Just do it

I bumped into veteran sports anchor Dyan Castillejo in the newsroom. “I don’t know how to do push-ups,” and she willingly demonstrated the three versions of push-ups on the vacant wall. “This will target your chest, another for the triceps, and for the biceps.”

Dyan has always been very kind in sharing her workout routine.  It has been more than a year since I first asked her how to get started. The mind wanted to be fit, but the heart was stubborn. I had all the excuses, really. Until one coverage where I needed to hike.  I was panting worse than our cameraman who was a chain smoker. That was it. I needed to be fit.

I was lampa. But, I can proudly say that it’s been more than a year that I have been consistent with exercising.

Still far from hosting Sports Unlimited,  but here are some tips that can help you get started.

1. Set a time for exercise, not the other way around. Most folks accommodate exercise whenever possible. The problem with this is, it ceases to be a priority. A priest, (yes, a priest) told me “not even the Pope can interrupt me during my exercise.” And he means it. He does his walk every morning without fail. He has had his bypass, and is in 70s  but his doctors say his heart much younger than his age.

2. Never skip exercise two days in a row. On the third day, you must get back to exercising and go against all excuses, unless you’re sick. Just do it.

3. Look for something you enjoy. I’ve tried going to the gym, boxing, grappling! It does not work for me. I love Bikram Yoga (bikramyogamanila). The first time I tried Yoga was several years ago, but due to conflict in schedule, I discovered Bikram. It’s more difficult than Hatha yoga, and the heat is uncomfortable. It took me a year of practice before actually looked forward to Bikram, and usually I dread it if I’ve been away from practice for more than a week. But you just do it. It is very rewarding after.

I also tried running (jogging pace) to break the monotony of doing just an activity. Plus, it is refreshing to go outdoors (which is why I don’t like the gym). This leads us to No. 4.

4. Combine activities for strength and cardio. I didn’t realize that I was addressing strength and flexibility with Bikram, and cardio with running. I was just fighting boredom by alternating my routine.  Bob Greene’s The Best Life Diet spelled it for me.

5. Enjoy food. Just choose wisely. It’s been said many times that complex carbohydrates are good for us (brown rice, wheat bread), vegetables (half your plate). That too much of the saturated fat is bad for the heart, too much salt and sugar can cause a gamut of diseases. I noticed that I don’t gain much whenever I have vegetables in my diet. Health should be our only motivation, not even weighing less, otherwise you’ll resort to short cuts. Enjoy your food, like the French. Eat slow. (I should take a break from writing then.) This will give enough time for brain to send signals that the body is full.  Eat often in small portions. I bring saba sometimes during coverage, so I don’t just devour anything after a whole-day’s work. No junk food in the house, please! Temptation.

6. Know when to eat. Don’t eat two hours before bedtime. Also from The Best Life Diet, Greene explains that our metabolism slows down during bedtime, and we don’t want the unwanted stuff in our system. I always look forward to breakfast, when I am my hungriest. My favorite meal of the day! Take it easy during dinner. Eat soon after exercise, because you’re body is still burning.

7. Get enough sleep. Some say six hours, some seven hours or eight hours of sleep is enough. Other researches say you have to be asleep from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. when our organs repair itself and to function well.

We tend to overcompensate the lack of sleep with food. When we lack sleep, the body conserves its energy and burns less... and we tend to eat more, because our brain is sending signals to our body that we need the energy. Hence, we gain weight.

8. Drink water. I just love water, with or without benefits. We usually drink water in room temperature or warm. Water helps flush out toxins in the body.

9. Really no time? Walk 10,000 steps a day will keep your heart healthy. Skip the elevators, the pedicab or the taxi. It takes me an hour for 7,000 steps of aerobic walking (if you want to lose weight).

10. Happy thoughts. Don’t get stressed out. Life is too short to fret. Stress produces bad hormones for the body. To fight that, exercise and produce happy hormones. Think better, feel better, look better. Love sweat!