3394: [Part 2] Exercise, but not for the Calorie Burn by Rachel Trotta on Health Focused Exercise

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[00:01:00] This is Optimal Health Daily. Exercise, but not for the calorie burn. Part 2 by Rachel Trotta of Racheltrotta.com. And I'm your narrator, Dr. Neal Malik. Hey there and welcome back to Optimal Health Daily, where I simply read to you from the best health and fitness blogs for free. I cover fitness, nutrition, stress management, weight management, and lots more. Just like an audiobook, but from a bunch of different authors. And always with permission from the sites.

[00:01:27] Now it's Wednesday and every Wednesday I like to give you a little bit of inspiration. So here we go. Quote, Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it. Charles R. Swindoll. Now, today's post is part 2 from yesterday. So if you're new here or skipping around, I'd recommend listening to yesterday's episode first.

[00:01:52] But if you're all caught up and now you're in the right frame of mind, thanks to that inspiration hopefully, let's hear part 2 and continue optimizing your life. Exercise, but not for the calorie burn. Part 2 by Rachel Trotta of Racheltrotta.com. Here are my 5 strategies for creating this in your life so that you can truly love to enjoy the experience of exercise as well as its health benefits.

[00:02:23] Strategy number 1. Lower the bar. When many people try to get active, they accidentally make their goal too difficult. The weight training routine is too complicated, the spin class is too far away from the house, or the gym isn't open long enough before work. Instead of focusing on how exercise should be, redefine what exercise can be. Do anything that gets your heart rate up for 30 minutes, whether it's a power walk, a jog, or an aerobics video in your living room.

[00:02:51] In my upcoming coaching group, for example, a huge focus is going to be on increasing the number of steps you take per day. It can be that simple. As counterintuitive as it sounds, when you lower your expectations of yourself to a sweet spot, not to nothing, your expectations are then easier to meet, which means that you will meet them more often, which ultimately leads to a new habit. Sporadic, all-or-nothing visits to the gym a few times a month are not a habit.

[00:03:19] Strategy number 2. Do it as often as possible. Now that you've redefined exercise, do it every day that you can. Try to do it at the same time each day, so that exercise can become an entrenched part of your daily routine, as predictable as brushing your teeth or eating lunch. It's important to note that, even though they don't qualify themselves as morning people, many of my clients find that morning is the only protected time when they can reliably exercise.

[00:03:48] The exceptions to this rule are few. So why the focus on daily exercise? What about rest and recovery? If we're honest with ourselves, exercising daily often means, in reality, 4-5 times per week, when you take into account weekends and lapses in routine. This is important, because for people who have difficulty seeing results from exercise, increasing exercise frequency from a few times a week to 5 times per week makes an exponential difference in their results.

[00:04:17] The problem with aiming for 3 times per week is that it can sometimes end up being only 1 when life gets busy. So, if you're concerned that you're exercising too much, again, change your expectations for what exercise can be, and alternate your days of higher intensity with days of lower intensity. The change in frequency can be absolutely magical, both for building a habit and for seeing results. Strategy number 3. Do something you like.

[00:04:45] Does exercise carry inevitable discomfort? Absolutely. It's pushing you to your edge, which isn't inherently relaxing. But it is essential for long-term success that you, even moderately, enjoy your routine, especially at the beginning of the habit formation process. Here, it is important to play to your strengths. Do you like to run? Don't get bogged down by the strength training routines you should be doing, at least not at first. Just run. Do you like to lift weights?

[00:05:13] Don't get bogged down by finding the perfect full body routine. Just go to the gym and lift. Do you want to just hang out with your dog and enjoy nature? Don't get bogged down by the guilt that you should be at the gym. Just go hiking with your dog. Does watching your latest Netflix obsession on your iPad as you incline walk on the treadmill make exercise bearable for you? Then do that. Find what you like and capitalize on it. Strategy number 4. Be kind to yourself.

[00:05:41] Be patient with your personal fitness level. I will be honest with you. Exercise is not fun when you are not fit. It makes many people feel heavy and old and embarrassed. I see in response to these feelings of inadequacy, two camps tend to distinctly emerge. People in group number 1 avoid physical activity because of these feelings. They engineer situations so that they never have to experience the discomfort of being out of shape.

[00:06:08] People in group number 2 lean into these feelings in a self-punishing way. Signing up for the 90 day challenge at the local CrossFit box only to end up injured and taking an exercise hiatus. Either way, the result is less exercise. Not good for habit formation. When you are just starting out, it is so incredibly important that you do an activity that pushes you but is appropriate for your fitness level. See strategy number 1.

[00:06:34] If you have been mostly sedentary for a year or more, walking more is a good start. Strength training with the guidance of a personal trainer is also a good start. Going to a beginner's yoga class is another good start. Signing up for a marathon is probably not a good start. But take heart. Exercise does become more fun over time. And lastly, strategy number 5. Don't exercise to burn calories. Add exercise as a positive routine into your healthy lifestyle.

[00:07:04] But don't do it to burn calories or eat more food. Exercise is notorious for burning less calories than we estimate. A common mistake that people make when they try to lose weight is exercise overestimation and eating underestimation. If you have a calorie goal that was calculated based on the number of times per week that you exercise, stick with your calorie goal. Don't eat more on those days that you exercise. This will completely throw you off as your goal is based on your exercise already.

[00:07:34] If anything, this method can cause weight gain. Instead, leave calories in the domain of nutrition. Don't get caught up in the insane arithmetic of allowing yourself a cookie based on your 30 minute run. Enjoy exercise for what it is. Something that is inherently good for your body, mind and spirit. And be consistent with it. And watch the magic happen. You just listened to part 2 of the post titled,

[00:08:03] Exercise, But Not For The Calorie Burn. By Rachel Trotta of racheltrotta.com And I'll be right back with my commentary. If you've been optimizing your diet, your protein intake, your sleep, you're already ahead of most people. But here's one thing most of us completely miss. The quality of the water we're drinking every single day. That's why I started using CovePure at home. It's a water purifier that sits right on your counter and plugs straight in. No plumber or drilling required.

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[00:09:52] The American College of Sports Medicine says that if you're a beginner, one of the most effective things you can do is not to spend more time at the gym, but rather increase how frequently you go. So instead of spending one hour every time you go to the gym, spend 20 minutes, but five times a week. They said that's more effective. So Rachel was absolutely right when she mentioned that.

[00:10:17] And Rachel was absolutely right when she was talking about the two camps of exercisers. Those that don't want to exercise because of feelings of inadequacy, and then those that dive in right away and push themselves too hard. I would then add a third category. Maybe it's a subcategory actually of this last one. It's those that exercise, but don't experience results fast enough, so they quit. Look, I've mentioned this many times before. I have tried many exercise routines.

[00:10:46] When I was younger, I didn't care as much about the beneficial effects exercise had on my heart and lungs. I just wanted to look really buff. Sadly, even after many years of consistent training, I didn't get the physique I was aiming for. Now, I was still improving my overall fitness level, but again at the time, I didn't care as much about that. I just wanted to look imposing. But what happened instead, when I would tell people that I was a regular gym goer, their response was often, Really? I couldn't tell.

[00:11:15] Yes, people would say that to my face. Or, your shoulders are too small in proportion to your arms and your chest. In fact, that last little gem was from a family member. Here's the deal though. I didn't quit and just go, Well, I'm never going to have the physique I always wanted. I might as well give up. Instead, I kept at it. And I kept improving. I stayed consistent. Consistent in the fact that I am not going to just stop exercising.

[00:11:43] Instead, I'm going to consistently stick with it and find something that works. And I finally did. Again, this is coming from a guy who couldn't do a single pull-up, And could barely bench press 95 pounds. So, be patient with yourself. If you find something isn't working, that doesn't mean you should stop trying. It just may mean you need to keep searching. Alright, that'll do it for me for today. Thank you for being here. Thank you for listening every day. I hope you're having a wonderful week.

[00:12:11] And I'll see you back here tomorrow, where your optimal life awaits.