Such proclamations are regularly chimed from the merchants of the “Get-Fit-Quick” brigade, who appeal to the couch potato that there is a magical easy way that caters to their lazy habits.
No Quick Fixes
Sorry folks, there is no way to getting any lasting fitness other than to get committed to change that lasts. Blasting out of your horizontal position for a few vigorous jumping jacks for 5 minutes is better than nothing (if it doesn’t precipitate a heart attack). But, as the latest ad I read proclaimed, 90 minutes a week of intermittent high intensity gymwork is unlikely to lead to lasting effects let alone establish a lifetime exercise habit.
Anaerobic Follies
Nor are the eyeballs-out, thigh-burning workouts that saturate your body with lactic acid, the same type of workouts that have typified college athletic training for quick results and talent burn-out. Beware of any routine that requires someone to yell at you to get the task done. Your body in its infinite wisdom would not do it otherwise. Anaerobic Vs Aerobic is a tired old debate that gets dragged out over and over. In the Lydiard system there is a rightful place for both as they are viewed as teammates, not competitors. But if you have to choose, it is the anaerobic system that is dispensable to a sustainable fitness routine – not the aerobic system.
Mother Nature is our Best Reference
As nature intended, the default energy system of human beings is aerobic metabolism. Our ability to utilize oxygen determines our vitality and general well-being and is the single biggest determining performance factor in any activity over a minute or so in duration. The efficiency of this system is what enables us to exercise, recover and adapt to reinvent ourselves into a faster, stronger individual who can stay the distance.
Take it Easy
If you are starting out on an exercise routine or starting over after a lay-off my best advice to getting fit is to get a training buddy at the same level as you, one that you enjoy conversing with. This is important Not only will you strengthen each other’s resolve, but also you will keep each other to the ‘talk test’ where you run slowly enough that you can maintain a conversation. Then follow this training sequence, three times a week on every second day, taking as many weeks or months as you need:
- Walk for as long as you comfortably can, increasing the time until walking is easy for 20 minutes.
- Jog for as long you comfortably can, increasing the time until jogging is easy for 30 minutes.
- Start to include a few hills on your jogs. Quite naturally your pace will improve, and the hills will encourage you to stretch out your legs. Next thing you will have graduated from joggers to runners.
- Run for as long you comfortably can, and gradually increase your runs until running is easy for 60 minutes.
Now you are ready to do some training.
Article written by, Lorraine Moller, Four time Olympian, Bronze Medalist and Boston Marathon Winner, Co-founder and President of the Lydiard Foundation
Check out Nicole DeBoom’s article to learn more about Lorraine: http://nicoledeboom.com/75-olympic-medalist-lorraine-moller-believes-the-only-secret-is-that-there-is-no-secret/