Second thoughts...

Wait:  isn’t that the same picture as yesterday?  Nope.  Just similar.  I liked both of them and decided to use them to illustrate that there are nuances.  Not a news flash, I’m sure.

In a fitness context, however, nuances can make a difference.  This is one reason why it is useful to work out with a trainer or friend at least every once in a while.  Someone else will see our movement from a slightly different perspective.  They will notice that when we feel like our head is on straight, we are actually tilting it a little to the left.  They will catch that little cheat we do with our hips or shoulders or whatever.

Small corrections can have big impact on increasing strength and avoiding injury.  Let’s work out together!

Pansies represent thoughts...

Fitness trackers can be wonderful things.  Depending on the brand and model, we can know how many steps we have taken, how many calories we have burned, what our heart rate is at any given time, and (although I have no direct experience with this) even what kind of weight lifting we have done.  How cool is that?

However, like sorcerers, we need to be careful with the servants we summon to help us.  They make bad masters.  There is nothing magic about 10,000 steps.  We will not suddenly become healthy on that last step, not significantly more than on the 9,999^th one.  We need to make sure we are using the tool, not that the tool is using us.

If a tracker is encouraging us to take the stairs or walk the dog an extra block or two, fabulous.  If, over the course of a week, we discover that we are closer to 5,000 than 10,000 steps per day, we might consider moving a little more.  But if we find ourselves obsessing because it is 11:30 at night and we have 3,859 more steps to get in, we might want to rethink our relationship with the tracker.

Short version:  use the tool, but remember that you are the one with the higher cognitive functions and good judgment.

Carrying your water bottle on your head is optional

This photo could be said to demonstrate the connection between weight training and hydration.  Or not, but let’s pretend.  Point is, both are important.

Weight training, among other things, improves our bone density.  If we want to age well, like the youthful-countenanced cherub in the photo, we need to ensure that our bones are strong so we can continue to enjoy our recreational pursuits and also, say, put on our own pants in the morning.  There is nothing quite so disheartening as having to ask for help with things that used to be easy; let’s postpone that as long as possible.

Hydration improves mood.  Feeling cranky?  Try drinking some water.  Cognitive function also improves with proper hydration (For the dehydrated among us, let me rephrase:  we think better with enough water.).  Water helps the body flush out waste products, literally.

Conveniently, when we lift weights, we need to rest to allow our bodies’ energy systems to recharge.  While we do that, we can drink water.

Bottom line for the to-do list:  lift stuff and drink water.