Sleep and Exercise

Sleep
Sleep is the body’s time to rest, repair, and to rebuild. Improper rest and sleep leads to several metabolic imbalances that accelerate the aging and disease processes. The body's metabolic cycles follow light and dark patterns. It is not sufficient to get your sleep hours anytime. For best healing and repair associated with deep and sound sleep cycles, you should go to bed at the same time each night and sleep for 7 to 8 hours. Reducing sleep to less than 7 to 8 hours a night for successive nights or going to bed at erratic times facilitates metabolic imbalances and aging. Less optimally we can shift the entire cycle for our rest, repair, and rebuilding periods to days (as in the case of shift workers); however, it is critical to be consistent. For optimum health and longevity the body needs to be able to go into its deeper cycles of sleep each day.

Exercise (Click Here to Enjoy Exercise Forum Discussion with Video Support)
A close cousin to obtaining adequate rest is exercise. Because of the physiology of our bodies, when we are not resting, they are created to move and to be active. A friend shared a story about someone who spent six hours in one day on a treadmill to lose weight while this person was vacationing. Many can relate to the desire to trim the waistline through exercise. Most of us have done something similar at some point in our lives. Let's introduce a new weight-loss paradigm that hopefully will change the way you view exercise forever.

Have you ever wondered why we don't have to count the breaths we take, yet we always get just the right amount of oxygen? Consuming more calories each day than we use leads to weight gains and obesity. Why didn't nature design us so we would eat only as much as we need and naturally stop eating after we've eaten enough? Actually it did.

As you adopt a dietary lifestyle that is best suited to meet the needs of the human body you are able to trust your instinct to eat implicitly, regardless of how many or how few calories you expend each day. When calories come from the right balance of whole garden foods—without including oils, sugar, and refined and processed foods—the body's essential needs are satisfied without over-consuming calories. As we consume foods that lack essential nutrients, the body's essential needs are not satisfied, which leads to overeating and weight gains.

What is wrong with focusing on exercise alone to maintain proper weight? Jim Fix, the father of modern aerobic exercise, was incredibly fit, but died at 51 years of age from a heart attack while out jogging. Other athletes have died similarly from heart attacks. Being fit means muscles are toned and the body is not carrying excess body weight. Being fit does not guarantee that the essential nutritional needs of the body are being met, nor does it mean that all twelve systems of the body are healthy.

The twelve systems of the body attain vitality and good health based upon adequate rest, exercise, and the nourishment the body receives. When that nourishment includes all essential nutrients and is free from toxins and other unnecessary burdens, each of the twelve systems of the body performs most optimally.

Have you ever heard someone say, "I exercise so that I can eat whatever I want to eat whenever I want to eat it"? If Jim Fix could speak today, he would say, "There is no such thing as being able to eat whatever you want, so long as you exercise." Eating for health produces health; eating whatever you want, so long as you exercise, ultimately leads to poor health, regardless of who you are or how fit you become.

By mastering the right dietary lifestyle you can enjoy great flavor, satisfaction, and essential nutrition, without exceeding caloric needs. Inner health is supported, as well as a trim waistline. Your exercise paradigm can change forever, once exercise is not needed just to keep you trim. Rather than exercise to stay trim, you can exercise to strengthen each of the major muscle groups, to increase speed and stamina, and to maintain great flexibility and mobility. Time previously wasted to burn excess calories will now be free to apply towards whatever is most important in your life. Exercise will have its place but will not require more attention or time than is necessary.

Great benefits may be achieved from exercise in just 20 to 30 minutes a day. Let's look at exercise basics, which include aerobic, strength, and flexibility exercises.

Aerobic Exercise
Let's review both parts of aerobic conditioning below:
Part 1 – Relaxed aerobics maintains an age-appropriate heart rate for 20 to 30 minutes, while enjoying any form of aerobic activity.
Part 2 – Intensity Bursts or Intervals: During relaxed aerobics, periodically increase the intensity of your aerobic exercise until you achieve an "out of breath" state. Maintain intensity 30 to 60 seconds, and then slow back down to the relaxed state and allow your heart rate and breathing to normalize. If you need to stop and rest in order for your heart rate to return to normal, do so. Repeat intervals of intensity 3 to 8 times during each aerobic session. Always respect your current level of fitness as you increase intensity. For example, an intensity burst for some may be increasing the pace from 1 to 2 mph; for others, it may be increasing from 8 to 12 mph. Adding intensity bursts to your aerobic exercise will increase your speed significantly.

Except during intervals of increased intensity, you should always feel relaxed and should be able to carry on a conversation without struggling for breath. If you do not quickly recover from intensity bursts, decrease the number of intervals and the intensity at which you do them and build up gradually. Vary the intensity and number of intervals each day.

Both relaxed aerobics and intensity bursts may be accomplished by running in place, while jump roping, while jogging on a treadmill or along a street or pathway, while bicycling, swimming, and so forth.

You should always feel better, stronger, and more invigorated after exercise. If you are exercising to fatigue, then you are weakening instead of strengthening your body and you are over-doing it. If you are ill, rest rather than exercise. And remember, it is your responsibility to consult with your physician prior to beginning any new exercise program.

Enjoy 20 to 30 minutes of aerobic activities each day, six days a week for the rest of your life. Feel free to enjoy as much additional time with relaxed aerobic activities as you have time for such as hiking, walking, swimming, or bicycling.

Flexibility Exercises
Next let’s review flexibility exercises. As we age, flexibility exercises help to maintain mobility and independence. To maintain mobility and independence include the following flexibility exercises, focusing longer on areas where your mobility is lacking. Let’s take a look at twelve flexibility exercises you can incorporate each day:
1. Neck: Stretch neck muscles well by turning head from side to side. Then tilt head forward and backwards and side to side.

2. Shoulders: Concentrate on loosening your shoulders and upper back. Do this by first raising your right elbow above your head, with your right hand reaching to touch your back bone. Use your left hand to pull your right elbow toward your head. Repeat stretch with opposite arm. Next, bring your elbows in front of you to chest height and pull your right elbow to the left across your chest. Repeat with opposite arm, pulling the left elbow to the right side of your chest with your right hand.

3. Hands, wrists, arms, elbows and upper back: Interlace fingers in prayer position and while keeping fingers interlaced rotate palms outward and extend them away from your chest. Stretch fingers, hands, arms elbows, and upper back, pulling to the left and right while keeping your arms outstretched.

4. Torso and upper back: Stand with your feet about shoulder width or wider and with your arms out perpendicular to your sides. Rotate your torso from left to right and keep your head and eyes steady with your torso as you twist in each direction.

5. Sides: Stretch from side to side, bending at the waist while stretching your hands toward the outer knee.

6. Sides and Hamstrings: Touch left foot with right hand and hold and then the right foot with left hand and hold. Repeat.

7. Hamstrings: Perform toe touches without bouncing. Reach, stretch, and hold for up to 60 seconds.

8. Calves: Stretch the calves by placing hands against the wall and by slowly walking your feet further and further backwards from the wall, while stretching the calves.

9. Leg Swings: Stand sideways to the wall or any object that can be used to brace yourself as you perform this exercise. Swing your foot and leg forwards and backwards as far as you can. Face the object bracing you and swing leg and foot from side to side in front of you. Alternate legs.

10. Quads: Support yourself with wall or a chair and reach behind you with your right hand and pull your toe towards your buttocks with your knee pointing straight down. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat on opposite side.

11. Hips: Perform forward and side lunges with left and right legs.

12. Lower Back: Lie on stomach and use your hands and arms to push up into an arch from your waste to your head, like a serpent. Get on your hands and knees; arch your back upward, as a cat would do, while bending your head towards your chest.

There are two easy ways to increase flexibility in especially inflexible areas. First, stretch muscle group and hold until the muscles relax and you can increase the stretch. This may be repeated as desired. Second, stretch to your limit and then contract the muscle opposite of the one being stretched. For example, if you are touching your toes, reach as far as you can and then contract your thigh muscles as tightly as you can for 20 seconds. The thigh is opposite the hamstrings. When you relax the thigh muscles, immediately lengthen your stretch. Repeat as desired.

Strength Training
Your strength-training program should build and maintain great pound-for-pound strength in each major muscle group, including neck, shoulders, upper arms (biceps & triceps), forearms, back, chest, waist, hips, thighs, and calves. It may be done with or without weights.

Strength may be recruited quickly by performing slow intense contractions of the muscles. In nature we observe a tiger or lion perform stretches as they arise out of their bed. They stretch each limb while intensely contracting the muscles. They arch their back up and down and stretch through their shoulders, hips, legs, arms, paws, and digits.

These slow contracted movements include every muscle and joint in their bodies. Stretch like a tiger and see how good it feels and how tightly you can contract and stretch each muscle group in your body. A tiger’s total exercise consists of periodic intensity bursts while chasing prey, relaxed aerobics while walking to and fro, rest and relaxation, and slow contracted stretches. They remain sleek, strong, swift, and flexible from birth until death. Their pattern is uncomplicated and it works.

So how do you raise your heart rate appropriately for 20 to 30 minutes each day (aerobics) and still include flexibility and strength training routines in such a short time period? Let's incorporate what nature teaches into a 20 to 30 minute exercise routine that includes tiger stretches, isometric exercises, aerobics, and flexibility conditioning. This routine can be performed anywhere at anytime. To prevent unnecessary cramping and tightness, perform routine only a few times a week while building muscle tone. As each muscle group is toned repeat this routine, or another form of exercise, six days a week for the rest of your life.

Twenty Minute Magic
Tiger Stretch 1: While bouncing on a mini-trampoline, raise left hand high with fingers outstretched. Stretch right hand below waist in opposite direction. Fingers, arms, and chest should be tensed as much as possible. While remaining tense, alternate hand positions by lowering the left hand while raising right hand. Slowly alternate hands and arms up and then down for one minute. Maintain tension in your fingers, wrists, arms, shoulders, chest, and stomach the whole time. Isometrics: While continuing to bounce place both hands on forehead and press forward with your head as hard as you can while resisting forward movement with your hands and arms. Repeat on left, right, and back of head to strengthen neck muscles. Complete in 30 seconds. Next, raise both arms above head and cup palms. Pull down with one palm while pressing up with the other palm for 15 seconds. Exchange hands and repeat press with opposite arm for 15 seconds. Intensity Burst: Run in place on the mini-trampoline as fast as you can for one minute. This should wind you and increase your heart rate.

Tiger Stretch 2: Continue to bounce as you do the following tiger stretch: Place hands in boxing position with wrists facing chest. Tightly tense your fist, arms, chest, and stomach. And then raise one fist high while lowering the other fist to your waist, and then slowly alternate fists up and down for one minute while maintaining high tension.

Isometrics: While continuing to bounce, place palms together in front of your chest in prayer position. Flex shoulders, chest, stomach, buttocks, and legs as tightly as possible while pressings palms together as tightly as possible for 30 seconds. Next, interlock fingers at chest height and pull outward as hard as you can for 15 seconds. Reverse grip and repeat.

Intensity Burst: Run in place as fast as you can for one minute.

Tiger Stretch 3: While bouncing, bring arms into folded arm position; clench fists, arms, shoulders, chest, and stomach as tightly as possible and swing fists outward, perpendicular to stomach, and then swing them back in to chest and stomach. Repeat slowly for one minute while maintaining high tension in each muscle group.

Isometrics: While bouncing, cup hands in front of you with the left hand facing down and right hand facing up and do an isometric bicep pull as hard as you can for 15 seconds. Reverse grip and repeat for 15 seconds. Next, place left hand over the top of right hand. Right hand should be in a tight fist at about waist height. Now push down with left hand and arm while pulling up with right hand and arm for 15 seconds and then alternate hands and repeat this forearm isometric exercise.

Intensity Burst: Run in place as fast as you can for one minute.

Tiger Stretch 4: While bouncing, place hands in front of you as if you were holding a ball between them. Tense hands, arms, shoulders, chest, and so forth and then move your hands and arms outward as if the ball were expanding with air. Then move arms and hands back towards each other, as if you were pressing the air out of the ball. Repeat inward and outward motion for one minute while maintaining high tension.

Isometrics: While continuing to bounce, interlock left and right hand fingers below your waist and do an outward isometric pull for 15 seconds. Reverse grip and repeat for another 15 seconds. Next, interlock left and right hand fingers behind your back at about waist level and perform an outward pull for 15 seconds. Reverse grip and repeat.

Intensity Burst: Run in place as fast as you can for one minute.

Tiger Stretch 5: While bouncing, stretch fists and wrists outward and downward from your sides at about a 20 to 30 degree angle from hips with inside wrists facing forward. Tense your fists, arms, shoulders, chest, and stomach muscles. Now roll arms and fists slowly from your sides to in front of you, until top side of wrists are nearly touching. Pectorals should be flexed, tight, and nearly touching one another at this point. Repeat inward and outward motion for one minute while maintaining great tension.

Pushups and Leg Lifts/or Sit-ups: Move to the floor and do as many pushups as you can in 30 seconds; then lie on your back and do as many leg-lifts or sit-ups as you can do in 30 seconds. Repeat this sequence. Select pushup type according to your strength (regular pushups, one-arm pushes, handstand pushups, or Hindu pushups). While performing leg-lifts or sit-ups, lift head off the floor and look at feet.

Cool Down: Perform upper- and lower-body stretches included in the flexibility section on page 204. Take your time and work the tight areas very well, using both methods of stretching described above. Complete the cool down by bouncing slowing on the mini-trampoline for a few minutes until you are completely relaxed and loose.

Exercise Summary
Everyone should exercise six days a week. I enjoy performing the bulk of this routine on a mini-trampoline for several reasons. It significantly aids in lymphatic circulation and blood circulation. It strengthens more than 100 trillion cells in the body at the same time and significantly stimulates metabolism. It promotes growth and repair, and it is the most efficient of all exercise, as it tones every muscle in the body. According to NASA, mini-trampolines offer the most effective and efficient workout of any exercise equipment on the market. When I do not have a mini-trampoline available to me, I adapt this routine to suit my circumstances. For instance, I can run in place while performing the routine. I can also perform the entire routine while out walking, hiking, or jogging. I always enjoy a combination of relaxed and intense aerobics, strength exercises which target each major muscle group and flexibility routines that target every part of the body, especially those areas that are tight. As we exercise, we become more sensitive to the needs of the body. Pay attention and target muscle groups, inflexible areas of the body, and so forth to maintain excellent fitness.

Debates about exercise exist concerning which is best, more efficient, and so forth. Exercise is one of the greatest pleasures of life. Rather than get caught up in the debate, remember the basics of aerobic, strength, and flexibility exercise and discover ways to include each of these basics each day with a form of exercise you enjoy most. When exercise is effective, fun, and efficient, it is easy to exercise six days a week. When exercise becomes complicated, demands a gym pass or expensive equipment or too much time, it often becomes non-sustainable. Except for occasional pure pleasure, exercising more than is needed serves no useful purpose and repeated too often can weaken instead of strengthen the body. Develop exercise habits for your enjoyment, relaxation, and to maintain the independence a healthy body offers.

I was only 4% to 6% body fat when subtle accumulating effects, caused by my diet, caught up to me. Like Jim Fix, running daily was my solution for dietary indiscretions. My assumption that, because I was fit I was healthy, was a self-defeating mind-set. I learned the hard way that I was not above this simple truth: Exercise, without correct diet, eventually leads to health failure. Maintaining an inferior diet long-term speeds up the degenerative processes, even if you exercise devoutly.

In Chapter Six we introduced a number of marquee athletes who are known for both their athletic prowess and longevity in their sport. They include such names as Edwin Moses, Carl Lewis, Dave Scott, Martina Navratilova, Bill Perl, Hank Aaron, Ruth Heidrich, Jack LaLanne. Athletic prowess is linked to training and genetics, but longevity is linked to an ability to maintain an internal physical state that supports the ability to heal quickly, to increase in muscular strength, and that is very energetic. This state is preferred over a state where the body tends to break down easily, repair very slowly, and tire more quickly. Each athlete mentioned above enjoyed a competitive edge that lasted much longer than usual. As vegetarians, each maintained a dietary lifestyle that supports anabolism. Each provided the essential nutrient uptake in their bodies without presenting their bodies with the task of overcoming unnecessary burdens. Each of these athletes learned to love a way of eating that allowed their bodies to love them back for a very long time. Sustainable vitality, which supports your greatest potential to be productive, to contribute, and to accomplish great things, requires a dietary lifestyle that supplies the foods that strengthen the twelve body systems best—without imposing undue burdens and waste.

Can you imagine putting dirty oil and gasoline into your car and expecting it to give you top performance year after year? Or expecting that running the car faster (exercise) will somehow clean out all the dirty oil and fuel? Your body is more important than your car. If you desire longevity and peak performance, ask yourself what produces the high state of growth and repair known as anabolism. And then, adhere to the principles of longevity and vitality by feeding your body the fuel that will allow it to give you top performance each day of your life.

With the right diet, you will lose unwanted weight, even if you don't or cannot exercise. I was unable to exercise for several months while reclaiming my health, yet I lost a full decade’s worth of accumulated weight and reversed cardiovascular disease, simply through following the weight-loss strategies found on page 67. I don’t know if I could have ever broken out of my prior mind-set of exercise being the “king” of health had I not gone through the experience that forced me to regain my health without exercise. Health always begins with the fuel that is used to feed the twelve systems of the body. Everything else is secondary.

The longest living people in the world work on the land raising their own fruits and vegetables, often on steep mountain hillsides where they obtain physical exertion from walking up and down the mountains while cultivating their crops. They have never seen the inside of a health club, spa, or gym. They eat a predominantly plant-based diet and very little meat. They demonstrate that any form of sound physical exertion is adequate when accompanied by a good diet. Exercise choices are limitless. Don't limit yourself to a certain piece of exercise equipment, or to a spa pass. Enjoying any kind of vigorous daily exertion is sufficient.