Month: April 2020

fitness

Circus, community and quarantine (Guest post from Renee Frigault)

fieldpoppy

It has taken over 2 weeks to write the first sentence of this article. One part of me really wanted to share about the workout group I’ve been participating in during quarantine. Unfortunately, another part of me has been struggling to find the activation energy for anything requiring putting words together. My brain often feels like sludge, and like so many right now, much of my current life has been centering around work, home schooling and fending off the desire to scroll endlessly on the internet. Many aspects of life feel hard right now. Thankfully, the last 5 weeks have also included something that hasn’t.

Screenshot showing individual frames of Renee, Diane, Cheryl, Rebecca, Cassandra and Sonia. All are flexing their biceps after a workout.

I’ve been training aerial circus for six years. (I wrote about it here). These have been the best of my adult life — in large part because it connects my body and mind together, challenging me to use both in difficult and creative ways, and also because it has introduced me to a new community. This world of interesting, creative and driven circus people have made me feel welcomed to their art form, despite the fact that as a 48-year-old, larger-than-lithe mechanical engineer, I am well outside the stereotype of the typical aerialist.

So, when my aerial coach extended the invitation to join an online workout group she had started, I grabbed the opportunity with both hands. Pre-pandemic, I usually struggled to work out at home. Now it is one of my favourite parts of the day. This 10am Monday to Friday group has become my primary source of physical conditioning and community connection during these stressful quarantine weeks. Our group is a mix of professional and amateur circus artists from multiple disciplines. Some I already knew, but others now feel like friends despite us never having met in real life.

After the first few weeks we began taking turns leading the workout sessions so it could stay fun and wouldn’t become a ‘job’ for my coach. It’s been several decades since I’ve coached or led a conditioning class. At first, I was definitely intimidated by the idea of trying to lead or teach a group with real circus artists. As usual they were supportive and welcoming, and it has felt really good to contribute and give something back to this special group.

I credit connecting with this group of strong and creative women with helping support my mental health. Moving my body and connecting with community has been huge for me, and it turns out that many of the others feel similarly. When asking permission to use a photo from our group for this article several of the others agreed to provide quotes. Expecting short one or two line snippets, I was blown away when they generously provided their own full thoughts and stories.  [Editor’s note from Fieldpoppy — I’ve shortened their comments, but these women sound amazing 😉]

Starting with the woman who brought us together — Diane Mcgrath (aerialartstoronto.com):

“I run FLY WITH ME Aerial dance studio and teach adults over 35ish. Every year I try and get away to be taught and be creative give back to myself. I started taking classes as usual with Hayley at Marbella aerial school in Spain. Within a week we were hearing more and more about China, Italy and now Spain being hit with covid. After a lot of research and thought we decided we need to get out of Spain before it’s too late. When we got home, we quarantined for 14 days, and started exercising in the garage. I asked my aerial friends to join in and a few of my students. It became a regular thing — and this daily gathering with these lovely strong women is such an amazing break, away from everything going on. It’s one time during the day I don’t worry or think about what if. Everyone is going thru different things. We all check in with smiles and support each other in different ways. I decided after a couple weeks of leading the training to ask if we could share the leading and change it up a bit and add different things to it.  I didn’t want it to be a class I was running — it was a time to be together and share this training. It was for us. So, it’s been great everyone stepped up and new movement and styles of trainings!

Rebecca Devi Leonard, www.AGirlintheSky.com, has a similar story:

“Working out in isolation with other women has been one of the silver linings to the pandemic. Diane has been a life-long circus training mate for me, since 1999. When the pandemic started to become a part of the new reality in March, Diane and I connected and started working out over facetime. Diane had just returned from Spain and had all of these interval circuits from her coach that had been developed to use objects like water bottles and towels you can find in your home. I had just returned from Hawaii and for the first time had tried out a power lifting gym that used similar style training circuits. These ground-based exercise regimes are the ideal formula to translate into a home bound program. Like most isolated folks we began to connect to our communities of friends to check in and see how they were faring in the new normal. Most of my friends are now homebound and trying to find ways to self-care and create a sense of routine. Days seem to get away. The group started organically as we would connect with other women in our wide spread communities, Ottawa, Peterborough, Los Angeles, Hamilton, Ajax. We would share that we were doing this and ears would perk up and eyes would sparkle and the invitation was offered. As a professional circus artist one must have the discipline to train regularly — however as human being, I have always been more inspired to train within community. We are pushed to go beyond our own limits and buoyed up and empowered to continue on when on our own we might call it quits.  As it became clear that this was not a short lived thing, we decided to share the leadership role of the daily workouts so that we could all have the opportunity to lead and follow, and to contribute other ideas of different physical practices form everyone’s unique backgrounds, explorations and trainings such as yoga, Pilates, flexibility etc. This daily ritual of meeting at 10 am, with enough time to have morning coffee and take care of life beforehand, has been an anchor, a starting point to these days stretching into weeks of isolation. The physical practice is a foundation for any other practice and the accountability of being with this encouraging, supportive and non-judgmental group of strong women is such a blessing right now.  Having a sense of routine and seeing the friendly faces every morning is a highlight of the days and gives me a sense of social connection that is essential in this time of isolation.”

Cassandra Jackaman had no experience with circus before the lockdown:

I came to this group thanks to some amazing good fortune – I have never trained or had regular exercise in my life since having children 19 years ago. That good fortune came my way through my friendship with Rebecca. I was messaging with her about 2 weeks into physical distancing, and she mentioned she had plans to exercise with friends that morning and I asked if I could check out what they were doing to see if it would be manageable for me. The next thing you know I had a call on messenger, and I was in the group exercising in real time with Rebecca and Diane! I set my coffee and toast aside, pushed my coffee table aside and joined in in my pj’s and it was amazing!!! I worked up a sweat and laughed and was so grateful to see the faces of these caring inclusive women who were strong and giving 🙂 I am so grateful to be part of a group of women that choose to come together to help one another push our bodies and minds to try new things and get stronger! I joke I will be in the best shape of my life after covid 19 and it’s true – I feel stronger and more flexible than ever before :).

The other thing is the mental spiritual benefit to connecting to these lovely women every day. I am a social person that needs human connection – meeting even virtually has been a real lifeline for my mental health and is helping me stay more sane. This group grounds me physically and emotionally and the most amazing way for me to start my days. I have been challenged by the cooperative nature of this group to lead us which is totally out of my comfort zone but has been positive as everyone is so encouraging and open! Lastly creating this time and space for me has led me to add on a bit of extra time to try something else I would like to develop and build into a routine – meditation. I exercise then rest for 10 then set up for 15 mins of guided meditation with some reading and writing and hope that will also be something I commit to and see results from.

Like me, Cheryl Duvall (www.cherylduvall.com) has more experience with circus, but this time has been just as transformative for her.

  • As a professional musician, I use my body to realize my art, and it’s very important to keep a strong foundation as musicians are easily injured (repetitive strain, back/neck problems, etc.) About a year ago I started to feel quite sick. It took about 10 months to diagnose a large tumour on my thyroid that was causing serious issues – I just kept getting sicker until it was removed in early February. I was unable to train for months before and after this surgery. The day I finally got my energy back was the day they announced the COVID quarantine/closure orders. Diane was checking in on me regularly and sending some at home workouts to start training. One day, I was ready to try one and I messaged her that I was going to do it…next thing I know, she’s calling me over video messenger and I’m working out with an incredible group of women every morning over zoom. It has been a godsend in regards my recovery and transition back to training. I love what all these women bring to the table in terms of interests and experience and I’ve even led my first workouts ever – this is something I wouldn’t be able to do alone. I’m grateful!!”

**

If you are wondering exactly what a bunch of aerialists are doing for fitness now that we are literarily grounded our group has based many of our workouts on plans developed by Haley Cronin of Marbella Aerial Fitness (www.marbellaaerialfitness.com). Haley is in Spain and like almost all professional circus artists has lost her primary source of work. For anyone wanting to try circus now is a great opportunity to connect with this community, try something new and help support these talented artists. Many of them around the world are posting videos, leading online group classes and offering private instruction (all at ground level J).

**

Renee is a professional engineer and recreational aerialist. She works and trains in Toronto, ON.

cycling · fitness · Guest Post

Avatars and Representation (Guest Post)

Sam B

by Jennifer Szende

Before the pandemic, I was already a regular Zwift rider. In a recent women-only group ride, the chat turned to the limited range of available avatars on Zwift. One rider lamented the fact that recumbent bikes and hand bikes are not available as avatar bikes in Zwift, even though a number of cyclists use the game with these and other accessible stationary trainers.

The chat eventually turned to the related question of representation at ZwiftHQ. The assumption was that Zwift HQ must be predominantly male and able bodied, and that (an assumed) lack of diversity in the design room must be at the root of the lack of diversity amongst design elements for avatars. I have no insight into the design room at ZHQ, but I have thought a bit about how digital decision-making is made, and about the pros and cons of more representative avatars.

We know that lack of diversity in a given setting in the real world has detrimental effects on those with marginalized identities. And we also know that the online context does not automatically reproduce real world social contexts. Rather, the online context is an artefact, and it is the product of multiple choices – or, indeed, omissions of choice.

But, we cannot solve a problem if we do not recognize it. Feminist epistemology teaches us that we all make observations, and ask questions, from a situated perspective. From positions of privilege, some of us may make the mistake of assuming that our perspective is shared or universal. It is not. A helpful takeaway from feminist epistemology is that all perspectives are limited, but some perspectives are better situated to recognize these limitations. From positions on the margins, we have better levels of recognition that our perspective is on the margins, and is not universal.

In the design room, false universalizing has implications. The design team has set up a range of options. They presumably have reasons for setting up the avatar choices as they have. But the worry raised by the in-game chat is that some of the choices are merely omissions. The possibility that is troubling me – and was troubling a number of participants in the group ride over the weekend – is that the choices on offer do not seem limited to the design team. If there is no one in the room to alert the design team to the problem, they may be issuing that their perspective is universal. This is where the in-game chat could be useful.

The failure to offer a more diverse set of avatar options is a choice on the part of the game designers. The failure on the part of the designers at ZHQ – whether it is an omission or a deliberate choice – has implications for the choices available to users.

There are social game-related reasons to have a more diverse set of avatar options. It is damaging to women, people of color, and individuals with diverse abilities to feel excluded from the the outdoor and fitness industries. Damaging in the sense of exclusion from fitness, and damaging in the sense of exclusion from community. In this case, users are customers who pay a subscription. And if the game were more diverse, it might be more welcoming to more people. The outdoor industry has been pushed to recognize the problem, but Zwift is an odd hybrid between indoor and outdoor fitness worlds.

There are game-related reasons to include recumbent bikes: they are more aerodynamic on the downhill, but can be more difficult to manoeuvre on the uphill. So, they could offer a game-specific accessibility lesson.

At the user end, it can make you vulnerable to appear as yourself, and it can make you vulnerable to appear different. So, many are faced with a dilemma. It may be safer for many players to opt for a non-representative avatar rather than to out themselves as ‘different’. It can be safer to blend in. Anonymous or pseudonymous social interactions can be protective to those with marginalized identities. Being ‘different’ or appearing as ‘Other’ can make you a target.

Avatars are only ever problematically representative. They may allow affirming options to self-identify in various ways, and to thereby seek out community within the game. They may also create passing privilege and the ability to blend in, to be less vulnerable in the virtual world.

My take? The vulnerability of appearance and avatar choice ultimately has to be made by the user. Zwift is doing us a disservice if our identity is not available as an avatar. But the vulnerability that accompanies representative avatars has to be the user’s choice. A more diverse array of avatar options would allow the user to make the choice.

Jennifer’s avatar racing in Zwift!

Jenny Szende is a philosopher, writer, climber, cyclist, mother, and follower of Yoga with Adriene in Toronto. 

Book Reviews · cycling · food

Book review: Felicity Cloake’s “One more Croissant for the Road” – food and cycling in France

bettinathenomad8 Comments

Being in lockdown has left me, like others including Sam, with time to do more of some things, including reading. I’ve always been an avid reader, but in pre-Corona times other “extracurricular” activities occupied more of my free time than they do now. Given the dire situation in the real world, I’ve also given in to the temptation of reading as a form of escapism, and what better way to go somewhere when you can’t go anywhere than a travelogue?

“One more Croissant for the Road” caught my eye one day early in the lockdown as I was looking for a light and joyful read. The premise is extremely enticing: Felicity Cloake, a British food writer, decides to explore the culinary joys of France over a summer. She picks out 21 classic French dishes and decides to visit each one at its place of origin… by bike. The result is a highly entertaining dash across the country and a lot of eating, some of it – but not all – delicious. From Boeuf Bourguignon to Tarte Tatin, Felicity Cloake makes it her mission to try all of it, often on several occasions. In between, her trusty green bike and bright yellow panniers battle many a hill and zoom along many a country road (and some dual carriageways, too). All of it is interspersed with a second quest, that for the perfect 10/10 croissant.

It’s definitely more food than sports-focused, but One more Croissant for the Road makes for great quarantine reading. In addition to her light and humourous writing, Felicity Cloake includes recipes for each dish, so you can expand your lockdown cooking adventures if that’s your jam (see what I did there?) and you can manage to source the ingredients.

If you want to know more, here’s the official blurb from the publisher.

Book Club · Book Reviews · fitness

Book Club Week 6: The Joy of Movement, Chapter 6

Sam B2 Comments

A few weeks ago we started a virtual book club.

You can read about the idea here.

You can buy the Joy of Movement here or from a local bookshop or your favourite online retailer.

What’s the plan? Christine, Catherine, and I are reading a chapter a week, for seven weeks and writing about it here. We did that for Nia Shank’s book The 100 Day Reclaim: Daily Readings to Make Health and Fitness as Empowering as it Should Be. And we liked it so much we’re doing it again. Read what our reviews looked like here.

What’s different this time? We’re inviting you to join us. Read along and put your contributions in the comments. It doesn’t need to be a lot. A few sentences, a few paragraphs, whatever you’re moved to write.

Want to catch up?

Read Week 1 here: https://fitisafeministissue.com/2020/03/10/book-club-week-1-the-joy-of-movement-chapter-1/

Read Week 2 here: https://fitisafeministissue.com/2020/03/17/book-club-week-1-the-joy-of-movement-chapter-2/

Read Week 3 here: https://fitisafeministissue.com/2020/03/31/book-club-week-3-the-joy-of-movement-chapter-3/

Read Week 4 here: https://fitisafeministissue.com/2020/04/09/book-club-week-4-the-joy-of-movement-chapter-4/

Read week 5 here: https://fitisafeministissue.com/2020/04/16/book-club-week-5-the-joy-of-movement-chapter-5/

Catherine

Chapter 6 of McGonigal’s book is about how nature helps us get out of our own heads and into a different state of mind. She cites E.O. Wilson on biophilia, who defines it as a hard-wired instinct that’s key to human happiness. Wilson says, “the emotions that modern humans tend to feel in nature—awe, contentment, curiosity, wanderlust—contributed to early humans’ ability to thrive as a species that had to find its place in a complex and constantly changing landscape”.

As I read this chapter about the feelings of transcendence, connection, care and contentment that immersion in nature brings, I can’t help but notice how distant those feelings are now. Parks and green spaces and beaches and wilderness areas are closed. And rightly so; when the governor of Florida re-opened beaches for socially-distanced recreation, crowds of people thronged the shores.

Does McGonigal have something to offer us for accessing the transformative powers of nature in these sequestered days? Yes. She describes how astronauts on the International Space Station all perked up around their new crewmember Rose, a spouted zucchini plant that one astronaut carefully nurtured from seed. NASA now recommends gardening in space as a psychological balm against the artificiality of space travel.

Yesterday I spent some time tending to my house plants, watering and pruning and staking and planning for repotting. I’m also starting an herb garden on my back porch. For me, caring for things live and green cuts down on the whingeing and promotes a quieter, softer mind state.

Walking through our neighborhoods, noting the developing buds and green shoots and flowering flora is a pleasure worth slowing down and taking in. Maybe we need to think of it like athletic training. I’m considering this and will report back.Christine

Christine

When comes to exercising outdoors, my ADHD-related challenges with *starting* an exercise session are compounded. Not only do I have to get myself organized to do the exercise itself, I have to get extra clothing on and I have to be prepared to face whatever weather is happening out there.

(Don’t start with the ‘There’s no bad weather, only bad clothing’ thing with me. I’m not buying it.)

I like to BE outdoors and I like doing outdoor things but, like with many things in my life, I have trouble bridging the gap between wanting to do something and actually starting it.

This is where McGonigal’s Chapter 6 ‘Embrace Life’ is going to come in handy.

This chapter is all about the underlying physiological reasons that exercising in nature is good for us. It’s not just about the movement, it’s not just about nature itself, it’s about the brainspace that we can access when we are exercising outdoors.

She says that in our regular resting-brain state our minds are not quiet, they are, instead, chattering about our social connections – our relationships with others, our place in our own social world. This is not inherently bad (in fact, it is quite useful) but it can create challenges when we are dealing with mental health issues. In nature, however, our resting mental state almost immediately flips to a different sort of consideration. The sights, smells, and sounds of nature draws our attention outwards and we get ‘out of our heads’ and tune into the world around us. We begin to feel that we are part of something bigger than ourselves.

That’s the kind of information that can help me get past the challenges of starting.

I know that I feel better in nature – exercising or just being – but having it described in this way is very tangible and helpful. Knowing the specific type of feeling I am seeking (and how to achieve it) can be another little push in the direction I want to go.

I was also very intrigued by her descriptions of groups who do gardening/landscaping/outdoor work for their exercise and how they can be motivated by seeing their progress…that there is a visible difference in their space from the time they start to the time they finish. This ties in nicely with another struggle of mine – not being able to see how the pieces add up to the whole.

One of my challenges with consistent exercise is that it is hard for me to recognize that any given single session will add up to a greater whole of increased fitness. There’s not often a tangible, positive result from a single workout so it is hard to convince myself that there is any point to a given session (Yes, intellectually, I know the difference but it’s not my intellect that is front and centre when I am trying to convince myself to put on my sneakers.)

So, this chapter has me wondering two things –
1) How can I regularly remind myself that exercising outside will give me that expansive ‘unity sensation’ that I enjoy?
2) How can I add that element of tangible, visible results to my exercise activities?

Chapter 6 is an interesting, enjoyable, and thought-provoking chapter and I will definitely be able to make good use of the information it contains.

Sam

I’ve decided I like this book best when I ignore two things: brief descriptions of theory without enough detail to determine if they are actually backed up by studies–that’s not the kind of book this is, and also the analogies with drugs and drug use–that’s not the kind of person I am, though clearly the author thinks lots of people will find it useful to think of exercise that way. Not me.

What I do love though are the stories. This chapter has some great stories about our connection to nature and the implications for human happiness, especially when it’s outdoor exercise in green environments.

I loved reading about emails to Melbourne’s trees. Melbourne gave 70,000 trees email addresses so people could report on their condition and instead, or in addition, people all over the world wrote letters to the trees themselves. See People from all over the world are sending emails to Melbourne’s trees.

I enjoyed reading about the author’s difficult decision about what to do with her elderly, ailing cat and how it was all made easier by a walk in nature with her partner that put things in perspective.

New to me too are Green Gyms, a program in the UK that combines, exercise, outdoor activity and caring for the outdoor environment. “Green Gyms are fun and free outdoor sessions where you will be guided in practical activities such as planting trees, sowing meadows and establishing wildlife ponds. Unlike other conservation projects, the emphasis is very much on health and fitness – volunteers warm up and cool down in preparation for a range of light to vigorous activities to suit all abilities.”

This appeals to me because I am often struck by how compartmentalized our lives are and how something as simple as gardening ticks a bunch of well-being boxes (outside, and everyday movement, and maybe even vegetables at the end).

Like Catherine, I’m thinking about the outside lots these days as I’ve moved even my bike riding to inside. I have wistful canoe camping thoughts and while it might be a very long time before I am back inside a restaurant or a mall, I want to get back into the wild as soon as possible. Heck, I am looking forward to eating outside in the evenings in our backyard as soon as it’s warm enough.

Also, I plan to garden. Wish me luck!

body image · cycling · fitness

Meet virtual Sam: Avatars, gender, and identity

Sam B7 Comments

As blog readers all know, I’ve been spending a lot of time on Zwift lately riding and racing my bike. It’s spring, yes, and normally I’d be riding outside now but it’s also a global pandemic.

Different cyclists make different decisions but I’ve decided to follow the recommendation of Cycling Canada and keep my training indoors. I’ll write more later about racing on Zwift which is turning out to be an awful lot of fun.

But as I’ve been spending more time riding with cyclists from all over the world, I’ve come to identify more with my Zwift avatar.

What do I mean by that? Well, I can spot myself in the peleton of bikes.

My avatar has grey blonde hair that’s about the length of my actual hair. She’s got an athletic build, solid, and I like that.

Here “I” am at the front of the pack. I zoomed to get front just to get a photo. I’m wearing a pink Swarm jersey because I was riding with the Swarm.

Sam riding with the Swarm

Normally I’ve been wearing the Team kit for TFC racing, the cycling club I’ve been racing with. It’s very yellow. Here I am wearing it while warming up for last night’s race.

Zwift Sam warming up for a race

This is the first time I think I’ve created an avatar who sort of looks like me. I had a Skyrim avatar some years ago but I was more playful and adventurous in creating her.

I have one complaint about my Zwift avatar. She’s medium sized person and I’m a large sized person. That’s odd because avatar size is based on your actual kg. It turns out that in Zwift women only come in two sizes regardless of how much we weigh. We’re either small or medium. Men come in three sizes, small medium or large. Here’s an explanation of avatar sizes.

So when Sarah and I ride together in Zwift we’re the same medium size. That’s weird because IRL she’s medium and I’m big.

Now I like my Zwift hair and my Zwift gender presentation but when a friend and I did a Swarm ride the other day, it turns out that a lot of the long haired women didn’t like the choices available for hair length. Basically all the long hair is in ponytails and the women wanted longer ponies than Zwift had on offer. There was some suggestion that Zwift needs more women in their development teams.

Here’s a screen capture of my avatar and some possible hair style choices

Zwift Sam considering possible hair styles

I like it that there are more choices than just long or short hair. But in the Swarm group we heard from a lot of long hair identified women who wanted more substantial hair.

Have you had an avatar that you identified with? Did it get everything right that you really cared about? Tell me about your avatar experiences.

covid19 · fitness · habits · motivation · training

5 Motivating Things to Tell Yourself to Get Exercising Again

Marjorie12 Comments

Finding it hard to get moving these days? Struggling to consistently work out with your routines thrown off? Consider telling yourself stories about yourself to help you get started and keep you going. It’s what I’m doing, and it’s really paying off. When I’m struggling to stay motivated, these internal narratives push me through to the next set.

“I never regret getting started.” This one is completely true for me, and for that matter, I almost never regret working out. Very occasionally, when I’ve been pushing too hard, or I’m coming down with something, or my life is exceptionally stressful elsewhere, I find that I just can’t finish a workout. But even then, I’m glad I made an effort. My body feels better, my thoughts usually feel clearer, and I like knowing that I did what I could. This story gets me into my workout gear and gets me to give it at least a start. I almost always finish.

“I’m an athlete and this is training, not just another workout.” This story (and it is a fiction in my case, albeit a powerful one) helps me focus on the task at hand. When the goal is training, the movement and intensity matter. I can focus on what muscles I’m using, the quality of the contractions, and on how my technique matters. Whereas if I’m just “exercising,” there’s some permission in my head to back off and go through the motions–after all, I’m still getting in my daily movement, so what does it matter if that last set was a little easy or sloppy?

“I am choosing to be a person who does this, it isn’t something I do out of obligation.” Yes, taking care of myself makes me a better wife, friend and daughter. I’m nicer when I take time to work out. I’m also decreasing the likelihood that I get certain diseases and conditions. But, I have a choice every day about continuing to do this work. And some days, I choose to take a break. It’s all ok, but it isn’t ok to act like someone is forcing me, because they’re not. When I tell myself this story, I reduce the rebel inside me that wants to say “Eff you” to the world and skip working out to “do whatever I want,” because this IS what I want.

“I am lucky I get to do this.” I cannot overemphasize how deeply motivating this story is for me. I have been physically disabled to the point that walking a block would make me lightheaded, breathless and in pain. It has taken me years, decades, to get to the level of fitness I’m at today, and I do not take it for granted. I feel so lucky that I’ve been given this time to push myself. This story reminds me to acknowledge this reality with gratitude.

“I’m at the gym right now.” This is a story I’ve had to start telling myself specifically during my home workouts these days. If I’m at the gym, I’m not checking email, doing chores, talking to the cats, or otherwise wasting time. The goal is to use the hour to get some lifting done so I can “go home.” Incidentally, I’ve started to tell this story to my husband, too. Now he knows that when I’m “at the gym,” unless it’s urgent, conversation and other interruptions can wait until I’m done. I am really loving finding some “alone” time even when I’m never alone in the house these days.

In the midst of the surreal realities of our current situation, I am finding the structure of my lifting to be a valuable tool for self-care. These stories, the mindset with which I approach my lifting, have become important to get me off the sofa and to my trusty resistance bands more days than not.

Your turn, dear reader: What are you telling yourself to help you stay motivated?

Marjorie Hundtoft is a (mostly online, and not very good at it, yet) middle school science and health teacher. She can be found using positive imagery and self-talk while pretending to pick up heavy things and put them back down again in Portland, Oregon. You can now read her at Progressive-Strength.com .

Image description: Someone standing in white sneakers on a checked carpet.
Could Covid-19 be the end of Keto?
covid19 · diets · food

Could Covid-19 be the end of Keto?

Marjorie8 Comments

Over a month of isolation, and there’s still no flour at the grocery store. There’s been a shortage of pasta, beans and whole grains like barley, quinoa, and rice, too.

Shortages of staple, high-carbohydrate foods would suggest that most of us are actually not ready to give up on this very satiating macronutrient in times of crisis, and it has me wondering, could Covid-19 be the end of Keto?

Consider the overwhelming evidence brought forth on social media–photos abound of the beautiful pandemic baking occuring in households the world over. Suddenly, we are all attempting peasant loaves, coffeecakes, scones, and sticky buns. Sourdough starters are being fed and tended like emotional support colonies in our refrigerators. In this trying time when we need comfort, these gluten-laden delicacies are reassuringly there.

Perhaps a silver lining to the dark storm clouds of potential pestilence and social distancing will be a rational redefining of priorities towards common sense balance in our diets. Maybe the #firstworldproblems of odd dietary restrictions, their pseudoscientific rationales, and the tribalism that feeds upon it will be pushed back a few degrees, back to the edges and away from the mainstream. After all, instead of sorting people into silos defined upon which sources and what quantities of carbohydrate we consume, social identities are now being formed around how frequently we go grocery shopping and our choice of face covering.

One could hope that during this worldwide crisis, when scarcity has new and pressing meaning, we can contemplate the real challenges of hunger in our world. Those who live amongst us without enough are the hardest hit right now, as they ever are in challenging times. With our attention on the needs of the many, perhaps we are moving away from concern about the needs of the few–and their pursuit of beach bodies?

Maybe now, with our social circles condensed to those we most love, we are moving away from judging one’s diet from a moralistic point of view towards a more caring, compassionate and practical one? What is good food and bad food in such times? In a moment when one of the few joys we can share with others is pictures of our beautifully baked bounty, we can ask ourselves if what we are eating is nourishing us and providing for us in all the ways. Food is not only fuel. It is how we show we love one another. It is how we build and maintain community. It is comfort and nostalgia and an offering to the divine.

All of these needs are real and present today. And in this time of need, we are baking.

I choose to be hopeful about this preponderance of home-prepared patisserie. I choose to believe that in a time when we are reaching for any sign of control, instead of cutting ourselves off from this resource, we are embracing it. Instead of giving into food cult identity, we are coming together. I have optimism about the essential goodness of humanity, and we are eating bread again.

Marjorie Hundtoft is a middle school science and health teacher. She is baking while missing picking up heavy things and putting them down again in Portland, Oregon. You can now read her at Progressive-Strength.com .

Photo description: a lump of bread dough on a peel in a ray of sunshine.
Getting back at the workouts
fitness · Guest Post

Getting back at the workouts

Sandi C.2 Comments

Things have been tough the last several months from a workout perspective. I’ve been dealing with a wonky shoulder, broken wrist and burnout. After temporarily wrecking my shoulder, I fell and broke my wrist, then spent 12 weeks in a cast. I waffled between general burnout and depression throughout all this, so working out just didn’t feel like an option most of the time.

After getting my cast removed, I resumed physiotherapy on my shoulder as well as my wrist, then COVID happened. My physio went online and I’ve spent the last 4 weeks trying to find the right chair height so I can work at my home desk without wrecking something else.

All in all, it’s been hard to get back at activity. My smart watch alerted me to the fact that I had 12 move minutes in my first week of working from home and I managed to work my way up to 15 the second week. Everything hurt and the only things I was doing was physio once a day. I’ve gone from lifting pretty heavy weights to barely being able to carry a half-filled plate, so really needed to do the strengthening work. Did I mention the lack of sleep? Turns out that my already tenuous sleep habits got significantly worse without movement.

Getting back into workouts has been mentally challenging and so I’ve started with doing my physio as often as I’m supposed to, maybe a little bit more. My physiotherapist has given me exercises for my wrist, hand, shoulder and back which is a bit above and beyond the original issues, but much appreciated. So, I’ve started turning off my video camera so I can do physio in longer meetings, and while watching the Marvel movies in chronological order. I’ve paced out a quarter mile in my backyard and am walking laps, when it’s not too cold, because I’m still a big baby, and I’ve pulled out the DVD I bought just before I wrecked myself to do some stretching.

This is stretching for circus performers, so for those of us who lift, but don’t stretch EVER, it’s so hard! Turns out I am NOT a circus performer. A full hour of hip opening, hamstring and calf stretching and back and shoulder stretching. Should I be out of breath when I stretch? It’s like aerobics, but worse! Anyways, it turns out the stretching is a good antidote to sitting through COVID and is a great way to get back into exercise.  I may not be able to start my circus career in my 50s, but maybe I can at least keep myself from feeling so old! Hopefully I can keep it up.

fitness

Okay, yeah, I want to talk to you after all

Sam B

by Eleanor Brown

I loved my old flip phone. I had an el-cheapo student deal, programmed with five telephone numbers on a $35 a month payment plan, and every time it rang, I was Mr. Spock, opening my communicator to talk to Mr. Scott, awaiting an update on when the newly acquired dilithium crystals would be in place and ready to rev.

Then I was gifted a snazzy smartphone and a new cell plan, with a new service provider, and I bid goodbye to my old workhorse and joined the 21st century. (Somehow, it oddly seemed a step back from the 23rd…)

When the relationship ended, so did the phone and the mondo data plan, and I realized how very, very tired I was. I had been available 24-7 to friends, and devoured the morning’s essential Globe and Mail news updates daily, in real time. But I also at the instant mercy of endless newsletters, subscription pleas, money grabs from (dubious) charities, spam, advertising…. Facebook was mesmerising, Twitter an endless stream of angry screaming, alternatingly hilarious and angering. Soooo tired.

I decided to take a break. I didn’t replace the phone.

Instead, I cultivated a new routine, committing to a wi-fi only tablet. It helped with my exercise: when I needed fresh air and email, I walked to a park to log into city-supplied free wi-fi. I walked to the municipal library, for the same. Or up to the nearby university campus.

One warm day I bought ice cream at a nearby shop, which also got me a wi-fi password that never, ever changed. I wandered over and briefly stood in their parking lot every time it rained. (The owners are the best neighbours anyone could ever want, giving new meaning to commitment to community service!)

It. Was. Fabulous. Truly, I was very happy.

Yet after three years, things started to change. Downloading email once a day was getting annoying. I was starting to feel out of touch. And then… somethingsomethingpandemic. Everything shut down. I could still rely on the free wi-fi, but… it wasn’t enough. All the bars and restos and bookstores and cinemas were closed.

Apparently, there are limits even for an isolationist like me. I needed to connect. This week I bought a high-end smartphone, and a limitless data plan. I’m checking the news at all hours – and enjoying it! I’m peering nearsightedly at the short films I’m streaming, and enjoying it! I’m messaging old friends at all hours, and enjoying it! I’m tracking memes, and enjoying it!

Ooooh! Queen Elizabeth, my monarch, has had her green-screen dress upgraded to wolves howling at the moon! Well ima post that on Facebook RIGHT NOW.

Selfie

Eleanor Brown is a writer in Sherbrooke, Quebec. Message her for her new cell number!

covid19 · fitness · online exercise · running · swimming · yoga

Exercising while pregnant: the second trimester (so far)

bettinathenomad1 Comment

CW: discusses pregnancy

As I type this, I’m almost 21 weeks along, so this week the little bean and I successfully passed the halfway point of this pregnancy. The second trimester so far has been a steady improvement from the first in terms of how I’m feeling. The extreme tiredness and the not-too-bad-but-niggling nausea have gone away and I actually feel like doing things now. At the moment, I’m really enjoying my pregnancy. The little one is quite active and I get a lot of kicks, which is very cute. And I’m not so big yet that it’s becoming an issue.

At the same time, I’m facing new challenges: I’m definitely showing now, so I’ve had to invest in some maternity yoga pants (so comfy!), looser tops and sports bras in a larger size as my breasts have grown. There are definitely some yoga poses that are no longer comfortable. Running is slower and slower. Last Sunday, I went on the first longer bike ride (that wasn’t a commute) of the season and while my bike shorts still fit, I felt a bit like a sausage in my cycling kit. Unfortunately so far, I haven’t been able to find maternity cycling shorts, at least not from a European vendor (if I were to order something from the US now I’d worry about delivery times). I have, however, found a workaround for now: folding the front of the bike shorts down helps accommodate the bump a bit.

Bettina running down a hill in a blue flowy running top and black capris. You can’t really see the baby bump from the front but trust me, it’s there! (In the background, there’s another runner – she was doing hill reps and it was v impressive.)

And then of course, well, there’s the global pandemic that keeps us all from living our normal lives. I’m very privileged, so I won’t complain. But it’s having an impact. I miss swimming so much! Under different circumstances, I would have purchased a wetsuit and taken up open water swimming: in Germany, we are allowed to exercise outside, and that includes swimming in many lakes. But now that I’m pregnant, I’m not throwing my valuable Euros at a wetsuit that would fit me for all of a few weeks, or problably not at all, seeing as they’re not usually constructed to accommodate pregnant bodies. The first maternity clothing item I bought a couple of months ago – before the pools closed – was a swimsuit, and so far I haven’t used it even once. I really, really hope I’ll be able to return to the pool before the end of August, but I’m also trying not to get my hopes up.

I move a lot less than normal as I work from home, and I’m also finding that it’s really easy to become sedentary. Normally, I often go to my workouts directly from the office or as I’m out and about, so I don’t give myself the chance to sit down and get too cozy to work out. I find it harder to motivate myself these days, though when I do get out, I really enjoy it. So here’s what I’ve been doing:

  • Yoga. I have switched from Yoga with Adriene to prenatal yoga videos now. Even better though, I have a colleague who is training to be an Iyengar yoga teacher, and she is giving me and my work mates classes over video conference at lunchtime twice a week. She is very thoughtful and makes modifications for me. The classes are challenging but I really enjoy them. I’ve also started playing with the new Downdog pregnancy yoga app, which is currently free due to the Covid-19 situation, and am enjoying it so far.
  • Running. Slow and steady, I try to get out for my 6k loop a couple of times a week during times when the paths aren’t too busy.
  • Hiking. The weather has been glorious here (though I won’t lie, in my darker moments the fact that it hasn’t rained in three weeks and we are having nearly-25°C temperatures in mid-April gives me major anxiety about bringing a baby into this climate catastrophe). So my husband and I have been doing some hiking, again trying to avoid the crowds. Unfortunately, when there is nothing else to do, the sun is shining, and your government allows you to go outside, everyone else does the same thing. The woods are a busy place these days. Still, most people are responsible, keep their distance, and stick to immediate family as hiking partners.
  • Biking. I feel like this is going to be the next thing to go on account of my growing belly, so I’m trying to get as much as possible out of it while I still can. See the aforementioned sausage moment.
  • Other prenatal workouts. I’ve found some that I like on youtube, particularly this list by BodyFit by Amy. They’re varied (there’s a strength one, cardio, TRX…) and I can pick what I feel like on a given day, and they are also challenging. She gives different options depending on your pre-pregnancy fitness level and how far along you are, which is great.

So by and large, it’s going ok and I keep moving. But, have I mentioned how much I miss swimming?