Working the Work Out

Working the Work Out

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

As I've been focusing on finding ways to incorporate learning into my daily routine I have found an easy way. I start each morning by working out. I'm partial to blogilates, but sometimes I'll go for a short run or beg one of my siblings to play tennis.

I wish I could tell you that I'm a serious work outer, but it feels like I'm huffing and puffing every day, without fail. Maybe it's just not my strong suit? Usually I plug in my music and get to it. (I have to admit the J. Biebs' new album makes frequent appearances--it's so good.) The last few days, however, I've plugged in a podcast instead and it's been such a good experience. I find myself less focused on how much my body hurts. My mind hones in on the story or lecture being given and before I know it it's been 40 minutes and I'm done!

I've got a few go-to podcasts that I really like and listen to almost religiously:

• Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!: My mom and I tune into this one every week. It's NPR's new quiz. It's a great way to catch up on the week's news and have a good laugh. 
• Stuff You Missed in History Class: This podcast gives you a 40-minute in-depth look at some overlooked parts of history. Lots of the topics are things I had never heard of, but the hosts do a great job of keeping you engaged and giving you enough info that you could carry on a conversation about that week's episode. "Lisztomania" is a favorite on this podcast. 
• The Moth: I have laughed, cried, and gasped while listening to this podcast. The Moth is a collection of true stories told live. You never know what you're going to get and you have to be careful of language sometimes on this one. 
• TED Radio Hour: This is the be all, end all of podcasts for me. I love TED Talks and TED Radio Hour discusses on topic in depth by aggregating several TED Talks into one glorious hour. Start with the "Unstoppable Learning" episode--it's incredible. 
• Planet Money: I don't listen to this one as often, but I really like it. Planet Money dives into the world of, you guessed it, money. How it works, how it's changing, etc. Try the episode "Pay Patients, Save Money" to get this one going. 

The best thing about podcasts is they're free! So if you don't like one, there's no harm done and you can just move on to the next one. Happy listening!