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Old 08-02-2012, 08:17 PM   #41
Aikironin21
Dojo: Aikido of Solano
Location: Vacaville California
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 25
United_States
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Re: Should I Re-Start Aikido?

Great to hear you got back onto the mat! I think I may be the king of start and stop training! At least, when it comes to going to organized classes and dojo. I started training in Aikido when I was about 19 in 1994. Here I am, 37 in 2012 at the rank of 3rd kyu. Now, due to my profession, I have never just shelved my personal training, so returning to classes or dojo has never been like starting over for me. I have put on weight in my absences though, and yes returning to class can make you gas. Think about. Even if you were in your living room, lay down on the floor and get up over and over again, and after a while you have a workout for someone who does little physical activity.

So what can you do? Well, even if you lose weight right now, you would be moving less weight, but you will still gas on the cardio end. I would suggest, just walk! No need to become a marathoner or anything. Get out and walk for about thirty minutes at a good pace. Try to hit a mile in about fifteen minutes. Add to your walk, some Aiki-principles of movement, and treat it as a meditation.

At 37, I have started reducing my intake of grains and grain based foods and sugars. My mother began her battle with diabetes at age 40. I do not wish travel that path, so I am limiting the intake of the foods which make the body into the environment to become diabetic. If you limit your grain and sugar intake you will find a healthy body weight, and your exercise in Aikido and/or walking should be the only physical activities you will need for being healthy. If you want to be go beyond just being healthy, then you'll need to hit the gym of course. You don't have to make yourself crazy, counting fat, carbs, or calories. Just simply as yourself, was this made from grains, or does it have sugar? If the answer is yes, then decide either don't eat it, or cut the serving down to 1/4th and enjoy. I like to think of grains as non-edible when I'm not on some kind of cheat meal or vacationing bender of gluttony. I mean, when you are served crab, you have no problem eating the meat inside, and discarding the shell; so just think of grains as shells.
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