Fitness and Recreation

Physical Fitness, Recreation, Lifestyle

Exercise, Yoga, Dancing

John D. Furber

Master of Science, Biological Sciences, University of California, Irvine.
Bachelor of Arts, Physics and Mathematics, University of California, Santa Cruz.

[ John D. Furber home page ]

Activity, Exercise, and Physical Fitness

Start Gradually! If you haven't been exercising, start by exercising LESS intensely, but MORE often (every day or two). Over a period of weeks, you can gradually increase the intensity and duration of your exercise sessions.

There are 3 distinct kinds of exercise. Each provides unique benefits:

Resistance Exercise: such as lifting weights, elastic bands, push-ups, pull-ups, or rock-climbing.
It is important to allow 2 or 3 days after intense resistance exercise for the muscles and connective tissues to regrow, in order to prevent "overuse injury". So on alternate days, you can do cardiovascular exercise and stretching.
Cardiovascular Exercise: such as brisk walking, stair-climbing, swimming, dancing, Aikido, horseback riding, bicycling, mini-trampoline, Nordic Track, etc.
I personally find that running and tennis can put too much strain on the joints, so they may be unsafe.
Stretching and controlled breathing: such as yoga. (but not "hot yoga", which can be dangerous.)

My personal exercise routine is now on a 3-day rotation.
I start each session with a little warm-up, usually bouncing on the mini-trampoline, or yard-work, or house cleaning. Then:

Day 1. Resistance: slow, deep squats, pushups, chin ups, rise on toes, dips, leg lifts, elastic bands, pull ups, squeeze hand grip spring.
Day 2. Cardiovascular: 60 minutes of Nordic Track or bicycle. Breathe hard and sweat! If you are using a stationary machine, you can do this while reading, watching videos, listening to music or podcasts, etc.
Day 3. Yoga: stretch, balance, relax, breathe.

It is better to EXERCISE BEFORE eating or taking anti-oxidant supplements, rather than after. Anti-oxidants can reduce the muscle-building signal generated by exercise, if they are taken before exercise. This signal works best on an empty stomach. The signal sends its message during the exercise, so it is OK to take your supplements with a meal, AFTER the exercise.

Resources

There are many article, books, videos, and personal trainers to help you get started. For example, see Consumer Reports, January 2005.

Links to other sites

California, Bay Area Contra Dances
Florida, Gainesville Oldtime Dance Society
Aikido
Nutrition, Diet, Antioxidants;

Yoga Classes

There are a variety of styles of yoga.
I favor the gentle styles, such as Ashtanga Yoga or Integral Yoga. This is not a competitive sport!
Avoid hot yoga, which can overstretch ligaments and tendons.
Take it easy and relax between poses.

Lisa Walford Yoga: Lisa is a yoga teacher who practices a calorie-restricted, vegan, vegetarian diet. Her father, Dr. Roy Walford, was a famous gerontologist.