During the winter months, you may feel inclined to take a break from working out. Physical training and exercise is something you should continually do in order to maintain your overall health and wellbeing. It is truly an ongoing effort, requiring the allocation of time and the discipline to employ that time (i.e., use it wisely). If you have not been maintaining a “ready posture” through the winter, well, now is the time to get back into the groove. Break down this “restart” with a method I call “WMS,” which translates into Workout, Meditate, and Study. Let’s jump into it!
Transform Into Your Better Self
Workout: your physical training is imperative to your survival and optimal performance when the “lights go out all over the world,” and also in day to day business at hand. I have written other articles on the importance of a training calendar to keep track of your time and budget it wisely. I also stressed that your workouts should not last longer than an hour. Your workout is for you, tailored by you, whether you’re into aerobics training or strength training. The exercise is important for the health benefits, and also (when you’ve expended the energy), your body becomes more relaxed. As we’ve covered exercise in plenty of articles, now let’s jump to the next step.
Meditate: After you’ve taken your supplements and your high-protein shake (no more than 20-30 minutes post-workout!), limber up and prepare to meditate. That’s right! Meditation will relax your body and mind. Meditation and working out also has a synergistic effect on the mind. It is proven to develop junctions in the synaptic nerve endings and reinforce connections between nerve centers of your brain. Deep breathing exercises, while sitting in a comfortable position and listening to instrumental music, as you focus on relaxation and clearing your mind: this is what it’s all about. You want to use music or tones (such as sounds of nature, as the ocean waves, or the songs of birds) without any words. The words throw off your concentration upon relaxation…the words stimulate the mind to think of images or situations. That’s not what you want. You want to develop Alpha brain waves, and “de-stress” after your workout. Wind down from the physical and bring your body back to a good state. The time can be of your choosing…15 minutes to 30 minutes is fine for just starting out. Now, step 3!
Study: Yes, study! You pick the subject. Have a nice cup of tea or coffee with your studies and give it about 15 to 30 minutes of effort. After a good workout and a thorough meditation, along with a good cup of coffee (it is proven to help with concentration and mental alertness), you can feel refreshed. It is also a good time to get the creative juices flowing in the brain…and improve yourself before starting out your day with work or whatever is in it. Learning new things (such as a language) is very good to stimulate development (physically) of the human brain.
The key to the whole endeavor is to be disciplined. This means you must make a plan and then follow through with that plan in action. All of these three steps should run you under 2 hours. It’s hard: juggling the treadmill for the week, the kids, and all of the “trappings” our constantly busy society offers. Guess what? You have to make time for yourself. Do those three things, and you will find that the other things will become easier, and not harder. Perseverance, persistence, and determination are needed to establish this as a new routine. Make it a permanent one! Don’t stop after a few days. You’re investing in something for the long haul. You will emerge from your three-part training program ready for a good breakfast, a refreshing shower, and then you can face the world both healthier and clearer. The key is to face it on your terms and win each day, for yourself and your family. JJ out!
