| Many people have fallen into the trap of what I | | | | undercurrent of stress or the mistaken belief that |
| call the metabolic spike. The metabolic spike is a | | | | it is not necessary to pay attention to what we |
| situation that takes place when a person | | | | are doing. The result of this type of exercise is |
| undertakes a vigorous, unsupervised (or even | | | | the metabolic spike, revving up the burn rate. The |
| supervised) exercise program which causes an | | | | problem comes after the workout, when the |
| extreme rise in the metabolism, only to suddenly | | | | mind reconnects and notices that the body is |
| fall, leaving the individual feeling exhausted and | | | | fatigued. The energy of the body has been used |
| incapable of a speedy recovery. This behavior can | | | | up and needs rest in order to recover. |
| be instigated by many different triggers, but | | | | Unfortunately, once the mindless workout is |
| stress is usually a factor, not only the usual | | | | finished people have to get back to the "rest of |
| everyday stresses, but the additional burden of | | | | their lives" and there is no time for the body to |
| rushing through a workout. The metabolic spike | | | | rest and recover. Instead it is off to the next |
| can be counterproductive to what the person is | | | | class, meeting or picking up the kids. |
| actually trying to accomplish. | | | | Sadly, as a substitute for rest, overeating |
| Mindless workouts are what I define as workouts | | | | becomes the only available method of recharging |
| where there is a disconnection between the body | | | | the body. Self-control is sabotaged because the |
| and the mind. They are a side effect of our | | | | mind feels good about the accomplishment at the |
| hectic lifestyle. Mindless workouts are taken in | | | | gym and that is used as justification for eating |
| between classes, business meetings or while the | | | | even more. The following day brings more of the |
| kids are at school and are done with a real sense | | | | same with excess eating or the next phase, guilt |
| of urgency, with little or no connection between | | | | about excess eating which sends them off to the |
| the physical exercise and what the mind is | | | | gym for another mindless workout. Mindless |
| thinking. Watching television while running on a | | | | workouts are completely useless. The only path |
| treadmill is a prime example of a mindless | | | | for effective good health, lifestyle change or |
| workout: there is no awareness of what the body | | | | weight loss is to keep the mind and body aligned. |
| is doing. This type of exercise is driven by an | | | | |