*Just some ramblings not a scientific post*
Throughout this blog I have tried not to edit old posts so there is a trail of the journey the fitness industry and I have taken to get to where we are with our current knowledge. This may leave a few blank gaps, especially for the old youtube links that have been taken down, but the content is still there for old times sake. With the disappearance of the old 'lycos' brand my old blogs probably no longer exist but while blogger stays, we have at least a few years of history.
Something I have always been asked is what kinds of exercise people should be doing to stay healthy. I was testing out a skipping rope the other day and got stopped by a passer by. They wanted to know if doing yoga and pilates was enough for them to stay healthy and whether or not they should add skipping into their routine.
They added that 2 or 3 minutes of skipping could improve their 'cardio'. Cardiovascular benefits are an important part of fitness but I don't think 2 or 3 minutes is enough. Current guidelines are about 150 minutes a week.
Another friend asked me if I was going for a run while I was on one of my fasting days. At the moment a run is anaerobic for me. My fitness is still suffering from the byproducts of being in DKA for a long time. I wasn't sure that it would be good to do as current knowledge suggests lower level aerobic could be better for fat burning (which is what I am trying to do by staying in ketosis during a fast).
A weightlifting friend of mine was recently complaining about a lack of flexibility. I advised him to do some animal flow routines or some of the more challenging pilates or yoga routines. This is where his balance lies.
Whenever you plan your fitness sessions, you need to look at where you need to improve. This should be in relation to your goals. Although there is a great health benefit from cross training sports or movements. I seriously doubt that long distance running will help you create a new squat record. Similarly going for 1 rep max on your squats is probably not going to improve your aerobic long distance endurance (i.e. if you are training specifically for an ultramarathon you may have to neglect some anaerobic strength gains).
The great thing about our bodies is our ability to adapt, so the best exercise for living a long and healthy life might be a mixture of different sports or activities the most important thing is to do things you enjoy. Then from time to time try something new until you can enjoy that also.
A great example would be trying badminton or squash from time to time if you only ever lift weights. If you play football or rugby try some power sports or the odd session of swimming.
Stay Healthy!
Throughout this blog I have tried not to edit old posts so there is a trail of the journey the fitness industry and I have taken to get to where we are with our current knowledge. This may leave a few blank gaps, especially for the old youtube links that have been taken down, but the content is still there for old times sake. With the disappearance of the old 'lycos' brand my old blogs probably no longer exist but while blogger stays, we have at least a few years of history.
Something I have always been asked is what kinds of exercise people should be doing to stay healthy. I was testing out a skipping rope the other day and got stopped by a passer by. They wanted to know if doing yoga and pilates was enough for them to stay healthy and whether or not they should add skipping into their routine.
They added that 2 or 3 minutes of skipping could improve their 'cardio'. Cardiovascular benefits are an important part of fitness but I don't think 2 or 3 minutes is enough. Current guidelines are about 150 minutes a week.
Another friend asked me if I was going for a run while I was on one of my fasting days. At the moment a run is anaerobic for me. My fitness is still suffering from the byproducts of being in DKA for a long time. I wasn't sure that it would be good to do as current knowledge suggests lower level aerobic could be better for fat burning (which is what I am trying to do by staying in ketosis during a fast).
A weightlifting friend of mine was recently complaining about a lack of flexibility. I advised him to do some animal flow routines or some of the more challenging pilates or yoga routines. This is where his balance lies.
Whenever you plan your fitness sessions, you need to look at where you need to improve. This should be in relation to your goals. Although there is a great health benefit from cross training sports or movements. I seriously doubt that long distance running will help you create a new squat record. Similarly going for 1 rep max on your squats is probably not going to improve your aerobic long distance endurance (i.e. if you are training specifically for an ultramarathon you may have to neglect some anaerobic strength gains).
The great thing about our bodies is our ability to adapt, so the best exercise for living a long and healthy life might be a mixture of different sports or activities the most important thing is to do things you enjoy. Then from time to time try something new until you can enjoy that also.
A great example would be trying badminton or squash from time to time if you only ever lift weights. If you play football or rugby try some power sports or the odd session of swimming.
Stay Healthy!
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