All content copyright © 2010-2024 Frank Revelo, www.frankrevelo.com
With age, most people lose interest in impressing other people, but gain interest in bodily health and longevity. Thus bodily appearance and athletic achievements are not long-term sustainable motivations for exercising for most people, whereas bodily health (freedom from bodily pain) and longevity are.
Focus on negative of health, aka sickness, might help with motivation. If lifespan is how long we live and healthspan is how long we are healthy, then sickspan is number of years of life we are alive but in pain. Reflect on what it means to live many years with agonizing back aches, neck aches, shoulder impingement, arthritis, other joint problems, etc.
Exercise routine to reduce sickspan without reducing lifespan should include following types of exercise:
Currently no medical consensus on whether exercise helps preserve bone strength after middle age. Among those who do believe exercise can help keep bones strong, one theory is that bones respond to slight flexion caused by contraction of muscles, another theory is that bones respond to bodily vibrations, such as from running, jumping or walking downhill.
Currently no medical consensus as to exact quantity, intensity and frequency of each exercise type required for optimum health. Moderate quantity and intensity done frequently probably best from practical point of view, because that is only type of routine that is both sustainable and effective for most people. More generally, we can identify following types of exercise routines:
About 20-25 minutes total, depending on whether extra time required for stretching, including nail care while sitting in lotus pose.
Breathe in through nose if possible. Breathe out through either nose or mouth, though nose preferable. Only breathe in through mouth when doing very strenuous calisthenics/poses.
Engage pelvic muscles (mula bandha) whenever possible, same muscles targeted by Kegel exercises.
Check lower leg muscles for tightness, using pullup support: bent knee for soleus muscle, straight knee for gastrocnemius muscle. If no tightness, then just brief stretch. Otherwise, up to several minutes per leg.
10+ pullups (palms facing away from body) on even days, 10+ chinups (palms facing towards body) on odd days. Neutral grip pullups (palms facing each other) also possible. For both pullups and chinups, maintain hollow body posture, lean backwards and look up, to focus on back rather than lower chest muscles. One-arm inclined rows is alternative to pullups/chinups when horizontal bar not available, such as when camping: wrap rope around support (such as tree), tie to stick with clove hitch, lean backwards, bend and straighten arm in rowing motion, repeat with other arm. Use 6m mil-550 paracord as rope, doubled to 3m, fed through 1m of 1000d cordura tunnel to protect paracord from abrasion by support. Dynamic strength of single mil-550 paracord about 110 lbs (50 kg), hence dynamic strength of doubled paracord about 220 lbs (100 kg). If bar/support for pullups/rowing located elsewhere, perform exercises later in day, after remainder of routine.
25 hanging knee raises, performed immediately after pullups/chinups, thus increasing total hang time. Skip if no horizontal bar available.
50 squat jumps on even days, 50 alternating split squat jumps (aka backward lunges, alternating forward/backward leg each jump) on odd days. Jump height for both exercises can be small, just enough so feet leave ground. For squat jump, full knee flexion at bottom position (Asian squat or malasana pose). For split squat jump, lean upper body forwards and make other adjustments to put more focus on glutes and hamstrings during ascent versus overemphasizing quadriceps.
25 standard pushups on even days, 25 dive bomber pushups on odd days. For both types of pushups, hands about shoulder width apart, thumbs in line with body (fingers pointing about 45° to sides) for neutral rotation of upper arm in shoulder joint, to prevent shoulder impingement injury.
100 steps (per leg) running in place, ideally in under 60 seconds. Strengthens hip flexor and ankle stabilizer muscles and Achilles tendon, develops good running form, cardio exercise, bone vibration exercise. Running in place can cause injury if done with bad form (twisted ankle, torn Achilles tendon or tendon insertion into heel bone), so start slow and then pick up pace.
Side plank (vasisthasana), each side. Thumbs in line with body keeps upper arm in neutral rotation in shoulder joint. Keep body straight, pelvis pushed forwards, upper leg stacked on lower leg (or elevate upper leg if able to do so without hips sinking). Flex side glute and side/back core muscles to keep hip from sinking.
Upward facing plank (purvottanasana). Thumbs pointing towards feet keeps upper arm in neutral rotation in shoulder joint and gives better shoulder stretch than thumbs pointing towards each other (fingers pointing towards feet, inward rotation of upper arm). Flex entire back side of body to keep hips from sinking.
Squat pose (malasana).
Supine hero pose (supta virasana). Kneel between feet, then lean backward until upper back rests on ground.
Knee-to-ear (karnapidasana), shoulderstand (sarvangasana), plough (halasana), fish (matsyasana) poses. If done correctly, stretches and straightens neck. Shoulderstand with arms against sides (niralamba sarvangasana) more comfortable for me than version with arms bracing back (salamba sarvangasana), however I have strong neck and shoulders. Those with small shoulder muscles may need folded towel or other prop under shoulders to keep weight off neck.
Headstand pose (sirsasana, right thumb on top on even days, left on odd days). If done correctly, aligns neck that was previously stretched and straightened by shoulderstand. Shoulderstand followed by headstand haa similar effect on vagus nerve as "basic exercise" of Stanley Rosenberg. Spread legs while inverted to safely stretch inner thigh muscles. Conclude headstand by tucking knees to chest then lift legs back up, to stretch and strengthen back, repeat 5 times. Lower legs to ground after final tuck. Follow with several seconds kneeling with forehead resting on ground, to relax neck muscles.
Peacock pose (mayurasana), balance on bent arms with elbows pushed against middle of torso. benefits functioning of liver and other internal organs.
Bound angle pose (baddha konasana), also called butterfly or cobbler pose. Sit on ground, bring soles of feet together, pull on big toes with hands, lean forwards with torso, lower knees to ground. Regularly pulling on big toes keeps toes properly separated and prevents bunions.
Seated forward bend pose (paschimottanasana).
Massage lower legs, which have tendency to develop tightness, especially while hiking. Stretch toes, especially small toe, which tends to fold under when wearing shoes. Pull foot towards head so that toe touches ear and hold, to stretch outer hip. Simultaneously smell bottom of foot to check for fungus infections (which can usually be treated by over-the-counter remedies, such as foot powder with 2% miconazole nitrate). Repeat for other foot.
While sitting in lotus pose (padmasana, right leg on top on even days, left on odd days):
Corpse pose (savasana). Relax entire body.
Kneeling on heels (vajrasana or thunderbolt pose) done occasionally, separately from rest of routine. If tightness observed in front leg muscles (dorsiflexors), then kneel daily until tightness disappears. Can read or otherwise make use of time while kneeling, since no effort involved.
Asian squat (malasana pose). Opens hips, relaxes lower back muscles, stretches excessively tight calf muscles. Gradually build up to multiple squat jumps with Asian squat as bottom position.
Hang from bar (or rings) and alternate between passive and active hang (scapula pullups). Realigns shoulder in joint, stretches excessively tight chest and shoulder muscles, strengthens grip, strengthens shoulder stabilizers and tendons, strengthens and activates shoulder retraction and depression muscles, thus counteracting unhealthy tendency towards excess protraction and elevation. Optionally practice one-armed hangs, to further strengthen tendons.
Downward facing plank on even days, downward dog pose on odd days. For all planks, avoid internal rotation of upper arm in shoulder socket, and instead maintain neutral or external rotation. All planks build core and upper body strength.
Side plank. Optionally support with bent elbow and/or bent knees.
Upward facing plank. Optionally replace with table pose.
Partial shoulderstand. Straightens and strengthens neck.
Kneel and sit on heels (vajrasana or thunderbolt pose). Stretches front leg muscles (dorsiflexors).
Sit cross-legged on ground (sukhasana or "easy" pose with shoes, ardha siddhasana or "burmese" pose without shoes, right leg in front on even days, left on odd days). Open hips, stretches excessively tight knee ligaments. While sitting cross-legged, perform mix of kegel exercises, shoulder stretches, twists, stomach vacuums (agni sari dhauti), tongue circles, nail care.
For both pullups and chinups, avoid overusing forearm muscles (thumb, finger and wrist flexors, wrist pronators) versus statically maintaining grip while back muscles pull. Overuse of forearm muscles manifests as pain where tendons attach to inner elbow ("golfer's elbow"). Thumb against side of palm, rather than opposed to fingers, typically reduces undesired thumb, finger and wrist flexor activation. Grip slightly wider than shoulder width for pullups and exactly shoulder width for chinups, combined with slight lean backwards, typically reduces wrist pronator activation. Neutral grip pullups reduce pronator activation still further. Ring pullups and inclined rows using flexible rope typically eliminate pronator activation entirely.
Most people agree ardha siddhasana (sometimes called "burmese" sitting pose) is easiest stable sitting pose. It can be made even easier by sitting on folded blanket or cushion. Regardless of which sitting pose you choose, be wary of knee pain, which might mean you are stretching ligaments. Small amount of knee pain initially, and thus small amount of stretching of ligaments, might be necessary if you have never sat cross-legged for long periods of time, so that ligaments have become excessively tight. But if pain persists beyond two weeks, then back off. Stretching ligaments too much can ruin knee permanently. Many so-called yoga experts have ruined their knees due to forcing themselves to sit in lotus (padmasana) pose for long periods without having adequate hip flexibility. Women have comparatively wider pelvises, and thus do not require so much hip flexibility as men to achieve lotus pose. Women also have comparatively weaker knee joints, and thus can injure themselves more easily if they force themselves into lotus pose.
Generally accepted view is that knee pain is NEVER acceptable. However, B.K.S. Iyengar, in Light on Yoga, notes that excruciating knee pain may be unavoidable when first attempting to sit cross-legged, as ligaments stretch slightly. Yet B.K.S. Iyengar has always been concerned about safety, to the point of encouraging people to modify poses and use folded blankets and wooden blocks and other props to minimize risks when starting out, something many yoga teachers frown upon. My own experience was that it did indeed take exactly two weeks of knee pain before I was able to sit in ardha siddhasana pose comfortably. Pain was not just while sitting, but also afterwards and thus worrisome. After initial two week period, pain disappeared. Several months later, I began sitting in lotus pose, and encountered no significant knee pain.
My knees are currently very strong and pain free, and I use them constantly while hiking and bicycling. Before I started regularly sitting in ardha siddhasana pose, and thus before I stretched my knee ligaments slightly, I had occasional severe knee pains while hiking. This suggests that both excessive tightness and excessive looseness of knee ligaments can cause problems. Note clearly however, that excessive tightness can be easily fixed by stretching, but excessive looseness cannot be fixed. This argues for being extremely careful about loosening knee ligaments. Loosen them just a little at a time and stop as soon as they are sufficient loose to allow comfortable hiking, regardless of whether you can sit in ardha siddhasana or other sitting poses at that point.
So-called "easy" pose (sukhasana) may be easier than ardha siddhasana pose but it is not stable or comfortable for long periods of time. Easy pose is useful for sitting on ground when wearing shoes, since it is only sitting pose most people can comfortably use when wearing shoes with hard soles.
Knee joint is strongest when fully extended (straight legs) and remains strong up to 90 degrees of flexion. Beyond that, it rapidly becomes weaker, with danger of torn ligaments if put under strain. This is why lotus pose is so dangerous. When sitting in lotus pose without requisite hip flexibility, lower leg acts as lever to rotate hip outwards (lateral rotation, thus stretching medial rotators). But because knee is flexed more than 90 degrees, it is unable to transmit torque safely, and so knee ligaments are damaged instead of hip being stretched.
Heel position in siddhasana sitting pose is firmly into pelvic notch. Holding this pose for long periods of time will destroy nerves and cause impotence in men (and perhaps cause sexual problems in woman as well). Whereas with ardha siddhasana posture, heel is placed slightly to side, so there is no nerve damage. Impotence is considered desirable by some yogic adepts. Other ways to destroy sexual ability: (a) stimulate penis to erection, guru then grasps erect penis with both hands and "breaks it in two", so as to damage valves in veins, making further erections impossible; (b) hang heavy chains from penis, so as to stretch tendons and ultimately destroy nerves. I have never heard of yogis advocating castration. Goal is evidently not to eliminate sexual desire, but rather to eliminate possibility of satisfying that desire in normal way. Yogis talk of sublimating sexual desire into "higher spiritual activities", especially pursuit of "samadhi". My theory is that samadhi is a form of orgasm, caused by deep breathing in presence of sufficient buildup of sexual energy. Mystical experiences of Saint Theresa and other Christian saints, and similar experiences of Buddhist monks are also probably orgasmic in nature. (There is also the symbolic interpretation of chakras, whereby samadhi or 7th chakra consciousness simply means living life wisely.)
I am skeptical of value of meditation, in the sense of quieting the mind: "To attempt cessation of thought goes against what is natural. The goal is not cessation of thought. The goal is cessation of identification with thought"—from Lost Writings of Wu Hsin, by Roy Melvyn (2011). Quieting mind via meditation is likely most beneficial to those whose minds are chronically overstimulated, and of little benefit to those who avoid such overstimulation, similar to how fasting is most beneficial to those who chronically overeat, and of little benefit to those who eat sparingly and who thus effectively undergo a limited fast each night. Meditation in sense of observing our thought patterns—what makes us happy, sad, angry, etc—seems more useful, but no reason to set aside a special time of day, while sitting in lotus pose, to perform such self-observation.