I love finding simple, effective ways to change my state, things that can be easily incorporated into a weekly routine. With this extra time at home, I wanted to share a few resources that have stood the test of time for me after much experimenting.
The first thing I wanted to mention is developing “triggers” attached to things done daily. Each morning when I put my socks on, I use that opportunity to practice the pistol squat. Throughout the day, I go through a pull-up/push-up ladder, starting from 10 & 10 down to 1. A practice I’ve also recently incorporated into my mornings from Brunello Cucinelli is the “5 Tibetans”:
Below are a few resources I recommend for quickly getting yourself into a new and energized state:
20 minute Sun Salutations Flow - This 20 minute flow has been something I’ve returned to for over a decade now. In my mind it’s a perfect yoga flow for 20 minutes, combining breath and movement. I typically run through this on Sundays.
Kundalini Yoga for Elevation - I’ve been interested in breathwork for a long time, and found this to be a good, accessible introduction to Kundalini. I do this once a week, usually on Wednesday evenings, as it takes you through a total body stretch in addition to deep and focused breathing.
State Breathing App - Brian Mackenzie has a lot of great information on breathwork, and I was so excited when I saw he had put this app together. It’s simple but incredibly powerful, and it’s the best I’ve seen in terms of the way the visual and auditory cues are put together. Please try it!
20 minute Deep Stretch Yoga For Hips - Especially with the amount cycling I’ve been doing lately, taking care of hip mobility is important. This short session will quickly expose any tightness, and is essential for maintaining flexibility.
How you move defines how you live - My thinking has been heavily influenced by the “lifespan vs healthspan” concept that Dr. Peter Attia presents in this article. Like the power of compound interest, mobility work is something that only benefits if you start early and practice consistently. There are some outstanding video demonstrations at the end of the article, and the Movement Prep sheet has been very helpful for me.
Seven App - I heard this mentioned by Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and decided to check it out. When especially crunched for time, I run through one of these bodyweight circuits to ensure I get some movement that day. The exercises require no gear, so there’s no excuse to not get at least 7 minutes of movement in each day.
Lastly, Onnit has some great Kettlebell workouts and instructional videos. My go-to quick kettlebell workout:
20 Snatches Each Arm
20 Clean And Press Each Arm
100 Swings (Single, Double, Alt)
50 Pushups
50 Front Squats