Rewards!

I believe in a certain amount of beneficial self-bribery.  We all need a reward for doing what we know we should do anyway from time to time.  With workouts, it helps if the rewards are not food, so here are ten non-edible things we can do for ourselves when we are done with the workout.  Most of them are cheap, too.

1.     Go in the hot tub.  If you don’t have access to a hot tub, a bath with fancy bubbles or even a hot shower can feel rewarding.

2.     Sit out on the patio.  Maybe you can enjoy the sun on your face or watch the moon rise.  Bonus points for seeing shooting stars or butterflies.

3.     Call a friend.  Give yourself the chance to catch up on all the doings.  Maybe even brag a little about what you accomplished.

4.     Get a pedicure.  Yes, people who identify as male can do this, too.  Feet are an essential part of pretty much any workout and deserve some love, too, whether or not you decide to paint your toenails pink or blue or green.

5.     Catch a movie.  You have earned the right to sit around for an hour and a half.

6.     Buy that book or magazine you’ve been wanting.  Your brain likes to work out, too.

7.     Get tickets.  Some events are more expensive than others, so you can save those tickets for when you reach a milestone, like losing ten pounds or finishing that big race.

8.     Accessorize.  Maybe it’s a new water bottle or some earbuds.  Maybe new earrings will make you feel like a million bucks.

9.     Massage.  This one is not cheap, unless you have a partner who is willing to trade, but it’s definitely worth it.

10.  Cuddle. 

You can do it!

Not just the spice...

Cross-training can be good for us.  At the most basic level, it keeps us from getting bored, both mentally and physically.  Doing the same thing every workout allows us to go into autopilot, making it difficult to move mindfully.  The body, without any novel challenge, settles into a rut and stops making progress.

Changing up the kind of workout we do also helps prevent repetitive stress injuries.  We’ve all heard of tennis elbow and runner’s knee; those injuries come from doing the same thing over and over and over.  It’s one thing if we are professional athletes who make our livings in one particular sport.  The rest of us can mix it up, resting whatever is worn out and working something else.

If it has been all about the running, try some swimming.  Too much dance?  Maybe it’s time for Pilates.  Is everything stiff from all that weight training?  Yoga class to the rescue!  Variety can save the day.

Fight the Patriarchy!

I am always in favor of listening to the body.  Sometimes what is generally true is not true for us, personally.  Sometimes we have to consider the source of the advice and we need to delve into research.

I’ve been doing a lot of yoga reading over the last while (no kidding!).  I found myself continually struck with the advice about what women should and should not do while menstruating.  (People with male bodies or who identify as male or who are upset at the whole idea of menstruating can tune out now.)  Since most of the advice was just that, no explanation offered, I was curious.  I also suspected that it might be historical bias rather than actual science.

I poked around a bit myself, looking for data, but then sicced the family librarian on the problem (turns out that when you send your kid to graduate school, you get to ask him research questions for the rest of his life!!!).  He found this link for me.  The short version:  most of the bias against various poses in yoga is a manifestation of the patriarchy.

Bottom line is, in yoga as in every other kind of exercise, don’t do it if it makes you feel worse.  Common sense does not cease to apply just because we are working out!