Schedule Consistency + Flexibility

I love Sunday mornings. Well, really, I love all mornings, but I especially love it when I can enjoy: my freshly brewed coffee, computer to read and write into the world, either silence or sometimes my favorite station Dave FM padding my background, steaming oatmeal with chunks and dices of an apple. Yum!

On Sundays and some Saturdays, I can organize my day as I wish - I typically don't have personal training clients on Sunday unless it's a makeup session. So, sometimes I choose to go to church, sometimes I make "church" in my own special way throughout my day. And, days like this, I'm oh-so-slow to get started, but it affords me time to reflect and to tune in.

Checking Into Our Bodies

I last wrote about paying attention to your intention of exercise. And, while this all takes time and practice, my next thought is about when you are truly ready to get moving (aside from daily chores, jobs, tasks, dates, etc.), take a few moments to check into your body. I'll show you how. And, just because I'm a personal trainer doesn't mean I get out of this work!

Just to show you I practice what I preach: Yesterday before one of my favorite 9:45am step classes started, I was talking to some men about how long our exercise shoes last. I gave an estimate of 3-4 months give-or-take a month before I have to buy a new pair. One of the men replied, "But, of course, you have to change shoes often since you exercise so much with work!"

Umm, no. Not quite. I'm sure other trainers would agree, some folks assume we somehow exercise four-five-six times a day (and maybe some do, but I have more on my mind than exercise or getting buff!). I hear these comments a lot. I just laugh and say, "No way! How on Earth!?? I'd be exhausted!" Not to mention burnt-out and overtrained.

While my work does involve teaching exercises, it involves more than just showing up and saying do-this, do-that. I read articles, watch videos, scan various web forums, rummage through books at Borders, meet with other trainers, create marketing projects, brainstorm writing ideas, log into Quickbooks daily to organize finances, etc. At some point daily, I have to figure out how/when/if I'm going to condition my body too!

Cross Training

While I'm an advocate of cross training (including cardiovascular, resistance, core, and flexibility training), there's a balance between setting a firm schedule of what to do on each day versus tuning into your body every single day. Now, I'm human. I realize it'd be easier to write on my calendar:

Monday: Full Body Weight Workout
Tuesday: 45-minute cardio via power walking or Rest

Wednesday: Step class

Thursday: Yoga

Friday: Yoga + Step class

Saturday: 20-minutes 4-limb weights + Hike

Sunday: Step class or Rest

But, unless I have no other responsibilities (work, bills, meetings, errands) - it's hard to stick to rigid rules and schedules. Instead think: Consistency with Flexibility.

Schedule Consistency + Flexibility

A good way to set some structure without seeming suffocated with "shoulds" - schedule yourself 2-3 "workouts" weekly. That might be a volleyball or tennis league, a step class, a 7pm walk-jog with a friend, or personal training sessions.

After picking those 2-3 commitments, figure out how you can possibly round out your schedule to balance your body. If your 2-3 commitments are cardio-based, learn a full-body resistance training routine that you can do 1-2 times a week on your own. Or, vice versa, find a cardio or stretching outlet to balance out the resistance training.

Flex, Stretch, Stay Still - Go!

There. Now that you're thinking about the 2-3 commitments to get your exercise ball rolling (sure, a pun is intended!), be flexible to know that you can mix it up! Maybe you're sore from a yoga class and don't need to go to the weights class. Maybe you're emotionally drained from a recent life event, and you need stillness. That's okay.

Perhaps though, you used the 10-minute rule (discussed a couple posts below) and discovered waves and waves of energy that need to literally be "worked out" of your body and spirit!

Discover Your Energy

But, wait. What if it's a day that you have the time, you have the space, the opportunity to incorporate exercise, but you just don't know what to do. This is where I wish I could snap my fingers and have everyone take regular mind-body classes to practice tuning into the body's energy. Yet, I know reality. Here are a few basic pointers to discover what you need.

Stillness

Wherever you are (on your way home from work, standing in your kitchen after washing your coffee pot, at your computer drumming your fingers, in bed savoring your soft sheets), start there. Take some deep breaths, imagine your breath traveling down and up your spine. Stretch your legs, lift the area behind your heart, relax your face muscles, soften and drop your shoulders away from your ears. Stay with these deep breaths.

Imagine

If your body could talk (and you can even use your journal to organize your thoughts better here), what would your body say? Do your eyes need rest, or do they need to see the green trees and rays of sunlight? Do your shoulders need loosening with arm circles? Do you feel buzzes or subtle waves of energy flowing through your belly? Do your legs feel like they want to kick, stretch, pound the pavement or firmly plant themselves into the ground? Does your back need gentle opening, or does it need more attention in the form of strengthening to balance out your core?

If the stillness is too tough to experience or draw from, and if you know you need the exercise/movement for healthy reasons (as mentioned below, not out of fear of skipping a workout or to purge calories), then start with a walk. Walking is one of the most natural and safest forms of exercises. Not only will walking warm up your muscles and get you moving but also awaken your spirit and senses to where you truly need to go (literally and perhaps figuratively too!).

Maybe it'll take a few of these walking meditations to start "getting into your body" - The more you practice, the more you'll appreciate those subtle signals, and the more you'll see how trusting your body's signals will benefit your life.

That said, I'm off to straighten my apartment, turn on music, change into supportive workout gear and figure out what my body needs to feel recharged and rejuvenated on this beautiful Sunday!

Feel free to email me if you need help tuning in. ;) caroline@mybodyflow.com

Getting in Your Body

Last time I wrote, I recommended the 10-minute rule. Keep that tip in mind, but I think I forgot to mention an important thought!

We want to exercise for many reasons: mental clarity, bone density, muscle endurance and strength, stress relief, the end-of-the-day exhale, and sometimes (hopefully, most of the time) for just plain fun!

However, if you sometimes or always lean toward exercise - or more intense exercise than your body needs - due to guilt, anxiety (over not skipping a workout), and/or to purge calories, take a step back. Besides being sick with a fever/aches, those are the most important reasons not to exercise. If your reason to exercise includes those listed above, take a moment to be kinder to yourself.

Your body knows best. Sometimes it takes a while to "get in your body" and let go of unhealthy reasons to exercise. And, yes, it can take years, but when you're dedicated, each day brings new insight!

The Rules v. Getting in Your Body
The Rules: Even the experts can only guesstimate how much exercise each person requires. If you have a desk job, you might need more than 30 minutes three times a week. If you have three kids, two dogs, and serve as the maid/cook/mower/clown/gardner, you might very well be getting in enough exercise naturally. If you have a sales job and travel city to city, it can be downright difficult to commit to a gym in one city.

Getting in Your Body: With all variables aside, let's practice tuning into your energy. Some weeks are emotionally draining. Some days are jam packed with meetings and appointments, it's downright impossible to make it to your favorite 7pm Cardio Salsa class. Some weeks are filled with free time, that could very well provide two-three-four hours of workout time (too much!). Some days, your body feels like sludge due to the past two days' workouts.

Then, sometimes you need grounding through yoga and/or resistance training. Sometimes you need to shake out buzzy energy through aerobics or running/walking. Sometimes you need that Pilates class to help remind you of the strength of your gut. Sometimes you need to inhale the greenery during a peaceful hike.

Might sound like a lot of information, a lot of learning, a lot of listening, but it's so worth it. Aim to discover what works best for you, your body, on a daily basis. As always, one day at a time. We can all create a healthy balance by listening, stumbling, getting back up, listening again, and honoring the body's messages. Treat your body kindly - forget exercise as a chore or punishment. Your body knows best and will take care of you - all the energy you feed it, and all the energy you expend. Your body can handle it beautifully. Trust it.

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And, you know what? I wrote this tonight because I tuned into my body, and it said, "You need quiet time tonight." I've definitely battled the guilt before and wanted to "stay on track" - oh yeah, I've been there. But, I'm to the point that peace and mindfulness are way more important. And, being kind to myself feels good. It's not so foreign.

Atlanta's beaming with 70 degree temperatures this week - absolutely glorious outside. I actually ended training clients earlier than I usually do on Thursdays, but the past two weeks have been challenging in many ways. So, I could have forced myself on a walk or taken a great hip-hop step class. But, I needed this down time. I took a shower and slipped into my pajamas at 7pm. What a treat!

I'm finally at a place that I feel peace over the last two weeks' chaos - those darn life curveballs. But, now I can exhale. How great to read, and write, and reflect, and let my body, my self, rest in the quiet.

10-minute rule - It works!

Fall's on the horizon, cooler temps, crisp air...You're anxious for it to arrive because you want exercise to become a regular part of your life. The poolside afternoons (or perhaps desk-side afternoons) became too muggy, too heavy, too HOT. You imagine yourself power walking with the kids - stroller and dogs in tow. Perhaps training for the half marathon taking place in February makes you head to the shoe store. Vacation's over, you sipped the cool cocktails in the sand, and the holidays are approaching. Not another Halloween popping Candy Corn every five minutes, not another Thanksgiving feeling guilty about the second family meal that day, not another Christmas or Hannukah being thankful that freezing temperatures mean hiding your body behind tacky sweaters. You warn yourself: "Time To Get Serious. Now."

But, how? How do you change habits when you take the same classes at the gym, when you rely on Fido's energy levels, you do the same 20-minutes-max walking trail through your neighborhood - or perhaps none of those are even happening!

Time for something new. Nothing's permanent - good or bad. The leaves are changing and falling - or they will be soon enough! Time to add some flavor to your fitness routine. Think dumbells, resistance bands, medicine balls, body balls, a bench, yoga mats. But, wait - don't get overwhelmed!

Use the 10-minute rule to:
a) Try something new.
b) Do something. Anything. Unless you are under-sleeping, have a fever, over-working (Yes! You! Slice your to-do list in half, get to bed for healthy sleep, then we can talk about movement), or are injured - you need to add some regular physical activity to your life. Not a TON of exercise, but the benefits definitely outweigh the excuses.

10-Minute Definition:
Whatever activity you choose - whether you need to vigorously work in your yard (mowing, digging, raking), power walking, playing volleyball with friends, taking a new class or your regular step class, taking Fido for a run, or picking up the dumbells - Try it for 10 minutes. If you are still too tired, too bored, too blah after 10 minutes, allow yourself to stop - but give yourself a pat on the back for trying. I bet you will go longer than 10 minutes - And, you will love the feeling!

Just because I'm a personal trainer doesn't mean my exercise habits come totally naturally and easily to me. Heck, if my favorite instructor Scott were teaching every hour of the day, I'd never have to consider how I want to move - I love his classes that much! But, his teaching schedule and my work schedule allow me to take his class 1-2 or maybe 3 times a week. Boo.

So, yesterday and today for instance - I've been recovering from a moderate medical issue where my body needed to take it easy for a few days. Yesterday I decided to try a walk - see where it led me. Man, I didn't realize the fire I had inside of me until I was swinging my arms looking like "that crazy walker woman" through a park behind my apartment building. It felt fabulous - I didn't keep the time - I kept going and going. With my body. With my feelings.

Today - my day ended up being lighter than expected - I needed some resistance training but didn't feel like I could motivate myself - (I needed a ME!) - So, I popped in a Cathe dvd, was a little uncomfortable thinking about a dvd workout during the warm up, but 10 minutes later, my warm muscles and beads of sweat reminded me of how good it felt (and how much easier the dvd seemed than the first time I did it months ago!).

So, moral of the story - You're going to love how you feel once you get moving. But the list goes on:
*Less risk of heart disease
*Less likely to develop high blood pressure
*Less risk of diabetes
*Less risk of osteoporosis
*Less risk of obesity
*Easier to maintain weight
*Increased flexibility
*Stronger tendons
*Less stress and anxiety
*More energy
*Increased endurance
*Less sleep disturbance
*Better memory and concentration
*Less depression

I'll stop there. And, you're thinking - "okay, I get the 10-minute rule, but what about changing my routine, what about a new form of activity or exercise?"

Regarding safety and form of a new exercise regime, I'll try to post some form pointers for the basic core/weights routines soon, but in the meantime, email me: Caroline@mybodyflow.com - I'm happy to help by answering your questions to explore a new class/training schedule and/or setting up a training session.

Have fun and Happy September!