“I’ll start playing sports right after the New Year!” - a phrase familiar to many. And each of us knows how often such promises are broken - the charge disappears after one and a half to two months, if not earlier. Psychologist Nadezhda Pozharova
and fitness trainer
Alexander Karpov
tell you how to stop deceiving yourself and really start exercising after the New Year.
Make it before the New Year: 10 things that will help change your life
Don't put off until 2021 what you can do now.
You will live longer
“Whoever does not smoke or drink will die healthy” - you can hear from every not very developed subject.
There are so many beautiful, interesting and no less exciting things in life than smoking and alcohol.
How can you consciously, on a daily basis, suppress your genetic line, poison all systems of the body, deliberately make your brain less efficient, using many substances that kill a person?
Well, I understand, it’s a holiday, there are stupid traditions of drinking “to your health,” but why do this all the time, every day, especially when smoking?
A smoker is like a walking stinking cesspool, which outwardly does not always look sick, and does not always look unhealthy.
The body is inertial.
If you start smoking, don’t expect your health to fail instantly, no.
At first you will get used to it. The body will get used to the undeserved pleasure received from the drug (nicotine), and then the body will begin to give up over the years.
Your heart hurts, but it’s hard to breathe, on the fifth floor without an elevator - well, it doesn’t matter, and so on until some system fails. And he will refuse in any case.
“But my grandfather smoked and lived to be 90 years old!”, yeah, only if he hadn’t smoked, he would have lived to be a hundred, and he would have been healthier.
And don’t compare yourself to generations that are older than us.
Their health was stronger due to food, better ecology and due to the fact that previously there were not so many medications that could suppress any infection.
But why should I read morals to you, this is the business of each person, and I cannot judge anyone, everyone has their own story.
I will give you an example with one experiment. 20 thousand mature men were involved, the experiment lasted 8 YEARS! The experiment revealed that the mortality rate among men who did not engage in sports was on average TWICE HIGHER than among those who regularly engaged in physical activity.
It's up to you to think and decide.
By the way, I have a cool article on my blog about how to live long.
Track your heart rate zones
Often, beginners who are not familiar with the rules of running training jump right off the bat. By twisting their joints in place, they run as hard as they can, so that their heart rate rises to 70–80% of their maximum heart rate (HR). Since the beginner cannot maintain this pace, very soon he will suffocate, feel nauseous and stop.
Moreover, such loads can have a bad effect on the cardiovascular system, especially if the novice athlete is overweight. As a result, the training will be ineffective and, most likely, will be the last. To avoid this, be sure to monitor your heart rate and increase the load gradually.
First, calculate your maximum heart rate.
220 − your age = maximum heart rate.
Start your cardio workout with a warm-up. This is light activity at a heart rate of 50–60% of maximum. This is followed by a fat burning zone at 60–70% of your maximum heart rate. Activity in this zone feels quite comfortable, does not cause nausea or severe shortness of breath, and at the same time helps to burn more fat.
Aerobic training begins with a heart rate of 70–80%. It improves cardiovascular health, increases lung capacity and continues to burn fat.
Here's a rough plan for your first run: 10 minutes in the warm-up zone, 10 minutes in the fat-burning zone, and 10 minutes in the aerobic zone. Gradually increase the time spent in the aerobic zone to 15 minutes, and do not forget about a 5-minute cool-down at 50-60% heart rate.
To track your heart rate and pulse zones while running, use heart rate sensors or fitness bracelets. Many people don’t like chest straps: they are inconvenient to put on and take off, they press and slip. At the same time, compared to a fitness bracelet, they provide more accurate heart rate readings.
There is a good sensor option that is worn on the shoulder or forearm - Polar OH1. It is affordable, convenient and accurate. The optical sensor on the strap connects to any iOS and Android smartphones or Polar sports gadgets - sports watches, activity trackers or cycling computers - and shows your heart rate.
Polar OH1
You can view your heart rate data on your phone or sports watch. Of course, the second one is much more convenient during activity.
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If you don’t want to have any sensors on your chest or shoulder at all, there is a smartwatch option with a built-in optical sensor - Polar M430. The optical sensor of this model is only 1–2% inferior to the chest strap in terms of accuracy and is absolutely superior in terms of convenience.
Polar M430
For experienced runners, this watch will be useful, but for beginners it is an absolute must-have. The watch tells you how to train and how long it will take to recover after training. In the Polar Flow app or web client you will find daily training programs, additional strength exercises with videos, and interval training.
In addition, the watch will help you track your progress. Using the Running Index parameter, you will learn about your VO2 max - maximum oxygen consumption - and other fitness indicators.
For more advanced runners, the Polar M430 will help you set the right cadence, or frequency of steps, create a program to prepare for the race and improve your results.
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Your body will become more beautiful
“Love me as I am”, “The most important thing in a person is the soul”, “All people are beautiful”...
Yeah, all people are rich, all people are professionals, all people are equal. Do you believe this yourself?
Our world is a tough place where we participate in ranked competition EVERY SECOND.
In our world there are rich and there are poor.
There are professionals in their field, and there are amateurs.
There are strong-willed, strong people, and there are lazy people.
There are athletic people, and there are obese people.
Some are beautiful, and some are not so much.
And there is nothing like that. You can, of course, pretend that all this is not so and feed yourself vanilla-chocolate marshmallows from dreams that someone will fall in love with your “rich inner world” at first sight, but when this does not happen, there is no need to look the root of evil in the world around us.
The world is the way we make it.
And we are for one small part INTELLIGENT CREATIONS, and for the rest we are ruled by ANIMAL INSTINCTS.
It follows from this that we like sexy bodies because... it is a limited resource. On the one hand, these are healthy offspring, and on the other, a “status marker.”
If you have a beautiful girlfriend or a pumped-up guy, then your rank is quite high (this is an unconscious attitude in every person’s head). That's all mathematics.
When you have a beautiful body, you have the opportunity to choose the person with whom you feel most comfortable.
Sound selfish? Perhaps, but this is the world and the people in it are different, and resources are still limited.
This is food for thought for you, friends, but for now, the next reason.
Your bones won't break down for longer.
The fact is that all people, starting from the age of 35, begin to lose bone mass.
Bones become brittle and thinner.
All these are negative consequences of a sedentary lifestyle, bad habits and, of course, aging.
Physical activity in the gym can make your bones stronger by stimulating the production of the main anabolic hormone - testosterone, as well as by accelerating metabolism.
And, of course, through proper nutrition we will create a positive nitrogen balance in the body, i.e. a situation where the supply of proteins prevails over the breakdown.
Track your progress
Your own assessment of success is far from objective. After the first lesson, you may feel like a real athlete, although there is no visible success, and during periods of bad mood you may underestimate your results.
Even if you have a regular scale, it will only show you your weight, which is not enough to evaluate your achievements. The fact is that during training, weight can remain the same, but the percentage of fat and muscle can change.
By tracking not only your weight, but also your fat percentage and body mass index, you'll see your progress, be able to choose the best diet, and stay motivated.
Moreover, to track your fat percentage, you don’t have to make an appointment at a clinic; there are already compact and inexpensive scales with this function. For example, smart diagnostic scales from the Chinese company Picooc.
Picooc
When you step on the scale, it sends a small, invisible current through your body and determines your body mass index, percentage of fat and muscle mass, and even your metabolic age. In addition, you don't need to remember or write down anything to track your results: Picooc S3 connects to your phone via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, depending on the model, and you see all your statistics in the Russian-language PICOOC application.
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You will unleash your inner energizer
I began to notice the paradox of bodybuilding from the very beginning, 9 years ago, when I started going to the gym in my dorm on the first floor.
I suffered for a couple of months.
I really dragged myself to the gym in the morning, however, I must say, I didn’t miss a single workout.
Miracles began later when I began to notice that I began to sleep better, that I had a lot of energy on the days off from training, and somehow I began to crave active recreation, instead of just lying on the couch.
The fact is that due to the constant expenditure of energy on recovery after physical activity, the body adapts with the help of supercompensation.
The release of endorphins becomes more frequent, as well as other hormones involved in our brain's reward system (dopamine, oxytocin, etc.).
A study was conducted in which scientists observed three groups of women for a year.
- One group exercised three times a week for an entire year.
- The second group did physical activity, but irregularly, 1-2 times a week.
- The third group is the control group, they did not change their lifestyle (they do not exercise).
So, it was found that women from the group of regularly involved in sports began to feel better, activity improved by an average of 30%, plus the fact that in total (a group of 50 people) they lost about a ton of fat!
The second group (irregularly exercising) also felt an improvement in their condition and a release of energy. All participants noted that they had become more resilient and happier. The group lost about 380 kg of fat.
The third group, naturally, continued to complain of lethargy and chronic fatigue. Accordingly, it was concluded that physical activity in the gym helps to become a much more energetic person.
There are two different schools of thought on how exercise affects your eye health, and whether you can improve your vision by staying active. Some people believe that sports really help you forget about vision problems, while others, on the contrary, insist that eye strain caused by sports does not lead to anything good, because even schoolchildren with poor eyesight are exempted from lessons physical education. Let's take a closer look at this issue together.
It's no secret that physical exercise helps strengthen the body, make it healthier and more resilient. Physical activity improves blood circulation, as a result of which the organs of our body are saturated with oxygen. Blood pressure rises, adrenaline is released, the body receives a boost of energy and is in good shape for a long time. Moderate exercise helps relieve fatigue and stress accumulated after a hard day at work, maintain and correct your figure, maintain mental clarity and a positive attitude. Sport is a great hobby for many people, as a result of which we are distracted from routine activities, change our focus and relax. It would seem that there are only advantages, so why are people skeptical? The whole point is that the specific sport that you could do if you have vision problems must be chosen carefully. Playing sports does not completely cure existing diseases, farsightedness or myopia, however, it is a good prevention of problems in the future and strengthens visual functions.
Which sport is suitable for people with visual impairment? This could be running, swimming, race walking and gymnastics, yoga, cycling. The advantage of these activities is that they do not cause a sharp increase in heart rate and overall stress on the body, and their intensity is not high. Such exercises promote relaxation and rest and are suitable for every patient, regardless of age and type of activity. In addition, many of the proposed activities can be performed in the fresh air, which also helps to relax the eyes and strengthen vision. These sports, especially in combination with medical eye gymnastics, not only have a preventive effect, but also help stabilize the current condition, gradually improving a person’s vision. Excellent training of the eye muscles is provided by active games with a ball or, for example, badminton. By concentrating our gaze on the object we need, in this case it is a ball or shuttlecock, we alternately relax and strain our eyes, which is a good alternative to eye gymnastics. It is recommended to conduct classes several times a week, for at least thirty minutes, but not to overdo it.
What is absolutely forbidden to do? Any intense exercise is contraindicated. This includes powerlifting, acrobatics, any type of bodybuilding and even gym classes. If you are already exercising, be sure to consult with your doctor; you may need to conduct low- or moderate-intensity exercises, and always under the supervision of a personal trainer. Any types of wrestling (boxing, sambo, etc.) are contraindicated. Such activities increase intraocular pressure and tension, and also increase the risk of physical injury to the head or eyes.
If you have vision problems, you need to approach the choice of physical activity for yourself responsibly. What other people around you are doing may not always be good for you. You should not give preference to a sedentary lifestyle; even a regular walk in the fresh air at a moderate pace will be useful.
Your lower back will be healthy
Of course, I’m not saying that everyone who works out in the gym has a healthy back.
Everywhere there are unique people who practice for decades with the wrong technique, and over time, as the load increases, the “weak link” (in our case, the lower back) gets injured.
You need to understand that if you have been performing deadlifts with a barbell with a rounded lower back for 5 years in a row, then expect that a cute furry animal - the Arctic fox - will soon come for it.
Physical activity in the gym strengthens the core and lower back muscles (spinal extensors and other muscles).
In one study, 35 out of 38 volunteers avoided back surgery by doing special exercises to strengthen their back muscles.
Listen to appropriate music and think about safety
Many runners and cyclists love listening to music while training, and for good reason. Music lifts your spirits How does music aid 5 km of running? and increases the pleasure of training, energetic compositions help Influence of music on maximal self-paced running performance and passive post-exercise recovery rate to maintain the pace, and slow ones help to quickly restore your heart rate after a run.
Listening to music has many advantages, but there are also disadvantages, namely safety. Cyclists and runners are not advised to exercise with headphones because of possible dangers: you will not be able to hear the car in time, there is a risk of getting run over.
Fortunately, you don’t have to give up music or move your workouts to the gym. State-of-the-art bone conduction technology keeps your ears open while providing you with musical motivation.
AfterShokz Trekz Air
For example, with the AfterShokz Trekz Air headphones, sound travels through the cheekbones to the ears. At the same time, you can perfectly hear both the music and what is happening around you.
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If you work out in the gym, at the stadium or in the forest and cars do not pose a threat to you, you can listen to music with regular headphones, but it is better to give preference to wireless ones: they will not get caught on the exercise equipment or get tangled in your pocket.
There are simply good wireless headphones with high sound quality, for example Byron BT from Beyerdynamic with three silicone tips of different sizes. You choose one that fits your ear and listen in comfort - great sound, nothing falls out or dangles while moving.
Byron BT / north-america.beyerdynamic.com
You can switch tracks directly on the headphones, take calls from your phone without slowing down, and listen to music for 7.5 hours straight.
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There are also dedicated models for sports and fitness, such as the iSport Victory Wireless from Monster. If previous headphones could accidentally fall out of your ear, then iSport Victory Wireless definitely won’t do this. Here, in addition to the silicone tip, there is also a special earpiece that follows the curve of the ear and is securely attached to it.
Monster Isport Victory In-Ear Wireless / standard.co.uk
At the same time, the headphones are covered with antibacterial coating and are protected from sweat and dust. You can easily wash them, and there will be no irritation on your ear.
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Your sleep will become stronger
A little higher, I already talked about the fact that I began to sleep better after I started playing sports, but, indeed, it has been proven that people who regularly exercise fall asleep faster and wake up less often at night than those who lead a sedentary lifestyle.
Do you know how I fell asleep in the army?) Before my head hit the pillow, still in flight)
But seriously, there are a lot of studies that confirm a direct correlation between physical activity and sound sleep.
The mood will be better
An important thing in the current realities.
Have you noticed that after training your mood becomes better? You have a real boost in energy!
Indeed, it is so. All this happens due to hormones that literally bubble in our body during and after training.
During training, testosterone and dopamine work at full speed, which, by the way, do not turn off after training. Also, after training, the hormone oxytocin (the relaxation hormone) is turned on, which, by the way, is released after orgasm.
You will have more fun in life
What pleasure does life bring when your body looks like a thin jelly-like soup? Very doubtful.
All these tricks with clothes begin, which do not work “very cool”, such as tights, leopard print leggings, black bag-like dresses, etc.
Excuses are brewing in my head that this is all “BONE....!”, “CONSTITUTION!” and other crap.
It's not about the wide bone, but about the fatty carcass. We need to admit this, at least for ourselves, and start working to fix it.
When you look healthy and slim, and therefore beautiful, the world literally changes before your eyes.
New opportunities open up for you, for dating, for a career, for friendship, for business. All areas of life become better.
This, of course, gives any normal person incredible pleasure. You will become much more productive in your daily life.
You will have a lot of envious people, and you will enjoy it
I also always considered this a positive thing.
I love it when people criticize me about playing sports.
“Jocks are stupid”, “Your liver won’t be strong at 35”, “Pumpy legs are ugly!”
Unsightly are fat, saggy buns, more like cellulite rags, and pumped up legs can look different. They can be very beautiful, or they can be just good.
People will try to return you back to their swamp in order to justify to themselves that the problem is not in them and not in their lack of will, laziness, weakness. The fact is that it is dangerous, ugly and ugh!
Oh well.
I love it.
This teaches you how to respond to criticism in the right way, which helps in life. It teaches you to laugh at yourself, and in general makes you more confident in yourself.
Who is allowed to go for walks and exercise and who is not?
Sobyanin said that the “walking mode” is being introduced as an experiment - for two weeks: from June 1 to June 14, 2021. There will be certain restrictions on exercise and walking.
Question and answer What kind of standard for planned medical care during a pandemic has been approved in Moscow?
All Muscovites will be able to go outside for walks and exercise, including citizens over 65 years of age and those suffering from chronic diseases. The ban on leaving their place of residence will still remain for people diagnosed or suspected of COVID-19, signs of acute respiratory viral infection, as well as for citizens living with them. Also, walking and sports on the street are prohibited for those who are required to comply with the self-isolation regime by order of the sanitary doctor (for example, after returning from abroad).
