Aerobic Experience Without a Gym

No equipment required. No designer latex body suit. Not even a Vic Tanny exercise tape or an expensive “pamper you until you go bankrupt” spa.

Review the components of an aerobic workout:

1. Full body sweat

2. Pulse rate of over 170.

3. Perspiring palms

4. Heavy breathing

5. The mouth opens but no intelligent verbal sound

6. Skin tone varies from brilliant crimson to ghostly white

You can gain all of these wonderful effects by running a marathon, peddling a one speed bicycle up a steep hill or being asked to speak to a group in public.

There are those who would rather be the victim of the car crash rather than the one giving the press conference explaining it .

Watch a new speaker with trembling knees walk up to the podium. Thank goodness they are not wearing spike high heels; imagine walking on stilts through a hurricane. Safety at last, they make it to the podium where they hold on with the death grip of a 4 year old the day the training wheels come off the bicycle. With a white knuckle clutch to the podium, they take a deep breath, deliver the six minute speech, collapse in the chair and let the breath out. Once we revive them after they hyperventilate, they start to relax.

Public speaking generates all of the aerobic benefits for many first time speakers. It is actually not that bad. The first time many people are asked to speak in public is quite a traumatic event. Relax; it does not have to be a miserable experience.

Some people tell you to picture the audience in their Hanes’s or their tidy whites, but at that point your lungs do not have enough air to laugh so it would be a wasted exercise.

Finding a friendly face in the audience and riveting your gaze strictly on that one person seems to produce more successful results.

Other techniques before you go on stage are:

1. Thinking about a wonderful calming scene in nature

2. Listening to soothing music

3. Hiding under the table in the room down the hall until it is too late for you to speak

If public speaking truly strikes terror in your heart to the point that you would rather go 3 rounds in the boxing ring with Bubba the Bruiser, then you are a victim of self inflicted stage fright. There are cures for stage fright. You could take a sedative and sleep through the event, run away to a remote jungle island or join Toastmasters.

Toastmasters is a safe, friendly, supportive group of comrades who share your trembling hands and racing heart but chose to learn to overcome the sweaty shakes. You will learn in a calm, encouraging and sober atmosphere. The manuals walk you through the steps in a logical, clear and informative system. You can even start with Table Topics which is an impromptu one to two minutes.

To the best of my knowledge, no one ever died of stage fright. You can do almost anything for one minute. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose.

Whether your boss corners you in the elevator and asks for your progress on a current program or you receive the tap on the shoulder to speak at your local homeowner’s association meeting, being able to express yourself clearly is a tremendous asset.

You can enroll in night classes at your local college or university, join a networking group or practice at your local church or social organization. Every time you speak in public, you become a little more comfortable with the process.

For practical tips and techniques to ease your fear and improve your communication, come join me at www.Elaine4Success.com.