PHYSICAL EXERCISE FOR NON-ATHLETES

PHYSICAL EXERCISE FOR NON-ATHLETES

This blog post is for those who don’t want to be athletes or professional body builders or for those who want to play competitive sports, but want to find the right exercises for themselves to stay fit, health and active. If you want to be an athlete, sports professional, of other specialist, then this discussion is not for you and you should seek advice of a professional coach or trainer to help you with your exercise goals.

First and foremost: Don’t do any form of exercise, no matter what age or level of fitness you have, if it does not agree with you. Those under the regular care of doctors for any lifestyle related disorders, please consult your doctor and do only those exercises (s)he agrees to.

I am an Integrative Nutrition Health coach qualified from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition in the US. By profession, I am a Coaching Psychologist and I went through a self-healing health transformation a few years ago. I coach people to lead healthy and vibrant lives, with my six-month Integrative Living program. Because I am a psychologist, for Health Coaching I focus on the mind-body, Heart and Soul of my clients. Each client is on his or her own journey and the coaching helps achieve many milestones along the say.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF EXERCISE?

• Exercise should be fun and enjoyable. If you don’t enjoy it, try finding out why.
• Exercise should give a rush of positive energy. Those endorphins that get released when we workout, are addictive and a feel good factor. They energise the mind and body both.
• Exercise should not be a competitive sport to outdo others or even to outdo yourself. You are the only reference point. You don’t need to be better than anybody else or do what others are doing.
• Exercise should help me stay active as long as possible. As the years come on, instead of declining stamina and energy, the purpose of exercise is to keep you on an even keel. You should be able to meet all life challenges for as long as possible without tiring out.
• Exercise should help in maintaining or extending my range of motion in my joints. This is particularly true as you get older, you should be able to maintain flexibility
• Exercise should build skeletal muscle mass. One of the biggest problems of inactivity at all ages is loss of skeletal muscle mass. When you are younger, it is possible to build muscle mass a lot easier, but as you age, particularly for women who are past menopause, loss of muscle mass is very difficult to replace, though not impossible. Loss of muscle mass is associated with higher insulin resistance, loss of mobility, fatigue, heart health issues, and more proneness to falls.
• Exercise should improve my stamina and ability to workout. A gradual improvement in body strength should be a result of continued and sustained exercise schedule.
• Exercise should detox the body. When we move parts of our body, it invigorates and circulates blood and activates the joints and muscles. This helps in elimination of toxin build-up deep inside the joints.
• Exercise should connect my awareness to my body in an intimate way. This is my favourite part. When you exercise, you connect with different parts of the body, discover new pains, new unexplored muscle groups. You can feel your body moving so deeply.

Always remember, your exercise routine should leave you feeling active and energised. If it depletes you, then you could speak to your health coach about why this is so in your case.

1. Exercise is self-care and self-love rolled up in one. It is an act of love and connecting with your body’s innate need to move.
2. Understand what exercise means to you, examine your relationship with exercise and how it was when you were a child growing up. Use your health coaching session with me to understand how to build a positive relationship with your body and your exercise routine.
3. Exercise six days a week. Rest one day. Never exert yourself beyond your limit.
4. Start small. For every exercise start with the minimum possible if you are a beginner. If you are walking for the first time, begin with 10 minutes. If you are weight training, begin with 0.5 kg weights, or even just go through the motions without the weights. If you are doing resistance bands, begin with the thinnest versions. For many of my clients, they are just beginning their exercise journey and its best to start very small. There is no hurry to increase your exercise level too fast. Take your time.
5. Staying hydrated during exercise is important as we sweat and lose water from our bodies. Drink at least one glass of water about 15 minutes before exercise, and more water immediately after.
6. Know when to stop exercising. If you feel your body is over-heating, heart is over-pumping, or there is pain anywhere, dizziness, or any discomfort, then stop. However, don’t stop abruptly, slow down and ease yourself into a more relaxed mode. Do not lie down immediately after exercising, stay active and walkabout doing your normal activities for about 10-15 minutes.
7. Exercise twice a day aim for 30 minutes each time, otherwise 45-60 minutes once a day.
8. You don’t have to go to the gym. It could be more workable to do your exercise at home or with friends or family. See what works for you. I find that going to the gym is takes more time, you have to drive, park, change, and then drive back. A one-hour workout at the gym takes 2 hours of your daily routine. At home it is simpler. You need to see what works for you.
9. You don’t need a personal trainer. In my opinion, a personal trainer usually pushes you beyond your limit. As long as you are aware of your body and the basics, and know what mistakes to watch out for, you can be fine.
10. If possible, invest in a good smart watch or wearable to track your progress. Remember, that which can be measured, can be managed, controlled and improved. These wearable devices are tremendously motivating.
11. Weighing scales? Yes, please invest in one if you don’t have it already. Nowadays many weighing scales come with a fat analysis function that synchronises with your mobile phone. It is a good idea to weigh yourself once a week at the same time of day, on these scales to see how things are going on your health journey. Ideally your skeletal muscle mass should increase, and your visceral fat should come closer to ideal levels. You can take up your weight goals in your coaching session to discuss what you should aim for.
12. It’s okay if your job is sedentary and desk based. If you exercise routinely, it will get you past the stagnant periods of desk-work. However, if you are able to, get a sit-stand desk and make it a point to stand and work on your desk at least one to two hours daily before or after lunchtime. Nowadays there is an active chair for sitting on at your desk too, but I am yet to try it, so cannot recommend it right now.
13. Invest in a good set of resistance bands and basic weights. This will keep you in good stead for a long time to come.

What exercises you will do is an individual choice. That is where Health Coaching comes in. We help you understand what your intentions about exercise are, what your individual preferences are at this point in time and what you feel internally. Different exercise routines work for different people. When you go to a gym, they usually have one set of exercise routines that they start you with. It is THEIR solution for you and not your solution for yourself. So, do not get impressed by goals they set for you, but instead focus on your own journey and relationship with exercise.

Generally we find what works in principle is some form of cardio workout three times a week, some form of strength-building workout twice a week and some form of High Intensity Interval Training once a week. Additionally yoga and stretches help the body remain supple. A self-made routine will help you stay on track, and also free you up to change the routine whenever you want.

If you are interested in exploring ways in which your body really wants and needs to move, do put a comment in the box, and I will revert to you.