I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving holiday. I certainly did. As we enter the holiday season this year, like every year, it is a challenge staying on a healthy diet and exercise routine. Many people put it off, vowing to get on track as a New Year’s resolution.
Holiday time is a time we often eat foods we normally shun. This is especially true of the quantity of alcohol. People tend to exercise less, gain weight, and then spend the first part of the New Year working to get back to where they were before the holidays.
When I have extra free time, like around holidays, I use it to exercise MORE, and get into better shape, rather than have it set me back.
While working out in the gym I recently became interested in how other people exercise.
I noticed many people putting a fair amount of energy into getting their magazines, newspapers, books and headsets in the proper position for their workout. It struck me as odd that so many people exercise this way. If you are going to take the 30-60 minutes to exercise, why not really make it as effective as possible. For many of the people I saw in the gym, they could have exercised more efficiently in a fraction of the time.
When exercising, like anything else we do successfully, concentrating on the task at hand is essential. Can you imagine a surgeon performing surgery with a magazine propped up in front of him, or a trial lawyer in court with Ipod headphones on? Effective exercise requires concentration. You’ve heard of “getting into the Zone”. This is best experienced as a meditative pursuit. Focus on the breathing. Concentrate on breathing in and out as you exercise. Pay attention to what your muscles are doing, what are the positions of the extremities, back, shoulders etc. By reading or listening to music during exercise, you are almost disconnecting from your body; having your body going through the routine without being inconvenienced by the loss of time involved.
The next time you workout, take a few moments to” get into the Zen of the activity’. Close your eyes, take some good deep cleansing breaths before you start. Visualize what you are about to do, and what results you will achieve. Get present with your body while exercising. Feel your muscles working, feel your heart pumping, focus on your breath throughout the workout. Change the tempo of the routine and feel how your body responds. Immerse yourself in the whole activity and experience the workout fully. Don’t distract yourself. Focus on everything your body is feeling and be present to those feelings. This will allow you to go deeper into the workout and get the maximum benefit from the time you allot yourself.
If you have had the pleasure of working with either of our two Yoga Masters, Pagan and Patrick, you will know what I am talking about. The session starts with a meditation, chanting and breath work. This sets the tone of the workout and separates us from the tasks of the day. We prepare to deepen into the yoga pursuits. This should be the same orientation regardless of the activity.
The next time you workout, create a new ritual. Instead of arranging the magazine and headphones, try closing your eyes and breathing. It just might make it a little easier to keep those extra holiday pounds from creeping up on you.
This information is for educational purposes only, and is not intended to treat or diagnose any health condition.