Exercising is one of the four elements of the Ikigai Diet and in Chapter 14 Ikigai Exercises, I introduced several methods that are common among centenarians and Shizenha people.
One of them is Nordic walking and I do it myself.
Another exercise I do is bodyweight training and stretching. I usually do them after Nordic walking.
According to David Sinclair, the author of Lifespan: Why We Age – and Why We Don’t Have To, High-Intensity Interval Training is the most effective exercise to stop aging. So, I started doing it, as well.
The first time, I ran at full speed for 30 meters or so, then walked for 30 meters, and ran again, and walked again. I repeated this process several times. It was good, and yet I realized that this is something I do when I play soccer with my son. So, I can incorporate it into playing soccer with him, which I do once in a while.
To do it every day, I need to come up with another method because I can’t do the running method with Nordic poles. I want to go Nordic walking, too because it has other benefits such as keeping my posture straight and mindfulness. I do Kamion Kansha meditation during Nordic walking and it helps me greatly to uplift my mental state.
Then, I thought about bodyweight training. Oh, I can do High-Intensity Interval Training with my bodyweight training. I do push-ups 20 times, which takes roughly 20 seconds if I do it quickly. Then, I rest for 10 seconds. After that, I do sit-ups 20 times for about 20 seconds and rest for 10 seconds. Next, I do squat 20 times for 20 seconds and rest for 10 seconds. I repeat the process three times. After that, I do some stretching.
This is the perfect exercise routine. Through Nordic walking, I get the aerobic exercise done, and through HIIT, I can train my arm muscles, stomach muscles, and leg muscles.
On top of that, I started going Nordic walking in the morning. Before I went Nordic walking during the day whenever I had time. There are several benefits to doing it in the morning. I can absorb morning sunshine, which is the best way of waking up. Before, I was drinking coffee right after getting up to wake me up, but I found out it is better not to drink coffee until one and a half hours after getting up. With my intermittent fasting, morning coffee is crucial (make sure that you drink black coffee, otherwise you ruin the whole process)because it helps me cope with my hunger, and I can do that after my morning exercises, which is about one and a half hours after I get up.
It is often cold in the morning, especially now in the wintertime. That means I expose myself to cold air and that is another way of activating Sirtuin, a longevity gene, according to David Sinclair.
The greatest thing of all is I do my exercises during my 16-hour fast.
Wow! It looks like I won’t age anymore.
What to Eat When You Practice Intermittent Fasting
I Began Doing Intermittent Fasting
The Ikigai Diet: The Secret Japanese Diet to Health and Longevity
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