Everywhere you look, you are reminded of the “obesity epidemic” in America. From the proliferation of workout videos and diets to study after study on the nightly news, we are told to cut back - lose weight - get fitter and healthier. But, at the same time, our commutes are longer, our kids’ schedules are more regimented, and our jobs demand more “productivity” (that’s management-speak for “more work in less time with fewer people”). How can you fit fitness into your life?
Making fitness a HABIT - as opposed to merely “making time for a workout” - might be the way to go, for busy overworked adults and kids. Once something becomes a habit - a behavior that you do unconsciously, and that you feel uncomfortable if DON’T do - getting healthier and in shape flows naturally.
So how do you make fitness a habit? The easiest way is to insert a fitness activity seamlessly into your daily routine. There are many suggestions for this: take the stairs at work, walk after lunch, do a quick workout in the morning. These are terrific suggestions and I encourage all of them. This article suggests another option, one that does not involve any change other than lying on the floor instead of lying on the couch.
The idea for this article was inspired by Bruce Lee. Right up there with Mr. Jack LaLanne, Bruce Lee is an excellent example of someone who integrated fitness and health in all aspects of his life. Of course, Messrs. LaLanne and Lee also made physical fitness their profession, so it wasn’t all that hard for THEM to do it. But how can YOU do it? Do situps during the commercials. There, that was easy, wasn’t it? That’s like saying, “Need money? Invent something!” Doing situps during the commercials – well, doing TRADITIONAL situps - is actually incredibly disruptive. First of all, the noise you make will bother everybody. You certainly don’t want to sweat onto the living room carpet. And, if you aren’t good at traditional situps, then it just becomes a frustrating activity for you, in addition to annoying your family.
The situps you should use are actually a variation on the crunch, but with so little movement as to be almost unnoticeable. First, lie on your back. Put the soles of your feet together, and let your knees fall to the outside as far as possible. Put your hands on your shoulders so that your fingers are parallel with your spine and our elbows are pointing straight up at the ceiling. Now, tighten your stomach muscles, with the goal of lifting only your shoulders off the ground. Don’t tuck your head or chin, don’t roll up, don’t pull yourself up with your arms. You actually are completely unconcerned with whether your upper body moves at all – the point of the exercise is to tense your stomach muscles against a weight, so that your stomach muscles do work.
Hold each tension for 5 to 10 seconds. Lie down and relax totally for 5 to 10 seconds, and do another one. You should get a whole bunch in during the standard 2-1/2 minute commercial, and then you have about 12 minutes to rest up for the next set.
Do this for 21 straight days. If you miss a day, start back at day 1 (one of the points of this exercise is to instill DISCIPLINE into your life without your realizing it, also). After a few days, you will FEEL that your stomach muscles are a little tighter. You may also feel the first stirring of chi in your tan dien (located about 1/3 of the way between your navel and your groin) – but that’s another article, for another day. Let’s just say that after doing this exercise for 21 straight days, you will feel more energy, and you will be better able to tap into that energy. It doesn’t matter what time of day you do this exercise, but you should not do it right when you get home – you should pay attention to your family first.
This article presented a simple way of putting exercise into your daily routine, without disrupting your routine at all. Once you begin doing this exercise, in this way, your body will demand that you not only continue doing this, but that you do something else. You will find your body craving healthier foods. Your appetite should decrease, and your sleep will be more restful and complete. Is this the “wonder exercise” that cures all your problems? No. YOU are the cure of your problems – but sometimes you need a kickstart.
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