We're all athletes! To some degree, we are all capable to perform athletic feats. Unfortunately, we see various stages of conditioning. Our health conscious neighbors train constantly to remain fit, while others have detrained to produce an epidemic of obesity. The typical couch potato believes a lie that they are not athletes. It just takes a little bit of work, okay, a lot of work.
The finale of Biggest Loser shows us what our bodies are capable. They take the most de-conditioned individuals and train them into marathon runners. At the beginning of their journey, the contestants can barely run a mile, much less 26.2 miles. Twenty to fifty years of a high-calorie, low-activity lifestyle does not erase 6 million years of athletic evolution. There is truth to the saying, "Train like an animal".
With proper education and motivation, the human body can accomplish almost anything. The recent Child Nutrition Act certainly helps, but we must do more to teach our kids about healthy choices and physical activity.
I am struggling through my own journey. Two things have really helped me: counting calories and exercising. We don't need fad diets, just a better understanding of our biology. I have two apps on my iPod that assist me and maybe they could assist you. MyFitnessPal helps to track the calories I eat, burn and the water I drink. Couch to 5K has helped me become a better runner, by starting with short easy runs and walking to running for 30 minutes without stopping. You never know what can happen until you try!
Now that I no longer work I take the time to go to the gym 3 days a week in the AM. I sart with a mile in under :8.30, a 1/2 mile cool down, 20 minutes of upper body weight workout with 1/2 to 1/3 of max to be done rapidly fro strength and endurance with 50 reps for 5 different exercises, then I finish with a 1/2 mile power walk at 5 minute per 1/2 mile pace. Not bad for 62. Next year I hope to do better!
ReplyDeleteKeep it up! Running outside has been hard in this cold, but we are trying to get ready for a 5K at the end of December. Maybe even a half-marathon in DC next October. Could be fun!
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