WELLNESS|MOTIVATION|HUMOR
My Daily 100 Exercise Routine
50 Pushups, 30 Squats, 10 Chin-ups, 5K Jog, 3 Min Planks, 2 Cups of Coffee, and a partridge in a pear tree
Jake, skip your usual monotonous ramble-preamble and cut to the chase. What do you do to stay fit?
“I eat cookies.”
Wait, don’t go yet!
Though this be madness, yet there is method in’t!
As the subtitle says, I have a daily routine of doing 50 pushups, 30 squats and bike crunches, 10 chin-ups, a 5K jog, and a 3 minute plank — not in any particular order. The numbers add up to 100. So, I call it my Daily Hundred. And naturally, I’ll spread them out throughout the day. I’m not some US Marine wannabe.
Behold an outline of my exercise routine:
Morning / before work — plank and bike crunches
Mid-morning — pushups
Early afternoon — squats
Evening / after work — chin-ups and jog
The discerning reader might think, “When, where and how do you exercise at the office?”
My response: whenever, wherever and however possible.
The social norms are such that, in Japan, leaving one’s desk is greatly discouraged. Office workers are expected to imagine they are ankle-cuffed and chained to their desks except when Nature calls.
I’m a sneaky bastard. When Nature calls, I go for a long hike and do my routine on the rocky cliffs, figuratively speaking: push-ups under the staircase, squats above the staircase.
Not mentioned in my list is walking. I manage a daily tally of 10,000 steps, which my smartwatch counts for me. It might seem like an overwhelming number to some folks, but spread out throughout the day, mindful walking can be achieved with a bit of strategy and gumption.
And that’s where the cookies — or any yummy indulgences — come in.
I’m not a calorie counter and am blessed with a low insulin count though I am genetically prone to developing diabetic symptoms. I eat what I want — and can afford — and as much as I like, which might be surprising knowing I had bulimia as a teenager. Trust me, I had a bit too much on my plate back then, and it wasn’t food.
Cookies are nutritionally an unnecessary addition to my diet, but they motivate me to do my daily routine. And contrary to what most coaches will say, eating the cookies in advance is what drives me. Getting paid upfront is my motto.
A preward is a reward given before the goal is achieved. (Jake’s Dictionary)
I won’t recommend it for everyone though. One has to understand the cultural background as well. I’m from a country where Confucius is an idol, a god, a national agenda inculcated in education and business, the way —
Ok, Jake, we get the idea. Move on.
— So, in Japan, we have this psychological trick called giri — a kind of moral obligation or duty — which some conniving folks also use to emotionally blackmail others into doing favors.
Is someone blackmailing you to do 50 pushups?
Not exactly. It’s more about feeling pressure to repay a favor.
So, you’re blackmailing yourself to do 50 pushups because you feel you need the stress of paying back for the cookies you fed yourself?
You make it sound complicated but that sounds right.
You’re crazy. That’s so stupid.
But it works. I’ve stuck with this routine for about a year already.
You’re serious? And you haven’t been sick or depressed?
So far so good. The point is that I tend to stick to this routine better if I get my treats whenever I like. The guilt resulting from not doing all the exercises is more powerful than the promise of a prize. I guess that’s why I’m never interested in joining contests.
Now, you’ll have to excuse me. I’m going for my run now. I had a cinnamon tofu donut this morning for my special preward.
Thanks for reading! Please say hello or “you crazy man” in the comments.
I write for connections (^-^)/
