Friends, we made it. Or, we almost made it! The end of 2020 is peaking up over the horizon, and it’s certainly been a year that no one could have predicted, not even Susan Miller. (For all you, non-horoscope-readers in the room, that’s a famous astrologer.) While it’s never great to wish time away considering how fast life moves, I feel like we’ve collectively been waiting for the new year since maybe, March.
I know if my friends and I were able to hang right now, we’d be discussing the peak and pit of the 2020 experience. While I could name many pits, I’m going to focus on the peaks. (You might also call this game “rose and thorn” and for that, I forgive you.) Thankfully, past Mal helped future Mal out with a little journal entry titled, “Quarantine Memories That Somehow, I Miss.” While the list covers two pages (I’m wordy, who knew?!), many of them have to do with finding ways to connect with people beyond spending physical time with them. Others, of course, surround movement, and others come from a combo of the two. A few examples: walking around Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn and calling my people to chat as I stroll, after-dinner bike rides in Pennsylvania, hiking to waterfalls, setting up hammocks and drinking coffee in said hammocks, having a homemade lobster dinner for my birthday, and walking up the large field in my parent’s backyard and somehow, after three decades of them living there, still finding the awe in the view.
I always love a good peak-and-pit recap of the weekend, or year, because you can reminisce about the good times and hold onto those memories, while also letting go of the bad ones. It’s like the verbal equivalent of reaching the summit of a really hard but awesome hike: You look down, see the incredible panorama, and because it’s so beautiful at the top, you forget the pounding heart, heavy breathing, and potential tumbles it took to get there. I like to think that’s what 2021 has in store for us—a sweet view from the peak of some really hard work, and a chance for us to just enjoy the descent back down to reality.
In this issue, I don’t have as many words as I usually do to encourage you to move more, mostly because I like to take the last few weeks of the year to seriously relax and get QT with the fam. I’ll maintain my run streak and a few strength workouts, but for me, closing out the year is all about resting and recharging—because in the world of fitness, and life, recovery is just as important as the workout itself. So, as we conquer The Final Rep of 2020, I say we just revel in that post-sweat feeling.
But to help you wrap up the year that lasted forever and somehow also flew by, here’s a virtual cheers to everyone who masked up and moved forward, found new places to walk or run around the neighborhood, bought a bike to continue spinning at home or on the road, committed to taking stretch breaks or moments of mindfulness throughout the day. And here’s to simply finding joys in the ordinary, monotonous days. If 2020 taught us anything, it’s to uncover the pleasures of our everyday routines and practice gratitude for being able to continue those routines through it all.
No matter what we did (or didn’t do) this year, we made it through the twists, turns, and firestorms of 2020. And I think we all deserve a champagne party for making it to the finish line of legit the toughest year in a century. Essential workers and parents get many, many bottles.
A few other people’s words about wellness I’ve read (and loved) recently:
1. Last week, I talked about my 200-day run streak. Well, this dude, Raven, has a 45-YEAR run streak going—and he’s at it for eight miles a day. Color me insanely impressed. Read about it in Runner’s World, “The Pandemic Couldn’t Stop Robert ‘Raven’ Kraft’s 45-Year Run Streak.” He has run through multiple hurricanes and got special permission to get out there during pandemic times, too. (Shout out to Sarah for this recco!)
2. Speaking of gratitude and celebrating life, you have to read Men’s Health’s, “Why Is Michael J. Fox So F#*!ing Happy?” Timed around his memoir that came out just last month, he talks about life with Parkinson’s disease, and the joys of his dog, kids, and wife, Tracy Pollan. A stand-out quote: “There’s the stuff you plan—the stuff you work towards, the stuff you aspire to, your desires and wishes and hopes. And then there’s things that just happen. And the things that just happen are usually of a more intricate design and a higher purpose than whatever you come up with.”
3. I’ll admit, I haven’t actually listened to the podcast this article teases yet, but I am excited to dive into it today, as even the write-up on it has me intrigued. So check out Outside’s “Apple’s Tim Cook on the Future of Fitness,” as Apple Fitness+ takes off. Even Cook knows there’s power in powering down our devices, too, so keep that in mind as we head into the holidays.
The latest updates on the fitness industry:
· Peloton, at it again with the stellar partnerships, this time with Shonda Rhimes. The “Year of Yes” collab features eight weeks of classes and discussions between the renowned TV producer (Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, etc.) and Peloton instructors.
· Apple Fitness+ officially launched this week and pretty much every health and wellness site, even GQ and the Wall Street Journal, featured a review. Most testers say the team of instructors is top-notch, and the connection between the watch and the workouts is pretty seamless.
· For a recap on all the changes in fitness this year (and of course, there were MANY), check out the latest Fitt Insider newsletter.
Here’s one form cue that always resonates with clients…
These words tend to work for individuals I train as an ah-ha moment for feeling stronger in a move or activating the right muscles. A little cue I learned from a TRX training: When doing pulling exercises, like rows, flies, Ys, Ts, etc., think about turning the doorknob with your hand(s) that’s on the weight/band/suspension trainer. This should create a J motion in the scapula or shoulder blade, activating the lats, and creating more stabilization through the shoulders so you’re using the back of your body correctly through pulling moves. You can practice it sitting right now, arms straight out in front of you at shoulder height. Turn the doorknob outward with both hands and retract those shoulders.
One move to add to your exercise routine…
Bulgarian split squats will turn up your lower-body stability and strength work, while focusing on one side at a time. To do it, grab a chair or stand in front of your couch (it should be about at knee height). Place one leg on the chair/couch behind you. With your core engaged and chest up, lower down so your front knee bends and the back knee almost touches the floor. You should be far enough away from the chair/couch that your front knee tracks over your ankle. Drive back up through the front foot and repeat. Do it bodyweight-only or grab a dumbbell or kettlebell and hold it at your chest or down by your side.
For a full workout, try…
If you’re sitting on the couch a lot this holiday season or still working at your computer too much (hi, same here!), follow @bespoketreatments for ideas on how to give your body a little extra TLC. You’ll find feel-good routines like a mix of exercises that improve upper back mobility and low-back mobility moves. The feed also features kettlebell exercises, lower body workouts, shoulder work, mini band moves… I could keep going. The Bespoke team consists of a bunch of Doctors of Physical Therapy, who also have strength and conditioning coach certifications, so they know a thing or 100 about smart training.
The gear I’m loving to get me out the door…
If you’re looking for a way to cover up on the run, I consistently reach for Outdoor Research’s face mask. It’s comfortable, breathable, and doesn’t do that annoying thing where it suctions into your mouth when you start to inhale heavily. Though I haven’t it tried yet, the brand also offers a sport-specific mask.
Also, socks ~seem~ like a lame subject, but they can really turn your workout around. Now that I’m working out at home and often without sneakers (plus, the gym I work at is a no-shoe establishment), it’s even more important to have a reliable pair. A few suggestions: Balega’s Hidden Comfort line for a super cushion-y feel (I love the plushness when I’m doing shorter runs or just when it’s cold out and I’m lounging); Feetures Elite Light Cushion for added support on longer runs; Bomba’s Women’s Gripper Ankle Socks for at-home workouts like yoga when you’re going barefoot. For more strength-focused workouts sans sneakers, I prefer Pedestal Footwear—these are SUPER grippy, as in, you might not want to wear them for HIIT because they stick so much!
Thanks for reading! If you want this in your inbox every Wednesday at noon, subscribe. And tell your friends! I also love hearing from you, so let me know what you think of the newsletter and what movement means to you. I’m on Instagram and Twitter too.
PS This is the last issue of The Final Rep for 2020! Thanks for sharing this writing journey with me and I’ll see you back here in 2021.