An essential happiness strategy. Now I haven’t written about one of my favourite topics for a while, so I thought it was about time.
I am going to write about the thing that gives you more energy and vitality, makes your skin glow, slows down the ageing process, detoxifies the body, reduces body odour, makes you body burn more calories at rest, helps you poop (gross but very essential to health and happiness), manages stress by consuming excess adrenalin in your body, increases mental clarity, regulates blood and oxygen flow through the body, makes you more attractive to the opposite sex, improves your sex life, floods your body with endorphins, makes you smarter by increased blood flow to the brain, and I could still go on and on.
Now if I you did not tick off at least one or more ‘desirables’ on the list above then I am going to hang my hat up, and stop calling myself a Life Coach. I am sure that it comes as no surprise to anyone that we are talking about physical activity. It is just SO GOOD for us on so many levels, that I just had to talk about it today. Tal Ben-Sharar who wrote the book Happier actually said, “Not exercising is like taking a depressant”.
So today I am not here to convince you why (just read the first paragraph if at any stage you forget ;-)), I am here to tell you what I recommend as the best program for HEALTH, HAPPINESS, VITALITY and LONGEVITY. If you are after how to bulk up so you look like you are carrying a couple of watermelons under the arms I suggest getting a Muscle and Fitness Magazine or if you want 5% body fat then I suggest you come to me for some Coaching on ‘Finding fun stuff to do with your life’. I want to let you know what I have discovered after passionately researching, observing and personally doing 1,000’s of sessions over the years.
In order to keep this article relatively short, I will summarize a lot. If you want more in-depth (or personalised) information, then drop me an email. I will also be looking at the program from the perspective of a week of activity, and as always, simplicity is something I teach, and is reflected here.
What are absolutely the best physical activities to include in this ‘weekly’ program?
- 1 x Resistance session. This is where we challenge our muscles with resistance, such as: weights, machines, body weight, large rocks or even coconuts if you visit me in Bali. I currently do a 12-15 min session, one day a week. It is pretty intense and works on recruiting the biggest muscle groups and muscle fibres, for the greatest metabolic return on investment (i.e. best for the whole body). For more information on this system, drop me a line or read the book Body By Science.
1 x Mind / Body / Spirit Session. I am a HUGE fan of yoga. It is an exercise system and philosophy that has been around for over 4,000 years. It works the nervous system, the mind, the circulatory system, the lymphatic system, the flow of energy through the body, and so much more. If you want more information on why it is so great check out this interview I did with a modern day Yogi called Cherie. And I lean towards a style that has more philosophy integrated as opposed to just doing a series of postures. Other alternatives are Tai Chi and Chi Gong. For me this is ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL for physical and mental health and vitality.- 2 – 4 Aerobic / Cardio Sessions. I generally do 4 sessions a week (I do some physical activity 6 days a week), but 2 sessions is great as well. I usually do 3 days of cycling and one day of running down the beach. The sessions are not overly intense and vary depending on how my energy levels are. Though many times when you think you will take it easy, you end up doing one of your best sessions. Other options for these activities include: power walking, group fitness classes, boxing, martial arts, Pilates, roller-blading, skateboarding, tennis, soccer, volleyball, squash, dancing, hiking, swimming, surfing, etc. The aim is to move your body and elevate your heart rate, so your body can pump blood throughout the body, and assist the lymphatic system to remove toxins from your body.
- Rest Day/s. Yippee! The rest days are even better if you feel like you have earned them. Great for your self-esteem and self-worth. The body needs to recover, repair and rebuild. The mind needs to rest, repair and recover. On the rest day you get to sleep in (if your children let you), lounge around, cruise through the day, spend time with people you care about, read a book, watch a movie, and engage with others. This is good for the soul.
So my weekly program looks like this:
- Mon – Kundalini Yoga
- Tue – Bike ride for 30-40 min (easy)
- Wed – Barefoot run down the beach for 30-40 mins (easy to hard depending on how I feel)
- Thu – Weight training session for 15 mins (intense)
- Fri – Bike ride for 30-40 min (easy)
- Sat – Bike ride for 60 mins (easy to medium)
- Sun – Day of REST.
An alternative with 4 sessions a week might look like:
- Mon – Yoga
- Tue – Cardio
- Wed – Rest
- Thu – Resistance (weights)
- Fri – Cardio
- Sat / Sun – Rest
General Points in Summary:
- The key to weight loss and weight management is good nutrition. Weight loss is 80% nutrition and 20% exercise. For my Top Tips on Nutrition check out this Blog Post. Having the right mindset is also essential to make the shift. The 30-Day Happiness Challenge is a great catalyst for changing your mindset, habits and beliefs about yourself.
- For a list of 50 MOST AWESOME Outdoor Exercises make sure you download your FREE eBook.
- You can swap yoga with cardio to great effect. I recommend that everyone does at least one yoga session a week.
- Get help if you are just starting or need support with getting started (most of the WorldsBIGGESTGym Coaches are fitness trainers).
- Read the first paragraph again to remind yourself why you need to commit to and schedule physical activity into your life.
If you have any questions about this or want to use the 30-Day Happiness Challenge to do a major overhaul on your life, then make sure you check it out for more information.