Improving your physical fitness
Improving your physical fitness will improve the way you experience life in general. If your schedule is overflowing with both personal and professional obligations, the idea of an effective and consistent exercise routine might seem unattainable. But it’s not. It’s actually simple. Keep in mind—it’s simple, not easy.
Stamina lies at the heart of physical fitness. The longer you’re able to sustain a given physical exercise, the higher your stamina, or endurance. Building stamina enhances your performance in a chosen sport, but it also makes activities like bringing the results of your latest shopping excursion into your home much less taxing. These three simple techniques can get you started.
HIGH INTENSITY, SHORT INTERVAL ACTIVITY.
If you’re short on time and want to go hard at increasing endurance, you need to do this three days a week. One high intensity interval training technique, called Tabata training, alternates between 20 second maximum effort intervals and 10 second rest intervals. For example, you might run (or do push-ups, non-weighted squats, or sit-ups) as fast as you can for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, then do it again for a total of eight rounds.
PERSISTENCE, PERSEVERANCE, PRESENCE.
Persist until you finish with your planned training session no matter what. Persevere by not skipping a workout even if you’re traveling for work or just don’t feel like it. Keep your mind in the present as you train by concentrating on the end goal. Rule yourself by ruling your mind.
MODERATE INTENSITY CARDIO EXERCISE.
Whether you choose cycling, jogging, swimming, or plan to alternate between these, commit to at least three days a week for 30 minutes each session. Ideally, you’ll work your way up to five days. Keep it steady and easygoing to reduce joint wear and tear.
Monitor your progress as you go along by recording your activities, improvements, and various external influences. But don’t fall into the trap of using someone else as the measure by which you judge yourself. It’s all too easy to look to celebrity figures or carefully curated social media feeds for inspiration, but try to keep your eyes focused on yourself and your future.
WHAT YOU MIGHT RUN INTO
Tensing your upper body. Both beginners and seasoned runners struggle with relaxing their upper bodies while running. Keep shoulders down, not bunched up around your ears, and elbows bent at 90 degrees. Eliminate any side-to-side movement of your arms as you run.
Wearing inadequate shoes. Wearing worn out running shoes or an inappropriate type of runner for your particular foot is a leading cause of injuries. Go to a store specializing in running shoes. The staff there can determine if you need shoes to correct pronation or other concerns. Replace your shoes every 250 to 350 miles of use.
Neglecting to stretch. Stretch your upper and lower leg muscles before and after a run to increase mobility and enhance performance.
Heel striking. If your hips sit behind your feet when running, it causes heel striking. You can’t push off the ball of your foot when it’s leading your hips and you have to push with heel- to-toe. Too much heavy heel striking and you might develop an injury like plantar fasciitis and your speed will likely suffer.
A NEW TECHNIQUE
There’s a basic technique you can use to improve your running performance and enjoyment. The Pose Method is a technique which aligns the body and leverages gravity to propel the runner forward with minimal energy waste. You were born to run, and this simple method can show you how—though it does take a little practice. Find out more by visiting PoseMethod.com/running.