This is International excuses week. Just kidding. We feel plagued by the notion of “excuses” these days so we’re going to explore the world’s greatest “No Excuses – Just Do it” magic bullet fitness program. If you can’t afford formal exercise classes or facilities. If you are traveling. If you live in a tough place to be active. If it’s always dark and stormy when you finally have time to exercise. If you simply can’t figure out where to begin… There are five minimum basics we encourage…
These are the big five:
- Pushups
- Lunges
- One Ab move
- One Low Back move
- And… Walking
Walk (or the like) every day. Do any of the others listed above every other day.
This is the best free exercise program on the planet. It’s centuries old. It pre-dates dumbells or treadmills, sweaty golden-glove gyms or airy country clubs. The current popular video training series, P90X, costs somewhere around $100. A gym membership is minimum $240 a year ($20/month) and that is usually a bare-bones deal.
The question is, “what’s your goal?” If you’re looking for the thing you can do today for free, in a short period of time, fewest barriers, I’ve said it.
Caveat: One potential barrier is safety. Today, for example, I decided to “trek” from my hotel to downtown Colorado Springs for a self-paced walking tour. The tour of historic archtecture was wonderful. The trek there was a little precarious. A young dude (I’m in cowboy country so, even though I’m not a teenager, I can say dude) actually asked me out as I briefly walked alongside him asking for directions. I passed him on a high-traffic, sidewalk challenged road. He was harmless, but you never know. Plan your routes carefully and, when in doubt, there’s always marching in place while watching a rivoting movie or listening to music.
Here’s the deal… If your legs can take you there, you can walk any time, almost any place as long as your safety is fully actualized. If that has to mean walking in place, so be it. If you have the luxury to move outside the confines of your abode, by golly, get it going on! Fresh air, greener, and sunshine all breed happiness. Just think of the urban, cash strapped, single parent. If you are not her/him, GET outside and go! If you are her/him, we’d like to say, you are amazing – march on.
Anyone who moves in today’s society deserves serious at-ah-boys/girls. Anyone who moves in spite of difficult environmental circumstances we face, is my hero. Let’s ban together and pledge to make our world safer, smarter, and more automatic when it comes to walking, stretching, strengthening and caring… For all generations, and especially for the generations to come.