Month: November 2024

fitness

Weekend warrior or weekday wild thing? Sam wonders, what’s your way through the week?

Sam B3 Comments

A couple of years ago Outside magazine published It’s OK to Be a Weekend Warrior, which reported on new research that suggested exercising only once or twice a week could deliver similar health benefits as more frequent workouts.

“An investigation by an international group of researchers, published in JAMA Internal Medicine this summer, found that when it comes to longevity, exercising only on the weekend is enough to compensate for a sedentary lifestyle during the rest of the week as long as you meet the recommended guidelines for level of physical activity—a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity. This confirms research conducted in the UK in 2017 that came to a similar conclusion about weekend warriors, albeit in a smaller study. The new study analyzed data from 350,978 adults in the U.S. who self-reported their physical activity on an annual basis from 1997 to 2013. Based on the frequency, intensity, and duration of their exercise, individuals were classified as physically inactive or physically active,  and those in the active group were either dubbed “weekend warriors” or “regularly active.” Researchers cross-referenced the National Death Index through December 31, 2015 to track participant mortality.”

More recently this piece appeared in The Conversation, Being a ‘weekend warrior’ could be as good for brain health as exercising throughout the week, new study shows.

“The health benefits of exercise – which include reduced risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and dementia – can seem out of reach due to the pressures of work and life. But a new study published in the journal Nature Aging offers some good news for people who struggle to fit regular exercise into their weekday schedules. The findings suggest “weekend warriors” – those who get most of their exercise on the weekend – may enjoy the same brain health and mental health benefits as those who exercise regularly throughout the week.”

Yay! Good news for the weekend warriors!

And more recently I read and liked this Telegraph article about five ways your weekend good habits could make up for your weekday struggle. Yes, exercise,  but also catching up on sleep and cooking at home.

Thanks Pexels. I like that this image came up when I searched “warrior.”

Me, I’m more likely than not to be the weekday warrior. When I am in my normal groove, my everyday routine includes lots of physical activity. I walk or bike to work. I go to physio and personal training. I lift weights. And I zoom around virtual worlds in Zwift. Sometimes I even make it to yoga.

But the weekend, if we’re away, and we’re often away, can be less active. I walk at the farm when we’re there but that’s no particularly high intensity exercise and there’s sedentary time in the car getting there. Toronto, same. Weekends in the city are great for lots of walking but I don’t do much else by way of exercise.

How about you? Are you a weekend or weekday warrior, or just an all the time, exercise person?

Past posts on this theme:

Let’s hear it for the weekend warriors!
A work week without exercise and weekend warrior syndrome
Weekend Warriors go Digital
The Reverse Weekend Warrior
Am I My Own Delilah?—choosing the radical road to grey hair
fitness

Am I My Own Delilah?—choosing the radical road to grey hair

Mina14 Comments

These past months I’ve been feeling the call to begin the transition of accepting my grey hair. Now (and for the past 25 years) I’ve had a variety of shades of red. I started by sticking close to what had been my natural colour (from birth!), before I started to go grey. I have since strayed into bolder territory. At first, I thought I’d stop at 50. Then I didn’t. I wasn’t ready.

Because I get comments on my long curly red hair from strangers almost every day and I am addicted to the attention. Random, unlikely strangers, tell me how beautiful my hair is, how much they love the colour, or they just smile and point at their heads, to let me know my hair has prompted the smile. Just last week, at a drum circle, a woman told me that I was like a dancing flame in the corner with my drum.

I hear how women my age become invisible. I feel visible. I’m scared of not being seen. More. I am a reasonably energetic person. I ran in the forest in Lisbon for two hours this morning, before settling on the couch in my Airbnb to write this. I laugh loud (maybe too loud). I love to dance almost anywhere, anytime. I can get carried away on a wave of enthusiasm. And somewhere along the way, I began to bundle those traits with my hair colour. As if my presence and personality depend on me being a redhead.

Yet, my hair doesn’t feel right anymore. There’s a voice inside that says I’m too old for my hair, or that the colour is inauthentic, that I’m hiding behind my hair, or that it’s just plain time to see what the grey is like. When I see women with beautiful grey hair now, I admire not only their hair, but also their bold authenticity. I feel the call to step up to their courage. Which means, for me, that I will need to cut off all my hair and start over again. I do not want to keep my hair long and slowly grow my grey out. And that radical road also scares the crap out of me, because what if I not only become invisible; what if like Samson, I lose all my strength, energy and enthusiasm for life? In the Book of Judges, Delilah betrays Samson by cutting off his hair, knowing it will destroy his strength. Will I be my own Delilah to my own Samson?  

Forest in Lisbon
Forest path in Lisbon

I have, of course, investigated my options, which is what eventually tipped the scales to the radical road. I had the idea that maybe I’d just dye my whole head blonde, to make it easier to start growing out my hair. I consulted with a colorist I used to go to. Before I started colouring my hair myself with an all-natural-add-only-hot-water product that is shipped from an organic salon in Paris. Here’s the text message I got from my ex-colorist when I asked if he’d be game to help me with my transition-through-long-blonde-hair plan:

Hi Mina. Of course I remember you!

I would not touch your colored hair with a 10-foot pole, considering you’ve been using henna! Sorry

I have seen the detrimental effects of trying to correct or remove henna color firsthand. Your hair could turn green, or just break off randomly so you end up with a “chemical haircut”

While henna itself is “natural”, so is snake venom and gasoline

Henna is a metallic vegetable dye that leaves a permanent residue on the hair that can react really horribly with any other treatments.

If you truly want to go grey, the best (and in my opinion the only) option is to just wait it out as your hair grows in naturally grey

For my 2 cents, no matter how young and beautiful your face is…gray hair makes you look at least 10 years older As long as you’re ready to look, and be treated, as “old”, go for it!

Well okay then. Thank you. It’s not like it’s the first time I’ve heard this kind of opinion. I have friends who have said that going grey will age me by 10 years, instantly.

Setting aside his hostile tone and harsh judgment of grey hair, I did some research into what he said about henna. I asked another hairdresser who confirmed that henna was bad. He generously dyed a sample lock of hair blonde, to show me just how wrong things could go. I now have a lock of yellow yarn doll hair.  I did further research and confirmed, to my distress, that henna is indeed quite toxic and contains heavy metals, which end up in the body. So much for my pure, organic Parisian colour. I’m not putting that in my hair again, since I’d also be putting it in my kidneys again.

As I’ve been agonizing about my hair, a friend sent me this article about taking a year of celibacy: The Sexiest Year of My Life Involved No Sex  So, if I cut off all my hair and let it be grey, should I also prepare to be celibate? And not by choice, according to my ex-colorist. I know my friend didn’t intend the article to land that way. Yet, I do worry that my colleagues at work will no longer respect me. That my friends won’t want to hang out with me. And yes, that no one will love me or want to have sex with me. Ever again. Apparently, my own judgments are worse than my ex-colorist’s.

These fears are all the reasons to go for it. Reset. Restart. It is time to find out if I am more than my hair. November 15 is the day. A friend has undertaken to accompany me during the process. To hold my hand. Console. Celebrate. Scrape me off the floor or ceiling, depending on what happens to my psyche.   

Yes, I know, I am not making an irrevocable decision. In my teens and twenties, I was constantly changing my look. I can start colouring my hair again (just not with henna). Hair grows back. What’s time anyway? 

Onward, with curiosity.

habits · motivation · self care

Go Team 2024: Give Yourself What You Need…Again/Still/Finally

Christine Hennebury

Hey Team,

Lately all of my projects, including my fitness-related ones, keep spilling out of their (metaphorical) containers and taking up way more time and energy than I intended to spend on them. *

Since moving frantically from one project to another** is generating more stress but zero satisfaction, I have been trying to figure out how to give myself what I need in order to either finish the projects or to decide what needs to be done with them.

The tricky thing is though that some of my projects need a burst of focused effort so they can be moved to the next stage and others need to be put away for a while in the hopes that the break will make them easier to work on.

And it’s not easy to tell which project needs which treatment.

So, I’m kind of cycling through all of the possibilities with each one – giving it some focused attention and seeing if that works. Next, I try asking for some help or input from someone else and seeing if that works. Finally, if neither of those works then I’m trying to figure out when, how, and how long to take a break from it.

It is very much a work-in-progress so I haven’t got a lot of victories to report yet but I can say that focusing on giving myself what I need to get this sorted has been really helpful.

Soooooo, Team, I wanted to remind you that giving yourself what you need – again/still/finally – could be the key to moving forward, to clearing your head, to getting the things done, to creating some ease, and/or to feeling a bit better about things in general.

And giving yourself what you need could be big or small.

Maybe you need a blanket for when you meditate.

Maybe you need to put your mitts in your pocket now so you don’t have to cut your walk short because your hands are cold.

Maybe you need to call your friend and chat while you are on the treadmill.

Maybe you need to listen to some soothing music to help reduce your stress levels.

Maybe you need to make a few reminders and post them for yourself.

Maybe you need to find a signal to help you wind down before bed.

Maybe you need to get up earlier so you have time for a cup of tea before jumping into your day.

Maybe you need to take a break from walks and do some yoga instead.

Maybe you need to put a sticker on your calendar every day to celebrate your new fitness routine.

Maybe you need to find something that brings you a sensory comfort (a warm sweater, a cold drink, a comfy pillow) to help you deal with something stressful.

No matter what tweaks, changes, or comforts you need for your projects, your days, or your routines, I’d like for you to give yourself permission to have them.

Even if they feel silly.

Even if you think you *should* (shudder!) be able to do (or not do) the thing without them.

It’s ok to give yourself what you need.

And, of course, here is your gold star for your hard work on this or on anything else.

a drawing of a cartoonish gold star with a happy expression and text below reads 'Go Team!'
image description: a drawing of a cartoonish gold star with a happy expression on its face. The star is outlined in green and has green motion lines on the right hand side as if it has jumped into its current location. Text on the bottom right reads ‘Go Team!’ in block letters that are coloured in autumn colours.

*Contrary to what I initially feared, this time the ‘spills’ aren’t about me underestimating the scope/timeframe of the projects, so that’s a nice change. Still annoying but at least I’m not getting trapped in blaming myself.

**My Dad always referred to this kind of work as ‘putting out fires’ and when I end up in this mode I can practically hear him saying, “You can’t just keep putting out fires, Chris. You need to make a plan!” Probably not how he expected to haunt me but I’m sure he would find it pretty funny all the same.

fitness · Seasonal sadness

Sam’s November advice for those hate November

Sam B4 Comments

To recap for those just joining us.  I’m the blogger who hates November.  It’s dark,  it’s cold,  it’s often rainy,  it’s not yet snowy,  there are no long weekends, and no happy holidays. There’s Remembrance Day and that’s important but it’s also sad.

(One bright light: It’s Sarah’s birthday.  But that’s a personal good thing.)

You might have heard all of this before! See Is there a way to redeem November? and 10 things to make it through November  and November is my toughest fitness month: Here’s why. Way back in 2014 I wrote November goals.

You see, over the years, I’ve come to hone in on what it is I dislike so much about this month. But I’ve also managed some coping strategies that have helped make November not so bad.

From 24 inspiring November quotes.

Here’s ten things that have helped me, and if you find any of them useful, that’s great too.

LIGHT. Check out this CBC piece for some strategies and stories.

GRATITUDE. See November is Gratitude Month: What are you grateful for? #NationalGratitudeMonth

WALKS. See The case for cold, dark walks #November

GETTING COZY. See Nat on hygge.

FASHION. See my November 2022 plan. I try to wear bright colours in November and take pleasure in wearing clothes I like, not saving them for special occasions.

FICTION. Deliberating reading for pleasure was a habit I picked up during the pandemic. Sometimes I struggled. My attention span waned. I also started listening to audiobooks on dog walks. See Reading for Pleasure.

FRIENDS AND FAMILY. This goes without saying but focusing on time with the people I love makes my life better.

WATER. Swimming, hot tubs, sauna, spa days. Please give me all the water!

EXERCISE. See Even a Little Exercise Might Make Us Happier.

FOOD. See F is for Fall, Feminism, Food, Friends, Flow and Fits

Basically, I think there are three attitudes to take towards November.

Some people advocating leaning into the sadness and making time in our lives for hard and difficult emotions. I’m all for the latter but not in November. For me, November is sad enough on its own, without leaning into it.

Alternately, you can try to overwhelm the gloom with happiness. Think bright lights, and good food. Dancing and time with friends and family. That’s the all out Aggressive Cozy approach. It’s been my strategy.

Or you try to ignore November and treat it like any other month,  the “don’t mention it” approach.

How do you do November? What are your strategies?

A graphic of a person sitting under fall trees with orange leaves. So much for October theory…
challenge · fall · fitness

So much for October theory…

catherine w1 Comment

Hi readers– it’s now November, with built-in darkness, leaf lossage, and weather that’s heading chillier and windier. October was a very busy month for me, with a bunch of work and other writing deadlines, as well as some fun outings with friends. As a result, I missed out on implementing October theory.

What, you may wonder, is October theory?

As far as I can tell, it’s one of the latest TikTok-dreamed-up fads. This one involves not waiting until almost January to focus on completely revamping your life through resolutions, vision boards, grandiose plans, and perhaps even new gym memberships that can be abandoned even before the new year comes around.

Seriously, what “October theory” (I am wondering, does the “theory” part refers to) seems to amount to is some TikTok users panicking about either a) lack of new content to send out to their followers, or b) that fact that it’s fall and they haven’t cleaned out their closets or been to the gym since March. So, they declare October to be the new New Year, complete with reflection, resolution-making and embarkation on life-changing journeys.

“People are like…if I want to make changes in my life and improve myself before the New Year and before January, this is the time,” Chloe Van Berkel, a New York-based college student with over 72,000 followers on TikTok, in a video on the first of the month. It has acquired over 133 thousand likes and over 500 comments. 

Here is “October theory” explained in more detail.

@chloevanberkel

tik tok comes up with a lot of theories but i’m kinda here for this one #october #octobertheory #firstofthemonth #endoftheyear #fallseason

♬ original sound – Chloe Van Berkel

But what’s wrong with waiting until January for reassessment and purchasing gym memberships? Minor celebrity Ryan Seacrest’s online show panelists have an answer.

“They claim that it is an optimal month for a glow-up or a major transformation.” And, to counter the dread of the sunlight hours getting shorter and cold weather coming, taking back some control before January 1st by trying something new may feel empowering. As Seacrest put it, “Starting in January is sad.”

Starting in January is sad? Hmphf. I beg to differ. First, fall is very busy for most of us, what with all the decorating and cooking and turkey-trot 5Ks that we may or may not enter. Who has time for reflection and reassessment of our souls’ desires and needs? Which leads to second, January is a pretty slow month. Apart from searching out linen sales and continuing to vacuum up pine needles from the living room rug, there’s less to do. Perfect time for making life-changing lists. And third, January is, after all, the first month of the calendar year, which ought to give it increased consideration.

Seriously, folks: October theory notwithstanding, I think it’s good to take some time to pause and reflect on our life habits. We may want to make some changes, and giving ourselves some space to think about what to change and what to change into makes sense. And whenever you find time for that process is a good time.

Yes, in some ways January makes sense. It’ is, after all, 1/1. But January has become burdened with the pressure of being the Imma-change-my-life-now month. Both Samantha and I have written about this:

Maybe Februrary is the new January: a case for showing up late to the challenge party

January is fired as the month to start new things. It’s all about February now. Join us!

Honestly, it doesn’t have to be February, either. Any month, any day, any time, is a potential good time for self-reflection and consideration of change.

But not October, please! I’m way too busy.

How about you, dear readers? Did anyone catch October theory fever? Did you ever hear about it? I’d love to hear from you.

fitness

Rounding the corner to 60

fieldpoppy

As regular readers know, it’s been a veritable “turning 60 fest” around here recently. I think mine is the next turning, heading at me in early February.

I’m in a big reflective space about how I want to engage with the next decade in body and spirit, and I thought I should take a look at the second post I wrote for this blog, shortly after I turned 50.

The Lithe Old Lady Inside Me (Guest Post)

As I reread it, I was pleased at how well my sense of what I wanted has stayed true. A lot has happened in the past nine years — covid, menopause, <all that, waving vaguely at The World.>. Deaths. Work that matters deeply. Love in so many permutations. I’ve covered thousands of kilometres on my bike in many countries and in the virtual world of Zwift, done hundreds of sun salutations, deadlifted 200 lbs in one glorious moment. I’m still running when I feel like it, slower than I ever thought would be “okay.” Walking. Breathing.

I am still living in that gentle tension between knowing and accepting that I am going to just keep slowing down, losing random things like my eyebrows (wtf?), watching my forehead and eyelids droop, battling with hormones, feeling my energy shift in endless ways — and knowing that I can always keep building strength and agility, move my body through space in ways that give me all the good hormones and trust in everything that is still here.

When you are riding on a set course in Zwift, you get a little ghost avatar in front or behind you to show you what pace you were at the last time you rode this course. When I reread the post I wrote in 2015, I pictured that lithe little old lady like that ghost avatar. She’s getting closer to being completely superimposed over me. And I still hold her with care. My body, my routines? They’re imperfect. But they are always about honouring who I am today — and how I want to be as I age.

I think I can safely say I no longer have the pituitary gland of a 25 year old. But that’s okay. So far, I feel like I’m giving that ghost future self the care she needs.

Fieldpoppy is Cate Creede-Desmarais, who lives in the part of the world currently called Toronto.

fitness

These boots were made for walking …

marthafitat55

I’m just back from a brief holiday in Spain visiting family. As is usual during the holidays, I tend to exceed my daily steps by almost two to three times my daily average. That’s because I will walk almost everywhere and use public transit.

When I am not on holidays, I tend not to walk as much. That’s mostly because my work is pretty sedentary unless I am teaching face to face. At those times, I tend to walk around a lot when I teach so I can engage with learners and also hear better.

However, one thing that really keeps me walking while on holiday, aside from the scenery and the diverse and interesting neighbourhoods I find, is that when I exceed my step allocation, my Fitbit cheers for me.

Image shows a green circle with a star in the middle surrounded by multicoloured sprinkles. Below a counter indicates 10,052 steps taken.

My Fitbit does a happy dance with fireworks and little buzzes to signal its joy at my achievement. I get to repeat the experience when I update the app on my phone. If that’s not enough positive reinforcement, my Fitbit also lets me know how many floors I have climbed in a day, and when I reach an especially significant level, I get a badge.

I earned a Roller Coaster badge for climbing 125 floors in a single day this trip. Isn’t it pretty?

Image shows a roller coaster against a blue background surrounded by dots with a cheer for 125 floors climbed.

Right now the seasons are changing in my part of the world and I’ve decided to try a daily walk, however short, to see how I might keep my step count at twice the average. I may not reach 125 floors in a day again but one can dream and get fireworks as a reward!

— MarthaFitat55 is tickled by small things and simple joys.