Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

Seth wrote:

Any tips and ideas on making cardio exercise a part of one's regular life when living in small quarters?

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As you saw I am a strong advocate of biking. But in case the weather is bad or for some other reasons I really love my Concept II rowing machine. It comes apart and can be stored in a small place. Works most of your body. 20 or 30 minutes. Stick your headphones on and listen to shakuhachi. I also advocate an inversion table and FAR infrared sauna for relatively passive fitness results. They are GREAT.

lowonthetotem's comments about sun are very relevant. You must get a lot of it to avoid depression. This is why people in the Scandinavian countries have a higher rate of suicide than anywhere else during their long winters. Canada could be a problem in this regard.

rpowers wrote:

Tairaku wrote:

Get a fixie and a good lock and you won't have to worry at all.

Translation time:

Fixie: the cycling equivalent of jinashi.

It's pure cycling. Fixed gear (or fixed wheel in the Anglo countries) crank is working all the time so you get aerobic much faster. Scott, I went to a cool bike messenger repair shop in Toronto just outside Chinatown, they can advise you. I dont' remember the name. They're cheap and low maintenance.

edosan wrote:

Please note: The jinashi police will be arriving chez Powers with a warrant in the morning...

Tsk, tsk. Whereas the Dokyoku Police are a fact, the Jinashi Police are only a rumor. We're too disorganized.

ima_hima wrote:

Seth wrote:

Any tips and ideas on making cardio exercise a part of one's regular life when living in small quarters?

And I only want to hear from people who actually have accomplished the above!  I'm not interested in theory, only results.

Move your ass over to Brooklyn, so you can commute on your bike. I get between 1/2 hour and an hour of good, high-quality cardio almost every day. (Pats self on back.)


e

After those KNOBS destroyed the Twin Towers I decided to protest the oil culture by getting a bike and using that as my main form of transport. Man did that make a difference in my lifestyle for all the reasons you describe. Brooklyn is a great place to ride, especially Red Hook, DUMBO etc. And there's nothing like riding over the Bridges, great view and great exercise. OK now I'm getting homesick for Brooklyn, knock it off!

Seth wrote:

So, again, you really exercise to shakuhachi music?!?

No way, I listen to stuff like Velvet Underground or Richard Hell when exercising. I just suggested it to you because you are always stressing your time constraints and I thought I could trick you into multi-tasking. But you're too smart for me!

Seth wrote:

Brian & Chris-
Do you really listen to shakuhachi music while exercising?  That's just crazy talk!  Obviously I am a big fan of shakuhachi music, but the shakuhachi is for introspection, meditation - not for getting pumped for a 5 mile run.   

So, again, you really exercise to shakuhachi music?!?

Working out I tend to listen to Sankyoku, Gaikyoku and am always on the look out for things like:

Japono-Spanish Baroque Hawaiian-Guitar Interludes: http://shakuhachi.komusou.jp/others/28189A.mp3

Japanese Cowboy Ballads: http://shakuhachi.komusou.jp/others/28189B.mp3

These recordings can be found on:

http://www.sepia.dti.ne.jp/shakuhachi/index-e.html

the Others page:  http://shakuhachi.komusou.jp/others.html

12th label from the top is a Columbia label with this text.

利根の舟唄、谷の灯点し頃 Columbia 28189 尺八：川本晴朗、ギター：小倉俊・日山孝、ハワイアンギター：横山嘉伸 **

(You may want to download the mp3 files first on to your own hard drive to avoid further stressing the Web site's server).

Also Brian's "Mujitsu Blues" and his versions of "John the Revelator" and "Oyster Stomp" are great workout pieces, too.

Last edited by Chris Moran (2008-08-08 14:50:10)

I'm seeing lots of good advice.  By all means get regular exercise.  Tai chi can also be good, and regular stretching can be part of a tai chi or yoga program.   Swimming is excellent for an all body workout and personally makes me feel really good afterwards.  It sounds like maybe you're not getting quite enough sleep; also I second the idea about getting out in the sun about twenty minutes a day; recent studies say the body really needs that.  I usually eat a lot of vegetables, brown rice several times a week, also fresh fish, no beef, and only small portions of other meats a couple of times a week; try to eat a variety of different foods.  Fresh fruit is okay but don't eat it to excess.  Sometimes a one or two day fast can be good for clearing the mind and refreshing the body; drink enough water or 100% fruit juice.   I read somewhere about experiments with lab rats which were put on a regular fast; as opposed to the regularly fed group they ended up living 25% longer.   Cut way back on sweets, soft drinks, junk foods; don't drink too much coffee.  The occasional dark beer or red wine is okay, I think.  I also recommend the bicycle as a good way to get around if possible.  Getting laid frequently sounds nice but don't stay up too many nights in a row.  Don't forget to play ro about ten minutes a day; good centering, I think; that or meditation.  I also like to listen to stuff like The White Stripes and VU occasionally too; let that energy out.  It seems that several other people on this forum are also 52 years of age.

Last edited by Daniel Ryudo (2008-08-08 04:25:52)

Seth wrote:

OK health gurus, here is a follow up question.

Whenever I do cardio workouts on a regular basis I feel about 1000% percent better about my health and about the world.  Really.

But cario exercise is SOOOO boring it is really hard for me to do it consistently.

I used to live on a beach and would run on the beach every night and then go swimming.. (ah! what a wonderful time in my life!) But now I live in drab suburbia with too many cars and too cold of a winter to make running a pleasure.

Any tips and ideas on making cardio exercise a part of one's regular life when living in small quarters?

And I only want to hear from people who actually have accomplished the above!  I'm not interested in theory, only results.

You need to look for things that help you disassociate (I know that is usually a bad thing if you listen to the psychologists) from your surroundings.  The suggestion of listening to some music that you really like is a good one.  Listening to recorded books is good too.  Cardio exercise illicits a seratonin release when you have accomplished your exercise.  That is why you feel better about things in general.  Only a small percentage of people actually "enjoy" exercise, so taking your mind off the exercise is good for most folks.  When you reach a certain level of fitness, though, you may find that you want to maintain a high level of concentration on what you are doing.  At that point the music and other things become too distracting.

Another thing is NOT to get caught up in habitual thinking.  Try to lose the opinions about your drab little neighborhood.  Even better, lose the opinions about running.  It is not the only cardio exercise out there.  When it is cold outside, you may consider skipping some rope in the garage.  I suggest that only because it is much cheaper than buying a treadmill or exercise bike.  I enjoy hitting a bag too.  You'll find that both of these activities will get you worn out much faster than jogging.  You can use a timer to do "rounds," or you can just go until you are pooped.  Strictly speaking, anything that lasts less than three minutes is not an aerobic exercise, but it would still bring about the same cardiovascular benefits.  The boring factor is still there, but these exercises require less time to kick your butt.  Good old fasioned calistenics are good too; jumping jacks, windmills, squat-thrusts.  These are really some of the best exercises and often over looked.  You can also make a balance board out of a couple of pieces of wood.  I try to stand on one for a few minutes every week.  Many of us may be too young to appreciate balance exercises, but it can really pay off in your quality of life later.

As I mentioned above, there are always breathing exercises, as well as meditation.  I have not been meditating lately and can really tell a difference in my state of mind.  Breathing exercises have definite cardiovascular benefits, and both breathing and meditation can result in the all important seratonin release.  That is the "everything's cool" hormone.  Still, they don't really give you the same kind of workout.

I think a well rounded fitness routine has a little bit of each of the following: anaerobic, non-cardiovascular exercise (most people call this strength training; 0-30 seconds of output), anaerobic cardiovascular exercise (rope skipping, hitting a bag, calistenics; 30 sec - 3 minutes of output), aerobic exercise (jogging, biking; repetitive motion for more than 3 minutes, preferably for more than 20 minutes), balance training, stretching/yoga , and meditation (after my experience over the last couple of weeks, I'd include breathing exercises too).  Obviously you would not do all that in one day.  Having a variety of workouts is really good for you and cuts down on the boredom.  Furthermore, I always think that exercises that require a no equpiment or a minimum or equipment are the best.  That way you can do them in most places and at most times.

Last edited by lowonthetotem (2008-08-08 10:43:40)

lowonthetotem wrote:

I think a well rounded fitness routine has a little bit of each of the following: anaerobic, non-cardiovascular exercise (most people call this strength training; 0-30 seconds of output), anaerobic cardiovascular exercise (rope skipping, hitting a bag, calistenics; 30 sec - 3 minutes of output), aerobic exercise (jogging, biking; repetitive motion for more than 3 minutes, preferably for more than 20 minutes), balance training, stretching/yoga , and meditation (after my experience over the last couple of weeks, I'd include breathing exercises too).

Thanks, that's a good little refresher course on the types of exercise. I know I don't do enough cardio of the aerobic type, but where would pilates and balance ball exercises fit? I guess it would be mostly strength because it's certainly not as cardio-strenuous as calisthenics or jump rope, but it's pretty far from weight lifting too. It's pretty much the only exercise I do regularly. I like to rollerblading too, but not the bike trail/recreational skating as much as dance skating so it turns out to be more anaerobic cardio than aerobic, too bad the fad wore off and I'm left skating alone mostly. I know I recommended African dance in my previous post, and while I've taken classes and workshops, I recommended it because I recognized it as being good cardio exercise (I'm not sure if it falls under anaerobic or aerobic), not because I do it. For a hobby, not really for exercise but I guess it fulfills some of the exercise requirements, I dance West coast swing, shag, hustle, salsa, and tango. It's not nearly as strenuous as a good bike or run, but at least it gets you moving and the partner physicality part of it makes it fun too. If you want a good dance workout in the kind that you do with a partner try Lindy, the only reason I don't do it is because I sweat to much during it. There's also contra-dance, it's a partner kind of thing where you also mix with a bunch of other couples, it's well suited to dance beginners, with the lack of technique required I even find it difficult to call it dancing, but each 15 to 20 minute set will get you sweating and should get your heart rate up to that of a half-way decent jog. Almost gauranteed to make you smile, but most cities and locales you'll only find places to do it once a week at the most.

Chris Moran wrote:

Tairaku wrote:

...After those KNOBS ...

Brian, what is the exact definition of a KNOB? Is it an acronym?

It is Milwaukee slang for "oppressively boring jerk" at least and at most "as*hole".

I know I don't do enough cardio of the aerobic type, but where would pilates and balance ball exercises fit? I guess it would be mostly strength because it's certainly not as cardio-strenuous as calisthenics or jump rope, but it's pretty far from weight lifting too.

Yes, I'd classify them as srength training as well.  Weight lifting is not the only kind of strength training.  The cool thing about balance ball and Pilates is that they often encorporate elements of flexibility and balance training as well.  I don't know much about Pilates, except that it is a fitness system that was developed by a Greek guy.  However, I have one of those big balls.  You can do almost anything on those.  I like to use it as a bench when I lift or do ab stuff.  It is also cool to train balance.  You can kneel or stand on it, which is quite difficult, so if you are going to try that, get outside on some grass in a very open area.  The ball is also grerat for stretching the lower back by laying on top of it in kind of a slump position.  It was originally developed in Switzerland after WWII as a way to rehabilitate back injuries.

All dancing is good exercise.  I do believe that dancing is an olympic sport, is it not?

Phil Cohran, Sun Ra's old trumpeter at 81 years old still going strong with 17 children and live performances

I am often impressed by my own father who is 74 and still runs three miles a day and lifts weights 3 times a week.  He thinks that stretching, yoga, and Pilates type things are kind of sissified exercises.  He is very old school like that, but he doesn't miss a chance to go out dancing a couple of times a week.  Dancing is great because it is exercise you can do while you have a drink or two.

Seth wrote:

ima_hima wrote:

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Living in Brooklyn has other benefits: you're automatically hipper; you live closer to the sensei; and you don't have to make that embarrassing admission of living in Jersey when you meet new people. Sadly, you're still bridge & tunnel, though. :-)

Eric-

Yo! Man, you are really going for the throat! Yeah, I live in Jersey, and yeah, it blows.  And, yeah, it is really not cool to live in Hoboken.

I'm never sure if people know when I'm kidding... online or off.

Seth wrote:

When I lived in Tel Aviv I used to bike every day.  It was great.  And really, really dangerous.  At night I would have re-occuring dreams of getting pancacked by a minivan or bus.   I can only assume it isn't much better in Brooklyn.

And here I thought it was the suicide bombers which were considered the dangerous things in Israel...

Anyway, I'd say that biking in Brooklyn is as safe as on-street biking can get. Except for a few major streets, it's tree-lined and traffic is slow. It's a pretty pleasant experience, especially in summer. (As an aside, I was in Williamsburg over the weekend, and it has a bike density to rival Amsterdam at this point; it was almost awe-inspiring. If you're a bike lover, you've got to swing by and check out the scene.)

In Manhattan, on the other hand, things can get dicey. That said, almost every dangerous run-in I've had on my bike (I've been commuting into Manhattan for just under 15 years) has been with a pedestrian. NYC pedestrians jaywalk passionately, and never think to check for cyclists first. And the tourists are even worse. It's ironic, but taking a picture seems to make you blind.

That said, there's been such a serious uptick in the number of cyclists in the city generally over the last few years, and especially in the last few months, that I think the situation can only get better, as both drivers and pedestrians get used to having to watch for cyclists. Plus, there are more and more bike lanes, getting wider and wider, and gas is expensive, discouraging driving. :-)

lowonthetotem wrote:

I don't think they got dancesport into the olympics yet.

I could have sworn I'd seen it one year.  Thanks for straightening me out; although in my opinion, it is rather arditrary.

I had to check before I posted, but Dancesport still isn't part of the Olympics. I agree about the arbitraryness of what's call a sport and what ones have gotten into the Olympics. I'm totally impressed with what the high level ballroom people can do, but despite the above average level of fitness required, I still don't see a whole lot of athleticism: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlPKD-f6nkU

  Here's a clip of Benji Schwimmer, the guy I mentioned before. It's West Coast Swing and not ballroom, but a great routine: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=To9OoCcQZkI I'm not so sure I label it as athletic, but he can certainly do things (including splits) that the average American can't. 

lowonthetotem wrote:

They have ice dancing and gymnastics, which are largely judged on style.  Elite dancers certainly do need to be fit and are usually quite accomplished athletes in their own right.

I guess those sports are judged a lot on style, but I think athleticism is a lot more obvious. Those sports have a very high risk of injury too.   

lowonthetotem wrote:

Of course it doesn't take an accomplished athlete to go dancing,

Even at the pro level a high level of athleticism isn't a key ingredient. Here's a clip with a superb sense of musicality, great leading, and great artistic taste. Awesome control over of his body movements, but I hesitate to attach the athlete label: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGIP_rBR … re=related

James Maas, a psychologist at Cornell, specializes in sleep. His data show that we should get 9 hours of sleep a night. At 6 hours a night, you are chronically sleep deprived, and probably have been for so long that you think it's the normal state.

Maas was giving a lecture to incoming students last year, advising them that they needed to make sleep a priority. For some reason, Lance Armstrong was in the audience. Jim called on Lance, and asked him how much sleep he gets each night. "9 hours." So take it from the best.

Maas has a book on the subject, "Power Sleep".