Phil Goldstein
Fitness is a state of mind. It is a conscious decision to take care of yourself before moving on to anything else. I would challenge anyone who says they can’t find time for healthy exercise. If you spend time sitting and watching TV, you can also pedal an exercise bike. When you need to make a call, you can use a headset and talk while walking or running. If your day is going to get hectic and good exercise intentions remain, get up earlier and stop exercising first. Fitness is too important not to be a priority. Everything is better when you are fit.
Surely there are unhappy people who have so many physical problems that exertion is impossible, but all too often this is a slip up. If an upper extremity is sore, it won’t prevent you from exercising your lower extremities and vice versa. If you want to find an excuse, you will.
I was a competitive athlete for 30 years. After 80 Miles a week knocking on the sidewalk and 5 orthopedic surgeries, I became aware and switched from running to walking, biking and swimming to cardiovascular exercise. I had already added weight training to complement the cardio. Although technically I’m a bad swimmer, I don’t care what it looks like; I get both strength and endurance advantages with minimal strain on the musculoskeletal system.
And while I don’t understand the use of a personal trainer as you aren’t paying someone to tell you how to eat, shower, or do the laundry, if that’s the only way to get exercise (and you can afford it), go for it.
While fitness isn’t your goal for general health reasons, when you play golf, tennis, pickleball, or any other sport, you will be more proficient and able to play longer and harder when you are fit.
Before I wrote this column, I asked several fitness-minded friends for open suggestions on specific topics. They all suggested that I guide those new to exercise facilities and think about how to get the most out of strength and / or cardiovascular training while observing “fitness etiquette”. Here is a summary of their instructions:
- If you’re new to weight training, it’s best to use weight training equipment, not free weights. It’s not complicated; there are only a dozen or so ‘elevators’ and everything can be done safely and comfortably. After mastering machines, you can move into the variety of free weights and other training methods.
- If you can only train with a personal trainer, that’s fine. However, coaches always teach more complicated routines than necessary, adding to their own indispensability. Newbies should really use the machines they can master with minimal training and without ongoing (and expensive) coaching.
- If you employ a trainer and have constant conversation (the norm), you are not getting the most out of the workout. And unless your trainer emphasizes the importance of intense and long-lasting cardiovascular training (walking, running, cycling, swimming), you should find a new trainer. Strength training should complement cardio, not the other way around.
- After use, wipe the device and ask others to wipe it down as well.
- If you’re using dumbbells, mats, balls, etc., put them back where they belong when you’re done. And your phone, water bottle, and towel don’t belong on other guests’ benches.
- Do not hit with weights or weight machines; control your movements.
- Pay attention to others waiting to use the device; Be ready to share when someone is waiting. And please don’t sit on a machine or workbench and write while others are waiting to use it.
- How often do you need to exercise to get real results? It depends on many factors, including the intensity and duration of the training, age, diet, alcohol consumption, and current health and condition. You don’t have to exercise every day, but just 1 or 2 days a week and less than 45 minutes of vigorous exertion per workout won’t do it for you.
- And you can’t talk, write, tan, or tattoo to keep yourself fit. It takes dedicated work to see results.
Phil Goldstein is a regular contributor to Tales from Timnath for North Forty News. Phil is an 11-year-old Timnath resident who proudly serves the Timnath City as chairman of the Timnath Planning Commission. Phil is finally using his journalism degree after being distracted 48 years ago. The views expressed here are only those of Phil. Contact him with comments on the column or suggestions for future columns at NFNTimnath@gmail.com.
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