The Perfect Workout!

Well, it is that time of year again when the most common New Year’s Resolution is to get back into the gym and workout more. Start a new routine. Take up a new sport. Lift more weight, do more reps and faster cardio.

Why do we feel this need? Why, when every January do Fitness Clubs bank on the fact there will be so many new memberships and higher attendance. Why January and not June when getting outside to run and play will not only do the body good, but the exhange of Co2 will help facilitate weight loss and effeciency? Well, yes! Read here: https://stylecaster.com/beauty/exercising-outside/

Is it because we all put on 5-10 lbs over the holidays? As hunters and gathers it has been necessary for humans to pack on the weight in the wintertime just like bears need to fatten up for hibernation. I realize we don’t hibernate, but winter is sort of a season, to kick back and reflect. Our genetic code is wired to stock up when the growing season ends. When the gathering of the Sheaves is completed.

Just as squirrels stockpile nuts for the winter, I do believe the wintertime is a good season to begin to prepare for the spring and summer seasons, and yes, swimsuit season.

But why the roller coaster when it comes to getting our bodies in shape?

In my lifetime, I rode horses. Our animals lived on our property and it was our job to feed and exercise them year round. Just because it was cold outside was no reason for a day off. When it rained, that was a different story. However, after a few days of rain, our animals would need exercise or behavior issues could become a real problem. So, we do store up energy during times of inactivity and it needs to be depleted. This does not happen seasonally, it happens daily. Fitness is as necessary as eating and breathing. We live in our bodies, and to carry us throughout our lives they need constant maintenance.

As an adult my favorite form of exercise is Yoga. I also like to walk the dog outside. I absolutely abhor getting on a treadmill. Trying to duplicate the benefits of exercising outdoors in my opinion is one of the dumbest thing I have ever heard of.

I guess I’m allergic to artificial exercise. I enjoy lifting weights, but is healthy exercise really found only in the gym? As mentioned above, the exchange of outdoor oxygen has major benefits to our human bodies. Take a moment to read that article. Running, walking, biking, hiking all have major benefits that cannot be duplicated indoors. Yes, we can build bigger muscles, but does that make us healthier. Have you ever met 75 year olds who can hike at 10,000-12,000 ft at a 45 degree incline for 3-5 miles. This is what I call fit. Being able to to the things in life we find enjoyable, friends and like minded individuals. This type of activity not only fuels the body, but all quiets the mind. It nourishes the soul.

Instead of signing up for a new gym membership, let’s commit to climbing bigger mountains, walking further, taking more inclines, but doing it all outside. Let’s get lost in nature and not only benefit our bodies but rewire our brains to partake in what nature has given us to explore and enjoy. Climb, hike, run, bike. Jog on the beach, walk in the sand. Swim in the ocean. Just do it! Get out of the gym and get outside!