Lifestyle

[AngelaG]

Do you live a healthy lifestyle in addition to your martial arts training? Do you watch what you eat; do you drink; do you smoke?

I try to watch what I eat during the weekdays not always successfully), and eat what I want at the weekends.
I don't smoke.
I drink at the weekends (But I am a lightweight).

In addition to my MA training I don't tend to supplement it with any other training/exercise (lack of time). I do have an exercise bike and rowing machine, but they have been safely stored in the shed since last summer.

Anyway summer is coming up... I am anticipating long, hot balmy days and would like to be wearing shorts and vests all summer. ;D In typical female fashion I would like to prepare myself for this event (so I don't give the neighbours a shock). I would like hints and tips on good high energy, low fat foods. (I need enough energy to keep my training schedule up). And some nice addtional exercises to tone myself up.

Cheeeeers
Angela x

[RigsVille]

I try to be more healthy than I used to be, more to do with watching what food I eat as I don't drink or smoke.

What I have found myself doing is when I do normal things in life I apply this to my martial arts training, for example now when I run up the stairs at work (4 floors) I think about the benefit this gives me in MA as opposed to just walking up the stairs.

[Aefibird]

I *try* to stay healthy, but I could do more. I have a weakness for chocolate and beer...

I don't tend to do much additional exercise, aside from teaching and training in martial arts. I usually walk to and from work, so that's some excercise. I like to cycle and go swimming, but with a full time job, an almost-full time hobby (karate and wing chun), a part time university degree to study for, plus the daily trials of life, I find it hard to fit in much additional exercise anyway.

I try to keep to a healthy diet, but I know that I drink too much and eat too much chocolate (hey, a girl's gotta have some treats, right?).

Still, I'm not as bad as my Sensei, who practically exsists on a diet of crisps, indian take-aways, pizza, kebabs and beer. Can you tell that he's a single man?
He's the healthiest-looking person I know too - no excess fat and plenty of muscle. Plus, he's never ill - hey, maybe there's something good about junk food after all!!

I don't smoke either - I have severe asthma and I find it hard enough to breathe as it is some days without killing myself quicker with smoking.

[seeker]

Probably the one thing I do that helps me is I ride my bike everywhere and even take extended trips on it. It's great aerobic exercise. It takes a long time to get winded and when I do I find my recovery rate is really quick. It gets me where I want to go (I used to ride 22 miles to work within an hour and forty-five minutes) and the scenery changes so it isn't boring like an exercise bike (plus there is dodging all those cars for that extreme adrenaline rush).

It doesn't cost that much to start out. My bike is a second hand Fuji Sagres road bike that cost me $50. Just think about how fast you could make that back with the savings in petrol. ;D

[dojo]

hmm healthy ...

If we keep off the list the fact I spend 12 hours on my PC and I eat chocolate like there's no tomorrow, then I can say I live a healthy life :lol:

Sill I ride my bike and run whenever i can .. am quite fit, despite my two addictions. BTW .. don't drink or smoke, so I am OK.

[pasmith]

I've never smoked and I'm pretty much teetotal. My diet can be very sugary but I try and eat plenty of fruit and veggies and not go mental with takeways and fatty stuff.

I've just started an exercise regime called the daily dozen.
I've nicked the name but put my own twelve exercises in that get me what I want.
I'm gonna try and do them at least 5 days a week (generally first thing in the morning) and I've started out with twenty reps of each. I'm then going to add one rep per week. By the end of the year I'll be up to 70 reps of each. Some exercises are easy at 20 reps (like crunches and hindu squats) while others are harder (like hindu press-ups and reverse press-ups) but hopefully that should even out.
My body doesn't adapt very quickly to exercise (bit weedy) so I'm hoping this very gradual increase over a long time will give my body time to adjust.

[Aefibird]

PASmith, what are reverse press ups?

[pasmith]

Well...basically they are like a gymnastic bridge. Lay on your back, feet up to your butt, hands up and to either side of your head. Then lift your self up as high as you can until only your feet and hands are on the floor and your torso is well curved upward.
This is the same position as the "Wheel" in some forms of Yoga. Here's a great site (click on "wheel pose" over on the right)...

www.santosha.com/asanas/asana.html

Lower yourself down and you've done one reverse press-up.

At the moment I do them the wimps way by lift up into the position and then just flexing my arms (like a normal press-up) up and down 10 times. Then I drop slowly, rest a little then back up for another ten.
They basically works the deltoids, back, spine flexibility, arms, legs and even stretch the abs. A very good whole body exercise.
I have trouble doing a bridge on my head so this exercise hits much of the same spots without the neck strain.

[Andy]

Sounds like "The Crab"?