Hudson Valley Astrologer

I met this guy Andrian, well we didn’t really meet, he’s a trainer on Peloton. What I already ‘knew’ but recently re–learned is how much we can accomplish in the way of fitness with just a yoga mat and a set of dumbbells. After injuring my knee I resorted to physical therapy exercises using bands and medicine balls, but missed the simplicity of lacing up my running shoes and hitting the road. I resisted the antidote that suggested resorting to ‘just’ lifting.

As a former triathlete running is almost second nature to me. Swimming and biking became second nature too, but I swim and bike even less than I run these days. The pounding from running takes a toll on the joints, and especially for big guys like me.

But who knew you could do so much with so little? Actually, I had this zany idea back in the 1980’s when I combined yoga with a light-weight dumbbell routine. My goal was to emulate my race motions in slow motion using just the air while holding the weights in my hands, and strapping those ankle weights on my legs. I probably missed an opportunity because if I had made a video it would have sold like hotcakes, and I might have become a fitness guru.

Peter Attia is a big proponent of strength training to battle sarcopenia (muscle loss) after age 30. Andre hits two of Attia’s four pillars with his exercises: Strength Training and Stability Training. Adding this one thing to my weekly calendar has perhaps made the biggest difference to my overall health than anything I’ve done in years, even compared to the days when I logging 40 miles a week on the road.

The other two pillars are Aerobic and Anaerobic exercises. While I use to get my fix in the pool at the Y, and followed my 1-mile swims up with 5 and 10 miles runs, plus track work, today I just tap into Peloton’s Matt Wilper for my other two pillars. Matt in my opinion has some of the best play lists to workout to… I suppose that’s another way to improve your life — “listen to more music.” But why not do both? That’s the genius of the Peloton imho, and even before getting more exercise, or eating better, I think I’d have to argue that the one small thing we could all do, to improve our lives, is to listen to more music..

HVA

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