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With age, most people lose interest in impressing other people, but gain interest in bodily health and longevity. Thus bodily appearance and competitive sports are not long-term sustainable motivations for exercising for most people, whereas bodily health (freedom from bodily pain plus ability to engage in normal bodily activities, including recreational versus competitive sports) 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 or unable to engage in normal bodily activities. Reflect on what it means to live many years with agonizing back aches, neck aches, shoulder impingement, arthritis, inability to hike or bicycle because of knee or hip problems, etc.
Exercise routine to reduce sickspan without reducing lifespan should include following types of exercise:
Currently no medical consensus as to whether exercise can help preserve bone strength after middle age. Among those who do believe exercise can help keep bones strong, most common theory is that bone growth/maintenance occurs in response to mechanical stress/deformation under heavy load. One way to create sufficient force to cause bone deformation in leg and hip bones, which are the bones most liable to fracture due to bone weakening, is by supporting heavy weight in a squat rack (possibly static hold, without moving weight up and down). Another way is to jump or hike downhill while carrying a backpack, which creates brief but very heavy forces during jump or step impact. Bones of upper body are smaller than those of lower body, so calisthenics and yoga (headstand and shoulderstand poses for neck and skull bones) should be sufficient to maintain their strength.
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. (Note that, beyond initial period of getting into shape, goal is preserve strength and flexibility, not build more strength or flexibility, so frequent moderate exercise will not cause overtraining.) More generally, we can identify following types of exercise routines:
About 30 minutes per day, including nail care while sitting in lotus pose. Of this, about 10 minutes is intense effort (pullups through stand-sit-stand), remainder is moderate effort or transition time between exercises.
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.
If possible, go slow during lowering phase of calisthenics exercises, since eccentric muscular work (tension while lengthening under load) is more effective at stressing and thereby eventually building muscles than concentric work (tension while shortening under load).
Bent knee calf stretch (soleus muscle), straight knee calf stretch (gastrocnemius muscle), balance on one foot with eyes closed, balance on front of one foot. Both sides for all exercises.
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 pullups, use open grip (thumb same side of bar as fingers), hands about or slightly wider than shoulder width, hollow body or arched back posture. For chinups, use closed grip (thumb opposite side of bar from fingers), hands about shoulder width, hollow body posture. For both pullups and chinups, lean backwards slightly, to focus on back rather than lower chest muscles, and lower slowly (eccentric muscle contraction) on last rep to maximize stimulus for muscle growth. One-arm inclined row is alternative to pullups/chinups when overhead hanging support 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 while passively hanging (using both arms) on even days, 5 reps per arm of 5+ second one arm passive hangs (alternating sides each rep) on odd days. Skip passive hanging if no overhead hanging support available. Passive hang strengthens grip muscles and builds/repairs hanging related connective tissue. Knee raises additionally strengthen front core and hip flexors. Tendons and other connective tissues are resistant to growth, mainly because little space in body for growth of connective tissue but also because such growth not necessary under natural conditions, where connective tissue grows strong enough during childhood for loads likely to be encountered as adult. If connective tissue not sufficiently stimulated during childhood, as often happens for modern humans for hanging related connective tissue (shoulders, elbows, fingers), or connective tissue is damaged, then connective tissue growth can be stimulated during adulthood by subjecting connective tissue to high loads (approaching but not reaching point of connective tissue failure) for extended lengths of time (30+ seconds).
80 squat jumps on even days, 60 alternating split squat jumps (aka backward lunges, alternating forward/backward leg each jump, thus 25 reps per side) on odd days (for both even and odd days, exercise duration approximately 2 minutes). Jump height can be small, just enough so feet leave ground. For two-leg squat, full knee flexion at bottom position (Asian squat or malasana pose). For split squat, lean upper body forwards and make other adjustments to put more focus on glutes and hamstrings during ascent versus overemphasizing quadriceps. Knee of front leg should be in front of toes at bottom of split squat: the further in front, the better, both to strengthen knee and to improve ankle dorsiflexion under load.
25 standard pushups on even days, 25 partial dive bomber pushups on odd days. 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, descend until chest lightly touches floor. (Full version of dive bomber pushup descnds from downward facing dog pose until chest touches floor, ascends into upward facing dog pose, descends until chest touches floor again, ascends back to downward facing dog.)
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, elevated heart rate exercise, possibly helps preserve leg and hip bone strength. 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 to keep 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 to keep upper arm in neutral rotation in shoulder joint (or thumbs pointing away from body for external rotation). Flex entire back side of body to keep hips from sinking.
10 reps of "stand-sit-stand". From standing position, lower to easy crossed-legged seated pose (sukhasana, right leg in front on even days, left on odd days), then return to standing position. Ideally, entire movement without use of arms. Otherwise, minimal use of arms for balance and/or pushing up from seated position. Strengthens outer hips and knee tendons.
Squat pose (malasana). While squatting, stretch wrist and finger flexors and extensors, followed by tongue circles against inside of closed lips, 25 circles clockwise, 25 counter-clockwise.
Supine hero pose (supta virasana).
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.
Elbow planche aka peacock pose (mayurasana). Benefits functioning of liver and other internal organs. Omit if digestive system or other internal organ problems, if upper back muscles tight and liable to spasm, if weakness in stomach muscles (such as due to hernia or cesarean section), if pregnant. If skin dry and arms tend to slip in peacock pose, it might help to apply small amount of saliva to upper arm just above elbow, where contact with stomach is made, and let dry several seconds until sticky residue forms.
Bound angle pose (baddha konasana), also called butterfly or cobbler pose.
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. Replace with supine pigeon pose (supta kapotasana) if not yet able to bring toe to ear.
While sitting in lotus pose (padmasana, right leg on top on even days, left on odd days):
Corpse pose (savasana). Relax entire body.
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. While squatting, stretch fingers and perform tongue circles.
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. Gradually build up to hindu pushups.
Side plank. Optionally support with bent elbow and/or bent knees if not strong enough for full side plank.
Upward facing plank. Optionally replace with table pose if not strong enough for full upward facing plank.
Partial shoulderstand. Straightens and strengthens neck.
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), nail care. Should be able to sit cross-legged comfortably for 20 minutes, though not necessary to sit that long on daily basis.
Kneel and sit on heels (vajrasana or thunderbolt pose). Stretches front leg muscles (dorsiflexors). Should be able to kneel comfortably for 20 minutes, though not necessary to kneel that long on daily basis.
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"). Open grip (thumb same side of bar as fingers, versus opposite side), typically reduces undesired thumb, finger and wrist flexor activation. Hands about or slightly wider than shoulder width and 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.
Smooth callouses caused by pullups or other hanging exercises by rubbing with rough concrete, pumice stone, ordinary rock, foot file, etc. Do this daily, so skin grows evenly, without callous bumps that are unsightly, uncomfortable and might tear off under strain.
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.