Back in the early 90s, when I was first starting my career in fitness (which morphed into the career that now allows me the privilege of writing books about health and energy), the “gym wars” were just heating up in New York City. I worked as a personal trainer at Equinox, a then fledgling gym that has since turned into an American phenomena. At the time, new gyms were cropping up on every street corner. I was asked by a reporter for the New York Times to recommend the best gym in town.
My answer? “The one you go to”.
It was, if I say so myself, one of my better responses to an interview question.
So, to answer the question of “What’s the best exercise to do?” I’m going to steal from myself and answer it thusly: The best exercise is the exercise you actually do.
HOW THESE TYPES OF EXERCISE BENEFIT YOU
Exercise gives you energy. It’s that simple. Anything is better than nothing, and the more strategies for working out, the more likely you are to be successful in making exercise a regular routine and taking your energy to the next level.
The said, most of the neuroscience research on learning, focus, and attention refers to aerobic exercise (much as they love to spin around on their little wheels, it’s hard to get mice to lift weights or stretch, so there’s a lot more animal research on aerobic exercise than there is on, say, bodybuilding or yoga). High-intensity exercise, such as running, appears to provide the biggest bang for your brain. But even walking at a brisk pace will increase energy. Aerobic exercise also helps your heart and lungs function more effectively.
Resistance exercise builds more muscle mass, which, in turn, boosts your metabolism, always a good bet for increasing energy. Strong muscles also make it a lot easier to carry our bones around, especially important as we age. Studies show that strength training increases self-esteem and energy. Pumping iron three times a week, for example, can increase energy levels y upto 50 percent, even on days you don’t lift, according to Mark Moyad, M.D., director of Preventive and Alternative Medicine at the University of Michigan Medical Center.
Flexibility exercise – such as yoga, tai chi, or stretching – can help alleviate muscle tension and decrease anxiety, both energy zappers. For overall health, well-being, and energy, you should incorporate all three types of exercise into your routine.
SKIP THE EQUIPMENT AND ENJOY WHAT YOU DO
So back to particulars. If it’s been a while since you’ve exercised, then begin by walking. Aim for 30 minutes a day, and break it up into three 10-minutes walks if that makes it easier. You’ll notice the increase in energy in not time. As you get stronger and more energized, you may want to consider interval training (see page 105), the PACE program (see page 106), the Tabata Protocol (see pa ge 109), or any of the other workouts in the pages that follow.
For people who are a little more in shape, or if you want to challenge yourself more, try stair climbing. Or stair running. And I don’t mean getting on the stair-climbers you find at the gym (not that there’s anything wrong with that). I’m talking about finding a flight – or forty – or stairs in your own environment and climbing them. Or running them.
And speaking of easy-to-do, no-cost, at-home creative ways to jump-start your energy with a short exercise break-jump some rope! Now truth be told, I’ve never been able to master the coordination of this, but when I used to take Aerobox classes, I simply held the rope in one hand and slapped it to the ground while jumping in step with the rest of the class.
It’s probably better if you can manage the coordination, but even without it, the jumping motion is stupendously effective for boosting energy. It gets oxygen and nutrients to the brain like nothing else, not to mention getting you blood circulating. You’ll feel like your energy circuits just got a tune-up, and you’ll be amazed at how long it lasts.
In sum, all these techniques are good. But just like the best gym in town is useless if you don’t go to it, the best exercise program in the world means nothing to your energy if you don’t actually do it. So whatever it is that gets you off the couch- be it biking, swimming, tennis, jogging, walking, gardening, weight training, skipping rope, running stairs, or running backwards – it’s all good. At the risk of sounding like a Nike ad, just do it. Whatever “it” is.
It – meaning any kind of exercise at all – will boost your energy like nothing else in the world.
By Jonny
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