Movement Snacks: Strength on the go
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Hey Reader, This weekend, I was out of town and off my regular movement routine. Because consistency matters more than pretty much everything else, I typically don't take days off. I might adjust the intensity of what I do or do less, time-wise. But I don't stop my daily movement practice just because I'm not at home and off my regular routine. I usually run on Saturday and do strength training on Sunday. Since I was packing very light and didn't feel like going for a run in an unknown town anyway, I figured I still had a few options: Hotel Gym Workout in my room Standing poses (yoga) in my room But it turns out the hotel did not have a gym. So I had to regroup. This leads me to my movement snack for the week. I opted for bodyweight strength because my room was really small and the space just wasn't optimal for yoga. Plus, I wanted something more dynamic and challenging. When I do bodyweight, I usually do 30 seconds of active work and 30 seconds of rest. Sometimes, depending on the exercise, it might be less than 30 seconds -- squats, for example, tend to be quick. I choose 3-5 exercises I want to do, then do 3 or 4 sets of those exercises. I choose exercises that will provide a whole body workout, rather than just focusing on a single area. If you want an idea of what a practice like this might look like, check out this bodyweight strength practice I recorded for my YouTube channel a few months ago: This one is low-impact, meaning you're not jumping or doing push-ups. You'll still get 5 exercises that target your legs and your core (plus a brief warm-up and cool down). You can do this one time through or do it 2 or 3 or 4 times through! Bodyweight is a great way to stay consistent with movement, while still challenging your body. And depending on what you have access to, there are bodyweight practices that can actually help you build strength I recently just created 2 bodyweight-heavy movement plans for June for 2 of my MOVE members. Both have the MOVE+ membership, which gives them a personalized movement plan every month, along with accountability to help you stay consistent with your movement. It's just $80 a month and you also get access to live classes, as well as all of my classes and meditations in my MOVE archives. Learn more about MOVE+ (and the other 2 membership options) here. I'm always looking for suggestions for what to feature in this newsletter or on my YouTube channel. My intention is to make movement more accessible and as someone who moves her body enthusiastically every day, I'm not always connected to what will best support those who struggle with making movement more of a priority. You can respond to this email with your questions or requests. You can also add your voice to the request I made over on my YouTube channel here. Thanks for being a part of my community this year. I am so grateful for you. Warmly, Naomi Want to stay in touch during the week? Here are a 2 easy ways: Follow me on Instagram, where I share movement inspiration 3x a week as acts of resistance, connection, and strength. Follow me on substack, where I write about the intersection of movement, perimenopause, and the culture that we are all moving through. Or better yet, subscribe so you have immediate access to regular essays, including my most recent substacks. There are many ways to support my writing on substack, which focuses on women's health and motherhood during perimenopause through an anti-diet and pro-science lens: 😍 Become a free subscriber |