Stretching a Point and the Point of Stretching

I have been sitting more than usual lately, partly because of a big sewing project, partly because of studying.  I feel like I am accomplishing things, but I also feel… stiff.  I feel stiff even though I do all the things:  I drink lots of fluids, so I have to get up and go to the bathroom every half hour or so.  I stand up and stretch.  I multitask, so I move to change the laundry or do some cooking or put stuff away.

What helps is spending quantity time on Pilates and yoga.  Things would be worse if I didn’t stretch a bit here and there, but what I really need (and I think I am not alone) is enough time and space to allow the muscles to relax for real.  It’s worth the investment of time and energy.  Let’s do it.

It's pretty much always dark at 5.

It is beginning to feel a little more like fall, especially early in the morning when my dog wakes me up to walk.  Getting outside first thing in the morning does help me stay in tune with what is going on with the seasons, although I have to say that dark is dark no matter what season it is.  I see that someone’s apples are ripening and their persimmons are beginning to color.  A lot of roses have transitioned from bloom to hip.  The air feels more energetic and slightly damper.

Maybe our bodies want to make a transition, too.  What faded petals can we discard?  What leaves have dried up and need to blow away?  Maybe we need to add some color.  Some of us feel more zip in the fall and it might be time to kick it up a notch on the cardio.  Others of us feel a turn inward and might want to consider some restorative exercise like yoga or Pilates.

In any case, a fitness change can be a good thing.

Monday Workout: Instability!

This week we are doing some work with instability.  Asymmetric exercises like the single arm clean and press force us to use more core control.  Doing some of our usual exercises on the bosu has the same effect:  balance requires core work!  Three rounds.

1 arm clean and press	30
rows	20
YTA	10
bosu mountain climbers	30
bosu squats	20
bosu lateral raises	10
lunge to curl	30
kickbacks	20
barbell twist	10