A regular exercise habit can make a big impact on Good Mood Dieters for both the weight loss benefits and for your mindset. Remember this advice from Susan Kleiner, my co-author who has worked with pro athletes and family-makers alike: The best exercise is the one you do and keep doing.
My favorite workout is running. I’m one of those ‘run the first half-hour for the body and the second half-hour for the mind’ sort of guys. But, honestly, my running habit ebbs in the winter months.
When I lived in Chicago it was because the cold was too biting to enjoy the run. Here in the Pacific Northwest it stays too dark too long in the morning. I’m either out the door for work meetings or helping get the kids off to school by the time it is light enough to run. I do have to say running into the sunrise is, well, a thrill. Sounds corny, but it’s how I feel.
So during the winter months, I hit the bike — the indoor bike. My preferred machine is a Keiser® cycle used in spinning classes. The Keiser bikes best simulate the ride of a road bike, with a full range of gears and the racing-style handlebars.
I take early a.m. spinning classes when I can, but have lately found it rewarding (especially as a mental lift) to do my own spinning class on a Keiser that the company has loaned me to try out its newest model. I always feel more alert and ready for the day after the morning spin.
Here’s why: My rides follow those that I learned from spinning instructors. I alternate from methodical, steady cycling to intense “climbs” in which I am up off the seat, to all-out sprints. This sort of interval work is a way to build up endurance, especially if your workout needs to be on the short side, say 15 to 20 minutes. Studies show that even four 30-second all-out bursts of effort will significantly improved your fitness level. It’s all about challenging the body, even “surprising” it on a kinetic level.
This kinetic surprise is a staple of Tim Grover’s training programs designed for professional basketball players. Tim trained Michael Jordan for a decade of championship play and now oversees the conditioning of some 30 elite NBA athletes.
For me, I warm up on the cycle with a moderately intensive ride for about three minutes before moving into a hard climb. I monitor my heart rate (count the beats in 10 seconds and multiply by six) to check how hard I am working. I actually look forward to the climbs as a way to efficiently build power in my legs and torso.
But I will be honest. The first time I took a spinning class we went into a climb and I almost fell off my bike trying to stay balanced.
You want to alternate your ride, whether you are on the bike for 15, 20, 30 or 45 minutes. At the less intensive levels, your pedaling revolutions per minute will be 70 to 80 (usually easy to find on any computerized exercise bike). The more intense bursts will be closer to 100 RPM. But be sure to consult a physician before starting any sort of strenuous exercise program. Over a half hour, give yourself five minutes to warm up, 15 minutes of hard riding (seated and standing), about three minutes of a recovery ride with the legs still moving, then one more hard ride of four minutes or so before cooling down. You can decide just how hard you want to go.
If you have access to music, you can even program a tape or iPod playlist so that songs cue you to what’s next: a steady climb, flat-road full sprint or whatever your fancy. You can have some fun selecting playlists. I know I do. I am especially enjoying Los Lonely Boys, Paul Simon and some vintage Jackson Browne, Steely Dan and Al Green in my recent morning workouts.
After that morning spin, I always feel more ready for the day—and in a Good Mood.
Bob