Work, rest and play...

This was the slogan of a lovely little chocolate bar (sorry...hmm chocolate) which has been in the UK for years. It is also the title of this blog and bears no relation to eating chocolate. So if you are hopeful for something sweet then you are in the wrong place..sorry.

I bumped into a trainer friend of mine the other day on Kensington High Street. We got chatting about training and keeping motivated when your life is fitness. The resultant conclusion was that we need to achieve, rest and recover.

As my Twitter name suggests (@tomthesloth) I am a bit lazy. I do struggle to get motivated to train. I'd much rather relax, read or eat than put the mileage into my training. This never boads well for an Ultra marathon!  However when I do train, I'm able to appreciate the time when I don't that bit more, to know that even though I'm being lazy it is actually helping repair and recover my body for the next challenge. When I get to an event I am relaxed, knowing that I have not overtrained (no chance of that!) and am ready for whatever is thrown my way. I achieve because I take a little and often approach to my training.

Most people begin a fitness routine with aspirations of being a supermodel. They believe that the 3 times a week that they will visit the gym (when work, family and social life allows) will transform them, from average Joe or Phyllis into a fit Hugh Jackman or Heidi Klum. For some this pipe dream may become reality. But it would take a merciful diet and 3 savage training sessions to have this transformational effect. The intensity of this program and recovery needed would probably demotivate most mortals and send them back to the unhealthy lives they were trying to escape in the first place.

So what am I getting at here?

Well a more realistic approach would be a starting place. Set yourself a goal then halve it and achieve that. Want to run a marathon? Aim for a half marathon or better still, a 10k. Rather than demotivating yourself because you can't get to the gym, just do 15 minutes at home before work, then it's done and you can rest, recover.

Exercise is by no means rocket science, there's plenty of information out there for us to absorb. As long as we acquire good information the obstacle is ourselves, our barriers to success our eagerness to fail.

So don't fail, don't build barriers, just begin a habit today of 5 minutes of exercise. Pat yourself on the back when you achieve it everyday for 2 weeks, then think about your next goal.

Little and often can be the key to success, don't run before you can walk, because often you'll stumble and fall flat on your face. 

T :)

Here are some guidelines:

1. 
   
   
   Rather than attempting an hour session or even half an hour, just take little steps - Do 5 minutes exercise every morning. (it could be a brisk walk, climbing the stairs or barefoot run)
2. 
   
   
   Give yourself something attainable and achieve. Don't run before you can walk. Use your stairs and climb them up and down for 5 mins, pick up a kid and swing them round (borrow one if you don't have your own, just ask first) or get to the park and do 20 jumping jacks at each bench you find.
3. 
   
   
   Find ways to walk, climb stairs, cycle, play with your kids whenever possible. You'll burn more energy everyday = a fitter, slimmer you.
4. 
   
   
   Try. Try new activities to enjoy exercise. Salsa, dancing on a saturday night (minus the booze), footie with mates, frisbee with the dog (run after the dog), skipping.

Don't be afraid to rest, but make sure in your heart, mind and soul that you've earnt it, bottom line don't be a lazy sausage!

Your mission before my next blog is to do 5 minutes activity a day, everyday. Enjoy it and record it. Use iexerci.se to help track your progress.

This activity must be something that raises your heart rate, gets you out of breath (not dying) and makes you sweat a little. It must be something you don't normally do.

Feel free to let me know how you get on,

Tom :)

Barefoot Running

There was a time long ago, a time before man and woman knew what polyurethane or liquid silicone was, let alone that it would present itself in a "running shoe".

Our ancestors are likely to have run barefoot or worn a thin covering to protect their feet from sharp objects. If they were hunters they would've run a lot (unless they were clever) and the gatherers would've covered miles walking in search of fruits, seeds and plants. Unfortunately we can't ask if they got shin splints, developed ITB problems or suffered with Plantar Fascitis!

It's an assumption (probably a fair one) that if they weren't eaten by a wild animal, they would adapt to their surroundings, active lifestyle and the need to survive pretty quickly. You could consider our ancestors to be the first athletes. When they weren't hunting they'd be re-fuelling, recovering and interacting (in simple/primal ways) with each other. Something we all lack at times in today's world.

So why the anthropology lesson?

Well we are somewhat different from our ancestors. We no longer hunt, gather, rest, re-fuel or interact (I'm blogging this for example) in the same way. Our jobs prevent us from being active throughout the day (unless you are a trainer like me :)) and we are conditioned to eat at set times. As a result our bodies and biomechanics have changed.

We are told (correctly for some) that we need this shoe or that supplement to make us work 100%. We pay good money to be better without changing what is fundamentally the cause of our problems, our lifestyle.

If we changed how we sat, walked, ran, ate, rested or interacted it would have a dramatic impact on our bodies and our lives. Would we have need for expensive shoes and supplements if we focused on the ground up?

Everything we do should be done with care, slowly and with thought as to how it will affect us. But we should at least try. We should try to walk then run barefoot, try to eat with our health in mind, try sleeping less in the summer (enjoy those daylight hours) and see how it improves our lives.

This is just a suggestion from someone who is a tryer, can be trying, but always gives things a try :)

Go on just try.....

Barefoot run and walk for Beginners

Every others day head for a green space (it needn't be large), take your socks and shoes off (check for broken glass) and follow this simple session below. The aim is to take in what your feet feel, absorb your surroundings and enjoy the feeling of being 20 years younger!

5 mins total every other day.

Slow run with small strides for 1 minute, walk for 1 minute.
think about remaining upright, feet under your body with small strides, relaxed arms.

Build the time gradually, ensuring you stretch your legs; calves and achilles in particular after you've run.
Increase by 60 seconds per week. Forget about ramping up the time and remember what it was like to run as a kid; relax, run free, absorb everything!

Above all enjoy running for the good feeling not the challenge of more, more, more and SMILE :)

T :)

Good morning exercises

It's been awhile since my last confession, I mean blog. So I wanted to start off my return to blogging with 5 morning exercises. They are simple mobility and dynamic stretching exercises to awaken the muscles and joints in a friendly way. Also perfect before a run to loosen everything up. If you need a video see www.youtube.com/tomthesloth where you'll find this as a video.

Try 60 seconds per exercise. Perform one set of each exercise then repeat 3 times.

1) Hula Hips - Stand feet shoulder width apart. Slowly circle hips clockwise, starting small and gradually building to larger circles. Change direction at 30 seconds. (This loosens lumbar spine and hip joints)

2) Shoulder Rolls - Bring arms up to shoulder height. Slowly circle arms forwards, starting with small circles and gradually building to large circles. After 30 seconds change direction, circling backwards from large circles to small circles.

3) Pec Dyno - Bring arms across your body as though trying to hug yourself then open arms out to make a T shape with your body. Bring arms back across body, then out again. Starting off slow and gradually building speed. Don't force arms back, but keep relaxed to open chest and warm arms.

4) Squat Reach - Feet a little wider than shoulder width. Squat down, bum back and back straight. Stand up reaching arms up to ceiling as you do so, all the way up onto the toes, then lower back down into the squat and repeat. Focus on control and reaching that stretch up to the ceiling.

5) Shadow Box - Yes that's right! You'd be surprised how boxing can help control your anger and focus your mind. Don't worry you don't need the bag...yet! Stand slightly side on in front of a mirror with elbows tucked into your sides and fists "guarding" your face. Slowly extend your left (if your are right handed) fist out knuckles facing the ceiling. Don't lock the arm fully just 95%. Bring back into guard position and repeat with the right. Gradually speed the arms up keeping them relaxed, not tense.

If you are not sure about any of these exercises please visit www.youtube.com/tomthesloth for videos of the above exercises.

Remember: start slowly, gradually speed up. These are warm-up exercises, so treat your body kind and it'll like you back :)