How to Exercise for a Lifetime podcast on PaleoJay's Smoothie Cafe

DVR's

You need to exercise.  This much is obvious, although many of us hate to do so, seeing it as somehow a waste of time, when we are all so busy.  I mean, you need to do this thing for work, and you have to shovel your walk, and mow, and help your kids with homework, and volunteer at church and school and help your neighbors-

Welcome to modern life!  Now, faced with such a situation, most of us, unfortunately, decide to…

Not Exercise!  

Despite the legions of benefits exercise provides, approaching and sometimes even surpassing those benefits of diet and lifestyle- we balk.  We try for awhile, we do this and then stop, we join a gym or classes and then- stop.  Finally, many (most) go back to the old ‘well, if I just lead an active lifestyle, and take a walk on a regular basis, I’ll be fine!’  

You won’t be.  You need regular, intense exercise, on a regular basis, or you will decay, mentally and especially physically.  It’s not even open for debate: you will.  You’ll be alright for awhile, but you will decline, unawares, until sarcopenia reaches the point where you have almost no muscle tissue left.  That’s where we start looking at assisted living, and nursing home arrangements.  Diabetes is on the horizon, and also dementia if you ignore your paleo diet, along with early death and limb amputation, among other complications. 

 If you don’t exercise, you can be looking at such things in your early 60’s…

Here is how to exercise, and never stop- ever.  

Exercise at home! 

Even Arnold, the ultimate gym rat, doesn’t exercise nearly enough now.  He eats pastries a lot, and travels too much to get to the gym- also, his joints and back are worn out from the heavy weights.  In my opinion, he blew it.  Exercise at home- then it is built into your life!

Exercise every day- at the same time!

If you do something at the same time, roughly, every day- why then it is built into your routine.  You will do it, you don’t even think about it or question it.  For me, I do it first thing, every morning.  It’s just what I do, just as I brush my teeth before bed.  It’s what I do!

Exercise in front of the TV!  

I don’t know what it is, but Puritanical types think this is not good.  By restricting my TV time largely to exercise time, I am not wasting time in any way shape or form!  In fact, I don’t allow myself to watch ‘entertainment’ types of shows (Netflix, or movies in any way) if I am not exercising.  You would be astounded at how this makes you want to exercise!!  ‘Oh- it’s morning- now I can go downstairs and watch that wonderful show again!!’

Exercise using DVR’s (which is Dynamic Virtual Resistance), Isometrics, and Calisthenics!  

That really is all you need.  Aside from stretching, that should be built into your morning routine as well.  DVR’s are the least known, yet the most beneficial of all, since by flexing your muscles throughout their full range of motion you are simultaneously strengthening and enhancing every muscle group in your body.  You can see them demonstrated at www.paleojay.com, or in my ebook Perfectly Paleo Exercise.  Even if you do nothing else, these exercises will revitalize your body from head to toe.

Isometrics

Using a heavy duty nylon strap, you can do squats, deadlifts, presses and curls for your whole body!  Hold the strap beneath your feet, and press, curl, and deadlift at multiple holding places in each movement.  For instance: in the curl, stop at the bottom of the arc, and push your maximum, holding for about 6 seconds.  Pause, and repeat.  Then, move up to half-way up the arc of motion, and repeat 2 or three times.  Then, all the way near the top of the curl.  Repeat.

To do this same routine upon your whole body, from presses, to curls, to squats, to deadlifts, to lateral raises to upright rows, and then bent rows- why it only takes about 10 minutes, tops.  And it will increase your strength more than anything else you could do, including hours in the gym lifting weights.  Really!  And you can do it all in front of the TV in your living room.

Calisthenics

‘Drop and give me 20!’  What a turn-off to exercise such an admonition is.  No, I just want you to do as many pushups as you can.  And the best way to do so, safely and effectively?  Negatives.

Hold yourself in the pushup position, and slowly lower yourself to the floor.  Get up again, using your legs, and again lower yourself, as slowly as you can, incrementally to the floor.  Repeat until you are exhausted, or your start dropping too fast to resist much.  This should only take about one minute or less- negative pushups are quickly exhausting, and there is no danger of injury. (unlike the awful bench press).  

ALL of the benefits, with none of the downside!  

The other thing I’d like you to do, after this is the straight-legged situp.   Don’t bend your knees, don’t anchor your feet- just do the situps with straight legs, and go down as low as you can with your forehead towards your knees.  Go for reps, and know you are benefiting your spine along with your abs.

Finish up with some easy floor stretches.  I always have a yoga mat that I exercise on, to spare the carpet and cushion my old bones.  Improvise, stretching your back from side to side, crossing your bent kneed leg across yourself to left and then right as you lay on your back.  Stretch our as far as you can lying prone, first left arm and right leg, and then vice versa.  If you can manage a ‘back bend’, where you lift yourself onto the crown of your head from a back lying position, and then holding it- 

Why then, not only have you mastered the finish of the usual PaleoJay workout, but you will have totally manipulated your spine in such a way that is superior to that which you would receive in a chiropractor’s office.  Congratulations!

OK, that is your daily workout!  It really won’t take much time at all, (30 minutes or less) and if you are like me you will find ways to make it longer.  For not only does it feel really good, but you want to watch your show on TV for just a little bit more.  You will learn to associate the good physical feeling of exertion with the satisfaction of really good entertainment.

Next time, I will tell you some ways to extend your exercise habit, in ways that are not only painless, but wonderful in their own way.  

For now- just exercise every day, at the same time!  It’s easy, habit forming, and will literally save you.