The Sprinter vs. The Long Distance Runner

Everyone wants to be healthy. We all want to be at a healthy weight, have a strong body with lots of energy and enjoy great health. However, so many people do not have a strong healthy body and are overweight. Why?

There is a reason that people are carrying around extra weight, straining their back lifting grocery bags and feeling winded after climbing a single flight of stairs. It is because they think it’s too hard to achieve optimal health within their busy, often over-scheduled lives.

That is simply not true. With a few simple changes to your diet and exercise routine, you can achieve a strong healthy body and have plenty of time for the rest of your busy life.

Sprinter vs. Distance Runner

Take the sprinter versus long distance runner analogy. Both have thin strong bodies. Sprinters tend to be more muscular, and they often have the body most of us envy. However, we are under the erroneous assumption we have to train like long distance runners to achieve that goal.

Not true! In fact, running long distance is not the way to lose weight and achieve a strong healthy body. Running long distances is simply the best way to prepare to run a long race. If that’s what you want to do, great, go for it.

If, however, a marathon is not on your list and you don’t have two or three hours a day to devote to endless cardio, then it’s time to “train” like a sprinter.

There are two keys to obtaining a healthy strong body.

Exercise

“Everyday, do 25 minutes of a high intensity workout routine.”

The right kind of exercise performed consistently for short periods of time will get you in great shape, guaranteed.

Yes, it really is that simple. Research over the last decade has shown that short intense burst of exercise affect immediate positive changes on your health by producing important structural and chemical changes to the DNA molecules within the muscles immediately after you exercise.

The instant benefits of a short intense workout include:

• A boost in metabolism triggering your body to begin burning fat, a response that remains long after you have left the gym

• Higher energy levels by waking up the body and preparing it for action

• Better sleep by following your body’s natural rhythms to be active in the daylight and then wind down to sleep to restore your cells

Nutrition

“You cannot burn off all the calories associated with a bad diet.”

That’s just a fact for the majority of people. If you eat a fast food meal of around 1300 calories loaded with saturated fat and sugar you would have to run at a pretty good clip for at least three hours to burn it off! Three hours! Who has that kind of time?

If you are thinking you can never eat anything good and have to go vegan, you’re wrong. You simply need to make a few dietary changes like avoiding white flour and sugar carbohydrate loaded foods most of the time.

“Most of the time’ is the key phrase here. On your birthday, have piece of cake. Otherwise, choose a diet that consists of mostly vegetables, fruit, lean proteins (beans, nuts, fish, etc.) and whole grain carbs. You will lose weight, you will feel better, and you will be healthier.

If you eat that way most of the time, then some candy at the movies or an ice cream cone at the beach is still fine. You can enjoy occasional treats and still maintain a healthy weight.

Be A Sprinter

Stop dreading long cardio workout, or worse, giving up on exercise and better nutrition altogether because you think you don’t have time. Instead sprint towards good health.

Don’t waste time at the gym.  Find a good intense workout that you can do in 25 minutes that incorporates bursts of energy and strength training. Do it four or five days a week, and every once in awhile look for a new routine.

The less packaged and cooked your food is the better. Eat simple meals that don’t cost a lot or take a lot of time to prepare. Combined with regular short bouts of exercise, you will be sprinting towards optimum health in no time.