Training for Life

Autumn is upon us and so are thoughts of dangling from ice tools on the frozen sculptures of nature. Those of us who were lucky enough to rock climb all summer might feel well prepared, but those of us who had commitments of work and family might well be wondering how best to train for the upcoming season.

When I was working on a cruise ship in the Antarctic a few years back a passenger asked me how I stayed in shape given the fact that most passengers would be leaving the boat weighing an average of twelve pounds more than when they boarded.

“It’s simple”, I told her, “I don’t allow myself to gain weight. Then when I do get back on shore and into a regular exercise routine, all I need to work on is strength and cardio, not weight loss.”

It’s easier to stay in shape than it is to get in shape. Lucky for me I love doing physical things. I have a weight training bench not ten feet from my computer desk, and beautiful running trails within a kilometer of my home. I recently started doing yoga and after making fun of the activity for decades find that it increases my flexibility and balance as well as has many internal benefits like cleansing the lymphatic system.
Physical exercise is one part of a two part system, the other being food. We literally are what we eat, and as such I eat fresh organic food whenever possible, eat a whole foods diet, and cut out all chemicals and refined sugar. I also drink well water that contains no fluoride or chlorine. I originally went on this diet at the behest of my naturopathic doctor to clear up a liver/ skin problem, and I saw so many benefits that I never went off of it.
Someone once described duty as’ love under will’. I encourage you to learn to love giving your body the exercise it needs and to keep it in shape for everything that you encounter in life, whether that is an ice climbing clinic or carrying food home from the grocery store. The benefits are many, especially the underlying feeling of well-being that you will have from moment to moment in your everyday world.