Get home before dark...

When I was a kid and I was naughty, my mom sent me to my room (at least until she realized that I kind of liked going to my room because there were books in there and my little brother wasn’t in there).  Her goal, of course, was punishment because she believed it would lead to better behavior.  I definitely believe in better behavior, but I’m not sure it comes from punishment.

My new plan to get better behavior from myself—yep, I’m a grown-up and I have to monitor my own actions—is to send myself outside when my behavior needs modification.  A great many things can be improved by a walk, whether it is a quick round of the block or a more extensive tour of the neighborhood or a hike.  Outside exercise is more effective for reducing depression.  There is a whole raft of data about the benefits of “forest bathing.”  For me, I think there is something about sunlight and fresh air.

I know I’m not the only one who could benefit from a little more outside time.  The days are getting lighter.  The time has come!

Anybody want to go out and play?  I’ve got a football and a Frisbee…

Training to Fight the Power...

Most of us, in our culture, have too much stress.  The best way to cope with stress is to do the hard work of figuring out how to make systemic change so we don’t have to deal with the same levels of stress any longer.  You know, feed the hungry, empower the powerless, reduce the inequalities, find meaningful and remunerative work, all that stuff.  Sadly, that stuff is beyond the scope of my professional practice.

Dealing with the stress in the meantime, however, can be helped by fitness practices.  Here are three to get us started.

1.     Do cardio.  It improves mood.  It gets “the little gray cells,” as Poirot would say, in top working order.  It will make us faster when we do decide to run away and join the circus.

2.     Eat decent food.  We all run better with an appropriate balance of protein, fat, and carbs.  Cooking is a grounding experience.  When we eat with other people, we can reconnect with our families and friends.  Commit to what is good for us in the long term.

3.     Work on strength and flexibility.  These two skills make us feel more powerful.  When we are strong and flexible in our bodies, it helps us apply the same ideas to our minds.

We can do this.

Moving counts as moving...

My parents are moving.  My father is turning 79 shortly and had one of two needed knee replacements last year; my mother just turned 75 and had back surgery last summer.  My weekend workout was packing and lugging boxes.

We all know the rule for moving boxes:  no packing anything heavier than you can lift.  The problem is that sometimes the definition of “heavier than you can lift” for the packer is not the same as it will be for the unpacker or the person who has to shift the box from one side of the garage to the other.  It takes a lot more boxes to pack appropriately for two septuagenarians than for a couple of college students.

The general rules for real-life workouts like packing to move are similar to regular workouts.  Work hard; take breaks; make sure you hydrate.  These rules can be applied to other real life workouts like landscaping, visits with active children or teens, and escaping from zombies (except I don’t recommend taking breaks while running from zombies unless you have reached a safe location).

Keep in mind that fitness happens everywhere.  The more we prepare, the easier it is.  Also:  please throw out all the lidless plastic containers now.