Summer Fun

Summer workouts can be really fun, but there are a couple of things to consider to make them safer.

•      Hydrate.  When it’s hot, we sweat more and so we need to drink more, even if we don’t feel thirsty yet.  Plain water is best unless the workout takes more than an hour, in which case something with electrolytes can come in handy.

•      Wear sunscreen.  The only thing worse than workout soreness is workout soreness with bonus sunburn.  We also don’t want to be the fittest people ever to die of skin cancer, either.

•      Go early or late.  It tends to be cooler.

•      Wear clothes that breathe.  We all love our old concert shirts, but that cotton gets wet, heavy, and hot.  The fancy newer fitness fabrics can make the work seem less like a swim when we’re actually on land.

•      Have fun.  This one applies all year round, actually.  When we choose the activities we like best, we are more likely to keep doing them!!!!

Monday Workout: Plank Jacks!

Plank jacks give us bonus points for doing cardio while having to control our abs.  I love bonus points.  Even people who don’t love jumping can usually do plank jacks because it’s not a full-body impact.  Three rounds!

plank jacks	30
deadlifts	20
dips	10
lunge punches	30
flies	20
pushups	10
(jump) squats	30
upright rows	20
femur arcs	10

In which trying works out to doing

We all have times when we’re tired or sick or stressed out and working out seems absolutely impossible.  Sometimes working out really is impossible, like when we are restricted to bed rest.

The rest of the time, even when it seems like too much, we can try.

Trying, in this context, does not mean thinking that maybe we will do it later when we are not so tired/stressed.  (Sickness is a special case.  It is bad karma to infect other people with our germs.  Also, there are times when our bodies need all their resources for recovery and we don’t want to give them more to work on.)  Trying means lacing up the shoes and starting.  Maybe we walk instead of run, or maybe we stop after half an hour instead of an hour, or maybe we choose light weights or an easier class, but we actually show up and do something.

What often happens when we try is that we end up less tired or stressed.  When we’ve been sick and we are stiff with holding still, that first gentle workout back can make a huge difference in our mood.

I’m not suggesting that we beat ourselves about the head until we go sweat buckets doing the hardest workout ever.  We need to be kind and to use our good judgment.  But most of the time, a nice little nudge toward moving will help us feel better.