Workout of the Day

Quit “Should-ing” All Over Everything - Pregnancy and Postpartum Training Series: Part 5

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My husband has a favorite saying these days: “Don’t ‘should’ all over.”

He says it to me when I obsess over how much the baby’s sleeping, and whether or not it’s too early for him to be on a routine. He says it to me when I stare in dismay at the unmade bed, or the overflowing sink, or the piles of laundry. And he reminds me of it whenever I feel inadequate and overwhelmed by the task of being a mother, a wife, a teacher, and a human being.

He’s not trying to give me an out, a way to just let it all go and stop trying. Instead, it’s an encouragement to relinquish my death-grip on my vision of “the way things ought to be.” My guess is that I’m not the only one who feels defeated the moment things stop being exactly the way I pictured or expected.

Instead of “shoulding,” let’s try on a different mindset:

Have I done everything in my power to create conditions for success? Have I done my best to control what I can control in a given situation?

If yes, then whatever the outcome, you can be content knowing that you did what you could. If no, then you know what you can do next time.

I have had to cling to this attitude like a life raft lately, as we navigate the ever-changing patterns of infant sleep routines. I keep reminding myself: “I have done everything I can to create the right conditions for sleep. Everything else is out of my hands. If the baby wakes up, it’s probably for a reason I can’t control.”

Sanity-saving. Seriously. (Especially when the Google results for “baby keeps waking up why” stop giving you productive answers.)

I bet you won’t be surprised to hear that it works for lots of other situations, too--even those that have nothing to do with babies.

Have I done everything in my power to create conditions for success in my training? My dieting habits? My relationships? My productivity?

If the answer is yes, then your path is simple: even if you aren’t getting the results you want right away, keep showing up. The results will come.

If the answer is no...then I guess you know what needs to happen next.

Either way, the path is forward.


Becoming a parent means inviting a whole lot of uncertainty--dare I say, chaos--into your life. Suddenly everything that seemed so stable and secure can be thrown off-kilter at a moment’s notice. Schedules, routines, priorities, deadlines...all are suddenly at the whim of a creature who, at least at first, has few interests beyond eating, sleeping, and snuggling--as much as they want, when they want.

- Joy


6/6/20

Rest Day

Breathwork:

  • 3 rounds, superventilation + retention:

    • Perform 60s of superventilation, followed by a hold at residual capacity for 60-90s

      • Rd 1: nasal inhale, mouth exhale superventilation

      • Rd 2: mouth inhale, mouth exhale superventilation

      • Rd 3: double inhale, mouth exhale superventilation

    • Regular pace nasal breathing for 1 minute between each round

  • 6 minutes progressive cadence breathing (all nasal, ocean breath)

    • Starting at a 3-3-6-0 cadence, gradually increase the length of each breath cycle

    • Once you find a cadence that feels slow, but does not cause any air hunger or tension, continue at that cadence for the remaining time

Mobility:

  • Accumulate 12 minutes sitting in a deep squat

    • Mins 1-3, incorporate torso rotations

    • Mins 4-6, incorporate dorsiflexion

    • Mins 7-9, incorporate internal and external rotation

    • Mins 10-12, incorporate walkouts and hip raises