Exercise

  • Exercise, The Academy

    Embracing Plan B

    This week has been a lesson in going with the flow and finding the blessing in unfulfilled plans. My fitness instructor and my accountability partner are both 100% MIA.

    It seems that the instructor for my favorite workout class is on an extended vacation–she deserves it–so she’s been out for all of her Monday, Wednesday and Friday classes. It’s because of her that waking up at 6:20 am during the week and dragging myself to the YMCA feels worth it.  This is why when I walked into class and saw a guest instructors all week my heart sunk a little bit and my dumbbells felt a little heavier.  Luckily, my experiences with them turned out better than expected.

    Monday: He was cute.  I wasn’t crazy about all the stuff he had us doing, and he admitted that he’d never really taught a class like this before.  He had us using gliders, so I appreciated getting to try something new.  And again, he was cute.

    Wednesday/Friday: The substitute for this day actually gave waaaaaaay better instructions, and spent adequate time on the warm up and cool down. Honestly, I’d taken a class with this woman before and thereafter made it a plan never to cross paths with her again, but this for sure made me think differently (not going to her class tho).

    All summer: The person who is supposed to be my study accountability partner is essentially no where to be found. At one point he was watching the World Cup, and then he went on a vacation–live your life but it kinda hurt–maybe I’m jealous.  The silver lining is that I’ve forced myself to just go to school and be my own study buddy.  I’ve watched a slew of tiny desk concerts (yasssss to Goldlink, Jorja Smith, Daniel Ceasar) and feel like it’s helped me to get into a routine.

    Have your plans (fitness, academic or otherwise) gone astray this week?  If so, how have you recovered?

  • Exercise

    What my first handstand taught me

    I’ve heard a lot of people say that their yoga practice has allowed them to learn about themselves and that their mat is a space to grapple with internal issues.  Honestly, I didn’t get it.  To me, it was just a physical exercise that helped me to feel more relaxed.  I’m writing this post because in the last few weeks of taking a new Iyengar yoga class that actually makes me feel both challenged and supported, I realize that yoga has now become for me also a space to do some internal reflection.

    While I am now able to do something new with my body, a handstand (yasssss), my practice has confirmed old lessons about myself that I  know to be true.

     

    • I hold myself back
      • Whenever there is the option to do modifications to go deeper into a position, my first instinct is to stick with what feels comfortable.
    • I am not too old to do new things
      • I used to think that inversions were only for serious yogi’s. However, the fact that I’m on my way to expanding the bounds of my yoga practice shows progress and my potential for other poses.
    • I don’t need as much ‘practice’ time as I think
      • I was pretty comfortable taking baby steps leading up to a handstand because in my head, I wasn’t ready.  I feel this way a lot, and I have to remind myself that 1) I am baked and have everything that I need 2) It’s okay not to have everything ‘together’.
    • Be open to receiving support from people when/where you wouldn’t expect it
      • I really love the woman who teaches the class.  For one, she calls me by name, and isn’t afraid to correct me.  I need that in all facets of my life.  When it comes times for inversions, she asks what I’m going to do, encourages me to try something more challenging and to also work on my weaker side (the left).  If it were up to me, I’d still be doing an L on the wall and just hanging out. Now, I’m pretty addicted to handstands and I practice at home.  When I did my handstand that day, the entire class started clapping for me.  I didn’t even know that they were watching, so it felt great to have a room full of strangers support and congratulate me.
  • Exercise, Saving Money

    The Only Good Travel Ban(d)

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    After speed grading my student’s final papers and submitting the first iteration of my qualifying exam bibliography, I took off for a week-long trip to Cuba to arrange things for fieldwork next year. This was a work trip (but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t avail myself of many a mojito).  When I travel for work, whether it be research or conferences, I’m often challenged with trying to find ways to stay in shape when I can’t follow my normal routine.  This is especially true because I often can’t afford to stay in hotels where they have a gym and continental breakfast.  This low-budget student life requires some creativity….

    My number one essential while on the road is circular resistance bands.  They are light and therefore easy to pack.  They are really versatile which means that you can do lots of different workouts without getting bored.  Finally, they come in various resistance levels (light, medium and heavy), so you have options while you are working out.  If you already have regular resistance bands, you can just tie the ends together to make them circular.

    IMG-3560I purchased a set last year at Target for about $10, and I’ve definitely gotten my money’s worth.  While I don’t use them that often, I find that they really hold their shape.

    Since I usually have my computer with me on these trips, I created a ‘workout’ digital file over the years that’s saved to my hard drive.  In this file, I have of all of my favorite exercise videos, many of which are from people linked on my resource page. This keeps me occupied and also reminds me of home when I’m feeling a little disoriented being in a different setting.  The videos are pretty short, so doing two or three reps usually does the trick.  I included my favorite resistance band video below.

    If you already have resistance bands, how do you incorporate them into your routine?  Do you have any other tried and true tips for staying in shape while traveling?

  • Exercise, Nutrition

    Protein Powder #Vega4Life

    (Y’all…I just want to let you know that I am alive.  Grading 45 of my student’s midterms, planning for conferences and trying not to fall asleep on the subway has gotten every ounce of my energy, but I’m here.)

    My protein powder of choice is Vega Sport Performance Protein in the flavor of mocha.  I know a lot of people have an initial aversion to protein powder because they don’t want anything synthetic or they’d rather get it from food.  The truth is, especially for us  undereaters, protein powder is an easy way to fulfill our protein needs and can be done in a way that doesn’t involve synthetic ingredients.  How swayyyyyy??? Let me explain.

    When I first decided that I wanted to work protein powder into my diet and exercise regimen, I went to Target and bought the single serving packets of about three different types. I divided one packet into two parts and mixed each with either water or almond milk.  I knew that I would be away doing fieldwork in a year or so, and I needed something that would work when I couldn’t fulfill my first world taste buds. I ended up with Vega All in One Protein in vanilla.

    What I like about it?

    • First and foremost, the taste is amazing. The vanilla flavor is good; however, I transitioned to mocha a few months ago when the Vitamin shoppe didn’t have it in stock, and I’ve never looked back.  Now, I see that moment as divine intervention.  Mocha is pretty much everything to me. It tastes like coffee, and the flavor comes through when I use it with any drink or food recipe.  It’s not at all overpowering, and doesn’t have a chalky taste that one might expect from powdered drinks.
    • Relatedly, it taste good with everything I already know how to make, which isn’t that much. I throw a scoop in with my banana and peanut butter smoothies, and it gives me life. I make date balls, and I swear it takes like I’m eating fudge.
    • It’s plant-based. I have dreams of being vegan, so Vega supports that goal and allows me to still get a significant amount of protein in. Don’t be fooled that you can only get protein from meat—what do you think the animals eat??
    • It’s relatively affordable. I buy mine from The Vitamin Shoppe for about $45 every month and a half.   I was recently persuaded to sign up for their auto delivery program.  I’ve yet to get my first delivery; however, my hope is that the 10% off deal plus the time saved from not having to go to the store will ultimately pay off.

    So yes, this is what’s in my cup (read* shaker bottle).  Do you all drink protein powder and if so, what brand do you prefer?

    *This is not a sponsored post, but ya girl will definitely work for coins ;-).