Comments on: Hot Yoga, Mormons, and Exercise

By: J. Stapley

J. Stapley — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

For as much time as we Americans spend watching TV, there is no excuse for not exercising (besides lack of volition). Blogging…now that is compunction free sedentary activity!

And stepping out of a hot shower does make you feel alive, especially when there are a dozen other naked men toweling off about you.

By: Christina

Christina — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I like yoga too, although I have only recently discovered it, and I only do it once or twice a week as a supplement to other activity. These days I spend most of my exercise time running, but I also do weight lifting, kickboxing and the aforementioned yoga.

I don’t think everyone has to exercise this much to be healthy, but I do it for myself for a couple key reasons. First, I try to take care of my body, both fitness and weight-wise. Second, and really more important to me is my mental health. Depression runs in my family, and I have learned over the years that I am much more prone to anxiety and depression if I don’t exercise. So, my run in the morning is my “coffee” – it wakes me up and makes me feel alert and happy. Perhaps I exaggerate the benefits of coffee …

As to your WoW question, I do think that we are abusing our bodies when we allow them to carry too much weight or fill them with unhealthy foods. It is hard not to do these things in our abundant culture, and I certainly have my own sweet tooth, so I don’t speak condemnation, but I do wish that Mormons cared more about their health beyond the Coke/no-Coke debate.

By: clark

clark — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Before getting married two years ago I’d generally climb/boulder for two hours 3 – 4 times a week and then work out at the gym for 1 – 2 hours 5 times a week. Unfortunately marriage and a new baby have made that quite difficult and I’m struggling both with my waist as well as fitting exercise in.

By: Jordan Fowles

Jordan Fowles — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I do weight-lifting on MWF and aerobic exercise on TThSa. On MWF I alternate between upper body and lower body, so I get 2 of one and 1 of the other every week. For aerobic exercise I jog between 2-5 miles (usually) or swim (less frequent). Some of you may recognize this pattern as Bill Phillips Body for Life. Indeed I do follow that particular exercise regime, though I am not participating in the program. For one thing, I think the dietary recommendations are completely whacked out- WAY too much meat. But the workouts, although they sometimes hurt a great deal, always make me feel good later on, and they increase my confidence in myself immensely.

I have been consistently working out every morning between 5 and 5:30 am since January. I go to a gym. Hopefully now it is a habit. Just telling because you asked.

Re: caring about health: My observation has been that many Mormons don’t really pay much attention to the bulk of the word of wisdom aside from the prohibitions. I could be wrong, but I have never noticed any kind of emphasis on grains and fresh (NOT canned) vegetables in the diet, herbs for health, or regular physical exercise (well I have seen more of this than the other two). Luckily I am married to someone who takes these other parts of the WoW very seriously, and has helped me to as well.

By: Jordan Fowles

Jordan Fowles — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Note that the between 5 and 5:30 am part means that this is the time I start, not the totality of the workout. Sometimes I am there until 7:00 am, depending on what exercises I am doing. Then it’s usually off to work.

By: Ronan

Ronan — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

5 in the morning! Kudos, Jordan.

As for the WoW angle: frankly it’s easier to not drink coffee than to go on a 5 mile gut busting run.

By: Jordan Fowles

Jordan Fowles — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

BTW, Ronan, it was Geoff Holland in the Oxford Ward who first introduced me to this particular regime several years ago. I would love to get in touch with him. Any idea as to how?

By: Ronan

Ronan — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Sorry, don’t know what happened to Geoff.

By: Trenden

Trenden — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

For me I hit the gym four days a week, M, T, Th, F and on Wednesdayâ€™s I hit the first session at the temple. To make this fit my schedule I have to get up at 5:40am most days and 5:00am Wednesdays to make the 6:00am session at the temple. Iâ€™m not a morning person and hate getting up that early but I feel worse when Iâ€™m lazy and donâ€™t exercise. The interesting thing to me is Iâ€™m no more tired with this schedule than I was when I got an extra hour of sleep but didnâ€™t exercise. My theory is that when you exercise regularly your body needs less sleep. At least my body seems to work that way.

By: Ronan

Ronan — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

No, no, no. What I wanted to know was how best to exercise without getting up a 5. Please, don’t make me get up at 5!