Real self-care

Self-care is a popular topic in our world.  We are often advised to take a bath or meditate or otherwise chill out.  I am not opposed to any of those things.

However, real self-care does not always feel warm and fuzzy.  Real self-care might mean cutting out the junk food.  It might mean hitting the gym.  It might mean extracting ourselves from a toxic relationship or job.  It can be messy and uncomfortable in the moment.

Other people or entities may not want us to do real self-care.  They’d rather sell us some bubble bath or wine.  They like when we assume that we have to keep doing things the way we always have, no matter what it costs us in health and happiness because they are benefitting from it.

We have value.  We deserve to be strong and powerful and happy.  Let’s take the time to think about what we really want and need to be our best selves and do that first.  We can take a spa day later if we still think it will do us good.

Monday Workout: New Toy!

I got some new toys, so we’re going to try them out this week.  Sliding disks are another way to recruit core and work on balance because they create instability.  The only exercise that doesn’t use the disks is brains, but I thought we should end with something familiar that involves lying down.  Three rounds.

Sliding Discs
mountain climbers	30
lateral lunges	20
hamstring curls	10
speed skaters	30
outstretched plank	20
open close pushups	10
plank jacks	30
crisscross jacks	20
brains	10

If it's Thursday, there is probably a list involved...

Fitness has some surprising allies.  Here are some things that we might not consider as assets, but that turn out to be useful:

• Laziness.  Not the first thing that springs to mind as a fitness skill, right?  However, those of us who are lazy are willing to figure out the most efficient way to get the exercise we need.

• Intellect.  We all know the stereotype of the dumb jock.  While exercise does not require any particular smarts, those of us who think and read can learn and apply best practices to what we do.

• Busy Schedules.  When we are busy, we are forced to plan our fitness if it is going to happen at all.  Knowing that we have a particular window of time can make us show up for class or for that date with the treadmill.  Once we get fitness into our routine, we’re golden because what is on the calendar actually happens.