Gifts!

Here we are, approaching several major gift-giving holidays.  Of course, we are all such organized humans that we have already dealt with all the things we need to get and wrap for the other humans and critters we love, right?  Here is a yearly reminder:  never give anyone else any exercise-related gifts that were not specifically requested—it’s not helpful or kind or useful.  However, if any of us want to give ourselves a fitness gift, here are some ideas:

• Time.  The number one reason people cite for why they don’t work out is that they don’t have time.  For some of us, this may be true.  I’m not suggesting that anyone steal workout time from an already limited pool of sleep time, but I’m guessing that if we tried really hard we could figure out that we waste at least fifteen minutes somewhere in the course of the day that we could put to fitness use.  Anyway, the gift part:  let’s give ourselves enough time to work out at least a few times during the week.  We’ll feel better, really.

• A break.  Not the resting kind, although that’s fine, too, since rest is important to our fitness.  I mean the kind where we stop beating ourselves up.  If being mean to ourselves actually worked for fitness or weight loss, we’d all be Olympic caliber.  Tell the critical voice to go yell at somebody else—we’re busy loving ourselves with sweat over here.  We can cheer ourselves on instead.

• Joy.  Hate the treadmill?  Stop doing it!  Go dance instead, or swim, or roller-skate.  If you have time, go ski.  Play that music that makes you laugh or sing along.  Wear the crazy workout pants if that helps.

• Fuel.  We need to feed our bodies what they need and what tastes good.  We need to give ourselves the right amount so that we feel energized and not stuffed.

Best news:  none of this stuff costs extra.  We can use the resources we already have to make things better!

What Uncle Joe brought to the potluck...

Last week I spent a lot of time on my feet.  I don’t have a desk job, but I certainly was standing more than usual.  And, for bonus points, my new grand-dog came to visit and he has LOTS of energy.  What saved my butt (and my tired back!)????  Pilates.

In the short-term sense, Pilates helped me stretch out the stiff places and get some movement back into the stuck and sore spots.  Pilates is the right kind of movement for when we don’t much feel like moving because it really does make us feel better when we get started.

More importantly, Pilates helps me in the long-term sense.  I recognize it when my posture gets wonky.  I feel it when my spine needs to lengthen or my core control slips.  Even better, Pilates lets me fix those things, whether I drag my reluctant body out to the studio and the equipment or just take a second or two to realign right where I am.

Thanks, Uncle Joe!

Because tree...

Under normal circumstances, there are two exercise bikes in my living room, my dear spin bike and Brent’s recumbent bike.  (I realize that not everyone would make this decorating decision, but I have priorities.  Also, Brent’s bike is too big to go through any other doorway in the house, so I don’t have much choice about his.)  However, in December, my spin bike moves to my studio because it needs to make way for the Christmas tree (which actually lives in the living room year round, just in the steamer trunk next to the couch for the other eleven months).  As I mentioned, I have priorities.

What this means is that I get a different view from the saddle.  It’s not like I’m unfamiliar with the studio since I work there and all, but I’m used to staring at the same part of my house while pedaling away.  It’s a small shift, but it does actually make me think slightly differently.

What else might we shift slightly to get a new perspective?  It doesn’t take wheeling a spin bike through the house, getting your kid to help you lug it down the back stairs safely, and steering it into the studio to change things up, but maybe throwing down the yoga mat in a different room or taking it outside can open new possibilities.  Trying a new route for a run or walk or bike ride outside can do the same, as can testing out a different instructor or sport or activity.  Let’s make it a little new, just for fun.