Strength training
I haven't exactly had sand kicked in my face, but I have experienced the independent woman's equivalent: having to ask my boyfriend to replace the five-gallon water jugs on my water dispenser.
Water weight
For years, we had a perfect system. I wanted a drink; he did the heavy lifting. But when things got shaky between us, I was forced to take responsibility for my bottled water habit. First, I tried three-gallon jugs, but they were still too heavy for me to carry up to my second-floor apartment. Then, for a while, I bought liter-size bottles of water. That didn't work either (too many trips to the store). Finally, faced with the prospect of having to drink tap water for the rest of my life, I decided to do something about my matchstick arms and rubbery torso.
Changing perceptions
It's not like strength training was a mystery to me. I'd lifted weights in high school to prepare for the track season, although I rarely stuck with it once the season ended. Knowing I was in excellent cardiovascular shape from all the miles I logged, I had occasionally wondered whether lifting weights did anything for me but fatigue my already overworked muscles.
Even in my mid-twenties, when illness and injury prevented me from running, I still didn't consider lifting weights as a necessary part of my fitness routine. I wasn't "in training" …show more content…
Approaching each exercise like a yoga pose, I concentrated on using correct form, maintaining my posture, and coordinating my movement with my breath. Before each lift I inhaled slowly, focusing my mind on the task ahead, and as I lifted the weight, I exhaled slowly, controlling the pace with my breath. Then, inhaling slowly, I returned the weight to the starting position. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the discipline and control required in strength training. It felt good to develop a rhythm that made me feel graceful and strong at the same
I haven't exactly had sand kicked in my face, but I have experienced the independent woman's equivalent: having to ask my boyfriend to replace the five-gallon water jugs on my water dispenser.
Water weight
For years, we had a perfect system. I wanted a drink; he did the heavy lifting. But when things got shaky between us, I was forced to take responsibility for my bottled water habit. First, I tried three-gallon jugs, but they were still too heavy for me to carry up to my second-floor apartment. Then, for a while, I bought liter-size bottles of water. That didn't work either (too many trips to the store). Finally, faced with the prospect of having to drink tap water for the rest of my life, I decided to do something about my matchstick arms and rubbery torso.
Changing perceptions
It's not like strength training was a mystery to me. I'd lifted weights in high school to prepare for the track season, although I rarely stuck with it once the season ended. Knowing I was in excellent cardiovascular shape from all the miles I logged, I had occasionally wondered whether lifting weights did anything for me but fatigue my already overworked muscles.
Even in my mid-twenties, when illness and injury prevented me from running, I still didn't consider lifting weights as a necessary part of my fitness routine. I wasn't "in training" …show more content…
Approaching each exercise like a yoga pose, I concentrated on using correct form, maintaining my posture, and coordinating my movement with my breath. Before each lift I inhaled slowly, focusing my mind on the task ahead, and as I lifted the weight, I exhaled slowly, controlling the pace with my breath. Then, inhaling slowly, I returned the weight to the starting position. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the discipline and control required in strength training. It felt good to develop a rhythm that made me feel graceful and strong at the same