Achieve Now; Harvest Later - A Cardio and Balance Session

Stamina - the ability to sustain prolonged physical or mental effort. (Definition courtesy of Apple Dashboard Dictionary)

The Graveyard Race in the Carolina Cup is just under 13 miles...so not only do I wish to get stronger but I want to be able to breathe easier over a longer period of time than I am used to.

Doing cardio is always a mental and physical battle for me. Since my back troubles I have been limited to running on a treadmill with very rare sessions out on the open road, which I used to love. Running on a treadmill, no matter how good the music is on my Iphone, can be a form of torture. However, I need to work on breathing while my body is in motion so the treadmill it is. Because the treadmill is so awful, I truly believe it greatly benefits one's mental stamina.

For example: if I set a goal to run 3 miles I will try my hardest not to look down at the digital readout for as long as I can possibly stand it. Also, I don't want to stare at the clock on the wall to see how long I have been running. I listen to music and judge the time by how many songs have played and keep my eyes on the North Avenue looking to see what antics Street Jimmy might be up to in desperate attempts to stave off the boredom. (My gym is almost right across the street from the Old Town Ale House.)

Unfortunately, boredom always sets in much earlier than expected or hoped for and I lose my focus on NOT checking my progress. I look down at the digital readout and see that I have only been exercising for .63 miles. The sinking feeling in my chest comes on so strong and so sudden that I am thrown off balance for a second. I want to stop and do something else, but what else is there under the realm of CARDIO, that you do indoors when the weather outside is frightful, which isn't considered boring. I am sure there are other things (like playing hoops, squash, and spinning) but I am relegated to the treadmill because I like to have control over how much stress I put on my body.

Pushing past the mental blocks of exercising indoors and reaching your goals, on say a treadmill, will only improve your ability to achieve higher levels of fitness when you get back to doing the things you love to do outside. If I can compete 4 miles on a treadmill watching traffic and my favorite addict begging for money on North Avenue imagine what can be done on the water watching dolphins and eagles, hawks, and the guy or girl paddling just a little bit faster in front of you...

ACHIEVE NOW, when the conditions aren't ideal and HARVEST the BENEFITS LATER when it's board short and bikini season!

Since I have been getting serious about my own health and fitness and wanting to help others get serious about theirs, I have noticed improvements in my stamina by doing cardio, that borders between aerobic and anaerobic, on a consistent basis. On the treadmill I set small goals and work at different paces and levels, without taxing my body too much. This particular workout described below I use to offset the POWER CIRCUITS written about in the previous post. Depending on how my body feels after a power session I either do this the next day or after a day of rest. I don't do these workouts on any specific day because, for me, longevity is the key so I make sure my body is rested enough and ready to take on any challenge put before it. I DO NOT believe in forcing the body into an exercise session just because it is pre-planned. I DO believe in exercising even when I don't feel like it but it is important to adapt, and change plans if necessary, in order to ensure the body is on the road to improvement rather than further taxing any areas of the musculoskeletal system that need rest and recovery. That being said, here is a good workout I like to do following a day of weight training.

TREADMILL
.50 miles at 6.0
.50 miles at 6.0 incline increased to 1.5
.50 miles at 6.3 incline back to 0.0 (flat)

BALANCE WORK
squats standing on 6lb medicine balls, as many as possible (the bigger the medicine ball the harder it is {for me} to maintain balance so progress as needed)

TREADMILL
.50 miles at 6.3
.50 miles at 6.3 incline increased to 1.0
.50 miles at 6.5 incline back to 0.0 (flat)

BALANCE WORK
variations standing on 6lb medicine balls: here I do squats, medicine ball tosses, roll a 4lb medicine ball around my torso toward the left and toward the right, heel slaps with opposite hand holding 4lb medicine ball {hold medicine ball in left hand overhead, try and tap left heel with right hand before having to place foot back down on medicine ball, switch and do opposite side - I can do one on each side then have to step off before falling - hard but so fun!}

TREADMILL
.50 miles at 6.5
.50 miles at 6.5 incline creased to 0.5
.50 miles at 7.0 incline back to 0.0 (flat)
.25 mile cool down from 6.0 - 3.5

BALANCE WORK
NOTE: this next example was something I just started doing to have fun. I fell A LOT but the falls were under control and on a soft floor in one section of the gym
one legged hops onto Basso ball:
-stand, feet together, with right foot next to Basso ball hop from left foot and land with left foot in center of Basso ball - land one then move to other side with left foot next to Basso ball and hop from right foot with right foot landing in center of Basso ball
-vary stances and just do one-legged hops
-after PERFECT LANDINGS reward yourself by doing one-legged squats with non-weight bearing leg extended behind you and in front of you
-if you are having trouble, do two-legged hops on the Basso ball as a way to RESET your brain and body (the brain and body enjoy successes and therefore erase the failed attempts from before making further attempts seem fresh) then go back to trying one-legged hops and STICK 'EM!!

Over time, more progressions can be added meaning more mileage under the belt, longer times on the medicine balls, and further improvements to your health and fitness!!

It is so important to have fun when training and/or exercising so never be afraid to add a variation that will breathe new life into your routine. I look forward to doing these wacky exercises because: one, they make cardio seem fun and two, because they make me feel like I am improving myself and three, I hope that during the next race in choppy conditions (meaning you Surf to Sound and Orange Bowl Paddle Championships) I will not get tossed off my board like a rag doll!

Have fun and be well(er)!!