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Fighting Shape
For decades fitness experts recommended running half an hour, every other day. And if your body can handle it, it’s great exercise. In fact, with beautiful weather, most of the year, here in Santa Clarita, a suburb of Los Angeles, California…
We have few excuses not to run every day.
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So, around this time last year I took that as a personal challenge. The first few days of running were brutal. I couldn’t run one block without my lungs and thighs feeling like they were full of cement and on fire.
But then 30 years of martial arts training kicked in. And I started belly breathing, dropping my shoulders down and back letting my hips do most of the work.
Then I went from not being able to make it around the block to a 5K every day within a couple of weeks.
Got To Run Now
I started to love running like never before. Surprisingly, my feet, knees, hip, and low back we’re holding up fine. Without any of the all too familiar aches and pains that used to make me hate running. Like the plantar fasciitis, shin splints, knee pain, Iliotibial band syndrome, hip pain, and low back spasms I used to get from running.
And the fitness experts were right! Within just a few months I was in the best shape of my life. I was at high school weight with a BMI of 23 and looking forward to every morning‘s 5K run.
BMI or body mass index uses weight and height to estimate body fat composition.
And you can find a bunch of free BMI calculators online just search for BMI calculator.
It was hard to stop smiling while I was running even on the hills, that used to be torture. In fact, I was able to run nonstop 5 miles up a local mountain we call “The Beast”!
Life Happens
But then life threw me a bunch of gut punches. I got a spinal injury that took out my right arm for over six months and my trusted Chiropractor moved to Florida. But wait, there’s more, the operating system that runs my business had a catastrophic meltdown and had to be rebuilt from scratch.
Plus, nearly every insurance company stopped paying for chiropractic care.
Regardless of what they sell people who are paying them obscene monthly premiums.
Then, I spent the next five months completely stressed out. Stuck in front of a computer for more than 12 hours a day. Injured in a way that made most exercise impossible. And eating like I ran a 5K every day, but I didn’t.
When my wife gets stressed out, she can’t eat at all, God bless her. I’m the exact opposite. Food is my favorite drug and when stressed out I am a full-blown addict.
So, in just five months I went from the best shape of my life to 30 pounds overweight and miserable. Just by doing what most people do every day. Sitting most of the day, not exercising and eating their favorite foods.
Born To Run (not)
So, after five months of daily home therapy neurological rehabilitation, I could feel my right hand again. The business operating system finally worked. So that took a lot of stress off and I started exercising again.
But now with an extra 30 pounds and even the most expensive running shoes with orthotics couldn’t keep plantar fasciitis away. And the best proven therapies, low level laser PEMF and Plantar Fascia medical massage could only provide temporary relief.
Every time I hit the pavement again, my feet felt broken the next morning.
So, I had to pause my 5K a day routine. And started walking with longer, deeper steps instead. And found that I could get the best part of running without destroying my feet.
The reason that that running is such a great fitness exercise is that every step… You’re jumping completely into the air and then landing on one foot a time. Fitness exercise is the art of creating of amazing stresses for your body to adapt to.
And while walking is amazing physical medicine… It’s not that great for fitness. Because one foot is always on the ground. But that makes walking much kinder on old fat feet like mine. But much harder to lose any weight. Unless you take bigger steps.
One Giant Leap
So, imagine just stepping out 1 foot further and making sure that your back foot kicks off and flexes towards your bottom a little bit more than a normal walking movement. Almost like slow motion running.
And the funny thing is that my new fitness walking is nearly the same pace as my old running time. Plus, I sweat just as much and my active minutes look nearly the same on my smart watch. But most importantly I don’t have that bone crushing pain for the first few minutes of walking every morning.
We’ve all heard, walk before you run... But for a lot of us, maybe you don’t have to run at all. Maybe once I lose these 30 pounds, I’ll be doing my 5K day again. If my feet allow it... Also, I remember something about crawl before you walk. And crawling stresses lower and upper body. But I don’t think the public is ready to see people crawling down the sidewalk.
Hand Skates? Call Shark Tank!!!
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