Practitioner's Blog - For Your Health
 
Isaac Newton Wasn’t a Triathlete
 
 
May
1
2013

A body in motion

On April 28th, 2013 the City of St. Petersburg hosted the 30th Annual St. Anthony’s Triathlon. Hundreds of professional triathletes and age groupers from all over the world gathered in Downtown St. Pete to swim 1 mile, bike 25 miles, and run 6.2 miles.

The winner completed all three events, a total of 32 miles, in less than two hours.  The average competitor took about 4 hours.  These athletes stayed in constant motion, at a significant rate of exertion for four hours.  One of our i spa Health Studio team members remarked “I can’t even sit and watch a movie for four hours.”  Certainly, staying active that long and at that level of effort is quite an achievement.

It brings to mind the words of Isaac Newton:  Bodies in Motion Tend to Stay in Motion.
Now, we are not advocating that you replicate this feat and find a way to stay in motion for four hours (No, driving your car doesn’t count). The participants in the triathlon had a moderate to advanced level of preparation.  They likely spent months improving their form and endurance in all three disciplines.

What we do advocate, is the concept of being active. There have been many advances in the field of physics since Newton pronounced his apple inspired Laws of Physics. And to our knowledge, he wasn’t a triathlete. Still, good ol’ Isaac had a point.  It’s a lot easier to stay in motion once you are in motion.  It’s those first steps from “being at rest” to “being in motion” that often feel overwhelming.

It is fairly common knowledge that 30 minutes of exercise at least three times per week can improve your health and add to your overall wellness.  Whether you walk, run, cycle, swim… or perhaps waddle, paddle, or Zumba, the key is get moving. To shake off the gravitational pull and reach a sustainable orbit of activity.

If you boost your three times a week routine to 30 minutes of exercise a day, you break into a level of activity that goes from maintenance into weight loss. According to an article on WebMD.com a new study shows that 30 minutes of exercise a day can help overweight adults lose weight.

While consecutive motion is ideal for improving endurance and heart health, some sources say that you can achieve results even if you break up these 30 minutes into three 10 minute periods of activity.  It’s as simple as waking up 10 minutes earlier, using 10 minutes of your lunch, and finding 10 minutes in the evening.

A favorite story came from Reader’s Digest years ago. During a particularly brutal winter, a resident of some northern state found it unpleasantly cool in his bedroom at night.  Not wanting to increase his utility bill by warming the whole house (and apparently never having heard of an electric blanket) he chose to run in place for about 5 minutes before bed. He found that he warmed up just enough and to his surprise, after a month of doing this, he lost 5 pounds.  Now that may not be typical results for everyone, but it goes to show that when you get moving, good things happen.

Have you been thinking about getting more active?  What is stopping you?  The couch can have a strong gravitational force, but once you break through you will reap many benefits.  Even mild exercise can reduce stress, boost energy, and improve overall health.  If you are having trouble making the transition from “at rest” to “in motion” here are some tips to get you going:


Be Prepared

get everything you will need to get active. Prep your active clothes, shoes, bottle of water, towel, etc. the night before. Having everything ready eliminates excuses and helps you break free of your bed’s gravitational pull.


Set the Alarm

If you are going to walk or do some sort of exercise in the morning, set your alarm and give yourself time to warm up and cool down.  Also, allow time for breakfast.  Healthy eating is important to sustaining your new active lifestyle.


Get a Buddy

It’s easy to ignore the alarm clock, but not your BFF pounding on your door at 6AM because you agreed to go walk together. Having an exercise buddy can make it more fun and add an extra level of accountability. You can be sure that if they got up, they are going to get YOU up.


Start Slow

Isaac Newton wasn’t a triathlete and you don’t have to be either.  If the most exercise you’ve had this year was on the day you lost the remote control to the TV, then start slow. Especially if you used to be active in the past. Avoid trying to match a former level of achievement. Instead, start from where you are today and build up slowly.


Write Down Your Goals

Did you mentally commit to walking for 30 minutes four times a week?  Great! Now write it down. Mark it on your calendar, post it on your refrigerator door, or write it on your bathroom mirror.  Keep your goal visible. This creates accountability and keeps you motivated.


Spring is in full force and summer is around the corner.  Even the northern states are starting to thaw out.  It’s time to shrug off winter hibernation and get moving. If you are not sure where to start, join us Saturday mornings for Yoga.  If aches and pains are keeping you at rest, call i spa Health Studio at 727.386.4004 to make an appointment with our massage therapist or acupuncturist.  Let’s get your body in motion!

 
 
     

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i spa Health Studio

The goal of each practitioner within i spa Health Studio is to aid you in your journey to health and wellness. We offer acupuncture, massage therapy, psychology, weight loss programs and facial skin care services. Our wellness center is located in Largo, FL, and is convenient to the Tampa Bay area including Clearwater, Seminole, Pinellas Park, Dunedin, St. Petersburg, and Tampa.

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