Back to Basics: Cardio 1

Good news!  It’s September!  While it has been a long time since I’ve been in school, I still think of September as the month when things start.  Maybe summer was fabulous; maybe not.  Either way, we’re seizing the opportunity to get back to basics, beginning again.

This week, we’ll dig in with cardio.

 

Cardio is a great place to start because almost all of us have the ability to do it right now.  We lace up our shoes and we head out for a walk or a run.  Ta da!  Cardio!  (Those of us who are dealing with disabilities that prevent us from walking or running will, as with most things, have to find a work-around.  I can’t speak to every flavor of accommodation needed in a short post, but if you need one, poke me and we’ll brainstorm!)

 

Cardio exercise doesn’t require any special expertise, either.  We all know if we’re getting a little breathless.  (Rubric:  if you can sing while you’re doing your cardio, you need to work harder.  If you can’t talk, you’re working too hard.)

 

The benefits of cardio are pretty instantaneous, too.  We often notice an immediate lift in mood.  We burn calories.  We have sharper thinking.  We sleep better.

 

Tomorrow I’ll talk about more nitty-gritty details.

Monday Workout: Good News First

Good news!  We made it to the end of the month!  Bad news!  We get burpees in this week’s workout.  Four rounds.

 

1 min cardio
curtsy	30
flies	20
burpees	10
opposite knees	30
YTA	10
brains	10

 

3R Favorites 8

A few more favorite ways to rest, recover, and regenerate:

 

1.     massage/foam rolling

2.     bath (bonus points:  Epsom salts)

3.     nap (just not too long!)

4.     drink some water

5.     eat a vegetable

6.     sing or blow bubbles—they help us breathe!

7.     go outside

8.     connect with someone you love

3R Favorites 2

Another rest/recovery/regeneration practice I love is what I call oilcan exercises.  These are the exercises we do that take us from Tin Man before Dorothy to Tin Man, ready to roll.

 

What exercises make up the oilcan for each of us will vary.  Some days, my list changes based on what I’ve been doing or not doing recently.  Here are a few ideas to get us started on building a base list that can change as needed:

 

•      The whole routine should take no more than five or ten minutes.  This is about rest/recovery/regeneration, not working out.

•      Most of us get plenty of spinal flexion (bending forward) because of our desks and screens.  We probably want to add some gentle back bending (spinal extension).  This can be as simple as standing up straight, raising our arms in what I describe as the Olympic salute, and lifting our breastbones toward the ceiling.  Bonus:  spinal extension like this tends to lift mood.

•      That stiff bit?  Stretch it, gently.

•      That old injury that still sometimes irritates?  Dust off one or two of those exercises you got in physical therapy.

•      A few foot exercises can reset our balance.  Try putting your feet flat on the floor and just lifting your big toes.  Then try putting the big toes down and lifting the rest of the toes, keeping the ball of the foot on the ground.  Extra challenge:  put the big toe and the baby toe on the ground and lift the three middle toes.

•      Breathe.  I like to do this while doing arm arcs, inhaling as I lift my arms overhead and exhaling while lowering them down to my sides, either standing or lying down, but any kind of focus on breath is good.

 

Let me know what’s on your list! 

3R Favorites 1

All that movement is fabulous for us, but no month of favorites would be complete without a chance to rest, restore, and recover.

 

One of my favorite ways to reset my busy little brain is by meditating.

 

I am a terrible meditator.  And that’s okay.  I keep practicing.

 

Sometimes I use an app to time my sitting or for music or a guided meditation.  Sometimes I sit and focus on my breathing.  Sometimes I think about a word or phrase.

 

Even two minutes can help me reset.  Heck, even five breaths helps.

 

Give it a go! 

Monday Workout: How Hard

As always, how hard the workout is depends on us.  When we choose heavier weights or change up the tempo (both faster and slower can be harder, depending), we are deciding how difficult things are going to be.  Choose wisely, for today’s body.  Three rounds, or the number that is appropriate for right now.

 

suitcase swings	30
bench press	20
reverse fly	10
1 arm clean and press	30
db pullover with bridge	20
1 leg squat	10
(lunge) punches	30
flies	20
plank to pike	10

 

 

Pilates Favorites: 10

Other favorite Pilates mat exercises include:

 

1.     chest lift

2.     arm arcs

3.     side to side

4.     swan

5.     leg circles

6.     dart

7.     roll down

8.     push up

9.     twist

10.  mermaid