Monday Workout: As Many

 

Time for a month-end short circuit!  Do as many rounds as you can in the time you have!

 

 

1 min cardio
	20
woodchoppers	20
bench press	10
YTA	30
Bulgarian split squat	30
rows	20
pretty princesses	10

 

Thursday List: Boredom Busters

Yesterday I talked about boredom in our workouts just a bit.  Here are some boredom-busters:

 

• Do it backwards.  If you normally do cardio first, do weights first.

• Change the tempo.  Working faster or slower than usual can stimulate muscles in a new way.

• Change the venue.  Take it outside, or inside, whatever is not usual.

• Try that class.  You know, that one you’re intrigued by

• Go along with a friend.  Do what she does for a day or a week.

• Change the playlist.  New music can be really motivating!

Spring Clean the Workout

It might just be me, but I love spring cleaning.  It feels so good to have everything fresh and tidy!  This is a good time to spring clean our workout routines, too.  Here are a couple of questions to ask to help with that process:

Is what I’m doing working?  The answer to that question, of course, depends on your goals.  If, for example, you discover that you are not, in fact, getting stronger with your current weight training program, it’s time for a change.  Or if you discover that the workouts are great, but you’re eating less fabulous foods, it might be time to examine the connection between the gym and the kitchen.

 

Am I bored?  Both brains and bodies get bored.  If you don’t even need to wake up entirely to do the workout, chances are you are bored and could use a fresh take.  If a workout that used to give you the progress you wanted has stopped, it might be that your body is ready for a new challenge.

 

Can I please go outside now?  It’s warmer and less likely to storm on us, so this is a good time to take the workout into the fresh air.

 

Go play.

Subtle

Pilates can be a subtle practice.  Most of the time when we do it, we don’t end up sore.  We might feel tired, but we’re also energized in a calm kind of way after our sessions.  It can be hard to notice what Pilates does for us.

Until we skip it a while.

 

I notice the lack of Pilates when all of a sudden those problem areas of my body start whining again.  I find my range of motion decreases.  So does my flexibility and my balance.  I move with less grace.  And the hamsters in my head start their obsessive running.

 

The good news is that Uncle Joe is always there, ready for us, however we show up.  When we breathe and move mindfully, we tap into the Pilates magic.

 

Poke me if you want to try it!

Monday Workout: Transverse

We’ve got all kinds of good stuff this week working in the transverse plane and also working with weight bearing on the arms.  Three rounds.

 

kb swings	30
kb twist	20
kb 8s	10
jacks	30
renegade rows	20
squat pop up	10
curtsies	30
overhead press	20
brains	10

 

Thursday List: April Produce

The Amazing Stickie is taking some much-needed time off, so we have the return of the Thursday List.

 

This week’s list is produce in season for April!  Hooray for spring!

 

• strawberries

• asparagus

• artichokes

• snap peas

• spring onions/garlic/leeks

• fennel

• rhubarb

• baby carrots

• radishes

 

Yummy! (Well, except for the carrots.  I hate carrots.  More for the rest of y’all.)

Age Appropriate

As I mentioned, April is my birthday month.  That mean—news flash!—I’m getting older, just like everyone else.  Workout needs change a bit as we age, so here are some things older adults might want to focus on.

Number one is balance.  Falls are one of the biggest risks we face as we age.  The data on what happens after we fall and break a hip is not pretty.  It might be time to seek out that Pilates or yoga class.  There are other simple things to do in daily life that help, too, like practicing standing on one foot while waiting for the microwave to be done.  Balancing on one foot while brushing our teeth is also a useful challenge.  In our regular workouts, we can focus on our asymmetric exercises (e.g., single leg squat, one arm clean and press) to help with balance.  And let’s not forget our friends the core exercises.

 

Number two is strength training.  We lose muscle mass and bone density as we age.  Strength training is our number one tool to combat the forces of age.  We need to lose our fear of heavy lifting, too:  it’s more effective for our goals.  (Note:  heavy lifting does not mean that we all rush out and lift 3 million pounds.  It means that we lift weights that are relatively heavy for us, around 70 to 85% of our single rep max for each exercise.)

 

Bonus points go to folks who exercise with friends for the social interaction (caveat:  you can’t just chat and pretend to work) and for folks who get outside while they get their heart rates up.

 

As always, it’s worth checking in with your medical professionals to make sure that you are choosing appropriate exercises for your personal condition.

 

Go play.