My birthday is on Thursday and I thought it would be fun to celebrate here on the blog today by offering some bonus gold stars.
Celebrating effort rather than results is always my MO but I’ve decided that, from now on, I’m going to lean into that idea even harder.
Especially where my own efforts are concerned. After all, just like most people, I’m really good at seeing how hard others are working but I’m not quite as observant when it comes to myself.
So, I going to consciously, deliberately, choose to notice even my smallest amount of work whether in fitness, well-being, or any of my projects.
That’s my gift to *me* for my birthday – I’m going to notice my efforts and I’m going to do what I can to ‘smooth the path’ for those efforts to be most effective. (More on that later.)
Now, as much as I would like to invite you all to a party where we could share a giant cake, the logistics on that are just impossible so, I’m going to invite you to do these two things instead.
1) Please consider joining me in noticing your own effort. This could range from making a mental note to a full toddler-parent-style reaction “Look at you doing squats! Aren’t you terrific? I’m so proud of you!”
2) Please comment below and tell me what you are claiming a bonus star (or stars) for today. This could range from ‘I remembered to look away from my computer and blink a few times so my eyes didn’t go wonky’ to ‘I stretched my neck while I was on the phone’ to ‘I meditated’ to ‘I wrote in my journal’ to ‘I biked to work.’ Or, to go in a different direction ‘I chose to rest because I’m not feeling well.’ Or ‘I walked instead of running because that’s what my body needs today.’
It’s all good work, Team, and your efforts deserve to be celebrated.
Here are 5 different stars for you to enjoy. Step right up and claim them!
And, as always, please be kind to yourself today and always.
I wish you ease.
And cake. I also wish you cake (or an equivalent delightful treat of your choice.)
Image description: a photo of a 3D geometric gold star shaped ornament made from metal wire. The ornament is on a wooden surface and the sun is shining, casting a shadow on the black background behind the star. Photo credit: J DrodgeImage description: a cartoonish drawing of mine – a yellow star with rounded ‘points’, the outer edges of the star have an orange accent. The background of the image is a series of thing black lines and the drawing itself is resting on lined paper. Image description: a photo of a glitter covered gold star ornament against a white background I love when my stars turn out looking like they have their arms in the air – I always have to add a face when that happens and make the gold star look exuberant . Image description: a photo of a drawing of a happy looking gold star with a background of green dots and with a green frame around the edge of the small piece of paper. The paper itself is resting on a dark green surface.My most garish, tacky, and fun gold star. Image description: a statuette of a gold starfish embellished with metallic decorations and a fake white gem in the its centre. The base of the statuette is covered with fake shells and coral painted in various metallic shades.
Tracy has tried it before in similar circumstances, staying at a resort and wondering about the exercise options. I was intrigued after reading her post and then happy to see it on offer at a resort too.
I’m staying at a resort in the Dominican Republic, tagging along while Sarah is here for a work retreat. And while there are lots of fitness offerings, Beach Zumba anyone?, I’m still a little limited by my knees.
I’ve been walking lots around the resort, swimming in the ocean, working out at the resort fitness centre, and doing knee physio exercises in my room, but I was excited to give aqua spin a try.
The basic idea is pretty simple. There are exercise bikes in the pool. There’s an instructor. There’s lots of loud music. And “¡vamos, vamos, vamos!”
You couldn’t adjust the tension on the bikes but that’s fine. Pedaling was made harder by the resistance of the water. We did a lot of standing while pedaling and I wasn’t at all sure how that would go. Since knee surgery I haven’t done it. But the extra buoyancy of the water made it possible.
It might have gotten boring quickly except there was a lot of bike adjacent exercising and stretching. There was certainly no high expectations of fitness or technique when it came to aqua spinning. Some of the participants had clearly been enjoying the swim up bar at this all inclusive resort prior to spinning. Lots of jokes about earning another drink, etc.
But my favorite part was that the instructor pretty much only instructed in Spanish. When people asked questions he asked if they spoke Spanish. If not, he managed just fine but it was clear he preferred to operate in Spanish. That was welcome because earlier I’d been joking that my Duolingo Spanish did me no good because all the staff spoke to us in English.
Would I seek out aqua spin in Ontario? Maybe. Not likely.
So I’m back from a long weekend at a resort in the Dominican Republic. (I blogged this morning about doing an aquaspin class there.) I was originally worried about traveling so soon after surgery but I got the medical clearance and was just told to make sure I kept up with my physio.
On a rainy afternoon that meant a visit to the resort’s fitness centre.
It had a cardio side–spinning bikes, treadmills, etc–and a strength training side–cable machines, free weights, and benches.
There were 16 people in fitness centre and the gender break down probably won’t surprise you. Eight men lifting weights and eight women doing cardio.
Now, when I started I was one of the eight women doing cardio, rehabbing my knee on the spin bike. But after a half hour of that I wanted to move over to the weights. But all those men. So many men. I felt pretty uncomfortable with the idea of trying to work in and around them. I’m a woman, older than most of the people in the gym, there with my cane. So I kept spinning and kept stewing. I thought about the blog and the story I would tell. And then something clicked. I didn’t want to tell the story where I sat and stewed about the gender imbalance. Also, I don’t know any of those guys. Who cares what they think? I want to lift weights. They’ve all been there awhile. So I got off my bike and walked over and claimed one of the pieces of equipment.
A very wonderful thing happened almost immediately. First, one woman joined me. And then another. Some of the guys left.
The next thing you know it’s a mixed group using the weights and the strength training equipment.
I don’t know if there was a causal connection between my move and the other women joining me. Maybe? I do know it felt a bit like there was. That’s the story I’m telling anyway. We did smile at one another.
It does show you that the idea that women just naturally somehow prefer the cardio equipment, that’s that what they want to do, is false.
I’ve been seeing all these lists from the NY Times Well section on “how I hold it together”, written by various staff members. They started in 2021, and reflect responses to stresses and fears around the pandemic. But of course that’s not all. All the stresses and fears, I mean. But while the rest of the paper of record covers those worries from outside of us and around us, the Well list writers’ coverage is internal and personal. They’re telling us what they themselves are doing to maintain equilibrium and calm in their own lives, which may include children, family members, partners, pets, plants, etc. Here are a few of them:
Patia Braithwaite
Uses coffee pot as alarm clock—sets pot to start brewing so to wake up to coffee smell
Traveling “to-do” list—on sticky notes to carry with and keep track of
Therapy as lifeline—enough said
Rest for at least 10 minutes a day—maybe meditation, more often breathing and relaxing
Distress walks—dissipates negative emotions (with time and mileage)
Knitting (and not)—enjoys process around projects, relaxed about doing and finishing them
Catherine Pearson
Get at least 7 hours of sleep
Limit electronic notifications
Cuddle the dog!
Update phone lock screen photo with new family photos
Go on app-guided runs
Practice 3-breath hugs—hold child or loved one for three deep breaths
Farah Miller
Spontaneous phone calls to distant friends and family
Naps
Really slow running
Making playlists
Hang out with pandemic puppy
Hike with friends
I like these lists. No, I don’t have a dog, and police procedurals are not my preferred binge watching. But other peoples’ comfort techniques definitely speak to me. What do these lists have in common?
Developing and trying to stick to a routine, especially around movement and sleep/rest
Cultivating an activity that brightens the day and mood
Reminding oneself to be realistic and modest about productivity expectations
Off-the-clock or off-the grid time, in whatever ways give pleasure (binge-watching, thinking about knitting, fantasy travel planning, resting, ceramics class, etc.)
Regular human social connection, though phone calls, group texts, shared walks, long hugs with loved ones
Physical activity– either with or without dog– but without performance goals or expectations
So, what about my list? When I’m holding it together, how do I do that? I know I promised one in the title of this post.,.. Okay, here goes.
Catherine’s Hold-it-together list, version 1.0
Morning meditation every day– either while still in bed, or directly after coffee
Late afternoon quiet pause– during low-energy time, a break to rest, read, do phone puzzle, meditate
Talk to friends or family on the phone every day– real-time connection through conversation is my life blood
Spend a little time on house tidying or organizing– it makes me feel more calm and in control of my environment
Move my body– on my yoga mat, on my bike, on my two legs– preferably outside, but even inside will do in a pinch
Set phone alarms for eating, taking meds, turning off media to go to bed– reminders help me avoid falling down a rabbit hole of whatever’s got my attention at the time
I’ll revisit this later on to see how well my hold-it-together list holds up. In the meantime, I’d love to hear from you– how do you hold it together? Do you craft, canoe, communicate in Morse code across continents? Let us know.
In the second half of my rec women’s soccer game, I rolled my ankle. As I tried to stand, it hurt. The game kept going on around me, and I heard someone yell at me, Go down on your knee. Go down! So I did.
That was the first of a series of supports and advice my teammates gave to help me to manage my ankle. Two teammates immediately put my arms around their necks and cinched my sides closely to hoist me up and walk me back to the bench. (I was surprised how easily the arrangement of our bodies helped me to get off the field quickly and with minimal weight on my foot.) A third teammate got me a bag of ice. Everyone checked in with me while the game continued and the lines were readjusted in my absence. After the game, from my teammates I got more compress and elevation ideas, Tylenol, and a drink.
I’ve mentioned in previous posts that I am a relative newbie to soccer, and that apparently includes soccer injuries. So, in the midst of my own self-inflicted discomfort, I noticed the swift dispensing of just the right amount of knowledge, care, and support from my team.
No one on the team made me feel as if I were putting them out. No one judged, minimized, or questioned my “injury” (which quickly became clear was not serious). I also wasn’t coddled or patronized, which can feel awkward. Instead, I got everything I needed–physical support but also a silent assurance–that the team had my back when I was down. I know that I am not one of the stronger team players, but when I was hurt my teammates treated me like I was an MVP.
It’s easy to look at a team that is winning all the games, or playing with the best formations, and think, Wow, that’s a strong team. But that night my soccer friends showed me that perhaps an even better measure of a strong team is how it responds to moments of challenge and weakness. A team that is strong together doesn’t just bring out the best in its players: it willingly brings back and brings up its players, especially when they are feeling at their worst.
In a world of fitness influencers there’s a lot that distinguishes Hampton of Hybrid Calisthenics. He’s funny and kind which I really enjoy.
Hampton demonstrates some moves.
I especially appreciate his approach to learning new movements and exploring discomfort with curiosity. Rather than encouraging people to push through pain Hampton offers ways to build strength and flexibility while preventing or recovering from injury.
The exercises demonstrated rarely require equipment and he always offers practical ways to get support from chairs, walls and railings.
Hampton also encourages folks to start with small amounts of exercise and build over time. His focus on functional fitness and reducing injury and pain are a welcome counterpoint to videos of shocking makeovers. He offers good advice!
Have you stumbled upon a fitness personality that you find warm, welcoming and inclusive? Please tell us about them!
It’s November. That’s my grumpy and sad month. So I am making an effort to note the things that make me smile. Here are some body positive things in the news this week.
Judging by the reaction on our Facebook page, this story made lots of people smile: A pro-fat camp for women? Sign me up. There was a lot of “Count me in!” and “I’m signing up!” and “Loooooove this!”
“Camp Roundup, a summer camp experience for fat women that was conceived of by a pair of friends, Alison Rampa and Erica Chiseck, was held for the first time this year in Newark, Ohio. The duo was inspired to create the camp after listening to an episode of the “Maintenance Phase” podcast that tackled the twisted history of fat camps. In the episode, hosts Michael Hobbes and Aubrey Gordon spoke about how, for decades, fat camps have shamed children for their bodies, resulting in eating disorders and the spread of beliefs that diets are effective and being fat is inherently bad. Though weight loss camps are marketed as solutions to childhood obesity, they actually spread unhealthy calorie restrictions, fad diets and intense workout sessions. As of 2019, roughly two dozen fat camps were still operating across the United States. After learning about the history of these camps, Rampa and Chiseck wondered how different their lives might have been — and how different life might be for their own children one day — if there had been a camp for fat celebration.”
“Shortly after transforming herself into Marge Simpson for Halloween, Lizzo took on another absolute icon for her second costume of the season: the one and only Miss Piggy. The star shared a handful of photos and videos of her tribute to the Muppet queen on Instagram, including a few where she recreated a famous pic of Piggy posing “nude” (can Muppets be nude?) with a snake draped around her body.
“A tribute to my forever icon, MISS PIGGY. The epitome of grace, style, confidence and a warrior for love. @realmisspiggy i love you,” Lizzo wrote in her caption, though the Piggy herself has yet to respond to the glorious look. In the photo, Lizzo dons a platinum-blonde curled wig just like Miss Piggy’s, plus a pink pig nose and ears. In a video of the costume, Lizzo sets the reveal of her look to Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s ubiquitous “W.A.P.,” calling the slinky and sexy look a “W.A. Piggy” moment.”
“Disney has debuted its first plus-size female protagonist in a short film that is being praised for exploring body positivity and overcoming self-doubt. The animation, Reflect, tells the story of Bianca, a young ballet dancer who “battles her own reflection, overcoming doubt and fear by channelling her inner strength, grace and power”. It forms part of Disney’s Short Circuit series of experimental films, released over the Disney+ streaming service last month. The six-minute feature has been pitched as an uplifting tale of conquering body dysmorphia and self-doubt.”
This list of affirmations in the spirit of body neutrality also made me smile.
Body neutral affirmations
Anything in the world of feminism, fitness, and body positivity that made you smile this week? Share your news in the comments below.
A little over two years ago I wrote a post about how much water we should be drinking. You can find it here.
Image shows a household tap with drops of water falling. Photo by Jos Speetjens on Unsplash
Recently NPR posted a myth-busting article about water myths and human bodies. The five myths they tackle include:
Myth #1: You need to drink at least eight glasses of water a day.
Myth #2: Caffeine makes you dehydrated.
Myth #3: We need sports drinks to replace salt and other electrolytes.
Myth #4: Drinking water can help you lose weight.
Myth #5: Dark-colored pee means you’re dehydrated.
I knew about the first one and the third, and had held suspicions about the second. The rest however surprised me. In fact, I thought I had heard all the tropes about weight loss but drinking water to lose weight was one I had not heard of.
The article does a nice job explaining some of the latest research findings and evidence to debunk the myths, always a useful approach given the misinformation we can encounter in health, fitness, wellness, and nutrition.
MarhaFitat55 is always interested in reliable health information we can use.
When Sam posted to the FIFI bloggers that she was enacting a clothing purchase freeze (with a few exceptions) until July 1, 2023, I thought to myself: 1) what a great idea! and then 2) OMG, what will happen if I see something super-cute on sale on the internets? Spoiler alert: the answer to 2) is: I look at it, maybe swoon and sigh, and then go about my no-buying business. It’s surprisingly non-hard to do this, I found.
Like Sam, I also allowed myself a few exceptions:
replacement of necessary active gear in case something gets ripped or lost or otherwise needs replacing (this hasn’t happened so, far, btw).
Purchase of replacement bras whenever mine get too ratty or lost, etc.
Purchase of used items at my favorite consignment shop Wearovers, IF I bring in some of my own stuff at the same time.
Purchase of clothing as gifts for my niece and sister.
I admit to some frantic ordering of jeans (white, blue denim and black) on June 29. In my defense, I returned all of them except one pair of white jeans, which I love. I also sort of accidentally broke my own rule when ordering bras– I got caught up and bought a cute pair of dark pink and white tie-dye pajama pants. It all happened before I knew it.
Magenta and white tie-dye pj pants with jogger ankle cuffs. I mean, can you blame me for being led astray?
Rules feel hard to me. The idea of following them ALL THE TIME feels very constraining and a little anxiety-producing. Of course, I regularly and easily refrain from big things like arson and blackmail (whew, you might be thinking), but the little things feel hard sometimes. I think it’s the pressure of doing (or not-doing) something ALL THE TIME. EVERY DAY. WITH 100% SUCCESS RATE. Put that way, it’s enough to make all of us a bit anxious.
The first couple of weeks felt hard for that reason. Just knowing that I wasn’t supposed to buy anything made me a little antsy online. As time passed though, I realized why: I used to spend a lot of time looking at clothing and other items online. Sam mentioned this too, and we talked recently about how not doing this kind of idle computer-window shopping has changed our online behavior. Sam’s now doing other activities (like Duolingo) and also getting more curated and tempting items in her media feeds.
I’m feeling liberated from anxiety-browsing of clothing, and relaxed when I do see cute things in my media feed. I think Facebook knows what I’m up to, though, and isn’t happy. I keep getting these ads in my feed for clothing that clearly appeals to me personally– bright colored and patterned tops in light-weight fabrics in easy-to-wear styles. And (get this): the top line says: MADE IN SOUTH CAROLINA (my home state). Man, do they play hardball…
And yet, I’ve browsed but not bought. Knowing I’m not buying is calming. I can browse all I want, not worrying about buying. But I don’t browse nearly as much.
So I’ve also turned to my closet and chests of drawers. Man, do I have a lot of clothing and accessories. I decided to do triage on earrings, getting rid of those I don’t wear, and polishing the ones I do. I have a lovely handmade wood earring rack (bought on Etsy a while ago), and it’s now set up so I can see all of them in their timeless glory.
Wood Earring rack with many pairs of earrings. Some of them are made by my friend Pata.
Okay, that’s not all of them. But these are the ones in active rotation. Hey, it’s all a process, right?
My closet is not yet fit for public inspection. But I’m working on it. The goal isn’t to provide some beautiful instagram-worthy space, but rather to make the clothing I have more visible and therefore more used by me.
Originally I committed to the no-clothing-purchase only until December 31. But now I’m inclined to continue until the summer. We’ll see how it goes, but it’s getting to be a habit, which is, I guess the whole point.
Readers: have you ever imposed a clothing or accessories embargo? For how long? What was it like? We’d love to hear from you.
Recently at physio my physiotherapist had me walking backwards and she suggested I keep doing it at home. True confessions: I haven’t. My house is too small and it’s full of things!
The thing is though I don’t limp when walking backwards and I do when walking forwards.
It also helps with extension, one of the goals of physiotherapy.
“Reverse walking may help increase knee extension range of motion. If you have a knee injury, knee surgery, or knee arthritis, you may have a loss of knee extension, which is your knee’s ability to straighten. While walking backward, your bent knee straightens fully while you are moving from your toes onto your heel.”
“Walking backward has been shown to help improve the strength of the quads and calf muscles, and reduce pain in the knee, Dr. Hashish explains. In fact, it’s sometimes promoted for individuals with knee joint arthritis to help alleviate pain and improve their mobility.”
“Another benefit? Walking backward effectively forces the knee joint to straighten.”
“Walking backward is commonly promoted for individuals who lack knee range of motion, such as following ACL reconstruction, where one of the principal deficits is the inability to straighten out the knee,” says Dr. Hashish.
