A Friendly Nudge

...because we all could use a little encouragement!

I am not the best at following directions.  It’s not that I can’t do it, but being a little on the ADHD side of things, if a recipe has 19 different steps and we start getting into a ¼ of a teaspoon of this and a ½ a teaspoon of that, it’s not long before I’m ready to start eyeballing ingredients and taking my chances.

I think that’s why a lot of people dread cooking.  If cooking is intimidating or tedious, it’s not surprising that the window diet is so popular. That’s the diet where you pull up to the drive through, roll down your window and they hand you a bag of overpriced and underwhelming food. Sounds delicious.

I think it’s one of the reasons that the whole intuitive cooking idea appealed to me.  The idea of being able to start figuring out how to build a meal that didn’t depend on a recipe or how to modify a recipe on the fly intrigued me.  I also liked the idea of knowing what was in my food.

My approach to food isn’t complicated or fancy, it usually starts with the protein and then I figure out the sides that will work with that.

It’s why I wanted to introduce you to one of my favorite books to help build your intuitive cooking instincts.

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The Flavor Bible has helped me up my cooking game.  It helped me start thinking about groups of foods that play well together.  Pork, rosemary, apples, cabbage and onion are going to combine in a way that makes you look good.  

If you have lemongrass left over from something you made, The Flavor Bible will give you ideas of different directions that you can go with the leftovers instead of letting them compost in your fridge. 

I’d suggest buying a copy and start building an inventory of flavor combinations that work with foods that you enjoy. 

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I remember the look on the physical therapist's face when I was struggling to balance on one leg longer than 10 seconds. I’m sure he was well aware of how many folks just a year or two older than me had their lives turned upside down, or even ended, from accidentally falling.

I’ve been amazed at how responsive balance is to training.  It’s why I want to make sure that we get plenty of snacks that let us practice this essential skill.  This week’s balance drill is one of the hardest ones for me.  My balance has gotten pretty decent as long as my eyes are open, but the second I close them all bets are off.  Make sure with this one that you protect yourself from falling.  Busting a hip while working on your balance would be 9 kinds of horrible.

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One of the first videos that I posted on social media was of me getting up off the ground without using my hands. The responses that I got to the video were both humbling and heart breaking. It made me painfully aware of how many people that were about my same age were struggling with mobility, to the point that it was robbing them of their independence. It was one of the driving factors for my daily exercise snacks.

The 9090 Rise may be too challenging for some folks, but if you can attempt it safely, it’s important that we get pretty deliberate about preserving and improving our strength and mobility. If your knees won’t handle this one, I’d substitute one of the previous week's exercises that feels more doable. 

My front leg is open a little more than 90 degrees, but that feels like it gives me a wider base and makes getting up a little easier.  Play around with the angle and see what works best for you.

The lowering portion of this is another example of the hip hinge.  Being able to lower yourself to the ground without a jarring thud is something valuable enough to spend some time on.

I do 8-10 of these on each side, 2-3 times a week after my morning open book stretch.

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The first time I heard longevity doc, Peter Attia, talk about the Centenarian Olympics I was intrigued.  It was an idea that he and a friend talked about after they attended the funeral of a 90-year-old.  They were pondering life at 90 and I think the consensus was that living to 90 would be great as long as you had the right healthspan to go with it.  They didn’t want to be 90 and stuck in a chair somewhere unable to participate in their own lives or the lives of their kids and grandkids.

Having his own young kids, Attia wisely pointed out that little kids spend a lot of their time on the ground and he wanted to be able to get up and down off the ground to play with grand kids or great grandkids without needing someone to help him up.  That’s another one of the reasons for so much of the mobility work that I keep including.  But our banded overhead press came from another item on their wish list for their 90s and that was to be able to put his own carry-on bag in the overhead of an airplane. 

Years ago I was on a flight and overheard a flight attendant mildly mocking someone that was struggling trying to get their bag in the overhead.  That reaction disgusted me with the flight attendant but it also galvanized in me the determination to do what I could to be able to handle that travel chore on my own and to be in position to be able to help someone else if they were having a tough time.

Getting comfortable and capable with the overhead press is a great place to start  our judgment-free baggage handling journey.  We’re going to use resistance bands for this exercise. The beauty of resistance bands is they don’t take up much space and they give you a lot of resistance options.  I use both pull up assistance bands and mini resistance bands in this exercise.

If you’re new to this, I’d use a lighter band and go for 12 reps.  In the beginning we’re aiming to increase your endurance and stability.  We’ll work on oversized luggage as you get a little more acclimated.

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The final exercise today is another one that may require a substitute exercise from a previous week for some folks.  I love kettlebell swings but I know that not everyone will be ready for them.  If you’ve received a clean bill of health and you’re far enough along on your fitness journey they can be a great piece of a workout routine.  

A few things to keep in mind. 

Ease in.  My first kettlebell was 25 pounds because I wanted to learn the swing mechanics before I started increasing weight.  Now I use either a 44 pound kb or a 53 pound version.  I have swung a 71 pound kettlebell but realized that I would be wise to focus on the lighter bells.

The kettlebell movement is powered by a hip hinge. Your knees are slightly bent but this is not a squat.  It’s also not a muscle the weight around with your back and arms exercise. 

I want to feel like my shoulders are the pivot point of the pendulum and my hips are the engine initiating the swing.  Normally my rep target is 10-12 but if my form ever feels like it is suffering then the set is over.

I’m always impressed with how much of a cardiovascular workout kettlebell swings turn out to be.  It’s easy to see why kettlebells have become such a popular piece of exercise gear. 

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I’ve just started reading Peter Attia’s new book, Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity and so far it’s a fascinating read.  As you might have figured out already, I’m a big fan of his podcast, The Drive.  I feel like I’ve been one of the beneficiaries of his insatiable curiosity and his access to some of the top thinkers and researchers in the scientific community.  

This last weekend I was the beneficiary of the art side of longevity.  My son and I went to see Willie Nelson and ZZ Top play in Central Texas.  Willie turns 90 later this month and he’s still as sharp as a tack.  His vocal range isn’t what it was 20 years ago but he is still incredible.  I don’t think there’s a person on the planet that loves what he does any more than Willie does and I think there’s a lesson in there for all of us.  

We all need to tap into our passion and spend some time doing something that brings us joy.  And if you don’t have something that you love doing, you need to get busy, because I’m absolutely convinced after seeing Willie that there’s something magical that comes from that.

Have a great week and I’ll see you next week!

Jim