A New Approach

Since we got back from Palm Springs, I decided it was time to get serious about my health.  I consider myself relatively healthy currently, but there are definitely improvements that could be made. 

But this time, I wanted to take a different approach to exercise. 

I’ve spent my whole life either exercising too much, or not exercising at all.  Because of my eating disorder, exercise was not about health, it was about being thin, or punishment, or a whole host of strange reasons.  There was no middle ground…no moderation.  I was either crazy into exercise, hours at a time, every day without a break…or I was a couch potato, rebelling against my previous self-imposed torture.

As few months ago, I signed up to get Dr. Mercola’s daily email on health topics.  Hub has been a follower for a long time, and he would talk about some of the things in the email.  So since it was free, I signed up too so I could better follow what Hub was talking about.   Dr. Mercola has some interesting ideas on many subjects.  I started looking at his fitness recommendations, one in particular is called Peak Fitness. 

The idea is that you only have to exercise for 20 minutes 3 days a week to get the maximum benefit.  This appealed to me, because I had gotten to the point that I hated to exercise; again, exercise had always been long, grueling sessions.  But this was different, not only do you just have to exercise for 20 minutes 3 days a week, you CANNOT, as in are NOT ALLOWED to, do this program everyday!  Your body requires more time to heal in between these sessions than normal cardiovascular workouts. 

Basically it’s interval training.  You exercise as hard as you can for 30 seconds (to the point that you don’t think you could go another second), then at a more moderate pace for 1:30, repeat for a total of 20 minutes.  So far, I’ve done this 3 times, and it goes by SO fast, mentally it doesn’t seem difficult.  It’s a major workout, and I’m exhausted afterwards, but I don’t dread it, like I dread “regular cardio.” 

I’ve done it once on a treadmill and twice on an elliptical…I think the elliptical works better.  Too soon to see results, but I can see myself doing this for the long term.  I also bought an app for my iPhone called Interval Timer, which has made it even easier.  Coupled with light weights a few times a weeks, I think I’m headed in the right direction.    

I’ve also been following some of his nutritional guidelines…basically a Paleo based diet, which is fine because I’ve been living mostly low-carb the past few years anyway.  He’s death on sugar, especially high fructose corn syrup, and doesn’t like most sugar substitutes either.  He recommends that the carbs you do eat are complex carbohydrates such as beans, nuts, and vegetables.  He advocates for full fat dairy products, as long as they are made from milk without hormones.  This is great, because I hate low fat dairy, and LOVE half and half, full fat Greek yogurt, cheese, etc.  He gets a little over-the-top for my taste at the advanced level, but his “beginner” recommendations are easy and sound.

Anyway, I’m completely over my post-vacation cold, I’m feeling great, and enjoying a renewed commitment to my health.  After all, I’m not getting any younger!