Enclothed cognition

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/12/psychology-of-lululemon-how-fashion-affects-fitness/281959/

Half of this article is very good, the rest is about something called Lululemon. But I find the connection between the outside of the person and inside of the person very interesting. Lab coats make you smarter and workout clothes make you more energetic.

Exercise, wellbeing and weather.

Elsie and I have been discussing exercise, and trying to shift our thinking from a discipline-based or goal-oriented thing, like "yay I did Jillian 4 times this week I'm so proud of myself", towards a sort of wellbeing thing. So it's more about "just moving", as they say, and enjoying it for its own sake. I'm doing less Jillian but more swimming and walking. I still plan out my swims, walks, and Jillians for the week and it takes discipline to get up early or leave work on time. But I'm trying not to reduce it to forcing myself, to getting it over with and only enjoying being satisfied and tired afterwards; I'm trying to make it more about enjoying moving, enjoying fresh air, enjoying water.

The weather has been abysmal this summer. Swims and walks were cancelled. But, it's worth trying despite the weather, and not just so that you can tick off exercise for the day. Weather can actually enhance the experience. You are more aware of the world when it is blowing you or wetting you—it's a richer experience. It gets you out of your head a bit more, and it can be surprisingly beautiful as well, if you pause and appreciate it. A few weeks ago I swam in the morning with a friend and it was spitting and dark, but we went down to the sea anyway. Got in the water and it started pouring. It was amazing being surrounded by raindrops splashing into the ocean. The surface of the water was very pretty. So it's almost MORE worthwhile in bad weather. I may be over-romanticising rain, but it's worth trying.

Same principle

This one principle applies to exercise, housework and study: Just Do It.

The other trinity

Diet, sleep, exercise. I like to call that the other trinity. Or small-t trinity. I've realised how important those three things are to my health, general well-being, and how inter-connected they are.

For example, when I start sleeping badly, it starts to affect my diet. When I'm tired, I crave junk food more, so I eat more junk food than usual. This in turn makes me feel bloated, lethargic and I put on weight. Being heavier makes running or exercising that little bit less pleasant, and when you add tiredness on top of that, it makes exercise really unappealing. People generally find life harder to cope with when they are tired.

However, when everything in the trinity is going well i.e. eating healthily, sleeping well and exercising regularly, you have a much more positive outlook on life and you deal with situations a lot better.

My test for sufficent digestion

If I can do 30 jumping jacks and not feel sick afterwards, I take it to mean lunch (or whatever meal or snack consumed prior) is sufficiently digested. It also helps if it's been at least 2-3 hours since a meal.

What's the significance of this? It means you can exercise. No more excuses.

Choose your walk.

Walks. The body advances, while the mind flutters around it like a bird. ~Jules Renard

On my birthday in March I took some photos of my commute, which is a 30 minute walk each way. I was into appreciating the wonderful things God has given me, and it really was gorgeous in the autumn light.

When choosing a walk, consider the following things:

• directness (use google map > get directions)
  
• hills (avoid)
  
• footpath quality (esp width, if you have to share the path)
  
• prettyness (for the soul)
  
• traffic (pedestrian and polluting)

Salmon gives me muscles

It's rainy weather, so I have been relying on Jeanette Jenkins' Kickboxing-Bootcamp DVD to keep the exercise up. There's a couple of sections in the DVD that involve hand weights, but I've never used them.

The other morning, I decided to employ a well-known trick: using household items in your workout e.g. 500mL water bottles. Even Michelle Bridges uses water bottles as weights in her Crunch Time Workout clip below (around 1:14 and 2:12).



So I grabbed 2 x 415g tins of salmon from the pantry and used them as weights.

Wow! What a difference it made! I couldn't believe it. A lot harder than holding nothing, which is just what I've done in the past.

The benefits of exercise

My Facebook status this morning reads,

Ahh, the benefits of exercise: fresh air...oh look! There's a $5 note beaming at me in the sand. Morning exercise will pay for dinner tonight in more ways than one!

The exercise this morning will help eat up the kJs I consume tonight, and the money I found will help pay for it :)

This isn't the first time I've found money while exercising or generally while out and about. I found $5 (or was it $10?) on the ground at Big Day Out this year. I found $10 outside my place while returning from a jog. And that's just the most recent two incidents I can think of. Keep your eyes peeled peoples! That's my tip :)

Running distractions

Running for exercise can be hard work. Sometimes you need to distract yourself so before you know it, you've reached the end of the street, or you've run a little further than you expected.

Here are my favourite distraction techniques:

Enjoy the view!
I'm blessed to live close to the ocean. So I enjoy watching the waves crash along the coastline, surfers paddling out, the sun rising or setting and I adore looking at the horizon. It reminds me of God and I praise him for his creation. And all this he made through Jesus! (John 1) If you can run in a pleasant environment, it can help a lot.

Breathe
I employ this technique especially when going uphill. Instead of thinking how my legs feel, I focus on my breathing. In and out. In and out.

Check your posture
I also like to think about my posture and how I'm running. Am I running upright? How are my feet hitting the ground? How are my arms?

This is what Australian Biggest Loser trainer Michelle Bridges says about running technique on pg 98 of her book Crunch Time:

Watch your technique: remember to keep your abs pulled in, chest lifted, shoulders back and down, neck long, chin in, face relaxed. Try to land softly without thumping your feet. The heel should strike the ground first and then naturally roll onto the ball of the foot. Use your legs like shock absorbers and try to keep your knees aligned with your toes, rather than having them roll or save in. Think light. Swing your arms and get yourself in a steady rhythm.

Look at the cute doggies!
This is similar to the first technique. There are lots of gorgeous dogs along my route, so I am always looking at dogs. Sometimes I say hello to their owners too!

The tricky thing is, if you are running to push your fitness levels, make sure you don't get distracted from keep your heart rate up. If you are just running to maintain current exercise levels, then distractions to get you through are great!

Exercise: the good and bad news

This is what I've learnt about regular exercise.

The good news: you get fitter.

The bad news: it's always hard work, especially if your aim is to work at 70-85% of your maximum heart rate. It doesn't get easier, because you're pushing yourself. It's always hard work.

Walk: listen, think, or vent.

I walk a lot, and since I walk alone around some dodgy streets, as a rule I do not carry valuables with me, including my ipod. Since the iphone, however, my 3-year-old ipod is probably not going to turn the heads of muggers, so now I walk with it a bit more.

Walking with an ipod makes it feel like you are in a movie—you have your own soundtrack. I never get that feeling when listening to music at my desk or at home. But when I'm walking around music feels like a soundtrack.

But, I like to walk without music as well, because when you do something rhythmic and mindless with your legs, your brain can spin away and think think think. "Walk. The body advances, while the mind flutters around it like a bird." (Jules Renard) A 30 minute "thinking" walk after work really clears your head.

Walking with someone is a whole nother lovely thing. You can vent opinions while venting energy. It is just as companionable a thing as eating together.

How to walk.

In Pride and Prejudice, walking well is a sort of accomplishment. Elegant walking is also a lot better for you than ordinary slumpy walking. Good posture is important for a straight, healthy back, you project vitality and confidence, and you will probably feel better. Here are the things to notice when you are walking.

• Feet roll from heel to toe
• Pelvis balanced (not swinging with each step)
• Stomach held in (core muscles engaged)
• Shoulders down
• Head up
• Breath through your nose.

And then keep it going, up hills and over fields, until your skirt is six inches deep in mud!

Quotes to motivate yourself to go for a walk.

Depending on your mood and the type of walk you will attempt.

"There are no gains without pains."

Benjamin Franklin

"Let's hunt some Orc."

Aragorn

"Miss Eliza Bennet, let me persuade you to follow my example, and take a turn about the room. -- I assure you it is very refreshing after sitting so long in one attitude.''

Caroline Bingley

Double dose Saturday

I've just realised that Saturday is a great day for me to do a double dose of exercise.

If I get up at my usual time in the morning and do my morning exercise, I have the rest of the day or morning for some more exercise. I could go for another jog with my flatmate (good test of endurance). I could do the Coogee to Bondi walk with my sister (great views and quality time). I could go for an ocean swim with Jess and friends (refreshing).

I must take advantage of double dose Saturday.