I am renewing my dedication to fitness and exercise. I think it really makes a difference in my attitude and temperament. Before my lovely (albeit sweaty and wet) hike to the Peak this weekend, I was hit by a blazing whammy of a tension headache, which felt like five hundred pounds of anvils chipping cheerily away in my skull.
Desperate, I resolved to fix this problem.
I find I like to work out during lunch - it's late enough in the day that I have fully woken up, but not so late in the evening that all I want to do is go home and collapse on the couch. Something about squeezing in a workout while at work also really, really appeals to my type A scheduling tendencies.
I recently went to a yoga class that left me feeling amazing - just alive, and well, and awake, and rested, but also stretched, and strong, and relaxed. Michael asked me to explain why it was so good and I said it was ineffable. But if I were to attempt to explain, I would say that the teacher had a great pace, a good voice, and was challenging without making it feel obviously so. I also think that each yoga class is particular to that moment. It so happened that that class helped me achieve a moment of wellness and balance when my body particularly ached and yearned for it.
To continue my amazing streak of wellness after the yoga class, I went to a physical therapy center to get an expensive (oh yes it was very expensive) massage, but I think it was worth every penny because it freed me from a lot of tension that I did not even realize I was suffering. At points during the massage, I felt tears form in my eyes because the tension (in my jaw) was so palpable. But I went to bed that night feeling a lot of space between my ears and my shoulders, and that was an incredible feeling. I also woke up sore the next day, but, this massage felt very different than the usual cheap and quick jobs that I get at a multitude of places around town. I may also just respond really well to massage - I find this particular form of therapy to really help me with tension.
I am trying to be more diligent about stretching the particularly terribly abused parts of my neck and shoulders. I read somewhere that the benefits of stretching are actually in doubt, however, it leaves people feeling so much better afterwards that that in and of itself is a benefit.
I continue to be intrigued by yoga outfits and pretty workout gear, but I think I've amassed a good collection thus far. My latest joys are the Teeki yoga pants for hot yoga, S'well water bottle, and Zohba halter tops. Seriously, the difference between a great outfit and a lackluster one can be the make-or-break factor influencing whether I make it to class...
Desperate, I resolved to fix this problem.
I find I like to work out during lunch - it's late enough in the day that I have fully woken up, but not so late in the evening that all I want to do is go home and collapse on the couch. Something about squeezing in a workout while at work also really, really appeals to my type A scheduling tendencies.
I recently went to a yoga class that left me feeling amazing - just alive, and well, and awake, and rested, but also stretched, and strong, and relaxed. Michael asked me to explain why it was so good and I said it was ineffable. But if I were to attempt to explain, I would say that the teacher had a great pace, a good voice, and was challenging without making it feel obviously so. I also think that each yoga class is particular to that moment. It so happened that that class helped me achieve a moment of wellness and balance when my body particularly ached and yearned for it.
To continue my amazing streak of wellness after the yoga class, I went to a physical therapy center to get an expensive (oh yes it was very expensive) massage, but I think it was worth every penny because it freed me from a lot of tension that I did not even realize I was suffering. At points during the massage, I felt tears form in my eyes because the tension (in my jaw) was so palpable. But I went to bed that night feeling a lot of space between my ears and my shoulders, and that was an incredible feeling. I also woke up sore the next day, but, this massage felt very different than the usual cheap and quick jobs that I get at a multitude of places around town. I may also just respond really well to massage - I find this particular form of therapy to really help me with tension.
I am trying to be more diligent about stretching the particularly terribly abused parts of my neck and shoulders. I read somewhere that the benefits of stretching are actually in doubt, however, it leaves people feeling so much better afterwards that that in and of itself is a benefit.
I continue to be intrigued by yoga outfits and pretty workout gear, but I think I've amassed a good collection thus far. My latest joys are the Teeki yoga pants for hot yoga, S'well water bottle, and Zohba halter tops. Seriously, the difference between a great outfit and a lackluster one can be the make-or-break factor influencing whether I make it to class...
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