Gym Shorts: Mental health
Okay, before anyone asks, No - I did not get into the pool today. I may not for a while. Besides, its getting cold out and and I don't want to get a chill by walking around outside with a wet head. There: a perfectly rational rationale for not swimming for the next few months. nyah.
Today was a fairly easy day - abs, upper and lower body weights and treadmill. Its funny - I looked around the weightroom floor and saw about five women who were all wearing the same sort of outfit as me (black racerback exercise top, black yoga pants, ponytail and ipod, all with figures in the single digits and was struck by the the overwhelming thought - "DAMN! we really all DO look the same!" . Funny. ironic. crunchy.
So I was walking on the treadmill, letting my mind wander hither and yon, and I realized I was not really pushing myself to a sweat or to increase my heart rate - I was just going for a brisk stroll as I would do if I was wandering around a pleasant path through the woods. And you know what? that's perfectly ok. All the experts say its important to have a certain amount of physical activity in your life for a myriad of reasons. It cleans out toxins, it improves your circulation. it gives your skin a healthy glow. All those things that don't show up on a scale or tape measure. And yeah, I really really REALLY just like the act of moving. so, having hopped on the scale this morning just to check in, I know I don't need (or want) to lose any more weight, but I do want to keep motion as part of my daily routine, so I guess strolling through my own mental landscape is a perfectly good thing to do.
In addition, I have decided that the other major key to good health is just to get plenty of good sleep. I was passed out by a quarter to 9 last night. I woke up at 4:30, did my morning yoga and got an hour's worth of exercise under my belt by 6:15, but the latter things would not have been possible without the good night's sleep beforehand. So: no tv watching. no videogame playing. no reading the books I can't put down... just: turn out the lights and go to sleep. It works great and feels wonderful and the rest of that stuff just doesn't help in the end.
wow, that was quite a ramble for one cup of coffee. such is.
Today was a fairly easy day - abs, upper and lower body weights and treadmill. Its funny - I looked around the weightroom floor and saw about five women who were all wearing the same sort of outfit as me (black racerback exercise top, black yoga pants, ponytail and ipod, all with figures in the single digits and was struck by the the overwhelming thought - "DAMN! we really all DO look the same!" . Funny. ironic. crunchy.
So I was walking on the treadmill, letting my mind wander hither and yon, and I realized I was not really pushing myself to a sweat or to increase my heart rate - I was just going for a brisk stroll as I would do if I was wandering around a pleasant path through the woods. And you know what? that's perfectly ok. All the experts say its important to have a certain amount of physical activity in your life for a myriad of reasons. It cleans out toxins, it improves your circulation. it gives your skin a healthy glow. All those things that don't show up on a scale or tape measure. And yeah, I really really REALLY just like the act of moving. so, having hopped on the scale this morning just to check in, I know I don't need (or want) to lose any more weight, but I do want to keep motion as part of my daily routine, so I guess strolling through my own mental landscape is a perfectly good thing to do.
In addition, I have decided that the other major key to good health is just to get plenty of good sleep. I was passed out by a quarter to 9 last night. I woke up at 4:30, did my morning yoga and got an hour's worth of exercise under my belt by 6:15, but the latter things would not have been possible without the good night's sleep beforehand. So: no tv watching. no videogame playing. no reading the books I can't put down... just: turn out the lights and go to sleep. It works great and feels wonderful and the rest of that stuff just doesn't help in the end.
wow, that was quite a ramble for one cup of coffee. such is.