Habit Linking

Habit Linking - I googled this term and found nothing so I'm going to claim this as a GI Jon original. To best explain how I came up with this practice and this term I have to take you back to 2010.

In the summer of 2010 I had been touring the world for three years as a puppeteer in the show Walking with Dinosaurs. I had long since put aside my rigorous physical habits of the past in order to better absorb all aspects of the local cultures I was visiting. In other words, I hardly thought it a productive use of my time to be stretching and strengthening my body when I could spend the same time visiting an ancient temple or observing a tea ceremony.

I'm a pretty tough guy and pride myself on being able to power through most things, but after getting a particularly painful massage in Japan the masseuse told me that the root of most of my physical ailments was a lack of flexibility. I heard what she said, but it wasn't enough to get me to change my habits. It wasn't until a week later at a gym in Nagoya where I went to train with my co-workers that I realized I had the tightest hamstrings of all of them. Tell me I have tight hamstrings and I'll probably give you a chuckle. Tell me I have tighter hamstrings than somebody else and you've made it a competition. Now I felt motivated. But stretching is something that needs to be done daily, multiple times daily if you really want to improve. How would I ever remember to make this lifestyle adjustment especially when my life was so exciting and random all the time? I pondered this question for awhile and finally a light bulb went off.

Think of your typical week, for a moment, if such a thing even exists for you. Are there any things you do, every day? Well, you probably sleep every day, and eat every day, and more than likely use the restroom every day. But those are all things that your body tells you to do. There's no discipline in going to sleep or in deciding to eat, or relieving yourself, that's automatic. Okay, are there any things you do every day that you don't HAVE to do? There are dozens and they're different for different people - making your bed, brushing your teeth, journaling, reading the newspaper, who knows. The one I chose was brushing your teeth, and here's why.

I brush my teeth twice a day, every day, 365 days a year. It takes about 3 minutes when you include flossing. It only engages my hands and my mouth.

My goal was increased flexibility in my legs, specifically my hamstrings, adductors and my IT Band. That's three stretches on two legs - 6 stretches at 30 seconds each is 3 minutes. It was a perfect fit.

Now the first two weeks are crucial, you HAVE to remember to link the habits EVERY day. Every time I brushed my teeth I made sure to stretch, even if I was short on time and rushing a little, I made sure to go through the motions. The most important thing in the first two weeks is not to get more flexible but to train your body to associate the act of brushing your teeth with the act of stretching, linking a very new activity to a very well engrained habit. After two weeks the new habit is pretty well engrained and the pudding came a few months later. I had changed hotel rooms a half dozen times, switched countries thrice and was in a new timezone, and practically a new hemisphere, and I had just gotten back from an all night rave on the beach! I went into my room to brush my teeth before work, and it was all I could do not to pass out right there. But as I was brushing something felt weird. I felt anxious. Was it because this was my last week on tour? No.. that wasn't it. Maybe it was the day I had in front of me, two baby ts? Nah, that wasn't it either. While I tried to figure out why I felt so weird, I casually threw my leg up on the sink and leaned forward over it, I felt the burn of my muscle fibers stretching... and the anxiety went away.

Need a visual example? Watch this clip from The Office.

Workout today: 7x1000 meters at 1:48 with 6x500 meters at about 2:50 (rest).

1. I'm grateful for Thursday night bowling.
2. I'm grateful that I can afford to own a super awesome Concept 2 Model D ergometer.
3. I'm grateful that I live in an age where lots of information on health and nutrition is available for those with courage and a library card.

Dailies:

11:27 -> 88 Took 2 Prandin w/cereal 110c (walked to yoga, but it was cancelled) Did my rowing workout. At 2:30 had celery with tahini 15c.
4:00 -> 68 Nice! I love the slow downward creep post workout! Took 2 Prandin with a big yam 65c, broccoli w/homemade pesto 40c and a small cup of lentils & quinoa 40c.
7:45 -> 118 While this number is fine normally I want a higher Pre-Joey number. Had apple 20c and peanuts 5c. At intermission 9:30 I had 1/3 grapefruit 10c and peanuts 5c. After the show at 11:00 I had my pre-bowling beer. Took 5 units of Lantus at 1:00am.
2:23 -> 69 Happy with this number. Had a salad 30c with no medication and I'm going to bed now.

Day 72