Primal Fitness
Exercise used to make me feel like a total idiot. Sure, I liked PE in elementary school. I could run around and play tag in the second grade. No biggie. But when I decided to join my mother in the basement to try out weight training, I felt a little odd. Sort of like I had no idea what I was doing, which I didn't. Or why I was bothering with three pound dumbbells when I could be coloring. Or playing Barbies.
But I decided that I didn't want to be the girlie girl at school. I wanted to do more push-ups than the boys, more sit-ups, and run the mile faster. I thought these things would mark my health and ability.
I wasn't exactly wrong, but I wasn't right, either. Running the fastest isn't a mark of health. Sometimes, the most ripped person at the gym isn't as healthy as you might think. They may look toned and lean, but inside, they might be falling apart. Digestive issues. Acid reflux. Visceral fat, or fat stored deep in the organs. Ugh. So how do we maximize our fitness regimens?
Not with chronic cardio. Not with an hour a day at the gym and meals composed of pure garbage. Remember, 80% of your body composition is determined by what you eat. Exercise contributes only 20% - important, but only effective if you really put an emphasis on your diet. In fact, studies show that the popular Keto Diet, a low-carb, high-fat eating plan, burns ten times more fat alone than the Standard American Diet does, even with exercise. Nonetheless, exercise is important. It tones our physiques, strengthens our muscles and bones, and make us feel all-around amazing! But you've got to do it right.
Think back to those pictures you've seen of the eighties. The neon sweatbands, the grapefruit diet, and chronic, chronic cardio. Hours on the treadmill, workout DVDs, jumping jacks until you can no longer stand. And guess what? It's not even an effective form of exercise. It can actually cause a heck of a lot of damage. To learn more about chronic cardio and why the conventional wisdom around it is WRONG, I suggest you click here.
My favorite exercises use primarily bodyweight. I'm sure you know a gymnast, and if you do, you are probably also aware that they are in superb shape. This is from years and years of conditioning and lifting heavy things. According to Trainer Justin Grinnell's article "Why Weight Lifting is More Important than Cardio for Weight Loss," (but remember, we aren't necessarily trying to lose weight; our goal is to be healthy!), "If you want to lose body fat, gain confidence, increase bone density, and look amazing, you have to lift weights. It does not matter if you are a man or women [sic]." You can read the rest of Grinnell's article here. Also feel free to do your own research! I love research. It's just fantastic that we have a world of information right at our fingertips! Back to bodyweight training: You don't need a gym membership. You don't need fancy Nikes, or cute leggings (although they might help with motivation). And on that note, you don't even need motivation! You just need willpower and your own body. Plus, it's cheap and time efficient. My parents are a big fan of Mark Lauren's "You Are Your Own Gym," which focuses on quick but intense workouts that can be conducted anywhere. I really like this book, app, blog, etc., too, but I created my own routine awhile back that I completely fell in love with. It incorporates many elements of Lauren's YAYOG, but is tailored to yours truly. Overtime, I will be posting these workouts; keep an eye out for arm day! And for now, keep moving - but, you know, not running until you feel faint. Maybe skiing, sledding, or some yoga while you giggle at Will Ferrell's costume in Elf. Happy holidays!
-Maya
Photo by Jacob Postuma on Unsplash
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