Kind of exciting...

We are all special unique unicorns, just like everyone else.  What this means is that all of us need to evaluate the information we get and decide what parts are good for us.  I know this is more work than just accepting a ready-made program or solution, but it is much, much better.

While this is true across all of life, it is especially true about fitness.  When we show up to a fitness class, we need to make sure to tell the instructor about any injuries we might happen to be dealing with or moves that are not helpful in our bodies.  Good instructors welcome this kind of information because it helps them know what kind of feedback is useful and what sort of modifications to offer.  So if someone says they have a shoulder injury, the instructor might suggest not taking a movement to the overhead extreme, but to stop at a pain-free level.  Or someone with bad knees might need an option without jumping for some exercises.

There will always be exercises that we don’t like.  For many of them, we can find substitutions.  Every once in a while, there is a good reason to do an exercise we don’t like but isn’t actually bad for us.  When we know that it is just a little bit of the workout, we tend to be able to tolerate it more.

One of the things we develop when we work out is strength of character.  We learn to advocate for ourselves because we learn what helps us and what doesn’t.  As we pay attention to how our bodies work on a daily basis, we notice what patterns persist and which change as we grow.  It’s kind of exciting!

Monday Workout: Inclined to do it...

We do a lot of bench presses.  This is a good thing, but from time to time we need to change it up a bit, so this week we are doing incline presses.  What that means is that instead of lying flat on our backs and doing the press, we adjust the bench so that the back is about halfway to upright.  This recruits slightly different muscles and is a bit more challenging, so choose a lighter weight than usual.  In the kettle bell set, the single leg pass and the over yets are the more difficult exercises; choose accordingly!  As always, we need to make sure that we don’t do things that are not appropriate for our bodies—please adjust as needed!  Three rounds.

kb swings	30
kb twists or 1 leg pass	20
kb 8s or over yets	10
mountain climbers	30
incline press	20
curls	10
overhead curtsy	30
rows	20
quadruped	10

No jade eggs here...

As usual, times are stressful.  I’m seeing more stress in my clients and friends and family, which is not hard data, but is suggestive of a trend.  Here are some ways to disconnect from the stress and feel better:

1.     Smash the heteronormative capitalist white imperialist patriarchy.  It’s good exercise.  If smashing all of it is too much for one day, build a smashing habit and take it on a little at a time.  At the end, we’ll all feel better and have more of a chance to be healthy and happy.

2.     Drink water.  I hesitate to put this on the list because it is one of the markers I use to determine which lists are pulled out of thin air and which have actual evidence behind them; drinking water definitely won’t hurt us and will probably help any number of problems.  In this case, dehydration stresses the body’s immune system by making it more difficult for us to flush out toxins.  Dehydration can also cause headaches and those are definitely stressful.

3.     Take a nap.  We, as a society, have a thing about glorifying how little sleep we get.  We are Important and Busy—sleep is for losers.  Um, no.  Steal fifteen minutes or half an hour to snooze.  I don’t hold with the “because it will make you more productive” line of argument because that’s just pandering to the overlords, but it will definitely make us all feel better.

4.     Wash those hands and then hug somebody.  Consensually, of course.  We are starved for touch in our culture.  Hugging the dog also counts.  We need to connect with other creatures to feel safe and happy.

5.     Help somebody out.  Buy that guy on the corner a cup of coffee.  Help your neighbor bring in her trash cans.  Listen to your parent tell that story for the millionth time.  They get help, we get endorphins.  It’s all good.

Please note that none of these things have to cost money.  There is no program, bath, lotion, bottle of alcohol, or jade egg involved.  We can do this if we just keep breathing.