Exercise early to beat the heat!

I am not a summer person. In fact, I much prefer the cold winter months. Even when my job on the horse farms had me working outside 365 days a year, I still preferred breaking ice on a water trough with a sledgehammer to swatting flies and wiping sweat from my face. These days, what with the intense humidity and temperatures in the 90’s, I have moved my daily exercise to the wee hours of the morning.

Note that I am indeed a morning person by nature, but I have taken to rising before the sunrise– and this time of year, that means around 4:30!! I wash my face, throw on some shorts and a shirt and head down stairs for a piece of fruit before I grab Bolo and we hit the trails. That’s usually between 5:30 and 6am. I know, it’s really early, but honestly, it’s the most beautiful time of the day. The air is as cool as it’s ever going to be, and there’s a freshness in the air that signifies a brand new start. Yesterday may have been a complete disaster, but now I get a whole new day to create. And there is a solitude that pervades the woods and trails at that hour that is deeply spiritual and contemplative– often the only time I get in my busy day to connect with God and to express gratitude for yet another day.

For all you sleepy heads out there that use the weather as an excuse to avoid exercise, I highly encourage you to set the alarm early, lay out your running shoes the night before, and give it a try. There is something about the way the sun’s early rays gently pierce through the forest, how the deer seem to stand and stare (not expecting a human so early, I suppose!), and best of all, there is the sound of the birds waking up and singing like they do at no other time of day. When you place yourself amidst the waking fauna, long before most cars are on the road, and the only sounds you hear are the chattering squirrels, singing birds and the beating of your own heart—well, you need to experience it for yourself to get it. It is indeed the best part of my day. And besides– Bolo wouldn’t leave me alone until I took him for his morning run!

Go on and try it . Make exercise about more than just a cardio workout. Add that meditative, contemplative element, and I guarantee your day will be better for it. Focus on your breathing—through the nose, in, then out, almost meditative- yes! Always breathing through the nose, so the turbinates funnel the air current properly to the lower lobes of your lungs. This really oxygenates your body and strengthens the diaphragm. Breathing through the mouth is stressful to the body and is a much shallower, rapid breath. I learned this through the teachings of John Douillard, a wonderful Ayurvedic practitioner. Do trhy this for yourself. You are now practicing what I call yogic exercise–good for the body and soul. Enjoy!