Decompress with Exercise

All of us are susceptible to stress, anxiety and panic attacks. The accelerated pace of today’s world sees many of us leading unbalanced lives. We eat too quickly, eat too much, eat the wrong foods and get very little exercise.

It wasn’t that long ago that our days were spent using our muscles a lot more than we do today. Fast food was not available. We ate balanced meals at regular intervals and walked much more than we do now. Consequently, we breathed in more oxygen and slept better for it.

About four years ago, I noticed that I was getting weaker. I was stressed out and often anxious. I didn’t know why and I could not trace the cause to any specific thing. There was a lot going on in my life and it had all piled up on me like a huge weight dragging me down. I wasn’t sleeping well and my patience level was at an all time low. I was becoming negative, which is not my natural state. While I am not claustrophobic, I felt that the world was pressing in on me and threatening to crush me at any moment.

One day, I went to see my friend Mike who runs a dojo not far from where I live. I had wanted to start karate in my twenties but always found some reason to put it off until later. I’d get around to it soon enough, I kept telling myself. Now, I was 47 years old. I explained to Mike how I was feeling and shared with him some of my challenges. Mike told me that he was surprised to hear how I was feeling. He said that I always appeared positive and happy, the kind of person who always lands on his feet. I explained that as a good chameleon, I internalized a great many things while trying to maintain a positive appearance.

I started going to karate classes twice a week. As I mentioned in a previous article, I started with a body that had gone through two left shoulder separations, a right shoulder dislocation and a back that was prone to injury. I went at it a step at a time. Our half-hour workouts feature calisthenics such as pushups, sit-ups, squats and lunges. We do a lot of stretching then spend the next hour doing kata, sparring and self-defense. At first, the workouts were very difficult for me but I kept at it. It didn’t take too long before I wasn’t sore after workouts. Within a few months, I noticed a huge difference in my energy level and an enormous reduction in my overall level of stress. I started going a bit earlier and leaving a bit later bringing my workouts to just short of three hours. Some weeks I do three such workouts.

Its 4 years later now and I have just achieved my brown belt, which is one away from black belt. I am stronger and more flexible than I have ever been. How much stronger you ask? Before starting karate, we discovered a crack in the foundation of our home. We called in a backhoe to dig a huge hole so we could access it and make the necessary repairs. When we were done, the backhoe returned to fill in the hole but there were 3 yards of soil that needed to be wheel-barrowed by yours truly. Well, it just about killed me! Three years later, we decided to make a large flowerbed in the back yard. I moved 3 yards of sod out one day, went to karate that night for 3 hours, and had energy left over. The next day, I moved 4 yards of soil into the new flowerbed, went for another 3-hour karate session, and still had energy. Was I sore? You bet I was but it was a good sore. It was what you feel when you are developing your muscles. There is no way I could have done these things four years earlier. I slept very well both nights!

Exercising regularly has a positive impact on your well-being. It will melt away tension and alleviate your stress. Most nights, when driving home from karate, I have a smile on my face and a smile in my heart. As I approach my home, I begin to remember some of the challenges that I am facing but they do not overwhelm me. While I am in the dojo working out, all of those challenges evaporate because I am focusing on something very different. In the case of karate, focus is paramount. You can’t be thinking about something else while you’re sparring. Trust me; it’s really not a good idea at all!

I realize that karate is not for everyone but you can choose from many other activities. Walking, cycling, swimming, Tai Chi, Yoga, weight training, tennis, golf, hiking, gardening, hockey, baseball and Pilates are a few ideas. Note that I mentioned walking first. Why? Well, because I would like to share an encouraging story with you about walking.

Ten years ago, we had a neighbor who was in his late 60’s. He was very ill. He was overweight and suffered from severe sleep apnea. He had to sleep with an air tank next to his bed and what I believe is called a CPAP device, which ‘splints’ the airway open during sleep. He would tire quickly and had very little energy.

One day, he ‘decided’ enough was enough and he started going for walks. He began with very short walks up and down the street. Next up was walks around the block. Then he started walking at a faster pace. Soon he was walking 2 kilometers a day at a good clip. I had not noticed that he was doing this until one day I saw him power walking up the street!  He was sweating heavily, had color in his face and was smiling to beat the band. He looked 30 – 40 pounds lighter and 10 years younger. I didn’t even recognize him until he asked me if I had a license to operate my lawn mower which would never start without 100 pulls. He had a great sense of humor and I had a really awful lawnmower!

“Wow, you look great,” I told him. He thanked me and told me he had just walked around Elk Lake. This is about a 10KM walk plus another 4KM there and back. He hadn’t just walked it, he’d power walked it! Turns out he was doing this at least 3 times a week. Well I thought, if he can do it, so can I. I am after all 30 years younger! I started power walking a 2KM route every day and timing it. After a month of doing this, I had shaved minutes off my time. The next time I saw him, I proudly mentioned my time to him. He smiled and said, “I have never timed that particular route but I will let you know if I do”.

A few days later, I was trying to start my lawnmower. He walked over to me and after teasing me a bit, he casually mentioned that he had just returned from a walk around Elk Lake but had decided to do my 2KM route first, as a warm up! He then told me he had timed it, and it was TWO MINUTES under my time! Not only did he have a better lawnmower than I did, he was faster as well. Now I’d never hear the end of it!

Unless you are in some way incapacitated, there is no good excuse not to start exercising. Regardless of age, almost everyone can exercise. Pick something you think you will enjoy and then go talk to your doctor to make sure it’s ok for you to engage in that activity. Go at it slowly and don’t compare yourself to others. Be the best you can be. Listen carefully to your body. It will tell you what’s ok and how much harder your can push yourself. You will be surprised at how quickly you become stronger, breathe better and have deeper sleeps. Your body will be far more relaxed and you will have much better overall focus. Life’s fast pace may keep throwing stress your way, but it will start to slide off you, like water off a ducks back.

 

© Gil Namur, 2009