A Jogger's Dream Bedroom

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At first I thought of titling this article, "A Walker's Dream Room," to share what a typical brisk walker might like in a bedroom. But I didn't want to scare my readers into thinking this was about zombies. A zombie's dream bedroom? All they dream about is eating us.

Anyway, a jogger's dream bedroom is probably something that has a high ceiling to fit a loft or mezzanine above and a matching high staircase. Something that looks like the picture above---well. to me that is. I love to have a bedroom with, of course, a comfy bed for me and my wife, huge windows offering a good view of the world outside to greet me in the morning and lure me to go out and run, and a high staircase.

Why a high staircase? First, to reach the loft high above me and second, to serve as my "track" (as in track and field). I love to run up and down a high staircase now and then, especially when it's raining and I can't go out to brisk walk or run. I also love to do the same during my "walking breaks" when I need to get up from my PC desk and stretch out a bit.

I also want a reading corner or small work area where several levels of bookshelves are fixed and an area for my desktop is allotted. I believe runners and brisk walkers should also be readers and bloggers. I mean, they ought to exercise their brains as well. And since they go out on a regular basis and see a lot of things outdoors that mere mortals don't, I feel they also ought to be bloggers.

I don't go for bedrooms with a lot of furniture. I prefer my bedroom to have some built-in cabinets and drawers for our stuff. That's so I can move freely around and do some floor exercises like leg stretches and push-ups. And yes, I'd love my room to have a firm fixed pull-up bar, plus perhaps some weights. Not really a weights set, just a few weights.

A huge flat screen on the wall would be ideal, too.

Plus a white colored heavy bag for a few punching workout now and then, aside from the one I have in my home mini gym.

I think every jogger and fitness buff should have a big mirror in his room. It's important to see your fitness progress each day. And mind you, mirrors help a lot to develop your social projection and personality. Moreover, you can easily check your walking or running form. Even the way you stand.

Finally, I want a bedroom that isn't too big but isn't too small either. I want it just spacious enough but not too spacious like a mansion bedroom. I hate the idea of a mansion. The bedroom picture above is actually too big for me. Make it much smaller but with a high ceiling and it would be ideal for me.

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Sleep Miracles from Leisurely Walks

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Do you stop working out because of lack of sleep? Not exactly. You stop rigid workouts but you have to maintain movement. To be sure, you have to sleep after a period of lack of sleep. You can't replace lost sleep even if you sleep a lot after. Lost sleep is lost sleep. So, as much as possible, sleep well daily, 7 to 8 hours.

But there are times when sleep lack is inevitable---like when a loved one needs extra care at the hospital, or something like that. So, the first thing you do after a bout of sleep-lack is to sleep at home. After sleeping well enough to somewhat recover strength, then walk slowly, like a leisurely walk.

Leisurely walks (as long as you can endure them) are a good way of gradually recovering strength from a bout of physical weakness. Don't stress on it. Just enjoy them. It doesn't matter if you're doing them very slowly. The idea is not to remain idle. Idleness adds to physical weakness. Walking to enjoy the surroundings promotes good circulation, safely challenges the heart and lungs, tones up the leg muscles and creates positive thinking.

Even if you can only walk within your hospital room, make it an adventure. Appreciate what you see--the nurses and aides that visit you now and then, the small scenery out the window, the air conditioning, the visitors---anything. It just requires a little imagination.

Better if you walk out to the garden. I used to enjoy walking around our small backyard, going around it over and over, when I was sick with muscle trauma and a bit of anxiety. I appreciated the cats and dogs and the birds perched on our mango tree. That was how I started recovering from the trauma.

In fact, life is like that. Don't remain idle. You may let yourself some moments of idleness now and then just to relax and meditate. But be mobile soon after. Find something to do and make sure it's easy to accomplish. Then do another simple task. That lets you easily get to one success after another. Staying at home or in your room all the day every day, for instance, can do a lot of harm---physically, emotionally, and mentally.

Go out and see that the world is big and provides lots of possibilities. Now and then we all need that realization especially when boring or stressful work makes us feel confined to a small room or corner and makes us think there is no other reality but that. It renders you lonely, hopeless and conscious of nothing but your problems and miserable life.

So you need to go out and walk awhile to get some fresh air.

Back to lack of sleep, many people don't realize that their inability to sleep may be remedied simply by walking. If you remain lying down because you cannot sleep, it may only make matters worse. Try to get up and walk around your house or garden or roof deck, if you have one. The fresh air and blood circulation is probably what you need to get a good sleep. Nothing tiring or stressful. Just plain leisurely walk. One you enjoy.

Finally, if you can't sleep due to overeating---which sometimes happens to me---a little leisurely walk does the trick. Again, it should be nothing strenuous. We just want to give some help to the digestive system. First, stand up and relax. Better if you have someone to talk to about pleasant things. Then, after 20 to 30 minutes, walk a little here and there, like you're just enjoying the place and ambiance. After 45 minutes to an hour, drink a glass of water.

You'd be surprised that, after that short walk, you'd feel sleepy enough once you sit down. Sit for 3 minutes and then lie down to sleep.

Basically, the idea is to keep moving with your feet.

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What Sinigang na Bangus and Tortang Giniling Have to Do with Brisk Walking?

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It's true, a serious workout needs to be partnered with a diet. But this does not mean you starve yourself. That's often the wrong notion when people hear about "diet." They equate it with strict, starvation diets. That takes out the fun in workout---especially in brisk walking.

And here's where sinigang na bangus and tortang giniling come in. After an hour or so of  brisk walk, jog, push-ups and shadow boxing, your energy reserves are depleted. You need to take something nutritious and heavy to perk up your body engine and make you energetic all day.

I don't believe in rigid diets. I've seen people almost killing themselves with very small meals (if any) and yet grew bigger. I believe in eating right and eating everything in right proportions. The reason most people become overweight is too much carbohydrates---bread, rice, sweets, cakes, cookies, pastries, desserts, and the like. And then they add ice cream, sodas, softdrinks, shakes and other fancy modern beverages which are mostly nothing but sugar and flavor.

So, after a well enjoyed workout, go for a heavy breakfast like rice and sinigang na bangus and tortang giniling. Few people eat that for breakfast. They laugh off working out and burning calories only to replace everything you lost with a heavy meal.

But truth is, you have to replace most of what you lost---especially nutrition. And this food menus are nutritious. You have lots of protein, fibers from the veggies in sinigang, some fat and carbohydrates. The trick here is to eat just enough. Never be a glutton. I'd say there will be no problem with 3/4 cup of rice, a small (solo size) bowl of sinigang with one slice of bangus and lots of veggies, and a big enough slice of tortang giniling.

It's breakfast anyway.

Then you eat a smaller meal for lunch and much smaller one for dinner. If you need in-between snacks, eat fruits. Orange and banana are ideal. Well, more ideal for me is pineapple, especially the small ones which you can buy in Manila cheaply---4 small fruits for P35.

So, the point here is, don't starve yourself after a good work out---a brisk walk, run or a combination thereof . Eat enough and eat everything. Eat something with a variety like sinigang na bangus and tortang giniling. Better if your sinigang has lots of okra, radish and eggplant. You'll only grow fat if you overeat, observe strict diets, or eat lots of carbs.

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Why You Should Have Jogging "Classmates"

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You should have jogging or brisk walking "classmates." That's what I call them. They also brisk walk or jog regularly in the morning or afternoon around our place and, the first time around, I often met them in the streets---just plain met them.

Later I met them eye to eye and much later with a smile. Then one time I stopped to say "Hi!" and that strengthened the familiarity among us. And then I asked them their names. One guy was named, Benjie," the other was "Paul," the guy with the big dog was also named "Paul" and another who looked Chinese was "Rex."

And so on.

I would meet them on the road and say "Hi!" and talk to them for a while and then go on my way. You got to have classmates like that whose help you might need someday if you meet some trouble on the street. Who knows, you might trip or stumble and injure yourself and need a helping hand. That's where your "classmates" come in.

They sometimes walk together in a group, chatting happily as they brisk walk. That's exciting, but I prefer jogging alone. I've always been a loner. And anyway, I am more able to focus on my workout when doing it alone. But I do socialize with them. In fact, I can easily make them laugh. But I try not to be too close to them. I want to focus on my run.

Another reason is, group jogs or runs entice you to compete against each other. You try to jog faster than the rest. Sometimes I want to keep up a gradual pace, hopping high and wide, especially uphill. This way I get the most of my jog. Others might find me too slow.

Or, it may be the other way around. I might suddenly break into a sprint and leave them behind and think I'm showing off.

Nonetheless, it's important to befriend other joggers---young and old. It's more fun and challenging to belong to a community than to be lone ranger all the way. I find great delight just smiling at new joggers and brisk walkers in the area, saying hello or good morning. It's great laughing with veteran joggers.

There was this man in his wheel chair who looked depressed while watching joggers pass by. When I passed him by, I smiled and said, "Good morning" enthusiastically. He was elated and smiled and returned my greeting jovially, looking like he was energized a bit. You can do that service while running outdoors.

That's why it's great to have jogging classmates.

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