I like to pamper myself in healthy ways, which cuts out cigarettes, sugary snacks, booze, or wild spending sprees, all of which would lead to regret and negate any therapeutic benefit. Any pampering I afford myself has long term positive effects. So the list gets down to the following:
MASSAGE: My masseuse, Isabella, works out all the kinks in my body and psyche one hour per month. Many people think of this as a pricey luxury. OK, so? Remember, I'm saving $4.00 per DAY by not going downstairs for Starbucks, $30.00 per weekend by not drinking, and $15.00 per week by not smoking like I did in the early 90's. The benefits of massage are huge, but mainly I just think of it as pushing all the toxins out of my muscles. Plus, it just feels so nurturing to be professionally massaged. Unlike a backrub (better than nothing), massages are like someone playing your body like a violin.
HOUSEKEEPING (by someone else): Elba comes over once a month to do the everything except wash the clothes. Look at the hobby list I've got going here. No way do I have time to wash my floors, clean the bathrooms, or even vacuum. My boyfriend loves having her over because I will pick all my hobby toys to enable her to clean once a month. Otherwise, the hobbies just take over. When I come home from my ceramics class after she's been here, and I start practicing for my piano lesson that afternoon, the house smells like I put hours into washing it, and I have, well, sort of. This is pampering at it's highest level. How do you afford this?? Cut out the silly Starbucks!
NAPS AT LUNCH: It's been called a power nap, and for me, it's all about recharging my battery. If I take a book into a conference room and knock myself out with a frozen dinner and about three pages of reading, I can sleep for 45 minutes. People from my prior companies know I have been doing this since 1989. Does it mean I am lazy? Didn't get enough sleep? Anti-social? No, it's all about working like a machine the WHOLE day rather than getting all catatonic about 2:00. As a morning person, my peak time is 8:00 - 11:30. With a lunch nap, I'm getting the morning all over again. Friday, I kept waking halfway up from my nap wondering what Karen was doing in my bedroom since I kept hearing her voice through the door! For the most part, a one hour nap is practically equivelant to a full night's sleep. No amount of Starbuck's can get you this much energy. You will always crash. Might as well get it over with on your lunch break.
DAILY WORK OUT: I get up at 5:15 and work out daily with 15 minutes of cardio, 10 minutes of weights, 15 minutes of cardio, 10 minutes of weights, 15 minutes of cardio, 10 minutes of weights. Why is this pampering?? Because (1) I feel really fit the rest of the day (2) I have a higher energy level than any other 50 year old I know (and a lot of 40 year olds) and (3) It's a way of saying to my body, "I care about you. I care whether you feel good and have a long healthy life. I care about the quality of your existence, not just the number of years you can drag yourself around despite your age and condition. This is my gift to you because you are VERY important to me. I refuse to let age limit you (other than not joining a spin class any time soon.)" See why I need a nap?
So what are my thought on Wii? I guess it depends on which exercise you are doing, but let's ask it this way:
Does Wii have a virtual simulation of 45 minutes on an elliptical machine at 110 RPMs? Does it have a simulation of chinning 75 lbs? Lifting 30 lbs with your quads 3 sets of 25 reps, or with your hamstrings 12.5 lbs each, 3 sets of 15 reps? If not that, yes, it's better than nothing, but it's crazy to call throwing a weightless bowling ball a workout. It's probably great for step aerobics, and yoga, just like videos were.
The key is to find what rewards you and give it to yourself regularly.
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