Play to Plank

Every year, I make the same new year's resolution - I'm going to lose weight. The only thing that changes is the number of pounds.

But, as for many people making the same resolution, it always falls to wayside for any number of reasons. The gym that I'm a member of is not in the area that I moved to. My husband is a terrible eater (junk food, meat, and no veggies). Work takes over. I fill my days caring for others. Etc…

This year, after the reality of COVID weigh hit, I decided it was time, not only to get control of my weight, but to also dedicate more time to self care and my general health; 2020 had taken a toll on my self-worth and more importantly, my self-worthiness of these minimal acts of caring for oneself. Even brushing my teeth for the full two minutes seemed indulgent.

I signed up for Noom, which promised to help me change my behavior "using psychology". I bought four pairs of Obsession leggings and capris, in hopes that they would make me feel sexy and inspired to work out. I saw Coco&Eve self-tanner and thought, "This will make me feel good about how I look!" (to be fair, my legs are blindingly pale). I bought k’ecko packets to add more fruits and veggies easily to my diet with convenient smoothies. I signed up for HelloFresh with the hopes that I would eat healthier, more varied meals, and perhaps enjoy the process of cooking if the shopping was eliminated. There were more, but I have to stop myself in retelling it before I face-palm myself for being so gullible.

Here's the deal - none of those were terrible purchases. I've been pleasantly surprised by all of them. But the runaway winner was Stealth Core Trainer.

Any workout device is always shown with someone incredibly fit and usually scantily clad, providing the promise that you too can look like this! This device can help you get there! I'm not that naive, but here's what sold me on it:

Planks are known to be great for your overall workout and health. Engaged core, back, glutes, shoulders... But they are HARD to maintain, and they are boring. At least on a treadmill or stairmaster you can take a book or watch a tv show or even just people-watch at the gym. Planks? You're stuck staring at the floor, and the seconds c.r.a.w.l. by. Reading can be challenging with the page-turning, and podcasts can help but they are not engaging, at least not for me.

However, like many, I am glued to my smart phone. Email, games, facebook... It's always with me. Stealth has a handy place for your phone, and an accompanying downloadable app that has games! Plank on the Stealth, and play the hang-glider game to wrack up time and points! Toggle through games to keep it interesting! I had to master simply balancing on it at first, but now I can plank in the desired distracted manner that helps me stay interested and planking for longer. You can compete (if you're into that) with others, or just with yourself. I can track my progress, which appeals to my nerdy, number-driven, analytical side. I do it daily despite my abs protesting, because I can really see progress based on how well I play, and for how long. The 30-day ab challenge that usually ran rampant on Facebook never inspired this kind of dedication in me.

Plus I'm starting to look better in those Obsession leggings.