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WWW.CHANGINGL ANESDIGITAL .COM APRIL | CHANGING L ANES 5 The Art of Manliness recently published an article on an excellent method to de- velop mobility: self-myofascial release. Hormonal and Adrenal Changes Another example of physical tough- ness is harder to see. It consists of the metabolic and hormonal changes that go along with hard training. These can manifest in better energy management, so that you fatigue more slowly, and recover quicker, so that you can come back hard with surprisingly little time to recuperate. When most people would be down for the count, you're back in the ring, having already caught your breath and cooled off. The simplest way to train this kind of toughness is by limiting your rest between workouts or exercises, sometimes even at the expense of your performance. Be care- ful, however: there is a fine line between stimulating adaptation and overtraining, so remember that you need to give your body time and resources to build itself up stronger than before. Eat well and suffi- ciently, and get enough sleep. These habits will build up a store of resources you can lean on when rest isn't so easily available. Occasionally, apply an acute stress, like intermittent fasting, to teach your body to adapt quickly and be efficient with energy, or train with little sleep. But in general, you'll be able to handle more if you're well-rested and well-fed. Another interesting technique I've recently been using to improve my car- diorespiratory durability is nasal breath- ing. This involves restricting myself to only breathing through my nostrils, even during hard workouts. The result is more efficient oxygen usage. This technique causes me to regulate my pacing some- what, but I've noticed that I don't get out of breath nearly as quickly, even when I switch to regular breathing for a particu- lar workout. Environmental Tolerance A relatively rare form of physical toughness is environmental tolerance. The most well-known variety is altitude acclimatization, in which athletes train at elevation and compete at sea level. This is normally seen as a way to gain an ad- vantage in sports, but adaptation to low oxygen is also an example of physical durability, the ability to handle a difficult environment. Another example is cold tolerance. The body will literally increase its ability to generate heat if you habitually go without excessive clothing and expose yourself to acute cold shocks. Even in the winter, it is possible to train with only a t-shirt and shorts. You'll learn to distinguish between the superficial sensation of cold on your skin and the deep chill that threatens hypothermia. The first gives you feedback about your environment while the sec- ond is an indicator of potential danger. In addition to training with less cloth- ing, I also only take cold showers, which has also improved my ability to tolerate a wider range of temperatures without feeling real discomfort. Of course, both of these are pretty uncomfortable at first, but over time, they become less so, and you will find yourself becoming notice- ably more hardy in general. Physical Toughness Training Summary • Expose yourself to rough environments and forgo the usual protection, increas- ing the intensity of exposure slowly over time. • Learn and implement mobility and self-maintenance exercises into your regular training routine. • Train with less rest between sets or workouts, but take excellent care of Health Tips Continued 36 www.jobsfor teams.com JOBS for TEAMS | JobsForTeams0514_HealthHelp.indd 5 4/7/14 10:56 AM