Exercise: What? When? How much?

Hi,

In recent editions we’ve been discussing plans for ideal days and weeks to create a framework and the conditions for better health and performance.

It goes without saying that exercise is going to be a crucial part of that - we all know the many and varied benefits.

Last week, when talking about planning, I emphasised the importance of putting exercise in your diary first, rather than waiting and squeezing it in if you get the chance, because guess what?? Take that approach and most likely you won't!

Yet, despite this, there is still a lot of confusion around what type of exercise is “best”, how often we should be exercising, whether we should be in the “fat-burning” zone, etc.

The debates frequently become polarising and often descend into nonsense, spurious claims and myths (such as “cardio is for fat-loss and weight training is to get big muscles”), so I thought we should set the record straight!

Unfortunately, like many things in life, there are very few aspects of exercise routines that are black and white…

For instance, much will depend on what your start point is and what you are trying to achieve in the long-term.

However, if you put a gun to my head and said “if you could only pick one type of exercise to deliver the widest range of benefits for the rest of your life, what would it be?”

My answer, in a heartbeat, would be “strength training”?

If you haven’t exercised for 30 years other than occasionally running for the Tube, should you suddenly start strength training 4 x per week?? Probably not, and any type of exercise is better than nothing, so if you want to take up synchronised underwater Zumba, then go for it!?

Joking aside, the majority of our clients want to look and be fitter, stronger, leaner - but certainly not become a bodybuilder - and safeguard their long-term health.

Maybe above all they want to have more energy and vitality on a day to day basis to get as much as possible out of life.

The formula that we have found works for client’s like ours is to build a routine that includes 3 different types of exercise:

1. Being generally active.? Moving.? Making sure you’re not sitting all day long.? Taking break to walk and/or building it into your schedule
2. Something structured and goal-oriented.? For most (not all), this becomes some form of strength training as it delivers the widest range of benefits in the shortest space of time; it’s also very measurable and therefore easy to see and feel progress
3. Something you do for enjoyment.? For some this might be riding their bike; for others it’s Salsa dancing, for others it might be seasonal activities like skiing.

We’ve found that if people’s routines tick all of these 3 boxes, in a blend tailored to the individual, then they tend not only to produce the short-term results people want to see, but they are also sustainable and become a way of life

Therefore creating those long-term results - that “health vision”.

And - this is where people often come unstuck - it’s the routines, the habits and the consistency rather than the specific activities which are most important.??

It doesn’t matter if you plan to do 3 sets of 10 in the gym or 5 sets of 5…if you only do it once a fortnight!

It doesn’t matter if you choose Yoga or Pilates if you only ever do 3 sessions.

Typically, it takes 3-6 months to establish a new routine and lifestyle as it takes some experimentation to figure out how to make it all work.

From there, we progress, adapt and optimise based on feedback, results and changing goals.

What will your activities be that tick the 3 boxes?

Thanks,

Darren

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BOOK/PODCAST RECOMMENDATION

This week's book recommendation is called “Own the Day” by Aubrey Marcus. Aubrey runs Onnit; a lifestyle, health, performance and supplement company based in Austin, Texas, and also hosts the Aubrey Marcus Podcast.

Whilst some aspects of Aubrey’s content could be considered a little “alternative” the underlying philosophy chimes closely with our approach at Motus.

For example, this passage is taken from the Onnit website:?“Improvement in one area, specifically, will bring improvements universally, while a deficiency in anything will hold back everything. Therefore, time spent bringing up one aspect of your mind, body, or spirit today makes everything a little bit better than it was yesterday.”In “Own the Day” Aubrey details some practical strategies for habits and routine that will help improve health and performance in every area of life.?

QUOTE(s)

Exercise might be the most potent “drug” we have for extending the quality and perhaps quantity of our years of life.

Peter Attia