Better with a buddy

As we try to pack more in to these short December days when everyone seems to need something from us, may I suggest an alternative to the coffee or movie date?  The workout hangout!  Here are four reasons to grab a friend for working out:

1.     We’ll do it.  It’s really easy to flake on ourselves, but less so to flake on a friend.  When we plan to work out with a buddy, it’s “real” so we show up.

2.     We can try something different.  Our friends probably don’t work out exactly the way we do.  Maybe we have a friend who loves yoga or line dancing.  Going with those folks gives us an easy entry into something new.

3.     We get bonus points.  A lot of our culture leaves us feeling disconnected.  Boosting our brain chemistry by exercising is awesome; doing it with a friend strengthens ties while we strengthen muscles.

4.     We have more fun.  Some parts of exercise are not that exciting.  Having someone to chat with can make the difference between persisting and quitting.  We can encourage each other, spot each other, and generally have each other’s back.

What are we waiting for?

To the rescue!

Winter is the season of sitting.  The couch seems particularly appealing when the weather is nasty.  We have Christmas specials or Hallmark movies to catch up on.  We end up spending chunks of time in the car fruitlessly hunting for parking near stores or crawling through traffic to visit family or friends.  Maybe we even sit on a plane for vacation or obligation.  The point is:  too much butt time.

Pilates to the rescue!  If we ever needed the lengthening influence of Pilates, it is right now when pretty much everything encourages us to hunch up.  A full Pilates session is ideal, but even if we manage to squeeze in a few bridges in the morning or before bed, we are doing a favor for our bodies.  Less than a minute spent on pelvic tilts can help us remember proper spine alignment as we move through the rest of the day.  It doesn’t take a huge investment to make a big difference in how we feel.

We can do this.

Practically the best thing

I am not the boss of the weather.  It is not my fault that we are having rain and cold and darkness.  However, it would be on me if I didn’t offer my number one strategy for dealing with rain/cold/darkness and the low spirits that can accompany these conditions:  do cardio.

Maybe I should rephrase that.  It’s my number one practical strategy.  Most of us don’t have the opportunity to scurry off to the equatorial region or the southern hemisphere to enjoy a second round of summer.  Those of us who like having a place to live and food to eat probably can’t get away with hiding under the covers for days on end.

So, in the absence of independent wealth and unlimited travel, we have cardio.  This may be small consolation compared to the lifestyle of the rich and famous, but the good news is that it really works.  When we get our heart rates up, we get our brain chemicals in whack.  We improve our mood and our energy level.  Our minds work better.  I firmly believe in doing things that make us feel good and cardio is one of those things.

What are we going to do today to get breathless?