globalization, cell phones and blackberries, life often feels
like it’s on fast forward. With so few hours and so much
to do, sometimes it feels impossible to get through half my
list, let alone have time to exercise.
Let’s
pretend we have all the other boxes in Life’s Check List
ticked: the kids are happy and well adjusted, our partner is
content, the pet’s acupuncture is going well, our diet
is fabulous and we are getting plenty of sleep. Let’s
look at health and fitness and do a quick test and see how close
to the mark we actually are...
If you get
out a sheet of paper and write down all the types of exercise
you do, how would the paper look? Like a pure white canvas on
which to pontificate the definition of art? Or a little wish
list starting with the invisible words, ‘In an ideal world...’
(That’s ok too! Think about what you would like to do
and then we can work on incorporation it into your daily schedule
later!) Daily yoga, with no Cardio? Or only running with just
enough stretching so the calves aren’t complete rocks?
Or do you consider your pilates instructor yelling at you once
a week enough? :-)
Now, take
a step back and look at your list (real or fantasy!) Would you
describe each activity on the paper as strengthening the muscles,
stretching, or working the heart? In an ideal world, we have
a bit of everything, like a balanced diet: fruits, veg, carbs,
protein... Your body doesn’t respond well if you cut out
carbs completely, no? But exercise is not about knowing what
you should be doing, it’s incorporating it into your daily
schedule! What’s the point in learning the art of cooking
if all you do is take away?
Some of
you might be die hard exercise fanatics. (Surprisingly, they
are out there) Others couch potatoes. Others might have a 10
percent desire to get in shape, but no clue how to do it. For
the rest of us: Here’s how. I can’t make the time
for you, but if you do decide to make the effort, you’ll
know what to do.
First step:
get moving. The trick is to try and do something every day,
or at least every other day. Anything. Just get out there and
get moving. I promise, you’ll feel better, and look better.
Start with anything you enjoy doing. Swimming, cycling, dance
class, whatever! Second step: diversify. Again, only doing things
you enjoy. Do something for strength, something for Cardo, and
something that stretches you. This is what it means to cross
train. So, in an ideal world, you don’t just do one form
of exercise. Both Pilates and yoga strengthen the body while
elongating the muscles. So, you do get stretching and toning
in both. But unfortunately, they are not cardiovascular. So,
in order to strengthen the heart and help metabolism rates in
the body, you must do some form of exercise that raises the
heart rate for a sustained period of time. Also, especially
for older people, using light weights is extremely important!
By using weights you are helping to increase the bone density
in the body thus reducing the chances of osteoporosis.
While I
have a lot of work to do on the rest of Life’s Check List,
at least one thing is checked off today!
Caron
Bosler - http://www.cor-e-nergy.com
