I’m not sure if it’s because it’s the beginning of a year or what the deal is, but I’ve been a little bit focused on tweaking my routine. The last podcast had to do with an evening routine adjustment I’ve made, and this one has to do with the morning routine.
Last time I talked to you about unplugging the internet or having an internet timer on. Our timer is currently set that our internet goes out at 9:30 at night, which leads to more reading, earlier to sleep, and it’s just good all around. I’m quite happy with that.
This is a morning routine tweak and it’s a very simple one. I’ve mentioned in the past that I’ve got my TRX straps hanging from my office ceiling, which are a couple of exercise straps that can be adjusted for length. When I work out, that’s my primary workout tool.
Basically, it uses your body as the weight and you can angle the way you are. It engages the core in pretty much everything you’re doing. I also use it during the day if I’m getting chilly or something, I just do a few squats or some pulls on it and it just heats me up. It’s good for stretching and good in every way.
Well, I’ve started adding it to my morning routine in addition to a little walk I do. My wife’s work is a three and a half minute walk away, and sometimes I’ll walk with her to work and then go check our mail.
Sometimes in these past days where it’s been close to 40 below, I just walk her to the end of the lane and I go check the mail and then come home, and let her barge through the cold the rest of the way. That’s a great little wake up that gets the blood flowing.
What I’ve added to this in the morning is something I call the 10s. It’s very simply using my TRX when I come into my office to start work. So in the morning I do my Bible reading and prayer, have breakfast and walk Kristen to work, maybe have a shower or something.
Then just as I’m starting work, I pull out those TRX straps and I do 10 deep squats, 10 pull ups and 10 push ups and then some assorted stretches using the straps. It takes around a minute to a minute and a half, but it really brings me to the state of what I consider peak mental and physical readiness to engage in work and doesn’t take very long at all.
Having the strap allows you to adjust the intensity so the squats, so you can offload the weight on your legs by using your hands. For the pull ups and push ups you can adjust by the angle you’re on it.
I don’t do anything high intensity as I don’t want to break a sweat or get a workout out of it. I just want to kind of get moving and get stretched out. It’s a short sample so far, but I’ve been amazed just how good that makes me feel, and it seems to accelerate the speed with which I get into the work zone.
As long as I have something ready to go after, I’m into it without any lolly-gagging. I’m into it and I’m productive immediately right out of the gate.
Typically, when I do a full workout, I do that later in the day around 4:30. Normally it just works better in my schedule and my personal energy flow, but adding these little 10s, sets of 10 squats, pulls, push ups and some stretches has really helped add that little cherry on the top of the muffin in my morning routine.
So I just encourage you to try something, whether it’s a walk with some added little weights or something to get your body fully engaged before you go to work. For those of us who work so much online or even alone these days, I think stuff like this is incredibly helpful and just adds to the blood flow to the brain, which of course, is the engine room of the whole deal.
Have an outstanding day and press on.
