OTH for Vitality-Promoting Habits (Part I)
I admit, I am a creature of habit.
Here’s proof: I’ve kept the same makeup routine since I was in middle school (minus the blue eye shadow phase— oof,), I eat the same breakfast bar each morning, and I am diligent to move my body every day.
All this is to say, when I find something that works for me, I live it, breath it, and wear it on my sleeve. These quotidiens keep me balanced and in check, and until I come across something better (i.e. neutral eye shadow) or someone has convinced me otherwise, I tend not to stray too far from the path. But I do realize the importance of implementing new practices on a semi-regular basis at minimum. These sorts of shifts, whether minor or major, invite inspiration and growth, and if we don’t shake things up from time to time, we’ll lose out on the potential to be better and more alive.
When I was contemplating what changes I could make in my own routine, I wanted to pick two new things that required no preparation or purchasing, that would be more stimulating than relaxing (we’ll save that for a rainy day), and that would work on different areas of wellness. Here’s what I cam up with: For physical fitness, 50 reps of floor exercises per day (in addition to regular cardio exercise) and for immune health, daily cold showers in addition to implementing elements of the Wim Hof Method.
Part I: Body Boost
I run every morning for the “high” and am a gym rat because that’s where they keep the treadmills. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve used equipment with complicated names like the Smith Machine and Lat Pulldown Machine. So when I recently decided to start supplementing my cardio workouts with strength exercises, I knew I’d have to get creative…and consistent.
My target zones were glutes and abs, and my goals were to tone, lift, and define. But the question was how many reps and how many sets would I have to do a day to see results? Call me a newb, but I began with a modest 50 reps of floor exercises each day, focusing only on these areas. Initially it didn’t seem like I was doing much at all, but within one week I noticed two things: improved definition AND a psychological shift. Really, I was killing two birds with one stone. By simply checking the box of this new daily habit, I saw physical progress that my jeans and I were loving, as well as a mental boost that motivated me to increase my number of reps. But for experimental purposes, I stuck with the magic number 50 for another week.
The results were visible and the best part was not only how easy and attainable my challenge proved to be, but also how much more confident and energized I felt. 50 REPS PER DAY, PEOPLE. Use this daily exercise to target your core, arms, legs, or booty… You can do it in the kitchen, in front of the TV, while brushing your teeth, while on a conference call… Give it a go; this new habit might become the most effortless and most rewarding part of your daily grind.
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