Nicole Tsong is a well-versed columnist, yoga teacher, life coach, and author. But after publishing two successful books about yoga, Yoga for Hikers and Yoga for Climbers, Tsong decided to try something new, and she wants you to do it, too.
24 Ways to Move More, Tsong’s newest book which will be published by Skipstone on October 1, is all about learning how to be a beginner. From stand-up paddleboarding to tennis, Tsong experimented in 24 different activities that gets her body moving.
“Don’t do one thing, try a bunch of things,” Tsong said. “The idea isn’t about getting good at one thing, the idea is about getting good at trying things.”
Tsong hopes to reach adults who, like herself, might feel stuck in a rut of doing the same exercise everyday. 24 Way to Move More is a compilation of the best ideas from Tsong’s six years of writing the Fit for Life column in the Seattle Times. But in book form, Tsong can provide a structure that readers can follow for a full year, including interactive pages after each activity to reflect on the experience.
Each month has two new ways to move, complete with commentary from Tsong’s personal experience, which includes tips on what to wear and bring, where to go, and the average cost. Most chapters also have other recommended activities to try that are similar to the ones mentioned, so if you fall in love with swimming, you can also try aqua aerobics! With the interactive pages at the end asking provocative questions about your experience, the completed 24 Ways to Move More acts like an exercise journal. It equips you with all the information you need to keep your body moving, in a variety of ways, to keep you physically and mentally healthy.
For Tsong, being active is about more than exercise; it is an integral part of her writing process. So, writing a book about movement was the perfect fit. Like achieving any goal, writing a book creates the challenge of keeping the big picture in mind while focusing on the details. Tsong works through writing chapter by chapter, and encourages her clients and readers to apply a similar method to their goals.
“We get really overwhelmed by the big picture,” Tsong said. “Tackling things step by step, you can actually get there.”
Many of the recommended activities can be learned step by step, but none more so than swing dancing. As Tsong describes, watching experienced dancers might take your feet out from under you, but in reality the basic swing dancing steps can be learned in under 30 minutes. From there, it’s all about adding personal pizazz and having a blast on the dance floor. That’s what 24 Ways to Move More is all about: finding new ways to move your body that fit your personality and add joy to your life.
“Moving your body is about connecting with your body, which is a huge part of self care,” Tsong said. “Trusting your body means you can trust yourself.”
As a Chinese-American woman in the fitness and outdoor industry, Tsong knows the importance of trusting herself. With few representations of women of color in the industry, Tsong hopes her book will open readers, especially women of color, to new ways of movement that will excite and energize the community in movement, and in life.
“We don’t have to follow any rules about what fitness looks like,” Tsong said. “Do the thing you love and keep moving forward.”
24 Ways to Move More was released on October 1. You can register for reading events and find more information at Tsong’s website, https://nicoletsong.com/, and visit the book website at 24waystomovemore.com and follow Tsong on Instagram @nicoletsong.
