Declining Physicality
Background
I’m feeling weak at the moment. I suspect that’s because I went climbing for the first time in a while (due to illness and not having time on the days the others in work were going). I’m now achy, and didn’t feel I was doing all that well.
Add to that the recent spate of illness making running a non-starter (mainly due to the cold/wet weather which wouldn’t go well with cold/flu etc.). This has left me, along with the cold, getting out of breath and tired more.
I sort of feel like I’m missing a cohesive drive, and my body is slowly falling apart because of it. It used to be easy, when I had a rowing team that organised it all, just having to turn up and do as I was told. It also gave direction to the training. However I don’t want to go down that road, I just want to feel a little happier in my physicality.
I’m also reluctant to join a gym. A new one has opened near the office, that a lot of people have joined, which is almost tempting. However the things I’d want (basic equipment) don’t seem worth the cost, they all seem to be places for classes more than getting work done.
Principles
I think I need to come up with a plan for this one, which requires some thought, rather than rushing. What I have done is to determine some principles to aim for. I think a good start for me is:
- All round good physicality not specialisation
- Useful strength not appearance
- Flexibility and good posture not performance
- Efficient training not long sessions
A bit more on each of these:
All round good physicality not specialisation
I’m not aiming to be a weightlifter, nor a marathon runner. I don’t need to compete in anything that requires special work. I just want to feel generally physically good.
Useful strength not appearance
I’m not interested in getting “ripped”. I don’t want a beach body, I’m happy in how I appear. I have no interest in pointless toning exercises, or diets. Again, I just want to feel generally physically good.
Flexibility and good posture not performance
Being strong and “fit” doesn’t help if I’m aching and hunched. Given I work sitting at a computer, these are things that are always hard to not let deteriorate. However I think the aches and pains bad posture and flexibility cause probably are a lot of the issues I have. They once again come back to just wanting to feel generally physically good.
Efficient training not long sessions
I don’t really have time for hours training at a time. Efficiency will be key here. If I can fit things in here and there then so much the better. This does partly come back to the 80/20 rule. I’m happy with getting 80% of the results, at 20% of the effort.
The plan
The plan at the moment is to make a plan. I need to look at the time I can dedicate (both amount and frequency). Have a think about things that will satisfy as many of the above as possible within that time. Then make a start.
The sole thing I think I’ve got so far is to program something like 6 weeks, then do the program with as little deviation as possible. Then at the end assess how it went and make a new 6 week program.