The photo reminds me of the Queen of Hearts, whose Rule 42 is also important

As I have mentioned before, I have three basic rules for living*.  Today I want to talk about Rule 2 as it applies to fitness.  Rule 2 is “Use Your Good Judgment.”

The last days have been hot.  An appropriate application of Rule 2 in these circumstances might include drinking extra water, choosing to exercise in an air-conditioned space, perhaps opting for swimming.  Watching for signs of heat exhaustion could also be useful.

Even when we are not in the middle of a heat wave, Rule 2 has fitness usefulness.  Rule 2 is what helps us decide if we are merely uncomfortable because we are challenging ourselves or actually experiencing pain that could damage us.  Rule 2 weighs our fatigue and stress from work against the elation of a completed workout.  Rule 2 considers how we will feel about all that ice cream tomorrow.

We are in charge.  We get to decide.  Rule 2 helps us do that well.

* Rule 1 is “Don’t Be a Jerk,” or, as my daughter-in-law rephrased it more positively, “Be Kind.”  Rule 3 is “No Sangria Ever, Under Any Circumstances.” It was created because apparently the first two rules were not as comprehensive as I had hoped.

Monday Workout: I'm baaaaaack!

I am back from my trip and ready to work!  Let’s get it done!  Three rounds!

kb swings	30
kb twists	20
kb overyets or 8s	10
woodchoppers	30
ball slams	20
rescues	10
(jump) squats	30
flies	20
pushups	10

Blog Is On Break...

I'm away.  Go play!  The blog will return on September 4!

David Bowie says it better than I do...

Things change.  (Apparently, I am full of useful observations this week…)  What this means is that we are in a constant state of adaptation, at least when we stop jumping up and down in frustration about how everything is shifting, again.  When we can accept that change happens, we have a chance to see it as an opportunity.  We can embrace the change and learn new things.

Sometimes the change is an injury.  Sometimes it is just that we are older.  Positive changes like getting stronger or lighter can also create tumult, growth, and more change.

Let’s choose more growth.  Let’s choose to dance with change rather than fight with it.  If we all do it together, it will be more fun.

Try all the things!

In breaking news, we discover that all of us are different.  Shocking, I know.  This means that when it comes time to figure out how fitness is going to work, we each have to do our own math.  It’s all right; calculators are allowed.

One of the variables is how much structure we like.  Some of us want a class with a teacher.  Some of us would rather show up at the gym and see where the day takes us.  Maybe we do better working with a friend or a trainer.  Maybe we are the strong, silent type who prefers solo long distance running.

Another variable is what we need.  We all need cardio, weight training, and flexibility work, but the balance between those elements varies with our age, fitness level, preference, and present circumstances.  If we are training for a marathon, our needs are different than when we are coming off an injury.

Other variables might include how we approach nutrition, whether we’d rather be inside our outside, and whether to blast metal or get out the show tunes.  The good news is that we get to experiment.  Try all the things and see what works!

Why we do it

One of the things I like about Pilates is that it makes me think about where my body is the rest of the time.  When we spend the time in Pilates lengthening our spines, keeping our hips square, and aligning our shoulders, it’s good practice for regular life.

We don’t (most of us) work out for the sheer love of sweat.  We do it to make the other things we do work better.  Weight training gives us the strength to attack the feng shui problem in the living room by moving all the furniture around.  Pilates helps us use good body mechanics at work.  Cardio improves our mood after traffic.

When we have fun doing the workout, too, that’s bonus!

Monday Workout: A few tweaks

We all have favorite versions of exercises, but sometimes we need to vary the style.  I get stuck on bent over rows, so this week we’re doing bench rows with kickbacks to encourage ourselves to work asymmetrical exercises from time to time.  We’re taking our friend the squat and adding the overhead option to make it more challenging and giving our arms something to do during our lunges with the curls.  Four rounds.  Have fun!

1 min cardio
bench row/kickback	20
overhead squat	20
plyojacks/jacks/mod jacks	20
lateral raise	10
lunge to curl	20
pretty princesses	10