The Daily Check-In 12.11
Core move: combat sit-ups
Rack up miles.
Make vegan hot chocolate.
Instead of the regular combination of cocoa powder, milk, and white sugar, this version uses raw cacao powder, maple syrup, and dairy-free milk. If you’re looking for a boost of energy (perhaps swapping this beverage in for your morning coffee), add a tablespoon of maca powder, which will also provide a maltiness. For an evening drink, stir in a few tablespoons of dark rum or bourbon.
Deload during the holidays.
If your fitness progress stalls even though you’ve been working out aggressively, it might be a good time to deload, says Christopher Szefler, a Tier 3+ trainer and personal training manager at Brookfield Place in New York City. Deloading simply means cutting back on the workout stress, typically for one week out of every four to six, to give yourself a chance to recover before ramping back up.
While deloading can look different for everyone, a ratio for lifting weights or cardio is to go 40 to 70 percent of your total workout volume or of your estimated 1 rep max, Szefler says. If you’re doing 4 sets of an exercise cut back to 2 to 3 sets and scale back the weight the same amount as well. The holiday season presents a great opportunity to deload: “During the week of December 21, enjoy the family, food, and sleep,” says Szefler. “Come back to the club the week of January 1 and start the year off stronger than ever.”
Use the chat function.
If Zoom fatigue is making it hard for you to stay engaged even during “fun” events like virtual museum tours or concerts, try using the chat or Q&A function. “Generating content during the experience increases immersion and enjoyment,” says Gabriela Tonietto, assistant professor of marketing at Rutgers Business School, who recently conducted a study on the subject. And if you’re the host of the event, you should get the ball rolling: “People will follow social cues, so have someone who is part of the event post a comment or two,” says Tonietto. “You can also tell your attendees to feel free to use the comments section however they like. We find that even explicit requests to create content lead to positive effects.”