Week of July 3, 2011:
Yoga: Thursday
Run: Friday
Bike: Saturday
My new fitness plans are off to a great start, with a full week of scheduled work-outs completed and appropriately starred on my star chart. It was a somewhat overwhelming and frustrating week at work, but it was really nice to run off some of that stress on the treadmill. It’s interesting: while I recognize that bike riding and running are both aerobic exercise, I feel like they work my lungs in different ways. When I ride my bike, I have occasional moments when I can really feel my lungs working to keep up with the demand, but it’s not a constant feeling of exertion. I usually feel the effects of bike riding in my legs, and my aerobic capacity is strong enough to keep up without too much effort. But when I run, the aerobic exertion is constant—my lungs are working. I think it’s that extra required effort that makes running such a good work-out for relieving stress. The physical work of running overrides any mental stress that may be weighing on me.
I can be lazy about running, which is why I’m so happy to have a plan for the month that will motivate me to get on the treadmill and run off the stress. It’s easy for me to get exercise in other ways—bike riding, walking, yoga—but running gives me a sense of accomplishment that other exercise, though I love it, does not. So cheers to running, to sweating, and to making each work-out count!
Happy weekend, everyone!
I definitely agree with you that running is a more consistently challenging aerobic work out than biking is and that nothing seems to burn away mental stress like running - except for maybe melting into savasana after a bunch of physical asanas.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Raquelita! I love that yoga and running are so complementary, too: flexibility makes you a stronger runner, while running makes you really appreciate a good stretch.
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