Reps Get A Bad Rap

Repetition is an essential component in intellectual and physical development. Repetition can be challenging, even painful, when we first start to learn a skill and yet mastery of any skill requires repeated practice-a willingness to work at it daily for some weeks to achieve a level of competence that will allow for enjoyment.

In the context of fitness, reps are required to learn and improve exercise modalities to attain optimal fitness goals. When repeated with clear intention and quality of movement, the brain and body work together to perfect the motion. It’s this kind of repetitive motion that contributes to significant improvement in body composition, not to mention the benefits to emotional well-being. Whether it’s cardio or strength training, yoga or Pilates, swimming or tennis, the reps improve skill set, strength and stamina.

Our consumer driven society promotes the idea that skills should come easily so we can derive instant gratification. I’ve noticed that my children and their peers are resistant to beginning or once they start, easily discouraged if they’re not naturally talented in a subject or a skill. They say things like, “Math isn’t my subject,” “I love singing but I won’t take lessons because I have a horrible voice” or with respect to gymnastics, “I’m not flexible enough.” Part of the issue seems to be that both children and adults feel they should be entertained at all times. Over the years, I’ve often heard fellow gym goers and clients express their negative views of reps as boring and dreaded.

Repetition is used in many of the greatest contributions to culture including literature, music, dance and poetry. It facilitates memorization and can be deeply meditative. Physically, reps can be therapeutic, helping the nervous system to identify new, challenging movement as safe and pleasurable. It’s with reps that we grow to stretch our minds and bodies to test the limits of what we achieve so as to have the opportunity to go father, to be better. Repetition allows us to develop the skills needed to experience “flow” defined by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in his brilliant book by the same name as an “optimal experience,” when “people become so involved in what they are doing that the activity becomes spontaneous, almost automatic.” This is when we feel a sense of enjoyment and meaning and “a feeling that the boundaries of our being have been pushed forward.”

Take some time for yourself to consider what physical activities give you a sense of flow.

#flow #fitness #wellness #mindfulness #weightloss #integrativeexercise #optimalliving #wellnesswithdalia

Key Ingredients to Goal Setting

Have you made any New Year’s resolutions? What makes the difference between abandoning or actually following through with new goals we set for ourselves? I’m circling back to a theme I addressed in a previous entry, “A Return to Vitality: Approaching Fitness with Desire and Curiosity.” This time, in the context of change in the New Year, I want to broaden the scope to include any goal setting that will contribute to wellness.

When we undertake a new goal, it almost always requires change. We all know how challenging and daunting change can be. To increase the likelihood that you’ll stay with it and succeed, ask yourself a series of questions. Try to answer them as honestly, objectively and kindly as you possibly can. Consider using a journal. What thoughts, beliefs and values brought you to your goal? How realistic is it? To what extent is this change in your sphere of control? Do the goals you’re setting for yourself involve others? Are there potential downsides for you and others if you undertake these changes? If yes, do the benefits outweigh the downsides? Are your goals measurable? How can you initiate the process and then maintain it? What steps need to be taken to support you in getting started and maintaining the goals once you’ve achieved them?

I have a client who decided she wanted to change her diet to include much more vegetables and plant based proteins while avoiding processed foods. She believed losing fifteen pounds in the course of twelve months would help her better control her diabetes and give her more energy. Not supporting the companies that produce junk food also really appealed to her since she wanted to serve as an example to her children. She was the main cook for her partner and three children. Since they weren’t joining her when she began the change, she had to anticipate spending more time prepping and making meals for herself. We planned out how to shop efficiently, do meal prep and come up with quick meals for her and the other family members. We also discussed strategies for avoiding junk food in the house. Now, after several months of being able to implement these changes and having lost ten pounds, she’s more confident in her ability to stick to her goal.

One of the most important questions to ask yourself is “Am I undertaking this goal with all my heart?” You might find that this is related to the thoughts, feelings and values question. I was approached by someone who wanted to learn to read, write and speak Persian. She mentioned that her late mother had always wanted her to learn the language, so much so that she audited Persian languages courses at UCLA for years, hoping to gain the skills to help her daughter. We worked for some time until one day our conversation led to her asking herself “Am I doing this for myself or because it’s what my mother wanted for me?” She realized she wasn’t enjoying the process and that led her to re-evaluate her motivations.

Whatever goals you undertake in 2023, may they come from a place of intrinsic desire. May the process you undertake bring you gratification, joy and fulfillment .

Suggested Reading:

Deepak Chopra, Reinventing the Body, Resurrecting the Soul: How to Create a New You

Books I'm Currently Reading:

Thich Nhat Hanh, Peace is Every Breath

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience

Suzannah Olivier, Stress Protection Plan: Everyday Ways to Beat Stress and Enjoy Life

Strategic Fitness and Weight Loss

When To Go Full Tilt and When To Rest and Recover

Between 2015 and COVID lock down of 2020, I attended a fitness club almost daily. As a regular, I knew all the other regulars and was often in the same space as those who worked with personal trainers. It’s no exaggeration when I say that in all that time, I noticed only one case of significant body composition change among the people who trained regularly. There could be many factors at play in why the others didn’t achieve results. I’m limiting myself to a few major ones.

Attitude is Key: Some folks view exercise as a chore to check off their list so they restrict it to the time with the trainer. They lack the intrinsic motivation to incorporate fitness into their life. A desire to work consistently with a positive attitude plays a major role in successful, sustained weight loss and improved

body composition (yes, we’re touching on the body-mind connection again A trainer educates, guides and offers support but the desire to be active and proactive is essential for all the time when you’re living your life.

Live your Fitness: This is a recurring theme in my blog entries for good reason. Find ways to be more active every day and throughout each day. The more you move, the more calories you burn. Incorporate all kinds of movement into your life so that fitness isn’t restricted to a particular place or time.

Eat and Drink to Nurture: Many folks will work with a trainer but neglect to make changes to bad eating habits and diet, including alcohol consumption. Image that your body is a sapling you’re cultivating for optimal growth. Aim for more of the essentials and cut down on sources of excess fat and sugar. When at the market, challenge yourself to buy only whole foods, avoiding anything processed. You have the option of cutting a guilty pleasure by a certain percentage rather than entirely. Reducing the amount you eat combined with adding more daily movement and exercise will give you results and perhaps also the encouragement you need to eat even less of that fat or sugar source.

Know When to Go Easy and Rest: When you’re not feeling well, whether it’s because you’re recovering from an illness, physical injury or acute onset of fatigue, go easy and rest so as to allow for healing. For women in their reproductive years, it’s critical to understand the monthly cycle of the female body and work with it. Time high impact exercise for when your period ends. Leading up to your period and while you have it, opt for gentle movement, low impact modalities and rest. Learning to listen to your body’s natural rhythm will give you much better results in the long run. I recommend Alisa Vitti’s book, In The Flow; it’s a great resource on the subject.