Strengthening your butt is a key ingredient in eliminating lower back pain. Obviously, if you have something structural, like scoliosis, you have a different reason for lower back problems. For most people who feel it in their lower back, “spinal” exercises are not the key to eliminating the pain. Working your butt is.

After years of working out solely inside, I had about three seasons of working out in the great outdoors. The contrast has given me perspective. For gym work, I like being outside if I get to the gym early and the equipment I need is outside. Aerobic work I much prefer to do outside. I like the changing scenery and feeling of motion from running.

This seems like a good time to discuss what motivates you to workout. I’m broadly defining workout. It can be anything that get’s you off your ass and gets your heart pumping. Sports, lifting weights, walking, running, biking, jumping rope, skateboarding, and so forth all count.

The last few months my workouts have been very inconsistent. I’m enormously frustrated with myself. I have had weeks of diligence, a week or two of little to no activity, and weeks that were themselves such a mix they were the epitome of mediocrity.

Chapter 9 of The Slight Edge is entitled Faces of The Slight Edge. It should be entitled the Forces of The Slight Edge. Those forces are: Momentum, Completion, Habit, Reflection, and Celebration.

Hmmm, is “mastery” a racist term? Only one way to find out.