Reflections: My current strength workout; increasing protein; struggling with Dostoyevsky; contemplating the nighttime sky
- 36 minutes ago
- 3 min read
My March Reflection
You may recall from my January newsletter that while driving to work in the early morning, I saw a large green flash of light in the sky. Later doing some research I concluded it must be a "rare atmospheric optical phenomenon...caused by the refraction of sunlight acting as a prism..."
Fast forward, I had the wonderful opportunity in Arizona to attend a star gazing presentation by an astronomer. The image in this newsletter is what he captured with his telescope that evening and shared with us. After his presentation I went to talk with him and recounted my experience. With a huge grin on his face, he shared that he had also seen one before and has been looking in the sky with the hopes of seeing that rare occurrence again. Mind you, this is someone who spends HOURS every day looking at the sky. He has only seen one once. And now, so have I.
Body - My current strength training protocol
Last month I shared my exercise protocol that I’m incorporating that challenges the body but doesn’t over tax the central nervous system. Science-backed data in Dr. Stacy Sims book provides great explanation for how we need to train during perimenopause, post-menopause and beyond.
A simplistic view of her research:
Lift heavy but with lower rep range i.e. 3-5x
No long cardio sessions!
Instead do SIIT (short intensity interval training) i.e. 30 seconds max effort
Here is an example of one of my strength workouts:
Warm-up stair stepper - 5 min
3-4x (three to four sets)
Hex bar deadlift - 5x (five reps)
Standing overhead press - 5x
Farmer’s carry with kettle bells (KB)
Mountain climbers with hands on KB handles - 20x
There it is. Short and sweet. No big rep ranges and no long cardio. Boom! It doesn’t over stimulate my nervous system. Keep in mind that muscle is built from resistance training first and then protein supports the process.
Challenge for you:
Where in your training to you need to make adjustments in weight, repetitions or cardio?
Mind - Mindfulness of protein
I'm discussing protein in the Mind section to bring awareness to the idea that our health is dependent upon mindset - are we thinking positively or negatively; are we ignoring a fact that will indeed help us i.e. nutrition.
In addition to focusing on our training, we need to fuel properly. Research shows that as we age, it becomes more difficult to build and maintain muscle mass. What should we consume? Protein.
To keep things simple, consume one gram of protein per pound of ideal body weight. One way to help you reach your quota is to eat breakfast. I no longer do extended fasts (not helpful for middle-aged women). Instead, I’m trying to get a little bit of fuel on board before doing my training and then finish up with proper fueling afterwards.
My daily protein shake:
Avocado
Protein powder
Collagen
Green powder
Chia seeds
Flax seeds, cocoa nibs or coconut flakes
Blue berries
Coconut water or coconut milk (unsweetened)
Combine all the ingredients, blend. I will put this together in the evening, refrigerate, then it is ready to take with me for work.
Challenge for you:
Observe how much protein you are consuming. Is it the right amount? The right quality? Make any necessary changes.
Spirit - The Return
For then Lenten season, I’ve been following the Hallow app Pray40 challenge (a fantastic app that I use daily). We have been following Dostoyevsky's the Brothers Karamazov. I have taken on the challenge to read it. To be honest, it has been a real struggle. For starters it’s over 900 pages. Lots of characters with more than one name…I’m not going to give up. I’m going to finish this thing!
Challenge for you:
Where do you need to push through? Where do you just want to stop and try something else, seemly the easy answer to your struggles?
Image I’m meditating on courtesy of Arizona Star Tours
As mentioned previously, I attended a star gazing event. The telescope was set on a particular star or galaxy and then roughly 30 seconds later it would appear on a large screen so we all could see this amazing image. Reminds us how small we really are and how creation is divine.
Psalm I’m reading:
The heavens proclaim the glory of God; the skies show the work of His hands. ~ Psalm 19:1
To your reflection and health,
Lisa Schaffer
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See my last newsletter Body, Mind & Spirit…
