Birding for fitness and health

When the publisher sent me the book, Birding at the Bridge by Heather Wolf, I wasn't sure it would be a fit for you.  But the thought hit me, birding for fitness is a thing.  Getting outside, walking and potentially more make bird watching a great hobby for health and fitness.

In this episode, Heather and I go over some getting started tips for bird watching.

 

Something else from 40+ Fitness Podcast you may enjoy

https://40plusfitnesspodcast.com/walking-weight-loss/

11 best bodyweight exercises

Today I will share my favorite bodyweight exercises.  I picked these exercises because they cover the most of the fitness modalities depending on how you use them.

Advantages of Bodyweight Exercises

1. They require no equipment.
2. You can do them practically anywhere.
3. Easy to scale to your fitness level.
4. Doing these can give you the confidence when you're ready step up to free weights.
5. Most are low injury risk.
6. Adaptable to hit multiple fitness modalities.

Precautions

• Always check with your doctor before starting an exercise program.
• Warm up completely before doing an exercise.
• Know how to perform good form.
• Keep good form during the exercise.

11 Best Bodyweight Exercises

Note: There is no sound in the bodyweight exercise videos to facilitate you watching the video while you listen to the podcast.

1. Bodyweight Squat

This is my favorite bodyweight exercise. It builds strength and mass in the thighs and butt. Hold on to something if you have issues with balance or squat depth. Add a jump to the end to add intensity and power.

2. Push Up

This works the chest and triceps. Start with your knees on the ground and progress to a full push up. Elevate your feet for intensity or add a clap at the top to work on power.

3. Sprints

Sprints are a great exercise to build metabolic capacity and endurance.  Sprints should go for 20 – 30 seconds.  Note: This was hard to demonstrate in my yard, but I hope you got the gist.

4. Hollow Hold

This is a great, low risk-high reward core exercise. Be sure to breathe during the hold. Go longer for more intensity or add a rocking motion, which would make it a hollow rock.

5. Bear Crawl

The bear crawl works your shoulders for strength and improves mobility in the hips (both great for us desk jockeys).

6. Burpee

Anyone that has done burpees, hates burpees. But they keep doing them because they work. A full body exercise that helps build endurance and strength.

7. Bicycle Crunch

This is another core exercise that allows you to work core strength more dynamically across multiple core areas (front and sides). The abs are a set of muscles, so hitting them from multiple directions helps keep them strong and balanced.

8. Carioka

One of the main reasons elderly people lose independence is from a fall that results in a broken hip. Many times the fall is to the side and they are unable to respond in time to stop it.  The carioka forces you to maintain balance as you move sideways.  It does provide some endurance benefits as well (especially when part of a circuit where you're already metabolically taxed).

9. Side Lunge

I like the side lunge because it is one of the few bodyweight exercises that isn't front or back.  Like the squat, it builds strength and muscle mass in your thighs and butt, but from a different angle.

10. Mountain Climber

This exercise builds strength in the chest, shoulders, and triceps and is metabolically challenging (endurance).  Be sure to work through the full range of motion.

11. Sampson Lunge

This is another good exercise to help with hip mobility as you build strength, in your legs this time.  Do this slow and controlled to get a really good hip stretch during each lunge.

As you can see, my dogs had as much fun with this as I did.  For the dog lovers, the German Shepard is Angel, the Chihuahua is Joe Joe, and the Lhasa Apso/Poodle mix is Baby. Of note, I did all of these exercises in a circuit and it was quite taxing. I could see doing three rounds of this, with a short rest between each round as being a great workout for even the most fit individuals.

Are there any bodyweight exercises I missed that you think should have made the list?  If so, let me know in the comments below. 

4 fitness modalities that matter

Uncommon exercises

 

11 best getting started on health and fitness tips

Sometimes the hardest part is getting started.  Once you going, you have some wins, some momentum that can keep you going.  In this episode, I'm going to share my tips for getting started on health and fitness tips.

Here are my best getting started on health and fitness tips:

1. Know your why – Before you get started on anything, you should consider why it matters.  Having a solid why will give you a strong, emotional driver to get you moving and keep you moving.  I changed my life because of my wife and kids.  I want to be there for them and the path I was on wasn't going in that direction.  I changed direction.
2. Know your vision – Having a vision of what health and fitness is important to make sure the things you do are aimed toward getting you healthier and more fit.  Your vision can change as you go, but it is important to know where you're going.
3. Set goals – Think of goals as milestones on your path to your vision.  These goals should be SMART goals.  I'm sure you know what smart goals are and if you don't, you can go to episode 93, where I went over how to use them.  I also developed a guide to help you do this.
4. Focus on what matters – If you want to drive to the grocery store, you aren't getting there efficiently if you drive to the movie theatre (unless the movie theatre is on the way to the grocery store).  You very likely have limited time in your day.  Don't waste time doing things that aren't getting toward your goal.
5. Have fun – Yes, some people can tough it out, but you're much more likely to show up if you enjoy what your doing.  Make it fun, or at least something that will make you better at something fun.  For example, I enjoy volleyball.  I do not enjoy box jumps.  But I know box jumps will make me a better volleyball player, so I do box jumps.
6. Be prepared – I leave my gym bag by the door, packed with my workout clothes.  That way, when I get out the door to work, I can't help but grab it.  I also pack my food for the day and carry that with me.  I'm less likely to go to the fast food place if I have plenty of good food with me at my desk or in the breakroom fridge.I also encourage people to do bulk cooking and pack up servings for the rest of the week.  This makes it quick and easy to have a good, healthy meal in the evening when your willpower is weaker.
7. Schedule it – Scheduling your workouts is a great strategy for getting started.  Put an appointment on your calendar with an alarm.  This appointment is with your boss (you).  At work would you miss an appointment with your boss?  Nope?  Don't miss this one either.
8. Go Slow – Often, people will go all out when they first start.  If you overdo it, you are more likely to want to quit.  DOMS is one of the main reasons people drop out after their first workout or two.
9. Be good for yourself – In the podcast episode, “Is your inner voice a nice person?” I explained why it is important to be good to yourself.  This is even more important when you're first getting started.
10. Share it with friends – Friends do a few things for us when it comes to health and fitness.  For one, they can hold us accountable.  Second, they can make it much more fun to workout and cook good food (see #6).
11. Hire a trainer – A trainer, like a friend can help keep you accountable.  One of the best benefits of working with a trainer is that you'll get results faster.  Just make sure you find a trainer that suits you.  I made up a quick and easy guide to help you select the right trainer.If you'd like to learn more about working with me, you can go to Forever Fitness Personal Training.

We are 100! Best of the past.

Not a born runner but that can change with Pete Magill

Even if you're not a born runner, you'll get something special from Pete Magill, the author of Born Again Runner. As an overworked script writer, Pete found himself in the hospital when he collapsed one evening. The alcohol, drugs and smoking were killing him. He turned to running as a way to fix himself.

It wasn't all success, but he stuck with it and is not a world-class runner for his age group. In Born Again Runner, he lays out a way for you to see your version of success as a runner.

The 12 born again runner principles

1. The past is the past –  While you may have failed in the past, that is the past.
2. Walk before you run – You may not be able to run at first, but if you will gradually progress, your body will adapt.  Your nervous system adapts faster than your muscles.  You need to let all the systems adapt before you progress.
3. Keep it simple – It doesn't have to be a special day to start.  No need to make it an event, just find a safe, flat, location where you're not far from the start.
4. Shirt, shorts, shoes – No need to go out and buy a lot of expensive things.  There will be plenty of time to pick up equipment as you need it.
5. Train with the body you have – You come in your own shape, size, gender, and fitness background.  You'll need to discover a running style and program that works for you.  We are all an experiment of one.
6. It’s recovery stupid – We only get fit when we're recovering from the work we've done.  The cliche, “No pain, no gain” is wrong.
7. The only opinion that matters is your own – Don't let other people discourage you from training.  Not being a born runner doesn't mean you shouldn't go for it.
8. No rain checks unless it's raining – There are going to be days we don't want to run or can't run.  Don't run on days when it isn't good to run (excessive heat, when you're injured, or a can't miss event), but don't miss because you just don't feel like it.  It is too easy to make missing a habit and you risk losing your fitness gains.  Have a contingency plan.
9. Dieting can wait (and so can everything else) – It is already hard enough to build fitness and get proper recovery.  This is not a time to restrict your food.  Focus on one goal at a time.
10. Slower is faster – You many not be a born runner, but it is critical that you keep your ego in check.  Build slowly.  The fastest way to be a good runner is to go slowly.
11. It’s gotta be fun – If you don't enjoy your running, you won't keep doing it.  Find a friend or group to train with.  Find online runners forums to connect with other runners.
12. Know you’ll succeed – This is the most important principle.  While you may not be a born runner, you will succeed.  You know you have a plan.  You know you're doing the right things to stay injury free.  You expect to change your body through training and recovery.

Most runners will experience injuries at some time.  Pete has organized preventive exercises for each of the common running-related injuries.  An injury will keep you from running, which will impede your progress.  Avoiding injuries should always be top of mind before, during and after your runs.

Born Again Runner Links

Bornagainrunner.com

Pete Magill

The tao of running | Gary Dudney

11 best fitness tips

In this episode, I wanted to share my best fitness tips.  Each of these fitness tips build on each other.  You really need to keep each of these in your programming to ensure you're getting the most out of your fitness program.

My best fitness tips

1. Warm up
This has to be everyone's #1 fitness tip.  Like rubber, your muscles and connective tissue get stiff when they are cold.  It is important for you to do a proper warm up to avoid injury.  A warm up consists of slow and controlled movement to get the blood flowing through your body.  Only after you've warmed up should you stretch or exercise.
2. Have purpose
Each time you go to “work out” you should know why you're there. I see so many people come into the gym and wander from place to place with no clear agenda.  I'm not saying they're wasting their time, but they certainly are not getting the most out of those sessions.
3. Focus
Once you're in the gym, focus on why you're there.  The only reason for you to have your phone out is to skip a song on your playlist or record your effort on a fitness app.  Yes, you are on a rest, but without focus you're likely resting too long.  See warm up above.
4. Use good form
This is another key fitness tip.  Injuries will keep you from meeting your fitness goals.  Just as a good warm up is important for injury prevention, you should use good form.  I'd encourage you to listen to the episode with David Knox, author of Body School.  If you don't know good form, ask a trainer.  I'm even willing to help, just ask.
5. Have consistency
Consistency is key to reaching your goals.  Our bodies adapt to the exercise when we work through a challenge, feed, rest cycle.  Taking too many days off will stall your progress.
6. Push
Using the same weight each time you work out will help you retain the strength you have, but you won't be getting any other benefit from it.  When you exercise, push yourself.  As I said above, you have to challenge, feed and rest to get results.
7. Rest
Another big part of the adaptation cycle, rest is imperative.  This includes rest between sets, which should align with your purpose (shorter rests for endurance/mass and longer rests for strength).  It also includes the rest between workouts.  Don't think you can work the same muscles every day and see improvement.  You have to allow the muscle to rebuild, which can take up to 72 hours.
8. Nutrition
Your muscle requires protein for rebuilding and some glycogen for fuel.  Making sure you're getting enough food is important.  If you're working while you're on a calorie restricted diet, you might find you don't have the energy to push.  As a result, you're holding yourself back from seeing good results.
9. Hydrate
Hydration is key.  You should make sure you're fully hydrated before you hit the gym.  I like to take a sip of water between each set.  This typically has me walking more during my workout and keeps me hydrated.  And I'm not on my phone.
10. Reevaluate
From time to time, you'll need to step back and see how you're progressing.  This reevalution will help you avoid plateaus.
11. Educate yourself
Take the time to educate yourself.  This goes with form, fuel, exercises, and reps/sets.  You need to figure out what works for you.

 

I hope you enjoyed these fitness tips.  Do you have any fitness tips you'd like to add to the list?  If so, please comment below…

4 fitness modalities that matter

Better movement and form with David Knox

In the book Body School, David Knox lays out the ways movement and form will keep our body healthy, fit and injury free.  As a life-long dancer (yoga, jazz and modern) and a martial artist (holding two black belts), David knows a thing or two about movement and form.

Six elements of movement and form

1. The general position of arms legs and torso
2. The finer alignments of the torso, limbs, hands, feet, neck and head
3. How the muscles are used
4. How breathing is involved
5. The degree to which one can recognize and release unnecessary tension
6. One's ability to perform movement in a strong, fluid, controlled manner

Treadmill pros and cons

Pros

1. Treadmills are easier on your joints.
2. Treadmills have handrails for safety.
3. Treadmills keep you out of bad weather.
4. Treadmills provide a consistent environment.
5. Treadmills provide measurement tools such as a heart rate monitor.
6. Treadmills often have tvs and magazine/book holders.

Cons

1. The treadmill does not train you to deal with real world surfaces.
2. The handrails can be abused.
3. Exposure to different weather can provide health benefits.
4. Treadmills can train you to not be aware of your environment when you walk/run outdoors.
5. The gadgets on treadmills may not really be valuable and may be inaccurate.

The five considerations on stretching

1. How often should you stretch?
2. How far should you stretch?
3. How should a good stretch feel?
4. Should stretches be held statistically for a period of time, pulsed, of constantly extended?
5. Does it matter which muscles are stretched first?

The six injury causes

1. Impact
2. Repetitive stress
3. Range of motion
4. Hyperextension
5. Resistance overload
6. Changing speed and dynamics

Links:

Facebook

email: davidknoxbs@gmail.com

You Can Run Pain Free | Brad Beer

Pause training – mix things up with a pause

Pause training is thought of as an intermediate to advance technique, but I think there are some good applications even for the beginner.  In this episode, we'll discuss pause training and how you can use it in a safe and effective way.

Benefits of pause training:

1. Increase intensity
2. Improves strength through the full range of motion
3. Often safer than other methods

This method works for two basic reasons:

1. It increases the time under tension.  Most beginning trainees focus on the number of repetitions and sets.  Added together these represent the total number of repetitions for any given exercise.  Yet, there is one other dimension in weight lifting, which is the time the weight is being moved.  Increasing this time variable ramps up the intensity.
2. It removes momentum from the lift.  Many lifters have a natural bounce at the bottom of a lift.  This allows them to build momentum, which reduces the total intensity of the exercise.  Using a pause reduces or eliminates this momentum.

Two use cases for pauses:

1. Sticking point.  A sticking point is where you are weakest with a range of motion.  For many lifters, this is the bottom of bench press or when your arm is fully extended in an arm curl.  By lowering the overall weight used and pausing around the sticking point, you'll build more strength around that point in the range of motion, allowing you to lift more through the entire range of motion.
2. At the bottom of the range of motion.  I will use pauses at the bottom of a range of motion to help build flexibility and control at that point of a lift.

Application:

I use pause training in two different types of exercises.

1. For isolation movements like the bicep curl or triceps extension.  In isolation movements, you can use a pause to either eliminate momentum or work through a sticking point.  Be careful as isolation movements typically use one muscle group and one joint and the added stress of the pause can cause an injury if not properly supervised.
2. For compound movements like the squat or push up.  I used the technique for both momentum reduction and range of motion work.  You'll still want to watch your form, but this is the safest use of pause training.

Example of pause training:

Squat to the bottom and hold for improved range of motion:

• Use 50 – 70% of your normal weight for the lift.
• Hold for 3 seconds.
• Use a timer, it is difficult to count seconds to yourself when you get fatigued.
• Drive out of the bottom using good form.

Body by science | Dr. Doug McGuff