Functional Strength Training (In Pajamas)

How Pajamacize Started (and Why I Still Do It 20 Years Later)

About 20 years ago, when I was in my 40s and knee‑deep in raising kids, fitness had quietly slipped off my priority list. I wasn’t out of shape, but I definitely wasn’t in shape either.

Then came the day that changed everything.

One December, after spending an entire day baking cookies, my back staged a full rebellion. I could barely move for days. I’d had minor tweaks before — gardening, lifting something the wrong way, existing — but this was the worst. And I wasn’t trying to run a marathon; I just wanted to live my life without sounding like a creaky door every time I stood up.

Something had to change.

So I went searching for exercises to help with back pain and experimented with different routines. After some trial and error, I landed on a short (less than 10 minutes) sequence built around pushups, bicycle crunches, and a few yoga stretches. I started this in 2005 and have kept it up ever since.

I don’t do it every day, but I hit at least three days a week — and occasionally I’ll commit to a daily streak for a month. And while I still get the usual assortment of minor aches and pains, I haven’t had a single episode of incapacitating back pain since.

So there’s my N=1 success case.

Why This Counts as Strength Training

People hear “strength training” and picture barbells, chalk, and someone yelling “ONE MORE.” But functional strength is much simpler:

Can your body do the things your life requires?

Carrying groceries. Getting off the floor. Picking up grandkids. Loading mulch into the car. Reaching the top shelf without making a noise that alarms everyone nearby.

You don’t need machines for any of that. You need consistency, a few basic movements, and ideally a pair of pajamas that allow for lunging.

How Pajamacize Evolved

Over the years, my routine grew. Every article insisted I “should” add something else, and eventually it ballooned to 25 minutes. During the pandemic, working from home made that doable — until it wasn’t.

So I split it into two 10–15 minute versions (depending on how much I dawdle) and alternate them. Day A is the original routine. Day B is the “you should also be doing THIS!” collection.

Here’s how it works today and why each piece is there.

🅰️ Day A: The Original Routine

Block 1 — Push + Stretch

• Pushups

• Cobra → Superman

• Cat/cow

• Child’s pose

• Repeat the pushups + yoga flow

Block 2 — Core + Glutes

• Bicycle crunches (twice as many as pushups)

• Side twist

• Glute bridges

• My version of reverse pushups (floor tricep dips)

• Repeat Block 2

I started with the maximum number of pushups I could do and slowly added a few at a time until I reached a total of 60. I always do more in the first set than the second so the second set feels easier — a small psychological trick that works surprisingly well.

Why These Moves Work

Pushups

I originally planned to do planks, but I hate planks. One day I got into plank position and thought, “Why not just do a pushup instead?” Movement felt better, and pushups were particularly challenging for me, so I stuck with them.

Bicycle Crunches

I picked these because I’d read they were the “best” core exercise. This is controversial — there are many opinions on what’s “best” — but they work for me. I even wrote a whole separate post digging into the science and debate around core exercises, if you want the full nerdy breakdown.

Reverse Pushups (floor tricep dips)

Mostly vanity. Trying to avoid saggy arms. Not scientific, but effective enough.

Yoga Moves

Cobra, cat/cow, child’s pose, and the side twist all came from a yoga‑for‑back‑pain DVD I bought years ago. They’ve consistently helped, and on days when I do nothing else, I try to at least do these.

🅱️ Day B: The Add‑Ons Routine

Lunge Matrix

• Front, side, and back lunges

• Ten on each leg

• The backward lunge doubles as a balance exercise

Floor Work

• Plank (I still hate them; I still do them) — 1 minute

• Side work: inner and outer leg lifts

• Side plank — 30 seconds

• Repeat on the other side

McGill Big 3

• Curl‑ups

• Side plank (already done)

• Bird dog

Alternate Day A and Day B, and take a day off when needed.

Why Pajamacize Works for Me

It’s short. It’s doable. It hits the essentials: upper‑body strength, core stability, and spine mobility. And most importantly, it’s consistent.

I don’t need perfection. I need something I’ll actually do — preferably before my brain wakes up enough to negotiate.

Twenty years later, pajamacize is still one of the best things I’ve ever done for my back, my mood, and my ability to move through daily life without complaint.

What’s Next: Part 2 — Going to the Gym

Pajamacize keeps me functional. The gym makes me stronger.

Part 2 is all about what happens when I leave the house, touch actual weights, and try to look like I know what I’m doing.