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

Steve Maxwell on Joe Rogan

From my first post, you know that I'm a big fan of Jack Lalanne. He had tons of old school wisdom about living in an optimal way physically. Listening to the Joe Rogan Experience podcast recently, I came across Steve Maxwell, a modern day Jack Lalanne in many ways. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing Joe and Steve talk about diet, joint mobility, strength development and life in general.

Here are the two podcasts that he did with Joe:

• JRE #504
• JRE #491

Check 'em out.

Pathetic Physical State of Americans

The fact that most kids in America are officially unfit is pathetic. I don't blame individual kids though. I blame parents and schools. Chances are that most parents are unfit too though.

You don't need a fancy playground but they can be a fun way to get physically fit.

The solution is simple. Play (exercise) with your kids. It's a chance to bond with them, you will improve the health of both of you and it can be very fun. Go to the playground with them today and scramble around with them for an hour.

Ask me about playground activities for all ages.

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!