Fitness is such an individual thing. Yes, fitness classes and fitness groups are very popular, but what you like and what works for you is pretty specific. For some, it’s all about running. Others just want to pump weights. Body-weight exercises (we used to call them calisthentics) also have a huge following and come in so many varieties. Me? I like options. I can get bored if I do the same thing for any length of time. So does my body. Exercising the same way every day isn’t necessarily the best way to go. Like anything else, doing the same thing over and over again becomes easy. that sounds good, but when you’re looking for physical results, you’re dealing with the law of diminishing returns. More of the same produces less results.
Muslces respond to confusion. In other words, you’ll improve your fitness results by doing lots of different things. And you won’t get bored.
I’m no fitness expert. And clearly, I’m no fitness specimen, but I haven’t abandoned the hope. I’d like to be leaner, not just to placate my vanity but also to prolong my health. Carrying around extra weight creates more work for every part of the body. The heart has to pump harder to get blood to that extra body mass. One recent statistic says it takes seven miles of blood vessels to support every pound of fat gained. Unbelievable! You can understand why heart disease is so closely associated with obesity.
Joints have to absorb the extra force created by supporting additional weight. Before switching to business I was a science major in college. In physics, we learned force equals mass times acceleration. In everyday terms, your weight multiplied by your walking or running speed creates the force with which your feet hit the ground, an energy your joints work to absorb so every step doesn’t jar you. The more you weigh, the more force your knees and ankles have to absorb when you go for a stroll. Which means I may not be imagining when I think I see more overweight people with knee replacements than their thinner counterparts.
Workouts are great for physical health, but they may not be the main ingredient in the recipe to make you a lean, mean fitness machine. Body builders, who necessarily have low body fat to best showcase their physiques, will tell you workouts are about 10% of the focus. Diet comprises the other 90%. Workouts are important, but they aren’t the equalizer to a bad diet. Translation: Your 5-mile run won’t cancel out a post-run donut. A healthy lifestyle is a combination of physical activity and healthy eating.
I’m concentrating on the physical fitness aspect today. I have a love/hate relationship with BBG, the Bikini Body Workout created by Kayla Itsines. I love the results I see in women who’ve espoused the program, but I never fell in love with the workout itself. Not sure why, but it just wasn’t finding a place in my heart. Even so, I’ve decided to give it another try and this time I’m all in. I’m into my second week, following the workouts faithfully, and I’ve made the commitment to go through the full twelve-week program. We’ll see if I get the results so many other women are enjoying.
I know I did the bikini post for my birthday several weeks ago, but I’m not really bikini-ready. Wouldn’t it be amazing to look good in a swimsuit in your late 50s? That’s my goal. I’m doing it for myself, and I’m doing it for evey other woman out there who wonders if she could do it, too. If I can, you can!
