I recently wrote about exercising alone and how important it
is for me if I want to get an intense workout. I don’t always want to, but when
I do no one beats me up the way I beat myself up, you know? ;-)
My sister-in-law gave me a new toy for Christmas. Are any of
you familiar with “Striiv?” It’s a fancy pedometer with rewards and challenges
and games that are awarded for moving. When I opened it I read the instructions
and programmed it for my personal details. I thought it was a nice size for a
pedometer and thought it might be a good replacement for my slightly larger
one. Initially, I just stuck the Striiv in my pocket and carried it around to
see how far I walked and how many calories I burned. I discovered that, on
average, I was going about 2800 steps per day – far less than I thought I was
going. It seems that the common wisdom is that 10,000 steps are what you need
to accomplish weight loss and fitness. Somehow I thought I was doing much
better than I actually was.
The longer I had the Striiv, the more I played with it, of
course. It has some daily challenges, a few games, races, and other activities.
What I like most is that the more you achieve and sync your device, the more
you are “giving” in water, vaccines, and rainforest preservation. It’s an
interesting concept. When you accept and complete challenges you earn energy
points to use in your virtual land to plant things and make structures and all
sorts of silly things. You’d think a grown woman would have better things to do…well,
yes, I do. However, these silly challenges helped me complete over 10,000 steps
today! I’ve burned a ton of calories and broke a serious sweat earning these
points and racing my chosen partner, “Waddles.” (Hey, I know my limitations!)
I must admit that when I got the Striiv I felt I might not
engage all of the features, but I find the longer I have it the more I am
motivated to achieve these challenges and burn more calories. It’s a measurable
effort and fun to boot!
Do you think about what motivates you? Is it an inner voice
that prompts you to move each day? Is it the call from a friend wanting to go
for a walk? Is it personal determination to achieve your goals? Is it guilt?
I am still trying to figure out what motivates me the most…but
for the meantime I am going to say it’s my Striiv challenges. Time to go
collect my coins!
Shannon,
ReplyDeletePlaying games or simply being playful seems to be an inspired way to being seen and heard even if your playmate is a toy. Afterall, Striive is non-judgmental yet challenging in service of your growing Wellness practices. Sounds like "Waddles" is just the sort of exercise buddy you enjoy. You never have to wait for Waddles to show up or even call Waddles as a reminder for your activity date.
In response to your posed question, "Do you think about what motivates you?", my answer might be, "Sometimes." The internal dialogues between my critic and my sloth are short in duration. Claiming a need to nurture myself wins more than heading shaming. Both influence me. If I'm playful and 'fooled' into doing something then that outcome is usually a win-win.
I'm reminded of a recent NPR story on teaching 3-5 year-olds. There seemed to be the school of pro-play and the need for re-designing and maintaining goals. Both approaches claimed some of the same tenets however a line was drawn in the sand since funding was also being addressed.
I'm of the pro-play approach possibly because it allows for more freedom and use of imagination. Will I enjoy the same results? Probably not or at least it may be difficult to measure results. Choosing play, I will have more fun as I move toward some sort of unconscious goal. I put my trust in my wholeness to guide me in what I really need.
Thanks for sharing your process, your playfulness and dance with Wellness.
Toys are fun.
Warmly,
Katherine