Mind Altering Drugs = Music, Color & Light

I did my first workout this morning in the new studio. It was fantastic! I had a great workout, and I had an epiphany. Well, ok, it wasn't an epiphany. It was merely a confirmation of what I already knew to be true.....that our moods and energy levels are greatly effected by our surroundings, by our senses.

This morning, I opened up the doors to the studio, and let in the wonderful fresh air. I listened to the sounds of birds chirping away. I chased a medium sized lizard out of the studio (too much nature, too close). The studio was flooded with natural light. I never even had to turn on a light. Simple, natural, healthy! Lesson to be learned...take your workout outdoors...to the beach, to a park, to SBCC track...and see how great it feels to be outside while you move and sweat. Always exercising indoors can be hazardous to your mental health!

I'm sure you know about the amazing, environmentally friendly, no VOC paint job we did in the studio this weekend (see yesterday's post, with photos). These colors are so much fun, that I couldn't wait to get in there and play this morning. These are colors that scream out "Get up off your a** and get moving!!" These colors scream "This is a party!!!" This is also making me rethink my usual workout attire of black, white, and grey. Think how fun and energized I'd be if I wore some equally fun colors! Not neon, not going there again, but I think it's time to add some color to my exercise wardrobe. I might even go so far as to tie-dye some tank tops! You too....take it up a notch, and add some fun colors to your workout area, or workout attire. Be goofy, be radical, be bright and fun!

I left the best for last....music! I love music! And I love LOUD music, as long as it's music that I've picked out! Ya gotta try some uplifting music for your workouts. It makes all the difference in the world! Music gets you moving, keeps you moving, keeps you singing and happy. Do a side by side test. Day #1, workout without music. Day #2, workout with music. Report back to me. Warning...unless you're taking a nap, stay away from music that's too mellow. You want to gather the energy from the beat and channel that energy into your workout, not catch some zzzzz's (uh, Celine Dion = probably a bad idea. probably a bad idea even if you're not working out. ouch). I rocked out to Sublime this morning. No zzzz's in those tunes!

Almost forgot to mention...I set a new PR on the rowing machine this morning. Oh yea...I was energized!! I rowed a 1:58/500m. This beat my old personal best by a whopping 6 seconds!

Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to try out some of these mind altering drugs for your next workout...Music, Color & Light. Try Scent too while you're at it....peppermint, spearmint, and citrus scents are known to energize! And remember to post to comments and let me know how it goes! Good luck. This post will self-destruct in 10 seconds....