WEEK 16!

What's the most powerful force in the Universe?

Einstein was once asked this question by an American writer. His answer? Compound Interest. This is one of my favorite quotes 1) because I have always been interested in Albert's life and 2) it's not the answer you would expect from a Theoretical Physicist. But what does this have to do with the Activity Challenge?

Exercise and the resulting benefits of physical activity work much the same way as compounding interest. The more you move out of your comfort zone more often, the greater the short and long-term results. And it works geometrically.

Aerobic and physical improvement comes from a process that happens within the cells and muscles of your body. When we put 'stress' on cells or muscles, they respond! They strengthen, secrete hormones and proteins that protect us now and in the future, and cause complex systems to evolve over time.

Simple example - push one muscle in your body every second day to the point of exhaustion. What happens? The muscle gets stronger. It builds bulk, lengthens and increases in mass. Just like magic. The result of course - body builders!

The same process works on hearts and lungs. The secret is to push past the comfort zone of a muscle or group of muscles (and remember the heart is a muscle and it does become fitter with activity) and get into the improvement zone.

Little changes (like saving money) can have huge results.

Example - You warm up for five minutes then get into some kind of aerobic or physical exercise. You've reached a point now where you feel a lot more comfortable than you did when you started. You have increased endurance. You have better muscle tone. Maybe you just plain feel better. At the end of 30 minutes you're warmed up, tired and ready to quit.

Most people would guess that an additional 3 minutes of exercise at this point would add about 10% to the workout (10% of 30 minutes). Training coaches would suggest it's 20-30% more in terms of benefits. Especially if you really push the envelope over the last few minutes!

That's why PULSE TRAINING is so popular today. Pulse training is based on running slow for one minute then pushing yourself to the limit for another minute then back to a slow walk. The pulsing pushes your fitness envelope more often and triggers those responses we talked about that cause dramatic improvements.

So give your exercise routine another few minutes every day and really push for the last 2-3 minutes. The benefits are quite significant.