So many gym rats push their misguided opinion online:
“Hit the gym daily to get fit and strong. That’s the only way to be successful and see results!:
Spoiler alert! With that mindset, your stress levels will rise and rise by the day.
Everyone is stressed enough dealing with work and life. So, why make your health and fitness routine difficult and stressful too? It should be the opposite, fun, easy, a hobby, not a chore.
I read this type of comment all the time from someone on social media:
“Schedule your gym time like a business appointment, and never let anything get in the way.”
I’m sorry — that thinking is flawed, unnecessary, and potentially dangerous. Your health and fitness program should come naturally and not as vital life appointments.
Of course, younger fitness trainers and wanna-be “influencers” push this message with only one goal: build my followers and make more money!
That’s the problem — so many of these folks have thousands of followers online, leading the inexperienced and young to fall for their marketing tricks and to follow their faulty advice.
Any type of strength training be it in a gym or elsewhere, should be measured, reasonable, and certainly not done daily!
What’s the alternative? Nature, and moving your body naturally!
Hardly anyone spends enough time in nature. Instead, so many are holed up in cities, tight spaces like offices, and gyms, not getting anywhere near enough sun exposure and fresh air.
I said goodbye to gyms many years ago — 6, to be precise. Since then, I’ve developed a unique combination of interesting, fun, and challenging workout methods.
They include:
• Lots of Cardio in the form of walking and swimming
• Short 15 to 20-minute strength training micro-workouts using my body as my gym with calisthenics
• Sprinting in a pool, up a hill, steps, or anywhere else once to twice a week – the sprint sessions are done in 15 minutes
My workouts are always different and never planned. My methods and the massive variety of exercises and routines I practice are unique, efficient, powerful, and fun!
Let’s look at my video as an example:
One afternoon I went to a resort in the countryside for a relaxing Saturday afternoon. Being in that beautiful nature setting soon inspired me to get off the sunbed and move my butt!
I had yet to decide what to do, so I walked around until something caught my eye.
Then, I found a simple dirt road with a bit of grass behind the building. It inspired me to create a zig-zag sprinting session accompanied by a few “animal moves.”
I completed 6 sprints and 4 animal crawl sets in 15 minutes and felt fantastic afterward.
Being in nature and letting the late afternoon sun tank up my Vitamin D reserves made me happy and grateful.
The workout was intense, effective, and efficient. Most importantly, I completed a high-intensity and strength training combo in 15 minutes.
Therefore, limiting the time, I exposed my heart to stress and cortisol. Excessive cortisol release into your bloodstream caused by stress and overtraining, over time, causes heart disease. Remember that when you next push yourself hard for hours in the gym!
Please read my related story about an extreme bodybuilder who recently died at age 30, from overtraining:
Final Thoughts
Your mindset is key to living a naturally stress-free life.
The less time you spend in the sweaty, hot, and dirty gym and replace it with nature time, the better.
When you think about your fitness, think about the long-term big picture, not the short-term gains you think you make with intense daily gym sessions.
Go into nature as often as possible and learn to use your body as your gym with nature’s and man-made obstacles.
Your movement opportunities outdoors are near endless, and it’s fun!
Rob
MBA from Robert Kennedy College & University of Cumbria, UK.
Certified Nutritionist & Health Coach | Trainer | Blogger | Copywriter | Author
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