How do you know if you're working out as effectively as possible?
Honestly, it's a question I still ask myself! Many people reading this are, in fact, "too busy" to get a long workout in. (C'mon, you've heard the advice: 40 minutes of exercise, at least 5 days a week. And some say, even more!*)
The way I see it, we could think about "physical performance" in many different ways.
(1) Actually track and judge the exercise and effort expended.
(2) Look at functional fitness as the intersecting point of engagement between your work and your life.
(3) Accept that physical activity need not be strenuous exercise to have a positive effect.
1) Of the three options, this one is the most time-consuming. Not only does it take about 10 workouts, it also adds a bit of time (5-10 minutes) to each workout. However, I've found it so valuable, I do it about once every 2-3 months.
Specifically, I bring a note card with me to the gym (or, if I'm working out at home, it's on the counter). At the beginning of the exercise session, I answer one question: "How am I feeling today?" Through the workout, I log what I do. Whether is weights, cardio, stretching or whatever. I include the details: Repetitions, weight, heart rate, etc. Then (and this is the most time-consuming part of the process) I write down how I feel AFTER the workout.
When I get 7-12 of these note cards, I then sit down and look for patterns. I've learned, for example, that it's best to eat +3 hours before I exercise. And, I don't sleep well when I exercise too close to bedtime. Now, those are mine...there are people reading this who don't have those issues at all. I would only recommend everyone find out what works best for them.
2) I heard a coach of mine use this term when we were looking at my "road warrior" lifestyle. I came back from a trip, where I spent "extra" time at DFW (Dallas, Texas airport). In all, I stayed there for 4 hours, when it "should have" only been 55 minutes. Well, during the wait, I found an escalator that was stopped.
So, for 30 minutes, I carefully and slowly walked up the broken escalator, and rode the machine back down to the bottom. I never broke a sweat, but the muscles in my quads and hamstrings were firing more than on most travel days.
I call this "functional fitness." It's enough to keep me going, keep me moving, keep me looking for that next opportunity. It's the same thing that keeps me looking up city websites when I am working out of town. Generally, I find a club run, or organized event to attend. This kind of involvement keeps me engaged.
3) With clients who live in San Francisco, New York, London, Washington DC, etc., one of the things we work on is finding "surprise" ways to increase their fitness levels. Here's one: Get off (the train, bus, carpool) one stop early. You might only walk an extra 200 yards, but do that twice a day for 6 months, and you'll burn hundreds of calories in that amount of time. (Substitute just one glass of water for any of the "sweet" drinks you have each day, and you'll easily double the caloric deficit.)
Next time you drive to the store, park on the other side of the parking lot. Consider walking an extra 100, 200, or even 400 yards (a mile!) to get from where you are, to where you need to be.
*The guidelines from the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services indicate that at least 30 minutes of daily physical activity is required to reduce the risk of chronic diseases in adulthood. If you click that link, and read to the bottom, you'll find the federal recommendations there...
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