Monday Workout: At the core...

While it is pretty much impossible to work out without using our core muscles, some exercises focus the work there more than others.  Obviously, we’re doing core work when we do quadruped, but that kettlebell single leg pass is a balance move that requires some intense core control.  Abdominal work is what keeps our backs from hurting when we do kettlebell swings and stabilizes our plank jacks.  Three rounds!

kb swings	30
kb 1 leg pass	20
kb 8s	10
plank jacks	30
rows	20
kickbacks	10
mountain climbers	30
squats	20
quadruped	10

I'm not your sugar mama...

Today’s list springs from the fact that I am working to get sugar out of my diet.  Left to myself, I will drink soda all day long with unfortunate health consequences.  Sugar, for many people, is addictive.  It tends to promote inflammation in the body.  Aside from calories, sugar provides no additional nutritive value—it’s not a good choice to get bang for the nutritional buck.  Here are ten things to do instead of eating sugary foods:

• Drink water.  I like fizzy water with lemon in it.  It feels fancy.  Hydrated people are less likely to confuse hunger and thirst and so tend to consume fewer calories.

• Take a nap.  As a society, we are chronically under-slept.  We often medicate that with afternoon sugary treats.  Prioritizing decent sleep can help.

• Knit.  Or type or play video games or hammer nails.  Anything that keeps the hands busy and not reaching for the M&Ms.

• Hang out with friends.  Oftentimes we eat because we want a sense of comfort and connection.  News flash:  connections with other humans are more satisfying than Snickers.

• Read.  Not only does it keep the hands occupied, as mentioned above, it gets the brain involved.  Most of us can’t think of too many things at once, so a really good story can keep us from focusing on how much we like cake.

• Eat a salad and some protein.  When we have lots of bulky food and some satisfying proteins, we are less likely to feel an energy drop.  Eating the stuff with fiber first means we will have less room for cookies.

• Go for a walk.  Cardio boosts mood better than sugar.  Being outside adds bonus points.

• Floss those teeth.  Sugar promotes tooth decay.  While we’re improving things, we might as well make our pearly whites last longer.  There is also a correlation between good dental health and longevity, although it may just be that the kind of people who take care of their teeth are the kind of people who take care of the rest of their bodies.

• Skip the Diet Coke.  We’re trying to recalibrate our taste-buds, among other things.  Sugar substitutes defeat the purpose.

• Cuddle.  It releases endorphins.  And it’s fun.

Ouch!

We all have favorite forms of exercise, which is a good thing.  What is not so good is when we do the same things over and over forever, especially as we get older.

Getting into a rut can, of course, halt our progress on our fitness journey.  Bodies like to be challenged in new ways.  The danger, however, to those of us who are not twenty anymore, is that when we do the same motions so often, we can create repetitive stress injuries.  (Obviously, this occurs in non-fitness contexts, too, as anyone with carpal-tunnel issues can attest!)

I adore my spin bike, but I know that if I do more than half an hour at a time or if I fail to use my wrist and elbow supports, I will pay.  The world is full of doors that open with knobs and when my hands refuse to grasp and turn them, I have problems.  This is one reason why I mix up my spinning for cardio with swimming and walking.

It’s a widely-known problem.  People get runner’s knee or tennis elbow or yoga butt.  Using proper form will reduce the likelihood of repetitive stress problems, but so will mixing things up.