The name of the game is to kill time. I don’t know why that came to me, but when I was little, it was something I always typed, along with a phrase my mom taught me: Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country. Well, how does one go about killing time?
On Twitter, I follow record-breaking sprinter Allyson Felix (@allysonfelix). The motto at the top of her page reads: “Fighting against the physical inactivity epidemic.” It’s always inspiring, as I was once a college athlete, to see role models out in the world, no matter if it’s on a track in Australia or at an Olympic training facility in Colorado, working hard.
Missy Franklin (@FranklinMissy), an Olympic swimmer I also admire (even though she’s more than 10 years younger than I), said in an interview after an Austin short-course meet last year, that she encourages others to follow what they love. “For me it was swimming,” she said, but added that it could be art, music, or something else for another. I found that really inspiring. Since seeing the movie Adaptation a while back, I have always been drawn to one of the closing lines of the movie, “You are what you love, not what loves you.”
I love softball and baseball. I played in college, and my team even made it on ESPN as we played in the World Series. It was a great experience. I miss it; though, I did also always enjoy swimming, whether it was at my grandma’s lake house, or in a big, hot bubble diving for colored rings. Really, it’s exercise I love.
So what to do when life gives you lemons? You follow what you love. It’s February and some people’s fitness resolutions might be out the window. Not to worry—there’s always time to get back in shape. One thing that I’ve found is that exercise is free, and so is Twitter! For me, the answer to my exercising prayers has been to surround myself with accomplished athletes on Twitter. It is a great medium by which to get encouragement and ideas. I can follow Ryan Lochte (@ryanlochte) as he makes his way to Rio de Janeiro, Jeremy Lin (@JLin7) through the basketball season, Mike Trout (@Trouty20) and Michael Morse (@SEA_Beast38) as they begin Spring Training, Michael Phelps as he perfects his golf game, and hall-of-famer volleyball teammates Kerri Walsh (@kerrileewalsh) and Misty May-Treanor (@MistyMayTreanor) for a woman’s perspective.
Aside from just following athletes, there are health magazines you can follow to learn more about nutrition as well. Training & Fitness (@tfmagonline) tweets: “Drink lots of water!”, and, “50 Jumping jacks, 30 sec plank, 50 pushups, 30 second plank, 50 squats, 30 second plank, 50 mountain climbers, 30 second plank. Rest! 3 x”—that’s more like it, isn’t it!? This is another set I like: “10 push-ups, 20 sit-ups, 20 squats, 20 lunges, 80 jumping jacks, and 60 wall sits.” All this is free. Sports Quotes (@Sports_Greats) tweets motivating quotes from popular athletes and coaches, as well as Bible verses.
If you check my Twitter account, most of my tweets, I’d say, are about Christianity, the outdoors, baseball, and to people I admire. Since I enjoy writing, I’ve followed Christian authors. One of them, Karen Kingsbury (@KarenKingsbury), started off her career writing about sports—so, what do you know, the other day I decided to view who she follows, and she follows a lot of health accounts, as well as fitness-influenced tweets—it was so inspiring I followed suit!
I hadn’t done this before, but I also enjoy watching swimming techniques on YouTube, so generally, yes, Ryan Lochte comes to mind. On Twitter, he follows other Olympians who are inspiring, such as Carl Lewis, and he enjoys Sports Quotes, so that is something I did, too. I followed suit!
What I’m saying is that you can find more love and joy in your life by following your inspirations. Ryan Lochte and Karen Kingsbury are two people who I can honestly say changed my life in leaps and bounds for the better—and not just metaphorically. Last week, Ryan Lochte actually tweeted an innovative plyometric workout video to build speed, which included a “bounding” around the clock demonstration. This reminded me of fun workouts I might have done in college. On YouTube, he also gives training tip videos of start-out ab workouts (which is very important in swimming), such as a 60-60-60 regimen I try to do regularly.
After 4 years as a college-athlete, which included hours in the weight room, “maxing” out, and, with teammates and roommates on the IronCat board—I would definitely need a personal trainer to get back to that. So, instead of hiring one, I now have Twitter for just the right amount of umph! On Twitter you can also follow the trainers of the athletes you admire—which, I have done! Olympic swimming coaches Bob Bowman (@coach_bowman ) and Jackson Roach (@CoachJackRoach), and Matt Delancey (@Matt_DeLancey), the Assistant Director of Strength and Conditioning for the Florida Gators, come to mind. “The difference between try and triumph is a little umph!” I got that quote from Twitter, as well!
Even though you follow Olympians and famous writers, you can still be you. You can still get a kick out of their worlds, and become even a better person—your own kind of famous gal, or guy for the men, in the real world. Having local fans, and family appreciate you, is—kind of a big deal.
Ashley Crane is on Twitter. Follow her at @WildAshC
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