Category Archives: Fitness

MOBILITY

January in Vermont

JANUARY 2025. Another year begins. What will we do with it? Partly, that is a choice each of us can make. Sometimes we can be proactive. At other times we must be reactive – in the highest sense of the word. Might it be that managing our reactivity to circumstances that are  unexpected, alarming or beyond our control could be the key to our daily quality of life or success in living? Or perhaps it is reframing those circumstances and addresses that which is within our capability to mold and form and live in accordance with our uniquely personal wisdom and values.

As I write this, it is the weekend during which we celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr., and, by stark contrast, the inauguration of a new old president. I am compelled to ponder a few thoughts which I will now share. (Not to worry – not political thoughts!)

making training fun

Each year I choose a word for the year. I am certainly not alone in doing so as it has become the practice of many as well as the topic of many posts online and in social media.

This year, 2025, I will work with the word, and broader concept of, MOBILITY. Yes, it is a buzzword in the world of strength, fitness, physical therapy –  you name it. But the concept of MOBIITY can be expanded to include my significant four elements: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. MOBILITY extends beyond flexibility – though, of course, flexibility is excellent. MOBILITY suggests having the strength, stamina, power, resilience, stability and yes, flexibility to move through a wide ROM (range of motion) of the body (muscles, joints, fascia, etc) as well as of the mind and of each individual’s personal experience. When our beliefs are challenged, our fortitude tested or our bodies exhausted, can we continue to move safely and soundly through our experience? It is my personal and professional goal to help us to do so by sharing what I have experienced and learned as well as brilliant guidance from others.

This year I urge us each to adopt a morning practice, dedicate time each day to fitness, adhere to the principle of progressive overload as we strengthen our precious muscles, step outside our comfort zones, experience new things, nurture enthusiasm and positivity, read words of wisdom or words that make us think our own thoughts and form our own conclusions, eat well, sleep well, practice self-care in its highest and most accessible form, get outdoors daily no matter the weather, connect with friends, honor family, and incorporate modest amounts of breath work into each day learning to reduce stress and to be, according to Thich Nhat Hanh, present. Oh my, this list could go on and on!

Adventure whenever possible!

Furthermore, this year I urge us each to redefine and build on our strength – again, applying this to physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. As the world turns upside down globally and locally, as excesses and shortages savage all aspects of our daily lives and future dreams, may we each address our current resolve to be strong as the hours pass and the years accumulate – if we are lucky. For years now, longevity has been another buzzword referring to Health Span and not just Life Span, to living long but living well. Though we may not have the genetic predisposition to age well, we do have a certain amount of agency over that which we do have. And, even if we cannot look into a crystal ball, wouldn’t it be smart to take the best possible care of ourselves? Just in case we CAN affect results somewhat?

What do you think of this from Parker Palmer?  “Self-care is never a selfish act—it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer to others.”

So, on this cold January day of 2025, may we each and all consider taking up the challenge of self-care, personal strength, and, perhaps the culmination of it all, MOBILITY!

A LOVE NOTE TO WOMEN

A love note to women.

I want so much for you. I want you to live your best lives now and, as you do so, prepare yourselves for the future. It is often acknowledged we want long lives, yes, but we want long, healthy, active, productive lives – not simply logging sedentary days, months and years.

For decades it has been my life’s work to share – and model – the gifts of health and fitness.  Over the years, trends have come and gone. I have gone through periods of focused cycling or focused Yoga or focused group classes. Now, I am finding the current trend to be both challenging and meaningful.

Here I want to share with you a few insights and suggestions and hope that you will make wise choices for yourselves.

 The intensity and amount of what is now recommended is daunting yet should at least be acknowledged and attempted as much as possible.  Yes, there are always roadblocks – but usually there are detours around them!

In recent years I have learned a great deal from prominent podcasters and writers such as Andrew Huberman,  Andy Galpin, Rich Roll and Peter Attia.  Lately I have been avidly following Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, Stacy Simms and others emphasizing womens’ health and longevity.  (This recent visit of Dr. Lyon with Dr. Vonda Wright is powerful!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Kd1c-RNlss )

Stories are legion of seniors who simply fade away from frailty. Though we know to fear diseases that can kill us, we sometimes overlook the importance of muscle and bone health, the need to challenge our cardiovascular systems, the significance of balance, and the overarching ‘dynamic duo’ of mobility and stability.

A quick summary of what benefits us most is easy; doing it is not. Worth it? Yes.

.adequate, quality sleep

.nutrition that checks the boxes of needed nutrients, protein & hydration

.aerobic exercise: several days per week (minimum 180 minutes) of Z2 training as well as 2 bouts of high intensity interval training blocks

.strength training – resistance work starting with light weights, bands and body weight and progressing to lifting heavy!

.mobility and stability work can be an add-on as often it is included with some of the above yet in my mind there is nothing better than a good Yin practice coupled with a slower Vinyasa flow.

And about Yoga – though I agree with some that Yoga alone is not enough to give us optimal health and strength, the practice offers far more than physical benefits and is an excellent way to complete our self care.

“Take your good fortune and

lift your life to its highest calling.

Understand that the right to choose

Your own path is a sacred privilege.

Use it.

Dwell in possibility.”

Oprah Winfrey

OUTDOORS-a very personal perspective

“May you experience each day as a sacred gift woven around the heart of wonder.”     John O’Donohue

OUTDOORS

For three decades my habitat was a studio. Not just any studio, mind you, but two distinctly different and amazing studios. First, there was the studio in Baltimore. I began ballet lessons with the reigning royalty of classical ballet, Carol Lynn, way way back when I was just 4 years old. Miss Lynn’s kingdom was the huge ground level studio in the Peabody Conservatory of Music, Dance Department. Miss Lynn was respected far and wide as a leading expert and to study with her was deemed a privilege. The studio space was from another epoch. Gorgeous, worn wooden floors vibrated with the energy of movement over a century. Three story high windows needed to be raised and lowered with a 20-foot-long pole – or longer, I can’t really remember. Needless to say, the ceiling was waaaaaay up there. Massive mirrors covered one entire wall. A balcony lined another wall for visitors and critics. A graduate student from the Conservatory piano department accompanied classes on the baby grand in the corner. One door led to an open marble hallway and another to dressing rooms that in turn led to a courtyard. It was magical. I left this studio in my early teens to study in NYC where another old and fabulously worn studio became my home.

An old school ballet studio as Edward Degas saw it

I had been accepted as a working student and was mentored by the incomparable Margaret Craske, literally world renowned as a teacher and ballet mistress to the Royal Ballet of England, personal coach to Margot Fonteyn and Rudolph Nureyev when he defected from Russia, and later as teacher and coach to the Metropolitan Opera Ballet and others in the U.S. The old Met studio was definitely a Phantom of the Opera setting! It was even more abused than the studio in Baltimore but reeked of ballet and opera history. Any hour of the day or night, it seemed, there was always something going on from classes to rehearsals to ballet to opera to set design, and so on. Children in the school delighted in appearing in operas that called for them while dancers in the company showed up reluctantly at 10 a.m. for professional class and singers straggled in late afternoon to move clumsily through some type of choreography for whatever opera was being rehearsed at the time. After a rickety ride up an old elevator, we would wind along back halls and climb up to a creaky catwalk along one side of the studio, headed to the dressing room and trying not to make a sound that would inevitably illicit a frown from below.

The “old” Metropolitan Opera House where I had the privilege of performing as a young teen.

My early years of “outdoors” were spent primarily at a stable in the few hours I had outside the Peabody. My other passion was horses, but it had been predetermined that I would become a ballet dancer. My mother had been a singer and had sung at the Met so I was destined to follow, one way or another. Later I walked the streets of NYC as I hurried from residence to studio and back again.

Fast forward. Ultimately I returned to Baltimore where I replaced the retired Miss Lynn and the Peabody studio became my domain. I became a college student at Johns Hopkins University where I also taught and later I transitioned to the gym. When it was time to move on, I did. I trained and taught and made my way through parenting and aerobics, from personal training to Yoga.

Outdoor hours spent at horse shows – here Teague and Ernie compete during Vermont Summer Festival.

Later, in Vermont, I had horses and skiing and soccer and all the wonderful things that we enable here in this beautiful state. But, even though I mucked stalls early in the morning and exercised my horses regularly, I never really did think of it as being, well, the “outdoors.” It was simply where I did what I needed to do.

Sunset at Lookout Point, Maine

Over the years, running, cycling, and oh so much driving, the outdoors always remained simply a place in which my activities occurred.  Fast forward again. For a few summers I had the good fortune to spend a month on the coast of Maine where I watched the sun rise from my deck and crossed to the other side of the peninsula to watch it drop below the horizon across a cove. Sunrise and sunset bookended days that began to embrace the outdoors as more than simply space. Relaxed walks on trails, meanderings along the coast, awakened a sense of pleasure before unknown. And then came Sophie. My amazing chocolate Labrador Retriever did the trick. I traded driven goals for pleasant outings. I left the world of road cycling to hike the steeps of Vermont and New Hampshire, always with my beloved dog. I learned that to breathe in fresh air, to pause to look at tiny snapshots of nature, and to stand in stillness to honor grand vistas, was good for the fitness that I now teach – physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.

sophie

morning coffee in the all-too-short Vermont summer

Today, thanks to my faithful companion, I live in a home of peace, harmony and beauty. There is no questioning – it’s out the door first thing every morning or I will be reminded that someone needs to go into the woods! In the summer I enjoy my coffee on the patio before I begin my work for the day; and in the winter I love to watch the moon rise over the mountains spilling light on snow-blanketed terrain.

Though I continue to teach and write, and though I continue to spend hours each day in physical activity, I now do so with the constant reminder of the outdoors connection. Possibly, it is why we live in Vermont. The outdoors is safe. The outdoors is clean. The outdoors is free.

City dwellers – I know you are both privileged and neglected – been there, done that. With luck you may enjoy “my” outdoors on weekends or vacations. But, as much science is revealing, even opening a window or putting green plants in our homes, can be helpful. I urge us all to consider moving what we can to the outdoors or bring what we can of the outdoors to us. As the world addresses environment, may we all make the available environment a significant component of our habitat – the habitat in which we live and work and play and grow and love.

photo courtesy of Jim Heins

MANY VERMONT ROADS TO FITNESS, A LOCAL APPROACH.

Fitness and well-being are journeys unto themselves. The pathways to self-care are as diverse as each traveler. Curiosity, motivation, energy and good, old-fashioned stick-to-itiveness are tools equally important as any physical attributes of strength, flexibility or genetic advantage.

One benefit of our months of dealing with a Pandemic seems to have been a renewed awareness of the need to take care of ourselves, especially in light of our need to connect with and care for others any way available. The internet is flooded with You Tube, Zoom, and subscription classes in everything from weight training to Yoga (and my personal obsession, Peloton!).

FALL FOLIAGE – AN ANALOGY

Here in Vermont we see many enjoying the outdoors.  In a recent post Governor Scott wrote:

“Fortunately, we all live in Vermont and it’s one of the most beautiful times 
of the year for us. So, I hope many of you can take some time this weekend,
get yourself a maple creemee, enjoy the foliage, visit a state park, climb
our beautiful mountains, whatever you can do to take care of yourselves
because your mental health is important as well.”

So, yes, one of the paths to mental and physical health is making the best use possible of outdoor activities. We are learning we do not need to participate in organized sports or events to do so. I read daily of individual and small group adventures on the Long Trail, Lake Champlain or a country road and applaud the efforts demonstrated – surely with good results.

There are online communities that offer guidance and dedicated programs as well as inboxes full of opportunities and advice. While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to fitness, there are certainly multiple approaches. Surely one will fit! Recently a young soccer player told me of her struggles to adjust to a new position on the field. I suggested that she take several mental “jerseys” to her practice and consider each to represent a position. When her coach tells her to go in to play center-mid, for example, she should pull that jersey on and go do it. This concept fit. Can you do something similar?

Note, too, that some find contemplative wanderings satisfying while others need a challenging hike or long cycling hours. More and more we recognize the need for multiple types of fitness – physical, mental, and spiritual. Once again approaching individual fitness from many roads is significantly important – cross training if you will.

Teaching a Yoga class a few days ago I suggested that our fall foliage is somewhat analogous of the times. We are living in chaos super charged with fear, sorrow, rage, uncertainty and angst. At times it is as if we are caught in a whirlwind of events over which we have no control and can only experience from a distance. At other times we are touched by the struggles of family, friends and our local communities.

THE ANAOLOGY CULMINATES

Liken the chaos to the foliage – vividly colored leaves screaming their brilliance from their branches only to be caught by the wind and rain as they swirl and collide on their route back to the earth where they lie in what? – Peace? Submission? Death? Renewal?  Hmmm. Perhaps that is our experience too as pandemic, politics, economy, fear, courage and kindness scream, collide and ultimately find stillness in some sort of unity.

And what is the bottom line? Keep on keeping on? Attend to our self-care the best we can? Support our local businesses and communities? Put on our game jerseys and play our positions?

In any event, it is all a journey. Whether we are seeking fitness, or health, or financial stability, or peace – it is all a journey. May we see the beauty along the way, connect with each other (distanced, of course!) but always continuing the journey with curiosity, motivation, energy and good, old-fashioned stick-to-itiveness.

BEAUTY

RETURNING? I DON’T THINK SO. Reimagining a new way to teach and train in studio, gym, outdoors or virtually.

 

It’s not just the large gym or small studio in urban or rural U.S. Globally the fitness industry is metaphorically scratching its head wondering how to handle each day. Though there is no one who is able to predict the future, it is becoming increasingly clear that a “return” to life as it was before the pandemic (and it’s not over yet, oh dear) is not a reality. Can we patch things up and do a mockup of something similar? Can we limit numbers, insure spacing, sanitize endlessly, mask uncomfortably, and provide safety assurances? Is that even productive or wise?

finding ways to distance and pause

This post is not yet another diatribe about the state of today’s world financially, socially, politically, or medically. It is a small voice from the small perspective of a small town in Vermont. I am a Personal Trainer and Yoga Instructor and, primarily because I have participated in many activities and am constantly studying anything available relative to my work, my depth of information and practice is appreciable. Over the years, working one on one, in small groups or large classes, as a director of a gym and as an athletic coach for individual sports, I have watched participants, sometimes reluctantly-sometimes enthusiastically, strain, drive, compete and press towards goals on individual paths. I, too, became obsessed with heart rates, watts, mileage, speed, power and an infinite variety of numbers to measure everything from fuel to output to recovery time all designed to indicate success or failure.

Savasana

Fortunately for my own personal well-being and hopefully for that of my students and clients, I have become passionate about the practice of Yoga – whether it is Yoga for Athletes (my introduction to Yoga with Sage Rountree), Vinyasa (thank you Freeport Yoga Company and Kripalu) or the complementary practice of Yin Yoga (Josh Summers and Terry Cockburn, Summers School of Yin Yoga). I can speak only from my very small dot on the map of “return.”

Who knew? Those of us who have spent 200, 300, 500, 1,000 hours in Yoga Teacher Trainings, specialty courses, even in cadaver labs as we have learned about the thousands of years old Yoga theory and practice, anatomy, even how to teach; who knew that we would need to add a crash course in technology and become adept at something called live-streaming, recording or Zoom? Who knew we would suddenly need to learn to teach a different way – and, for that matter, to learn a different way as we joined other students in other teachers’ virtual classes? Who knew we would be faced with legal technicalities, internet crashes and how to create space in which to teach, adapt or purchase camera and sound equipment and on and on and on. 

Perhaps the trickiest hurdle has been connecting with our students and providing them with practice and support that is worthy of their fee. In the beginning many teachers offered online services as a gift. The next step was an honor system. Then links and passwords needed to be purchased and voila a new industry was born. Recently I listened to a mind-boggling podcast about a new wave of abuse – no, not the inappropriate touching scandal that has suddenly vanished – but the abuse of instructors who are paid a set sum to teach their class and then forever after their videos are sold with profit only to the business owner. Ouch. (And, as I have used the word “small” frequently in this post, please note that in the small studio where I work this is a completely foreign concept. We are all in this together supporting each other and our lovely leader, Ana. http://www.mountainrosevt.com) Just sayin’

quiet trails for exercise and contemplation

But there are beautiful and significant observations to be made as well. As soon as it was deemed safe to go outdoors, masked and spaced, individuals and families, thrilled to be able to do so, were out the door walking, running, hiking, strolling, climbing, cycling and paddling. Gone was the drive that forced such an adventure. Exercise, action, the outdoors, all became a privilege and, in this new light, became gifted joy.

Community has been redefined. Even the tiniest connection – a phone call or text, photo or face time, card or package – is duly appreciated forging bonds replacing tenuous strands. And in my own small (there’s that word again) world of Zoom, those minutes of unmuted video before and after a teacher-led practice are golden; they are fun and sensitive and compelling moments of genuine community.

Inserting stillness, a by-product of Yoga, everywhere and anywhere.

Virtual hugs are bogus, are they not? Those foolish little emoji of the smiling face with 2 arms? Give me a break. I’m not so sure about the etiquette of a handshake, but we will hug again. We cannot resist! But perhaps we will retain some of the goodness of this experience. Perhaps we will live a cleaner and simpler life. Perhaps we will offer and receive touch untainted by skepticism or misunderstanding. Perhaps we will gratefully relish the effort to proactively care for our own well-being in order to reach out to others in our lives. Perhaps we will loosen the fetters of restrained emotions and be honest, sharing and, yes, grateful. Perhaps we will find cause for happiness in things as presumably insignificant as a buzzing bee all the way up to financial stability or a clean bill of health.

Perhaps we will like taking a Yoga class in a new setting, bringing our own props, and washing our hands.

create a personal home Yoga space

Perhaps we will even like participating in a Yoga practice in a virtual community, as we say, “live or later.” Perhaps we are ready for what is new and not a mended version of what was before. Perhaps.

Adaptation – what to do when “real life” interrupts your exercise plans

We set goals, plot the course, equip, journal, and journey towards fitness or performance achievements. We prioritize and are on a roll when wham! a kid gets sick, a car breaks down, an ankle gets sprained, a meeting is scheduled, the flu is diagnosed, a flood-tornado-heat wave-ice storm-hurricane (fill in the blank) strikes. And so on. Derailed. The balloon of motivation and grit is popped. What to do?

Adapt, don’t quit. Plan in breaks.

It’s really not so simple as to just get back on the horse once you’ve fallen. Physical gaps take time to close; damaged enthusiasm takes time to rebuild, mental toughness is tested.

There are long and detailed explanations of what happens physiologically to the many body systems utilized in recreational or competitive activities. I leave it to you to employ your favorite search engine to discover what you will.

For purposes of this post, let’s consider the emotional and mental consequences of an unexpected interruption to your athletic endeavors.

Perhaps most importantly, though diligence, perseverance and determination are attributes to be admired, an excess of these qualities might translate as obsession, rigidity that robs the initial joy and excitement of the pursuit. If the cancellation of a practice or event is inappropriately upsetting to you, perhaps it is time to reexamine.

Explore a new trail that might peak your interest if not your heart rate.

I do not mean that we should be calm at all times, moderate in our action or accepting of the slightest discouragement as a sign that we should change course. Rather I suggest that we are better for the ups and downs, the highs and lows, the anaerobic and the aerobic, and that a forced change in plans might be the perfect time to reevaluate progress, priorities and perhaps notice that recovery might be personally important at this particular time.

During the winter of 2018-2019, we in Vermont had a lot of snow, a lot of cold temperatures and hazardous driving conditions. There were so many mandated changes in training schedules, that I finally wrote a note on the bulletin board of my studio encouraging my clients and myself to “EMBRACE CANCELLATION.” What a novel idea! Just looking the disappointment of a cancellation in the eye might help to honor that unexpected free hour to do something else that you would never have had the time to do otherwise; or to take a needed respite from yet one more day of training. Who knows? Well, actually you do.

The danger, of course, is breaking the momentum. If this alarms, perhaps the momentum isn’t as strong and healthy as it should be. Rarely does a missed day or two or even a week make serious physical changes. However, if lethargy sets in and momentum comes to a standstill, then it’s time to pick yourself up and get back to your plan.

Often, to one’s great surprise, a break in the action rests both body and mind clearing out damaging stress and fatigue. Returning to training is often short, sweet and catapults you beyond your expectations.

And then there is safety, injury avoidance if you will. There are times when the call must be made and the training or event aborted.

This past week many areas of the United States have experienced unusually hot and humid conditions that could, if not acknowledged, cause health problems. Again, hit that search engine to find ways to deal with heat, cautions about exercise, hydration, etc etc. What I want to discuss here is the mental side of this equation.

Water is always a good option!

When the sun is shining and especially when a weekend invites, it is mentally challenging to prepare well for conditions and to honor the needs of others. For some it is more difficult to dial it back to a less intense ride, hike or run than it is to push through but perhaps cause a problem down the road. Slogging through is never optimal unless in certain competitions. But for the weekend warrior as well as the competitive athlete, learning to modify builds mental toughness and a better understanding of one’s own unique body.

Often creativity saves the day. Can your find a way to take your activity to a pool or pond? Running in deep water or swimming continuous laps or distances will surely challenge! Can your find ways to cool down during game breaks by waiting in the shade and getting water in and on you? Can you explore a new trail that might peak your interest if not your heart rate? Can you –maybe not spend the day in a hammock (or maybe do!) – but depart from your exercise plans and adapt to what the day is, not what you wish it might be?

Train smart, maximize as well as protect potential, seek opportunities to change it up, adapt, play, and thrive.

FUNCTIONAL TRAINING SPACE

What you REALLY need for your personal fitness training.

Functional is an organic term. Today we embrace the concept of that which works, that which is specifically designed, practiced or identified relative to one’s own experience and practice. Functionality has grown organically to seep into systems of medicine, fitness, alignment and even meditation. So, let’s consider you, your fitness practices, location, equipment and program. Can you trim the fat, so to speak, and make each and every thing you do count, make the composite functional, specific to your own needs and goals, efficient and effective?

Perhaps you gather your gear and block out a small space at your local gym. Or perhaps you are fortunate enough to be able to dedicate a few square yards or even a room in your home to your fitness quest. Let’s run with the latter.

BACKSTORY. Years ago I resigned my position as the Director of Personal Training in a large, fully equipped facility to work with clients in a small but attractive area. Everyone was happy about the move and no one missed the Nautilus machines or other objects of torture, as they were fondly referred to.

The character of my studio changed each year, it seemed, in an attempt to meet the individual needs of each client, their growing fitness levels, newly assumed challenges, and for some, the aging process.

Training was designed to follow the lead of the “functional training” model utilizing combined muscle groups, serious attention to the functional strength of the core – all of it, not just the abdominal muscles – and applying strength, mobility, balance and endurance to the activities of daily life along with both recreational and competitive sports performance.

COMPONENTS OF A HOME GYM. Now, in a new home, I can label a small oddly shaped but beautifully bright area my “home gym.” As I began to equip the renovated space to make it work for me (thus functional) I found it quite exciting to define my fitness needs and the least amount of gear I could use to meet those needs.

NEEDS AND GOALS.

  1. General health and well-being
  2. Strength, endurance, quickness and agility to deal with my Chocolate Lab as we walk, play and maneuver good manners.
  3. Overall strength as well as strength endurance
  4. Cardiovascular fitness: endurance as well as HIIT
  5. Mobility (previously considered flexibility but now reframed as mobility for all populations, especially athletes and those who push the envelope)
  6. Balance in all aspects of physical, mental and emotional living

My current sport of choice is HIKING. (that too will change but I love doing new things and meeting new challenges) So I need hiking-specific training. I also have an active Yoga and meditation practice so my training space needs to accommodate that as well.

EQUIPMENT LIST.

  1. My own body – one’s own body weight is a formidable tool!
  2. TRX
  3. Bosu trainer and 2 Stax
  4. Stability Ball (55 cm)
  5. 6# medicine ball
  6. 5# ankle weights
  7. jump rope
  8. assortment of bands and mini bands
  9. foam roller
  10. Yoga mat, bolster, blocks, strap, blanket, meditation cushion
  11. The outdoors. I rely on roads, woods, trails, rocks, water and snow for aerobic exercise.

(Later? Perhaps a Spinning® bike or Peloton and maybe a few more dumbbells though I rarely train with them preferring TRX and body weight for strength.) As you can see, though there are a number of training tools listed, all fit in a limited space with room leftover for work.

INTANGIBLES. My gym must include identifiable and quantitative amounts of education, motivation, gratitude, specificity, curiosity, compassion and the good sense to dedicate the time. Oh, yes, and that wonderful 4-letter word – PLAY!

What you have just walked through is a functional exercise, one that I did for myself and am sharing with you. Now, it’s your turn.

SUNSHINE AND FITNESS

 

How sunshine affects one’s fitness level is obvious, but significant in definition. It is patently apparent that a good, sunny day puts a spring in our step and lures us outdoors to participate in a variety of healthy activities that might have seemed drudgery on a different day.

The physical advantages to exposure to sunlight include sizable doses of Vitamin D, which is credited to help strengthen bones and inhibit some forms of cancer. Thanks to Wikipedia, I also learned that UV exposure boosts endorphin levels, while simply viewing the sun through the eyes adds to “robust circadian rhythms and reduced risk of seasonal affective disorder.”

OK, so far nothing sounds like new news.

The dangers of sunlight are also familiar. Skin takes a beating with the risk of cancer and premature aging. Though some question the use of sunscreen, most strongly advise being adequately protected all seasons of the year. Furthermore, wearing sunglasses is encouraged – not so much as to appear suave, but to protect eyes that are vulnerable to damage resulting in cataracts and macular degeneration.

Once again, as with so much of what we live with in our personal lives and in the world around us, too much is too much and too little is too little. (When it comes to sunlight, “Conversely, sun avoidance is associated with increased mortality.” Wow.)

Finally, sharing again from Wikipedia, “…a number of public health organizations state that there needs to be a balance between the risks of having too much sunlight or too little.” Not exactly profound, but there again is that word BALANCE.

Leaving these thoughts behind, but ever cognizant of balance, let’s look at the lift a sunny day gives to motivation and energy. Living here in Vermont where a spectacularly clear day is treasured, as much as possible, those who live and work here do their best to adhere to the notion that, should one of those days dawn, rearrange the schedule and GET OUTSIDE! For many, this is why we live here. The scenery is gorgeous and there seems to be a shared expectancy that everyone here wants to actively appreciate it.

(On the other hand, there is a great deal of moaning and groaning when wet soggy days link together or, for some, when sub zero days do the same. In fact, something I personally don’t understand but do honor, quite a few complain of the heat when we hit 70 or above!)

In Yoga, practicing a few Sun Salutations first thing in the morning prepares body, mind and spirit to face the day with clarity and a degree of readiness. Whether the Sun is symbolic or actual, it propels us to move forward energetically which in turn maximizes whatever movement we are practicing and multiplies the gains.

For example, headed out the door for a fitness walk or training run, chances are that when the day is bleak, so too is the outing – a slog that is happily over at the end. On the other hand, if the sun is beckoning, steps are invigorated, faster, more powerful with resulting enhanced fitness and training rewards. Many bodily systems are taxed and, having risen to the challenge, are enhanced. Muscles strengthen, joints protect their range of movement, heart and lungs efficiently handle aerobic and anaerobic tests and even coordination, quickness and agility benefit. Emotionally the activity turns to pleasure, fun (maybe even play) and mentally, thinking becomes more creative and logical. Can we do this without the sun? Sure. We can. But environment is enormously influential as many architects and planners have learned.

Technically it is still spring. In some parts of the country it has apparently come and gone; in others it is still fragile. But the notion of new growth budding and blossoming and all that it represents is a notion to hold dear. Each new morning is the springtime of a day. Each new idea, each new adventure, each new connection is the onset of creativity and ultimate fruition.

Perhaps it is helpful to view life itself as organic and those who seek the sunshine will grow accordingly. While awareness, education, protection and balance are integral to our best experience, so too are enthusiasm and joy.

And then there’s this:

“I have noticed that people are dealing too much with the negative, with what is wrong. … Why not try the other way, to look … and see positive things, to just touch those things and make them bloom?”

― Thich Nhat Hanh

FIT TO TRAVEL

Staying fit and healthy while traveling takes planning, creativity, a dose of discipline and the belief that it’s better to choose well whether activity, food, drink or sleep. To top it off, one also needs the firm resolve to follow through in spite of inevitable game changers the traveler faces along the way.

When a client comes to tell me that he or she must cancel appointments for a few weeks because of travel, there is that unmistakable look of panic – the fear that all will be lost, the tenuous grasp on fitness will be loosened at best and broken at worst. Strict adherence to a training plan may be efficient and effective, but sometimes routine must step aside to allow for other priorities.

In today’s world of travel, there are gyms in hotels, classes in every locale, pools, treadmills/ellipticals/indoor cycles, climbing walls, and personal trainers around every corner. Or for the independently motivated, there are travel yoga mats, tubing, dyna bands, and a plethora of easily packed exercise equipment to tote along and then, hopefully, use in the comfort and privacy of one’s own lodging.

PLAY – integral to a healthy, balanced life!

But, frankly, I usually tell my clients to take some time off. Mix it up, move out of their training routines and schedules and live life healthfully, actively, playfully and differently. Perhaps they need some extra R&R and this is a good time to get it. Perhaps they need to transpose their workouts into recreational activities. What better way is there to see a city, explore parks and trails or reunite with friends than walking? Maybe there are seasonal sports to sample or hours of sheer leisure to enjoy and unwind the knots of a hectic lifestyle.

Let me share my personal story. I have just returned from a 9-day road trip that, on the surface, flashed caution lights. I planned carefully, packed my car, and headed out with my 21 month old chocolate Lab to drive a total of 2,000 miles, attend a wedding and a family reunion (typically mine fields of over- indulgence and inactivity) with the added stress of not knowing how my pup would behave for hours in the car (though I generally take her everywhere with me and she loves it, but …) and multiple nights in hotels, around strangers, and on leash.

The trip was fantastic and I returned with beautiful memories, renewed energy, and little if any loss of my personal fitness. Here’s what I did:

  • Packed a cooler with foods and drinks for my pup and me that would save me $ and never leave me in the lurch facing a vending machine or unacceptable menu.
  • Stored my running shoes under the driver’s seat so that I could stop frequently, change shoes and take my girl for a significant leg-stretch. I had researched dog parks, State parks, and hiking trails ahead of time and detoured to take advantage of those that looked like fun.
  • Instead of eating out alone, I found a Whole Foods and chose what I like to eat, returning to my hotel room to share the time with my dog and thus enable more time to explore outdoors.
  • When attending fabulous events with equally fabulous foods, I enjoyed it all reminding myself to truly taste and carefully choose what I genuinely wanted. Most often I found that my honest choice was to indulge in the company of friends or family whom I seldom see and honor that visit above other indulgences.
  • Explore. Explore. Having a pup who needs a lot of exercise is a great benefit! With just a little effort – asking the hotel staff, searching the internet, checking out pamphlets, etc. – I found miles and miles of trail systems, places to take my Lab for a swim or to play with other dogs, even a county fair ground where I could walk her early and late each day and watch the sun and/or moon rise over the nearby lake.
  •  Take advantage of others and do as much visiting as possible outdoors or on the move. Association is fickle and fun. Looking back I know I will remember a conversation with my brother on a trail at Deep Creek Lake State Park in Maryland, or driving around looking for the trailhead where I was to meet my son, his wife and buddies at one of the fantastic Cleveland Metroparks, but missed and then found it the next day only to get drenched in a cloud burst several miles from the car. You get the idea.

If you must, here are my basic recommendations:

  1. Catch up on sleep that you can’t get at home.
  2. Begin each day with a few basic exercises. I love Sage Rountree’s recommended 6-4-2: 6 positions of the spine, 4 movements of the hips, and 2 core exercises.
  3. Never sit in one position for longer than an hour. If driving, stop the car and get out even if only to stretch but preferably to walk. If at a conference or seated dinner, you can always excuse yourself to go to the restroom!
  4. If you are able to do so – walk, walk, walk. Wear appropriate shoes.
  5. Drink LOTS of water and use your privilege of choice when selecting edibles. You already know what’s best for you and just simply say no to what is not. If eating out or even when served at an event, it is now easier than ever to specify dietary requests. If you are vegan or vegetarian, you can probably get what you want. If not, just take a good look at what is available, eat what works and leave the rest. Rarely does anyone else care or even notice what you eat or drink – or do. For your health’s sake, you just might want to pass on rich deserts or heavy foods since your digestive system may be a bit compromised by travel.
  6. Did I mention drink lots of water?! Now is not the time to over-caffeinate either. I easily fall victim to ordering just one more coffee on long drives. There are options. (I need not address overconsumption of other beverages nor warn of the need for designated drivers in your party. You already know all there is to know about this one.)

 What is the bottom line? Play is oh so important to a happy and balanced lifestyle. When you have the chance, go play. Ditch your training for a designated period of time – then return to it with fresh enthusiasm and a clean slate – one on which you will write strength, endurance and flexibility gains. Trust me. 

REVISITING JANUARY 1st

Spring – somewhere

Are you on track to reach your personal and professional goals?

One-third the way through 2018 is a good time to check in with goals inspired by January 1st. An honest assessment of where you are right now can be boosted by a look back into your personal history. In a society in which one is encouraged to look ahead, move forward, set the bar higher, plan for tomorrow, it is also helpful to underpin expectations with snapshots of past performance and recognize possibilities.

In the short term, looking back to January 1st is one step. This year I posted each client’s goal on my waiting room bulletin board. Some goals are specific and some are general but already many have been met: my skier has exceeded his goal of 90 days of skiing, my yoga wannabe has included more yoga classes, others are noting measurable changes in fitness, and others have begun to anticipate summer activities. Some have just plain forgotten….

Then there is another aspect of goals – often they assume new shape and new purpose. That’s ok too. Simply making a goal helps to focus on what is both desirable and important at a particular time of one’s life. Doing nothing is simply not a good idea.

There is much to be said about the present, acknowledging the moment, neither mired in the past nor wishing for the future. However, there is value to considering history. On a micro level, remember the 5k you ran at Thanksgiving or the mountain trail or century ride you completed last July. Looking back a little farther remember the journey through a rehab, recovery from childbirth, or time away from your regularly scheduled fitness practice. In each event, despite struggles or disappointments, you made it. And you carry with you the nugget of knowing that you did!

Lessons learned from the past are certainly helpful building blocks for the present and future; but perhaps even more significantly, the emotional and intellectual gems are what need to be treasured and revisited.

Nothing marks time like the growth of a child or pet. But there are signs of growth all around each day. Perhaps it is simply a sign of approaching spring.

Perhaps it is the physical ability to dig a little deeper or stretch a little farther or lift a little more. Perhaps it is the spark of purpose that ignites new goals or broader horizons for the days, weeks and months ahead. The key is to acknowledge growth and to gain courage from it.

Of course it is imperative to be thankful for what you have right now, but it is also imperative to know that what you currently manifest is organic. While energy seems to ebb and flow like the tides, it is alive and as much a part of our being as our bones and muscles.

Yesterday in a yoga class we practiced quite a few twists. Our teacher reminded us that in Ayurveda, spring is the season of Kapha – of earth and water. (Mud season?!) So we practiced twists to stir up the sluggishness that Kapha signals. What a great metaphor for daily life when twists and turns force departure from planned paths and schedules. How many times have you noted that “things worked out for the best” or that some better way resulted?

Was it Einstein or Mark Twain or someone else who said: “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”? This is an often overworked quote but oh so true. Once again history plays a part.

Bottom line here? Use past experience to support present actions, and guide and sustain the future? I don’t know what will work for you, but today is a good day to pause to revisit your goals then move forward with gratitude for what is past and hopeful enthusiasm for what is yet to come, while savoring what is.

Pausing, savoring, and looking forward.