#exercise tips

martial arts studios/boxing gyms:

look for ones with a lot of women. this means that the vibe isn't so insufferably macho that no women want to be there.

places that have kids classes tend to have instructors who are gentler and nicer

the women (especially small women / teen girls) don't exclusively partner with each other. there's a chance they'll mostly partner together because they're friends, but when they never work with the men it's often because the dudes are obnoxiously aggressive and try to hurt their partners.

pilates/yoga/barre/spin/etc:

instructors who aren't skinny little waifs. they'll more likely to focus on having fun and being healthy instead of just losing weight

classes with poc, queer people, and fat people. this is a sign that the vibe isn't toxic rich skinny conservative white mean girl hour.

the people there aren't all dressed in lululemon with matching pink equipment. maybe a couple have that (whatever, they might be perfectly lovely people) but plenty have normal, mismatched, well-loved equipment and clothes.

people look ugly. it's not a photoshoot, it's not for tiktok, it's for fun and health. they're not obsessing over how they look.

overall tips:

if you get to do a trial period or trial class, is it fun? does it seem like the instructor wants everyone to be miserable? are people laughing, chatting, or goofing off? are they kind and welcoming to you? are you enjoying it?

look for places that are excited to offer accommodations. not just willing, but genuinely interested in making sure people can participate. even if you personally don't need any (yet). are there people with injuries? disabilities? people who modify the moves? are those people yelled at or are they helped? chances are you'll get fucked up at some point and you'll want to be at a gym that adapts instead of shaming you.

diversity. don't go to gyms where everyone looks the same. those have a vibe and it is not a good one. I called out specific examples above because of my experience with boxing and pilates, but it applies everywhere.

I WAS BORN TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION. Thank you so much for asking! Unfortunately, I am a nerd about my hobbies so this got quite long.

Keep it simple ✨

Running is easy to get into; our bodies are built for it. Don’t stress over technicalities and just do what feels natural to you. My local races are full of 70-something white-haired pensioners who are kicking ass at it. Don’t let anyone tell you that running is meant to feel like dying, that’ll harm your knees, or that you absolutely need to have that specific smartwatch model to get into it. All you need is a solid pair of shoes, everything else is optional.

For those of you who don’t know me I am trans and physically disabled (also autistic and have anxiety and depression and ptsd) anyway working out has been something that was totally off the table for me for a long time but lately my energy and motivation have improved somewhat as well as my dysphoria being worse which has made me want to try to working out again.

This legitimately isn’t a post I ever thought I’d be making but being pre T and closeted it felt like the only thing I could do to have some control over my body and I really wanted to try. It took me a couple of months after first getting the idea to actually feel like I was in a place to try and as well as finding a good program. I really didn’t want to put money into this especially because I had no idea how it would go, I’m currently on my second week of working out so I thought I’d share some advice for anyone else in a similar position.

Also, as a disclaimer, not everyone with chronic pain or other disabilities can exercise and there’s definitely been times when I also couldn’t so this purely for people who are in a place where they want to and are safe to try.

- Balance is everything, I say this as a total hypocrite just to be clear but if you haven’t worked out in a long time (I would say it’s been around three years for me) you can’t expect to go super hard right away

- Don’t worry about speed or reps or anything like that, doing your best is the most important thing and trying to take that pressure off yourself helps

- Honestly do fewer reps, shorter times, modify or substitute exercises, skip certain things- none of that is a big deal even if it feels like it is and whether you can do some of it later or not it’s okay

- I don’t see physical results yet which isn’t a surprise but I can feel more muscles when I flex my stomach which is cool and even after a week and a half with a lot of rest days I can do more than I could at the beginning

- Low impact is still a hard workout and it is much easier on your body, highly recommend for people with chronic pain

- Now one of the most important things I’ve learned is that I do not have the option of not warming up and doing cool down stretches, my body cannot handle it if I skip those steps which unfortunately makes everything take so much longer but again for anyone with chronic pain it’s probably better to cut down the harder bits and do a warm up and cool down

- The one time I did skip cool down stretches because I had errands to run and thought walking around would be enough I couldn’t sit or stand up straight the next day because I was in so much pain and the muscles in my hips and legs hurt so badly I had to take a break for several days

- I’ve also found that doing full body stretches after working out significantly reduces pain the next day (at least for me) to the point where after a week of working out I feel more sore than in proper pain

- If certain exercises are too much for your body skip them or do another exercise instead, the pain really isn’t worth it and it’s way too easy to injure yourself or cause a flare up

- Sometimes you can do exercises at the beginning but can’t do multiple reps, I’m serious about listening to your body, especially if you’re disabled. I pushed myself a bit too hard today and managed to hurt my wrist and neck (wrist because I did too many workouts in a plank position and the weight on my wrists was too much, neck from crunch type exercises that strain my neck which can cause headaches/migraines the next day)

- Not related to physical disability but I have some demand avoidance tendencies and personally not telling anyone in my life I’m doing it has been one of the most helpful things in not having to deal with external pressure or expectations (I know for other people outside accountability helps so it just depends on what helps you)

- If money is a concern or you’re not sure if you’ll be able to be consistent long term just working out in underwear is a good option, also there are tons of different types of free bodyweight workouts on YouTube, the only thing I’ve bought so far has been a mat

- Onto the next point, get a mat, preferably s as thick exercise mat with a lot of cushion and not a yoga mat. I didn’t realize there was a difference but there absolutely is and for me having more cushion makes a huge difference on my joints

- I personally have been doing Chloe Ting because I’ve seen a lot of people with a lot of different body types get results after being consistent and because after trying it for a week I feel stronger. That being said they’re also not easy and I have made a lot of adjustments and had to take breaks after causing flare ups but all these tips have helped me find more sustainable ways to exercise instead of doing it once and burning out

- I don’t do explicit cardio EVER, I have tachycardia and get dizzy and lightheaded really easily so even doing bodyweight exercises and low impact my heart rate ranges from 150bpm-180bpm the entire time with breaks.

- Also, drinking lots of water is supposed to be good, I don’t track it but I try to stay hydrated and it probably helps

- Prioritize sleep if you’re able to

- Hot showers after working out also help me manage muscle pain

- Finally for food I’ve been trying not to eat unless I’m actually hungry as I have a habit of eating if I’m bored and trying to incorporate more healthy food into my life rather than cutting anything out. Also healthy being subjective, I’m trying to eat healthier than I used to but that still isn’t like tons of salad and veggies and stuff so whatever you can do is fine

Like I'm not getting a gym membership, but I have plenty of walking areas and parks nearby, I just haven't done more exercise than a sporadic long walk or intensive shift at work, in a number of years

Fitness Friday 12/6/24