Why does everyone skip “least mode” or low impact exercise/movement when it comes to their health? Something I have learnt as a personal trainer here at Real Fitness Training is by activating our “least mode” and using our parasympathetic nervous system (our rest and digest mode) we can achieve great results and feel a lot better than constantly being in “beast mode” inside or outside the gym. What is beast mode you may ask? Beast mode is when we are constantly doing high impact or high intensity training. Not to mention that we are also in constant beast mode in day to day living. Work, home, play our bodies and our minds do not get to rest and after a while this can build up and lead to exhaustion, flu like symptoms or worse adrenalin fatigue in other words leaving you burnt out. I, myself had had a taste of what this feels like and it does not leave you feeling great at all. So that is where low impact exercise/ ”least mode” comes into play for longevity.
So what exactly is low impact exercise or “least mode”? I am glad you asked. Some great examples are:
- Yoga (of course)
- Weight training
- Isometrics
- Stretching
- Walking
- Swimming
- Rowing (row machine)
- Cycling (air bike/stationary bike)
Now when I say low impact these exercise are great to decrease to impact on your joints and when done at a low intensity are great to steady your heart rate and focus on your breathing. In today’s society everyone seems to be more and more shallow breathers as the stresses of our lives build. Sadly, we seem to let that stress build up until we crack or become sick. Flu like symptoms can be a sign of stress overload, when your cortisol levels rise and they stay heightened for a period of time this where we adrenaline fatigue comes into play. So your new goal to add to not only your weekly or daily exercise regime is to simply add “liss” into your daily routine. Something you can do after your weights training, or before you start your busy day or even better something to do to unwind after your busy day. By adding low impact exercise into your routine you will notice more focus and clarity in your day, a clearer headspace for you to live in, increased productivity and a sense of calm. However, in your low impact exercise you will need focus on breath work to help activate your parasympathetic nervous system (the “good” nervous system).
If you want to improve any of the following I would highly suggest low impact movement into your life:
- Improved balance
- Increased muscle strength
- Improved tone and appearance of muscles
- Increased coordination
- Increased cardiovascular capacity
- A higher level of overall fitness
For those who are recovering from injury, any low impact exercises such as swimming or using a stationary bike, helps maintain or even increase cardiovascular capacity and will allow you to stay physically fit and strong while recovering. This is particularly important when current injuries most likely prevent people from more strenuous activities. With the right sort of stretching, mobility and strengthening of the muscles, this will help individuals recover faster from certain injuries. While other low impact exercises help to improve balance and coordination, which is necessary to heal from other types of injuries. So if you are currently injured and looking to recover better or quicker than you are or even if you find you injury yourself more often than not than low impact is important for you to try. Because at the end of the day taking time off work because you are injured is simply going to add more stress to your life. And that is what we are trying to avoid.
Many factors combined to yield longevity include exercise, genetics and a healthy diet. If you can decrease injury, stress, and cortisol levels plus lower the likeliness of heart disease and other lifestyle diseases through implementing low impact exercise into your regime than that my friend is a win. Book yourself in for a yoga class or grab a friend after your strength training and go for a walk. Start implementing these things now and reap the rewards later. Taking steps towards a healthier and less stressful life is always a step in the right direction.
Need help to decrease the stresses in your life? Follow this link to find our how our lifestyle challenge “66 By RFT” can help you to achieve the results and the mindset to accomplish a less stressful and more fulfilling life.
If you are in the Hills District area including Castle Hill, Kellyville, Bella Vista, Baulkham Hills, Glenhaven, West Pennant Hills, Dural, Rouse Hill and surrounding areas.
