It's not a very far leap to see that one of the most fundamental elements of an overall sense of well-being is being physically fit. When we feel good physically it carries over into almost every other aspect of our lives. Have you ever noticed how obnoxiously perky those people are that go to the gym at 5 in the morning? Yeah, that's because they feel good, so they let it show.
What is it?
As I sat doing my cardio at the gym yesterday, I took a moment to consider what physical fitness is. I've decided that in large amounts it's not what you see at the gym. Sure, there are plenty of people there that are in awesome shape. Mostly the women, interestingly. The men kinda scare me, though.
I saw lots of men whose necks were bigger than their heads. Then there were the ones whose arms were bigger than their heads and whose legs were bigger than tree trunks. Oddly, on these specimens, a large handful also had an awesome pot-belly to go with it. Now this is just my opinion, but even if I can lift a house, I won't really feel in shape if I can't see my toes.
Which brings another couple points. I don't think a person has to be trim to be physically fit. For some of us, it's just highly unlikely we're ever going to have a v-shaped body without spending 8 hours a day with a personal trainer. But we can all get to the point where we aren't winded getting up out of a chair and crossing the room. I think fit means being able to enjoy a walk or hike or bike ride without feeling like your next step may be your last.
When I was at my physical peak, I could hike up mountains in a day, ride 10 mile roads with steep uphill grades, and was generally "sasquatch" as my friends called me. But, I still wasn't trim. I had my fair share of padding distributed around my body, but I felt good. Incidentally, I did drop nearly 60 pounds to get there.
So, you don't have to have a 28 inch waist or wear a size 0 to be fit. Another point being at the gym pointed out to me is that you don't have to have huge muscles to be fit. If you want them, great. But from my own experience talking to ladies, they prefer a man who has a balanced body mass as opposed to a power lifter. Just something to think about.
I can't afford the gym!
Now, I'm not saying that everybody has to GO to the gym at 5 in the morning to get their daily exercise. Remember the guy in the above picture? That's right - Rocky Balboa. A real American hero if ever there was one. Now, I know he's a fictional character, but bare with me on this one while we take a moment to step into his life.
Rocky Balboa vs Ivan Drago: ready, FIGHT! Rocky IV stands out most to me in this example because Drago has steroids, fancy electrical training machines, a team of trainers, etc, etc, etc. You know what Rocky has? A log cabin, some rocks, and an axe. And, to make a long story short, using nothing but his rudimentary training regime (and a whole lot of heart) he beats down Ivan Drago and continues to be the Rocky we all know and love. What's the point of this, you may ask?
It's simply this: You don't need a gym or fancy machinery to become physically fit. You just need some heart, determination, and maybe a Rocky poster for your garage wall. (I'm kidding about that one. Mostly.) Odds are you have enough stuff kicking around the house to get a good workout. Have you ever felt the weight of a 5 gallon bucket filled to the top with water? Start looking around. Odds are there are quite a few things kicking around that would be great for strength training. Heck, instead of watching the TV, move it back and forth between rooms a few times. I guarantee you that'll get your blood flowing. (You may raise the blood pressure of your significant other substantially, though.)
Drop and give me 100!
You don't even need buckets of water or other heavy objects to get a good workout. You could, for example, drop and give me 100! Yes, 100 pushups. Can't do it? (I can't, either.) Then you best get started! Visit hundredpushups.com to begin an awesome thrice-weekly workout regime. I guarantee you it'll increase your strength and give you a surprisingly good cardio workout.
Burpees: The Other Lean Meat
Heard of Mike Rowe? Well, he was asked once how he stays in shape while on the road eating junk food and fast food at every turn. If you know who Mike is, you've probably noticed that the guy is in pretty good shape. How does he do it? BURPEES! I've tried these, and I can tell you they give you quite a good workout. You will not be disappointed. Odds are you can't even finish a full set of 10,9,8...1. It's tough stuff. And it works every major muscle group. You'll know you got a good workout.
Hopefully this will give you some ideas. I'll probably revisit and add things to the Physical grouping of the Wellness Series, but this should be enough to get you thinking and get you started, if you need it. I know I do.
No comments:
Post a Comment