Public Service Announcement! Have you ever fallen into a Fall funk? It is not that much fun and can wreak havoc on your fitness goals.  What is a funk?  In short, it is a period of time when you feel down, discombobulated, out of sorts, sad, lacking in motivation and vigor. You may have trouble putting your finger on the why.  In this case, dark, rainy, drab days full of not so exciting routines and ennui can be the culprit.  Conversely, a funk can arise when you are coping with a failure, a loss, a disappointment, when something didn’t workout and you can’t shake it.  Truth is, we cannot get through life without funks hitting us now and then.   Knowing that, what can we do when one threatens, especially in the somber fall months when at present there are fewer options for relief at hand?  Pre-Covid a quick jaunt to a pool for a swim and a hot tub always improved my mood. But now, sadly, it is not a simple go-to.  Here are 4 strategies to prevent a pesky funk from hanging around:

  1. Have a go-to workout that is fun and easy and will deliver some feel-good endorphins to your brain. One of my favourites is to do repeats of the Pacific Spirit Park Tower stairs in a weight vest, with decent tunes playing.   The fresh air, the trees and the ocean view are a real mood booster. Sometimes though, the effort of driving and parking are beyond me and a home base option is needed.  It helps to have  something exercise-related in your back pocket that you can easily count on (email me if you need ideas). It may help to tell yourself, “I’ll feel better afterwards, and if not, at least I’ve moved”.  Funks love couches and carbs.  Only sink after a back-pocket wod is done.  Or, as always, come to the gym in body or by Zoom and tackle what is on the board, drag self and funk will have no power!
  2. Do a mindset-reset. Don’t go down a rabbit hole. If it is a troubling occurrence is causing your funk, ask yourself what you can learn from the situation?   Gratitude practice helps but taking it a step further and learning from it can give you a greater sense of control.  Ask yourself,   “What could I have done differently?” Taking responsibility helps us move on.
  3. Treat yourself kindly. Aim to eat well.  Get a pot of healing chicken soup on the stove.
  4. Check-out our Athletics Nutrition Back to Basics Re-set Nov 1 – Jan 31. 2021. Want some extra support and a new focus during these darker months? Join us! We are taking this re-set through the holidays and into the New Year.  In November we will tackle the topic of Mindfulness and our eating practices, looking at why we eat the way we do.  The goal is to cut through the overload of information out there on how to eat and find the practice that works for you.  What is your way?  Do you know? We’ll rely on journaling prompts and a food feeling tracking process to get a read on where we’re at.  While doing this we’ll also aim to make one small nutrition change such as, not eating our kids scraps or no eating after 8pm.   To learn more – email: [email protected] or text 604-809-5805 or catch me (Amy/Shades) in the gym!

Athletics Workouts to end the week.

WOD WEDNESDAY 10.21.2020 6pm

3 rounds:

500 m row or 800 m run

25 thrusters

15 pull-ups

2 rounds:  40 ab mat sit-ups, 30 flutter kicks, 20 windshield wipers

WOD notes:  Back to empty bar thrusters.  Let’s hone this movement.  Max weight #45.

Friday45 10.23.2020 4pm

AMRAP 33

16 single dumbbell squat cleans

14 single dumbbell box step-ups

12 cross-touch push-ups

100 m dumbbell waiter’s walk – switch arms at turn-around

Buy-out:  320-meter sack run (6th and Highbury and back)

WOD Notes:  Squat cleans and step-ups tax legs but they get a break on the push-ups, somewhat! Can use separate weight for waiter’s walk. Buy-out to honour of CrossFit games, which starts this Friday with athletes sprinting up hill with a corn sack. Life skill, being able to move quickly with a weight on a city street when needed! Working it.

Please note:  Sunday’s 11:15 class is moved (just this week) to 4pm as I am in an Original Strength training workshop Sunday morning.   A home version of the workout will be posted Saturday, should there be a need.

Way to keep on, keeping on Motor!!