Happy President’s Day!
Three of our first and most famous presidents, George Washington, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson felt exercise was the key to longevity. These presidents, along with Ben Franklin, and other founding fathers were avid walkers and horseback riders, and all were quick to seek out healthy foods.
Granted they didn’t have much choice about the healthy foods since partially hydrogenated oil and high fructose corn syrup hadn’t been invented yet. Riding was a typical part of their day as well. What is astonishing, however, is that Adams, Jefferson, Franklin and Washington all wrote that they didn’t feel a day was worth mentioning if they hadn’t walked at least five miles.
Now, these were the busiest people on the planet at the time. Consider the demands on these gentlemen. Consider the lack of technology to aid and speed their chores. And yet they walked, on average, FIVE MILES A DAY each!
Imagine if they hadn’t taken these walks? All four men lived past their 80s in an era where life expectancy for the wealthy at that time was no better than 60. Not only did we gain from their longevity on earth, but consider the knowledge. The think tanks created by those walks, that time to reflect, those iPod-less wonderings, built the foundation of a great nation and continue to inspire our character to this day.
Above and beyond walking, these four were also deeply connected to their farms and manual labor. They chopped and stacked wood. They plowed. They worked it, so to speak. These were physically commanding, strong bodies with strong willed characters (though Adams was a bit on the short side). Oh, and we should mention that they were all further bolstered by equally fit, sturdy, eloquent, powerful and lovely women as well. Talk about peer support.
So, in ode to our founders and their other halves today, we give you another of our favorite anywhere, anytime TRIED AND TRUE stretch and strengthen exercises:
If they could, so too ought we…
Because most of us are no longer “working it” on the farm, we have to fabricate the exercises that could take the place of speeding the plow. One of our clear favorites is the Squat:
Instructions:
Start with feet shoulder width apart, your back flat and your stomach muscles tight. Slowly bend at the hips and knees, lowering down to where your hips & knees are as close to a straight/parallel line to the floor as possible. Your knees should be over your ankles and no push past your toes.
The best way to sense how a squat should feel, how you should lower your body, is to imagine sitting back on a chair with no arms. A little more crass way to put it, and we apologize but it’s a universal understanding, is to sit your hips back as if you’re reaching back for the porcelain potty.
If you can’t reach parallel at first, no problem, work your way up to the that. Hold the pose for a count of five and then press back up to standing. Repeat for one minute (or as long as you can, working up to a minute). Inhale as you lower your body, exhale as you press up to standing. Move slowly to avoid momentum, and therefore working the muscles harder.
Let us know how you do with squats. You can also do them against a wall with a yoga/exercise/stability ball. We’ll give you details on that in another blog down the road!
See you on the PATH Ahead.