While attending a 10 day Vipassana silent meditation course (you do not speak for the 10 days and have no electronics/connection with the outside world - very liberating) I was not able to exercise, other than about 10,000 steps per day. As background, I have been on ADT (Firmagon) for 6 months (just had my last injection!) and have made the gym and sauna part of my daily routine.
I'm lifting 3 - 4 times per week with an additional 45 minutes of cardio on the elliptical. My main concern of going to this meditation course was 11 days of no gym or lifting.
As a single data point I thought I would share that in the 11 days of no gym, I appeared to lose about 15% of the strength I had built up (based on having to lower the weight I would normally lift by 15%). The good news is that 12 days after the course and returning to the gym, I have regained the 15% I lost. Just an anecdotal story to illustrate how quickly muscles can respond, up or down, when on ADT.
Exercise has been critical in helping me feel good and not be battered by ADT (other than those darn hot flashes!). Set your intention to be consistent in going to the gym, it does make a difference.
Also wanted to send a thank you to Dockam for sending me one of the PC bracelets he had made and offered to us last week. Thanks Dockam, I love it!
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LongevityAT
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Amazing how quickly you regained your strength. I too have noticed a quick drop off after missing a few days of weight resistance training. I'm working on adding some more body eight exercises to my routine to try and counter the rapid declines.
I'm interested in the Vipassana retreat you attended. Would you recommend it to others? If so, what benefits did you experience from the retreat?
- yes, I would highly recommend. It was hard, but well worth it. Every year I challenge myself to do something hard, scary (to me) or that I don't want to do. One year it was learn a musical instrument and sing in public, one year it was hike the Appalachian Trail, another it was write a book. This year (besides dealing with PC) it was attend a Vipassana retreat, and it was just as hard as anything else I've undertaken. Vipassana was hard both physically (sitting and meditating over 10 hours per day) and mentally (they remove all contact with the outside world and no speaking). However, it provides a path to a meditation technique that allows you to clear past and current traumas or miseries that you experienced or maybe you caused to another, along with addictions, cravings, etc. There is much more than that but I believe it will provide something a bit different to each person who attends.
There are over 200 centers in the world that teach Vipassana, with about 14 of them in the US. And the beautiful thing is that the course is at no cost to the student, including room and board (they only serve vegetarian but it was delicious). This is to avoid any commercialization of the technique and it is all paid for by donations from past students (not required and no pressure to do so). Google Vipassana Centers and you will find a list and hopefully some are reasonably close to you.
Awesome/Wow about 10 day silent retreat, glad you were able to get the steps in about regaining strength. My #1 son did one in CA and he would do laps and silently greet a cactus that he nicknamed "Cthulu" from HP Lovecraft
You're welcome about Bracelet, glad that you "dig" it 😁
Ha! I did something similar. It's weird, but there was a rock on the walking path (there is a separate walking path for men and women) that allowed me to step in the middle of a bit of mud if it had rained. I would be sure to end all my walks stepping on this rock and say thanks every time.
When the retreat people were allowed to speak on the last day, my son said so many asked about him walking so much😁
I'm sure that going 10 days without speaking would drive a lot of people to silently engage with a whatever object was out there, I'm sure that I would
10 days in there would seriously impact your consciousness .. when you leave, the outside world looks and feels quite different from when you went in yayaya yayayayayaya y.
That is true and is why the noble silence ends the day before you leave, to give us a chance to "reacclimate" (even though we still did not get phones back until the course was over).
Sounds like you’ve found a training that you resonate closely with. IMHO , I’d consider entering a group locally ( if you have one ) . If Vipassana isn’t available but Zen is, you might take an introductory retreat with Soto or Rinzai Zen group to see. Vipassana is an older sect from India that focuses on wisdom and Zen is a later Chinese sect ( that traces its roots back to Vipassana ) that focuses on nature / the here and now with the possibility of instant enlightenment. Tho different, they share many similar practices . In the end, they compliment each other perfectly.
The potential benefit for guys like us is profound , IMHO.
Fortunately, there are a few local groups I can join for group Vipassana meditation. And I love being in nature but haven't yet looked seriously at Zen, but will check it out. Thanks.
Hey dockam, I lived alone for years in the mountains & to keep my mind working right? I talked to myself but beware when you try it that nobody answers back...
That is very inspiring & I think everybody in this mad rush world we live in should do that course. My problem would be sitting cross legs for any length of time & walking on frozen knees but there is one near me here in OZ so will apply at least.
Thx for your comment. I’m thinking about participating in a Vipassana retreat, too. But have the same concerns that you had. And I‘m not sure that I can sit in the same position for so many hours per day without too much pain. You motivated me to re-think my participation, thx a lot and all the best
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How much exercise needed?
