Everywhere is a gym: Challenge yourself to improve on yesterday

I don’t have time. I don’t have the right clothes. The gym’s not open. There seems to be no shortage of excuses for not exercising. But just how justified is it to stay home and get fat? Exercise is often perceived as something that’s hard, something that must be done in the gym, something that’s very structured. However, the more we move our body, the more it becomes a habit. From a psychological perspective, being active releases brain chemicals that trigger positive reactions in the body. Being active also brings confidence and a sense of happiness that pervades the whole being.

Embrace what gives you strength

My beloved father has been an inspiration to me for staying active. “The quality of your life is the combination of your health and emotions.” According to a recent Journal of American Medical Association–some people go through their entire life waiting for retirement and then perish in the first year of seclusion. We were not designed to sit on a magnetic sofa, drink copious amount of beer and binge watch Netflix or sports on TV. An accomplished physician in Hollywood, Dad still does his part for staying physically fit and emotionally healthy. His self love includes one hour of brisk walking early at sunrise and one hour at the gym in the evening. He is still active even with a very busy work schedule, wide interests and diverse extra-curricular activities. 

The measure for happiness 

Before the COVID-19 lockdown, I would gallop ahead with my 5 am ritual at the Bay Club. This included a 30 minutes pull on the Concept2 ergometer, followed by 7 miles uphill run (solid 1 hour tempo run on the Woodway treadmill), and then endurance weight training. A cool down stretch ritual was next, followed by hydration. After my endorphin high, I would go to work and have blueberries with an egg white omelette at the cafeteria. I weighed 173 lbs and felt energized and fresh throughout the day. Today, I weigh 164 lbs and feel incredible, having vast amounts of energy for all the relationships in my life.

New routes to well-being begin with nutrition

The videos of the Wuhan wet market made me angry and disgusted about eating animals. Conscientiously, I deleted chicken and salmon–becoming 100% meatless. Instead, I started making fresh lentils and an assortment of vegetables my Mother had taught me. I undercooked the vegetables so they retained as much of the nutritional value and fiber for my GI tract. Gone was all the fried food, wine and beer. The new vegetarian diet brought lightness. Seldom did I get tired after a meal. I have also prioritized drinking water to rehydrate throughout the day.

Health is what we do everyday

An ardent fan of rowing, my boathouse lent me the Concept2 ergometer so I could work out at home. An effective tool for sweating, striving, toning, and building endurance–I am religiously using the ergo for 2 x 30 minutes pulls early in the morning with 7,500+ meters for each :30 min at rate 32 to 34. I still love sweating while on the erg, but even more importantly–I am able to focus for longer intervals effectively once I get off and feel no stress while getting tasks done. 

The intelligent application of power in “endurance cycling”

In 2019, I purchased a Giant road bike at the behest of my son who insisted I get a new bike. I usually get Cadence the nicest bike money can buy and found it rather touching he wanted to get me one for Christmas. Of course, I started using the new bike on the weekends for excursions on Canada road and at the Crystal Springs reservoir. However, with the lockdown in place I decided to up the ante and get the full on–BMC road bike and started training on it every day. I loaned my Giant racer to my friend Chris to train with during the lockdown. As luck would have it, I have met new high caliber cyclists as friends–who love to expend energy exploring new routes while increasing VO2 max. Cycling finds me in the middle of nowhere surrounded with positive energy and sunshine. I couldn’t be happier.

Switch on ANIMAL mode on Strava

Applications such as Strava are making it easier to keep track of our sweat rituals as well as stay motivated to plan better for tomorrow. I was surprised to find my rowing friends on Strava as well as my new cycling friends. Recording my sweat sessions on the ergometer, long rides with my friends, and also with my avid cyclist son–are now shared with many active types. It keeps me motivated to do more each day.

Life is an adventure in wonderland if you have gratitude 

Now that the quarantine is gradually lifting, I am experiencing some lockdown relaxation. I am thankful for this simple list of self care strategies for all ages:

+ Stay active

+ Feel your feelings

+ Embrace the Good

+ Get 7-8 hours of sleep

+ Hug your loved ones

+ Stay connected

+ Be kind to yourself

+ Help someone else

+ Dance, laugh, play, listen to music

+ Talk to someone whom you like 

Our mental and physical health are connected

Being active is an essential ingredient of human nature. Our body temperature rises when we are active. This sense of warmth is also connected to our feelings of comfort and support. If we start changing our self-perception about who we are, where we want be, how hard we have to work to get there, and how long we have to be doing it–can make a difference in all areas of our lives. We should not take our health for granted. Our well-being matters at every age.