Transformative Tools

A few months back, I bought hiking boots.  A few weeks back, I bought a water pen.  What is the common thread?  (No, not capitalism.  That’s a different sort of post.)  I invested in better tools.

 

The water pen has improved my artwork a lot because it gives me more control over where the water ends up on the page.  It wasn’t an expensive item, but it made a big difference.

 

In the past, I have gone hiking in flip flops, or whatever shoes I happened to have on.  I can say that it is totally possible to have a great time hiking in “wrong” shoes.  That said, I really love how my new boots help me interact with the ground (and by “interact with,” I don’t mean “fall on,” which has been the case in the past).  I could hop from rock to rock a lot more confidently.  I came back without sore feet, blisters, or scrapes.

 

When we are just starting out on something, we don’t need to spend a chunk of money on fancy stuff, but there is a moment when we can enjoy what we do even more with the right equipment.

Not the Boss of Me

I had an interesting week with my Wristy Overlord (aka my Apple Watch).  I was on vacation away from my usual environment.  I closed my exercise ring most days and my stand ring every day, but my move ring languished without my daily chores and activities.  I learned some things.

 

One lesson is that I have done a pretty good job of making my ordinary life conform to my goals.  I am not the couch’s best friend.

 

Another one is that I don’t have to pay too much attention to the Great Gradebook in the Sky.  I talked back to my Wristy Overlord.  I explained that I was on vacation, that vacation is good for me, and that I’d get back to moving when I got home.  I didn’t want to completely ignore the W.O., but I did want to give it a lower priority than having fun.

 

I am the boss, not the W.O.

Monday Workout: Back to Balance

I like the balance set in this workout a lot.  If balance work is not a good idea for you, please feel free to substitute other exercises for the single-leg versions!  Three rounds.

 

kb swings	30
kb twists	20
kb 8s	10
1 arm clean and press	30
1 leg deadlift	20
1 leg squat	10
(jump) squats	30
rows	20
Russian twist	10

Five things to measure!

We’re close to the start of a new month, so now would be a good time to check in with ourselves.  Here are some things we might want to measure and how often:

 

1.     Weight (daily or weekly).  We are certainly more than a number on a scale, but it is a useful metric to track when we are evaluating our fitness journey.  Maybe today’s number is a starting point; maybe it is a waypoint on a longer journey; maybe it’s a long-awaited and worked-for achievement.  Write it down and then ignore it until the next time.

2.     Circumferences (monthly).  I like to measure chest (at the nipple line), waist (at the belly button), hips, upper arm, thigh, and calf.  This gives a fuller picture of what our workouts are accomplishing because often these numbers change even if the scale doesn’t show progress.

3.     Workout days (weekly).  How often are we really working out?  What days seem to be the toughest for us?  How can we organize things for success?

4.     Food (daily).  Tracking what we eat helps us make good choices.  I like apps for this because it takes a lot of the work out of it.

5.     HRV (daily).  This is a new one I’ve started tracking for myself.  It requires a wearable fitness device (I have an Apple Watch, but other kinds also measure it).  It stands for Heart Rate Variability.  It’s a highly individual measurement, but in general, higher numbers are better.  Once we have our baseline (average a week’s measurements), we can use it to decide how hard to work out on a given day.  If the number is below average, we want to dial the work back a bit, but we can really go for it if the number is above average.

 

None of these things is essential, but all are helpful.

Demons totally optional

I would really like it if I could work out once and poof!  There I am, strong, flexible, and fit!  I am pretty sure I am not the only one who would like this, but unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way.

 

The good news is that even though we have to keep working out, it doesn’t have to be a terrible struggle every time.  We can reach our goals without working out for hours and hours, drenched in sweat, whipped by demons, and groaning the whole time (unless you want to; I’m not going to judge you.).

 

We want to get our hearts pumping for about 30 minutes, five days a week.  Ideally, we throw in a couple of half-hour weight lifting sessions some time during the week and a few minutes of stretching every day.  That’s it.  We’ve met the basic needs for cardio, strength, and flexibility.  We waste more time than that during the week watching silly cat videos or searching for our kids’ shoes.

 

A lot of people tell me they hate exercise.  It might be true for a few of them, but nearly everyone has had a good time walking in a pretty place, or playing in the water, or chasing around on the playground at some point in life.  If we pick an exercise that we like anyway, that time becomes play rather than work.  This is why I so often end my blog posts the same way:  Go play.

Skip away...

We all have times when we really don’t want to work out.  We are really good at thinking of reasons why we should skip a workout or two or three—I’m tired and stressed and it takes too long and maybe my knee would feel better with a rest and what if the baby cries and how will I get my chores done and now work is texting me…

 

Fine.  Skip one.  We are not going to lose the great gold medal in the sky for skipping one workout.

 

What’s the catch?  Well, we only get to skip one (unless we are truly sick or injured, in which case we wait until our doctor and/or physical therapist clears us to work out again, because that’s just smart.).

 

When we give ourselves permission to skip one and only one, we have to pause and think about things.  Is this the busiest day of my week, or is it only going to get worse?  Am I going to feel better or worse once I get started?  If I do my minimum workout, does it really take that long?  How much more effective will I be when my mind is clearer from my workout?  Isn’t it time that work respected my boundaries?

 

There are definitely times when the right answer is not to work out.  Resting is a valid and useful thing.  But it is also good to think through our decisions.

 

Go play.  Or not.  It’s up to each of us to choose.

Monday Workout: First

I am on vacation this week.  However, anybody who feels like working out without me can lace up their shoes and get moving.  This workout is the one I do with all new clients when they see me for the first time because it is a good indicator of how someone moves and where they are in their fitness journey.  Three rounds!

 

step ups	30
squats	20
curls	10
woodchoppers	30
rows	20
pushups	10
mountain climbers	30
overhead press	20
lunges	10