What we can learn from the Japanese Telemark Ski Team

No gym? No problem!

Everyone knows that exercise is good for them. The problems lies not in the knowing but in the doing.

Life gets busy and even if you have a gym membership, getting in a workout can fall by the wayside especially during stressful times.

Enter the national Japanese telemark ski team. I had an opportunity to meet some of the members of the team when they were in Switzerland for the world championships in 2023.

Having had a long-standing fascination with Japan and Japanese culture ever since I was a child, I struck up a conversation with them on a train about my dream of visiting Japan and my attempts at learning the Taiko drum.

But there is only so much one can talk about on a short train ride. So I invited them for coffee and dessert at the end of one of their competition days, because I thought it might be fun to speak with them and learn more about their lives.

When we met, along with talking about Japan and hearing their recommendations for what to see, I asked them about their training regimen because I had never met any national champion athletes before — from any country. This was a first!

Over the years, like so many of you, I have done a mix of gym memberships, swimming laps and using exercise equipment at home. When I got to my mountain monastery, I had settled into an easy to do routine of walking, doing squats and kitchen counter pushups.

But somewhere, somehow, I had a nagging feeling that what I was doing was not good enough.

I was both relieved and excited to learn that these national champions don’t spend endless hours at the gym or in elaborate training facilities. They are all working people, holding down day jobs just like everyone else: one of the people I spoke with is a pharmacist and another is an administrator for the city of Kyoto.

They exercise in their homes during the week and among the things they do are also squats. Then on weekends, they go to the mountains to ski and practice together as a team.

That’s it! Yet here they are engaged in international competition.

In the workshops I teach on burnout prevention, I emphasize the importance of ongoing exercise and movement and people sometimes tell me they don’t have time to go to the gym. I totally understand that life gets hectic.

I also share with them if national champions can manage to do what they do without the benefit of a gym, so can all of us.

It all starts with just one squat. Or maybe five minutes of dance to music from YouTube. You can do this in your living room and get your family members to join you as well.

Easy does the job… and step by step you can add more as you grow your exercise routine. I don’t really know if what is good for the goose is good for the gander. But what I do know is that what is good enough for international champion athletes is probably good for the rest of us.

In the coming weeks, I will be sharing more with you about easy ways to integrate movements into your life. Remember, exercise does not have to be complicated and it’s a great “tool” to help you stay sane in an insane world. It promotes your emotional health and physical health.

Here’s to your health and wellbeing! Saluté!

P.S. I invite you to share in the comments what are some of your favorite gym alternatives.