The Healthy and Fit Algorithm [Zen Habits]

I ran across and interesting post on Zen Habits today. Though he advocates a few things I try to avoid because they cost money, like joining a nice gym, the article is an excellent summary of many important fitness principles that maybe we have all heard before, but we often forget about, and its good to be reminded of. Also, I am particularly happy that the author makes special mention of consistency. That's not to say that we do the same thing over and over, or even that we exercise at the same time every time, but that we do do it regularly.

The Healthy and Fit Algorithm [Zen Habits]

Strong Ankles, Better Balance

Ever wonder why some people seem to be accident prone and repeatedly sprain their ankles? It may not be the Klutz gene, but that their ankles aren't healing to the point they should to allow them the proper balance to avoid such injuries in the future. The New York Times Well blog writes:

"When you damage the ligament, 'you damage the neuro-receptors as well. Your brain no longer receives reliable signals' from the ankle about how your ankle and foot are positioned in relation to the ground. Your proprioception - your sense of your body's position in space - is impaired. You're less stable and more prone to falling over and re-injuring yourself."

So whats the good news, Doc?

"A growing body of research suggests that many of those second (and often third and fourth) sprains could be avoided with an easy course of treatment. Stand on one leg. Try not to wobble. Hold for a minute. Repeat."

That's as free as they come! Be sure to read the whole article for more specifics, how to make it more challenging for better balance, and a video. So now with proper rehabilitation your weak ankle is no longer an excuse for not trying a new running routine. Just be sure to get plenty of rest to heal well!

How to Fix Bad Ankles [Well blog]

Keeping the thrill alive (when running)

So running is a great and free way to get exercise, burn calories and get or stay in shape. But it can get old if you just do the same thing over and over again. And when something gets old, you stop doing it, then its of no benefit to you.

While I was researching another topic of interest I came across this post on Zen Habits from a couple of years ago. Leo puts forth 10 (sort of) different running routines to help spice it up a bit and keep you going when you might have wanted to stop.

"Your body adapts. After a month or so of doing one type of workout, you body will adapt and you’ll no longer be getting the same kind of benefits from that workout. You need to change things up every 3-4 weeks … and if you do, you’ll most likely see continued improvements."

This is true not only for running but for all exercises. That's why I look for so many different exercises to rotate through. But running is about the single best aerobic workout that we can get for free and with no equipment, so knowing how to shake it up is very important.

10 Great Workouts to Spice Up Your Running Program [Zen Habits]

Hindu Squats (and maybe Hindu Push-ups?)

Looking through a few lists of body-weight exercises I saw the term "Hindu Squats" mentioned a couple of times. Now, I have traveled to a few countries around the world and know that there are cultural differences to almost everything, but a squat is a squat, right? I mean... first you squat... then you rise... then repeat. How complicated is it really? And how would an Indian do it any differently?

So I have to find out. I begin searching and immediately find a ton of information on it: videos readily available for viewing, step by step descriptions, etc. A veritable smorgasbord was at my disposal. Now I am not going to lie and say I read it all and have the best to share with you, but I found a couple that appealed to me, and I promise you (and my wife) that it has nothing to do with that blond! I can say this because I could not see the picture before I clicked on the link, but I could see the title (Staying Young With Hindu Squats) and that had me intrigued.

Over on Buzzle.com David Nordmark writes:

"Hindu Squats may be the one of the best body weight exercises you can do. Not only do they build strength and endurance throughout the thighs, calves, lower back and chest but they also build incredible lung power. Hindu squats, done properly, are an amazing cardio workout as well."

I had to find out more! Now David doesn't explain how to do a proper Hindu Squat in this article but he links to a site that does. What I liked about his article most was that he emphasizes the breathing. Apparently it's not what we typically think of, exhaling on the movement of most exertion (up for a squat). Oh no, apparently that's not how they do it in India. Read his article for more specifics.

At the end of his article he links to Animal-Kingdom-Workouts.com where they have what I found to be an ample written description of the Hindu Squat and tips on proper performance.

"If you’re a woman, performing this exercise will give you the strong, sexy, toned legs that you want. If you’re a man, your legs will become muscular and your endurance will increase... Another benefit to this exercise is that it will also give you tremendous lung power. If you think your cardio is pretty decent because you can hit the Stairmaster for half and hour or run a few miles without thinking about it, try and do 500 straight Hindu Squats. I guarantee that your lungs will be getting the workout of their lives before you hit 100."

Another site I found was Tom Kurz's Weblog where he has posted a thorough video of him doing both Hindu Push-ups and Squats, with useful commentary. Tom uses them as a cool-down after lifting weights, but as many other sites point out, they are a great workout in and of themselves.

Hindu Squats are easy enough that almost anyone can do them, but with repetition, be it 25 or 500, they are effective enough to be included in a full-fledged workout. I suggest you check out the links and try some yourself!

Staying Young With Hindu Squats [Buzzle] Why HINDU SQUATS are the best Leg Workouts you can do [Animal Kingdom Workouts] Hindu Push-ups and Hindu Squats [Tom Kurz's Weblog]

Neck Nods

While browsing the web for body-weight exercises I came across a page at Justin's Guide to Taekwon-Do that listed several exercises and one caught my attention. The sixth one in the list is Neck Nods:

"Here's an old boxer's trick to help build neck strength and endurance. The old-timers swear this will help you take a punch..give it a try. Lie flat on your back with legs straight, and hands at your side. Now 'nod' your head until your chin touches your upper chest. Return your head to the mat, and repeat continuously. Try to do 50 of these and see how you feel. For a harder challenge, nod for 50 reps, and then hold your head in the "up position" and begin turning your head from left to right at a slow but steady rate. Do these for 50. When you can nod for 100 you're getting some strength."

Now, I am not planning on taking any punches any time soon (though sometimes its good to be ready for the unexpected!), but the technique sounds like it would help my neck feel better after a long hard day of staring at the computer. So I go about trying to research it. Shortly I find an article on ThePilatesLounge.com about this very situation: Why Sitting at Your Computer Gives You 'The Humped Back' Syndrome. Fancy that, its just as I suspected! And neck nods are even suggested to ease the condition. Now, I have only taken a Pilates class or two, and I know that it has a lot to offer. Unfortunately it usually comes with a cost in dollars and scheduling. Equipment such as mats are usually advised as well. So for now, let's just take the free, no equipment, do anytime, anywhere Neck Nods.

As I continue browsing search results I come across another description of neck nods from the mailing list Supertraining@yahoogroups.com, where user Yehoshua Zohar offers:

"On another day I do neck nods. Lay on a bench with you head extended over the end and raise. Then turn your head to the right and lift your ear to your shoulder. Ditto to the left. Then do circles in both directions. Finally turn over on your stomach and raise your head. Go for high reps."

While one could argue that this one requires a bench, I would argue that you could use any flat object like a bed, and hang your head off the end. Worst-case scenario, do it on the floor anyway. But what I really like about this excerpt is that it mentions turning over on your stomach and repeating. That helps work the muscles on the other side of the neck. That is so often forgotten about. Just like with sit-ups and crunches, you can do them all day long and have great abs, but what about the corresponding muscles in the back? They need exercise too! I will try to find some good ones for that in a later post. Not exercising the back with the abs or both sides of the neck together can lead to the kind of imbalance that produces pain in the neck and back. Suffice it to say that I feel it is very important to exercise both sides, in this case doing neck nods on your back and on your stomach so that all your neck muscles get exercise.

How much sleep do I get/want/need?

It doesn't get much more free than sleep! Though it does often require some equipment, i.e. a bed, covers, maybe a pillow, these can and are often improvised, and are generally readily available. So what? How does sleep affect me achieving my fitness goals?

Over the past week I have seen a handful of articles about sleep over on another one of my favorite sites, LifeHacker.com. LifeHacker isn't so much about health and fitness, but about all sorts of ways to make life easier, better, and more enjoyable, from making your computer easier to use and more useful, to saving money on groceries, to dressing well, to getting a better salary. I think we can all agree that sleep makes our life better, but what is the best way to maximize on this commodity?

Implement Advanced "Siestas" for Improved Sleep talks about how we can get the most out of the day by sleeping in intervals instead of one long span. Though it shows several examples of various amounts and intervals of sleep, the most extreme has you taking 6 20-minute naps a day. Thats just 2 hours of sleep! Think of all you could do with the time freed up by not being in bed so long. Since a lot of people use lack of time as an excuse for not exercising or taking the time to cook healthy meals instead of eating fast food, this certainly could be a health benefit if used properly. And since you are active more hours of the day, you are burning more calories, too, right?

The above article and many others like it suggest the premise that our brains mainly need the REM cycle of sleep and if we sleep more effectively, meaning we get our brains the REM time they need, then we can waste less time in bed. But what about our bodies? Sleep is when our bodies can most effectively repair themselves, and that is not just during the REM phase. And let's face it, the older we get the more our bodies need to repair themselves. Whether it be fighting off the cold that is going around the office, or the stretched calf muscle from running to catch the bus, our bodies are constantly repairing, and when we are asleep is the best time for that. To add to the everyday repairs that are ongoing in our bodies, if we are exercising regularly, as we should, then our bodies will also be repairing muscle we have been using, especially if we are trying to build muscle. Not a coincidence, then, to see this article: "Sleep Load" for Improved Training Performance, also on LifeHacker.com:

"Wells blogger Tara Parker-Pope references a Stanford study that found all athletes involved performed better on their drills after increasing their sleep times. Specifically, improvements were observed after the athletes extended their sleep to 10 hours a night for five to six weeks. Ten hours is probably more sleep than many of us can afford, but the study still demonstrates just how much sleep matters to your performance."

Though my biased opinion is definitely in favor of the "more sleep" theory, it is nice to know how flexible and adaptive the human body is. Either way you look at it, though, something that will help make the most out of 20-minute naps or 10-hour hibernation is to Improve Your Sleep Posture.

Thanks again to LifeHacker for all the good food for thought!

Wall Walking

The other day my neck started hurting, a knot at the base. Maybe I slept on it wrong? Who knows. But after it didn't go away for a few days I started looking for some relief. From the very useful site LiveAwesome.com, where I have found a plethora of useful exercises and information comes this tidbit:

"We are convinced that wall walking works every muscle in your body! Do this exercise and you will begin to increase your energy levels right away by opening up your spine loosening years of muscular stress."

Maybe its not a Silver Bullet, and not everyone may be able to jump right into this kind of topsy-turvy movement, but its cheaper than an inversion table!

Wall Walk [Live Awesome]

Grand Opening

I have a need to work out. I don't want to work out, but for my job I have to. And I realize that I will end up like my father one day if I don't. He is now ending up like his father, who died of a heart attack, and I would like to break that cycle. I love my father, and he is a great man, but he is over-weight now and has been diagnosed with diabetes. I know my chances of avoiding this fate are greatly increased if I start to take care of myself now.

But I have a few problems. 1) I am lazy and don't like to go to the gym. 2) I am cheap and don't like to spend a lot of money. 3) I don't have space in my small dorm room for much equipment.

So I started to try to find ways to meet my fitness goals on my own with a minimum of cost and equipment. The more I researched, the more I felt a need to organize my findings. As I did that, I wanted to share what I had. The goal here is to share free, low-cost, little or no equipment ways to exercise and be healthy. I invite all constructive input, tips, leads, etc, and hope this will be useful to someone else, in addition to myself.