The heartfelt determination to embrace a healthier you in 2019 has faded under the weight of icy, snowy streets and yet another round of that cold that is going around. February is the longest month when measured in dreariness and despair.
Sometimes, part of our motivational challenge is that we are “snowed under” (pun intended) by a myriad of fitness myths. Every time we go to make a healthy change, the conflicting messages about what is effective or safe collide in our consciousness and leave us so tired from sorting out the truth that there’s no energy left to exercise.
Treadmill torture (this machine was literally used as a torture device in previous centuries!) is not the only option in the dead of winter in Thorold.
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Getting moving is essential to your health – to maintain healthy weight but more so to optimize physical systems in the body and create synthesis amongst the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of our lives. Recent research indicates exercise is important for brain health and mood. In light of its fundamental importance, schedule movement opportunities (notice the spin on what we called exercise?) as you would other desirable and pleasurable activities in your day. Picking a regular time each day and sticking to that routine might help.
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What kind of movement opportunity is best? The one that you will actually do and want to do. It doesn’t matter how much weight the celebrity said they lost doing that program; it is worthless if you don’t like it. There is no magic exercise. The human body is engineered for wide varieties of movement which suggests incorporating different activities makes sense.
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How much movement do you need? As much as feels good. Arbitrary recommendations of a certain length or intensity of exercise will not suit all individuals and each person may have to adjust their activity to daily changes. Adopting brutal “boot camp” style workouts in order to achieve quick results will likely result in injury, pain, poor form and ultimate discouragement. As a yoga therapist, I am concerned with the underlying message of self-aggression that these hard core workouts may promote. The goal in this article is to recommend a holistic healthful fitness approach that can be sustained through all decades of life. Start with periods of movement that do not exhaust you or leave you in pain the next day. Gradually, movement opportunities will be easier to incorporate into your daily habits as you get stronger at your own pace.
Here are some ideas to incorporate movement opportunities right now. It is always recommended to consult with your doctor prior to starting an exercise program. This is a further recommendation to consult with the person who is smartest in the universe about you – YOU! Listen carefully to how an activity leaves you feeling. The goal is to finish the movement opportunity feeling energized but calm, focused but happier. If you feel discouraged, in pain, exhausted or irritated after, find another plan.
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Make it social. Join a class. Meet some friends to move. In Thorold, we have the Thorold Communities Activities Group which provides a wide range of movement opportunities at one low monthly membership fee. Call the churches and community centres close to you as there may be someone renting space and offering classes at their facility. Ask friends and co-workers what they like doing and where. There are also a couple of gym facilities right in town which minimize concerns about driving in inclement weather. The Yoga Centre of Niagara on Front St. offers classes seven days a week with a variety of themes. Yoga is an excellent holistic form of exercise. Even a restorative class burns about 100 extra calories per hour, plus helps address chronic stress (for a discussion of stress and its connection to health issues, see this video).
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Get online. There are literally millions of videos waiting to guide you to a movement opportunity. Expect to do a lot of shopping around, and paying for the program is not necessary. A quality and reputable instructor will probably have at least one, often several, sample videos available for free. Try them all first. Then it might be worth investing in the complete program. Avoid the “snake oil salesmen” that grab you with their headlines of a secret formula that will solve all your problems by next Tuesday and it’s just a quick Paypal away. The obvious benefit to an online program is that is will be cheaper and right at home. A major disadvantage is the lack of professional, individualized attention. If your activity is something that you have experience in and you’re not working with physical limitations, it will probably be fine. But if you are a beginner, or have issues that hold you back from movement, it might be worth the extra effort to find a good coach. These videos provide a cautious guide to the classic yoga series, The Sun Salutation. It’s a complete body experience incorporating movement in every major muscle group, strength conditioning and stress relief).
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Get outside. This is my number one rule personally. Fresh air, even in February, is a mood enhancer for me. The Niagara chapter of the Bruce Trail Club has several choices each week. If you prefer a shorter or more leisurely hike, heading out with a friend is still an option. The Welland Canal Recreational Trail from Lock 7 to Allanburg is about 4 km one way, and flat. To incorporate a hill for a bit more challenge, go north instead down the escarpment to Lock 4/5. Round trip is only about 3 km. Remember, it’s not so much the distance or calorie burn, but finding a movement opportunity! While using the trail (or any other outdoor location), you can add variety to your movement opportunity by adding some intervals and strength conditioning. The plan follows this article.
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Move more during regular life. Every time you find yourself sitting to do something, could you do it standing? Could you walk instead of drive? Could you do some floor exercises during commercials? Could you invite your friend or co-worker to walk while you talk? We are the first generation to sit as much as we do. Human evolution was guided by almost constant movement.
The 20 Minute Walking Workout
Walk five minutes at a brisk pace where you can still talk comfortably.
First interval: Modified Burpees (one minute). It’s fine to eliminate the push-up, especially if you haven’t had professional instruction, and jumping can be modified (for sore knees, for instance) by just extending the arms. If hands on the ground is too great a reach, find a park bench or retaining wall to support you.
Walk another two minutes. Do your best to breathe deeply through your nose only, slowing the breath as quickly as you can. Modify your walking pace to match your breathing. In other words, don’t push to walk really fast if your breathing is disturbed.
Second interval: Side Planks (one minute). This photo shows a bent knee version that is easier but legs can also be straight. To make this a little more exciting, you can move from side to side, facing the ground as you transition to the other arm. One incentive to straighten legs is to keep your pants dry in the snow.
Walk another two minutes with the same emphasis on breath.
Third interval: Russian dead lifts (one minute). Obviously, in February in Thorold, you will wear more clothing than this poor girl. Alternate legs and do your best to keep hips level to the ground. Moving more slowly is more challenging.
Walk another two minutes, breathing through the nose.
Fourth interval: Side Walking (30 seconds in one direction, 30 seconds in the opposite direction)
This very fit model demonstrates the full flexion of the knee during the exercise. It can definitely be modified by not bending the knee to 90 degrees, but just a little. Keep weight a bit more in the heels to insure the knee bend is over the ankle joint, not throwing the weight forward onto the ball of the foot.
Walk very briskly for two minutes, exploring how quickly you can move and still have fun. Run a bit if that’s in the cards.
Walk more slowly for three minutes as you focus on deep nostril breathing again.
Congratulations! You have obtained fresh air, a full body movement opportunity and sightseeing all in one.
