Summer Exercise
Summertime in Boulder brings many happy opportunities to move
one’s body and get some exercise. The mountains abound with
opportunities for outdoor recreation such as hiking, biking and
climbing in a beautiful scenic, peaceful environment. Perhaps
it is no wonder that a men’s magazine recently voted Boulder
women as some of the most beautiful in the country as we certainly
love to get out there and get physical, and that usually translates
into a healthier, more radiant look.
A Good Thing
The benefits of exercise are many. Regular moderate and appropriate
exercise has been shown to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular
illness. Evidence has also shown it is beneficial in preventing
cancer, diabetes, depression, obesity, varicose veins, balancing
hormones and improving bone density, improving fatigue and many
other ailments. This is due to the fact that exercise oxygenates
tissues, improves circulation, burns fat, relieves stress, and
produces endorphins which are compounds secreted by the brain
that cause a sense of well being, energy and vitality.
The positive effects of regular exercise for women are well documented.
As women age, our basal metabolic rate slows down causing what
is commonly known as “middle aged spread”. This of
course also can effect men but is more pronounced in women. Regular
exercise helps to mitigate that tendency. Also regular exercise
helps to offset symptoms of PMS and may even be an effective adjunct
treatment for endometriosis as well as reducing many menopausal
symptoms.
Too Much of a Good Thing?
Since we Boulder area women are in general so active, often what
I see in my practice are effects of over exercising rather than
under exercising. A young woman may exercise so much that she
loses too much body fat, which may cause her menstrual periods
to cease. This is seen in many female dancers and long distance
runners, though it can happen to any woman whose body fat levels
get too low. This may become a big problem later as it increases
many fold her risk of developing osteoporosis , a debilitating
disease.
Also I want to address possible symptoms of overtraining. If
you are very active and a re finding that you have one or more
of the following symptoms, you may be overtraining. The best remedy
for you may be to back off the intensity of your workouts. These
symptoms include repeated injuries that don’t seem to heal,
fatigue, loss of the “lift” that exercise used to
give you, longer recovery times, depression, and a feeling of
“burnout” or lack of motivation. As mentioned above,
a loss of regular menstrual cycles may be indicative of overtaining.
One may also need to look into correcting poor dietary habits
as a deficient diet or hydration combined with high intensity
workouts also may contribute to overtraining syndrome.
Choosing the Appropriate Workout
Finding the best exercise for your body type and personality
may also require a bit of trial and error as there is no set formula
that works for everyone. One may want to employ a personal trainer
if one can afford it if one is new to exercise. I have found Peter
D’Adamo N.D.’s books “ Eat Right For Your Type”
,etc. valuable in guiding my patients to a form of exercise that
may work well for them, but there is no hard and fast rule. Much
depends upon your psychological make up and the goals you hope
to attain. Various goals may be to los weight, have more energy,
increase flexibility, develop strength, relieve stress, get out
into nature, and/or to improve competitive performance. There
are so many options here in Boulder that another whole article
entirely could be written about them.
Instead I’ll write about my two personal favorite ways
to exercise. I first discovered yoga when I lived in the Pacific
Northwest. It was amazing to me how opening up different areas
of my body had such a profound effect upon my state of being and
my psyche. When I came to Boulder I discovered Ashtanga Yoga at
Richard Freeman’s studio on 21st Street. I was hooked pretty
quickly as it combines the vigorous workout I craved and found
with running ( but running was too hard on my joints) with the
flow of dance and the qualities of breath work and meditation
which I’d also been exploring concurrently. I find a I get
older with the practice, I get more fit and can sink deeper and
more easily into meditation. I see that yoga is something I can
continue as I get even older. There are women who are long term
practitioners at that studio who are a good 10+ years older than
myself doing a very advanced practice. They are an inspiration
to me. I have also continued my yoga practice through my pregnancy
( with modifications, of course) which at the time of this writing
is 34 weeks along.
Hiking in nature is my other love. I love getting into the mountains
and quieting my mind and getting closer to the plants , animals
and wildlife while enjoying a good workout. My husband and I love
to bring the dogs, our son and soon our new baby for a healthy
family experience and some fresh air. Weeks may go by when we
don’t get a good hike in, and once we do, we are reminded
why we live here and not in, say, Ohio. And we inevitably say
“That was great! We should do this every weekend!”
Enjoy your summer, and if you are able, get out and get active!
Blessings.
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