How to re-up on your workout willpower after sitting all day

September 28, 2017 Ashley 0 Comments

Had a long day of planting your bum in an office (or classroom) seat?

Well, we’ve already addressed why your brain ‘n body are too tired to work out.

But what exactly can you do to wake both of them back up again?

The first is so simple, you may’ve overlooked it altogether as an option:

(Yes, stretching. No, ya don’t hafta get this extra with it.)

As mentioned previously, when we sit for too long, it shortens up those muscles that bend us at the hip. And, while this may sound benign, it’s totally not. What happens is, we go to stand up, and all our body meat wants to stay the same length it was for that two hour lecture. The result? We just wanna make for the sofa instead’ve the sweat shop (AKA gym). If we’re lucky enough, we have the awareness to know we need a good stretch sesh. However, more than likely, our spent brain (which we also mentioned is already tired from being in the it-must-be-time-to-sleep immobile position for so long) won’t wanna cooperate.

In that case, there’s a beautiful brain hack we can do to convince our minds to make for the yoga mat. It’s called “rapid breath of fire”. I myself stumbled upon this gem during my first Kundalini (which is just a type of yoga) class. This form of breathing teaches you to rapidly exhale through your nose, focusing more on the exhalation while “allowing” the inhalation to happen on its own. And, because it’s machine gun quick, it alters your oxygen levels for maximum awakeness, resetting your central nervous system. It’s basically the cocaine of yoga. You’ll be on that mat going from warrior pose like a warrior into treadmill battle in no time.

But, you know what’s better than any of this?

Not having to combat that fatigue and tightness in the first place. Preventing a problem always trumps hunting down a cure. See, I mentioned earlier that my professor’s super cool and she has us get up and wiggle halfway through class. But you wanna know why? Probably because she had enough students appeal to her for body breaks. After so long, she just made it an established thing. Every 20 minutes, now, we’re up and flailing ourselves back to wakefulness. So, maybe petition your professor for a little somatic reboot, too. You never know until you ask.

(F’real – why should little kids be the only one to get this very necessary break?)

So, when you’re weary from your rear being squashed all day, fight the urge to merge with the sofa.

Move before the malaise monster sets in.

And if you can’t? Then huff some oxygen, stretch, and get going!