How do you make gains--or even just maintain--when it feels like the end of the world?
Here are a few things I’ve learned working with pole and circus artists during a global pandemic!
Here are a few things I’ve learned working with pole and circus artists during a global pandemic!
1) Review the Basics
A big difference between our home practice and our class practice is that, at home, you get to work on the tricks you want to work on. But there’s a downside to this! Many of us will skip shoulder shrugs or fireman spins when we’re focused on nailing the latest trick on Instagram.
These foundational moves are where we perfect our technique. By skipping them, you tell your body, “Hey, I don’t need this anymore,” and guess what: your body listens! “Use it or lose it” is true of muscle strength, flexibility, and brain space. Our bodies are just super efficient that way.
So, dedicate time in every workout to reviewing those level 1 skills you were once so proud to nail. Not only will it make you feel a little more confident (especially if, like me, you’ve backslid in the last 18 months), but it will set you up for success in those fancier skills you dream of.
A big difference between our home practice and our class practice is that, at home, you get to work on the tricks you want to work on. But there’s a downside to this! Many of us will skip shoulder shrugs or fireman spins when we’re focused on nailing the latest trick on Instagram.
These foundational moves are where we perfect our technique. By skipping them, you tell your body, “Hey, I don’t need this anymore,” and guess what: your body listens! “Use it or lose it” is true of muscle strength, flexibility, and brain space. Our bodies are just super efficient that way.
So, dedicate time in every workout to reviewing those level 1 skills you were once so proud to nail. Not only will it make you feel a little more confident (especially if, like me, you’ve backslid in the last 18 months), but it will set you up for success in those fancier skills you dream of.
Photo by Shane Karns Photography
2) Train Both Sides
Rather than good or bad, I like to say we all have a peanut butter side and a jelly side (maybe I’m just hungry). Right from the start, the peanut butter side tends to be a little stronger, a little more flexible, and a little more likely to listen to our mental commands. The jelly side--while equally delicious--doesn’t give us what we want quite as quickly, and as a result, we tend to rely more and more on peanut butter.
This can become a reinforcing cycle of behavior: we keep using and training peanut butter more, and it keeps getting better. Meanwhile, poor jelly gets left behind. Imbalances such as these can create wonky forces (technical term) through your joints and tissues that can lead to injuries. SAD FACE!
This doesn’t mean you have to do your crazy tricks on your bad side--that might actually be dangerous if your jelly side is not as controlled/flexible/strong as the peanut butter side! But it does mean you need to train the deficits to decrease these imbalances. So, if your standing splits are amazing with the right leg up, and less amazing with the left, it’s possibly a sign that you need to add some conditioning to strengthen the front of the hip on the left and the glutes on the right.
Rather than good or bad, I like to say we all have a peanut butter side and a jelly side (maybe I’m just hungry). Right from the start, the peanut butter side tends to be a little stronger, a little more flexible, and a little more likely to listen to our mental commands. The jelly side--while equally delicious--doesn’t give us what we want quite as quickly, and as a result, we tend to rely more and more on peanut butter.
This can become a reinforcing cycle of behavior: we keep using and training peanut butter more, and it keeps getting better. Meanwhile, poor jelly gets left behind. Imbalances such as these can create wonky forces (technical term) through your joints and tissues that can lead to injuries. SAD FACE!
This doesn’t mean you have to do your crazy tricks on your bad side--that might actually be dangerous if your jelly side is not as controlled/flexible/strong as the peanut butter side! But it does mean you need to train the deficits to decrease these imbalances. So, if your standing splits are amazing with the right leg up, and less amazing with the left, it’s possibly a sign that you need to add some conditioning to strengthen the front of the hip on the left and the glutes on the right.
Now I'm hungry
3) Treat Yourself
Self care is very hard right now. Like, REALLY hard. It also can feel selfish in a time when we are hyper-aware that other people are hurting, too. Globally, physical and mental health have taken a huge hit well beyond the direct effects of Covid-19.
Self-care can take many forms, so it’s important to pay attention to how you’re feeling and what might be affecting your well-being. Some suggestions based on common triggers include:
For many of us, the circumstances or demands of our lives may make it hard to take any useful tips. It’s important not to judge yourself when you can’t make time for everything you want to accomplish. If possible, reach out for help from your family and friends, or look for support systems in your community to help you make time for you.
Self care is very hard right now. Like, REALLY hard. It also can feel selfish in a time when we are hyper-aware that other people are hurting, too. Globally, physical and mental health have taken a huge hit well beyond the direct effects of Covid-19.
Self-care can take many forms, so it’s important to pay attention to how you’re feeling and what might be affecting your well-being. Some suggestions based on common triggers include:
- Avoiding screen time for an hour after you wake up and the hour before bed to help regulate your circadian rhythm.
- Unfollowing social media accounts that increase your anxiety. If that includes the news, but you want to stay informed, set time limits for that content. If you do a little digging, you might also be able to find accounts to follow that increase your sense of well-being, such as accounts that focus on health at every size, decolonized fitness/nutrition, or even just cute animal videos.
- Go for a walk: walking is what we evolved to do best, and many of us spend less than 10 minutes a day doing it! Bonus points if you can walk somewhere with a lot of greenery.
For many of us, the circumstances or demands of our lives may make it hard to take any useful tips. It’s important not to judge yourself when you can’t make time for everything you want to accomplish. If possible, reach out for help from your family and friends, or look for support systems in your community to help you make time for you.
Foam roller will never break your heart
4) Motivate Yourself
This may be the single most difficult training tip that my clients (and myself) have struggled with during this pandemic. With the loss/limitation of training space, changing employment situations, and a sometimes rough transition to online learning, it’s a wonder that any of us have managed to get in a single day of training.
Many of us want to train: it improves our strength, mobility, and mood. It brings us closer to our practice goals. For some of us, it’s a time to socialize and decompress. But it can be hard to go from wanting something to getting it done. So, how do you motivate yourself?
For me, I realized recently that I wasn’t working on my bending practice with any regularity (even though I love stretching). So, I decided to take one picture of my backbend every day for a month. I purposely chose a pose that I knew I could do without really warming up, so if I only had 5 minute to take the picture, I would still be able to do it. I ended up doing it 5 of 7 days each week, which was a HUGE step up from what I had been doing before. Some days, I did a 5-minute quickie stretch, some days I was able to do a 90 minute workout first. At the end of the month, my backbend looked way better, and I had created a habit of bending regularly again.
This is only one example, you may need something else. Perhaps an accountability group that emails or posts once a week? Or maybe you need a training pod that schedules sessions together online or at the park. Are you someone who likes checklists or rewards? Get creative!
Need help getting organized? I recently started using Habitica (an app that turns your chores into an RPG) and so far it's been helpful for staying on top of things.
This may be the single most difficult training tip that my clients (and myself) have struggled with during this pandemic. With the loss/limitation of training space, changing employment situations, and a sometimes rough transition to online learning, it’s a wonder that any of us have managed to get in a single day of training.
Many of us want to train: it improves our strength, mobility, and mood. It brings us closer to our practice goals. For some of us, it’s a time to socialize and decompress. But it can be hard to go from wanting something to getting it done. So, how do you motivate yourself?
For me, I realized recently that I wasn’t working on my bending practice with any regularity (even though I love stretching). So, I decided to take one picture of my backbend every day for a month. I purposely chose a pose that I knew I could do without really warming up, so if I only had 5 minute to take the picture, I would still be able to do it. I ended up doing it 5 of 7 days each week, which was a HUGE step up from what I had been doing before. Some days, I did a 5-minute quickie stretch, some days I was able to do a 90 minute workout first. At the end of the month, my backbend looked way better, and I had created a habit of bending regularly again.
This is only one example, you may need something else. Perhaps an accountability group that emails or posts once a week? Or maybe you need a training pod that schedules sessions together online or at the park. Are you someone who likes checklists or rewards? Get creative!
Need help getting organized? I recently started using Habitica (an app that turns your chores into an RPG) and so far it's been helpful for staying on top of things.
One month of bridges
5) Reset Your Expectations
As a physical therapist, I have seen a huge increase in injuries related to deconditioning and premature return to sport since the pandemic started. Many people are unaware how staying at home has changed our bodies. Simply losing out on the walk from your car to your desk, or your desk to the water cooler can have big consequences for your strength and stability. I’m even seeing kids who tried to return to their usual school sports this summer, only to get knocked out by an injury right away because their bodies are not used to moving as much.
Before returning to what used to be your usual routine, take time to carefully assess where your body is at now. Be honest and non-judgemental. If possible, it may be helpful to get a physical therapist or a good coach to do an objective assessment of your current strength and flexibility.
As a physical therapist, I have seen a huge increase in injuries related to deconditioning and premature return to sport since the pandemic started. Many people are unaware how staying at home has changed our bodies. Simply losing out on the walk from your car to your desk, or your desk to the water cooler can have big consequences for your strength and stability. I’m even seeing kids who tried to return to their usual school sports this summer, only to get knocked out by an injury right away because their bodies are not used to moving as much.
Before returning to what used to be your usual routine, take time to carefully assess where your body is at now. Be honest and non-judgemental. If possible, it may be helpful to get a physical therapist or a good coach to do an objective assessment of your current strength and flexibility.
6) Reconnect with Your Body
The overall theme I’ve noticed as I help movement artists through this unprecedented era is a sense of disconnect. We’ve been separated from each other, our workplaces, our studios. For many of us, that disconnect has spread to our bodies as well. Many of the tips above are ultimately about reconnecting with your body and with movement.
Reconnecting with our bodies can be easier if we listen to them and learn more about them. Journaling your daily bodily experiences (what you did, what you ate, your quality of sleep, how you feel) can help you notice useful patterns and behaviors that you may want to reinforce. Educating yourself on your anatomy, physiology and biomechanics is another great way to discover more about your body.
If you are having trouble reconnecting with movement or simply want to learn more about the amazing things your body is capable of, visit my website for listings of services and classes, or follow me on instagram for tips, tricks, and exercise videos.
The overall theme I’ve noticed as I help movement artists through this unprecedented era is a sense of disconnect. We’ve been separated from each other, our workplaces, our studios. For many of us, that disconnect has spread to our bodies as well. Many of the tips above are ultimately about reconnecting with your body and with movement.
Reconnecting with our bodies can be easier if we listen to them and learn more about them. Journaling your daily bodily experiences (what you did, what you ate, your quality of sleep, how you feel) can help you notice useful patterns and behaviors that you may want to reinforce. Educating yourself on your anatomy, physiology and biomechanics is another great way to discover more about your body.
If you are having trouble reconnecting with movement or simply want to learn more about the amazing things your body is capable of, visit my website for listings of services and classes, or follow me on instagram for tips, tricks, and exercise videos.
