6 POWERFUL FORMS OF EXERCISE
6 POWERFUL FORMS OF EXERCISE
You don't have to be healthy to be fit, but you do have to be fit to be healthy.
Lack of physical activity can result in muscle loss, fat gain, and a weakened immune system. (Which makes us far more vulnerable to sickness, injuries, and early death.) So it's important to remain physically active as we get older.
And if you're concerned about getting enough nutrition in your diet, it should be noted that exercise not only increases your appetite (which means that you'll eat more food and consume more nutrients) but your body's ability to absorb nutrients enhances after vigorous exercise, so it would be wise to "earn your meals" by working out shortly before you eat.
1. WALKING
Because we domesticated dogs, we take them for walks to try to make up for the fact that they aren't walking nearly as much as they did in the past. And because we humans have become a lot more sedentary, and we do almost all of our traveling in vehicles now, we too would benefit by adding some walking back into our lives.
Not only is walking one of the healthiest forms of physical exercise, but it is also great for our mental health as well. (Especially if you are walking outdoors in a natural setting.)
Walking is so mentally stimulating that you may find that you start to become a philosopher while you are walking, and if you are a creative person, your best ideas and solutions may come to you while walking.
2. YOGA
You may not remember this, but on the day that you were born you were more physically and mentally flexible than the most advanced yogi in the world, and a regular yoga practice is the best way to help you regain this flexibility.
In the 76th verse of the "Tao Te Ching", it says that all life (including the trees and the plants) are soft and flexible at birth, and hard and stiff at death. Therefore, "flexibility" is a companion of life, and "stiffness" is a companion of death.
Physical postures that help us become more physically flexible are a part of most yoga practices, but yoga is ultimately about the realization that we have more in common with each other than we don't and that we need to come together and help unify a world that is divided because it is focusing only on differences.
But in the meantime, I encourage you to get started on this epic journey by simply getting yourself a yoga mat and starting a yoga practice NOW.
3. WEIGHTLIFTING
Regardless of whether you want to lose weight or gain weight, weightlifting is one of the best ways to "sculpt" your body.
To build a new building (or a new body) you will need the following 3 basic things...
BLUEPRINT
If you workout with the vague goal of "wanting to get in shape" it would be like construction workers showing up at a construction site with the vague goal of "wanting to build a building", and it can't be stressed enough how important it is to have a clear vision of exactly what you are wanting to build.
SKILLS
If you want to build something with speed, precision, and safety, you need to know how to use the tools and equipment that are available to you.
Lifting weights with proper form and technique is so important for getting good results and avoiding injury that it would be wise to watch tutorial videos on YouTube on how to lift weights correctly on a regular basis. (Even if you have already been lifting weights for years.)
Even the wisest person has something to learn, and we all need to be reminded of what we have already learned from time to time. So even if you are already an experienced weightlifter I would encourage you to watch tutorial videos on how to lift weights properly from time to time.
DECONSTRUCTION
Before you can build a new building, the old one must first be torn down, and before you can build a new body, the old habits that are keeping you stuck where you're at must first be demolished so that major reconstruction can truly begin.
4. HOT & COLD EXPOSURE
Some of us had grandparents who would say that back when they were kids they had to walk 8 miles to school every day even if there was a foot of snow on the ground. And rather than complaining that they had such a harder life than us, they would complain that kids today have such an easy life that it is resulting in a softer and weaker generation.
Animals in nature have to endure extreme temperature changes, and this helps keep them not only tough but alive because, in nature, only the tough survive.
I like to take advantage of the summer heat by doing outdoor work when it is the hottest and while wearing a lot of clothing so I will sweat a lot, and I also like to take advantage of the winter cold by going for walks in the early morning when it is the coldest and while wearing less clothing.
I also invested in a home sauna that is 90 degrees Celsius / 192 degrees Fahrenheit which I use every day. (I like to use it right before yoga so my body will be warmed up and loosened up for all the stretching.)
Every year, thousands of people who work outdoors will have to go to the hospital due to "heat stroke" and some will even die from it. But it's important to note that in almost all of these cases, it was because the person was new to the job and they weren't used to the heat.
By exposing your body to hot and cold temperatures, your body can become more accustomed to them and safer from their harmful effects.
Being able to endure harsh weather will help you become the kind of person who doesn't easily give up in challenging situations, which will help make you be more likely to accomplish any goals you set for yourself.
5. JUMPING ON A TRAMPOLINE
In the same way that young children enjoy jumping on their beds and astronauts enjoy doing somersaults in space, jumping on a trampoline is a really fun way of experiencing weightlessness.
Jumping on a trampoline is so much fun, that once I get started, I don't want to stop, and I seriously question whether or not someone could be jumping on a trampoline and feel depressed at the same time.
Antidepressants are currently the most prescribed drug in America, but recent studies have been showing that exercise can be just as effective at reducing depression as many of the leading brands of antidepressants, so if you're feeling down, see if jumping on a trampoline doesn't "uplift" you and provide you with a natural "high".
6. GET A WORKOUT BY DOING THINGS THE HARD WAY
Try to imagine just how unnecessary something like a treadmill would have been to our ancient ancestors.
Our ancient ancestors didn't need gyms, barbells, or exercise programs, because physical exercise was involved in virtually everything that they did, and a great way to get in better shape is to simply start doing things the old-fashioned way.
We've all heard advice like this over the years...
* Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
* Walk to places that are nearby instead of driving to them.
* Do your own yard work instead of paying someone else to do it.
Having this mentality can add a lot of exercise to your life. If I had the choice between having a heavy lifting job and a job where I was sitting in front of a computer, I would want the heavy lifting job even if it paid less because as great as money may be, getting a workout is valuable to me too.
MOTIVATION
A lot of people love long romantic walks on the beach but dread long walks on a treadmill. (Hence the nickname "dreadmill".)
When you're excited about what you're doing, it can start to feel "effortless", but when you're not excited about what you're doing, it will feel all too obvious just how much of your effort is required to do it.
"It's so hard when I have to, and so easy when I want to."
- Annie Gottlier
In the past, soldiers were equipped with guns, swords, and "battle drums". And the reason that they included "drums" in their arsenal was because soldiers marching to the beat of a drum can march faster and further without getting tired than soldiers marching without a beat.
If you ever find yourself feeling tired and not motivated to exercise, try turning on some upbeat music that you enjoy and see if that doesn't get you feeling pumped up and ready to workout.
There are also countless motivational videos out there these days, and below is an amazing video from "DDP Yoga" about a man who was told that he would never walk again and showed that it's never too late to change our life with exercise...
"CLICK HERE TO WATCH THIS VIDEO ON YOUTUBE"
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