Indika

‘Tell me to what you pay attention and I will tell you who you are.’
–Jose Ortega y Gasset

We all know that the food we eat has a huge impact on the state of our physical health.

in fact, what we eat most frequently has the power to make us healthy or ill.

This idea is encapsulated in the popular phrase, ‘You are what you eat.‘

By extension, we understand that we can improve our health, or even reverse illnesses by restricting how much we eat of certain kinds of foods.

Many people cut out refined sugar and processed foods etc. at some point, in order to boost their health.

We refer to this as ‘going on a diet.’

People go on diets to lose weight, build muscle, reverse Type-2 diabetes and so on.

Mental Diet and Happiness

What is less commonly known or understood is that our mental diet, sometimes referred to as our ‘information diet,’ plays an equally influential role in our lives.

The information we consume through watching, reading and listening has a profound effect on our mood, feelings and general outlook on life.

For example, this study found that anxiety and total mood disturbance among participants increased after watching the news for just 15 minutes.

This should make perfect sense to most of us as we’ve all experienced being unsettled after watching, listening to, or reading something distressing.

So the axiom, ‘You are what you eat,’ applies equally at the mental and spiritual/metaphysical level too.

And if you’ve read my posts on how we create reality, you understand that the way we feel has the power to affect what we experience as reality.

As the spiritual teacher Maharishi Mahesh Yogi said:

‘Whatever we put our attention on will grow stronger in our life.’

The Problem

I understand only too well that it is hard to exist, or participate in the modern world without being exposed to negative messaging.

We’re fed a constant diet of fear, anger and misery, whether it is through the songs and stories we’re taught as children; education, religion, the news media and even entertainment.

I’d say entertainment is the worse culprit because most books, movies and songs contain unhealthy amounts of darkness and negativity that slips into our subconscious minds, unnoticed, simply because it’s labelled as ‘entertainment.’

For most people, not watching the news is not even an option as their livelihoods are often tied to being up to date on current events.

So, our mental diet can cause or increase stress, anxiety and depression. And yet, we have to take in a certain amount of negativity just in order to function in society.

What do we do?

Do we run away to the wilderness and cut all ties with society and our current lives? Sadly, this is not something most of us can do right now. But there are other solutions.

The Solutions

If we want to be happy, we can’t just expect to sleepwalk our way through life. We have to make our happiness a priority and work to build and maintain our happiness.

This requires being proactive and exercising discernment in ur day to day lives.

The way I see it, regardless of our job or station in life, we can all do two simple things to help the situation.

The first step is to adopt a more healthy mental diet. The second is to do things to balance out the negativity that we consume in our lives.

Adopting A Healthy Mental Diet

We all have a lot of freedom and leeway about the things we consume and give our attention to. So we can use this to help ourselves.

We can choose to go on a ‘strict diet’ and reduce the amount of negative information we consume to the absolute minimum that is necessary for each of us to function in society.

If our job requires that we watch the news, then we do that. But we watch just the lowest allowable amount, based on our circumstances (perhaps one broadcast per day and no more).

And we can cut out as much of the optional/unnecessary negativity as possible.

This includes not following social media accounts that promote negativity, not watching movies such as thrillers, tragedies and horror shows, or listening to music that contains strong negative themes etc.

Just like people wanting to lose weight will restrict the amount of calories they consume, we can choose to restrict the amount of negativity we consume on a daily basis.

Doing Things to Balance It Out

In addition to limiting the negativity we expose ourselves to, we can actively consume information of a positive and uplifting nature to balance out the negativity.

This is the counterpart to adopting a healthier diet. It’s like exercising or going to the gym–but for the mind.

We actively give our attention to uplifting and positive things to keep our mood up and feel good.

What you do will depend on your personal preference and what works best for you, but it could include:

• Listening to music that is upbeat
• Immersing yourselves in nature
• Watching a comedy (one that has zero dark themes), or Practising gratitude and counting your blessings

Passively coasting through life or indulging in shallow distractions won’t work. It has to be something we actively participate in.

In the same study I referred to above, participants who attended a lecture soon after watching the news didn’t show any improvement in their mood, despite the passage of time and the distraction provided by the lecture.

But the participants who engaged in a process of progressive relaxation after watching the news reported a return to their baseline/pre-news levels of good feelings.

So the key takeaways here are:

• Distractions don’t do a good enough job of countering a negative mental diet.
• Actively doing things to make yourself feel good can help us to return to our normal state.

Concluding Thoughts

As I’ve said before (and will continue to say), happiness is ultimately a choice we make over and over again.

So the next time you feel tempted to give your attention to something that you know is going to make you anything other than happy, stop and ask yourself whether this thing you’re about to do is worth sacrificing your happiness for.

It’s a habit I’m actively working to build right now, because I’ve experienced the alternative for so long now that it’s become unbearable now.

And if you wanted something to pick your spirits up and zap you with some positive energy, have a look and listen to this amazing drum cover to David Bowie’s song, ‘Modern Love!’

Resources

• Negative Psychological Effects of Watching the News In the Television (A study)
• Why Happiness Matters
• How We Create Reality
• The Law of Attraction

Even if you do nothing else, please watch the video of Arthur Boorman’s amazing recovery at the bottom of this post!

I know from personal experience that having an injury or chronic pain can prevent you from exercising, or be a source of discouragement that feels hard to shake off.

But I know, again, from my own experience, that there’s still a lot that you can do to stay active and help you to recover.

So in this post, I’m sharing my tips on how to exercise and stay active during sickness and injury.

But please ensure that you check with your doctor or medical professional before embarking on any exercise programme.

Find A Way Around It

Every person’s case and situation may be different, but in most cases, sickness or injury need not stop us from experiencing the many benefits of exercise.

There’s usually a way to work around the issue and not give up exercising altogether.

Also, given the many benefits of exercise, if done correctly, it will help to speed up a person’s recovery.

Let me share my own experience.

My Health Challenges

I have been dealing with constant pain in my lower back and hip/S.I. joint for the past four years.

This has meant that I haven’t been exercising as much as I’d like to, or doing the long runs that I once enjoyed.

I’m not sure, but I think that my issues stem from three factors:

1. Weakness/tightness in my Quadratus Lumborum (QL), Gluteals and Psoas Major (Psoas) muscles.
2. Lifestyle/habits: too much sitting and too much running (without doing any mobility work).
3. Emotional issues that I have not yet fully released.

Whatever the issues are, for the present, I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to do long runs, lift heavy weights, or perform exercises that require me to swing or rotate my body forcefully. These usually cause more pain and inflammation.

So that eliminates most of my favourite exercises! But let’s move on to the solution and to what I, and perhaps you, can do.

Shifting the Mindset

This is the starting place and nothing else can work without a shift in mindset.

There are two issues that I need to address here:

Thoughts Create Reality

Since I believe (and share on this blog) that thoughts create reality, I have to eat humble pie and own up to the fact that my outer pain and discomfort (‘disease’) is the result of something that is going in within me.

So, if I want to change my outer reality (my bodily conditions), then I have to first change my inner reality (thoughts, beliefs, expectations and self-talk).

I am aware of this and I am doing the inner work to resolve and release these issues. It takes time and so I’m having to be patient. But things are getting better.

Decisive Action

If I want to regain my health, strength and mobility (and I do), I have to believe that it is possible and decide that I am going to do what it takes.

I then have to take action, consistently.

I have been a bit wishy washy so far and the results bear this out. I have promised myself to do better, so let’s see how it goes.

The one thing I would stress is that I was able to find ways to exercise that have allowed me to do so safely.

And I feel so much better as a result––physically and mentally!

So I would urge anyone to be open minded and give it a try.

Mobility Training

Mobility training is working your muscles and joints through their full ranges of motion.

If we’re sedentary, we’re not usually working our muscles or joints through their full range of motion. This can result in overall weakness and being more prone to injury.

And if we’re doing some sort of exercise, we’re probably only training one set of muscles (and not the antagonistic or complementary ones) and we’re probably only training them through part of their range of motion.

This can lead to stiffness and imbalances, and ultimately, injuries.

Shoulders are a common casualty of this phenomenon.

Many people work their front and side deltoid muscles (which are the ‘show muscles’).

But they often neglect the rear deltoid muscle, resulting in imbalance.

And even people who train all three heads of their deltoids will often neglect the smaller muscles that make up their rotator cuffs. This often leads to restricted mobility (impingement), pain, imbalance and injuries.

I didn’t know about mobility work until recently, but I now know that this is something I should have been doing all along.

I also know now that this can help me recover the strength and range of motion in my hip and lower back. And so, this is something I routinely do now.

I use resistance bands and ankle weights to make it more challenging and grow stronger.

Stretching

This is something most of us can do, as it’s gentle and low-impact.

Apart from keeping my muscles supple, stretching always helps me to feel less tense.

Gentle Cardio

Even though I’m nervous to go back to my long runs, I can do shorter runs. And I can walk as much as I want.

I can also do things like swim or cycling. Chances are, you might have a version of cardio that you too could safely perform.

It might need to be something gentle and low-impact, like swimming. But there’s bound to be something you can do to stay active and give your body a workout, without worsening your condition.

Adapted Strength Training

I don’t feel comfortable performing exercises like the back squat or deadlift with heavy weights. But I can still perform these exercises with lighter weights.

And for when I feel like I don’t want to put any weight on my back, I can still do calisthenics like air squats or lunges.

I can also perform some yoga and pilates moves. Both of these will help to get me stronger.

In fact, a physio-therapist advised me to perform the side-plank and glute-bridges to help address my issues.

Similarly, you too might be able to safely perform some of the above, or some version of strength training that’s especially adapted to your situation, and enjoy the associated benefits.

Some Random Ideas

All of the suggestions discussed above are based on my personal circumstances and issues.

The following are ideas I’ve come across, which although I haven’t tried out, might still be helpful to you.

They’re also ‘low-impact’ and might therefore be much gentler on the system than some of the exercises I’ve mentioned previously.

Water Based Training

Water offers two advantages for training:

1. On the one hand, it takes away some of the weight from our lower body–especially the knee and ankle joints. This can make it easier for someone who has issues in these joints to move and be active.
2. Water also offers a gentle form of resistance and can be used to strengthen muscles in a safe and effective way.

Activities like swimming, walking in water (and using it for buoyancy and resistance), or aqua-aerobics might be a great way to get back in shape safely.

If you feel that training in water is too ‘gentle’ it’s worth bearing in mind that the mixed martial arts legend Bas Rutten used water-resistance to train his powerful open-palm strikes!

Chair Yoga

Chair yoga is yoga that has been modified to allow you to perform it while seated on a chair.

This may be especially helpful to people who may be recovering from injury, or are unable to get down to the ground and get back up.

Pedal Exerciser

The pedal exerciser is a stationary bike of sorts––but without the seat!

You get the pedals (with the resistance) but remain free to use a chair or seat of your choice.

Again, this may be of particular help to people who can’t travel to a gym or get onto a stationary bike.

You can workout at home and on a seat that you’re comfortable using.

Concluding Thoughts

That more or less concludes this post. I hope it gave you some insight into how you can exercise and stay active during sickness and injury.

There are probably a million other ideas, tips and techniques out there that I have not covered, or even heard of.

But if you want to get fit, strong and healthy again, you must choose to believe that it’s possible and look for your answers.

It might be hard and frustrating. But giving up should not be an option.

Watch the video below about Arthur Boorman’s inspirational transformation and let it reignite that fire in your heart.

Arthur’s Story

Arthur Boorman was a disabled veteran of the Gulf War for 15 years. He was a paratrooper and was injured as a result of his line of work.

Arthur’s doctors told by him that he would never be able to walk on his own again.

But Arthur dreamt of more for himself. And when he found Diamond Dallas Page, founder of DDP Yoga, Arthur’s journey back to good health and fitness began.

Say it with me: never, ever give up!

Resources

• Creating Habits for Happiness
• How to Build the Habit of Exercising Regularly
• Arthur Boorman’s Success Story (DDP Yoga Website)

‘Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness.’
––Joseph Pilates

We all know that exercise is good for your body and mind.

It has been shown to:

• Improve your mood;
• Boost self-esteem;
• Increase self-confidence;
• Improve cardiovascular health;
• Improve sleep;
• Support the immune system;
• Promote health in muscles, bones and joints;
• Promote the functioning of the lymphatic system; and
• Promote a healthy bodyweight.

The benefits just go on and on!

But how do you do it?

How do you build the habit of exercising regularly? How do you stay consistent?

These are the questions that I hope to answer in this post.

And I can confirm that what follows has been tried and tested, because it’s the same process I used to take me from couch potato to marathon runner!

Make A Decision

Everything starts with a decision: a decision to do something, or to be someone. And so it was for me.

I decided to go from being someone who struggled to exercise consistently to someone who worked out frequently.

It was a conscious, deliberate thing, with a lot of passion and determination behind it––because I’d tried and failed so many times before.

I was ready. I wanted to build the habit of exercising regularly.

And I meant business this time!

Keep It Simple

I looked at everything I’d tried before: all the times I’d taken out gym memberships and never gone; the countless times I’d taken classes here and there; the weights, the calisthenics…

I needed something simple––something that had very few ‘moving parts’ (as in needing a special place or equipment, travel etc.).

And so, I chose running.

I already owned shorts, t-shirts and trainers.

I didn’t have to go anywhere. I could run on the roads outside my home.

I could do it any time, night or day.

I didn’t need any equipment––just myself and the road.

And I didn’t need a buddy or partner. Plus, it was free.

Pick Something You Like Doing

I liked to run.

I liked the sense of movement and freedom.

I enjoyed being on my own and being lost in my own thoughts.

I liked being out in nature: the sunshine and fresh air.

But I didn’t mind it when it was cold or rainy either.

I was into David Goggins at the time. So I felt like a badass when I went running and the weather was bad.

I liked seeing my neighbours; their homes, the gardens, the kids; the cats and the dogs.

As my runs grew longer, I had the Kingston Riverside, Hampton Court Palace and other beautiful scenery to appreciate.

The fact that I liked and appreciated all of this made me more likely to go out running.

Start Small and Ease Into It

My first run was ridiculously short!

It was only about 150 meters or so. I warmed up indoors and then ran slowly. And when I got there, I started walking back home.

It was tough on the ego. But I knew I had to keep that guy in check, because I was going to run the following day, and the day after, and the day after that.

And I couldn’t afford to be sore.

Do Little, But Do It Often

I ran a short distance. But I ran more or less every day.

Every time I went out running, I’d run a tiny bit further than the time before.

And on and on it went, until I’d get sore. Then I’d take a day off and re-run my last distance.

The rule of thumb is ‘consistency over intensity.’

Ten push-ups every day over five days is much better than fifty push-ups once every five days.

Sure, showing up repeatedly trains the body.

But it also trains the mind.

The repetition re-wires your mind and changes your self-image.

This shift in self image is what makes it possible to stay consistent.

You go from thinking, ‘I’m a couch potato who flakes out’ to ‘I’m someone who works out regularly.’

And boom! You’re not the same person anymore.

Same Time Every Time

Doing something at the same time, every time you do it, makes it easier to stay consistent.

Your body knows, your mind knows, and even your neighbour’s dog knows that you do that thing, at that time, every so often.

This makes it much easier for the habit to take root.

Get It Done Early and Get It Out of the Way

I also found that exercising relatively early in the day helped me to stay consistent.

I found evenings to be more challenging because I would get caught up in the day, making it hard to stop and exercise.

Plus, I was more likely to feel tired then.

I understand that not everyone has the luxury of working out during the day. But if you have the option, I recommend testing it out.

Have Everything Ready The Day Before

When I finish my run today, I put everything I need for tomorrow’s run in the place where I keep my running gear.

When it comes time for my run tomorrow, everything’s ready to go.

No fuss, confusion, or looking for this, that and the other.

Shut Off Distractions

This is very much down to personal preference. But I didn’t take any music, my phone or a smart watch.

I just didn’t want distractions or more things to fuss over when I was out running.

Record What You Do and Track It

It’s hard to remember everything about today’s run in a week or so. But it helps to know that I (a) ran today, and (b) how far, and (c) how long it took.

I wasn’t looking to improve my timings or anything.

But I wanted to build the habit of exercising regularly. This meant that I wanted to be able to look back and see how frequently I was running, and how much distance I was covering.

Regardless of the form of exercise, noting dates, times and frequency etc. can help you stay accountable and keep track of progress. So I recommend that you do it.

Keep Reaching For More

We all need challenges in order to grow. Plus, we’re deliberately starting well below our capabilities.

So it makes sense to slowly increase the workload, duration or intensity.

But you should be sensible.

Go at your own pace and always follow your doctor’s advice!

Recovery And Other Precautions

I would always warm up before heading out. And I’d always do some dynamic stretching.

When I finish my run, I always walk for about five to ten minutes to help my heart rate ease back to a lower level.

I also believe that walking can help to flush your muscles of lactic acid and other waste (as you’re still using the same muscles––as opposed to when sitting down or staying in one place).

And when I got back home, I would always stretch and massage/foam roll my legs to promote circulation and flush out lactic acid and waste.

As my runs got longer, I’d add in more days off, where I would let my body rest.

All of this meant that I could keep going without soreness or injuries getting in the way.

Concluding Thoughts

Well there you have it! This is how you build the habit of exercising regularly.

I hope you found my tips helpful.

If there is one thing I’d want you to take away from all of this, it would be this: always remember that you’re training your body in order to train your mind.

Yes, exercising is training the body. But your success in building the habit of exercising regularly depends on how well you train your mind.

And ultimately, though your body will benefit, it is your mind that will benefit even more.

You’ll have more discipline, willpower and confidence.

And you’ll be happy!

Resources

• Creating Habits for Happiness
• Why Happiness Matters