Mark Sisson

I Can’t Afford the Gym

And?
I’ve been coaching people at all levels of fitness and competition for two decades now. I’ve heard every excuse you can imagine (and in my days as a newly-minted marathoner, I was guilty of a few myself). Some of my favorites:

• The Exercise Sucks Excuse: I can’t work out because it’s boring.
• The I’m Broke Excuse: I can’t work out because I can’t afford the gym.
• The Vanity Excuse: I can’t work out because I want to lose some weight first.
• The Ignorance Excuse: I can’t work out because I don’t know what to do.

First, exercise only sucks if you think it does. One person’s push-up is another person’s party, if you will. Look, there’s no “better” or “worse” exercise. Well, there are, but the most important thing is really just to move around daily. Take it from a former mileage king – you don’t have to wail away at the cardio machine. In fact, it’s probably better if you don’t. There’s no holy glory in the treadmill. Do what you like. There are thousands of sports, indoor activities, outdoor pursuits, seasonal pursuits, videos, classes, gyms, disciplines, groups and tools to select from, and most of them are both cheap – or free – and good for you. There’s something for every fitness level, age, health condition and passion. This excuse is the weakest of them all, so don’t even think about cheating yourself. It’s too easy to find something fun, and there’s no law that says exercise can’t be fun. Exercise is just a part of life, like flossing or eating or sleeping. Just do it. Don’t think about it. Just put on the sneaks and do it – once you put the shoes on, you’ve won the battle anyway. Don’t think!
Second, while some gyms are expensive (some cost hundreds per person per month), and things like yoga or pilates can get pricey, most exercise is free. Aside from some sweats you probably have anyway, and an investment in some equipment (which you can almost always find second-hand on Craigslist), exercise is a hell of a lot cheaper than what not exercising costs. Think of how much money we waste on dinners, junk food, alcohol, and the monstrous health care tab that is bound to result when you don’t take preventive measures like working out. So what’s more, a pair of sneakers, or a trip to the hospital for a gastric bypass? I’m just sayin’…
Working out doesn’t have to be costly. Even “chic” activities like yoga are not usually out of anyone’s range, because most cities have budget-minded folks just like you, grouping together for all kinds of activities. Do you have a community bulletin board? Access to the Internets? Unless your hands are broken, I don’t want to hear it. Walks, hikes, jogs, public tennis courts, and a round of hoops at the local park are all free. Even McDonald’s gives away fitness DVDs now.

The Vanity Excuse is just funny, but it’s actually one of the major reasons people don’t work out. People think that working out will build muscle (it does), which will make them look fatter (it won’t). From this misguided premise, they decide to lose some blubber first. But exercise and dieting are not in opposition – they’re on the same team. Your body wins when you exercise, no matter what.

I get it: no one wants to be the chunky monkey in a room of body builders admiring themselves in the mirror. You know what? Most of those dudes are self-obsessed losers anyway. None of them care about you and your level of flabbiness. Hey, they’re all too busy looking at themselves. Are you going to let your imaginary delusions of what people may or may not think about you keep you from getting healthy? Come on! Get over it! As far as worrying about bulking, don’t. As you build muscle, your resting metabolic rate will increase, so you’ll burn more calories – and fat – even when you’re sitting around doing nothing. And working out is a better way to shrink away flab than starving yourself – really. Don’t “wait” to be thin before you start exercising. You’ll accomplish your goal so much faster if you work out and diet. Don’t wait to live.
Still thinking the gym is not ready for you? How about a home-based video DVD workout! My good pal Tony Horton developed one of the most effective 50-minute workouts in the world. It’s called Power90 and thousands of people have used it to shed pounds and sculpt muscle quickly. There’s no equipment necessary – just squats, crunches, push-ups, dips and a host of other body resistance exercises you do in the privacy of your own home while Tony shouts out the instructions. And his is only one of many such home-based workouts.
Finally, the Ignorance Excuse is not an empowering way to go through life. Who’s that helping? Ignorance is never an excuse. If you don’t know what’s healthy, start reading health and fitness blogs (mine is a nice place to start, I think). There are blogs for every activity and sport – millions of them, written by passionate people who are really into their topics and are happy to share their knowledge with you. And if you’re reading my blathering, you’ve got internet access, so what are you waiting for? Learn what’s right for you, and get to it! Move that butt!

Reasons to exercise

How long it takes to see results

Post from: Blisstree

There Should Be No Excuses When It Comes To Heart Health!

I Don’t Have Time to Exercise!

Yep, the old standby. You’re gonna have to do better than that!

Hi, I’m Mark Sisson. Being an official “fitness guy” (more on that in a bit), Kendra thought it would be a good idea for me to stop by and share my heart-healthy exercise tips. We agreed that simply sharing how-to tips would not be sufficient – because everyone knows they need to work out. The problem is that everything gets in the way: the three kids, the dog, the errands, the job, the cable guy (who’ll be there sometime between 8AM and 6PM). I’ll be popping in periodically to address the notorious issue many face: how to exercise if you are…[insert any possible excuse here].
This week I want to address the “I’m too busy to work out!” excuse. I’m not going to try to tell you that you really aren’t too busy. No doubt you’ve heard the standard line of reasoning in response to this: you must find the time, because you can’t afford not to exercise. While that’s true, what smart adult doesn’t already know this? Reminding us that exercise is vital is like telling a smoker that cigarettes are unhealthy. And we’ve seen how well that works.

Here are my two unavoidably effective tips for even the busiest folks:

- Realize that a workout does not have to be done in a lump.

8 minutes here, 5 minutes there – this all counts. Ideally, for the best cardio boost, you’ll get your heart rate maxed for 15 minutes at a stretch at least 4 times a week. But small bursts of exercise, if done properly, can be very beneficial for your muscles and bones in the aggregate, and even your heart (though it is admittedly more challenging to do cardio in tiny bursts). Properly = full intensity, correct form, effective breathing.
When it comes to many health issues, though I am prone to being an idealist – drill sergeant, according to my teenagers – in the case of exercise, something really is better than nothing. Anything is better than nothing. When you are on the phone, in line, sitting in traffic, or waiting to pick up the rugrats, do something, even if it’s just stomach contractions.
The key is to keep as many exercise gadgets and aids available as possible. Keep 2 pound weights in the car. Leave fitness bands on doorknobs. Hang a jump rope by the stairs. Keep a balance board by the phone. It doesn’t really matter what gadgets you favor. Balance, strengthening, isometric, aerobic, resistance – it’s all good. Invest 100 bucks in some fun, simple fitness devices like hand weights and squeezy balls, and knock yourself out whenever you get a chance. You won’t be winning any marathons, but then, that’s what chasing the dog is for.

- Are you suffering from activityitis? Most parents are.

Play dates, sports practices, band rehearsal – there’s always something to chauffeur the kids to. Rather than try to add one more thing (the gym) to your over-flowering plate, work with the system. Multitask when you can. I drop my son off for his music lesson and go for a 45-minute walk in the maestro’s neighborhood while Kyle’s riffing on the sax.

Make it a rule in your family that every person’s activity roster must include one fitness activity – including you. The best, most practical way to do this is to get everyone together in a family fitness hobby. This will typically mean sacrificing an individual activity, but it’s worth it. It’ll help to establish your parental authority in a loving way, promote family closeness, and foster better fitness habits. Each child should be allowed one sport, one personal hobby, and several weekly play dates or social opportunities, but beyond that, a weekly family fitness event is a must. This might mean your child has to choose one hobby or activity per semester or season, rather than two or three at a time. It might mean you give up one T.V. show. But family bike rides, pool time or a weekend hike are meaningful and healthy fitness activities that will pay endless dividends beyond fitness. Try it out.

About me, in a nutshell: I’m a retired professional triathlete (I was pretty good). But injuries precluded further competition, so I got into consulting (high-level anti-doping legislation and fitness) and health research (supplementation and nutrition). I’m also a proud husband to my beautiful wife and dad to two great kids.

I’ve had a lot of interesting, and varied, experience in the health and fitness sphere, and this year, I decided to share my insights and expertise by joining the blogosphere. What a kick! I hope you’ll visit me at my health blog, Mark’s Daily Apple, and tell me what you think.

Look forward to more advice and tips from Mark next week. Did you think the info was helpful? Would you like to see more guest blogger’s? Let me know, I am always welcome to ideas and comments, especially the nice ones. Haha.

Post from: Blisstree

Mark Has Something To Say About Your Hearty Exercise Excuses… Helpful Tips To Stay Heart Healthy!