We could drag out research about which exercise works the most parts of your body. Whether it is Cross Country skiing (or the simulation of that activity on a machine in the gym). Whether it is rowing or running or Cardio workouts. The best exercise is that one that you will do. The one that you will get off the couch and stick with. When I started this journey and running was too mentally and physically draining---rather than quit I switched over to swimming for awhile. I would swim all year long is my folks pool didn't get cold enough for penguins to swim in during the winter months. I looked forward to my daily swim and will enjoy doing that again some days this summer. Once I lost enough weight and felt comfortable with running again--and could see the benefits of longer calorie burning runs I picked that up again. This past week I briefly injured my Achilles while pushing myself for a quick mile on my birthday without stretching properly before attempting such a fast run, so I was forced to try something else for a couple of days. The rowing machine at my folks--which supposedly is a good work and has many benefits......It just didn't work for me.... .Despite all the benefits of rowing...it just wasn't something I enjoy enough. I get bored way too easily just staying in one place. After 2 days of rowing I was bored. I couldn't stand watching the meter on the machine telling me how many calories I was supposedly burning while going nowhere in the same room. It was like waiting for something to cook in the microwave. For someone this may be the perfect exercise....for me NOT SO MUCH.. Running on a treadmill , riding a stationary bike or rowing in place for me is not the key to staying in shape. I enjoy doing activities where I'm actually out doing something. So despite the benefits of being in a gym or strapped into a machine it isn't something I would do....and therefore isn't the best exercise for ME. The best exercise is the exercise that you will do and hopefully, eventually enjoy enough to keep doing to the point where you feel empty when you haven't done it in a few days. The best excercise isn't the one that some book or website says is the best....it is the one that you will continue to do to get or keep you in shape. So try a bunch of different things and find what keeps you going...what gets you off the couch.
Just keep doing what works.....
No comments:
Post a Comment