Ok, let’s begin this mini blog on the right foot. Just to be clear I am not saying that cardiovascular fitness or health is not important. In fact, it is very important. But what if the way we have been thinking about it was flawed and in fact, you could have been doing things far more efficiently, with less suffering and more free time to do the things that you love, like being with your family or working a job that you love.
I believe anyone can achieve significant weight loss simply by learning how to breathe correctly. I’m talking about nostril breathing, using the deep core muscles such as our diaphragm with each breath we take. As opposed to mouth breathing, chest breathing and/or the hyper recruiting of the neck and shoulder muscles which leads to significant tightness and bad posture.
So if you want to lose weight spend 30 minutes with me and I’ll teach you how to breathe properly, then practice it for at least 5 minutes a day and watch the fat melt off. Don’t believe me, try it for 30 days. See the shift, your energy and focus will also considerably increase.
If you want to live a long time and avoid pain then exercise is a no-brainer. Mindful resistance based exercise where you engage correct breathing will help both weight loss and add longevity to your physique.
But best to keep exercise as a separate tool, just like you wouldn’t start hammering nails with your screwdriver (unless you want to smash up the screwdriver). Conquer breathing mechanics, you will balance your hormones, nervous system and fall into a healthy weight range, more effortlessly.
Exercise to live longer, build muscle and maintain the flexibility of your spine.
Bike sprints, rowing machines, assault bikes, prowler pushes can be fun but not essential to being healthy, maintaining a healthy weight range and living an absolutely fantastic life.
Remember all the movements you do in the gym or yoga studio are classified as cardiovascular (everything is cardio, even breathing), unless you are an athlete training for a specific event, your training should be designed so you can spend less time in the gym and more time doing activities you enjoy.
PS. I still love these pieces of equipment to use on occasion for variety in my training, mental stimulation and just trying something fun. They are not good or bad, just different. Remember to always keep an open mind.