I’m not an athlete. I always wondered how important being athletic was for keeping fit. Was my lack of athletic skill going to keep me from enjoying exercise and keep me from getting healthy? Many of the top health bloggers I followed and learned from were serious athletes at some point in their lives. Not me. I also noticed that those dramatic before and after pics of guys who lost weight and then looked really muscular usually showed that they were fairly muscular to begin with. Again, not me. So what’s an average or really below average athlete like myself supposed to do? Fortunately it’s a simple answer: get moving.
Yes, that’s an oversimplification. But not as bad as many would have you believe. We don’t need to go to a gym for an hour five days a week. In fact studies have shown that exercising properly for just one minute a few times a week can have significant results.
I like to think of movement in three buckets: Heavy, Fast, Slow. If you do a little of each throughout the week and don’t stress over it you’ll do pretty well. Definitely have goals. But for someone who wants to be happy and healthy if you miss a set or need to skip a day, its ok. For those of you who want to maximize performance gains, there are lots of websites to get very specific info and routines. But I’m probably not the guy for that.
One huge caveat – the phrase “listen to your body” really applies here. If it starts to hurt stop doing it. If you feel sick, don’t exercise. Bodies need rest and they often let you know when.
HEAVY – This is strength training using weights of some sort. I like using my body weight but free weights, dumbells, kettle balls, jugs of water etc. all work well. Just don’t use machines. They restrict motion and you want your body to move freely. A smart way to strength train more efficiently is to use compound movements. These are movements that work more than one muscle group like pull ups, push ups, squats or hanging leg lifts. (btw just doing those four is a pretty decent routine) Basically do the exercise until you can’t anymore. Then rest until you can do another set or switch to a different exercise that works different muscles. Then alternate between them. 3-5 sets is what most recommend. If you can do more than 20 reps at a time you need to make it more challenging, usually by adding weight.
FAST – Basically “sprinting”. This means all out exertion for a short period of time. Usually done with leg heavy exercises like running or jumping. Try running hard for 30 seconds then resting for 60 seconds. Do this as many times as you can up to 10 sprints. Start small and work your way up. If you could only do one type of exercise this would be the choice. Sprints followed by short rests have a great effect on many of the hormones that play pivot roles in our health.
SLOW – This means easy continuous, longer duration movement. Like walking or riding a bike. Its really hard to find fault with walking as an exercise. Our bodies are designed for walking. Its kinda our thing as humans. So do it. Whenever you can. My other favorite “slow” is yoga. For those who are skeptical, meaning men, its tougher than you think and has many benefits you’ll really appreciate like greater flexibility and balance and I always get this remarkable sense of calm.
One of the best things about exercising this way is that its really cheap and flexible. Do pull ups from a tree branch. Do push ups anywhere. Sprint down your street or in a park. Take a free yoga class (keyword “Vinyasa”) from youtube.
Remember this mini-guide was not written for serious athletes or anyone training for performance. That’s a whole different mindset. But its one that gets promoted a lot – “no pain no gain.” The problem with that is the majority of us don’t need to think like that. In fact it could wind up hurting you, or setting you back through injury. That can be frustrating and discouraging. You don’t need to think that way. Just get moving, and don’t stress over it. Mix in some strength movements and the occasional sprint and you’ll be well on your way to improved health.