Exercise in the form of movement is one of those things we just need to find time to do. And there can be many excuses not to do it. But deep down inside, we all know that if exercise and movement stop, our health goes downhill.
My exercise routine changes throughout the year, but l I have compiled together the details of what I do typically in a week.
Strength Training
Also known as resistance training involves the performance of physical exercises that are designed to improve strength and endurance. Strength training is associated with lifting of weights in the form of physical weights like dumbbells, kettlebells, barbells or simply our own body weight. Strength training is by far the most important type of exercise as it has so many important benefits including, but not limited to:
Muscle strength and tone – to protect our joints
Maintaining flexibility and balance, which becomes more important as we age
Weight management
Reduce and prevent cognitive decline in older people
The list goes on
Evidence recommends strength training at least 2-3x a week to strengthen your muscles to help protect your body from injury and perform everyday activities. I personally strength train 3-4x a week and go through periods where I will train between 5-6x a week for short durations, before returning to my normal routine of 3-4x a week.
The training I do for myself changes based on my goals at the time and I tend to stick to an upper body/lower body approach.
Cardiovascular Training
Cardiovascular training aims at the cardiovascular system--our blood circulatory system including the heart, blood vessels and blood cells-- carrying nutrients and oxygen-rich blood to all parts of the body and transports deoxygenated blood to the lungs. Pretty important right?
I don’t overly enjoy cardiovascular training on a personal level, so I try to come up with ways of making it fun. These methods include walking in nature whether that be a hike or on a beach, playing ball sports or exercising in a park. I will generally not be seen walking on a treadmill or a cross trainer at the gym--I just don’t find it as enjoyable--but when I’m out in nature and breathing in fresh air seems to be the way I find the time to enjoy this type of exercise.
Another form of Cardiovascular training is High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). This type of training involves alternating between short bouts of intense or explosive exercise with brief periods of recovery (e.g., 30 seconds of intense exercise followed by 30 seconds rest) until the point of fatigue. This form of training is good for certain people depending where you are at on your fitness journey.
In terms for bang for your buck this type of training covers strength and endurance, and because of the intensity of the training, you’re usually finished between 20-30 minutes.
Flexibility, Mobility, and Balance Training & Movement
There are many ways to perform this type of exercise but for this article I am going to focus on my favourite--yoga. Yoga has been around for many centuries and helps with improving flexibility, strength, posture and keeps our joints healthy. On top of this, I find yoga is a relaxing form of exercise and a mindfulness practice that helps to reduce stress. I personally practice 2x a week but again this varies based on my goals. There are different forms of yoga with Hot Yoga and Vinyasa being my personal favourites.
Indirect Exercise
This is everything we do in life that may not be in a gym but contributes to us moving our body. At the end of the day this article is all about daily activity, moving more and sitting less. Other ways to attain movement may be by choosing to park further away from where we need to go and walk slightly further, taking stairs rather than the escalator, and gardening to name a few.
On another note
We also need to talk about overtraining. Some people (including myself in the past) do far too much and this leads to inadequate results and poor health outcomes. Often, we are seeing blood test results with huge amounts of stress being placed on the body and overtraining can be a contributing factor to this.
If our system is over stressed, we will have substandard results, so we must be mindful of this when creating a workout plan.
As we can see, there are many forms of movement and exercise and the immense number of benefits this has on our body is integral to ageing well and being able to continue doing the things we love for a longer time.
Understandably, life can get busy, and I am more than happy to have some time off--like everyone, there are moments I don’t feel like working out and that is ok--I just look for more relaxing alternatives on these days like going for a walk around the park.
Overall, I feel that establishing a positive daily routine helps to provide structure and momentum to help carry you through the day. I don’t believe you absolutely must dedicate a set time to exercise, but if you are able to set up some sort of a routine, over time it can become more of a good habit, rather than a chore: consistency is key.
My experience in the exercise and sports science field and working in the health and lifestyle sector over many years equips me with the tools to lay out an ideal training plan based on your health goals. During the functional medicine approach, we look at you as an individual to provide you with a program that meets your specific needs and help to guide you every step of the way. If you feel you are exercising a lot and not reaching your goals or you just don’t know where to start and need someone to motivate you and hold you accountable, get in contact with me.
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