Let’s have some fun this week. Here are three things I have been trying (and 1 that I am giving up)
1. Progressive overload strength training.
I’ve been doing strength training for a while and working on lifting weights that are heavy for me. But I was still doing whatever workout felt good to me that day or that week, or I was following a plan, but it didn’t include increasing weights over time as part of the plan. Progressive overload strength training involves a structured plan of increasing either weight or reps or time under tension as you go. The focus is on lifting heavy, lifting WELL, and increasing strength and mobility over time.
This is a game changer. I went from lifting 10 lb dumbbells to back squats with 100 lbs on a barbell in the course of 6 months. Strength training isn’t just something to do to gain muscle mass or lose weight, it’s also vital for hormone health, endurance training, and metabolic health. If you’re interested in trying it out, this is the program I’ve been following and loving!
2. Tongue scraping.
Sounds a little weird, but by removing bacteria from your mouth first thing in the morning before you eat or drink and swallow those bad bugs can have an impact on gut health and digestion. Bonus, is that it also gives you that clean mouth feeling before you get a chance to brush your teeth and it helps combat bad breath. So far this has been an easy thing to try that fits into my day easily and seems to work. If you want to read more about the connection between oral health and gut function, check out this post.
3. Dry brushing.
This, along with tongue scraping, is one of those things I heard about a long time ago but wrote off as a little out there. But then I recently learned more about it, and it made a LOT of sense from an evidence based, healing standpoint. Our skin is the largest organ in our bodies. How do we take care of it? And dry brushing isn’t just for our skin. It stimulates our lymphatic system, which is connected to every other system in our body. Dry brushing keeps our skin and pores clear and promotes lymph flow and drainage which makes it easier for us to sweat and eliminate toxins through our skin. This is something I am still learning more about, but as someone with a slow metabolic type, it is helping immensely to stimulate the nervous system and keep my body moving and functioning as it should. To read more about the value of dry brushing, check out this post.
And one thing I’m working on giving up: alcohol.
Alcohol is one of those things for me that is tied to certain foods or events or activities. Eating pizza or sushi. Going out with friends. Reading on the deck at night after the kids are in bed. Celebrating holidays. I do it without realizing if I actually WANT it or not. It’s just a part of the routine of those things. And the more I’ve been studying hormone health, the more I’ve been convicted to explore my views on alcohol and it’s affect on my fitness goals.
In an effort to reframe my mindset about alcohol, I started exploring non alcoholic options. Especially, for some reason even I can’t understand yet, non alcoholic beer. (Athletic Brewing has been a top favorite!) As someone who has never been a big beer drinker, I have been surprising myself with my interest in this, BUT it has had some side effects that I’m happy about.
I’ve found that by having a choice of either not drinking or having a non alcoholic beverage leads me to drinking even less than I was before when the choice was not drinking or alcohol. By drinking non alcoholic beer and enjoying the taste without the buzz, I now only want to drink when I have the time to sit and enjoy it for what it is, not because it goes with the meal, or the bottle is already open, or I want something to drink while I read on the deck. Now I just consider it a carb that I add in to my meal. It’s funny how the brain works sometimes, but by trying this one thing, I’ve released my mental attachment to alcohol without even really realizing it. And I LOVE it.
What is something new you’ve been trying? Or giving up?
