Hearty Habits #10: Exercise!

This month, I’m vacationing in California where it’s a beautiful sunny summer. Perfect weather for exercising my heart, but I must confess that I’m busier shopping. Matt Thornton of Six & Out, however, is an athlete who would definitely take advantage of California living. His Hearty Habits make me want to jump up and run out!

I’ve been cycling for as long as I can remember. When I was at University I used to cycle everywhere – to class, to the shops, swimming everything. Now that I live in Guernsey which is quite a small island, it makes sense to cycle most places. Public transport here is pretty good and quite cheap, but to be honest I’ve never been much of a one for getting driven places. I do have a car (and a motorbike) but getting to and from work takes about the same time
whether I’m driving or cycling. I’m passionate about creating as little impact on the environment as possible, so cycling is not only good for my fitness but also decreasing my contribution to pollution.
It’s about 9 miles a day but I’m lucky in that I have a shower at work so I can just roll out of bed, cycle to work and get showered and changed there. Plus, the cycle in is quite invigorating, I always find I’m much more awake after the cycle in.

I also surf a lot, every day if there are waves. Surfing is one of the most intensive sports I’ve ever done, it seems to exercise pretty much every muscle in your body at the same time as giving you a full cardiovascular workout. I’m not sure how I find the energy after the cycling, but it seems to come naturally.

As for cricket, I wouldn’t say it’s a strenuous sport, but then it really depends what you’re doing. If you’re out in the field, then it’s often a case of short bursts of energy – e.g., sprinting. But you can be out in the field for hours at a time, so it’s physically and mentally tiring. If you’re batting, then again, there are short (22 yard) sprints as well as trying to maintain a concentration. So overall it’s a pretty good workout.

Sounds like Matt would fit right into healthy California. Maybe if he were here, I’d feel a little more motivated. I’ll just walk a little faster at the mall later today.

By the way, today is b5media’s Science and Health Channel Theme Day celebrating summer and Grace at Flu Patrol is our host! Go see what everyone else is doing this summer to stay healthy and smart.