I Like Lemon Zest

I have a big Pilates exam coming up on Friday and Saturday, so of course I’ve been studying like the paranoid crazy person I am.  Hint: cramming works all right for the brain, but not so well for the body; there will be a good long recovery period after I have successfully demonstrated all my exercises.  Don’t try this at home.

As a result of all the studying, my buddy Joe Pilates has moved into my head to remind me of the point of it all.  The goal of Pilates exercises, and really of all exercise, is to be able to do our normal activities with “spontaneous vigor and zest.”

That phrase is a useful test in itself.  If what we are doing for fitness does not promote spontaneous vigor and zest, maybe we need to try something else.  Trade in the treadmill for a paddleboard, the elliptical for some rock climbing, the karate classes for ballroom dancing, whatever it takes to find the workout that promotes wellbeing.

Rule Two

Several lifetimes ago, when I worked with college students, I made a list of two rules.  First, don’t be a jerk.  Second, use your good judgment.  I thought that covered everything, but I discovered later that a third rule was necessary as a clarification:  no sangria ever under any circumstances.  These remain my basic rules.

In fitness, the second rule is really important.  We all want to be fit Right Now.  Unfortunately, the trip from couch to marathon takes a while.  Every journey begins with a single step, they say.  One step.  Take one at a time.  The odds of taking the second step improve when we take one at a time.

How do we tell if we are taking the right steps?  We feel tired but not completely wiped out.  We have soreness, but we can still get out of our chairs without (too much) swearing.  We feel up to doing it again tomorrow (cardio) or the next day (weights).  When we are counting the moments until the next dose of Advil, when we wish that our favorite massage therapist worked 24/7, when the very idea of moving seems to make our entire bodies ache, we have violated rule two.

Play hard, but not too hard.  And, seriously, watch out for the sangria. 

Monday Book Review: Spark

I stayed up later than I should have last night because I was so excited about the book I was reading.  John Ratey’s book Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain unfolds all kinds of motivation to get moving.  He provides the evidence for why exercise, particularly aerobic exercise, promotes good brain health.

Specific chapters discuss particular issues, such as depression, ADHD, aging, addiction, and women’s health.

While the focus is on aerobic exercise, the book does advocate for a balanced exercise program including weight training, agility, and balance and flexibility.  The benefits accrue, according to the evidence, at fairly minimal levels, but more is better.

Speaking as a person who would prefer not to be depressed, senile, and physically impaired, I am newly motivated to move (not that it takes much…).

Go play!

Wee Willie Winkie did stairs at night...

I’m a morning person.  Once I am out of bed, off I go, full of energy, until afternoon, when it all goes downhill.  I have learned that it is best to do the most important things first off.  Some other people, not so much.  They need some time to get moving and do best waiting to tackle the important or hard stuff until later.

There have been studies showing it is best to work out in the morning, the evening, or both.  The best time to work out is when it works for you.  That might mean sleeping in your gym clothes, rolling out of bed and into the car to hit the gym before you are even entirely awake.  Maybe you need a lunch time movement break.  Maybe finally, after dinner and dishes, you can take the time to sweat.  Any workout is better than no workout.

No matter what time you choose, you will feel better for having done it!

No tire rotation, please

I’m going to the doctor today for what one of my former coworkers called my annual lube and oil filter change.  My doctor calls it a PAP smear.  As much as I like my doctor, I’m not particularly looking forward to it.  I’m doing it because it is part of being a healthy person.

Virtually every exercise advice begins with “Talk to your doctor.”  For some health conditions, it is crucial.  High blood pressure sufferers and diabetics, for example, need to understand what they can and cannot do and how to deal with various circumstances that can arise while exercising.  It is also important to get your doctor’s and your physical therapist’s input when you are coming back from an injury.

However, checking in with the doctor isn’t just about fitness plans.  It is about general wellness.  We all need routine tests, vaccines, screenings.  As our bodies change, medications may need to be added, adjusted, or eliminated.

And if you park at a distance from the office, you can get a little exercise on the way.

Grab your partner...

We don’t have to do it alone.  A friend can make us show up to work out.  Some people thrive on a little friendly competition.  Another set of eyes can help our form.  Having someone to talk to can make the miles of that walk or ride go faster.

There are a few important ground rules, though.

1.     Pick the right friend.  We know which one, the reliable one, the good influence one, the one who makes us our better selves.  I’m not trying to be judgmental here.  The point is that we want to encourage ourselves to exercise, not provide ourselves with a convenient excuse.  A subset of this rule is that if a friend has a real reason not to meet up on a particular occasion, we have to go anyway.

2.     Pick the right destination.  If all our walks end at the doughnut shop, we might have a problem.  We need to choose walks that are inherently interesting, say, along the beach, or that end at places we need to go anyway, like the bank or the store.

3.     Pick the right pace.  We want to be able to have a conversation, but one that keeps moving.  If you can burst into song, you are probably not moving fast enough, although if you start dancing along, bonus points.

Go make a date!

Likes and unlikes

We all have favorites—color, food, movie, exercise, gerbil—and unfavorites.  When it comes to fitness, we need to pay attention to both of those things.  Doing our favorite form of exercise is the easy part.  Quick, ask me if I want to ride my bike.  Duh!  Prioritizing kinds of exercise we like makes fitness fun, which is all to the good.

But those unfavorites can be useful, too.  When my kids were little, I found myself saying, a lot, “You don’t have to like it, but you do have to do it.”  In workouts, if we always work the same muscle groups, we are asking to look like, say, Popeye, with his strangely developed forearms and no other discernable muscle.  We also set up a situation for our bodies that is unbalanced.  That adds strain and tension.  It can also lead to injury.

Often we don’t like a particular exercise because we aren’t good at it.  It is okay not to be good at every single exercise.  People do not expect football players to be good at synchronized swimming or sprinters to be good wrestlers.  Let’s allow ourselves to explore, to try, and to learn.  A sense of humor also helps, especially at those times when we catch a glimpse of ourselves in the mirror or when we make an accidental loud noise.  Sometimes letting go of having to be good at something makes it feel a lot better.