Sitting on the Floor

Sitting still on the floor comfortably takes practice

I'm a fan of capturing small moments throughout the day for a little bit of movement and mobility training. I live is a city so I default to walking as much as possible. I take the stairs when possible. Another easy example of this would be to sit on the floor as much as you can.

Floor sitting is incredibly simple yet particularly difficult for many of us due to modern life. Sitting comfortably in a cross-legged requires hip girdle and leg flexibility along with low back and neck strength. You engage your core in a way that builds in intensity rather quickly if you aren't practiced at floor sitting. Chair sitting, as we normally sit, works at odds to all of the components that go into floor sitting.

Practicing yoga asana (postures) was originally focused on making the body more comfortable in a seated position for meditation. Sitting quietly on the floor is literally grounding--you become directly connected to the ground which has calming mental benefits.

Kids can do it and so can you

Sitting on the floor also connects you to children better because you meet them on their terms. You can participate in their play and learning more directly. Kids love it when adults get "silly" by getting down on the floor with them.

There are many examples of different ways to sit on the floor. Mix it up. Sit with your knees tucked under you. Sit wide legged. Sit with one knee tucked back and the other crossed in front. Sit with the soles of your feet together. Variation will allow you to go longer stretches of time without having to get up. Holding a deep stationary squat is also a great way to open your hips to allow for a more comfortable seated position.

Start by sitting a few minutes at a time while watching TV; maybe just during the commercials at first. Your knees, low back and neck may become sore but consistent practice will minimize this with time.

- Master the basics before charging ahead to advanced exercise and there's not much more basic than sitting quietly on the floor.

MovNat has a number of great ideas for helping you to sit better

Go for a Crawl

"Going for a Run" is an expression that most of us instantly understand. When you say this, you intend to put on different clothes & special shoes, go outside (or jump on a treadmill) and shuffle along at a rapid rate until you get tired and sweaty. The goal is exercise for health, conditioning or body adaptation to accomplish a distance/time goal. Going for a run equals weight loss and healthiness in the minds of most people.

He makes it look so easy

It's really not the best way to lose weight or keep it off though. It's boring for many people. It's damaging if you do it incorrectly (you actually do need to learn how to run). Watch people's faces when they jog and you'll see many pained expressions or at best blank, zombie faces. People dread to do their run, but they feel compelled by social norms that it is the best thing to do for exercise.

How about mixing a "Go for a Crawl" day into your workout routine? If you're training for a race, consider this a cross-training day. If you run for weight management, this will replace a run in your weekly training schedule. If you're into conditioning for some other sport, crawling in the grass will be a great augment to any sport. You will get cardio and strength training in one activity.

What do you do? Go to a field & crawl around like a bear in the grass. Repeat until you are tired and sweaty. That's it.

Maybe don't crawl until you bleed. Watch your wrists though and go slowly.

It is silly so you will laugh at yourself. It is difficult on your coordination, balance and muscles so you'll get a workout. Kids will want to join you because it will be funny to them too. Other adults will question you about it and probably want to try it themselves too. It's a natural activity even if it feels a bit unnatural at first. Crawling is fun so you'll want to do it and wanting to exercise is key to reaching your goals.

When you use all your muscles at once, you get the best possible workout.

Best Exercise for Total Fitness

There are so many great movements to train (squats, pullups, swimming, kettlebell swings). There are also so many great conditioning workouts that tax all your metabolic systems and muscle groups (sprints, thrusters, swimming). I'm going to go out on a limb and say there is a number one best movement for total fitness.

The Burpee Pullup

Find a playground, a soccer goal, scaffolding, a tree branch or just about anything taller than your overhead reach. Drop to your stomach and then pull yourself up until your chest hits the bar. Repeat 10, 50, 100 times--whatever you need to do. Every single muscle in your body will get worked and you'll be cashed out much sooner than you'd expect.

This is a great way to modify your body composition, get stronger, develop endurance and become more generally competent with your body.

Difficult movements make for a hard body and strong mind.

Ninja Warrior Training

Just looking at Mt. Midoriyama makes me nervous

I love Sasuke. The Japanese came up with an awesome physical test that no one was even able to finish for the first four years of the competition. Now called Ninja Warrior because of a huge international audience; we also have the American Ninja Warrior with a series of regional competitions that lead to a final round in Vegas. I've watched the show for years and every time I see a few contestants run through the course, I have to rush out to a playground to practice the moves myself. TV that motivates you to move is excellent television indeed!

Obstacle course training might be the most perfect form of physical conditioning. It taxes all the major muscles; stresses aerobic & anaerobic metabolic systems; develops coordination, agility & balance; creates body awareness for overcoming real life physical challenges; and most importantly, it motivates you to exercise because it's fun!

Finding an obstacle race is easy; training on playgrounds & "nature's obstacle course" is fun

Fitness is a multifaceted concept. I look at it as developing the physical components & skills to live a long life doing the things that make you happiest. When your body lets you down by holding you back from your dreams, you have to work to overcome the weakness (there's no quit in any of you I know). Obstacles and movement training highlight weaknesses but by maintaining a playful heart, they can inspire you to higher levels of fitness than you ever thought possible.

Running is an essential human movement, as is swimming. Goal setting & accomplishment is key to happiness--marathons and triathlons are brilliant personal accomplishments. These activities don't encapsulate total fitness however, and even can be counterproductive to developing or even maintaining other key fitness components like joint mobility, strength, agility, coordination and balance.

You also won't develop the physique that you desire by just running. You'll drop pounds initially but almost any activity will create noticeable body changes in the first months as your metabolism has to compensate for the new stress. After the initial months, our bodies adapt to the stress, it becomes a new normal and no further body composition changes occur. People also become bored with the same activity, dread working out and fall off the wagon. Incorporating obstacles to climb, hurdle, balance on, etc will keep your training interesting. Run backwards, shuffle sideways, vary speed--this will make your runs more interesting for your body and mind.

Running is an essential movement but taken to an extreme can hurt total physical fitness

Physical activity is a daily part of a long and happy life. Move in a variety of ways. Try new things. Explore!

Too much of a good thing is too much.

Stretch Some Things and Strengthen Others

Some people love to do yoga; they do it all the time. Others love to run; they also do it all the time. Weightlifters love to lift weights; they too do it all the time. All of them think their exercise plan is the best and seldom branch out of it.

Is this a recipe for developing the capacity to do all the physical things that you want to do during a long life? I think not. The two main reasons I think that you must do a variety of activities are that we adapt to stressors quickly (and then plateau or regress) and because no single exercise or training style will hit all the components that contribute to a long, healthy, capable life. We have to mix it up to stay gain and maintain fitness. I also think this is more interesting way to approach movement and will help keep you on your training plan.

Frank has a bunch books worth reading

I'm really enjoying reading Frank Forencich's book Play as if Your Life Depends on It. Among the many gems of wisdom he writes about, he talks about how certain parts of the body weaken with age and other parts tend to shorten over time. A training plan that tries to strengthen everything or one that tries to stretch everything is counter productive. Coupled with the style of life that modern humans live, we have to really focus our physical training time (or movement time or even better, play time) in such a way to unlock the natural mobility we have within each of us.

Frank's view is that we should work to stretch muscles like the hamstrings, pecs, biceps, calves, psoas and forearms since these contract over time. The gluts (butt), abdominals and low back (my addition) tend to weaken with age so we should do exercises to strengthen them. This could seem like a complicated training requirement but it really means that you need to deadlift, squat, pull yourself up and stretch against the sitting posture that we tend to keep through most of the day. Stand up, move around, squat down, pick up something heavy, go for a walk.

Good health advice comes in many flavors

Learn about your body and try new things no matter what your age or current condition. You are your own trainer, physical therapist, orthopedist and nutritionist. Keep picking from a variety of  training styles. You'll find that you stay interested in your exercise time more and you'll also develop skills that will serve you throughout a long & adventurous life.

Mix it up and keep it fresh!

Dying for Fashion

I love watching gymnasts do their thing.  I'm surprised we don't see more of these wunderkinds between the Olympics every four years. With all the TV coverage though, adults seem to forget that these are actually young kids for the most part.  We have major societal issues with this sort of thing across all sports but that's another topic for discussion. Gabby Douglas' amazing performance has brought up another societal issue that is equally ridiculous and even more deadly than pushing little kids too hard for adult enjoyment.  The issue is not working out at all or under-exercising just because it might make us look funny.

I'm probably one of the worst people to point this out.  I relish slinging sweat in the gym and grunting louding while throwing kettlebells & climbing ropes in public parks.  I wipe my exertion induced snot on my inappropriately tight shorts.  During runs, I belch constantly just to keep the pipes loose, and I'm sure I have such horrible grimaces on my face during my workouts that I'd give this dog a run for it's money:

Mugly loved the attention I'm sure

So I've established myself as not fashionable with respect to exercise but that's all beside the point. Many people (men and women) are way too self-conscious or concerned about their appearance to go outside and push themselves physically. The flap over Gabby Douglas' hair highlights this. Twitter was loaded with negative comments about how bad her hair looked while failing to mention how badass of a physical and mental performance she was laying down on the rest of the world. I pulled this quote from an article covering this non-issue:

"The last time I checked, when you play a sport, you sweat. I know I do. And when a Black woman who has chosen to wear her hair straight begins to sweat, her hair will (not might) begin to revert back to its natural coily, curly or kinky state," she wrote. "Some of us are sitting up right now with our hair done but suffering from high blood pressure, borderline diabetes, obesity and/or a lack of energy. Oh, but the hair is on point."

Gabby had enough judges in London

Of all the lame excuses for being out of shape, not wanting to mess up your hair has got to be one of the top 3 (fear of sidewalk cracks is up there too).  We want to look our best but do a quick google image search for diabetes ulcer and see how lovely you'll look with gangrenous extremities.  That's not even mentioning that fat is wack too.

This is hardly just a black woman issue.  I know many a former elite athlete who left their sport after university never to train consistently again.  The lassitude, bulges, and negative self-talk set in and eventually they have the body that they never wanted to have.  The common casual factor that I've seen in these cases is vanity--they can't be elite so they don't want to even show up anymore.  This all-or-none, sport-is-just-for-kids mentality kills me and is actually killing us as a society.  Don't quit on your sport because you can't win; quit with the ego and enjoy the activity for what it is--a healthy & enjoyable time that pays dividends throughout life.

You may call this a cheap shot since he is older but so was Jack Lalanne and Stallone

Health and wellness is a lifelong struggle.  Temptations to cheat, skimp, or skip are always present.  Family and friends can be huge obstacles (find some new exercise friends in this case).  Pain, fatigue, and stress mount with food and drink being a ready salve.  There are enough excuses to be fat and out-of-shape already. We don't need to add  fear of looking funny while exercising to the list.

Don't take yourself too seriously, but take your workout very seriously.

Play Like a Child for Fitness

Playground for people of all ages

I visited a friend of mine a week ago at his new home in Dallas, TX, and he took me on a tour of his new neighborhood.  The picture above may look like a children's playground but look closer. It's actually an outdoor fitness center designed for adults and children to use for exercise.  My buddy and I ran over to fitness station and did a great routine involving monkey bars, pullups, muscle up progressions, skin-the-cat, bar rolls, parallel bar handwalks, and dips.  This facility is phenomenal because of the wide variety of exercises it allows and because the apparatus is appropriate for people of all heights.  The movements involved the total body and even tested our courage a bit as well as our muscles.  Almost everything we did could be done at most standard playgrounds for children found around the world with a little modification.  You also probably have an outdoor fitness facility near you like this or the ones designed by companies like Fitness Trails NA.

Fitness Trails station fitness circuit in Australia

On the run back, we talked about why is it that "play time" ends with childhood.  Most people never play an organized sport after high school.  Almost all of us think of daily exercise as a chore.  Breathless, sweaty kids running around a field, jumping on a trampoline, climbing on bars, or playing tag wouldn't want to be doing anything else while they're at play.  They are in the moment and they love it! Find some vigorous activity that you like to do and enjoy the sensation of a raised heart rate with sweat pouring down your face while you try to accomplish something physical.

Go out and play!

Core Principles for Exercise

Exercise science can be rather technical.  Kinesiology, while intuitive in many cases, can get rather scientific especially when someone is training with specific goals in mind.  If you just want to maintain general health and wellness, keep extra pounds off, and live longer & better, then the exercise formula you need is rather simple:

1. Move every day
2. Get outside often and in all weather
3. Do a wide variety of activities focusing on the basic human movements
4. Vary intensity and duration
5. Spend time with others while you move

More is not better in exercise but consistency is key.  Just as you can't catch up once per week on sleeping, eating, or brushing your teeth, you have to move your body everyday.  I'll spend time on the other core principles in coming posts.

Move through life

Go for a Walk

Walking is one of the most essential human movements.  It's one that we really take for granted until we lose our mobility for some reason. Bipedalism is a defining characteristic of our species and probably contributed to our extraordinary success as a species.  When a baby takes her first steps, it's a defining milestone for her parents and a glorious accomplishment for her.  Walking is a great way to socialize with people along the way and in your neighborhood.  There's no need for special equipment or clothing to start a consistent walking program--you just have to go for a walk!  On top of all this, walking happens to be one of the best forms of cardiovascular exercise that we can do with the least amount of downside health risks.

Here are few suggestions for making walking a consistent activity in your daily life:

Walk everywhere you can.  I live in a major city so I have the advantage of being able to walk almost anywhere.  If I get stranded, I can catch a train, bus or cab to make it back home.  If you live in the suburbs, find sidewalks and paths to walk on.  Walk through shopping centers, parks, around lakes or home from work.  When you play golf, walk instead of riding in a cart.

Walk outside. Don't worry about the rain, cold, or heat--just prepare accordingly.  We are so much more durable to the elements than we give ourselves credit for.  You'll benefit from fresh air and sunlight in addition to keeping abreast of what's going on in your town and seeing your neighbors.  Listen to music, audio books, or language lessons if you walk alone.

Walk your dog.  There's really no excuse for a fat dog because their activity and food is completely under the control of the human owner.  He'll thank you and you'll thank yourself.

Do errands on foot and carry you bags home.  Carry a backpack and pack reusable bags for your hands if your backpack isn't large enough for your purchases.  If you live far from a shopping center, walk 1 way and have someone pick you up or drop you off.  Check online for walking paths near you.  You might be surprised how many walking paths are connected to shopping areas.

Use a pedometer and make it into a game.  We all love games and getting your steps in each day or beating your family and friends is a great way to keep you on pace.

Count walks as exercise.  Give yourself credit for exercising any day you walk for more than 30 mins or so without stopping.  Exercise doesn't always have to hurt but it does need to be consistent.  A 130 pound woman burns 304 calories by walking 1 hour at a 4 mph pace; a 180 pound man would burn 421 calories.  What a great way to catch up with your spouse after work! 

Walk with a backpack to add intensity.  Carry around a 20 pound weight for a few miles and imagine how much better you will feel if you dropped any extra weight you might have on your body.

Make the effort to turn walking into a habit.  Daily walks consistently for a few weeks will make walking a lifelong habit that you'll benefit from in so many ways.

If you can walk, you can exercise.  What other excuse do you have for not working out today?

Basic Movements for the Modern Human

The bodies we have today evolved through a combination of genetic and environmental adaptations to the world around us.  Our ancestors, while not the fastest, strongest, biggest, or toughest animals, became one of the fittest creatures on the planet because of intelligent application of physical effort to achieve life's requirements.  Our minds were key to our success but we still needed agile bodies to put thought into action.  Both men and women had to perform the following basic body movements on a daily basis to stay alive:

1. Walk with a load
2. Crouch down and pick up a load
3. React quickly and explosively to threats
4. Pull yourself up
5. Swim to shore

Fortunately for us today, we don't need strong bodies to sustain our lifestyle, but our bodies still need activity to stay healthy.  Metabolic systems and mental function improve with exercise.  My contention is that both mind and body will be optimized for the modern world by incorporating the basic movements that kept our ancestors alive.

What is Fitness?

I'm a big fan of the CrossFit methodology and incorporate many of the exercises and workouts into my daily exercise routine. The What Is Fitness? article is a brilliant introduction to what it means to be a fit person--I recommend that you read it.  CrossFit isn't for everyone though because I think it scares many people away from any sort of exercise program all.  With physical inactivity as a leading cause of preventable disease today, more people need to add some (any!) activity to their lives.  Fortunately avoidance of metabolic syndrome and other lifestyle diseases only requires a moderate amount of physical activity.  CrossFit is an excellent way to be active, but the competitive and intense nature of it may leave some exercise newbies feeling that exercise isn't for them if CrossFit is what it means to exercise.  Our societal epidemic of obesity is much more important to address than any epidemic of slow Fran times.

To me fitness is much easier to define.  Fitness is a long life with minimal disease, chronic pain, or unhappiness.  Jack Lalanne summed it up with longevity and quality of life.  This isn't achieved only through exercising but daily physical activity plays a role in this view of fitness in a number of ways.  Move your joints or they stiffen up.  Raise your heart rate to improve heart health.  Set and achieve physical goals to raise your self-esteem.  Being able to accomplish physical feats can get you out of dangerous situations.  A sound body contributes to a sound mind.  This is the foundation of my view of fitness and will be the foundation for all my subsequent musings on physical exercise.  

Jack Lalanne’s Self-Improvement Checklist

Jack Lalanne was a tremendously inspirational figure in the world of health and happiness.  Like Yogi Berra, he was full of witty nuggets of wisdom.  Below is one of his self-improvement checklists which is a great summation of his personal philosophy on life.  It covers much more territory than just eat right and exercise—both key parts of Jack’s message.  He also concerned himself with thinking positively about yourself and others while striving to be someone other people want to have around.  As a pioneer in the modern exercise and nutrition industry, his old school wisdom has stood the test of time.

I see my dentist regularly

I dress and look tidy and clean

I exercise my body regularly

I clean my teeth with care

I walk feeling vibrantly alive

I walk tall and carry my shoulders erect

I believe I am in good health

I don’t take sleeping pills or laxatives

I can, and will, do 10 half-situps or 10 push-ups right now

I want to look healthy and fit

Cigarettes aren’t necessary for my happiness

I pass up dessert if I’ve eaten enough

I am moderate in my alcohol consumption

I eat a healthy breakfast everyday

Meals are a positive part of my day

I keep fresh fruit and vegetables handy

I complimented my husband/wife today

I am pleasant to waitresses, cab drivers, etc.

I answer letters promptly

I give other drivers the right of way with courtesy

I never refuse to dance

People are glad to see me arrive

I am a cheerful person

I am comfortable listening while others converse

I am not critical of other people or age groups

I try to increase my vocabulary and use new words every week

I have read 20 of the world’s literary classics

I am getting everything possible out of my career

I am willing to work hard

I meditate on wise words I hear

I find it easy to say “I’m sorry”

I can say “I don’t know”

I don’t admit defeat easily

I don’t complain about my age

I can accept advice

My physical-marital relations are first-rate

I believe I have many productive years ahead of me

I believe life generally has gone well for me

I can be as romantic as I ever was

I welcome the start of each new day

I go to sleep easily at night and sleep soundly

It doesn’t embarrass me to be “a little silly” at times

I don’t make excuses for my shortcomings 

From page 40 of Jack Lalanne’s, Revitalize Your Life After 50