A breakthrough from boredom...

Last week, I got bored with my Pilates routine.  To shake things up, I went back to my books and lists of exercises and began to review from the beginning.

Going back to the beginning can be very instructive after becoming more skilled.  What seemed impossible at the beginning seems easier.  Also, deeper levels of the beginning exercises make more sense because the body understands more.  What felt like a straight core exercise back when I first learned it became an exercise in spinal flexion and mobility as well upon re-acquaintance.  And, of course, clients got to play, too.

I love learning new things.  Sometimes I love learning old things over again in a new way.

We can do this.

Monday Workout: Straight ahead

This week is a pretty straight-ahead workout.  We are all so busy just now that we don’t need to get fancy.  People with knee issues probably want to choose the modified jacks and the regular squats (in a comfortable range of motion, possibly supported by TRX or a stability ball on the wall) and may also want to do standing mountain climbers.  Three rounds.

plyo/regular/mod jacks	30
flies	20
Arnold press	10
mountain climbers	30
bench press	20
YTA	10
jump/reg/bosu squats	30
rows	20
brains	10

Gifts

With Christmas on the way, many of us have our minds on gifts.  Here are some gifts we can give ourselves that might make Christmas more fun:

• Cardio.  It is worth the time, really.  It reduces stress, increases energy levels, and burns calories.

• Yoga.  We all need an excuse to be quiet in this season of busyness.  We might even have time to remember why we are doing all that stuff as we connect with our inner light.

• Rest.  An essential part of fitness is recovery.  We forget that.  Take a nap.

• Good food.  This might mean savoring a cookie, or it might mean making sure there is salad for lunch.  We need to remember to choose what nourishes us in the deepest sense.

One other note:  As much as I love fitness, it is absolutely crucial to remember that we can only give OURSELVES the gift of fitness.  No matter how much we love someone or how much we think they need to improve their fitness, we should NOT give fitness gifts unless they are expressly asked for.