The first exercises were really hard; I really felt the taste of blood, and the heart going crazy when we ran up hills. This was fortunately only for the first and second exercise. It was also a good thing we mixed lots of walking with 5-10 minutes jogging. For a while I doubted I would be able to run the entire track within five weeks as I had scheduled, but it seems I had no reason to worry. Within three weeks I and my 12 yrs old brother were able to run it without having to stop for catching a breath a recover our muscles. Within four weeks my 9 yrs old brother was able to run without a break as well.

This made us able to redesign the schedule, and start the intervals in week 5 (planned to start weeks 6), we also modified running up hills to start in week 6 if I remember correctly, and had 4 of those instead of planned 2 weeks. This was due to our monitoring and modifying our plan; just as we would if we managed a project. I just finished a paper on project management which I will include to the selfdevelopment blog I have here at enlightenedindividual.com.

I have also taken part of a course in mastering anxiety which I am unsure if I should create a new blog for, or to have it here on healthdevelopment. I will also attend some course in stress management this fall. The problem is simple: stress and anxiety is mental problems, but in strong dosages they are also a physical problem which might cause a reduced life quality, hence it is health related. So most likely I will add it to this page.

Anyway, let’s continue a bit on the schedule I designed for the summer; it’s close to what we exercised at the end of our exercise schedule:

Monday: we run 4-6km, and include 5-10 intervals where we have 25 seconds of running with maximal speed. Then we rest for 60 seconds, and repeating running.

Wednesday: We run about 5-6 km, we first warm up for 5 minutes, and start running the rest with intervals, we have faster jogging for 2 minutes, and relax walking for a minute, and relaxed jogging for about 3 minutes (about 4 minutes total of relaxing), and repeat the cycle with jogging 2 minutes faster again.

Friday: We run for about 4 km, and include hill running. We find a nice hill which is about 1-200 metres, and run fast up the hills, while walking or jogging slowly down to build strength again.

Saturday: We have a long jogging route Saturdays, preferably about 8-10 km.

-Kentaki-

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Post tags: 5k, Interval, summer

This is a schedule I have been using for 5 weeks now. I will claim it works well as my 9 year old brother is capable of jogging about 4k without breaks, and my 12 years old brother is capable of jogging 8k without breaks.

As you can see shortly, we modified some of the original schedule to start interval exercises and hill running a bit earlier, the reason is we were capable of jogging our route within 3 weeks for me and the oldest brother, and 4 weeks for the youngest, you might need only 2 weeks, or as much as 5 weeks. It’s no  answer to how long time we need to be able running, therefore we need to modify the schedule as we progress, but we make sure we don’t make to big steps at once.

It might also be a problem for some that they don’t know how long distance they are running, if that is the case: start jogging/walking for about an hour, and when you are able to jogging without breaks you start running for 35-45 minutes.

If you look at the schedule there are parentheses with an x inside, these x is the location where you are running, we are running on the roads, inside woods and mountains, and they get to refresh themselves with water after running, either in lakes or rivers. I think it makes it a bit more fun for my brothers with variation of location, and looking at the schedule of all the places they have been running.

As for the red you find in the example, he didn’t really get a red day first week, but I put it as example to illustrate the color codes.

5k-beginners-xls

5k-beginners-ods

-Kentaki-

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Post tags: 5k schedule

The first weeks will be running / slow jogging. This is rather simple, you try jogging for 5-10 minutes, and if you get exhausted or the taste of blood in your mouth get to strong you simply start walking for a while. When you have regained some strength you try jogging for another 5-10 minutes. For each day you try jog a bit more, and walk a bit less. But please; enjoy it; don’t be too hard with yourself. I don’t expect anyone being able to jog for 30-40 minutes before you have walked/jogged for 5 weeks. I think the largest mistake people makes is to exercise to hard and creating a dislike for exercising. It’s much better to enjoy the process of achieving better endurance, than suffer and hate the days of exercising. Exercising is for one thing, to create a happy body and feeling happy during the days. For those who have some additional money; you could get a good heart monitor and make sure you run with something as 130-140 in heart rate. This will control you not to run to fast or to slow. You could be walking till you have reduced the heart rate to be about 90-100, or feeling able to jog a bit more. If you are really interested in running you could invest in a polar heart monitor. I think the newest models also include a GPS plotting where you are running to Google Earth; it will also give altitude, speed you are running, how long distance you have been running and your heart beat. It might be motivating to see how much faster you run and how much calmer your heart rate get as your endurance and speed improve.

Relaxed jogging; this is the next step, you should by now be capable of running 5-6 km, or 30-40 minutes without needing a break, but still try not to push yourself to hard. You are exercising endurance, and shouldn’t use more energy than you have. I will also advice you to run a bit faster the last couple of hundred meters of your laps, and maybe some of the hills.

Interval; this one is rather simple; you start by 5-10 minutes relaxed jogging to warm up. After that you run with everything you have for 20-25 seconds, and a rest with slow jogging/walking for 45-50 seconds to calm down, one good to go we run for 20-25 seconds again

Fartslek; its closely related to interval, except we often don’t run fast for a certain time and running for a certain time, instead we mix relaxed jogging, walking and fast running as we wish too. An example could be 5 minutes relaxed jogging to warm up, 3 minutes jogging a bit faster, 1 minute a bit faster, a bit slower for 3 minutes and relaxed jogging for another 5 minutes. The time limits are of course just as examples; you could have as a goal to run full speed up every hill, and relax when running down, and bit faster when flat.

Hill running; this one will exercise speed, but you will also exercise stomach and back muscles as you will be running everything you can up a hill, and walk down again, run up etc.  (Please note; you should have warm muscles before starting to run uphill for full speed. You warm up your body by 5-10 minutes relaxed jogging)

-Kentaki-

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Post tags: Fartslek, Hill running, Interval

To my surprise it worked better than I had hoped. Originally I planned three exercises each week. But somehow they get restless during Saturdays and want an additional run for that day. My original plan only had three days with exercises, but somehow these three days have become four days each week.

I also learned I was capable of running 5k without needing to walk within three weeks, however, I have maintained the original plan of having five weeks to achieve this. There might be people needing more than three weeks, and there might be people needing less than three weeks to be able to run 5k without resting.

Now; do you really believe running 5k is impossible for you? I have already proven that it is possible to start using this exercise schedule for 9 yrs old, 12 yrs old, and person (28) who hasn’t exercised for a year. So I would say most people should be able to do this exercise schedule. However; if there are health issues you should discuss the schedule with your doctor.  This is due to interval and hill running which might be hard for the health. If that’s the case I am sure the doctor still will allow you to jog slowly jog or walk 5k each day.

Anyway; in the first article I wrote that I colored the schedule as we were running. The days we are running we mark as green, as completed the exercise. If someone doesn’t exercise we punish them by marking it red. And days without exercising will be marked yellow. It’s fairly easy to color them, and somehow it gives some additional motivation, as no one really wants to see the red color. We are kind of creating shame for ourselves if we don’t complete the exercises. There is one more rule, if you got a day red, you could exercise the next day, color it green, and change yesterdays red to be blank and yellow. However; you can only change the colors during the present week, you can’t change from red to green next week, or use green colored from previous week.

Anyway; I found coloring the exercise schedule to be efficient to motivate my 9 yr old brother, but I also motivate him of how fun it will be running intervals in full speed and running hills in full speed. Somehow these exercises are more appealing for him than just walking/running.

And for the sake of argument, my 9 yrs old brother has swimming exercises Wednesdays while we also have jogging/running exercises. Those days I color green and mark with swimming training. This schedule isn’t meant to replace social training as football, basket swimming etc, but as additional training to improve speed and endurance (and later strength; you will need good arm, back and stomach muscles to run well)

-Kentaki-

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Post tags: color, running, walking

When I first designed the schedule I mainly planned it for myself; training alone, and having the goal to go from the sofa to being able to run 5k without larger problems. However, the terms quickly changed since my younger brothers which are 9 and 12 wanted to join as well. This slightly modified the schedule as they were surprisingly motivated to run with me. And in all honesty, for the first weeks they had better endurance than me. I guess I also would advise you to bring the younger kids to run with you. Somehow doing it with them creates additional motivation; who wants to let down their kids and say, sorry, I don’t have time to exercise today. I doubt any parents or older sister want to let down younger kids.

I will admit it was a bit harder to motivate my 9 year old brother, but I found some tricks involving coloring the exercise schedule etc. It kind of gives a slight punishment for those who don’t complete the schedule. I will come back to the coloring scheme a bit later. It might also be a good advice to do the same if you exercise alone.

Of course I have done more as they joined, as letting them drink and refresh themselves in lakes/rivers we passes by, and maybe on sunny Friday’s we might get a ice-cream and relax.

The point being; if you think it might be hard to motivate yourself for exercising, or feel your kids or younger siblings are using too much time with their computer or television, you could motivate them to start running with you.

To run with one or two additional persons is a bit more challenging as you will have bit various endurance and speed to start, but try to stay collected while running, and try motivating each other to become better. It’s often easier to let the one with less speed and endurance control when to walk, and when to be jogging, and how fast you will be running.

-Kentaki-

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Post tags: challenging, efficient, endurance, exercising, sofa, speed

First taste

Previous I talked about how vital it is to create projects and goals you enjoy. To create a lifestyle you enjoy. What is more important; don’t delay it; don’t wait. Start write down the steps I wrote in the first posting; your current situation; what it might result it; and write down your ideal situation.

Next start writing projects and goals you can start with right away; don’t tell yourself you will do it tomorrow; or next week, or next month. Make actions now and start the changes. There is not really any point hesitating if you already know what you want.

For those who remembered the first posting; I said we should still eat what we enjoy; some fast food; and some chocolate, potato chips, chocolate etc. But we are to eat limited amounts, and when eating it we should eat it slowly and really enjoy it.

If you are serious about changing your life you know there should be some room for what you used to do previous; it might be you don’t want or desire any of it anymore, but if you are still hungry for burgers etc; make sure you ate regular food at morning and regular meals through the day. There is really no point overeating something in a hurry at the evening.

I personally prefer using Fridays and Saturdays to give myself some additional chocolate or “unhealthy” meals. But I make sure to do normal exercises and eating normally at during the day; and only spoiling myself some at the evening. I really have no desire for burgers and more as thinking it only make me feel the fat around the burger. Somehow I don’t want it at all anymore; but I still enjoy popcorn and cola to a good movie at Friday evening.

I also enjoy eating homemade pizza at Saturday evening before or while watching television. And you can do the same; enjoy some additional for yourself and your loved ones at Fridays and/or Saturday. Just make sure you eat controlled and slow; enjoying it and don’t start eating a lot on empty stomach. And please try to eat some hours before going to sleep. The body really shouldn’t be working on processing the food you ate while you are sleeping, but instead work with it while you are awake.

I hope I inspired some people to start changing their life. I will also start sharing the 5k training schedule really soon.

-Kentaki-

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Post tags: enjoy, pizza, unhealthy, writing

First taste

Previously we talked about creating efficient exercise programs; and to stop wasting hours at the local gym, spending most time looking or talking others. But instead focus at something we want to be good at; and keep improving ourselves.

This is really the foundation to the life we are given; to keep learning and improving ourselves. When we stop having goals, and improvements we are getting lazy. We become sheep.

I talked also a bit on eating healthier. But there is something I should have talked previous. It is valid both for eating healthy and for exercising efficient; make sure you have projects and goals you enjoy. This is also how my method is different for others that promise great results; I want you to enjoy your life while you make the changes; and still having a chance to enjoy fast-food, chocolate etc.

If you don’t enjoy what you do; if your projects don’t give you motivation and hope there is not chance you will succeed changing your life, and keep the life you want. This is why the diets work for bit previous; we got thinner; but we missed eating and felt suffering all the time. We wanted back our burgers and chocolate and gained weight again.

But you should never create a life you don’t enjoy, and project you don’t enjoy; you will not maintain the new life style if it doesn’t give you hopes or motivation; or you aren’t enjoying it. So make sure you make food you might enjoy, make sure you eat fruits you like, make sure you exercise something you enjoy exercising for. Just don’t make a new life style you hate and makes you suffer. You will only lose yourself again, and never get the life you desire if you don’t keep your goals and projects realistic and enjoyable. I would never enjoy running if I made it too hard for myself, and muscles gave pain each time, or I felt blood taste in my mouth each time I tried. That’s why I make sure I create homemade meals I know is healthier then what I ate previous; and I make sure I allow myself to walk before running the entire course without breaks. This is the key to success; to enjoy every project and goal you create; to not suffer and everything you do to get the life you want.

And please; I am not forcing you to change; I have decided to change myself and I am sharing what I do and how I do it with other to find the same joy and beauty of life I am looking for. You should do it for yourself; not for other. Keep this in mind when you create goals. And when you educate yourself in cooking; make sure it’s healthier than fast-food; not try to make it completely green and fresh if it’s not your style. Just forget fast-food and prefabricated dinners; focus on simple; tasty; healthier and better than you used to eat. There is no point having a super healthy life you enjoy. You only want to be better than you were previous, and keep creating projects and goals making you better; improving food; cooking skills; exercising and other aims you put to get a new life. Please; get the life you want and enjoy it. Improve yourself. Don’t listen to others; and don’t blame others for your situation. Be responsible for your actions and your life. Don’t blame friends; work; family; or anything else. You choose what you wanted; and only you can change it to become better.

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Post tags: cooking, fast-food, fresh, sheep, suffering

First taste

As you might recall from the last post I advised to start several small projects or goals brining you closer to your ideal situation.

I also asked to start with homemade food, fixed eating times and eating fruits and vegetables as snack.

The next stop should be to create an exercise plan. And by exercises I do not mean social training with friends etc; but efficient training. I want you to train for something specific; not to waste your time talking and socializing. This way you will reduce the amount of training, but still do more than staying hours training. Really; why should you exercise for hours each day, when you could reduce it to less than an hour, and 3-4 days a week?

I know I have aerobic muscle types; hence I exercise something I enjoy, and more suitable for my muscle type; I have started an exercise program running 5k (5k training). Within it I have added normal running, interval exercises and interval exercises. This means I will exercise endurance and speed; and I have made my research to create a good program. Neither of the exercise taking more than 45 minutes to an hour to complete, and only 3-4 days per week to make sure my muscles get time to rest and grow naturally. In my next scehdule I will start natural strength exercises for 15 minutes twice a week for further improve speed, and other muscles in my body.

Did you understand what I tried say? It’s quite simple; find a sport you want to master; research it and create a varied exercise schedule/project. Start by creating a simple 8-10 week program, and keep creating new programs which will help you master and become good at it. I can’t really suggest something for you, but I will write about the exercise program training for the 5k as I started, to give you some ideas.

The point is really simple; create efficient exercises instead of wasting hours each day talking and daydreaming at the gym. Create goals and improve yourself.

And if you play soccer, do martial arts or any or other sports needing endurance you might start exercising for 5k or 10k as they are good foundations for other sports. I am not saying they are the best for you, or even the only option, but that it’s a good foundation to start efficient training.

I really do not understand those wasting hours each day; when they could have exercised better, using less time each week. As you progress you might even learn you enjoy the sport you dedicated to and get better goals, and better equipment for it.

-Kentaki-

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Post tags: 10k, 5k, scehdule, social training, sports

First taste

In the previous section I started by realizing what kind of life you are living; finding the consequences of living the life as we do today; and to create a ideal situation giving you hope and inspiration. It might be an inspiration in itself to be more attractive for others; and finding the love you miss in your life. Or starting to feel more attractive for the one you already fell in love with, and want to share your life with.

Now; I briefly mentioned you can still enjoy sweets and other good things now and then; but eating less; and slower. Your main focus should however be to start to eat 5 meals a day and each of them smaller than normal. It is a fact you digestion system work slower when it doesn’t have something to work on, and suddenly having to digest a lot. I think this is a mistake many; including myself do. We eat a lot on a few meals each day.

I guess I forgot to mention; but after we have realized what we want we should start setting goals, or projects. Projects as setting fixed time to eat each day. We should start projects as learning to cook homemade meals.  You will start lots of projects; and continuously creating new goals and projects to achieve the life style we want.

The first project should be to start eating five times a day; and writing down fixed time of the day when we will eat. The first meal should be shortly after awakening, and the last meal should be some hours before going to sleep. Both of them are logical as the first meal will let the body start working with the food once you start; and eating some hours before going to sleep will make sure your body has worked with the food well before going to sleep and resting. The other three meals should be distributed throughout the day.

The next project is of course to educate your-self to creating healthy and good food, and to teach your-self to enjoy sweet fruits and vegetables. These sweets and vegetables can easily replace sweets you normally eat, and you will feel much easier while eating them. There is nothing wrong cutting some fruits and vegetables to a plate and eating it as snacks. Apples, small carrots and grapes are good things to serve on a plate.  Just try fruits and vegetables and learn which one you enjoy eating as snacks.

-Kentaki-

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Post tags: 5 meals a day, consequences, fruits, goals, homemade meals, projects, vegetables

First taste

What is the secret for rapid weight loss? Diets? Starving yourself? Magical pills? What could it be? Exercising for hours each day? I would say neither; or maybe a combination.

I have decided to find a solution. I doubt it will be within one week; but bit more since I want a way working; and keeping the weight down. Most of us have tried to eat a bit less; practically starving; or diets. And yes; they work for a bit; but shortly after we have the same weight again; or even heavier than previous.

I think the only way to lose weight easily; and keep the weight down is simpler. It’s not about forcing ourselves to starve or exercise for hours. And for those magical pills; forget them. If there really was a pill helping you lose weight the newspapers would write about them; and doctors would gladly give them to patients. But face it. There is no such miracle cure to get away from overweight.

The solution to lose weight, and still slim is simple. We have to change our lives. It’s not as easy as it sounds like; but it’s easier that the other options of suffering.

The first thing we have to do is realizing our situation; what do we eat that is unhealthy? Do we eat a lot of fast-food? Do we sit all day without moving enough? Do we eat or drink lots of chocolate or soda? These are questions we; each for ourselves have to answer. Next we have to realize what might happened if we keep gaining weight? What are the consequences of a life as overweight? Heart problems? Hyper tension? Diabetes? There are a waste amount of lethal or dangerous illnesses we have a risk of getting if we don’t have a healthy life style. And please don’t give excuses for yourself; I face its dangerous living as I do; and so should you. I am no better than anyone; but I want to improve myself. I want to get in control. I want to be happy with myself. No longer hating what I see in the mirror. No more blaming everyone else for my short-comings. Hence I write down my current life situation, and I write down consequences of living as I do today.

When we have written down these bad things we start focus on the life we want; what kind of food do we want eat?  Which kind of sports do we want to master and become good in? How would our self-esteem be if we felt slimmer and healthier? Would it help yourself and those around you if you got happier with yourself?  Just put happiness and goodness to the life you want; let the new life you imagine inspire you and give you hope. This is vital to succeed to change your life; to enjoy everything you do. Don’t feel you go on diet; but feel you are changing to more healthy food. And please don’t misunderstand. I still want you to enjoy fast-food; chocolate and soda; but in limited amount; and when we taste those things that are unhealthy we should eat it slowly. We should be enjoying the taste.  It’s healthier; and you will not gain as much weight if you eat slowly. Eating in a rush; not taking the time to enjoy what we eat is one of the problems that might cause you to gain weight again.

-Kentaki-

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Post tags: change our lives, diets, starving