HAPPY NEW YEAR AND A NEW YEARS CLASS:
As the old year ends and a new one begins, I find myself feeling
thankful for so much in my life. Part of that gratitude is for the fun
and friendship I have found through my work at the YMCA. One of the
benefits of working hard together is that we develop a shared sense of
purpose, belonging and friendship. I am grateful for the students in my
classes and my friendships with them. Thank you.
This first week of the year I will offer a class that will provide you
with the opportunity for self-reflection on the values you will choose
to drive you throughout the new year. What will be your watchword:
determination, focus, risk, gratitude? What about the Y values of:
caring, honesty, respect and responsibility? I think this is a more
productive approach to annual renewal than the New Year’s resolution.
(We discuss this more in the next item.) If you just want to class and
just ride your bike, that’s fine. But if you are interested, I believe
that inspiration can come from the intense focused work we share.
NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS: CAN YOU TAME YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS MIND?:
We all know that New Year’s resolutions don’t work. Jennifer Sage,
founder of the Indoor Cycling Association, has a theory about this. In
her class called, “How Big is Your Why?” she addresses the subconscious
obstacles we face.
Jennifer believes that New Year’s resolutions fail because they are not
backed up by good mental preparation. In other words, most people fail
at resolutions because at some level they expect to fail. Instead,
Jennifer argues, resolutions have to be backed up by subconscious
belief.
In physiological terms, our bodies are made to seek balance or
homeostasis as a genetic self-protective device. Jennifer argues that
there is a similar psychological phenomenon where we are conditioned to
not change existing habits. Change, even good change, takes us out of
our comfort zone. Our subconscious mind fights it.
Will-power is the domain of the conscious mind, which controls only 2-4
percent of day-to-day actions and perceptions. In order to be
successful, you must change the underlying beliefs that control your
everyday actions. These are the domain of your subconscious mind, about
96% of the brain.
Much of this subconscious processing is controlled by the part of the
brain called the Amygdala. It detects, and resists, any efforts to
change your current situation by releasing neurotransmitters that cause
anxiety. When most people feel the anxiety, they decide not to pursue
the change. This process has an evolutionary purpose, namely to keep us
cautious for self-preservation.
So in a battle between your subconscious and conscious mind, your
subconscious usually wins. If you really want permanent changes, you
must address the subconscious fears and beliefs that hold you back. But,
they are subconscious. How can you change them if you don’t know
exactly what they are?
Studies (including one by NASA) suggest that it takes about 15-30
minutes a day of mental retraining, over a period of at least of 30 days
to break subconscious patterns.
What do you do? First, you need to be very clear about your goal. What
is it and why do you want it? The why is very important. From there you
need to spend some time each day thinking about the goal.
Sometimes in class, when the going is hard, I ask you to make a vivid
picture in your mind of what achieving your goal looks like. Create a
vivid picture. Who is there with you? What are you wearing? What are
they saying? How do you feel? When I do this in class I am trying to
help you rewire your subconscious brain for success.
Regular repetitions of these kind of positive images will overcome the
subconscious fears if it is done often enough and sincerely enough. This
is sometimes called mental rehearsal. Athletes use it all the time.
Golfers do it when they imagine the ball going in the hole before a
putt. Do it every day, twice a day. Do it sincerely with passion and
emotion.
The images you recreate will, over time, actually rewire the
subconscious part of your brain. Brain researchers have found the brain
responds in a very similar manner to both actual and imagined events. At
some level your brain does not know if an event is real or imagined.
Neural synapses are developed that reflect that which is frequently
impressed upon the brain. This is how new subconscious beliefs are
created.
And this is how we stop undermining ourselves in achieving our goals.
[This article is a re-write of material created by Jennifer Sage, the
founder of the Indoor Cycling Association. ICA is the premier
organization providing resources to indoor cycling instructors. I
regularly contribute articles to ICA but the content for this article is
all her’s. Indoor cycling instructors should check out ICA at
www.indoorcyclingassociation.com. It also has information of interest to
students. It is by far the best resource I know for relevant
science-based information on indoor cycling.]
TRY INDOOR CYCLING IN THE NEW YEAR, OR GET SOMEONE ELSE TO:
The advantages of going to an indoor cycling class are numerous. I urge
you to commit to it this winter. It can be the mainstay of your aerobic
conditioning. One of the great advantages is that it is easier to
adhere to a program of indoor cycling than most any I know. I love it,
and here are some of the reasons why:
- The people. There is a wonderful camaraderie in the shared work. It’s tangible and a great reason to want to come.
- There is a shared energy in the room that you just can’t get on a
treadmill or elliptical machine. We all contribute to it and we all
benefit from it. A good instructor can receive this energy, amplify it
and return it to you.
- Music also helps contribute to this sense of energy. Often new
music, or music you haven’t heard lately, can give you more than the
same old selection in your own I-pod.
- Efficiency. You can get a great workout in less than an hour and be
done. I especially like that the workout can be used as a clear
demarcation between your workday and home-life.
- Coaching / Technique. A good instructor will not only encourage you
to go harder but help you to go better by giving you help with
technique and form. This helps you create more watts in class (more
power, more calories). And it will make you better out on the road next
Spring.
Come try it, or come back and join us! We want you there. Bring a friend!
THERE IS A PLACE FOR HOME TRAINERS: I used to ride over
a thousand miles a year in my basement at home each winter. Despite my
love of indoor cycling classes, solo indoor trainers also have a place.
And this is especially true if you have specific cycling performance
goals for next year.
Winter is generally considered a time for building base endurance. This
is when you build the basic pieces of your cardiovascular foundation
that will support the more intense work you will add later on.
Base building requires some longer, lower effort sessions. I try to take
this into account in planning my classes for you. But, in any event,
most classes are only 45-60 minutes. And many classes are going to
include at least some higher intensity work.
So what do you do if you’ve decided that it’s important to build up some base endurance over the winter?
I suggest you consider adding a few long sessions on your indoor
trainer. How many and how long depends on your goals. But what if you,
once a week, got on your indoor trainer at home, put on a movie and rode
for 1-2 hours? I used to watch tapes of the Tour de France that I had
taped the previous summer. Keep your heart rate in the area where you
are aware of doing work but there is not much intensity, Zones 1 and 2
of the four zone system.
This too requires discipline. Many riders can more easily force
themselves to do the dramatic high level work but have trouble
committing to the time required to just be in the saddle and ride. If
you have serious aspirations to high level riding, you need to do both.
Let me know if I can help you with planning your winter fitness program. I’d be happy to discuss it with you after class.
QUOTES:
“When you are grateful fear disappears and abundance appears” ~ Anthony Robbins
“ Every time you find yourself wanting more, stop for a moment and be
thankful for what you have. You don’t have to wait until you have the
biggest house on the block, the best job in the city, and the grandest
shoe collection… Living an abundant life is intrinsic. Practice daily
gratitude and a feeling of abundance will follow!!” ~ Leah Newman
