Post by machinehead on Nov 21, 2018 14:37:50 GMT
"3 Minutes to Better Health
Having witnessed this pattern in many good people, I’ve developed a fascination with finding ways to exercise inside the constraints of modern life. Ideally, daily life would be your exercise. That isn’t our world. Whether you’re a new parent or strapped to a cubicle, there is always a way.
Of all the methods I’ve come across for fitting in fitness, none are as convenient and easily applied as Bruce Lee’s morning static contraction circuit, detailed in John Little’s book The Warrior Within. Upon waking each day (this is important because it offers a consistent cue) he’d do the following routine:
5 Full Body Stretches: Lying on your back extend your arms and legs as far you can as if your reaching both to the opposite wall. Hold for three seconds, relax for two, and repeat.
5 Back Arches: Sit with your hamstrings on the back of your calves. Leaning back, slowly push your hips toward the ceiling as your glutes contract. Hold each arch for three seconds, relax for two, and repeat.
12 Leg Tenses: Slowly extend your legs as far as you can and violently contract the muscles of your thigh. Hold for 3 seconds. Rest and repeat.
10 Abdominal Tenses: Maximally contract your abdominals (may resemble using the restroom). Hold each contraction for three seconds, relax for two, and repeat.
5 Sit Ups to Toes: Lie back on your mattress with your arms overhead. Slowly raise up and reach all the way to your toes. Return to the lying position and repeat.
5 Bent Leg Raises: Lie back on your mattress with your arms overhead. Slowly bend your knees towards your chest, pausing once they’ve been pulled back as far as they can go. Return your legs, and repeat."
Having witnessed this pattern in many good people, I’ve developed a fascination with finding ways to exercise inside the constraints of modern life. Ideally, daily life would be your exercise. That isn’t our world. Whether you’re a new parent or strapped to a cubicle, there is always a way.
Of all the methods I’ve come across for fitting in fitness, none are as convenient and easily applied as Bruce Lee’s morning static contraction circuit, detailed in John Little’s book The Warrior Within. Upon waking each day (this is important because it offers a consistent cue) he’d do the following routine:
5 Full Body Stretches: Lying on your back extend your arms and legs as far you can as if your reaching both to the opposite wall. Hold for three seconds, relax for two, and repeat.
5 Back Arches: Sit with your hamstrings on the back of your calves. Leaning back, slowly push your hips toward the ceiling as your glutes contract. Hold each arch for three seconds, relax for two, and repeat.
12 Leg Tenses: Slowly extend your legs as far as you can and violently contract the muscles of your thigh. Hold for 3 seconds. Rest and repeat.
10 Abdominal Tenses: Maximally contract your abdominals (may resemble using the restroom). Hold each contraction for three seconds, relax for two, and repeat.
5 Sit Ups to Toes: Lie back on your mattress with your arms overhead. Slowly raise up and reach all the way to your toes. Return to the lying position and repeat.
5 Bent Leg Raises: Lie back on your mattress with your arms overhead. Slowly bend your knees towards your chest, pausing once they’ve been pulled back as far as they can go. Return your legs, and repeat."
