223 in 2023 · advice · fitness · yoga

Sam ends her 2023 workouts with a burrito of love

Thanks Adriene!

Workout 400 for 2023 was a gentle relaxing yoga practice.

“400. Slow your roll yoga with Adriene in which you’re told to fold your towel or blanket like a burrito of love. “

Earlier in the day we went for a dog hike on the very very grey and cold New Year’s eve day at the farm. Brrrr.

That was workout #399.

Cold grey dog walk

Cheddar has lots of attitude about sticks.

Two Sticks Cheddar

This was a very successful year of working out for me, largely because it was in service of knee replacement surgery recovery. Between physiotherapy and personal training, there was a lot of structured leg stretching and strengthening, and balance work.

If you want to join our merry band for 224 workouts in 2024? Here’s how…

fitness · holiday fitness · holidays · meditation · rest · self care · yoga

Making Space 2023: Day 31

We did it!

Here we are at Day 31 and I hope you were able to use my posts as reminders or prompts to make a little more space for you in your days.

It can feel a bit weird to add something else to our lists this time of year but it is worth it. Making space for ourselves helps remind us that we aren’t just here to get things done, we are here to live our lives, to enjoy ourselves, and to be ourselves.

Anything you do that reminds you or who you really are, anything that reminds you of your own power, will help you show up in the world the way want to show up, will help you to be responsive instead of reactive. And all of that will help you feel better over all.

This is the last entry for Making Space 2023 but tomorrow I’m starting our Go Team 2024 entries. Go Team 2024 will be a month of posts encouraging you to be kind to yourself and to recognize your own efforts each day.

Whether you view January as a month to jump into new goals, to continue on your current course, or to just putter along through while you figure things out, I’m going to be posting every day to remind you that your efforts count – no matter what those efforts entail.

Wishing you all ease as 2023 becomes 2024 – a change that has as much meaning or as little meaning as you want to give it.

Even though I (gently) boss you into being kind to yourself, you are, after all, the boss of you and you decide what matters.

Onto our videos!

If you want to ease your way into the new year, here’s 10 Minute Bedtime Yoga video from Yoga with Adriene

Still image shows Adriene lying on her yoga mat with her head on a pillow, she is wearing comfy clothes and her dog Benji is sleeping near her feet.

If you want to welcome 2024 with a bit more oomph, here’s The Fitness Marshall team leading us through a dance to Lady Gaga‘s Bad Romance.

Image description: three people in dance clothes doing claw hand gestures as part of a dance move.

If you want a restful meditation to welcome the new year, this 10 Minute Mindfulness Meditation / Present from the Calm app channel might be just the thing. The video features a crackling fire in a fireplace and that seemed like a good meditation focus to me.

Still image shows flames crackling around a tall cone of logs and sticks in a fireplace.

And if you want powerful energy to greet the new year, perhaps this 5 Minute Meditation to Access Your Superpowers from 5 Minutes by Great Meditations might be a fun way to start.

Whether you choose calm or energetic or something in between and whether or not you choose to do any of these videos, I hope December 31 treats you well and that you have the space you need for your own peace of mind.

About Making Space 2023:


In December 2020, Fit is a Feminist Issue blogger Martha created a tradition – a series of reminder posts to take good care of ourselves during this last month of the year when it is far too easy to get swept up in your to do list, no matter what you are celebrating or not celebrating. 


In 2021, I started doing daily December reminders with a post called Give Yourself Some Space,  and that’s how the ‘Making Space‘ December tradition began. Throughout December 2021 and 2022, I wrote a short post that included two videos – one for exercise and one for meditation – and a bit of encouragement for you to make space for yourself at this busy time of year. 


These posts are not about cramming more things into your month, they reminding you that there IS a *YOU* who is doing all of the things and that you are worth taking good care of.


Perhaps the things I suggest aren’t what you need at the moment. That’s totally ok. Perhaps you can use something else to create some space, something that will help you feel more relaxed or more in charge of your day. Just do whatever you can to give yourself a little more breathing room.


Personally, I am trying to Finish 2023 Soft so I am putting conscious effort into resting whenever I can. My overjangled nervous system needs a chance to unjangle and that process may look different every day. 


So, some of these posts may be long and some may be short but please know that every single one of them is written with the hope that you can find a little ease in your day, whatever that looks like for you.

challenge · fitness

Shopping for a 2024 challenge? How about Yoga with Adriene with us?

Full disclosure: I’ve signed up for this challenge at least five times, and I have never made it past day four. Why? Because challenges are easy to sign up for, and easy to forget about/not take seriously/stroll away from. Which is totally fine.

This year, though, I’m adopting a different stance towards New Year’s challenges. I’ve signed up for various Wellness challenges, including the New York Times 6-day Energy Challenge (not sure what this means, but what the hey), and the Washington Post 5-day Tuneup (does this mean I have to improve faster?) I’ll be reporting back on what transpired (and didn’t).

I’m also signed up for the 2024 Yoga with Adriene 30-day Flow Challenge. You may be wondering: if I’ve never made it very far into the challenge, why sign up this year? Here are some of my reasons:

First, my 2024 word is Collective, which means that I’m noting and acting on the fact that I get a lot of enjoyment (and accomplishment, too) from moving as part of a group. Several of the FIFI bloggers have done this challenge for several years now, and I’m joining them intentionally. Note: joining doesn’t mean forcing myself to perform in the same way; to me it means being part of the crowd, doing parts of the challenge in my way and sharing in the experience with them (albeit virtually).

Second, I’m taking a page out of Samantha’s exercise playbook: she’s often written about how she’ll create an aspirational activity list, and will do as many of the items on her list as her schedule and energy and life allow. I’m going to try this. It feels to me like commitment lite, involving planning and acknowledging that it’s important, but not adopting a do-or-die attitude towards any particular activity.

Third, I admit it: I really love official reset occasions. Several of us who are academics have written about our love of bright shiny new school years. So we get two New Years: one in September and one in January. Yay! I’m going to ride the renewal wave and see how far it takes me.

Finally, I’ve learned a lot about commitment and challenges and the value of restarts and pushing through from my meditation practice. I’ve been sitting almost every day for 3+ years now, and keeping track of my meditation sessions with my Ten Percent Happier app. I’ve experienced stretches of up to 150 days (once), and also have reset 48 times (I know this because it shows 48 three-day streaks). As of today, I’m on a 62-day streak. Will I miss a day in future? Absolutely. What will I do then? Restart and keep going, of course…

So bring on the 2024 challenges– I’m curious to try them out.

Wanna join us? We’d love to hear from you.

blog · fitness

Top thirteen (!?) posts in December 2023, #ICYMI

Editor’s note: I know it’s usually the top ten but I lost track and kept going. Possibly chocolates and seasonal music were involved. Oh, Christmas!

“If your goal is to be a kick-ass 90-year-old, you can’t settle for being an ‘average’ 50-year-old” Sam blogs about turning 60 and what she needs to do to get ready!

The Unbearable Lightness of Brie Larson by frequent guest, that west coast runner and fit feminist, Alison Conway.

baked orange pie
Photo by Cats Coming on Pexels.com. Orange Pie.

From 2013, it’s Tracy’s The Shape of an Athlete.

Join us in working out 224 times in 2024?

Sam writes, Leggings are out,, but who cares?

crop sportswoman with fitness mat
Leggings. Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com

Cate is also pondering turning 60.

60! Photo by NIPYATA! on Unsplash

Gender and shoulder health by Diane

selective focus photography of woman in black sleeveless top
Shoulder. Photo by Luis Quintero on Pexels.com

More than 8 months out since my last knee surgery: Here’s 8 things that have changed

crop sportsperson resting after training on lawn
Knees.

Cate’s classic, I’m 53 and a half and I’m still menstruating: is this a good thing?

products of personal hygiene in bathroom
Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com

Tracy dives into the EPIC program

green blue and pink kettle bells on blue surface
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Four podcast episodes to keep you company while traveling (even if to the grocery store)

photo of person driving
Photo by Peter Fazekas on Pexels.com

We’re here, trying to offer words of quiet, calm encouragement in the midst of diet frenzy fitness culture

black and white laptop
Photo by Prateek Katyal on Pexels.com

Yoga poses I simply can’t do, and what I do instead

woman meditating in the outdoors
Photo by Oluremi Adebayo on Pexels.com
fitness

Making Space 2023: Day 30 – Part 2

I made a mistake when scheduling today’s post and instead of going up today, it went up yesterday.

I’m annoyed that I did that but I guess I just have to make space (ha!) for the occasional mistake.

I have linked to what was supposed to be today’s post below and seeing as I have a little extra space here (there I go again with the space!) I just want to add this reminder for you:

In these last two days of the year, the accomplishment posts and the aspirational posts will be everywhere.

You don’t have to participate in all of that unless it makes you happy to do so.

You can opt out of all of that sort of accounting and planning.

This time of year only has the meaning you decide to give it and if the changing of the year feels weird or doesn’t fee like a big deal, so be it.

If people ask you about your accomplishments or your plans and you don’t feel like saying that you aren’t participating in that stuff, you can tell them that not talking about it is a key part of the plan.

You know, something like – “Oh, I can’t discuss it at this stage, it affects the subconscious part of the process.”

That way you give yourself space (again!) to do things your own way without having to deal with the static of other people’s approaches.

No matter how you approach the next few days, I wish you ease and I wish space – space to breathe, space to think, space to do what you want, space to be yourself, space free from the pressure of other people’s opinions.

I know it’s not always possible to have those things but it’s worth a try.

And here’s the post that was supposed to be here right now:

challenge · fitness · habits · Happy New Year! · motivation

It’s January 1st, change everything now!

Yikes. Geesh.

‘Tis the season for completely, wildly, depressingly unrealistic (and highly gendered) new year ambitions.

There are so many ads in my social media newsfeeds for programs, books, coaching, and support groups, all aimed at changing my life. The changes are so many and so big that they almost (ALMOST) make me nostalgic for the days when it was all about weight loss. I mean, that was also unrealistic and ultimately depressing, but at least it was just one goal.

Now they are all about SLEEP, and MEDITATION, and READING, and EXERCISE, and NUTRITION, and NATURE, and GRATITUDE, and SOCIAL CONNECTIONS, and SKINCARE, and even DECLUTTERING.

Don’t forget also to DRINK ALL THE WATER MANY TIMES A DAY!

The Greatness App, for example, tracks your daily routine including making your bed in the morning, disconnecting from social media at night, bathing and skincare, eating healthy meals, meditating and getting enough sleep.

There’s also the whole Girl Gotta Change line of planners, diaries, and workbooks that include health and fitness, lifestyle and wellness, and academic goals.

The Lasting Change personalized planner is also all over my newsfeed. I was skeptical as soon as gender with MALE/FEMALE/OTHER appeared as the first question in the personalization process. Again, it all seems a bit much.

Here’s a typical suggested morning routine (but you can alter it to suit you):

Build a morning routine to cherish your loved one

It’s not that I don’t think these are all good areas in which we can make positive changes in our lives–and certainly they’re better than weight loss–but I do think it can be overwhelming to tackle ALL OF THEM AT ONCE.

Also, it’s missing key aspects of my life, like frantically doing a Duolingo lesson in bed just before midnight to avoid losing a streak, or laying in bed trying to solve Wordle before getting up and making coffee. Joking, I know, but only sort of.

I know I’m not their target market. I’m older, nearly 60!, and I’m not just starting out and establishing my routine. Still, even Young Me would have found this a Bit Much.

How about you? Do you find the new year a useful restart, a helpful blank page, as Tracy put it recently? Do you like the focus on daily habits and routines? The thing is I like them too one at a time. Like many of us here, I’ve tried the getting outside for 20 minutes a day challenge and I liked its effect on my life. I’ve done some impressive (to me) meditation streaks. But the idea of a day structured by these goals and plans seems to lack enough spontaneity for me, especially if you take them all on at once.

Also, a confession, dear friends and readers, I’ve never had a skincare routine.

Anyway, let me know what you think? Do you find these plans inspirational and motivational or exhausting and overwhelming?

time for change sign with led light
Time for Change. Photo by Alexas Fotos on Pexels.com

fitness · holiday fitness · holidays · meditation · rest · self care

Making Space 2023: Day 30

Note from Christine: I made a mistake when scheduling this post and it went up early. My apologies for the mixup.

I hope that this last weekend of 2023 finds you with lots of space to do the things you need and want to do.

And if that space isn’t naturally-occurring, I hope you can find a way to make some.

Please remember that you don’t have to do the videos I link to and you don’t have to do the things that other people say you *should* do with your time.

We all have things that need to be done, I get that, but we also have a lot of pressure to do things that other people have prioritized. I hope that you can make a little extra room for your own priorities today and let other people deal with at least some of the things they tried to push off onto you.

The videos below do not have to be priorities for you, I only offer them to make it a bit easier for you to do a little movement and a little meditation without having to put too much extra thought into choosing a video.

I always love a video from Ask Dr. Jo and this Real-Time Morning Stretching Routine is especially enjoyable.

Yes, I know you have probably already started your day but these stretches are just as good in the middle of the day as they are first thing.

Image description: the title of the video is in the upper left on black text, on the right side of the image is a still from the video showing Dr. Jo pretending to wake up. She’s sitting on a blue mat, her feet and calves are covered in a blanket and she is lifting a sleep mask up onto her forehead.

And just like the stretches above, this 7 minute guided morning meditation from Meditate Daily with Andrea Jean is good any time.

Still image is a cartoon drawing of a person sitting crossed legged in meditation. The background is grey and white text at the top reads ‘7 Minute Meditation’ and at the bottom it reads ‘positive morning’

About Making Space 2023:


In December 2020, Fit is a Feminist Issue blogger Martha created a tradition – a series of reminder posts to take good care of ourselves during this last month of the year when it is far too easy to get swept up in your to do list, no matter what you are celebrating or not celebrating.


In 2021, I started doing daily December reminders with a post called Give Yourself Some Space,  and that’s how the ‘Making Space‘ December tradition began. Throughout December 2021 and 2022, I wrote a short post that included two videos – one for exercise and one for meditation – and a bit of encouragement for you to make space for yourself at this busy time of year. 


These posts are not about cramming more things into your month, they reminding you that there IS a *YOU* who is doing all of the things and that you are worth taking good care of.


Perhaps the things I suggest aren’t what you need at the moment. That’s totally ok. Perhaps you can use something else to create some space, something that will help you feel more relaxed or more in charge of your day. Just do whatever you can to give yourself a little more breathing room.


Personally, I am trying to Finish 2023 Soft so I am putting conscious effort into resting whenever I can. My overjangled nervous system needs a chance to unjangle and that process may look different every day. 


So, some of these posts may be long and some may be short but please know that every single one of them is written with the hope that you can find a little ease in your day, whatever that looks like for you.

fitness · holiday fitness · holidays · meditation · mindfulness · rest · self care

Making Space 2023: Day 29

Hey Team,

Please remember that you don’t have to spend this week making plans for how to make 2024 your best year ever.

If that kind of planning feels good, have at it. But if it feels like something you *should* do, please do something else instead.

You can spend this week making space for yourself, taking deep breaths, just puttering along in whatever way suits you best.

You can also take January one day at a time once it gets here.

You also have the option of labelling January as Planuary, like I do, and deciding what kinds of plans to make once the calendar rolls over to 2024.

(Maybe that’s not how the movers and shakers do things but I am not interested in being a mover or a shaker, except in the most literal of terms – I like being able to move and sometimes stuff needs shaking up.)

ANYWAY!

Here is your movement suggestion for today. I really enjoy this 5 Minute Foot, Core, and Pelvic Floor workout from Dr Bri’s Vibrant Pelvic Health.

Still image is of the instructor smiling on a sunny tropical beach. There is a small inset photo of her feet and the words ‘Quick Foot and Core’ are superimposed on the right side of the image.

And today’s meditation is Releasing the Resistance from Great Meditations. I don’t know if you are feeling resistant to anything in particular right now but it is such a common feeling that I figured it would be useful no matter what is going on for us at the moment.

Still image is a drawing of a person with flowers in their long brown hair, they look peaceful. On the right side of the image is text reading ‘Releasing the Resistance guided meditation’

About Making Space 2023:
In December 2020, Fit is a Feminist Issue blogger Martha created a tradition – a series of reminder posts to take good care of ourselves during this last month of the year when it is far too easy to get swept up in your to do list, no matter what you are celebrating or not celebrating. 


In 2021, I started doing daily December reminders with a post called Give Yourself Some Space,  and that’s how the ‘Making Space‘ December tradition began. Throughout December 2021 and 2022, I wrote a short post that included two videos – one for exercise and one for meditation – and a bit of encouragement for you to make space for yourself at this busy time of year. 


These posts are not about cramming more things into your month, they reminding you that there IS a *YOU* who is doing all of the things and that you are worth taking good care of.


Perhaps the things I suggest aren’t what you need at the moment. That’s totally ok. Perhaps you can use something else to create some space, something that will help you feel more relaxed or more in charge of your day. Just do whatever you can to give yourself a little more breathing room.


Personally, I am trying to Finish 2023 Soft so I am putting conscious effort into resting whenever I can. My overjangled nervous system needs a chance to unjangle and that process may look different every day. 


So, some of these posts may be long and some may be short but please know that every single one of them is written with the hope that you can find a little ease in your day, whatever that looks like for you.

fitness · WOTY

Fit Feminists’ words of the year: the 2024 edition

It’s fun to choose a word of the year. The keys to making the choosing process enjoyable are 1) not to overthink it; 2) not to take it too seriously or literally; and 3) to feel free to be as expansive or imaginative or idealistic as you like. We here at FIFI have done just that for a few years. As a warmup, you might check out previous years’ picks:

For my part, I like picking a word of the year much more than say, making New Year’s resolutions. It’s less prescriptive and more thematic. A word of the year is also open to multiple interpretations, offering us a range of choices as life takes unexpected turns. If you find this idea kind of interesting, you can read what we have to say about our upcoming year words and see if anything inspires or suggests something for you. And if you do, we’d love to know what word you picked.

So, here are our words for the year 2024:

Tracy:

My word for 2024 is STRONG. I feel it has several layers of meaning for me. Most literally, I am back to strength training and loving it, so I want STRONG to guide me in that. I am also aware that I’ve been feeling emotionally fragile for several years because of my divorce, and I am ready to shed that burden. I’m not talking “stiff upper lip” or eschewing vulnerability. It’s more along the lines of looking forward not back, and recognizing my strength(s) and letting them lead me. I’m sure there are other meanings that will unfold for me.

I am also excited that Mina and I have decided to be WOTY “accountability partners,” checking in to see how the words are working for us. It started because we were both going to use the same word (discernment), but then “strong” was speaking to me so much that I landed there. I’m not sure what she has decided. But regardless, we’ve partnered up and I’m feeling good about that. Happy 2024!

Diane:

This will be my year to “EXPLORE”. Not in the sense of visiting new places, which is weird for someone who loves to travel. It may not even be much about trying new things (I have more than enough crafting projects on the go already).

I plan to explore how I want to spend my time as a retired person. I’ll need to develop new time and money management skills as I have a long list of potential projects but will no longer be bound by externally-imposed schedules. Over-commitment chaos and decision-making paralysis are both plausible scenarios.

I want to get to know nearby spots in different ways: cycling, hiking, and hopefully on skates, skis and snowshoes. Will this be the year I finally visit every cooled outdoor rink in Ottawa (plus a few neighbourhood rinks)? That has been on my goals list since 2017. In some ways, this will be an extension of 2022’s year of tiny pleasures.

Mostly, I want to explore the inside of my own head. I’m not good at relaxing. I have lost the skill of letting free-floating thought lead to imagination and storytelling. Meditation? Ha! But as my aging body starts to betray me, I want to explore how to use my mind in a more disciplined way.

Elan:

It’s fitting that this word has been approaching for me for some time now: SLOW. And, for me, slow also has to be about LESS—not because I want less but because I want to enjoy what I have more. I wrote more about it here: Going More Slowly

Mina:

My word is going to be DISCERNMENT. I had a lot of resistance to my WOTY last year, which was WELCOME, because, well, the year was even harder than I anticipated when I chose the word. Now, heading into another opportunity for a bit of a reset, I wanted to find a word that was neither overwhelming, as last year’s word felt at times, nor punitive. I say that because my first potential word was FRUGAL. Oof. That felt like punishment and deprivation. And yet, I want to capture the intention I have going into 2024, to be more conscious of the choices I’m making. In particular, yes, the financial decisions I make, since my situation post-break up is radically different than it was when I was with my partner. I wrote about the results of those relationship choices in My Fit Feminism Is a Fraud.

Last year was also a no-shopping for clothes year, so I didn’t want a word that doubled down on 2023. Which brings me to DISCERNMENT. A word that feels more about choices, all my choices, from how I spend my money, to how I spend my time. I feel, too, the grace in this word and I’m looking forward to exploring that aspect. And, how lucky that I have an accountability partner in Tracy.

Nicole:

I find myself listening to stories of middle aged or older women who talk about finding comfort in words that are typically considered negative. Jann Arden talks about embracing the word “crone”. “Becoming a crone,” she concludes, “gives you the sense and the stability and power to be who you are.”

I have always questioned parts of myself. Whether my intelligence, appearance, right to speak, right to expect things and many other things. At 51, I feel too young still to embrace the word “crone”. But I like the meaning that Arden associated with it.

I have not embraced “crone” for my WOTY. I thought about “goddess” but that feels too confident for how I feel right now. I thought about “embrace”. Embrace the good and the bad. Because living to middle aged and older means being so grateful for every day – both the good and the bad. You can’t cherry pick the good. That’s not how living works. But the the word I have settled on is TRUTH. I want to be able to be my truth. Whether in my actions day to day or how I express myself to others. In fitness, I want to focus on movement that is true to my goals and my needs. Fitness that lifts my moods and makes me feel strong and confident for each truly alive day. TRUTH is for 2024.

Samantha:

My word is the word I want to inspire the coming year and the coming decade: ADVENTURE. I’ve been thinking of it partly in terms of my fitness identity. You might have read this blog post, Sam’s next fitness life: the active outdoor adventurer!

But I’m also thinking of it in terms of life in general. I want to explore and take on new challenges, try new things. I’ve spent a few years focused on knee surgery and recovery and now I want to take advantage of my new found mobility.

I want to cultivate an expansive mindset and take on some big new challenges across all the areas of my life, academic work, writing and research, teaching, personal relationships and friendships. I don’t want to shrink with age.

Catherine:

My word for 2024 is COLLECTIVE. As a Star Trek fan, let me clarify that it’s not the kind of collective where resistance is futile. Or at least not in a bad way… 🙂 

I’ve found this year that I am, in a fundamental way, happiest as a member of the collective, whatever that group may be. Whether it’s the philosophy department at my university, my Episcopal church in Charlestown, MA, my beloved book club, cycling friends, fellow bloggers, or various family groups and sub-groups, I function better and feel better when I’m acting in concert with them. This means physical activity of all sorts, social gatherings, life tasks, recreation or hobbies, travel, meditation, and even just lolling about.

As a person who lives alone and enjoys it, I’m a bit surprised to realize just how much I benefit from doing things with others. 2023 brought with it the chance to try out this approach to life, with travel and outings and exercise and hanging out much more with the people I care about. Yes, there are some tradeoffs ( I have to get up earlier than I might like…) but overall I’m much happier. In 2024 I’m doing more travel and activity, mostly as a happy component of my Collective.

Amanda:

My word is PRESENT. I want to be present to my life and my needs more. I want to be present to my own needs, my own experiences and my own aging. I want to enjoy my body and its movement more, and sometimes I am finding I simply miss my own feelings.

Amy:

My word is LITTLE. Not small. Not less. Little. I chose this word because I have a lot of goals and am approaching a “round number birthday.” For many years I have struggled with hitting certain goals because they were bigger than I had time or energy to tackle. But I get closer and closer to them over time. This year I am embracing the small changes, the incremental wins, and the little bits of progress so that I can recognize these achievements more fully. Many years ago I took a yoga class where the instructor gave us this mantra: inch by inch life’s a cinch, yard by yard life is hard. It has stuck with me for a variety of reasons, but aligns perfectly with my LITTLE 2024.

Dear Readers, have you picked a word for 2024? Looking for suggestions? Let us know.

218 in 2018 · 219 in 2019 · 220 in 2020 · 221 in 2021 · 222 in 2022 · 223 in 2023 · fitness

Want to join our merry band for 224 workouts in 2024? Here’s how…

Interested in joining a supportive workout community focused on getting more movement into your days? The 223 workouts in 2023 is rebranding to 224 workouts in 2024, and you’re welcome to join! This blog post from a few years ago explains how.

white and blue come on in we ere open signage
Photo by Tim Mossholder on Pexels.com