The Exercise Predicament
Why is exercise so confusing?
How come there are so many different approaches to fitness, movement, mobility, flexibility, alignment, injuries, strength, cardiovascular health, and the human body?
Why are there so many different ways exercise is described, and countless other ways it’s interpreted?
A predicament can be described as a confusing situation that is difficult to get out of or solve. Getting out of exercise, we can’t, and solving it, we must. So I’m here to decode some of the noise we hear and see when it comes to exercise, and to help guide YOU on YOUR exercise path.
Let’s first define exercise. Wikipedia says that exercise is any bodily activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health and wellness. It is performed for various reasons, to aid growth and improve strength, preventing aging, developing muscles and the cardiovascular system, honing athletic skills, weight loss or maintenance, improving health, and also for enjoyment. Many individuals choose to exercise outdoors where they can congregate in groups, socialize, and enhance well-being. In terms of health benefits, the amount of recommended exercise depends upon the goal, the type of exercise, and the age of the person. Even doing a small amount of exercise is healthier than doing none.
So with this, we gain insight into the fact that there are many different reasons for exercising and many different goals that different people have at different times in their life.
Let’s start with your history.
Have you been moving your body deliberately in various ways for most of your life? Do you love the outdoors and thrive on trying new things? Or have you been more sedentary due to circumstances, lack of motivation, lack of interest, or lack of desire?
Next we need to figure out what your alignment looks like.
Is your body out of whack? Do you have chronic injuries that you have been ignoring? Is one shoulder higher than the other? Is your pelvis neutral? Do your toes point forward? Does your body hurt when you try to exercise?
And do you enjoy exercise?
Or are you doing it because you think you “should”? Are there particular things you are drawn to, and others, not so much?
Once we’ve sorted out your starting place, it’s much easier to learn what your next progression might be:
If you are in pain, this is the first thing that needs to be addressed. Pain won’t go away when you start exercising. Start by picking up this book about pain and realigning through Posture Therapy.
If you are aware of how to address your pain and have tools that allow you to re-align yourself and balance your body from front to back and side to side, you are in a good place to consider the next step.
Now you can explore the options you have to engage your mind, body, and spirit: outdoor sports, walking, hiking, running, skating, skiing, cycling. Choose one of these things, even if you like it just a little bit.
To complement your outdoor choice(s), you now need to look at what your body needs to support this activity. What can you do to better prepare yourself before, after, and in between this activity? You need to support your activity with the required mobility, alignment, and strength work needed to sustain it.
Are you lacking cardiovascular strength, joint mobility, or overall strength? Is it time to consider using a strength and mobility tool such as the kettlebell? An ergonomic hand weight that is one of the single most powerful tools available? One that allows you to take control of your fitness, health, and the dilemma of exercise and fitness maintenance? As my StrongFirst colleague states:
“When you swing the kettlebell, every part of the body is involved in each and every rep. Swinging the bells lets you work your cardiovascular and muscular systems. Even with light bells, it’s an amazingly efficient way to get in shape quickly. Add in overhead presses, Turkish Get-Ups, cleans and squats, and you have more than a complete exercise program. You have a state-of-the-art training program that will deliver the results it promises.”
In my Virtual Kettlebell membership, you get to learn these Kettlebell movements at your own pace.
I teach and refresh your technique in each of the 6 foundational kettlebell skills step by step. The Swing, the Clean, the Press, the Turkish Get Up, the Squat, and the Snatch, are all part of my Learn to Kettlebell Program.
From there, you can dig into one of my (balanced, holistic, and awesome) programs, such as the imPRESS yourself program that progresses you to a heavy overhead kettlebell press over a 3 month period. With 6 kettlebell skills you are set up for a lifetime of kettlebell training. Training that will hone your cardiovascular system, improve your mobility and alignment, and will increase your overall strength and fitness.
It's my own personal solution to the exercise predicament.
The first 2 weeks are free to try. Browse through the drop-in schedule if you already know the 6 hardstyle kettlebell movements, or head to the mobility section if that’s what you need most right now! Learn the individual kettlebell skills missing from your repertoire. Or try out my 6 weeks to Super Strong program that includes pull-up progressions (cus we’ve all gotta put our arms over our heads a little bit more often - even if it’s with a stick!).
There are over 100 videos to choose from, and currently 6 programs to choose from (I’m always adding fresh content to the kettlebell and movement library, because I’m always learning too!). Take the guess-work out and follow along with my monthly programs that work at a sensible pace. All so that you can maintain an exercise program that complements your outdoor activities, for the rest of your life.
