I just got back from visiting my family in the frozen white north and I have a pile of laundry and a backlog of emails to answer so I will keep this brief.
Speaking of emails, I was answering an exercise question earlier today that reminded me of this NPR article about back pain, in particular, this quote from biomechanist Katy Bowman:
“It’s not as simple as, everyone with back pain, do these four [abdominal] moves, It’s just like dietary nutrition. Just as you need a spectrum of dietary nutrients, you need a spectrum of movements that make the body strong from head to toe.”
I find it helpful to e reminded of that from time to time. Especially as I stand here at my desk with my legs straight, my arms locked at 90 degrees, and my head slightly tilted back so I can see through my progressive lenses properly.
Time to get my daily spectrum of movement!
Podcasts:
Second Wind Fitness – Common Excuses Not To Move More – Busted!
There are many (and I do mean many) excuses our brains come up with to not move more but in this episode, I will tackle the most common excuses we all give to avoid exercise – and give my best rebuttal to each. Try using these on your less active friends or, yes, even on yourself when your inner lazy bones tries to fool you into hitting the couch instead of hitting the bricks.
Change Academy – Not wanting it enough
When people fail to reach a goal that they have set for themselves, we often hear them say something like, “I guess I just didn’t want it enough.” In this episode, Monica and guest Cassie Christopher discuss what is really behind this sentiment. (Spoiler alert: It’s usually not about whether or not you wanted it bady enough.)
Articles:
Brock Armstrong Coaching –The “car-less” Mindset
One of the most beneficial acts I ever performed for my general fitness and overall wellness was selling my car. Seriously! But you don’t have to get rid of your car to adopt what I call the car-less mindset.
Videos:
In the last newsletter, I gave you some tips on how to plank well. That reminded me of this video I did a while ago demonstrating some of my favourite plank variations.
Planks are one of my favourite exercises because they can help improve your entire core strength and stability which (among other things) can protect against injury. If you do these variations, planks don’t just work your core – they can work much more of your body. These plank variations require your arms, your legs, your chest, your glutes, your hips, your back, and all of your abdominal muscles.
For more videos like this make sure to check out (and subscribe to) my free YouTube channel.