Other ways to bring joy to workouts:
1. Do something silly. Never tried Zumba? How about tai chi? Laser tag?
2. Do something new. A new hike, a new bike, a new adventure!
3. Do it with friends. But make sure it’s not all chat and no moving!
4. Do it loud. Music helps. Really.
5. Do it. Yep, sex counts.
More ways to get efficient!
1. Do balance work. This can be as simple as swapping single leg squats for regular ones, or doing regular squats on a bosu. Same time, more benefits!
2. Use the free weights. Machines are great for some purposes, but when we choose free weights, we automatically add stability and coordination to the benefits we are getting from our lifting. (Be safe, though. Spotters are useful!)
3. Use microwave time. Sure, we could just stand there while we wait for our ramen or our coffee, but a minute is a great amount of time to use for pushups or squats or even just standing on one foot for balance practice.
I asked y’all for your favorite proactive practices (a.k.a. things that We Now can do for We in the Future) yesterday. Here are mine:
1. Make a workout plan for the week. This can be as simple as knowing that weight days are Tuesdays and Thursdays and Monday, Wednesday, and Friday are for cardio, with yoga on Saturday and Sunday for rest. Or you can get fancy and make a spreadsheet that lists exactly what you’re planning to do each day down to exercises, weights, and reps.
2. Pack the bag. Or repack it. What we need in that bag varies by activity, but stocking the stuff we need before we need it is just smart. That way we don’t get caught without our emergency snack or our goggles or that extra shirt we like.
3. Put out the clothes. This is a variation on packing the bag for those of us who roll straight from bed to workout. If the clothes are right there, we can get dressed and going before we’re awake enough to think of excuses.
4. Put out the water bottle. Heck, if you’ve got an insulated one or you like your water at room temperature, you can fill it ahead of time. Cold-water lovers can prep the water and leave it in the fridge, but personally, I forget stuff I can’t see, so I do better filling at the last minute with cold water and ice.
5. Choose the music. That might sound silly, but I can spend forever scrolling through playlists to find the right one. If I choose ahead of time, I don’t stand there wasting time; I just get to work.
A few suggestions about how to get more water in our systems:
1. Add a little something, like a slice of lemon or lime, or some mint leaves.
2. Figure out the right temperature. Some of us want lots of ice and some of us prefer room temperature water. It all works.
3. Find the right cup/bottle/whatever. Personally, my insulated cup was a game-changer. Plus it’s red.
4. Consider the plastics. Not technically about drinking more water, but the world would be better if we drank less bottled water from plastic bottles. (I like my water with fizz in it and invested in a Soda Stream so I could stop buying so many bottles. Economical and good for the environment!)
5. Set reminders. Until drinking a lot of water becomes a habit, we can use little nudges.
