ForexSpirit

I have been meaning for a while to give an update on the exercise routine that I started back in April. I think it is important to look at all aspects of our life and how it impacts on our trading. This most definitely includes our own bodies. The amount of rest we get, the diet we follow and exercise we do has an important role to play over the long term.

The PACE routine has worked out pretty well so far. I’ve stuck to going to the gym three times a week as much as possible (and try to go at least once even during a busy, hectic week). I’m also still getting in a game of football once a week, although now that autumn (I still can’t quite get used to calling it fall like everyone else here in the States) is officially upon us, I think the early sunsets will put paid to that soon (since we normally play after work on a mid-week evening).

I’ve stuck to working out primarily on stationary bikes up till now, breaking it up every few weeks with shifts to rowing and elliptical machines. The short workouts are perfect for fitting in at lunchtime, so I have no excuses for not going most times.

I normally stick to a given workout (bike, etc) for three or four weeks at a time. I bump up the starting resistance at the beginning of each new week, so as well as increasing the resistance during a single workout it slowly goes up over the long term too. I try to keep in mind the goals of pushing myself to 80% of my limit and making sure that my heart rate increases just after I finish a set, which is proof positive that I’m doing the routine correctly.

I never weighted myself properly before I started the PACE stuff, but I’d hazard a guess that I’ve lost at least 10 pounds, if not closer to 15 so far. I can also definitely feel an increase in lung capacity, especially when I’m playing football.

All in all, this workout still gets the thumbs up from me.

A month or two after I began exercising the company I work for started a fitness initiative. After signing up I had my body fat percentage measured, which was done using a machine that passes a small electrical current through the body. My measurement was 22% at the time, just above the recommended range of 10-20% that is typical for most men. It is also worth keeping in mind that these measurement machines are notorious for being inaccurate, although I don’t know what the margin of error is.

A second measurement is to be taken six months after the first one to record what progress I have made. That should be in a few weeks then. It’ll be interesting to see what the difference is; hopefully there is one!