Working out consistently is hard for many of us, especially given our current climate and the pressures of the times.

At the time of writing this, for example, I am currently on vacation.
  Not the most relaxing vacation, mind you, but vacation?  
We (my wife's family, my wife, and I) have sequestered ourselves in a not-so-suave cabin on a definitive not-resort in the far reaches of tourist trap of Lake George, New York.  We wear our masks everywhere we go, brought our own food to cook in our own kitchen, and keep our distance from EVERYONE.  And since I don't trust the populace of good 'ole Lake George as far as I can shot-put them (which is certainly not six feet), and, from what I can observe, wearing a mask feels more like a means to get service and not actually to protect anyone, every opportunity to AVOID OTHER PEOPLE has been followed.

So hiking.
Lots of hiking.

Which is wonderful, actually.  
  Really.  If I could stat out myself like a character in my own game (a great topic for Future Adam), I would give myself proficiency in Pugmire's skill of Traverse.  I am filled with purpose and energy crossing streams, hiking up stones, running trails.  As long as I have food, water, and a place to pee, I would wander the woods for hours.  
  Which brings me to my first point.

I have a daily step goal.  Yes, I've become one of THOSE people.  But a tracking number feels very motivating.  It's proof that you ARE actually moving around, and with the flood of information surround some of us, having a running tally that I don't have to track myself feels wonderful.
  I don't need a FitBit, or any other overpriced wristband.  I have a free pedometer on my phone.  Easy enough to setup and no further trouble required.  I track my weight-training and steps, and set my goals, knowing that the "calories" they're tracking might not be accurate, nor do I care.
Making sure to move about each hour or so around your house will net you 4-6,000 steps over the course of the day.  That's pretty good.  An hour walk with a few hills nets me 8-9,000 steps.  Not bad.  
  My daily goal is currently 13,000 steps a day.  Some nurses crush that easy in a work day, and I was crushing it back when school was open.  But NOW, with online events and distance learning, we struggle to move out of our offices and away from our desks.  So a walk, for me, is the most efficient, and the most effective. 

Why walks are great!
1) 8-9,000 steps in 1 hour.  Lovely!  Want it faster?  Split up your walk with some jogging and get that heartrate up!
2) We are inundated with media and activism.  I try to write something every day.  I try to paint *almost* every day.  Most evenings I'm running games, and most afternoons I'm teaching lessons.  There's a lot going on.  But strapping on my mask and walking outside allows me space away from all of that, if even for just a short time.  It's time think, time to plan, time to talk to myself; I get to work it all out, and I come back with more structured ideas, new fiction in mind, another drink idea...  Space lets us process the world, so we are more equipped to handle it when we return.
3) Vitamin D is good for you!
4) Fresh air is good for you!
5) A change of scenery is really really good for you!

Couple that walk with a few bouts of pacing around "inefficiently putting laundry away" and finding excuses to get up and vacuum, dance in the kitchen, do all of my chores at once, and otherwise be awesome at taking care of the house, and I'll reach my goal easy.  And it's okay if it's *not quite* 100% accurate.  I know it isn't, so the ballpark still counts!  
  The trick is to have something that casually holds you accountable.  My pedometer isn't going to scold me for not reaching my goal, so the motivator isn't avoidance-based.  It's just a tracker; the rest is up to me.  
So.
You still have to want it.  
  If you're one of those people that struggles with getting moving because it doesn't "feel" like you're accomplishing anything, a pedometer is EXACTLY what you need, but start small with your goals.  If you're mostly sedentary right now, then your daily goal is 4,000 steps.  That's you moving around your house.  Do that for a week.  Then it's 5000 for a week.  Then 6K.  Then 7.  You get the idea.  Start small, and you'll make it.  Consistency breeds habit, and habit is your training.  ...That also works both ways.
  If you have made a habit of giving up when it gets hard...  THAT'S your training.  And you'll need to train yourself out of it before you can take the necessary steps forward.

Not JUST Push-ups, mind you, but they're a HUGE component in your fitness, vacation or not.  In fact, they're one of FOUR key exercises that you need to hone in on to ensure that you always have a gym at your disposal.  And by "gym" I mean...at least a 6x6 floor, and something to hang off of.

The Big Four are:  Push-ups | Squats | Pull-ups | Sit-ups

Now, each of these have their own variations and branches heading off everywhere (more topics for another post), so let's keep this one simple.
Push-ups: anything that puts you in a plank position (knees are also allowed) where you lower your body down to the floor, touching your chest there, and "pushing" yourself back up to the next starting position.
Squats: standing and lowering yourself (as if you're about to sit...awkwardly) and pushing back up with your legs and glutes.
Pull-ups: anything that has you holding yourself at a hanging position (activating your grip, arms, and back most of all, but also a bunch of other things), and "pulling" yourself up and lowering yourself back down to the next starting position.
Sit-ups: anything that engages the abdominal muscles.  Leg Lifts, Crunches, Obliques, Planks, Mountain Climbers...doesn't have a to be a Sit-Up!

I make these my primary focus, especially while on vacation.  Sometimes I'll split it up by day, other times I'll have a running track ("do 1000 push-ups this week"), and maybe, if there's a fitness center, I'll make sure to incorporate them into my weight plan too.  This time around, it looked more like this:

Monday: 100 Pushups, 100 Abs
Tuesday: 100 Squats, 100 Pullups (ouch)
Wednesday: Rest, walk extra 4K
Thursday: 100 Squats, 200 Abs
Friday: 200 Pushups, 50 Pullups, 100 Abs
Saturday: Rest, walk/run extra 8K
Sunday: (back home) Weight training - back and arms + 50 Pullups

With all the hiking, too, I should be fiiiiiine.
And you can adjust your plans as you see fit.  Maybe your tracks are weekly, like I often do while I'm at home.  Maybe your plan is just for three days a week.  Or two.  Or five.  Whatever your slice, MAKE ONE AND HOLD YOURSELF TO IT.  Your body, and your gut, will thank you.  ...eventually.
  
Of course, I'm writing this while my wife and father-in-law make a list of all the best ice cream joints nearby...
Yes.
I will be fine.

Get it, nerds.
-Adamus

Okay, nerds.  Here's a quick one for ya.
  The only equipment needed here is a pull-up bar, and if that's not in the cards, there's always more pushups!  We all want that ideal "quarantine bod", so let's get to work!

This is your 2-Day Bodyweight Split, with a rest day between each workout.  If this is easy for you, then stay tuned for more advanced stuff.  If this is NOT EASY, well, then this has become your Level 1.  I look forward to helping you Level Up your fitness.

Note: this workout requires a Pull-Up Bar as part of each Circuit.  If you do not have one, substitute another Push-up Variation (included below).

    CIRCUIT 1
1) 10-20 Double Pump Squats - standard squats with an extra “pump” at the decline before jumping up and down back into the squat.  It’s like pulsing at the bottom.

2) (drop down) 5-10 IN Pushups - Standard pushup position, with wrists turned in by 45 degrees (works chest and triceps).

3) 2-5 Neutral Grip Pullups - pullup with palms perpendicular to the body (works Lats and Triceps)

Rounds: 2-4

    CIRCUIT 2
1) 10-20 Single Leg Squats - like the name suggests, balance on one foot and slowly perform a squat.  You’ll get tired faster and that’s okay.

2) (drop down) 5-10 OUT Pushups - Standard pushup position, with wrists turned out by 45 degrees (works chest and biceps).

3) 2-5 Chinups - Pullup with palms close and facing toward you (works the Biceps).

Rounds: 2-4

    CIRCUIT 3
1) 10 Water Pails (each side) - stand shoulder width apart and hold onto a moderately heavy, but easily moved object (a book, a weight, a dumbbell, ...a cat).  Bend at the waist while turning toward one foot, then rotate and lift to the other side (as if you were chucking a full pail of water). Repeat until you’ve done this 10 times, then switch sides.  Each set is done with both sides before moving on.

2) 5-10 "Under" Pushups - rest your hands on the first or second step of a staircase (or another raised surface) and position your body so your hands hover over your rib cage.  Then perform the pushup.

3) 2-5 Mixed Grip Pullups - one hand Chinup position, one hand Neutral position.

4) 10-20 Farmer’s Walk - with something moderately heavy in each hand, lift up onto your tip-toes and take 10-20 steps.  Your calves will be on fire.

Rounds: 2-4

Get it, nerds.  
See you at the table.
​-Adamus

I exist currently in the between-times.  A limbo of sorts; preparing more distance learning materials for my students while maintaining an online presence, but attempting to use my time wisely so as not to stagnate in my skills, goals, and creative pursuits.
  Normally this would mean more writing, composing, and painting, and maybe some extra time to work out and maybe meditate.  Good things, right?  And yet, I am sometimes hollow.  
The lack of connection, despite video chats.  Lack of traditional business, even with the digital tools at our fingertips.  It's only Day 4, and I'm losing my temper with people over little things.  Something snapped.

I threw my mouse across the room.  

It's wireless, and I've replaced the batteries several times to no difference in quality.  It jumps and jitters around, unable suddenly to do its job.  So.  I threw it out the office door and watched it bounce on the tile in our living room, the cover dislodging at the first impact, a battery singing into the air to ricochet off the ceiling, and the body skittering to a stop by our back door.
  I don't break things usually.  All things considered, I'm a pretty chill dude.  However, as I believe with most "chill" people, we all have our things.  The little pieces of our world that just bother us; we might be aware of them, we might be working on them (as I do), but they're still there.  We cannot deny their existence nor their weight upon us, and though we may be better equipped to handle them at times than others, they are ever-present and looming.
For me, it is a perceived lack of production.

If I am not producing a blog, a podcast, a paint job, a song...  I feel like garbage.  And with our current climate, I am blessed with sudden and isolated time.  And yet, I felt trapped, unfocused, and frustrated, despite my long list of tasks I could complete.  So I broke something.  Interrupted the thought cycle and released some energy.  Then marched my stupid face down to the basement and did a workout.

Ninety minutes later, soaked in sweat and tears, I was a new man.  
Motivated, sore as hell, and ready to go.  Like I'd been asleep to the world until this moment.  And, you know, that's completely fair.  Quite a bit changes each day lately, and A LOT of people's lives have been upended by our current events; there are numerous questions in the air, ever-evolving information, and a need to take things one day at a time.  My wife told me that I had been in a state of "mourning."  Mourning the past paradigm, mourning the current state of our lives, and quite literally moving through those stages of grief.  
​  We've come now, ladies and gentlemen, to Acceptance.  Now we can move forward.
Here are some things to remember, from my own perspectives, as we wade through this strange time.

Practice: Self Care and Fitness
Some news outlets have thrown up their hands in disgust, exclaiming "What's the big deal?  Just hunker down and watch some more TV!"
  ...That's terrible advice.  Yes, at a COMPLETE LOSS of things to do, I guess TV is a thing.  Maybe I just have "too many" hobbies, but TV is literally the last thing on my mind.  I could record a song, catch up on my Japanese, write a goddamn book, READ a book, paint a portrait, finish my IT cert, clean the basement, put together a bookshelf (done!), EXPRESS MYSELF...in millions of ways that aren't the soul-crushing deluge of Facebook posts of fear and turmoil.
And I can finally exercise on a functional schedule.  Which, for me, is 5 days a week.  I achieved that for about 2 weeks back when QWay was open and I felt like a freaking superhero.
Be a freaking superhero.  ...Because you definitely are (you just have to believe it too).

Practice: Hope and Practicality
​The future is not yet written, and we can learn from the past, even our most recent.  Plan and prepare, but do not obsess.  Be proactive, but hopeful.  Don't leave the important stuff to chance, but if that's done already, believe that this, too, will pass.  And you know your future self quite well; we know the stress of a lack of time.  Which promise do I sacrifice to maintain the current lie of my past?  And what excuses are the proper weight to this scale of forgiveness for my future self?  A justification for a lack of plan and follow-through is a weakness so many people have, and it will be a great tide to overcome in the coming weeks.
​Pursue a better tomorrow by leaving today in a better place than when you began.  Be kind to your future self by taking care of the pressing matters now, even though you're tired.  Plan accordingly so your future self can keep his word.  Portion out those cookies now so future you can enjoy them too in a few days.  And not because we're in dire straits, but because we're fighting for a better place for our future selves to live.  
  We don't know what tomorrow will bring, so give your future self a fighting chance.
Give your world a fighting chance.

I'll see you at the table, digital or otherwise.  
Be safe.  Be kind.  Don't forget to love yourself.
-Adamus

I knew this day would come.  It's the close of week 7 and I can feel it.  I've hit all my muscle groups, with extra days allowed to hit arms a second time and *finally* get a bodyweight-only workout...and I feel awesome.  But I've noticed a few things.

See you at the table.
​- Adamus

​  I'm having trouble walking at the moment.  My whole body hurts.  I am currently lying on my back, pondering all the ways in which I have destroyed myself.  A beautiful boulder rests upon every fiber of my being, like some stone slab cut perfectly Looney-Tunes style into the shape of my prone body.  I am sore, bruised, and broken.

​And I wouldn't have it any other way.

  Motivation is something so many of us struggle with, and so many give up just when we start to reap the benefits.  A lot people think it comes down to convenience, but I think it more specifically defined to a lack of resistance.  We bring it up a lot in this blog and our podcast as a State of Flow in gaming, but flow can be achieved and maintained in all facets of our lives.  The key here is building in that lack of resistance.  
  We recently opened a gym in addition to other things we offer through my business at large, not just my Game On! stuff, and the impact is palpable.  I can now schedule my workout days around my work at the center, and already I can feel the shift in what has become possible for my training, my health, and my mental focus.  But with those gains, I can already feel the familiar pull away from it all.  
  We all get it sometimes.  The nagging, lazy bit of ourselves that manifests when we start making the most progress toward leaving it behind.  It is the tiny voice that tells us we'll never get there, the one that complains in the middle of your chest press, that hammers your legs with doubt, and that seeps pride into your skin so you avoid safety in favor of stubbornness.  
  This is not something that is given to you after a week of work.  Hell, you won't get it after a month, or maybe even a year.  Great progress will be made in this time, but it is not the result.  We will be shrouded in tiny victories; threads of hope bound together each day to form an unbreakable cord of resolve and perseverance.  
  Everything that I am and could be has been a product of my own choices.  I am not the victim of my own circumstance and I prove this every day that I rise from sleep and seek the greatest version of myself, and it is with this knowledge that I take hold of the tethers of my own destiny...and pull.  And I do this with the full knowledge that I am tearing down what I once was - the habits formed, the mistakes made, the lessons unlearned, and all the ugly bits.  This will be painful, and I accept this pain, for I will rise from it, building as I go.  I will sift through my own rubble, deciding what to keep and what burns.  

This is going to suck.  And here are some practical ways - mechanical habits, devoid of motivation, but full of functionality - that I'm going to do it.

Only key in on one rest day, never two in a row.  That's mine anyway.
This past week looked like this:
Monday - Gym after work - Chest and Legs
Tuesday - Rest Day 1
Wednesday - Gym before work - Back and Arms
Thursday - Rest Day 2
Friday - Home workout - Bodyweight Blitz
Saturday - Kickboxing, Karate, then Gym - Arms and Shoulders
Sunday - Home workout - Bodyweight and Cardio

This sort of works, but I'd like my Rest Days to be Thursdays and Sundays, instead opting for Tuesday as another "gym rat" day.  I think I'll get a better spread, and I'm working out consistently at 5x a week while avoiding a two-day rest period where I can fall into a slump.  DISCIPLINE is key here to build the better habit.

But DURING workouts, I find my biggest time suck is in resting.  My home gym workouts would take far too long due in no small part to the amount of time I was carelessly resting between sets.  In the gym, the focus is different.  I have taken the time out of my day to go to a space that is not my home to use equipment that isn't mine in order to build my best self.  There's an onus there.  Other people are here to do the same thing, so I'm not going to waste my time or theirs; the pressure's on.  
  So, I give 20-30 seconds between sets - sometimes I even count out loud, especially if I pushed hard enough to shatter my own metacognition.  It keeps me moving.  Instead of workouts taking 3 hours, I've knocked them down to 90 minutes for the same benefit.  Employing my next element, I've got 'em down to under that.  

Sometimes I get bored.  Sometimes I get distracted.  Sometimes I have a lot of workouts to get through and I feel pressed for time.  So I double them up.
  Single, focused sets are good.  Great, even, and certainly have their place.  But I'm always one to use Supersets and Triplesets to keep me moving and motivated on those days I have difficulty focusing.  
A Superset is when you take one exercise, perform one set of it, then immediately perform another set of another exercise without resting between.  For me, this practice serves two functions: 1) It's more efficient, and 2) for muscle growth and dynamic fatigue, it's amazing.  Instead of just extending an exercise, or performing another set on the same exercise, I'm still working but the muscle groups are different enough that the grouping of the previous exercise "rests" while another works.  That aspect of rest isn't actually true, mind you, but the difference in movement is the point here.  I do my 20-30 second rest after completing the second exercise.  
  And if a Superset is effective, then a Tripleset must be awesome, right?  Well, yeah, but we can also call that a Circuit.  A circuit is a set of 3 or more exercises performed one after the other, then resting.  I use Circuits to keep me moving (efficiency) and to pump (reach hypertrophy) faster, while maintaining strength training.  It also lets me check off more exercises in my book in bigger, more satisfying chunks.  :)

Yes, the name of this week's blog is Embrace The Suck.  And I mean it.  Embrace it.  
  Accept that this is going to be uncomfortable.  Anything worth it will reach a point of discomfort.  This is mine.
There will be days that I will crave the things I don't need.  Days I don't want to work out.  Days I want to lay in bed and avoid the challenges my life will bring.  And those days will SUCK.
  But those days won't stop me.  Because I know they're coming (a few have happened already, and I've crushed them).  I know the feeling of doing pushups and your body lazily prodding you with "you don't need to do any more, that's enough," and the feeling of pushing through that to get one more rep.  I know the feeling of pushing to failure, even when one more rep feels like miles away, and you have to fight against your own doubt and pride and hunger just to push through.
But I will.  And it's going to suck.  This is going to hurt.  This is going to challenge every fiber of me.  But I will become stronger; I will become better.  And it will be that one more rep that is the difference between raw willpower and falling off this wagon.  And to the latter: I REFUSE.  
BEAST MODE ENGAGED.  
  I'll see you at the gym.
​-Adamus

  I am very sore today.  

My back is cracking bark; my legs shaking steel; my chest whines as I stretch, and my arms feel heavy.  Sleep calls, and rest beckons.  But I must persist.  I must exist.
  And this pain is beautiful.  I cannot wait to feel it again - knowing that I just pushed my body as far as it could go, and I'm still standing.  I will rest, grow, and heal, ready to do it all over again.

Every time I do one of these entries, I like to come at it from a reflective state.  A LOT has changed in my life plan and routine, and I want to share the lessons learned from the journey so far.  

  My home gym is not very extensive.  I have a bench, a curling barbell, a straight barbell, and a set of dumbbells from 25-40 lbs.  Add in a dip station, pull-up bar, and a punching bag, and that's it.  The majority of my weight training is free weights and (no spotter) chest presses with control over weight - my toughest workout days are majority bodyweight; tons of pushup variations, squat variations, and many grips of pullups.  Kickboxing once or twice a week, and running twice a week...and I'm doing well for myself.
  Recently, my wife and I found ourselves back on a cruise ship.  The Anthem of the Seas - a "high-tech" vessel with a robotic bar, wave pool, bumper cars, and a teens-only extravaganza deck.  They also have a Vitality Fitness Area, with rows upon rows of dumbbells all the way up 80 lbs, and a plethora of machines for any manner of exercise.
  Our first night on the boat...I took 2 hours to myself and lifted as much as I could on every one of these machines.  It's a powerful thing to be able to report the following:
Chest Press: 170
Leg Press: 350
Shoulder Press: 160
Tricep Pulldown: 65
Lat Pulldown: 150
Bicep Pulldown: 110
...and then many others that I failed to record.  It was also great to happily curl 55 lb dumbbells.  
​I'd never have space for such things, but it's a great ego boost to know that it's working.  ;)

  This remains from the last big Buff DM post, and I'm still doing it.  Starting my day with 5-10 minutes of meditation, then stretching, and making sure that I move.  I need to spend more time on my feet than on my seat.  :)

I am the strongest I have ever been, and I hope to be able to say that each time I do an entry here, but I want ALL OF YOU to feel as awesome as I do now.  So, I've been talking it up here and there, but filming has finally begun, and with the advent of a fitness center under our control (wink, wink), it's time to build up The Forge: Level Up Fitness for the Athletic Nerd.  Bodyweight exercises with Milestone progression, actual attributes for yourself as a D&D character, and a boss fight every tier.  Let's get to work, nerds.

See you at the table.  And maybe the gym.
-Adamus

  Today marks Day 8 of beta testing the first tier of my fitness program, and I'd like to share with you some of the benefits I've taken away so far.  Get ready for some fit talk.

  The first thing I do every morning is take 5-15 minutes to myself and meditate.

Meditation is equally one of the most foreign yet essential things for a modern human existence.  It was used since antiquity to foster a stronger link between mind, body, and soul, and helps to focus and fortify our spirit to tackle whatever challenges are going thrown at us each day.  

I recently recommended meditation to a good friend of mine, and, as she puts it, she's "only been able to relax her face so far," (which is huge, btw) but it makes a massive difference to her day and she feels it when she doesn't do it.  The more consistently she practices the skill, the more effective it is, and the more effective she is throughout her day.
  There's a funny thing about meditation.  Everyone has their own image of what it looks like and what it's supposed to do, and how fast that should work.  Thing is, each of us is a unique organism.  We all have different stresses, habits (good and bad), education, paradigms - yet each of us can benefit from mindfulness, and relaxing our bodies, and fortifying our souls.  So many people can benefit from meditation, but they give up before they really reap the big benefits, and often the reasoning is: "I'm not good at it" or "I'm not doing it correctly, so why try?"

If you feel like that, here are some questions to consider:

1) Are you in a space that is comfortable, quiet, and free of our digital distractors? - Yes
    Then you're meditating.  We have a saying here in the center: Disconnect to Connect.  We use it to remind ourselves to put our devices away when we're in a class, or in the cafe, or in a game session; to free ourselves from that pull and open the door to connect with the people physically with us.  What we're doing here is allowing our mind to reconnect with our bodies by creating space for this to occur.

2) Are you focusing on your breathing? - Yes
    Then you are meditating.  Our brain can be a stupid, blind, chittering monkey recently stung by a hornet - but we interrupt its strange path with breath.  Breath is essential for every facet of your being; by focusing on it - even if you're only successful in bursts of a few seconds - you interrupt your panic pattern and bring what is most pressing forward.  If everything is small details, imagine it flowing out of you, to rest instead next to you, to be sorted later.  Not now - you're breathing.

If you are following those two practices, you ARE meditating.  Everyone starts in different places, but everyone can benefit from taking just a few minutes each morning to focus their spirit and relax their body.  Do not get discouraged; never compare your "skill" to another - we're all different, and there is no point in getting down on yourself because you're not doing it like him, or her, or them.  Meditation is a muscle, and it needs to be trained.  Best thing about it?  You can train it every day and the workout's real short.  :)

Here's what I do:
Working Title - Flowing Circuit

I sit on my couch so my feet can rest on the floor (as opposed to cross-legged).  I allow my back and my neck (most of all) to rest against the pillows of my comfy couch.  *Now, this usually prompts my cat to come over, but I won't shoo her away; she just wants to sit with me.*
  1) Start with three long and slow breaths, in and out through my mouth, careful to use my diaphragm to open up my lungs from the resting state of sleep.
  2) Eyes closed, I breathe slowly through my nose.
  3) I reach out with my mind and try "feel" the tip of my nose.  (I know, I know, stay with me)  It's going to tingle a little, especially the first time, but find it.  Now, I imagine a bead of energy, like a warm mote of light, at the tip.  It enters my skin, and I begin to follow its spreading path as it courses slowly through my face, stopping to observe all the intricate pieces along the way.
  4) If I get stuck, or a random thought sneaks in...the mote pauses, warming the spaces it has already touched.  I focus on my breathing, and let the thought flow to its conclusion, and breathe it away.  
  5) I continue this process; moving the energy across my eyes, my forehead, my mouth - all the muscles of the face - then up my scalp, down the base of my skull, to flow down the cord of my spine while spreading like wings along my back.  I feel and appreciate every muscle fiber; some need more attention than others, and that's fine.  I'm not going to ruminate on the why; just flow.
  6) When you reach the base of your spine and have spilled down your chest, you might feel a slowly spreading surge down your arms and legs; most of us have better circulation (due to use) to those areas, so energy flows faster.  Also, you'll be accessing your third and fourth chakras.  Heart and Solar Plexus - Heart's got Compassion, Love, Empathy; Solar Plexus has Power, Will, Energy, Emotion.  The wealth of our energy, life force, ki, whatever; I just know that I've always had a lot of it.  Once your mote accesses this pool, let it flow through your entire body.  Revisit all the wonderful locales of your body and flood it with that warm, calming light.
  7) When you're feeling good, or your timer goes off, take those three long and slow breaths again as you open your eyes, bringing yourself out of the map.

Notes:
  Steps 1-4 are good for most people.  They either won't have time, or patience, or some other factor will step in, before they can go further.  But this is a muscle; and it can always get stronger.  There is no plateau.  Just like in the martial arts, there is always another layer.  Consistency is where we reap the greatest benefit.

IF YOU SKIP MEDITATION IN THE MORNING - you can always do it later.  I pick the morning because it's going to help the rest of my day, guaranteed, so I better start my day with it.  If you miss it, and those panic feelings begin to creep in and you feel out of whack, try this:  
  Take in one short, one long intake of breath through your nose, then exhale slowly out your mouth.  Try to take in more air each time, and slow the exhale each time.  Do this 3-5 times; if you can, close your eyes.  
  Why?  Pattern interrupt with a kinesthetic change (short-long breath, then exhale) to make your brain focus on something else.  Then move forward with a fresher perspective.  :)

Why I Meditate: It provides power for my day.  My mind can jumble and I hate feeling behind; taking a moment, instead of falling down the rabbit hole, is essential for staying on track.  But by doing it FIRST, I have stimulated my own Willpower to continue the trend throughout the day.  I'll be guaranteed to be more even, calm, pleasant, rooted, present, and in control of my universe.  Booyah.

  Instructor Mary and Master Jenny have often said that stretching is even better than a fresh cup of coffee in the morning.  Now, let's not focus on my stretching levels next to the martial arts masters, but the point still stands.  ;)
  Naturally flowing from the body mapping mental relaxation and energy acquisition of meditation, it's time to stretch.  Take 5-10 minutes and do whatever you can.

I end up on my back first, elongating my spine and realigning my shoulders so they don't round forward.  I stretch my lower back and rotate my toes.  Flip over - Child Pose, Cobra, Cat-To-Cow for ab control, Dragon Stretch, seated toe touch, then toe touch alternating legs.  On my feet - all my dojo stretches; Heaven and Earth, slow splits, Butterfly.  Find a wall - rotator cuff stretch, forearm stretch.  GENTLE neck pull - it will feel SO GOOD.

Why I Stretch: I need to be able to move when I need to.  I like burst energy, I've always had a lot of it, but I'm not going to hurt myself when I need to fly into action.  This is preventative mostly, with added benefit of augmenting that meditation thing I just did.  :)

  Go for a walk.  Go for a run.  Do what I've been doing lately - walk your neighborhood with bursts of sprints for longer and longer periods of time.  Bike rides are great.  Move with a friend.  But get up and get moving!
  For a lot of people, this is when they'd work out, and for many that's fine.  I ask to wait on your workout time just a tad more.  This "move" is really to cement the previous two things you've done for yourself already.  You've reconnected your mind, body, and soul while preparing your physicality for the day - go outside.  Feel the planet.  Even if it's cold out.  New Englanders, I understand, there are exceptions; but even if it's raining, get outside.  It's just water - jackets exist.  Unlike the silly college kids that scream at the sky when they prance around in pajamas in a downpour...you know jackets exist.  And I love walking in the rain; it's cathartic to feel the water flow over me - even in the cold.  A brisk wind reminds you of the fireplace that waits for you; a vicious downpour sends you to huddle under a canopy with a good friend; moving alone brings joy to moving together.

...You do know jackets exist, right?

What does this have to do with gaming?
Stronger mind, stronger body, balanced soul = better gamer.  ;)
See you at the table,
-Adamus

  Usually when I talk about tabletop gaming, I explore the intellectual and social elements of it.  We level up our creativity, our rapport, collaboration, and teamwork.  Not often do we get to talk about the physical side of things.

"Physical side?" you say, a quizzical expression leeching onto your face.

Why yes, young grasshopper!  Our physical fitness is most important, and is often overlooked when one prepares for a gaming experience...
  But really, it shouldn't.  A sound body augments the mind, which helps us play better, faster, kinder, and more creatively.  So why don't we exercise more?  
Well, for many at least, the excuse is time management...and that's a can of worms we won't get into quite yet.

Instead let me share with you something quite quick.  You might even say it is hasted.

  HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training.  
Short workouts, usually done in circuits of a few exercises for a number of rounds.  15-20 minutes of work, tops.  

Now most people know I'm a push-up fiend, but the rest of my body needs help too, so first thing in the morning on Saturdays I rock this workout.  Takes me a little over 15 minutes and keeps me fired up all day.  Anybody can make time for that, and it helps kick the brain into high gear while burning calories before breakfast.  

10 Squats
10 Staggered Pushups
10 Leg Lifts
10 Raised I Pushups
10 Close Ski Squats
--15-30 second rest between rounds

Okay, so what's what?  Squats are squats.  Ski Squats are squats with feet close together, like you're skiing and about to hit slaloms.  Leg Lifts are on your back, lifting your straight legs up and engaging your lower abs.  Staggered Pushups alternate between one hand high, the other low; next round you switch.  My Raised levels correlate directly to a step; Raised I is literally me putting my feet on the first step of a staircase and putting my hands on the floor at the incline, then pushup from there.
  Hit (ha) this one for 4 rounds and you're good.  If that was easy, then tack on Workout B below too.

10 Raised II Pushups
15 Crunches
10 Diamond or Inward Pushups
20 Scissors or Spreads
10 Burpees w/Neutral Pullup
--15 Second rest between rounds

Raised II is the second step on a staircase.  Crunches are...crunches.  Diamond pushups make a Diamond with your hands and kill your triceps - if you can't touch them together yet, just as close as you can and turn your palms inward at an angle.  Scissors are achieved by lying on your back with your legs straight and elevated some inches off the floor - then you "kick" them up and down.  Spreads are this, except you spread your legs in and out, all while keeping them elevated.

See?  Who said gamers can't work out!?  
Now get working so you can do at least A FEW of the things your character can do!