No excuses...

There is a perception that working out requires a lot of stuff:  dumbbells, barbells, Bosus, TRX, kettle bells, medicine balls, stretchy straps, rollers, and the like.  I have all those things and I can say confidently that it is possible to work out without any of them.

All the toys are fun and useful, but that is not the same as being necessary.  Body-weight squats, lunges, dips, and pushups with some cardio intervals can give us a full workout.

What this means is that we are not tied to the gym.  We can walk/run/bike to the park, do some body-weight exercises, and walk/run/bike back with the bonus of having been outside.  Or we can take a few trips up and down the stairs right there at home between sets of body-weight exercises.

No excuses, folks!  We can do this!

Three things

We can work out all day and still not lose weight if we don’t pay attention to what we are eating.  I am not a nutritionist and so am not qualified to give specific dietary advice, but I can say three things with confidence:

1.     Don’t eat too much.  This is not breaking news.  Smaller portions are the first thing to try when we want to take off a few pounds.

2.     Eat vegetables.  It’s pretty much the only thing that all the diet and nutrition gurus and experts agree on.  They are filling, fibrous, and nutrient dense.  And, if we are careful about what we put on them, they don’t have a lot of calories.

3.     Drink water.  We will feel fuller, consume fewer calories, and probably act nicer since dehydration tends to make us crabby.

These three things will give workouts a fighting chance of paring away the extra padding.

No, it is not a dungeon...

Some of us define working out in terms of punishment.  We say things like, “I’m really going to have to work hard at the gym today because of that cookie.”  Workouts are described as torture.  We speak of having our butts kicked.  Sure, in many cases, it’s just word play, but the attitude is there.

I am not about to tell anyone that working out becomes easier if we just pretend we have a positive attitude.  Working out can and often should be difficult.  Difficult things, however, do not have to be punishments.  Is it a punishment when a musician plays a supremely complicated piece?  Nope.  It’s a welcome challenge and a demonstration of skill built up by long practice.  Under the best circumstances, it is play.

My studio is called Recess on purpose.  We will do hard things, but we will have fun doing them.  We do not deserve to be punished; we deserve to have a good time while we get stronger.