Monday, 13 November, 2023

This Week — What gets you moving - a class, a schedule, an upcoming event? Also, remembering a friend.

Linda Eskin — Personal Trainer, Behavior Change Coach, Martial Artist, and Author at GoYouFitness.com

Happy Monday, Reader!

Boy, did I ever have a productive weekend! I got tons of chores done. I set up snug, heated cat houses in the garage for our four feral kittens. They come in most nights, especially now that it's getting cold. Did laundry, changed sheets, watered trees, put the trash cans out, ... I even planned a fun day trip on the train to celebrate Michael's upcoming retirement (woohoo!).

Of course, the other 95% of the to-do list remains. It seems there's never enough time to do all the things we set out to do. And did I get this newsletter done on time? No. No I did not. Not only did I not have it done and ready to go on Sunday evening (which is my goal), it wasn't even on my to-do list! Didn't even cross my mind until this morning. D'oh!

The week ahead will mostly be about finding post-retirement health insurance, and getting one of the kittens to the vet to be spayed. The fun never ends.

What gets you moving?

This constant busyness is one reason it works well for me to participate in Aikido classes. If I "try to get around to working out" it usually won't happen. Having a time and place to show up, a teacher who is expecting me to be there, friends I want to see, and a really interesting, fun class to look forward to — those things all ensure that I'll actually do at least that one activity.

I do well with a baseline of one regular, ongoing activity. I do other things too— go for hikes and walks, train for Highland games, do yardwork, etc. But even if everything else falls apart I know I will show up at the dojo for class. I don't think about whether I should go, I just go. It's been an automatic, consistent habit for 14 years.

Another things that sets me in action is to have a future event to prepare for. It was a year ago yesterday that I ran my first (and so far only) 5K. I signed up for it months in advance. I was not a runner! I started a very slow, very easy running program (None to Run). I stuck with that program because I had a date on the calendar when I was by gosh going to run (slowly) five kilometers.

Having Highland games competitions or Aikido rank tests (my own or others') coming up also keeps me focused. I want to have fun, not get injured, and do the best I can, so I'd better get busy training!

What works for you?

Does it work for you to have a place to be — a dance classes, meeting friends at a rock climbing gym, Zumba, ...? Even walking the dog! Doggo isn't going to let you forget to take a nice, long walk a couple of times a day.

Or are you one of those awesome people who can get up every morning, put your shoes on, and go for a walk before you've even had your coffee?

​Strength Coach Dan John (whose books are all worth reading, by the way) has a gym in his garage, and for years he has invited friends to come train in the mornings. He says what gets him up, dressed, and out to the garage-gym isn't great resolve or sense of dedication, it's knowing that his friends will be standing outside waiting for him to open the door!

If you don't currently participate in a regular activity of some sort, consider what has worked for you in the past, or even what you see has worked for others.

• Schedule a block of time each day in your calendar.
• Start a walking group in your neighborhood.
• Work out at home first thing in the morning.
• Sign up for a fun run in your area.
• Plan a vacation walking the Camino de Santiago!
• Take a weightlifting class at a community college.
• Join a swim team, tennis club, or hiking group.
• Leave weights and other gear around the house so it's easy to play with them throughout the day when you need a break from your work.

Do a little brainstorming. Try a variety of approaches. See what works best for you.

Make someone's day better.

A friend from the Aikido world, Francis Takahashi, passed away over the weekend. He was a pillar of the community, a very senior teacher and the kind of guy everyone knew and loved, although he could be cantankerous at times. He was kind, supportive, and encouraging to me, even when I was a brand new white belt.

If you like, you can find a few of my memories of Takahashi Sensei on my other website, Grab My Wrist — Aikido. Here's an excerpt:

You probably didn't know Takahashi Sensei, but I invite you to honor him by making someone's day a little better.

Did you know you can read past newsletters?

If you recently subscribed, or just want to review what you've already read, you can always find the past Newsletters on the Go You Fitness site. Feel free to share them with friends, too!

Past issues are archived at ConvertKit, so each link on my site will take you to a ConvertKit web address that starts with "goyoufitness.ck.page".

The Book Report

Still reworking the structure of the book. I think I'll have a rough outline ready for your review and feedback by next week soon!

Table of Contents The Table of Contents is "in the shop" this week. The freshly-reorganized outline for the book and site will be available soon. Table of Contents

Release Notes With each significant site update I post a list of changes. Check out new posts and articles, plus website updates and new feature announcements. Release Notes

Thank you for being a part of Go You Fitness! Have a question, suggestion, or request? Drop me a note at Newsletter@GoYouFitness.com​

Join the fun on social media, too!

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If You're Having a Hard Time...

People often engage with fitness during major life transitions: a bad health scare, divorce or death, getting clean and sober, an empty nest, job loss, a move to a new community. We start out full of determination. But even when it's exciting, change isn't easy.

If you are having a hard time you might want to know about the crisis resource links on the website. You can find them under Fitness Resources.

Please take care of yourself, and get help if you need it. 💛

Copyright © 2023, Linda Eskin — Go You Fitness