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A Perfect Fit: Good news about keeping in shape
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Anonymous user Tue Nov 30, 1999 00:00:00 PST
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0 responses 0 comments Let’s cut to the chase here. You don’t have to join a gym or fill your garage with equipment to get into better shape. Yes, I would love to sell all of you a home gym, elliptical trainer, and a set of dumbbells — but the truth is you don’t have to have all of that to make a difference in how you look or feel.
On the other hand, I am not going to tell you that you can get the same workout holding onto soup cans that you can using light dumbbells. Maybe you really “can” — but I’m sorry, you’ll have to get that extreme information from some other source.
The truth is, statistically speaking, you will tend to actually stick to a program if you do a couple of basic things: No. 1 set aside a regular designated time to workout; and No. 2 invest in at least some very basic equipment such as resistance bands, maybe a floor mat, jump rope, fitness ball, a couple of pairs of dumbbells, and maybe a light-weight flat bench.  Any combination of two or three of these items can take you a long way down the road to a “new you.” For example, you can do dozens of exercises with a fitness ball and bands or dumbbells.
The weather is changing again which is bad for my business, but great if you enjoy walking outside. Take a quick walk around the block before leaving for work or before getting the kids off to school. I’m not talking an hour here. Make it short and quick, just enough to get the blood flowing and the joints loosened up. Let’s say eight minutes tops. Next, assuming you have a fitness ball at your disposal, do a set of crunches on the ball. However many you choose is fine, let’s just say “a bunch” of those.
OK, we’re up to 10 minutes. Now take your fitness band and do a few rear-delt pulls (sorry, this isn’t an exercise instruction article, you will have to look it up or come in to see me). After that, how about some old-fashioned biceps curls. Good. You are moving along great, you have less than 15 minutes invested and you’re almost finished.
Now find that place in the hall where there is nothing hanging and use your fitness ball to do wall squats.  A bunch of those will do fine as well. In your last two minutes, do walking lunges out in the back yard with the dog staring at you. If you are really courageous, do them out on the street and give your neighbors something to talk about.
That’s it — 15 minutes and you are on the way for the day. Your heart rate is up, you hit several muscle groups, and you actually did something that will make a difference in your health and fitness. Co-efficient — yikes. Tomorrow do push-ups on the edge of the sink in the kitchen, leg lifts, and jump rope — and there’s workout No. 2.
“Do I do that same thing again and again?” you ask.
You can if you want to, I answer.
“Will that get me into my size 2 again?” you ask.
Only if you are about a size 4 right now, I answer.
Here’s the point. Ask yourself a simple but honest question: What is the least amount of exercise I will do and not miss at least three times per week?
If it is 15 minutes, great. Do that. If it is five minutes, great. Do that. If it is honestly 45 minutes four times per week, awesome. Do that. But choose something and do it. If you need to be entertained and have to buy one of those “dance your belly off” videos, then do it. If you want to feel like you are doing martial arts with Billy Banks, do it. If it takes the likes of Richard (no, I don’t mean Gene) Simmons “waltz your way to being fit” DVDs, then do it.
Get the picture? Set aside the time, and get after it. Keep things simple and stay with it and you will succeed. Some of you, like me, will want real gym equipment and will be willing to invest in what you need to do the job. Whatever you decide, stay the course and you will succeed. Remember, only those who quit will fail.

E-mail Ken at:
ken@wheelersfitness.com

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