Once upon a time, a keep fit regime consisted mostly of a few laps of a cinder track followed by a restorative cup of something sugary and thick.
And it worked, up to a point, but the fact that human life expectancy has grown in the western world shows that we are developing more and better ways of keeping our bodies finely tuned. Although coincidentally obesity is also at an all time high, the truth is that people in the past put things into their body that would be more or less illegal today. And no competition runner is going to swallow a cup of cola right after a race now – at least if their coach has any idea what they are about. After Usain Bolt’s amazing double Olympic gold and world record performances in 2008, he let the world in on his diet secret – he ate Kentucky Fried Chicken. An advertising coup for the fast food chain, no doubt, but the fact of the matter is that he won despite what fast food did for him. He’s just that fast, that good a trainer and that mentally strong. But it should not be a message for children to eat fried chicken before races – back in the days gone past people could eat what they wanted, but they didn’t run 100 meters in a sub 9.7 time, unless what they ate gave them food poisoning and the bathroom was that far away. Back then it was considered a good idea to drink a fizzy carbonated soda after a race because the sugar was good for energy – and in the short term it is. But it is also highly acidic, and with a combination of nervous energy and physical exertion already doing a lot to heighten stomach acid levels, dropping a carbonated drink into the mix is the equivalent of feeding dynamite to a fire-breathing dragon. It will go off, and the results will be neither pretty nor healthy. No, things are not what they used to be, and for that we should be thankful.
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We may have got by in the past with exercise regimes that amounted to running around a hard track as fast as we could in whatever shoes seemed to suit the track.
But we also have a record number of people needing replacement joints in their bodies and not being fit to walk for the last few decades of their lives. There are no advantages to throwing yourself into an exercise regime without first thinking about what you will need in order to get it right. If this means spending a bit of money up front, think of how much it would cost to take early retirement and get a new hip. Then divide it by how much you are spending now. That number may scare you, so accept that good equipment is worth what you pay for it. If you are going to be running, make sure that you have properly cushioned soles. These are the shock absorbers of the sneaker world. Just think about how hard and unmoving that surface is when you are running. It is your body that takes that impact, and the shoes are your buffer. Without proper cushioning the impact will run all the way up into your hip and jar it to a point where the wear and tear can become chronic. It really is not worth putting yourself in that position, whatever the short term benefits. The new sneakers may cost a few dollars more, but they will be worth what you pay. The clothes that you wear are important too. Time was when we would just wear an old T-shirt and a pair of shorts. But the fact is that when you exert yourself, you will sweat. When you sweat into a t-shirt, it becomes heavy and soaked, and hugely uncomfortable. As stupid as this sounds, it will affect how you run, and your exercise regime will lose efficiency as a result. Again, it is worth the up front cost of buying a running vest in a fabric which draws sweat away from the body and allows it to evaporate on the surface – keeping your body temperature regulated and your performance constant. New Year’s Resolutions – did you make one this year? Have you stuck to it? For most people, the answers to those questions are, in order, “yes” and “no”. Just doing something at an arbitrary time defined by tradition is absolutely no way to govern your life. All it means is that you are choosing something, often at random, to complicate your life at a time when things may well be stressful enough already. The New Year may be a good point to decide on making a New You, but the truth is that unless you are ready, you will be more likely to set off with good intentions and then fail to keep to them.
Start your exercise plan knowing what you are looking to achieve, how you will achieve it and how much time it will take. Then, whatever the plan, stick to it. It will be difficult at times – that’s why you have had to build up to it. But regardless of how much you may feel one day that you cannot be bothered, if you carry on and do it those feelings will dissipate. It should be mentioned at this point that if you are injured or ill, “sticking to it” goes out the window. Your body will not go through the process as it needs to, you will do yourself more harm than good, and it will make the exercise pointless. But is it is just a matter of being unmotivated, you need to power through and get on with it. Lack of motivation is what you are fighting against, so don’t let it win. You may be able to think of a hundred things you would rather be doing than training, but be aware that there will be a little voice in your head if you do them instead, and it will be saying “you should be training” – you won’t enjoy it as much as you would if you had gone through with the training first. That is just life’s way of guilt-tripping you into sticking at it – and if you do that, YOU will be the winner. |
AuthorLaura Toro is a personal fitness trainer, blogger, Yoga lover. She is from Houston. Laura works at Casinoslots Casino Guide as writer. ArchivesCategories |