Fitness Foundations

Blasphemy!

Cardio isn’t a “Must-Have”?!

While we highly recommend cardio as described below, we’ve seen it is entirely possible to get the results our members usually seek without any cardio.

Further, a person who isn’t nailing steps and strength training is still unlikely to get results, even if they’re doing a lot of cardio.

Once your Must-Haves are in place, tackling cardio can provide tons of benefit:

✔️ Increased stamina to play and work

✔️ Improved recovery between workouts

✔️ Strong heart and lung function

✔️ Easier to try certain activities and endurance pursuits

… among many others.

NOTE 1

Cardio has many forms. To keep it simple, we’re focusing on continuous activity (walking, hiking, biking, etc) or active play (frisbee, horsing around, soccer, etc) where you have anywhere from a little to significant trouble speaking smoothly.

Continuous Activity:

Walking, hiking, biking, swimming, rowing

Active Play:

Frisbee, soccer, basketball, horsing around, etc

NOTE 2

We do not recommend you use cardio as a main tool for fat loss. Instead, use it for fitness, ability and wellbeing with a side of bonus Calorie burn.

L1 = 30-60’ total per week

L2 = 60-90’ total per week

L3 = 90-120’ total per week

It’s way easier to “workout” if it feels like play and not a chore.

As you become stronger and more in charge of your body, physical possibilities will open up.

You can take advantage of these options by sampling, exploring and incorporating new activities into your life.

EXAMPLES

• Hiking, biking, trail running

• Sports of any kind (flag football, curling, frisbee, pickleball, etc)

• Water Activities (kayaking, canoeing, stand up paddle boarding, swimming, treading water and playing, etc)

• Nordic or downhill skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing

• Dancing (pick a style!)

• Introductory Gymnastics, Rock Climbing, or Martial Arts

Lvl 1 = Try something you haven’t done before or in a long time

Lvl 2 = Find an activity you can do 1-2x/month

Lvl 3 = Find a new activity you enjoy doing weekly

Whether you like people or not, we’re all social creatures to some extent.

This doesn’t mean you need a pack of friends at every workout or outing.

It does mean that humans tend to do better when they know other people are in it with them.

Whether it’s an accountabilibuddy, outings group, or simply someone you send a photo to after a workout, find a way to feel like others are a part of your experience.

We don’t need motivation to be successful but it sure helps.

A great way to regularly replenish motivation is to learn to look for and see progress in as many ways as possible.

Once you learn to see the micro-progress piling up, the macro-progress you’re after will follow.

EXAMPLES

• The weight you used

• The number of reps you completed

• The quality of the form you had when exercising

• Improvements in pain or tightness

• Your confidence in starting a workout, knowing a walking route, or doing a challenging exercise

• Feeling like you understand an exercise a bit better

• More easily transitioning between exercises and equipment

• Pushing yourself to hit the RIR on more of your sets

Lvl 1 = identify 1 way you have made progress in your fitness

Lvl 2 = identify 2-3 ways you have made progress in your fitness

Lvl 3 = identify 3+ ways you have made progress in your fitness

There are so many benefits to being in nature but sometimes we struggle to make time on top of everything else in life.

Pair your fitness with nature to double your benefits!

Lvl 1 = Be outside for a movement break or workout 1-2x/wk

Lvl 2 = Be outside for a movement break or workout 3-4x/wk

Lvl 3 = Be outside for a movement break or workout 5x or more/wk