It's a stretch...

Almost none of us get enough stretching.  I’ve written before about the reasons behind this fact (feels too good, feels too bad, doesn’t seem worth the time, etc.).  Knowing why can be a good start if we want to change, but it’s even better to know how to get it done.  Here are some thoughts:

Take a class. Lots of gyms offer just stretching classes.  There is always yoga.  Pilates will help build flexibility.  But really, almost any fitness class will end with some stretching during the cool down.  Yes, you do have to stay for that part.  It’s good for you.  Classes that are not just about flexibility will, obviously, have less stretching in them, but a guaranteed bit of stretching is better than no stretching at all.

Do it in line.  We all wait in way too many lines.  Stuck in the grocery store?  Stretch those quads.  Worst case, we can lose our balance and tumble over into the gums and candies and entertain everyone else waiting.  All right, maybe we should make sure we can balance first, or stick to stretching hamstrings or calves.

Stretch in the car.  I am constantly spreading the word about the magic $2 plastic duck-shaped hook from Daiso that helps relax those neck muscles.  It can transform a commute.  Even without a duck, stoplights can give us a chance to stretch our necks from side to side.

Stretch on the phone.  Phone time is a great time to do the doorway stretch if you don’t have to be sitting at a desk.  If you’re stuck in the chair, do the seated version of the figure four stretch and loosen up your behind.

This is how we can justify that time watching cheesy television.  If we just have it on while we’re stretching, our bodies at least get some benefit.

We can get it done!

Both and!

Many of my clients do both Pilates and weight training with me, if not all the time at least on occasion.  The rest of them do, too, but they don’t always know it.  That’s not because I’m sneaky, because I’m not.  It’s because I want to use all the tools I have to get my clients where they want to go.

I’m not saying I’m slipping in an entire session of iron-pumping or a whole 50 minutes of Joe’s Finest.  It’s just that there are times when one or the other modality has something better to offer.  For example, almost anyone coming back from injury can benefit from some of the exercise modifications that Pilates provides.  Squats too intense?  Let’s lie over here on the Reformer and do some footwork.  Shoulder issue?  Let’s pull some springs instead of using barbells today.  Conversely, some of the people who come to me for the alignment and lengthening effects of Pilates can benefit from using a little more resistance from time to time to keep muscles and bones strong and challenged.

There is no wall between the two halves of my studio.  This is not a situation that requires firm boundaries.  Multiple disciplines and multiple perspectives contribute to an overall healthy body!

Let’s work!

Blessing

Last week I got back to swimming.  Every time I go I can’t believe I am not swimming every single day.  And yet, I don’t do it for a very simple reason:  I have to go somewhere to swim.

I am blessed.  I have a whole studio full of weights and Pilates equipment.  I have my very own spin bike and two other bikes.  I have mats and bands and rollers and all kinds of implements of destruction (as Arlo would say).  I also have a dog who compels me to get up before the sun and walk.  There are so many super easy ways for me to exercise that it feels like a whole lot of work to put together a gym bag, get in the car, and swim.

There are (at least) two things to learn from this.  One is that we can make stuff easy on ourselves.  Exercise can be enough work all by itself; getting TO the exercise should be as easy as possible so we don’t waste our precious energy and motivation before we even start.  The second is that sometimes it is worth it to make a little extra effort to do something we really enjoy.  Swimming makes me happy.  Catching a whiff of the shower-surviving chlorine on my skin later in the day gives me a jolt of energy (yes, I am weird like that, but hey, I’m happy!).  I like my morning dog walks, but I really feel like a whole new human after swimming.  That seems worth a little effort, if not every day at least more often.

We can do this.