Derek Beres - Whole Motion: Training Your Brain and Body for Optimal Health

Copyright 2017 by Derek Beres

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

Interior photos by Josh Nelson, unless otherwise noted.

Photo model credits: Callan Beres and Derek Beres, unless otherwise noted.

Cover design by Rain Saukas

Cover photo credit iStock

Print ISBN: 978-1-63144-072-4

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-63144-073-1

Printed in the United States of America

Contents

To my father, Ferenc, for kicking me into motion at an early age. Thanks to him Ive never stopped.

PART I

Setting the Stage

Chapter 1

An Introduction to Change

The evolution of our unique brains was locked into the evolution of our wide range of movement. Mental and physical agility run on the same track.

John J. Ratey and Richard Manning, Go Wild

T HE A RT OF M OVEMENT

Change, the old saying goes, is the only constant. But change itself is neutral unless we make it either positive or negative, resist or embrace it. We speak positively of being adaptable or resilient in the face of change, yet we often fear the inevitable rearrangements and reshaping of our lives, caught up in rituals and safeguards. While good habits that suspend distraction and make us productive are essential, overcommitting to routine can act as a barrier to the kinds of change that keep us flexible, growing, and truly strong.

This book is about motion, disruption, and regeneration, predicated on an understanding that exercise is as important for your brain as it is for your body. The exercise we do, and the journey of fitness Ill ask you to go on with me, is as much about training your mindset as it is about training your body. The rejuvenating effects on your brain well discuss in these pages are every bit as important as the enhancing effects to your physique. Variety is not just the spice of life; it is also the key to true fitness. Learning to embrace variety and changeand the discipline to practice active regeneration, an essential pillar to our foundationwill give you greater control, pleasure, and strength, which positively affects your whole life, regardless of age. Why else would we work out? If change is the only constant, growth should be the only goal.

There are changes we have no say in: the loss of a friend or partner; a destructive house fire; learning you have cancerthat one certainly changed me. The real mark of self-control is how you deal with what you dont necessarily want or expect. Do you respond calmly or with fiery rage? How long does it take you to bounce back from adversity: minutes, hours, weeks? Are you able to let grudges go? These questions concern your health as much as how many burpees or pull-ups you can do. In fact, they directly affect how well you physically perform, in the gym, on the trail, and in life.

To understand how the tangible, physical reality of our bodies meshes with the interior, reflective landscape of our minds, consider the following. See if any of these mindsets describe you:

Does yoga or meditation freak you out?

Do you skip the stretch portion after a high-intensity class?

Is your first response to a challenge to be anxious or stressed?

Do you judge your performance against others?

Is ultra-marathon an immediate turn-off? What about 5k jog?

Do you spend more time on the treadmill texting, reading, or chatting than focusing on your form, mechanics, and breathing?

Is focusing hard for you?

Is sweat the true marker of your workout?

How about the burn?

Do you use exercise to cheat at dinnertime?

Do you obsess over the nutritional info on food labels?

Is it hard for you to remember sequences even if you perform them regularly?

Do you not show up if theres a substitute instructor?

If none of these describe your mindset, congratulations! These are but a few common patterns addressed in these pages, however. Your mindset toward health underlies how you relate to your body and mind, and no one has just one fitness mindset. In over a dozen years of teaching, Ive noticed most students and clients seek to advance in some capacity. Theyre not just in maintenance mode. How theyre progressingworking on handstand press-ups, training for a 100k trail race, spending more time in meditation and recoveryis an individual pursuit. What relates them is this relentless drive to grow.

And that involves changing things up. We often overlook the fact that we have the power to change every day. Your mindset helps determine whether or not youll implement a new routine, if youll stick with it, and if its the type of change you really need. If anything in your movement vocabulary is lackingflexibility, strength, better breathing capacity, the ability to focus for sustained periods of timeis it really impossible, or are you just not putting in the right amount of effort? Are you overtraining, or never even giving it a shot? Ask yourself how often youve started a sentence with, I wish I could, I really should, or One day I hope to. If these statements resonate, this book will help you change that inner dialogue.

Sometimes we need an intervention. Disrupting habits is necessary for clarity of mind and body. If were talking optimal health, being the best we can possibly be every day, we must discuss physical, mental, and emotional states. Yes, this book features cutting-edge research on fitness and exercise, but thats only one aspect of health. Your body does not move through the day lugging a disconnected brain. Everything works together, so you want everything in top shape.

The importance of integrating brain and body science is a hot topic. Since I began teaching at Equinox Fitness in 2004, Ive observed a number of trends emerge. The most important is a growing dialogue between main studio fanaticsthose who go hard in High Intensity Interval Training, who love metabolic conditioning, strength training, and Tabata, and who hit the trails and train for marathons regularlyand those entering the yoga studio for stretching, breathing, recovery, and meditation. Some need to get their heart rate up; others need to down-regulate more often. Ive had numerous conversations with students about what they need to bring balance into their lives. Ive watched some rise to the occasion. Ive also listened to many talk about goals as a distant dream, apparitions with no basis in any reality they can imagine. Yet imagining is the first step in dreaming your goals forward.

Youre now holding the result of such conversations. Change is not as hard as you think. Whether you need motivation to start a program or the patience to actively engage in regenerative practices such as yoga and meditation, it all begins with creating a proper mindset. Throughout these pages youll be empowered with information necessary to accomplish just that. As you begin, its important to note that this book is not presented as a cure-all because there is no singular program that works for everybody. Theres no exact plan for any two people. What I hope to offer is a wide range of information and movements that can be tailored in creating a personal program in your pursuit of optimal health. As you begin the following exercise program, keep in mind that its not necessary to perform them in the order listed. While the book is designed to flow as in a real exercise routine, you can always mix and match depending on what you need that day. The map is not always the territory, and so this book is designed for you to empower yourself as the designer.