The Joy of Exercise

Without exaggeration, I can say that one of the top issues facing the 40+ man is his ability to recuperate from intense exercise. It is a simple fact of life that as the body ages, its ability to recover from vigorous activity declines. This becomes somewhat less true the more active a man is on a consistent basis, but only to a point. I don’t recover as quickly from a workout now as I did when I was 25. That doesn’t mean, however, that I can’t adapt and compensate and keep my athletic abilities in top shape. Just as with so many other issues, I have simply had to give the issue more attention and thoughtful effort as I’ve aged.

Recovery is perhaps the most overlooked issue in everyday exercise philosophy. We learn how to train—even if some of the techniques aren’t exactly perfect—yet we act as if that’s all there is to the equation: Lift some weight, forget about it, and muscles will grow If only it were that simple.

Progress from a workout is driven by two essential factors:

• Stimulation (which I’ve already covered above)
• Recuperation

If you don’t allow your body adequate rest after stimulating it with intense exercise, I will not recover and progress will be stalled. You’ll also end up quite sore and possibly injure these are accumulated by-products in a system that has not recuperated. Exercise stimulation is a type of stress, and just as you need rest to recover from other stressors, so too doe your exercised body need rest to renew itself.

The balancing act in creating a fit life is to keep the elements of stimulation and recuperation working together rather than against each other. The stronger the stimulation of the body’s systems is, the greater the quality and amount of recovery necessary. Stimulate too much and rest too little, and you’ll burn out. Stimulate too little and rest too much, and you’ll never get in shape.

Just as there are a number of ways to make sure that your body is well stimulated, then are also many techniques that the 40+ man can draw on to help him recover well from hi; efforts. The good news is that there are positive side effects of many of these techniques than extend beyond the workouts. And that is one of the best aspects of building a fitness and wellness program. Exercise is good for you, yes, but it also impacts the rest of your life it many positive ways, and so do well-directed recuperation techniques.

The best way to recover adequately from your workouts is to tune in to the rhythms o your own body. Again I return to this concept of attention, which in this situation means learning to observe the signals that your body sends you. If you’re overly sore and tired after a workout, you need more rest. If you don’t feel tired at all the day after training, you’re either on-target or not training with enough intensity. The difference is going to be judged according to your own observations. Remember that with exercise you’re trying to draw the fine line between too much and too little. Key in to your body’s signals, learn what they mean, and pa) attention to them.

Of course, it seems almost unnecessary to mention that the key way to recuperate is to sleep. Yet we live in a culture in which many men burn the candle at both ends and certain]) don’t allow their bodies enough quality sleep.

Beyond the age of 40—and especially if you become physically active—your body needs seven to eight hours of quality sleep every night. The days of getting away with little or no sleep are over. It’s almost as if there’s a return to the needs of childhood in this regard to look and feel young, you cannot skip sleeping well every night. You can try taking a brie nap during the day if you’re unable to get a full night of quality sleep. Try to relax and close your eyes for 10 to 20 minutes after lunch.

In fact, one of the best recuperation techniques of all is to meditate and use the positive visualization techniques discussed in MOTIVATED MIND. Return to those sections and redouble your relaxation exercises if you find yourself unable to sleep well. Guided meditation can also work to calm the mind for those unable to fall asleep easily at night.

You should also try to go to bed at a regular time each night, avoid caffeine after 4 P.M. and try to keep your sleeping environment cool (since our bodies sleep more easily under these conditions). Above all else, don’t depend on alcohol or drugs to get to sleep; instead, work to organically relax your mind. Alcohol-induced sleep is not restful sleep. And you should be teaching your body natural ways to relax in order to achieve not just better-quality rest, but also a greater sense of overall health.

If your muscles aren’t recovering adequately from your workouts, I recommend that you try four additional techniques:

1. Immediately after the workout, use an ice pack on any particularly sore muscles.
2. Take a long, hot bath, and meditate. Do your positive visualizations as you soak away the soreness.
3. Stretch your muscles in a relaxed way (which I’ll cover in greater depth in a moment).
4. Massage the muscles that you’ve been working. Self-massage helps speed the recovery process and also helps you understand more about your own body— where it gets tight and stiff, where it gets particularly sore. Just use your own fingertips to dig into those sore, tight spots. This is especially helpful after a hot bath and stretching.

Finally, if you find that you aren’t recovering adequately, use one of the various forms of massage that are available. If massaging our own muscles is helpful on a regular basis, then getting a professional massage is like taking an intense recovery pill.

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Category: Athletic, Bodybuilding, Exercise, Fitness, Workout

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