Not the boss

I am not the boss of everything.  One way to know that this is true is that we experience setbacks in our workouts.  There are times when we are injured or exhausted or stressed out and we just can’t do as much.

Worse, there are days when, even though we have been doing All The Right Things, somehow we can’t lift as much or go as far or as fast as we’d like.  Unfortunately, this is normal variation.  We have to accept it and move on.

There are some coping techniques for setbacks.  We can try:

• Doing what we can.  Maybe shoulder exercises are out, but those legs still work.  Bike or squat or run or dance until swimming, tennis, and overhead presses are back on the list.

• Whining.  Swearing also works.  It reduces stress.  A positive attitude is a great thing, but sometimes we all need a little negativity to clear out the system.

• Resting.  Pushing past an injury is, frankly, stupid.  Most of life is not a race; we can take the time to heal properly.  Sleep deprivation is rampant in our society, so an excuse to catch up a little is welcome.

• Being kind.  Under most circumstances, whatever it is that is keeping us from doing as much as we’d like is not our fault.  We do not heal faster or improve more when we yell at ourselves or call ourselves bad names.  The world is not going to end because we did not deadlift a new record weight or we finished last in our age group at the run.  We already won by showing up.  We all do better with encouragement than blame.

We can do this.

Monday Workout: Heart

We’re going to get our heart rates up this week.  If your knees allow it, do the jump lunges.  If not, do lunge punches or just punches.  For added challenge, hold some dumbbells in your hands when you do the bosu step ups.  Three rounds.

kb swings	30
kb twists	20
kb 8s	10
jump lunges/lunge punches	30
upright rows	20
Arnold press	10
bosu step ups	30
kickbacks	20
brains	10

Friday Reading Report: When Nutrition Talks About Exercise...

Among the many factors that contribute to the large number of us who are overweight or obese, one of the most striking is that we don’t move much.  My text informs me that in 2009, according to the CDC, 55 percent of adults never participated in any vigorous leisure time activities.  That’s more than half of us. 

In a striking moment of clarity, the text goes on to say, “In a society of food abundance, the modern, computer-dependent, sleep-deprived, physically inactive human lives a chronically stressed life.  In other words, weight gain is a sign of our contemporary way of living and can be considered collateral damage…”

Exercise is not the whole picture, of course.  The good news is that exercise, in addition, apparently, to being countercultural, helps with several of the problems outlined above.  It reduces stress, improves sleep, and helps our brains cope better with whatever cognitive issues come along.

Nutrition, at its best, is holistic.  We want fuel for bodies that do things.