#i do no yoga for weeks and then five videos in one go

[dragons-and-yellow-roses]

Unfortunately sometimes I know what will fix me and then I just don't do it. Anyway

[haikyu-mp4]

Yoga partner

word count; 667 – pregnant!reader

You were a few months pregnant and every time you felt like you were adjusting to the size of your bump, it seemed to get bigger. When you found out you were pregnant, your husband, Bokuto Koutarou, had been moved to tears and there was no lack of support from him so far through the pregnancy. That’s why you weren’t afraid to communicate your troubles to him as they started plaguing your mind.

As it got more difficult to adjust to your body changing, the two of you sat down to research pregnancy activities. And then Koutarou got bored of researching, so he ended up asking someone on the team who had kids instead.

That’s how he learnt about pregnancy yoga. There were classes specifically for pregnant women, and in his excitement, Koutarou had signed you up and encouraged you to go. However, now he was looking at you with a subtle pout as you leaned on the kitchen island, not feeling as sporty as you wished you did.

“I don’t want to go. What if all the others are used to it and do super well while I can barely do anything?” you complained, pouting right back at him. This made him huff, resting his arms on his hips. Then his eyes lit up again. Oh no, an idea.

“Maybe I should go with you!”

Next thing you knew, Koutarou was helping you out of the car, adorned in the gym wear he had that most resembled yours in colour. You were laughing softly, holding his hand as he babbled about how excited he was.

When you walked inside, your laughter died down as you scanned the room. A lot of moms-to-be were staring cautiously, first at you and then at your husband who smiled and waved. You felt the anxiety creep back into you as you whispered your husband's name to alert him, but he took no notice.

“Hello, ladies! Ready for a good workout?” he called out, and it didn’t take long before the moms melted for his personality (and looks probably, but you tried to ignore that for now). In the end, he wasn’t allowed inside the class because of the women's comfort, but he gave everyone encouraging high fives while the trainer led them inside the little gym. Before closing the door behind you as you were last, you turned to him and pulled his shirt down so you could kiss him fiercely.

“That’s for being such a perfect man. I’ll see you in an hour.”

Koutarou was thrilled to see the glow back in your cheeks when you came back out. He had gone for a jog around the neighbourhood but made sure he was back before you finished. When you walked out of the class, you were conversing happily with another woman before bidding her goodbye. You made new friends! Even though you were still shy, you had asked to exchange numbers.

All of this was possible because your husband encouraged and supported you. You truly were blessed to have him and he reminded you every day how lucky you were through this constant support.

Now you even bring him into the living room at least once a week so the two of you can do pregnancy yoga by following some videos you found on YouTube. It’s great fun and Koutarou proudly documents it in the workout journal they fill out for their trainer.

7 pm Pregnancy yoga

Iwaizumi tilted his head at him curiously after looking over this month’s notes. “You’re not supposed to write your wife’s workouts.”

“We’re doing them at home now, too. Feel like it’s doing great things for my bum,” he answered, one hand on each asscheek for emphasis. Iwaizumi already regretted asking about it. Atsumu slapped one of Koutarou's hands off from behind him before staring at his butt and humming.

“Not bad. Maybe we should all do it.”

To say the least, Koutarou is very dedicated to being with you every step of the way.

masterlist

[daengtokki]

Hi there Dal! (Just thought it was a cute nickname for you, like the moon) First of all, I need to say thank you for your stories, it's a wonderful gift you're giving us! I had a request since like- chapter 6 of your Deity story? And maybe it will happen in chapter 11, but I really wanted to request a chapter reader centric where we learn more about her hobbies? What is she doing, when Seungmin is not home? Maybe now with the babies or even before? I know he's home most of the time, but I would really like to learn more about what she likes to do in her free time. Is she into painting, dancing? I remember she likes to play video games, it would be nice to just see her having an alone time and how does it affect her when he's not there ✨

serial killer!Kim Seungmin x afab reader

wc: 1.1k

rating: fluff

comments: honestly so happy you (and hopefully others) want to know more about reader/Tokki! I took some inspiration from your suggestions, and I’ll expand more as we go!

[ ML— DEITY MASTERLIST AND TAGLIST]

TAGS:@kkamismom12/ @r0tt1n/ @heluvschibi / @feckinbecky / @missystay / @seungluvr / @babrieeee / @curiouscocoabean / @feelikecinderella / @carpioassists / @soulsbbg / @san-axa0 / @vixensss / @keiizzx / @xyliskz / @reignessance / @velvetmoonlght / @ghostedgameplays / @pochaccochacco / @lashaemorow / @eastjonowhere / @fackeraccount / @felixs-voice-makes-me-wanna / @maddycline / @smilefordongil

You look down at your phone as it buzzes, expecting a text from Seungmin, because why else would it be going off? But it’s not him this time. It’s a delivery notification.

He’s been surprisingly busy the last few days, so you've seen him far less than you're used to. Today is his first therapy appointment in a very long time (years, you think), and as much as he didn’t want to leave you home alone so soon after giving birth, he seems to be understanding that your alone time is as important as the time spent together. The two of you are always together, practically connected, and you can't help but feel like the twins are just a mirror image of you and him.

Down the twenty-five floors to the newly remodeled lobby—one of the reasons he’s been so busy. It was just cleaned, and the smell of it burns your nose a little. It is nice, though, because Seungmin has a good eye for the aesthetic. You feel plain next to him, even if he dresses down.

It can’t be that big of a package, you didn’t order that much, but there’s nothing in the mailbox when you finally get the key to work. It doesn’t need to be here today, and you weren’t even completely sure you wanted to order anything in the first place, but disappointment sets in regardless.

“Annyeonghaseyo!”

The mailman is heading for you, carrying two boxes and one more piece of mail.

“Annyeonghaseyo…jeongmal gamsahabnida!”

***

The yoga mat unrolls onto the bare floor, and you struggle to get down there with it. The energy rarely comes for this, and today happens to be one of those days—maybe it’s the unopened box staring you down, and the thought of what you plan on doing with it. You can’t keep your plans a secret because Seungmin won’t be gone that long, but you can at least start. Fifteen…maybe twenty minutes of yoga, and then you’ll open your mail.

This is the first time doing it by yourself in a while. Your body still hurts; every muscle is tight; joints are sore and stiff, and the yoga only helps a little. But it’s something, and it’s probably better for you than you realize. The post-baby bump hasn’t hindered you much, but it’s shrinking little by little every day, and your body is slowly returning to what you're used to.

You take a deep breath, roll up your mat, and slowly get to your feet. Seungmin usually helps you with this part.

Maybe some tea before you start anything else. You’ve let yourself build up a craving for the matcha you bought last week, and today you can finally try your hand at it. No… you think. That can be my reward for afterward. The tape pulls off easily, and when you open it, everything individual thing is neatly wrapped in brown paper. The first one you choose feels familiar. One tear, and you feel the soft bristles, and then you see the pretty red handle. The next package, more fine line brushes all bundled together. A palette, another pack of brushes, a canvas pad, a drawing pad, a graphite drawing set, and finally, at the very bottom; a small palette of gouache, and a dozen different acrylic paints. You prefer oil, but you don’t know when the babies will be home, and how much time you’ll have for everything to dry. It’s been so long since you’ve painted, so you hope it won’t matter which medium you jump back into.

But that was just the first box. The second smaller one contains the things you need to fix his music box; wood glue, a tool set, and various replacement parts that took you months to find. You haven’t forgotten about it, and you’re still determined to fix it.

Seungmin either didn’t notice, or didn’t care about the six hundred dollar bill you so easily racked up. He doesn’t seem to look too closely at his credit card bills, or his bank statements. The lone piece of mail that came with your packages just happens to be that—a bank statement. Sometimes he looks at them. Sometimes you feel curiosity pull at you and think about opening one to look, but you haven’t yet.

You collect all of your supplies and head for the nursery. It’s still somewhat messy, and luckily, most of the things Seungmin used to paint the walls a minty green are still in the closet. The corner next to the window is the spot you keep returning to—it’s small, but not so small that it will get lost in the room. Small enough that it can be easily covered if you’re unhappy with it, though. You lay the drop cloth on the floor and sit with your new things; you think, even though you know exactly what you want to paint, because you really do want it to be perfect.

***

The sound of Seungmin’s arrival; the deadbolt clicking, the door swinging open, his soft footsteps, are all drowned out by the music coming through the speaker on the corner of the changing table. You made a playlist of songs you thought he would like, and the ones he thought you would like, and you’ve been wearing it out for the last few weeks. It’s played through twice since you’ve started, and you’ve covered much more wall space than you expected. Just as you begin to wonder what he’s up to, a pair of eyes start to burn the back of your head.

“Hi. Sorry I was out so long, uhm…” Seungmin takes a few steps toward you so he can take in the scene better.

“Oh, hey...I was gonna surprise you, but I guess I lost track of time.”

He moves closer, “I am surprised.”

The scene you painted pops out against the light green wall. Big storm clouds rising up from the baseboard, a crescent moon, a subtle starry backdrop. The other wall has vines of moth covered moonflowers crawling up the wall. Most of it is still a rough sketch, unpainted.

“You can paint…and draw.”

“It’s been a while, but yeah, I guess I can still hold a brush correctly.”

Seungmin’s warm breath hits your ear as he laughs and grabs the hand still clutching your brush. “You can paint, very well. It looks like…” he thinks as he examines it even closer. “...like that almond blossom painting.”

“Van Gogh, you think it looks like Van Gogh?”

He nods happily, “yeah, I like that painting. I like his flowers. I like your flowers more, though.”

“I was going to do that corner the opposite. Sun, clouds…heliotrope, butterflies. I guess it’s a little cliché.” You catch his smile growing, though.

“Cliché?”

“Mm, overdone.”

“No, it’s perfect.”

You finally turn and really look at him. “You got your hair cut!” Seungmin pulls you closer when you cup his cheeks, and your fingertips touch the short hair around his temples. “It looks good.”

“It’s not too short?”

It looks like it did when you trimmed it for him months ago, but this time, it’s nicely styled. “No, I like it short. How was therapy?”

He scrunches his face and shrugs.

“We can talk about it over some matcha. How does that sound?”

“Yeah, okay. So…can you, uhm, paint people?”

“You want me to paint you?”

“Us…maybe.”

[ceilidho]

Question: How many spin classes did u go to a week and how long did it take for you to feel like you were progressing strength and resistance wise? I've been looking into pilates classes but they are soooo expensive (like 500 dollars a class) and far away 😔.

I tried doing pilates at home and while I love it I just didn't feel like I was making progress. I would finish the entire playlist of beginners videos from one instructor then move onto intermediate to find I couldn't make it through the first five minutes lmao. I think I need some irl guidance.

Oof well I go at LEAST twice a week, and sometimes 3-4 times a week if I have the energy and work doesn’t run late (I have a lot of late night calls because I work with a lot of people based in Australia and New Zealand). But in my early 20s, I was kind of insane and used to work out like 7 days a week (4 days spinning, 2 days yoga, and 1 day strength training) (this was before Covid, which kind of collapsed my whole world and my youthful stamina lmao).

It took awhile to feel like I was progressing! I started in maybe 2017, and by mid 2018 I felt comfortable and solid, but I also didn’t grow up playing sports or anything so I had to really build up my strength. It takes awhile in my opinion, and you tend to not notice your progression until all of a sudden you’re like “wow I could never do that before wtf”

Also yeah it’s 🥲 pretty expensive. I’m fortunate that I have a pretty good job, but also it’s so good for my mental and physical health that I can justify it to myself.

[liesmyth]

Are proprioception drills real, and if so do you do them? What do you recommend on this, oh wise jock advisor? Love from the anon who you inspired to run a 10k. (Also, how do you run when it’s hot out. Will I need to become a morning person.)

“inspired to run a 10k” omg omg that's AMAZING!! go you. the first time I ran 10k in one go I felt like a superhero. I hope you feel amazing about it because you ARE amazing <333

proprioception: regrettably. proprioception drills WORK. they're good for improving overall athletic performance and injury prevention! stable ankles do so much for you! terrible news for me personally because I suck at anything involving balance, I hate looking stupid, and I strongly dislike doing the kind of "exercise" where you don't actually sweat and don't feel good right away. needless to say, proprioception is my enemy.

stuff that ""athletic people"" ""should"" be able to do, and you could start working on if you find it challenging: (it's me. I find it challenging). brush your teeth standing on one leg. stand on one leg with your eyes closed. one-legged bodyweight calf raises (one ankle doesn't touch the floor, the other foot is doing the raises; if you need balance hold with one finger to the wall or counter). You can do this stuff at any point during the day, and doing it ""helps build a habit"" (said between gritted teeth)

stuff that you can do at the gym, as part of a workout, or while stretching: some yoga balance poses (Tree Pose, Eagle Pose, Warrior 3, Half-Moon Pose). If you have access to one of those balance disks soft cushion things, try standing on it, or doing bodyweight squats on it etc. this is a very useful video I like with some balance drills (near the end, the first half is mobility) and I do those. very rarely. at the gym, while looking very ridiculous

there are cool more advanced drills for runners — leg bounds, backwards skips, but personally I'm hopeless at it and if you're a relative novice you're probably bad at it too. If you discover an incredible talent for ankle stability exercises and want to progress further, youtube has a lot of cool form videos about it (thank you college track coaches with small youtube channels!) and I also recommend r/running and r/sprinting.

summer runs: unfortunately, the only thing to do when it's hot out is to. start your run very early. I'm sorry, believe me, I understand your pain. I had a couple amazing years when I woke up before five AM consistently to run in the summer and the sight of the sky at dawn was breathtaking etc. I wish I could recapture that level of motivation because I currently don't have any, but unfortunately, you either become a morning person or you Suffer (on the bright side if you can train yourself to run during the day during summer, you WILL be faster in the autumn. but at what cost?)

another alternative is to go running at night BUT often it takes a lot for temperatures to go down, so you might end up starting a run at, like, 9:30 pm, and that gets very annoying after a while. I PROMISE that when you wake up early consistently (including on weekends!) it stops being hard. It takes a few weeks, but it stops being hard. But if you lose the habit you will have to suffer all over again trying to build it back <- me right now

[financeprincess]

It is so inspiring hearing about your weight loss :) i was wondering if you had any particular weight loss tips you’d like to share? I went through a period of weight loss myself, but have lately gained back a lot of what I’ve lost and I’d like to know if there’s anything that helped you get back on the wagon. Love your blog btw!

Don’t be too hard on yourself, its rough out here especially in the US. it’s easy to accidentally slip up and gain 15 pounds just by eating a lil extra every day.

Some things that helped me:

Intermittent fasting, only a 13 hour window though. The 16:8 was too much for me and with women it can screw with your hormones if you’re not careful.

Drinking lots of water. Like a ton. I put those hydration multiplier electrolyte packets in my water as well.

Get good quality sleep. I got some Brooklinen sheets and they are 100% worth it. Definitely improved my sleep quality. I also have a really nice down duvet and an Egyptian cotton cover for it. I also have a silk eye mask and a silk pillowcase from Slip that I love. Sleep is extremely important.

Get 10k steps a day or at least just walk as much as you can. I’m sedentary a lot for school/work/etc. so I absolutely have to get out and walk and get moving. Even if you just aim for a mile or two a day it’ll greatly help.

If you don’t want to lift weights that’s okay. It’s not for everyone. I used to be super into powerlifting and got pretty muscular but it doesn’t excite me like it used to. I do a mix now of walking, jogging, pilates, rollerblading, cycling, kickboxing, swimming, yoga, ice skating, and weightlifting. That way I’m never bored and the variety allows me to choose what I want to do.

Consistency is key. Doing 4 workouts a week at a light/medium intensity is better than doing 1-2 a week of super high intensity and burning yourself out. Every little bit helps.

I do a full body stretch every day. This is super important. Our bodies get so stiff during the day. If you don’t stretch this can lead to injuries when you try to do other things.

I love the sauna (and hot yoga too). If you can find and afford a gym that has a sauna, I would highly recommend. Sometimes I will just go and walk on the treadmill for 30-45 minutes and watch YouTube videos and then sit in the sauna. It’s the best.

Make sure you’re not deficient in anything. Take a complete multivitamin and get blood work done. I was severely deficient in vitamin D and it was making me depressed. Once I took a supplement, got more sun and got my levels up it really helped my overall health.

Cut out grains, sugar, junk food, fried foods, etc. and just eat real foods. Anything with a long ingredient list usually isn’t a good idea. It’ll take a minute to get used to it but once you start eating almost exclusively vegetables, fruits, proteins, and healthy fats you won’t miss it. I have such a big sweet tooth sometimes I’ll have to eat like five servings of berries with a few tablespoons of honey just to satisfy it, but that’s better than ice cream or candy any day.

Don’t deprive or starve yourself. I eat as healthy as I can manage 80-90% of the time. But every once and a while I will eat a huge plate of pasta, gelato, tiramisu, croissants, those types of foods that I love. It’s not helpful to punish yourself and you gotta live a little.

I got a smart scale in my bathroom, the one I got is from FitIndex. It has an app that connects to your phone and it syncs to other health apps. it shows you body fat, muscle mass, water weight, everything. Honestly super triggering at first because I felt called out lol but now I step on it once a week just to make sure I’m on the right track.

You do not need a gym membership to workout. YouTube is the best. I love Yoga with Adrienne, MadFit, Move with Nicole, Charlie Follows, Vicky Justiz, and there’s a bunch of others. Find what you like and try to stick with it as much as you can.

Rest is super important. Don’t run yourself ragged. If you’re sore don’t force yourself to workout.

MyFitnessPal is super helpful. If you have a history of disordered eating this might not be for you but it’s good to be conscious of what you’re eating. Figure out what you need to lose fat/maintain/gain muscle and then track to see where you’re at and adjust accordingly.

Eat more protein. Protein, healthy fats, and fiber keep you full. You will be starving if you eat only salads. Fruit smoothies with protein, protein oats, salmon, yogurt, eggs, etc.

Get cute workout gear. It makes it more fun for me to workout with my pink towels, my pink hydroflask, my lululemon yoga mat, I have a baby blue jumprope and pink dumbbells and pastel colored resistance bands for at home workouts. A lot of my workout clothes are from lululemon, alo yoga, free people, and aerie. I have some of those blender bottles in cute colors for preworkout, protein powder, super greens powder, electrolyte mixes, etc. Some of this stuff is pricy but I’d rather be investing in my health than paying medical bills down the road so it’s 100% worth it to me.

The only way to see permanent change is to make it a lifestyle. Unfortunately you can’t just go back to eating unhealthy foods once you hit a certain goal. Those models who say they live exclusively off of pizza and pasta and cheeseburgers are lying through their teeth. It’s perfectly healthy to have days off where you indulge or don’t exercise but most of the time you’ll have to find ways to eat healthy and exercise and prioritize your health.

[my-manifesting-journal-online]

Second Week Of January 2025

Monday January 6th

Work (subbed at elementary school in first grade class, easy day)

Daily chores

Yoga

Gua Sha and Jade Roller from Ulta Beauty arrived!

Did my skincare (moisturizer)

Bought ticket for spring cosplay convention

Had salmon burger with thousand island dressing, tomato, and avocado for dinner

Watched the highlights of Passion 2025 (half hour video on YouTube)

Tuesday January 7th

Skincare (Ordinary serum)

Work at elementary school (same class)

Daily chores

Signed up for credit card

Turkey, mashed potatoes, and roasted vegetables for dinner

Watched Thomas Sanders (caught up on Sanders Sides)

Wednesday January 8th

Work at elementary school (same class again)

Watched Passion day one session one livestream for first session (2 hours 45 minutes)

Had leftovers for dinner

Skincare (Ordinary serum)

Thursday January 9th

Snow day due to weather so I slept in a little

Workout

Watched Passion day 2 session 2 for 2nd session (1 hour 29 minutes)

Skincare (Jade Roller + Gua Sha)

Daily chores

Watched Passion day 1 session 1 for 2nd session (2 hours 54 mins)

Leftover mashed potatoes and turkey for lunch, Thai takeout for dinner

Watched Thomas Sanders (1 hour 29 minutes)

Friday, January 10th

Work at elementary school (same class as the rest of the week)

Watched Passion Conference session 2 for day 2 of 1st session (1 hour 31 minutes)

Chores

Unfortunately was distracted more by social media brainrot

Saturday January 11th

Watched Passion session 3 of the first session (1 hour 24 minutes)

Chores

Voice called with a cosplay friend

Finished the manwha i started last week

Sunday January 12th

Online church

Skincare (Glow Recipe toner)

Watched Thomas Sanders

Had spicy tuna rice bowl for lunch

Unfortunately was unable to stay off TikTok for long and kept going back

So that was my second week of 2025. The vibes for the week were LGBT (Thomas Sanders videos), Faith (Passion conferences), country (online church because I watched a livestream of a small church in Alabama). I have a feeling this month that I’ll be doing a lot of work on my faith between the Passion Conferences and online church, and unfortunately I seem to be working four days a week now instead of five like I was last year but I can manifest it back in no time.

Goals for January: more skincare (clean girl aesthetic), get closer to God

Things I’ve accomplished in January so far: more cosplaying

[zapposter]

The list to refer back to when I realise I’ve been doomscrolling again

1. Read that history book on the nightstand 📚

last time you were in Kraków you Were complaining how you don’t remember any facts anymore, do something about it

2. Try to learn some card tricks🃏

You’ve got two books on this with you, you’ve had them for years, high time to grind that skill out. Especially considering your brother suddenly got into card tricks too and that has always been your thing

3. Paint in the studio 🎰

You’ve already emailed everyone and made sure that you can, now just move your ass and go. Leave for few hours, do some painting. Just zone out, it’s therapeutic

4. Go for a walk 🧳

Just go

5. Draw with ink 🖋️

You’ve got one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight… eight different colours. Go ham

6. Draw with dry pastels 🥫

Go get dirty, you know you like it

7. Work on the zines for your friends 📠

We ball, I know you’re gonna make it the best zine you possibly can. Add some cool quotes from songs you both know

8. Watch a figma tutorial 💽

It’s new and you’re just learning, so I know it might be scary, but no harm has ever came from just trying. If it doesn’t work out? Just fuck it, go girl

9. Design something 🎪

Create your own one, copy or upgrade some other design. No rules and doesn’t have to be good. Remember to just enjoy the process, you’re designing just for you

10. Illustrate🎖️

Make an illustration, just a baby one. No big projects (unless you feel like it). Just get back into the groove, have fun with it

11. Play some music 🎫

The harmonica? The kalimba? Up to you, or just belt it out

12. Do some yoga 🌬️

(Idc if it’s past 11:30 or before 4:30, get movin love)

13. Go to the library 📔

So many books, it’s free, you can sit there as long as you want. Also it’s literally the peak of academia core and you get a walk. No downsides

14. Watch a movie 📽️

You’ve got a movie list, turn the projector and watch. All these movies are amazing. The vibe is immaculate and you can multitask if you want to

15. Watch a video essay 📺

You’ve got some good ones queued up and its 100x better than scrolling. Learn something new

16. Paint some gouache 🍂

You can make little gifts! Or paint something you like, or make illustrations. And you don’t even have to leave your room (but you can, go for a walk and paint en plein air)

17. Solve a sudoku ���

50 to go, you can solve them wrong 50 times for all I care. But by the end of it you’ll have done it and it won’t be so scary anymore

18. Journal 🧃

Just anything, empty your mind out

19. Phone a friend 🎟️

You’re alone as it is, don’t alienate yourself even further please, make sure you get some contact

20. Animate something 🎞️

It can be anything, and remember baby steps. Just try to be more at ease. Remember other programs felt complicated and unfriendly at first too. It will al get better, just trust the process

21. Learn some zippo tricks 🐛

You’ve got a new zippo, it’s was a lovely, thoughtful gift. Imagine if you learn some trick to show him

What’s important in the end is to remember to trust the process and keep in mind that most of the things on the list (just like eating well, waking up at reasonable time and going to sleep at fairly early times. All which you should also be doing) is forms of delayed gratification when you compare it to the option of doomscrolling. The whole day will flash before your eyes before you realise it. The week will pass by, the month and the summer will follow.

Grab life by the horns, look her in the eyes and make out. Tell her you love it. Have fun

[bee-thee-hoe]

New Mindset New Me

Life is too short to be half living as someone you are and someone you don't want to be anymore. We often question how to instantly turn into this stunning rebirthed being who lives each day like a shot in a montage, how to wake up one day and magically be different. However the real question is what was so wrong with your past self and what is so radically different in this new one? At the end of the day you will always only be you, what you fake and mock you become. Every joke out of you mouth is still a thing you said. "It's my cheat day", "I'm so stupid, I won't ever pass this class". What if you don't frame it as such, "I'm craving this so I will eat it and move on", "I will pass this class no matter how much work it takes", because at the end of the day it is not what you didn't do with your time, it's what you did. It matters very little if you thought about your homework all day while you sat on your phone, how much does that accomplish. If you say you have been meaning to start this new hobby what good does that do. It doesn't matter if you wanted to do something for ten years because that accomplishes just as much as wanting to do it for a day.

To become the person you want to be you need to act like them. Think of this new dream self. Think about what their life would really be like. Think of them on an imperfect day, on a perfect day, on a mundane day. What does their life look like. When do they wake up? No really, they are just as exhausted as you are, be real, when do they wake up? Why do they wake up then? When would they need to go to bed? Now think of what would be easier for you, forcing yourself up early every day for two weeks and inevitably going to bed earlier because of that, or forcing yourself to bed early for two weeks and gradually waking up earlier as a result? It's different for every person, some methods work better then others, we don't operate under the same circumstances. Some might even find a mix of both might work.

Now think of what they do when they wake up. Do they get out of bed immediately, do they stop and read the news on their phone, do they scroll a little to try and wake themselves up? No judgement here, we all do it. Take some time in your envisioning and look up the effects of screen time in the early morning. Now read it again. Listen, you get along fine using your phone first thing in the morning, we've all heard of the negative affects. No one wants to be told not to do anything because we all love our autonomy. But what if you stop and think about how that serves you, what does it bring to you? Do you find joy, or is it all about the world falling apart and then look there's an AI cat video. What would wake you up as much as your phone? Would keeping a fun book by your bed give you something to focus one while your body get used to the day, what about glass of water?

Let's be honest, no one completes that list of things they should do in a day. That new years resolution you first made when you were thirteen has no place here, you aren't going to start waking up at five am to do yoga or workout before school or work. Why not start with something more reasonable, make some coffee in a reusable Keurig pod or even in an Italian stovetop coffee pot. It's possible to make tea in the stovetop espresso machines even, so if you're trying to continue your anti caffeine dry January you can still enjoy the warmth of a morning beverage. Fill up your favorite large mug you got yourself from a local craft fair you spent regrettable amounts of money at and sit on your porch listening to the birds; or if you live in a terrible tundra 8 months out of the year you can sit by your fire that is taking too long to warm the house. A space-heater is a wonderful substitute for that if you don't live the Jan Brett lifestyle, not many can in this economy.

The moment we are able to sit with our thoughts is the moment we start living for ourselves and not corporations. You could use this time to plan for the day, month, or even year. It could be that alone time you desperately search for while staying up late at night doom scrolling. Look around the room you're in, is there a little project you've been meaning to complete, a book you bought and have forgotten to read? What about the trim leaning up against the wall where it could be nailed to? That project is not for a quiet morning, but tidying a room now clears up that time you would have spent later.

All of this is awfully ambitious and seems like a lot; but there is no better way to become the person you want to be than to just do it. Whose to say you can't be the type of person who wakes up early and stretches every day. Or the type of person who doesn't lose control around food at night. You can be the person who goes on a daily morning jog! But the only way to become that person is to stop just thinking about it and start doing it.

We can go back to the first premise; think of your ideal person: what do they do, how do they act, why do they do all that? You will often find it goes hand in hand, they are well rested and wake up early because they limit screens 2 hours before bed. They read more because they don't doom-scroll at night when they can't sleep. They run every morning because they wake up early enough to do so and are ready for the day when it arrives. They don't spend that extra hour reading the news and raising their anxiety but rather use that hour to ease into the day, plan and organize their life even if all that means is getting out of bed and making coffee, that is still progress.

Your challenge for the day is to figure out what your dream person does and how it affects other aspects of their life. Circle together which of their daily tasks go hand in hand. Once you realize how simple one thing is to change the rest of it will fall into place.

You got this!

-Emmaline

[cleverhottubmiracle]

I started running when I was 15—and I haven't stopped since. One of my favorite things about running is that as long as I have sneakers, I can workout whenever I want. I don't need a bike. I don't need weights. I don't need the optional yoga block that I never seem to be able to find. That low barrier to entry is what keeps me incredibly consistent as a runner. However, it's also kept me from venturing into strength training, something I know I need to do (especially as I get older) to support the miles that bring me so much joy. Enter: Tonal, which in many ways provides the same no-fuss, no-other-equiment-necessary as running.Tonal is a piece of smart fitness equipment that was initially launched in 2018 and became a mainstay in many athletes’ homes during the pandemic, reaching unicorn status with help from pro athlete investors including Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Maria Sharapova, Mike Tyson, Sue Bird, Serena Williams, Stephen Curry, and others. Today, the brand launched the Tonal 2, a reinvented, reconfigured upgrade that I tested out, and—spoiler alert—love.What Is Tonal 2?Total 2 is a home gym in a single machine (plus a few accessories). For many, it removes the barrier to entries that keep people from doing strength training, such as creating complicated setups, understanding exercise technique, and having easy access to certain equipment. Tonal 2 uses a cable system and magnetic weight that adjusts to how you’re functioning in a workout, and it can have adaptive weight management, so If you’re crushing it in a move, the system piles weight on; if you’re struggling in another, it takes it off.In sum, you can perform over 240 exercises by adjusting the height, width, and angles of the arms and combining that with the included ropes, handles, or barbell (plus a bench). The main piece of hardware is fixed to the wall and has a 24-inch interactive touchscreen. When you first turn the machine on, you go through an onboarding process that allows you to select why you’re working out and set your goals. (This determines the types of content that are served up to you when you work out.)Once you’re set up, you run through a five-minute strength assessment so that the Tonal can assess your lifting capabilities. Then, when you’re in a workout, it will set the weight for you automatically so that you can get right into the move. (At first, I found that the weights feel a little light, but after a few reps, I’m right at the place I need to be.) There are individual workouts as well as programs that span days or weeks, depending on your preferences.Reviewed by Ali Finney; Photo by Ali Finney Photo by Ali Finney; Review by Ali Finney How Is Tonal 2 Different from the Original?Tonal 2 has some key updates from the original machine that make it even easier to use and interact with:1. Increased maximum weight of 250 poundsThe previous machine allowed users to lift up to 200 pounds, but Tonal 2 ups the ante. You can now lift up to 250 pounds—a feature that I likely won't be using myself, but is one that many people shopping for a piece of smart fitness equipment will enjoy.2. Smart ViewA new feature called Smart View allows users to watch a video of themselves doing a movement while also following along with a workout program. This is helpful because not only does it allow you to see if you're performing a move correctly, but if you aren’t, Tonal 2 can capture that and give you coaching cues that help you to make tweaks to nail down your form.3. DesignThere have been some design upgrades that make the machine look even sleeker than it used to: The all-black exterior is now accented with chrome, making it look very polished, and not like the eyesore that some workout equipment winds up looking like.4. Drop SetsWhen performing drop sets, the Tonal 2 is now able to assess when you start to get tired and slow down on a move, nearing the point of failure. When it detects this happening, the machine drops weight so that you can keep going for longer, helping you increase the intensity of your workout.Review by Ali Finney; Photo by Ali Finney This lever moves the arms up and down. Review by Ali Finney; Photo by Ali Finney This button widens and narrows the arms and changes the angles. What Is It Like Using Tonal 2?I've never really liked strength training in a way that kept me consistent with it. I would often perform strength workouts solely because a marathon training plan told me that I needed to, but I had no real desire to seek out new ways to get stronger. My favorites are:1. Workouts feel uniqueEvery Tonal 2 workout I've done feels unique and different, and I never get bored. That's particularly true if you follow programs, which I’ve done fairly consistently while testing out the equipment. The trainers keep you energized and moving in different ways each day and the coaching cues match up with the type of workout that you’re doing so you feel properly guided. Peloton gets a ton of credit for making really fun and engaging content that keeps you sweating along, and the Tonal (in my experience), is of the same caliber. I love that different coaches give you different types of motivation and the workouts themselves range from HIIT and yoga to strength training and meditation. You really can do it all from this machine. training to2. It’s all the equipment you needA big part of the reason that I never felt like I’d keep up with workouts is that I never had the right equipment in place to do the various exercises I needed to get stronger over time, but the Tonal 2 helped clear that up for me. It has everything you need to do over 240 moves, which pretty much ensures that I no longer have that excuse.3. It’s not bulky or uglyNot to chastise the fitness industry at large, but many of the machines out there take up a ton of space and look really clunky. The Tonal 2, in the right room, can simply disappear on the wall and look like it should live there rather than that it has to live there.4. It’s motivatingI started lifting heavier than I was previously able to in days—not months. Perhaps that’s a sign that I phoned it in a little in the beginning, but it’s likely just proof that consistently showing up to workouts can really pay off quickly. Seeing those small wins made me want to keep hitting my workouts morning after morning.Would We Recommend Tonal 2?Hell yeah. For people who just want to get fit and don’t want to overcomplicate things too much, the Tonal 2 is 100% a must-buy. There are workouts for everyone, from beginners all the way up to competitive athletes. I think those keen on meticulously programming their own workouts may be better served with a gym membership, where you can get in there and craft your own routine. But for me, Tonal 2 made me stay consistent and get in a lot more strength training than I ever have before. I know in a year, I’ll be able to say the same thing. Source link

[norajworld]

I started running when I was 15—and I haven't stopped since. One of my favorite things about running is that as long as I have sneakers, I can workout whenever I want. I don't need a bike. I don't need weights. I don't need the optional yoga block that I never seem to be able to find. That low barrier to entry is what keeps me incredibly consistent as a runner. However, it's also kept me from venturing into strength training, something I know I need to do (especially as I get older) to support the miles that bring me so much joy. Enter: Tonal, which in many ways provides the same no-fuss, no-other-equiment-necessary as running.Tonal is a piece of smart fitness equipment that was initially launched in 2018 and became a mainstay in many athletes’ homes during the pandemic, reaching unicorn status with help from pro athlete investors including Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Maria Sharapova, Mike Tyson, Sue Bird, Serena Williams, Stephen Curry, and others. Today, the brand launched the Tonal 2, a reinvented, reconfigured upgrade that I tested out, and—spoiler alert—love.What Is Tonal 2?Total 2 is a home gym in a single machine (plus a few accessories). For many, it removes the barrier to entries that keep people from doing strength training, such as creating complicated setups, understanding exercise technique, and having easy access to certain equipment. Tonal 2 uses a cable system and magnetic weight that adjusts to how you’re functioning in a workout, and it can have adaptive weight management, so If you’re crushing it in a move, the system piles weight on; if you’re struggling in another, it takes it off.In sum, you can perform over 240 exercises by adjusting the height, width, and angles of the arms and combining that with the included ropes, handles, or barbell (plus a bench). The main piece of hardware is fixed to the wall and has a 24-inch interactive touchscreen. When you first turn the machine on, you go through an onboarding process that allows you to select why you’re working out and set your goals. (This determines the types of content that are served up to you when you work out.)Once you’re set up, you run through a five-minute strength assessment so that the Tonal can assess your lifting capabilities. Then, when you’re in a workout, it will set the weight for you automatically so that you can get right into the move. (At first, I found that the weights feel a little light, but after a few reps, I’m right at the place I need to be.) There are individual workouts as well as programs that span days or weeks, depending on your preferences.Reviewed by Ali Finney; Photo by Ali Finney Photo by Ali Finney; Review by Ali Finney How Is Tonal 2 Different from the Original?Tonal 2 has some key updates from the original machine that make it even easier to use and interact with:1. Increased maximum weight of 250 poundsThe previous machine allowed users to lift up to 200 pounds, but Tonal 2 ups the ante. You can now lift up to 250 pounds—a feature that I likely won't be using myself, but is one that many people shopping for a piece of smart fitness equipment will enjoy.2. Smart ViewA new feature called Smart View allows users to watch a video of themselves doing a movement while also following along with a workout program. This is helpful because not only does it allow you to see if you're performing a move correctly, but if you aren’t, Tonal 2 can capture that and give you coaching cues that help you to make tweaks to nail down your form.3. DesignThere have been some design upgrades that make the machine look even sleeker than it used to: The all-black exterior is now accented with chrome, making it look very polished, and not like the eyesore that some workout equipment winds up looking like.4. Drop SetsWhen performing drop sets, the Tonal 2 is now able to assess when you start to get tired and slow down on a move, nearing the point of failure. When it detects this happening, the machine drops weight so that you can keep going for longer, helping you increase the intensity of your workout.Review by Ali Finney; Photo by Ali Finney This lever moves the arms up and down. Review by Ali Finney; Photo by Ali Finney This button widens and narrows the arms and changes the angles. What Is It Like Using Tonal 2?I've never really liked strength training in a way that kept me consistent with it. I would often perform strength workouts solely because a marathon training plan told me that I needed to, but I had no real desire to seek out new ways to get stronger. My favorites are:1. Workouts feel uniqueEvery Tonal 2 workout I've done feels unique and different, and I never get bored. That's particularly true if you follow programs, which I’ve done fairly consistently while testing out the equipment. The trainers keep you energized and moving in different ways each day and the coaching cues match up with the type of workout that you’re doing so you feel properly guided. Peloton gets a ton of credit for making really fun and engaging content that keeps you sweating along, and the Tonal (in my experience), is of the same caliber. I love that different coaches give you different types of motivation and the workouts themselves range from HIIT and yoga to strength training and meditation. You really can do it all from this machine. training to2. It’s all the equipment you needA big part of the reason that I never felt like I’d keep up with workouts is that I never had the right equipment in place to do the various exercises I needed to get stronger over time, but the Tonal 2 helped clear that up for me. It has everything you need to do over 240 moves, which pretty much ensures that I no longer have that excuse.3. It’s not bulky or uglyNot to chastise the fitness industry at large, but many of the machines out there take up a ton of space and look really clunky. The Tonal 2, in the right room, can simply disappear on the wall and look like it should live there rather than that it has to live there.4. It’s motivatingI started lifting heavier than I was previously able to in days—not months. Perhaps that’s a sign that I phoned it in a little in the beginning, but it’s likely just proof that consistently showing up to workouts can really pay off quickly. Seeing those small wins made me want to keep hitting my workouts morning after morning.Would We Recommend Tonal 2?Hell yeah. For people who just want to get fit and don’t want to overcomplicate things too much, the Tonal 2 is 100% a must-buy. There are workouts for everyone, from beginners all the way up to competitive athletes. I think those keen on meticulously programming their own workouts may be better served with a gym membership, where you can get in there and craft your own routine. But for me, Tonal 2 made me stay consistent and get in a lot more strength training than I ever have before. I know in a year, I’ll be able to say the same thing. Source link

[ellajme0]

I started running when I was 15—and I haven't stopped since. One of my favorite things about running is that as long as I have sneakers, I can workout whenever I want. I don't need a bike. I don't need weights. I don't need the optional yoga block that I never seem to be able to find. That low barrier to entry is what keeps me incredibly consistent as a runner. However, it's also kept me from venturing into strength training, something I know I need to do (especially as I get older) to support the miles that bring me so much joy. Enter: Tonal, which in many ways provides the same no-fuss, no-other-equiment-necessary as running.Tonal is a piece of smart fitness equipment that was initially launched in 2018 and became a mainstay in many athletes’ homes during the pandemic, reaching unicorn status with help from pro athlete investors including Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Maria Sharapova, Mike Tyson, Sue Bird, Serena Williams, Stephen Curry, and others. Today, the brand launched the Tonal 2, a reinvented, reconfigured upgrade that I tested out, and—spoiler alert—love.What Is Tonal 2?Total 2 is a home gym in a single machine (plus a few accessories). For many, it removes the barrier to entries that keep people from doing strength training, such as creating complicated setups, understanding exercise technique, and having easy access to certain equipment. Tonal 2 uses a cable system and magnetic weight that adjusts to how you’re functioning in a workout, and it can have adaptive weight management, so If you’re crushing it in a move, the system piles weight on; if you’re struggling in another, it takes it off.In sum, you can perform over 240 exercises by adjusting the height, width, and angles of the arms and combining that with the included ropes, handles, or barbell (plus a bench). The main piece of hardware is fixed to the wall and has a 24-inch interactive touchscreen. When you first turn the machine on, you go through an onboarding process that allows you to select why you’re working out and set your goals. (This determines the types of content that are served up to you when you work out.)Once you’re set up, you run through a five-minute strength assessment so that the Tonal can assess your lifting capabilities. Then, when you’re in a workout, it will set the weight for you automatically so that you can get right into the move. (At first, I found that the weights feel a little light, but after a few reps, I’m right at the place I need to be.) There are individual workouts as well as programs that span days or weeks, depending on your preferences.Reviewed by Ali Finney; Photo by Ali Finney Photo by Ali Finney; Review by Ali Finney How Is Tonal 2 Different from the Original?Tonal 2 has some key updates from the original machine that make it even easier to use and interact with:1. Increased maximum weight of 250 poundsThe previous machine allowed users to lift up to 200 pounds, but Tonal 2 ups the ante. You can now lift up to 250 pounds—a feature that I likely won't be using myself, but is one that many people shopping for a piece of smart fitness equipment will enjoy.2. Smart ViewA new feature called Smart View allows users to watch a video of themselves doing a movement while also following along with a workout program. This is helpful because not only does it allow you to see if you're performing a move correctly, but if you aren’t, Tonal 2 can capture that and give you coaching cues that help you to make tweaks to nail down your form.3. DesignThere have been some design upgrades that make the machine look even sleeker than it used to: The all-black exterior is now accented with chrome, making it look very polished, and not like the eyesore that some workout equipment winds up looking like.4. Drop SetsWhen performing drop sets, the Tonal 2 is now able to assess when you start to get tired and slow down on a move, nearing the point of failure. When it detects this happening, the machine drops weight so that you can keep going for longer, helping you increase the intensity of your workout.Review by Ali Finney; Photo by Ali Finney This lever moves the arms up and down. Review by Ali Finney; Photo by Ali Finney This button widens and narrows the arms and changes the angles. What Is It Like Using Tonal 2?I've never really liked strength training in a way that kept me consistent with it. I would often perform strength workouts solely because a marathon training plan told me that I needed to, but I had no real desire to seek out new ways to get stronger. My favorites are:1. Workouts feel uniqueEvery Tonal 2 workout I've done feels unique and different, and I never get bored. That's particularly true if you follow programs, which I’ve done fairly consistently while testing out the equipment. The trainers keep you energized and moving in different ways each day and the coaching cues match up with the type of workout that you’re doing so you feel properly guided. Peloton gets a ton of credit for making really fun and engaging content that keeps you sweating along, and the Tonal (in my experience), is of the same caliber. I love that different coaches give you different types of motivation and the workouts themselves range from HIIT and yoga to strength training and meditation. You really can do it all from this machine. training to2. It’s all the equipment you needA big part of the reason that I never felt like I’d keep up with workouts is that I never had the right equipment in place to do the various exercises I needed to get stronger over time, but the Tonal 2 helped clear that up for me. It has everything you need to do over 240 moves, which pretty much ensures that I no longer have that excuse.3. It’s not bulky or uglyNot to chastise the fitness industry at large, but many of the machines out there take up a ton of space and look really clunky. The Tonal 2, in the right room, can simply disappear on the wall and look like it should live there rather than that it has to live there.4. It’s motivatingI started lifting heavier than I was previously able to in days—not months. Perhaps that’s a sign that I phoned it in a little in the beginning, but it’s likely just proof that consistently showing up to workouts can really pay off quickly. Seeing those small wins made me want to keep hitting my workouts morning after morning.Would We Recommend Tonal 2?Hell yeah. For people who just want to get fit and don’t want to overcomplicate things too much, the Tonal 2 is 100% a must-buy. There are workouts for everyone, from beginners all the way up to competitive athletes. I think those keen on meticulously programming their own workouts may be better served with a gym membership, where you can get in there and craft your own routine. But for me, Tonal 2 made me stay consistent and get in a lot more strength training than I ever have before. I know in a year, I’ll be able to say the same thing. Source link

[chilimili212]

I started running when I was 15—and I haven't stopped since. One of my favorite things about running is that as long as I have sneakers, I can workout whenever I want. I don't need a bike. I don't need weights. I don't need the optional yoga block that I never seem to be able to find. That low barrier to entry is what keeps me incredibly consistent as a runner. However, it's also kept me from venturing into strength training, something I know I need to do (especially as I get older) to support the miles that bring me so much joy. Enter: Tonal, which in many ways provides the same no-fuss, no-other-equiment-necessary as running.Tonal is a piece of smart fitness equipment that was initially launched in 2018 and became a mainstay in many athletes’ homes during the pandemic, reaching unicorn status with help from pro athlete investors including Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Maria Sharapova, Mike Tyson, Sue Bird, Serena Williams, Stephen Curry, and others. Today, the brand launched the Tonal 2, a reinvented, reconfigured upgrade that I tested out, and—spoiler alert—love.What Is Tonal 2?Total 2 is a home gym in a single machine (plus a few accessories). For many, it removes the barrier to entries that keep people from doing strength training, such as creating complicated setups, understanding exercise technique, and having easy access to certain equipment. Tonal 2 uses a cable system and magnetic weight that adjusts to how you’re functioning in a workout, and it can have adaptive weight management, so If you’re crushing it in a move, the system piles weight on; if you’re struggling in another, it takes it off.In sum, you can perform over 240 exercises by adjusting the height, width, and angles of the arms and combining that with the included ropes, handles, or barbell (plus a bench). The main piece of hardware is fixed to the wall and has a 24-inch interactive touchscreen. When you first turn the machine on, you go through an onboarding process that allows you to select why you’re working out and set your goals. (This determines the types of content that are served up to you when you work out.)Once you’re set up, you run through a five-minute strength assessment so that the Tonal can assess your lifting capabilities. Then, when you’re in a workout, it will set the weight for you automatically so that you can get right into the move. (At first, I found that the weights feel a little light, but after a few reps, I’m right at the place I need to be.) There are individual workouts as well as programs that span days or weeks, depending on your preferences.Reviewed by Ali Finney; Photo by Ali Finney Photo by Ali Finney; Review by Ali Finney How Is Tonal 2 Different from the Original?Tonal 2 has some key updates from the original machine that make it even easier to use and interact with:1. Increased maximum weight of 250 poundsThe previous machine allowed users to lift up to 200 pounds, but Tonal 2 ups the ante. You can now lift up to 250 pounds—a feature that I likely won't be using myself, but is one that many people shopping for a piece of smart fitness equipment will enjoy.2. Smart ViewA new feature called Smart View allows users to watch a video of themselves doing a movement while also following along with a workout program. This is helpful because not only does it allow you to see if you're performing a move correctly, but if you aren’t, Tonal 2 can capture that and give you coaching cues that help you to make tweaks to nail down your form.3. DesignThere have been some design upgrades that make the machine look even sleeker than it used to: The all-black exterior is now accented with chrome, making it look very polished, and not like the eyesore that some workout equipment winds up looking like.4. Drop SetsWhen performing drop sets, the Tonal 2 is now able to assess when you start to get tired and slow down on a move, nearing the point of failure. When it detects this happening, the machine drops weight so that you can keep going for longer, helping you increase the intensity of your workout.Review by Ali Finney; Photo by Ali Finney This lever moves the arms up and down. Review by Ali Finney; Photo by Ali Finney This button widens and narrows the arms and changes the angles. What Is It Like Using Tonal 2?I've never really liked strength training in a way that kept me consistent with it. I would often perform strength workouts solely because a marathon training plan told me that I needed to, but I had no real desire to seek out new ways to get stronger. My favorites are:1. Workouts feel uniqueEvery Tonal 2 workout I've done feels unique and different, and I never get bored. That's particularly true if you follow programs, which I’ve done fairly consistently while testing out the equipment. The trainers keep you energized and moving in different ways each day and the coaching cues match up with the type of workout that you’re doing so you feel properly guided. Peloton gets a ton of credit for making really fun and engaging content that keeps you sweating along, and the Tonal (in my experience), is of the same caliber. I love that different coaches give you different types of motivation and the workouts themselves range from HIIT and yoga to strength training and meditation. You really can do it all from this machine. training to2. It’s all the equipment you needA big part of the reason that I never felt like I’d keep up with workouts is that I never had the right equipment in place to do the various exercises I needed to get stronger over time, but the Tonal 2 helped clear that up for me. It has everything you need to do over 240 moves, which pretty much ensures that I no longer have that excuse.3. It’s not bulky or uglyNot to chastise the fitness industry at large, but many of the machines out there take up a ton of space and look really clunky. The Tonal 2, in the right room, can simply disappear on the wall and look like it should live there rather than that it has to live there.4. It’s motivatingI started lifting heavier than I was previously able to in days—not months. Perhaps that’s a sign that I phoned it in a little in the beginning, but it’s likely just proof that consistently showing up to workouts can really pay off quickly. Seeing those small wins made me want to keep hitting my workouts morning after morning.Would We Recommend Tonal 2?Hell yeah. For people who just want to get fit and don’t want to overcomplicate things too much, the Tonal 2 is 100% a must-buy. There are workouts for everyone, from beginners all the way up to competitive athletes. I think those keen on meticulously programming their own workouts may be better served with a gym membership, where you can get in there and craft your own routine. But for me, Tonal 2 made me stay consistent and get in a lot more strength training than I ever have before. I know in a year, I’ll be able to say the same thing. Source link

[oliviajoyice21]

I started running when I was 15—and I haven't stopped since. One of my favorite things about running is that as long as I have sneakers, I can workout whenever I want. I don't need a bike. I don't need weights. I don't need the optional yoga block that I never seem to be able to find. That low barrier to entry is what keeps me incredibly consistent as a runner. However, it's also kept me from venturing into strength training, something I know I need to do (especially as I get older) to support the miles that bring me so much joy. Enter: Tonal, which in many ways provides the same no-fuss, no-other-equiment-necessary as running.Tonal is a piece of smart fitness equipment that was initially launched in 2018 and became a mainstay in many athletes’ homes during the pandemic, reaching unicorn status with help from pro athlete investors including Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Maria Sharapova, Mike Tyson, Sue Bird, Serena Williams, Stephen Curry, and others. Today, the brand launched the Tonal 2, a reinvented, reconfigured upgrade that I tested out, and—spoiler alert—love.What Is Tonal 2?Total 2 is a home gym in a single machine (plus a few accessories). For many, it removes the barrier to entries that keep people from doing strength training, such as creating complicated setups, understanding exercise technique, and having easy access to certain equipment. Tonal 2 uses a cable system and magnetic weight that adjusts to how you’re functioning in a workout, and it can have adaptive weight management, so If you’re crushing it in a move, the system piles weight on; if you’re struggling in another, it takes it off.In sum, you can perform over 240 exercises by adjusting the height, width, and angles of the arms and combining that with the included ropes, handles, or barbell (plus a bench). The main piece of hardware is fixed to the wall and has a 24-inch interactive touchscreen. When you first turn the machine on, you go through an onboarding process that allows you to select why you’re working out and set your goals. (This determines the types of content that are served up to you when you work out.)Once you’re set up, you run through a five-minute strength assessment so that the Tonal can assess your lifting capabilities. Then, when you’re in a workout, it will set the weight for you automatically so that you can get right into the move. (At first, I found that the weights feel a little light, but after a few reps, I’m right at the place I need to be.) There are individual workouts as well as programs that span days or weeks, depending on your preferences.Reviewed by Ali Finney; Photo by Ali Finney Photo by Ali Finney; Review by Ali Finney How Is Tonal 2 Different from the Original?Tonal 2 has some key updates from the original machine that make it even easier to use and interact with:1. Increased maximum weight of 250 poundsThe previous machine allowed users to lift up to 200 pounds, but Tonal 2 ups the ante. You can now lift up to 250 pounds—a feature that I likely won't be using myself, but is one that many people shopping for a piece of smart fitness equipment will enjoy.2. Smart ViewA new feature called Smart View allows users to watch a video of themselves doing a movement while also following along with a workout program. This is helpful because not only does it allow you to see if you're performing a move correctly, but if you aren’t, Tonal 2 can capture that and give you coaching cues that help you to make tweaks to nail down your form.3. DesignThere have been some design upgrades that make the machine look even sleeker than it used to: The all-black exterior is now accented with chrome, making it look very polished, and not like the eyesore that some workout equipment winds up looking like.4. Drop SetsWhen performing drop sets, the Tonal 2 is now able to assess when you start to get tired and slow down on a move, nearing the point of failure. When it detects this happening, the machine drops weight so that you can keep going for longer, helping you increase the intensity of your workout.Review by Ali Finney; Photo by Ali Finney This lever moves the arms up and down. Review by Ali Finney; Photo by Ali Finney This button widens and narrows the arms and changes the angles. What Is It Like Using Tonal 2?I've never really liked strength training in a way that kept me consistent with it. I would often perform strength workouts solely because a marathon training plan told me that I needed to, but I had no real desire to seek out new ways to get stronger. My favorites are:1. Workouts feel uniqueEvery Tonal 2 workout I've done feels unique and different, and I never get bored. That's particularly true if you follow programs, which I’ve done fairly consistently while testing out the equipment. The trainers keep you energized and moving in different ways each day and the coaching cues match up with the type of workout that you’re doing so you feel properly guided. Peloton gets a ton of credit for making really fun and engaging content that keeps you sweating along, and the Tonal (in my experience), is of the same caliber. I love that different coaches give you different types of motivation and the workouts themselves range from HIIT and yoga to strength training and meditation. You really can do it all from this machine. training to2. It’s all the equipment you needA big part of the reason that I never felt like I’d keep up with workouts is that I never had the right equipment in place to do the various exercises I needed to get stronger over time, but the Tonal 2 helped clear that up for me. It has everything you need to do over 240 moves, which pretty much ensures that I no longer have that excuse.3. It’s not bulky or uglyNot to chastise the fitness industry at large, but many of the machines out there take up a ton of space and look really clunky. The Tonal 2, in the right room, can simply disappear on the wall and look like it should live there rather than that it has to live there.4. It’s motivatingI started lifting heavier than I was previously able to in days—not months. Perhaps that’s a sign that I phoned it in a little in the beginning, but it’s likely just proof that consistently showing up to workouts can really pay off quickly. Seeing those small wins made me want to keep hitting my workouts morning after morning.Would We Recommend Tonal 2?Hell yeah. For people who just want to get fit and don’t want to overcomplicate things too much, the Tonal 2 is 100% a must-buy. There are workouts for everyone, from beginners all the way up to competitive athletes. I think those keen on meticulously programming their own workouts may be better served with a gym membership, where you can get in there and craft your own routine. But for me, Tonal 2 made me stay consistent and get in a lot more strength training than I ever have before. I know in a year, I’ll be able to say the same thing. Source link

[mondainelife]

What ai wrote:

The Importance of Self-Care in Today's Fast-Paced World

Let’s face it—life can be overwhelming. Between work, social commitments, personal goals, and everything in between, it feels like we’re all running on a never-ending treadmill. The pressure to keep up can be intense, and often, self-care is the first thing to slip through the cracks. But here's the thing: taking care of ourselves is not a luxury, it's a necessity.

Why Self-Care Matters

In today’s fast-paced world, we’re constantly bombarded with things that demand our attention. We push ourselves to be productive, achieve more, and stay connected. But when do we take a step back to check in with ourselves? Neglecting self-care can lead to burnout, stress, and feelings of overwhelm. It’s no surprise that more people than ever are struggling with mental health issues like anxiety and depression.

Self-care is a powerful tool that can help improve our mental and emotional well-being. It allows us to recharge, find balance, and approach life’s challenges with a clearer mind. When we make self-care a priority, we can show up as the best versions of ourselves—for our work, relationships, and most importantly, for us.

Practical Tips for Everyday Self-Care

You don’t need to book a spa day or take a week off to start practicing self-care (though those are great too!). It’s about incorporating small, meaningful habits into your daily life. Here are some easy ways to get started:

1. Set Boundaries with Your Time

It’s okay to say no sometimes. We often feel guilty for not doing it all, but protecting your time and energy is crucial. Whether it’s at work or in your personal life, set limits. For instance, stop responding to emails after 6 p.m. or take a night off from social activities if you’re feeling drained.

2. Take Mini-Breaks During the Day

If you’re working all day without a break, it’s no wonder you’re feeling exhausted! Give yourself permission to step away, even if it’s for just five minutes. I’ve found that taking short, mindful breaks—whether it’s going for a quick walk, stretching, or even making a cup of tea—can do wonders for your focus and mood.

3. Practice Gratitude

I know, I know, it sounds cliché, but gratitude really does change your perspective. Take a moment each day to write down three things you’re grateful for. It can be something as simple as “the sun is shining” or “I had a delicious cup of coffee this morning.” Shifting your mindset towards the positive can have a big impact on your emotional well-being.

4. Create a Wind-Down Routine

We often underestimate the power of a good night's sleep. Developing a bedtime routine can help signal to your body that it’s time to rest. For me, it’s all about ditching the screens at least 30 minutes before bed and reading something light (or, let’s be honest, watching cat videos). Whatever helps you relax, make it part of your nighttime ritual.

5. Move Your Body, Gently

You don’t need to go hardcore at the gym to take care of your body. Gentle movement, like yoga or a casual walk, can be just as effective at releasing tension and improving your mood. I’ve personally started doing a 10-minute stretch routine in the mornings, and it makes me feel so much more grounded throughout the day.

How Self-Care Impacts Mental Health

Taking time for yourself can reduce stress, improve focus, and give you more energy to tackle life’s demands. Studies show that regular self-care practices like mindfulness, physical activity, and adequate sleep can help lower the risk of mental health issues like anxiety and depression.

For me, self-care has been a game-changer. When I first started incorporating it into my routine, I noticed that I felt more in control, less reactive to stress, and more capable of handling tough situations. It’s not a quick fix, but over time, those small acts of kindness towards myself have added up.

Remember, You’re Worth It

Self-care isn’t selfish—it’s essential. If there’s one takeaway from this, it’s that you deserve to be cared for, too. The world can wait a little while longer while you tend to your own needs.

So, what self-care practice are you going to start with today? It doesn’t have to be anything big, but trust me, your future self will thank you for it.

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Let me know in the comments what helps you feel recharged! I’m always looking for new ideas to add to my routine.

[annieintheaair]

They say, "Teamwork makes the dream work." Hell, I had some help.

They say it takes a village and you need to find your tribe. Lately, I’ve realized how large my village really is and I’m sad I never saw it before.

My village is filled with family, work friends, church friends, yoga friends, and even just ordinary friends. It is said that you are the sum of the five people you spend the most time with. For me, there are definitely more than five people. I think, these days, that's actually a really good thing because I feel like I have surrounded myself with some great people.

I've been praying to make the right decisions moving forward. I gave up that apartment last week because something about it just didn't feel right. I told my friend Jackie at work the other day that I was really hoping to wait it out to maybe be able to move to the little houses near her instead. Later that day, she drove by and sent me a video of the progress. I felt excited, similar to when I built a house in 2017, even though the end result wasn't me closing on it and moving in. Even my friend Nancy said that she's interested in checking them out and maybe we could be neighbors.

Between the support I already have there from my dog sitters and church friends, I feel like that place might be the perfect location for me. Even Jackie said she and her family would help me with my dogs, which is super sweet.

We were supposed to have a house showing the other day and I was excited thinking that maybe someone would finally make an offer. Instead, long story short, the realtor screwed up so the people came to see the house and couldn't get inside. It was extremely disappointing. In the midst of all of that, even though I obviously wanted someone to buy the house, I was feeling nervous about it happening before August when the little houses were ready. I was working with my friend Kia when I got the showing request and she was so quick to offer for me to stay with her in between if I needed a place to go.

I went to yoga yesterday before Students and George told me that another lady at yoga, Laura, is a realtor and she said she would be happy to help me find a place to live if I need help. He also told me that our yoga studio might be closing down at the end of the summer and condensed into one studio at the Dallas location. It was really sad news to hear that especially considering the Dallas location is further away from where I want to move.

Last night was the last "normal" Wednesday night. Next week is our final Wednesday at Students for the school year, which is really sad. I'm obviously going to miss it but also somewhat excited for a break. Even though my group has plans to get together during the summer, I won't have my regular busy Wednesday like I've had this whole school year. Honestly, looking back over this last year, I'm not sure how I made it all happen. Wednesdays have been incredibly exhausting for me but have also been one of the only things holding me together. It has been a way of keeping normalcy in my life during a very uncertain time and I've been able to surround myself with my church friends who helped me through countless struggles. I really wasn't sure how many Wednesdays I'd be able to be there this year but I made it a priority and I'm so glad that I did.

I'm slowly making progress on selling things on marketplace. I was able to sell a bookcase a few weeks ago and just sold some nightstands the other day. I need to post more things for sale but at least I'm making some progress finally.

This month has been rough with working so much. I used to never sleep in my bed during the day but I've had multiple days this week where I've gotten home from work and crawled into bed or made it into bed for an afternoon nap. My whole body feels like it hurts and I'm glad I'm finally going to the chiropractor next week. I think I'm just holding a lot of stress right now with all the flying I've been doing and this major lack of sleep.

Speaking of stress, I am no longer doing therapy with Jose. I got so frustrated with his constant schedule changes and cancellations that I asked if I could try another therapist but then decided against it. Yet another unreliable man in my life (kidding but also not). I feel like I just don't have the capacity or the energy for therapy right now. I know that sounds weird because it seems like I should need to go to therapy because of all of that but I really feel like I'm doing ok without it. I've spent so many years in therapy that I know how a therapist will respond to almost everything.

While I have my tribe in real life/in person, I also have kind of joined a community of people going through similar things in life. It's like the clubs you never wanted to be part of but life happened and you became part of them anyway due to your circumstances. Life is better when we can support each other.

I'm in a Facebook group for people who are hurting and although I haven't posted anything of my own, I started responding to people last night. I've read many posts in the group and understand the purpose of the group but I also feel like sometimes they're wrong. Losing Dan taught me a lot about withholding your feelings. I read something the other day that said the whole, "If they wanted to, they would" is really a lie. I mentioned that to someone last night. The truth is, aren't there things that YOU want to do or say but you don't? Maybe you're afraid of the outcome, being ignored, or the reaction you'll get from someone. When it all comes down to it, the biggest regret you can ever have is not doing or saying the things in your heart.

Right before Dan passed away, literally 10 days before he passed away, I was in Rhode Island flying back to Texas after my cousin's wedding and a weekend on the Cape. The night of my cousin's wedding, I wrote in my notes app:

"I don't cry at weddings. Maybe something is wrong with me. Maybe I've desensitized myself. Maybe I was just a wedding planner for too long. But what makes me sad isn't witnessing love and happiness but the lack of my own. What we lost and could have been celebrating 15 years later."

I wrote that and was going to finish it and send it to Dan but then I never did. I felt like maybe I just had a few drinks and was feeling emotional so I should let it pass. I wish I had sent that message, I really do.

On the day I was flying back to Texas, I spent nearly the entire day in the airport trying to get on a flight. In a last-ditch effort to get home, I tried Southwest and was able to get on a flight back to Dallas. I spent that day helping other non-revs in the airport find their way to their destinations. When I thought I wouldn't get on a flight that day, I considered calling Dan and asking him to pick me up so I could stay with him and try flying home the next day. Between the text I wish I sent and the call I never made, I felt so much regret when I found out less than two weeks later that he was gone forever. There was literally nothing I could do to change anything but I constantly wondered if that call or that text would have made a difference and if he would still be here. Even if he died anyway, he would have known that I cared.

A little over a month before he passed away, and just a few days after his 34th birthday, I also wrote this in my notes app:

"I think people look for what they want in all the wrong places, which is why they never find it. People aren't trees. We don't have to stay in the same place forever. I think most people are scared of what they really want. They think they know but when it all comes down to it, they don't."

Sometimes, love is right in front of our faces and we're so busy running from it that we don't recognize it when we have it. Everyone has too much pride to admit that they were wrong and try to fix things. Even though I had forgiven Dan a long time ago, I refused to give him another chance because I was too afraid of what everyone else would think of me if I tried to work it out with him. In the end, I was the one who lost out because of my pride. When it was too late, I realized that people just wanted me to be happy and if being happy meant being with Dan, then I wasn't an idiot for giving him another chance.

I vaguely remember asking my mom, not long after I met Dan freshman year, how do you know when you've met the one? My mom told me that you just know; you have no doubts. There were so many times when I tried to tell myself that Dan couldn't be the one but I always knew that he was. Even though he's gone, I know he was my person. I also know that allowing that to be the truth doesn't mean that there can't or won't ever be another person who can be the one. The truth is, we all have our pasts. Loving someone before doesn't mean that you can't love someone new in the future.

While I still believe that you should never withhold your feelings, I also know that you shouldn't waste your time on people who don't care about you or your feelings. If they've done nothing to show you that you matter to them, then they're not worth the added pain you'll feel if you share what's in your heart with them.

Anyway, I ordered Doc B's for dinner and am going to quickly eat that before I head to work for my delayed flight.

xoxo

Annie