Cardio Favorites: 6

I admit:  I have a hard time picking a favorite cardio exercise.  Here are some other of my favorites, but feel free to add more!

 

1.     pickleball

2.     ballet and other dance

3.     elliptical trainers

4.     skiing

5.     hiking

6.     roller skating

Thursday List: 8

More possible interdependencies to explore:

 

1.     Yoga and stress reduction

2.     Cardio exercise and anxiety management

3.     Exercise/movement and general mental health

4.     Outdoor time/movement/sun exposure

5.     Hydration and mood

6.     Sleep and performance

7.     Pilates and balance work

8.     Social interaction and movement

Thursday List: 4

Independence vs. Interdependence

 

1.     “I want to win.” vs. “We can win together.”

2.     “I can do it myself.” vs. “No human is an island.”

3.     “I want to be strong.” vs. “I use my strength to help.”

4.     “I want to be fit.” vs. “My fitness allows me to take care of people I love.”

Independence, Part 8

Things we are free from and for, a list of affirmations:

 

1.     We are free to be healthy.

2.     We are free to be happy.

3.     We are free to choose our own goals.

4.     We are free to set our own ideals.

5.     We are free from the expectations of others.

6.     We are free to work out in the way that works best for us.

7.     We are free to be strong, fit, and fabulous, however we define those terms.

Independence, Part 5

Some ideals we can declare independence from:

 

1.     Cultural body image

2.     Ableist ideas of what we should do

3.     Fanatical adherence to rubrics about exercise and nutrition

4.     “Healthy” stuff that makes us feel bad

Independence, Part 2: 8

While working on fitness tends to enable our pursuit of happiness, sometimes the fitness work itself can be happy.  Here are some happy workouts:

 

1.     Dance

2.     Yoga

3.     Pickleball

4.     Swimming

5.     Tag with the kids

6.     That sport you love

7.     That hike that inspires you

8.     That thing you do with friends and you end up laughing until your abs hurt

9.     Add your own

Wellness Check: 6

A rainbow to eat!

 

1.     Red bell pepper. 

2.     Oranges. 

3.     Yellow squash.

4.     Green beans (or broccoli, or spinach, or asparagus, or any of the other million green veggies)

5.     Blueberries.

6.     Eggplant.

Wellness Check: 6

Things that will help us sleep well:

 

1.     Turn off the blue light.  That means the tv and all the devices.  At least a half hour before bed time.

2.     Keep it dark.  Either keep the room dark or get a sleep mask.  (I love mine!)

3.     Keep it cool.  Lower temperatures help us get and stay asleep.

4.     Relax.  Some gentle breathing or meditation can help.

5.     Get exercise.  Some people get amped up after exercise, so if this is you, schedule your workout earlier in the day.

6.     Watch the caffeine and alcohol.  Moderation or abstention can help. 

Wellness Check: 5

More ways to encourage recovery and regeneration!

 

1.     Corrective and low-intensity movement:  Think yoga, Pilates, stretching.

2.     Breathing:  deep breathing stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, cuing our bodies to rest and recover.

3.     Massage, foam rolling, percussion:  feels good and is good!

4.     Epsom salt baths.

5.     Fun.

Wellness Check: 4

Sometimes we need a little nudge to get moving.  Here are some possible “rules” to help us out:

 

1.     Microwave time is stretching time.

2.     The pause between episodes is lap-around-the-house time.  (Bonus points:  change the laundry!)

3.     Take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator.

4.     On the phone?  Talk and walk.

Mother May I: 5

We made it to the end of the month!  Hooray for us!  But there is one last permission I’m granting:  permission to rest.  Here are some ways to incorporate rest:

 

1.     Between sets.

2.     Between rounds.

3.     On vacation.

4.     On rest days.

5.     When we’re sick/tired.

 

Rest is where we heal and get stronger!

Mother May I: 3

When we’re kids, people bribe us to do stuff.  Behave at the doctor?  Get a sucker.  Good report card?  Pizza for you.  Now that we’re adults, we get to set our own rewards for working out.  May I suggest:

 

1.     Massage.  Or a hot bath.  Or anything that makes your body feel fabulous.

2.     Milestone treats.  Chop up that big goal and reward yourself for each segment.  This could be a scale number, a distance reached, a weight lifted, or whatever else you’re measuring.  Make it small enough to be manageable but big enough to be meaningful.

3.     New gear.  Who doesn’t love getting new workout clothes?  Or comfy shoes?  Or a cool new thingamajig for that activity we love?

Mother May I: 4

Today’s permission has a bunch of flavors.  We have permission to play games.  Here are some ways that might play out (pun intended).

 

1.     Literal games.  We can get our workout while playing football or pickleball or soccer or water polo or baseball.

2.     Mind games.  We can see if we can trick ourselves into doing one more rep or one more sprint.

3.     Distracting games.  On a long run or bike or hike?  Play the alphabet game like you did when you were stuck in the car as a kid.  Or I Spy.  Or race other people to landmarks (with or without telling them!).

4.     Streak games.  How many days in a row can you show up at the gym?  How many workouts can you make it before you need new shoes?  How long can you go before washing that lucky shirt (actually, please don’t do that one.  The other people in the gym don’t deserve that.)

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.

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: 3

Ways to be faithful in workouts:

 

1.     Show up daily.

2.     Practice good form.

3.     Be a good workout buddy.

Gifts: 5

Workout kindness comes in many flavors.

 

1.     Use headphones.  Not everyone wants to jam to your jam.

2.     Wipe the equipment.  Because no one wants to share your sweat.

3.     Put the weights back in the rack.  Duh.

4.     Let folks work in.  You need to rest between sets anyway.

5.     Pick up your stuff.  You’re a grown-up now and it isn’t that hard. 

Gifts: 3

Ways to bring more peace to workouts:

 

1.     Plan ahead.  It’s much more peaceful to work out when we have all our stuff.

2.     Finish with stretching.

3.     Smash the cis/hetero/white supremacist/capitalist/imperialist patriarchy (definitely good exercise, too.)

Fresh: 3

We can Pilates in the wild!  Three things to try in daily life:

 

1.     Deep breathing.

2.     Aligned posture.

3.     Efficient movement.

Fresh: 4

More strength fresheners:

 

1.     Change the tempo.

2.     Try a circuit.

3.     Swap machines for free weights or vice versa.

4.     Change the usual order.