Soy Un Perdedor, I'm A Loser, Baby

Today's post comes to you from Denver. I'm on vacation. Just me and the mutt.

It's raining today. It's been raining since last night, and it's only about 51 degrees out. Silly me didn't bring my long sleeve running top or my running jacket. So I don't have the right clothing to go running in the rain. And Rembrandt doesn't know what to do with this stuff falling on him. He won't leave the shelter of the stairwell where we are staying. Which means he hasn't gone potty since last night. (yes, potty. my dog understands the command, "go potty.")

So this week's theme is exercise tips. This is a hard one simply because it's different for everyone. One of my fellow linkers, Battles on the Homefront, covered it well - you have to find what works for you.

I've done all kinds of workouts before. I used to be a member at Curves, and it worked well when I first joined, but I think reached a point where it just wasn't enough workout. Then I did Jazzercise. OMG I loved Jazzercise. When I couldn't find a good Jazzercise schedule in my new home, I transitioned from walking to running.

The one area I fall flat in is strength training. I really need to work on that.

So, advice. Don't give up. Even if the scale doesn't budge, don't give up. Remember that muscle weighs more than fat. I haven't been losing any weight recently, but I have been losing some inches (even the hubs' soldiers noticed and commented that I look skinnier!).

If you need motivation, you have to find it. Only you can say what will motivate you. My motivation is completely different from the hubs', and probably different from yours.

You have to find what workouts work for you. If you hate the workout you're doing, you should probably go find another workout (unless hate is your motivation). If you're a milspouse that lives near a military base, check out the gyms and pools to see what they have available. I know Bliss has all kinds of free classes at the gyms, and we can use the pool for free (when it's not closed for repairs :p).

It's also good to switch things up. You'll read it everywhere - you need to confuse your muscles. If you do the same routine too long, your body gets used to it and you get less benefit from it. With running, this means adding hills some days, or intervals, or long sustained runs. Just mix things up. Cross train. It's all the same.

Listen to yourself. Your body will tell you if it needs a day off. And it's OK to take a day off. Rest is even more important when you have been working out consistently. Our muscles need recovery time, as do our minds. Also, prioritize. Sometimes your workout can be skipped for something more important. Mental health is just as important as physical health. Who cares how fit you are if you're depressed or homicidal? I firmly believe in mental health days.

Aaannd, that's all I got today. Time to see if the rain has let up enough for mutt to go out in it. I hope I don't have to go buy him a rain jacket. Although he would look adorable in it.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

working on it

because I can

The Roof of Africa - Getting There