Two weeks ago, I sent a long email describing what exactly I would do if I needed direction on how to start getting ready for ski season. (Go back and check it out if you're interested!)
But this week I am saying, you literally just need to start. With anything.
75 percent of Americans don’t hit the recommended minimums for exercise.
And before you say, but I hike every day, I will point out that many mountain athletes are not hitting the minimum recommendations. The reality is that there are separate minimum recommendations for cardio exercise AND resistance training. You could ride your hike, bike, or run for 20 hours a week and never hit the resistance training exercises because these are simply different things, and must be worked differently.
Getting enough exercise (of both types) is shown to decrease risk of cardiovascular disease, metabolic issues, cancers, increase bone health, improve mental health, improve sleep quality, decrease likelihood of falls and injuries, and decrease chances of early death.
Bonus: As mountain athletes your cardio based supports will benefit significantly from strength training.
But if you've been delaying starting because all of that sounds overwhelming, I understand.
Here is what I want you to know:
It’s okay for your first run to be 3 minutes long
It’s okay to exercise in the ‘wrong’ shoes if you forget yours at home
It’s okay to start with body weight exercises
It’s okay to start while you’re still dealing with an injury (just ask for help!)
Oh, and in case it needs to be said, it’s okay to ask for help!
It’s okay if your form isn’t perfect, it will get better as you practice
It’s okay if you’re busy/tired and can't do as much as you hoped
Everyday, I hear someone say they are waiting for their injury to improve before they start exercising, or they don't have enough time to exercise. They don't have the right clothes or a gym membership. They feel out of place at the gym. They’re not sure what to do, or they’re worried about injuring themselves. I hear people say they ran 3 miles a month ago and hurt for a week after so they haven’t done it again since.
Do any of those feel familiar to you?
Are you comfortable accepting these reasons for not starting if the consequences are the health concerns I listed above?
Here is your call to action. Choose 1 thing from this list and do it this week. October is a great time to start a new habit.
- Set a timer for 5 minutes, and go on a walk or a jog in whatever shoes you're wearing right now. Especially if you think you always need the right shoes.
- Learn one new exercise you've never done before and do it imperfectly. Find a 15-30 second video on youtube that gives no instruction, and only shows the exercise itself. Take a video of yourself and then give yourself feedback. Ask yourself how it felt. (A few lesser known exercises; SL RDL, B stance RDL, turkish get up, z- press)
- Ask a friend what gym they go to, call the gym and ask if they have guest passes or trial passes. Ask your friend to show you their workout. Try what you feel comfortable trying. Stretch while they do something that looks like too much for your first day in the gym.
- Step out your front door. Run for 1 minute, walk for 1 minute. Repeat 3 times.
- If your shoulder has been bothering you, see how many exercises you can do that don't involve your shoulder. If your ankle has been bothering you, see how many exercises you can find that don't bother it. (Then call me and let's make a better plan than avoiding it forever ;-))
- If you think you're too tired to workout, set a 5 minute timer, start, and then stop if still don't feel into it when the 5 minutes is up.
- Find my email in your inbox from two weeks ago. Set time aside this week to make a winter strength training plan using that email as a template.
I can't wait to hear how it goes!
Katy