Mary Poppins, Practically Perfect in Every Way, Approves of This Post

I have forgotten which of the many books on food I have read first pointed out to me that the general trend of food policy and advertising boils down to Eat More.  More is better, right?  We want more space, more time, more fun.  We want to be more fit, more attractive, and more special.

Trouble is, we tend to end up more stressed, more stuffed, and more tired.

I am not going to advocate more vegetables, more fiber, more meditation, or even more exercise to attack this problem.

To be “more better,” I think we need to focus on the right amount.  We need to bring attention to the moment.  Let me un-hippie-fy that with an example or two.  Say we’re having dinner and the conversation is great and the food is tasty and maybe we’re even enjoying a glass of wine.  Allowing some part of our brain to pay attention to the sensations in our bodies will keep us from shoveling in another ten bites after we are full.  Similarly, when we’re working out, we can notice the point at which we can’t do another bench press without compromising form and we can end the set (even if we’ve done eight reps!  Ten is not magic!) knowing we have worked our muscles the right amount.

Both of those examples are instant.  The principle also works over time.  When we notice how we feel the next morning after a glass or more of wine with dinner, we can figure out the right amount for next time.  When we are sore for an entire week after a workout, we can know that it’s time to dial it down a little (or if there is no soreness at all, dial it up!).

More is not always better.  Let’s be optimal!

She's a Knockout!

If I had to say what I like about Pilates in one sentence, this would be it:  Pilates develops proprioception.  Lemony Snicket would say, “Proprioception, in this context, means the sense of where the body is in space and where its parts are relative to each other.”

Have you noticed in movies that when a character is knocked out and wakes up, she always asks, “Where am I?”  It’s never “Who am I?” or even “What happened?”  We need, deeply, to orient ourselves in our environment.  That’s the high-level, philosophical take.

The more practical angle is this:  proprioception is what keeps us from bumping into things.  It is foundational for grace, but it also underlies the good form that helps us work out without getting injured.  We can’t align our knees over our toes in a squat if we don’t know where our knees are to begin with!

There are many ways to develop proprioception, but Pilates is a good one because checking in with the feeling of the movement is part of the process.  Check it out!

Even this...

We live surrounded by information.  Some of it is better than the rest.  This is particularly true for fitness information, so I am going to suggest a few ways to evaluate the avalanche of messages.

Who is the source and on what are they basing their claims?  Your doctor is a more reliable source than a celebrity spokesperson.  Science is a good thing.  Good science is an even better thing:  how well-constructed was the study leading to the conclusion you’re reading in the article?  Orthopedists, physical therapists, and trainers tend to have better information than some guy at the gym or your mom’s friend, even if she lost 75 pounds by bench-pressing her dog.  Nutritionists’ recommendations are better than the diet-of-the-moment.  (I am a licensed personal trainer and Pilates instructor.  I have done continuing education on weight loss, corrective exercise, and behavior modification.  I am not a doctor, physical therapist, psychotherapist, or nutritionist.  I give instructions and advice within my scope of practice; anything else I say is purely opinion.  Opinion:  anyone who gives instructions and advice outside of scope of practice is someone to treat with caution.)

What happens when you try it?  We are individuals.  Some of us do wonderfully well with lots of cardio.  Some of use thrive on weight training.  Some of us eat nothing but plant-based food and others embrace all the animal protein there is.  If you have pain, if you feel sick, if you have no energy, whatever you are doing is probably not right for you.  Talk with your team (that would be your doctor, your trainer, your nutritionist, your therapist, your physical therapist, your support network) and tweak the system.

The short version of all of this is:  use your big brain and don’t believe everything you read!