Mother May I: 4

Unless we are dead, we are eating something at least occasionally.  Eating is natural.  It’s essential!  And yet, somehow, I still feel like I need to remind us all that we have permission to eat.  Here are some things we are allowed:

 

1.     Vegetables.  The more, the merrier!  Eat as many colors as possible!  Eat them in salads, soups, on the side, on top, or underneath.

2.     Fruits.  Whole is better, but juice is ok, too.

3.     Protein foods.  What these are vary by human.  It’s good to choose lean proteins and maybe a fair amount of plant-based protein for optimal health.

4.     Treats.  Yes:  we are allowed treats.  We just need to remember that they are sometimes foods.

Mother May I: Lift

Today, I’m granting everyone permission to lift weights.  Any weights you want and can move with good form.

Sometimes we might feel intimidated by the weights.  We might not know exactly what to do with them.  (This is what trainers are for!)  And sometimes there are some large, muscular types hanging out by them acting like they are their weights.  They are not.  We are allowed to use them, too.

 

Here is how:  put on our grown-up pants, walk over to the weights, and use them.  If someone is already using them, we ask, politely, “Can we work in?”  The answer to this question should be yes.  If it is not yes, it is ok to go check with gym management because working in is good gym etiquette.

 

Some of us may think that we shouldn’t lift weights because we are too (choose one:  old, female, weak…).  This is not true.  We may want to choose the weight we lift carefully and appropriately for our skill level and strength, but nearly everyone can and should lift weights.

 

Go do it!

Mother May I: Sweat

In May, we celebrate Mother’s Day.  I’m going to do it a little differently (you’re shocked, right?).  We’re going to play Mother May I with fitness topics.  Here’s my thinking:  sometimes what we really need on our fitness journey is someone to give us the permission we need.  For this month, I’m “Mother” and I am here to grant you leave.

So let’s get started.  Today, you all have permission to sweat.

 

Personally, I am good at sweating.  I could be sitting there in a freezer and I’d be sweating.  I’ve mostly made peace with this, but there were times when I was younger when this did not feel like a Good Thing.  (Thanks, patriarchy!  Not!)  As a result, I was a little shy about exercising.  I mean, who wants to spend forever doing their hair and makeup and then just drip all over it?  (Again, thanks, patriarchy.)

 

Here in this century, maybe we can understand that there are times to get sweaty and then times to get clean.  Sweat is a useful marker that tells us we are working hard and making progress toward our goals.  The gym is there to sweat in, not to pose in.  (If you want to pose there, you do you, but please, don’t hog the good machines or the free weights.)

 

Go play.

Monday Workout: Balance

I’ve had balance on my mind lately, so we’re working it with the calf raises and the squat heel lift.  Three rounds.

 

ball to knee	30
calf raises	20
quadruped lateral raise	10
squat heel lift	30
kickbacks	20
db pullover with bridge	10
plank jacks	30
good morning/deadlift	20
pretty prinesses	10

 

Gifts: 9

Just a summary of the month’s gifts today.  They are:

 

1.     love

2.     joy

3.     peace

4.     patience

5.     kindness

6.     goodness

7.     faithfulness

8.     gentleness

9.     self-control

 

Add your own!

Gifts: Self-Control

The final gift I’m giving myself this month is self-control.  I mean this in multiple ways.

First, there is the aspect of self-control expressed in my motor skills.  I want to move mindfully, to integrate complex motions into a coordinated whole.

 

Second, I want to manage my emotions.  Working out, because of the way our bodies hold emotion, can get hairy from time to time.  We work stuff out when we work out, and that can be a challenge.  I want to feel my feelings and also I want to express them in healthy and kind ways.  That’s a self-control task!

 

Finally, I want to use my self-control to maintain my healthy habits of work and eating and rest.

 

Anybody else want this gift?

Gifts: Gentleness

Gentleness might not seem like the most obvious gift in a fitness context.  I mean, we’ve all heard “go hard or go home” and similar sayings.  And yes, I am going to work hard when I work out.

 

Even so, the attitude I bring needs to be gentle.  My body is not there to be punished, but to be loved.  When I am working to my limit, I need to be gentle with myself because that is hard stuff.  I would never yell at a client, so why would I yell at myself when I don’t quite measure up to my own expectations?

 

Gentle encouragement makes the difference so many times.

What is gentle in your workouts?