We are brainwashed as a society that we need to join a gym, hammer out cardiovascular exercises daily and do strength training. Well, we are here to tell you that this is not so. Being a Nutrition & Lifestyle Coach I cannot tell you how many people walk into my office stating to me that they hate going to the gym. My response to them is “then why are you going?”
What everyone needs to understand is that your body requires movement daily and how ever you enjoy moving should be the choice of exercise for you. Picture this …your leaving your house, getting in your car and all that is on your mind is how much you don’t want to be going to the gym. You have just fed your body/mind negative thoughts. How can a body heal and re-energize if it is full of negative energy?
Generally, as a society everyone has behind the desk jobs, with little to no movement throughout the day, stuck in a cubicle with little to no natural sunlight. So, why not pick an exercise that you enjoy and fills you with positive healing energy and lifts your mood?
There are many forms of exercise that one can partake in. Explore and do your research, play around with exercises that you might not ever consider or think you can do. You just might be surprised how much you learn about yourself with trying something new. Explore cycling, skiing, yoga, mountain biking, swimming, tai chi, hiking, weight training, qi gong, tennis, golf, kick boxing/marital arts or maybe even dancing.
Regardless of the exercise you pick there are some general guidelines to exercise that one should be aware of.
- 1. Have more than just one form of exercise. When you perform the same movements over and over this can lead to muscle imbalances, injury and pain. In addition having more than just one type of exercise gives your body the opportunity to not adapt to one single stimulus.
- 2. If you find that you are always catching colds or getting sick easily you should limit or postpone intense exercise/training. The reason being is that the adrenal glands are most likely stressed and further intense exercise will cause your body to break down further leading to a weakened immune system and possible injury.
- 3. No Pain-No Gain - if you have that mentality please get rid of it. Pain= No Gain the reason being is that your body gets stronger at rest not while exercising. The exercise is just the stimulus that triggers the growth and repair response that builds more muscle and increases metabolism.
- 4. Since you live in a society that is constant go, go, go it is always a good idea to have one form of exercise that replenishes the body and helps it to heal. Exercises such as yoga, qi gong and tai chi are great for repairing the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) - this system is the REST AND DIGEST SYSTEM. This is the system that helps us heal and prevent disease. Massages are also a great way to relax the body and help muscles heal and replenish after being active.
- 5. Explore circuit weight training- with circuit training you are not just getting the benefits of muscle tone and increasing your metabolic rate but you are also getting cardiovascular benefits. So this is a great way to get in your aerobic exercise without over taxing the body. And for you ladies reading this blog this form of exercise works well for us!
- 6. Do your research! If you would like to get started in a gym with the help of a Personal Training make sure you interview them to know if they have a good understanding of the human body/Anatomy. Remember, strength training is not just about getting tone and fit it is also about correcting muscle imbalances. If you do not correct muscle imbalances or work with someone who understands the importance of correcting imbalances or how to look for them you will end up in pain if not injured. Trust me on this I am a Physical Therapist and have treated patients who became injured because their trainer not having appropriate proper education/training.
If you do not know what type of exercise you could benefit from or how intense you should or should not be working out contact us and we can help you. In addition we here at Replenishing Soul have a network of Personal Trainers and Massage Therapists who we work closely with who are well educated and who we trust.
Happy exercising!
Tags: cardio, cardiovascular exercise, Common Injuries, exercise guidelines, resistance training, weight training