Fruit for thought

Sometimes life makes us sit more than is ideal.  Here are four ways to make ourselves stand up a bit more:

1.     Drink more water.  This is a win-win.  First, we are more hydrated, which is always a good thing.  Then we have to get up to use the bathroom.

2.     Be inefficient.  Most of the time efficiency is awesome, but when we are stuck sitting, it can be a life-saver.  Take the extra trip to bring in the groceries.  Bring the copies back to your desk before you go check with your coworker about that other issue.

3.     Be helpful.  Offer to get a refill for other folks just to get the walk to the coffee maker.  Take an extra turn emptying the dishwasher.

4.     Get curious.  What was that sound?  Did the mail come?  I wonder what that batch of sirens was about outside the office.

Do whatever it takes.  Standing is good for us.

Adaptable kind of rhymes with apple...

One of the things I love about Pilates, and specifically equipment-based Pilates, is how adaptable it is.  Clients with vertigo can work standing or sitting.  People with knee problems can work with appropriate support and just enough challenge to build up the muscles around the knees.  Shoulder issues?  The equipment provides opportunities to learn new motor pathways to protect against future injuries while helping to recover from old ones.

People who bend like Stretch Armstrong (remember him?  My brother had one who eventually oozed red goo all over the carpet, so my mother still hates him—Stretch, not my brother.) can learn to contain all that mobility with some strength and precision.  Those of us who bend more like your average steel girder can learn to channel our strength into something more flexible and less likely to snap.

All of us benefit from the breath, the balance, the spinal alignment, and the improved proprioception.

Ready to try it?

Flowering in fall

Some of us, as the days get shorter, find that we have more energy.  We feel the coolness in the mornings and get invigorated.  That is great!  Carry on!

For those of us who find the darker, cooler months soporific, it is time to strategize.  Unfortunately, we are not bears.  We don’t get to eat All the Food and then sleep it off for months until the light returns, although if somebody figures out how to make that happen, I know a bunch of folks who want to sign up.

One thing that seems to make a difference for folks is light.  If it is too dark to go for a walk or run or bike at the usual time, at whichever end of the day, it might be time to take it inside where we can be the boss of the lights.  I firmly believe in the benefits of going outside, but inside exercise is sometimes the right answer.

Temperature can also be an issue.  I am not the person who jumps on the latest tech thing (more likely to jump up and down on it when it doesn’t work like I want it to and seems to be possessed by evil spirits), but I have to say that the people who work on magic new athletic fabrics are total geniuses.  It is worth figuring out what kind of clothes keep us warm enough but not too warm when the weather is cool.  Again, if inside is warmer and drier, it might be the right choice.

A lot of people find that their spirits lag in winter, whether they suffer from full-on Seasonal Affective Disorder or not.  Try to find the light, of course, but please, also get in those mood-boosting cardio sessions.  It really helps.

Go play.