Exercise Unlimited

(V-log in production)

Hey all, happy Friday! Another week successfully passed--and boy did it go by fast. The Senate passed their version of the stimulus, which now needs the House's approval; famous people are starting to die from the coronavirus, and newspapers are reporting it; and Borus Johnson, the PM of the UK, has caught the disease.

OH, and the US now has more [confirmed] cases than anyone else. We're number one! We're number one!

Well, at least we're finally testing.

But my week has been full. I've been procrastinating from writing, having meetings, working on my video making skills (and crashing my computer in the process...whoops!), figuring out how to play table-top games remotely (successes so far: Forbidden Island, Sentinels of the Multiverse, Cat Lady, Poker, Cribbage, Uno, and Pandemic), and falling into my workout.

Last time I was this fit was back in High School.

So, one of my roommates and I start out our day with some stretches and exercise. She takes the stretches, and I take on the exercise. Now, I have never been a sporty individual.

I mean, I teach D&D for pity's sake!

But that doesn't mean I haven't been fit. I use my bike as my means of commute, burning a few calories every day and staying on the healthier side of things. However, I've never really gone into a fitness regimen unless someone forced it on me. In other words, going into this I had NO IDEA WHAT I WAS DOING!!!

Originally, my workout went like this: crunches with hands behind the lower back as a support (two reps), push-ups (one rep), sit-ups (one rep), squats (one rep). A fairly standard routine--I thought--and I'd heard somewhere along the line that it was better to change what muscles you were targeting rather than just focus on the one. And it is a light workout.

Um...no! I rather like being lithe!

But, after doing some research, I've discovered somethings: sit-ups are bad for your body, especially your spine. Pushups, for the least amount of stress on the body, should always be done with the arms at a 45º angle to the body. Also, planking is really, really good for you.

So, taking the research, I've changed some things. My new workout is crunches (one rep, right knee bent, still with hands behind back, keeping back straight), push-ups (three isometric, twelve regular since my muscles are trained for 90º pushups, not 45º), squats (one rep, with waits), plank (holding it, with right arm raised, and with left arm raised)crunches (one rep, left knee bent, still with hands behind back, keeping back straight), and plank (holding it as long as we can stay in good form). I also alternate each day whether I go for a walk or a run. But I've noticed something weird--my running time is slower on the days after I stretch.

And huh, what do you know, there's some research on that...

This has been another Adventure in the Austentatious. If you liked it, tell your friends; if you hated it, tell your enemies; and if you don't care either way then tell everybody! Stay healthy, be amazing...

And happy quarantine.