Living a Healthier Life

Do you follow Ali Edwards? Even if you're not a crafter, you'll enjoy her posts. She's just an all-around inspiring, authentic person. Ali recently started sharing her fitness journey on Instagram, and I appreciate how she speaks about the ups and downs of trying to live a healthier life. She often shares how her work and family life get in the way of her fitness goals. But each time she lapses -- and this is the best part about her posts -- she GETS BACK ON TRACK, because she knows she'll feel better when she does. 

Ali's posts have made me stop and re-think WHY I'm trying to live a healthier lifestyle. Truly, it shouldn't be about perfection -- it should be about moving GENERALLY in the right direction. There are times when I eat ALL THE CHIPS. And there's a reason I never make dessert or buy potatoes. 😉

 One of Ali's latest posts was about the scale. Ahhh, yes, the dreaded scale. There have been times when I've been SCARED to get on the scale. In fact, there were a few years when I didn't even own a scale, making getting on the scale at the doctor's office once a year even more terrifying. 

So when Ali asked: Is the scale a friend, foe, or a tool? I paid attention. For me, it can be a foe. 

That doesn't make a whole lot of sense. I'm not overweight. There is no need for me to feel this way about the scale. Obviously, there is some self-criticism at play here. It's true that we all need to be more loving toward ourselves...myself included.

So I tell myself that weight loss is not one the reasons why I'm trying to live a healthier lifestyle. But that's not completely true. Like many people, I'd like to lose a few pounds. Recently I came down with an awful case of the stomach flu and over the course of 24 hours, I lost 5 pounds. After I started feeling better, I was a little bit happy that I had lost that weight -- even though having the flu was the WORST way to lose it. When I got on the scale that day, it was my FRIEND, not my foe. Not the healthiest outlook, I know. The scale really should be a TOOL -- not a friend or a foe.

One of my fitness goals is to visit the gym each day. When I was sick, I missed a day and that really upset me (there's that perfection thing rearing its head again). I started this back in October, and when the gym manager began writing "biggest users" on the chalkboard, I found myself motivated to continue. Now seeing my name on the chalkboard has become a monthly goal for me.

A few months ago, I injured my foot during yoga and couldn't run for quite some time. So during that time, I took up the elliptical instead. Now I alternate between the elliptical, treadmill running, and the stationary bike each day. This allowed me to get back into running without re-injuring my foot, and the variety makes it more interesting. Without that injury, I never would have incorporated the dreaded elliptical into my routine!

Still, it took some time to make my way back to running the full 5K (it takes me about 40 minutes to do it). I had finally reached that level -- in fact, I downloaded the 10K app to take a look at it as a possible next goal -- when...

I tripped over a ladder in the garage and stubbed my toe in a big way -- the same foot I previously injured! I don't know if it's broken, but it certainly doesn't feel great. So much for that running!  

But like Ali says, the journey toward living a healthier lifestyle can be filled with ups and downs. The important thing is to not give up -- find something you CAN do. Luckily, I can still get my tennis shoes on, so I'm back on the bike for now.

Another goal is to improve my emotional health, and I've found that yoga is a big part of that. Yoga breathing has helped me through a number of stressful situations, including biopsies and MRIs. In addition to improving my flexibility and balance, yoga provides a great arm workout which complements the work I do at the gym.

So if not weight loss, what are my fitness goals? Why am I spending one-two hours each day doing this stuff?

I have found that when I spend time being active, I feel better in my body -- regardless of those 5 pounds. I have more energy and sleep better at night. I also know that regular exercise offers some protection against certain diseases which have reared their ugly head in my family. I can't change my genetics, but I can modify my lifestyle to put the odds more in my favor. 

For me, those are reasons enough to continue trying to live a healthy lifestyle, regardless of the ups and downs of the journey!

jp

2018 Fitness Habits

I'm absolutely one of the least athletic people you'll ever meet. As a child, I was always the last to be picked in gym class and came to believe that I simply wasn't capable of doing anything physical. So even though I'd always been an active/busy person, I had never really exercised until we joined our local gym a few years back.  Since joining, I've noticed a big difference in my overall strength, flexibility, and stamina. And I think that regular exercise also contributed to good blood-work numbers I received at my physical last fall. (Check out this post from my first few days at the gym back in 2008! I have indeed made some progress since then when I considered it torture! LOL)

In October, our gym got some new equipment which allows you to track your progress. I happened to be trying out one of the new bikes when the manager offered me a key fob so I could track myself. I wasn't sure I wanted to do that but he encouraged me to give it a try. (Really, why not?)

As it turned out, I found that tracking my progress was highly motivating! I set up a weekly goal and each time I use the equipment, it counts toward that goal. Once I started tracking my progress, I was motivated to go to the gym more often. Funny how that works! :)

Because I was motivated to track my progress, I decided that I could surely make time to go to the gym every day. After all, it's very close to our house and open 24 hours a day. So I started going every day, either to run or bike. 

 I'm dealing with a sore foot right now so, I've added the elliptical and rowing into my rotation of gym activities. While I'm there, I watch YouTube videos on my phone and the time flies by!

Once I started going every day, I realized that I could get onto the "biggest user" list that the gym posts every month -- the people who go most often. This list is not for the "most fit" or "people who work the hardest". To make the list, you just have to show up. That I can do! LOL

 

So by making the gym a daily habit, I made the list in November, December, and January. And silly as it may be, that in itself has been motivation to keep going. When you consider where I started back in 2008 (read that old post, if you haven't!), the fact that I've managed to get myself onto any gym list at all is pretty hilarious! :)

 

Can I keep up with going to the gym every day? Maybe not. But I can certainly go with more consistency and be more mindful of how I'm spending my time there.

In January, I also decided to step up my yoga game and make it a daily habit. I've found that I get the most benefit from a home yoga practice by doing a little each day.  I've been doing yoga regularly for two years now (Yoga with Adriene) but not every day. 

 

In January, my daughter and I joined Adriene's 30-day yoga journey and for the first time since doing 30-day challenges, I did not miss a single day. YAY! I've kept it going through February, too. I find that making check-marks on my yoga calendar is motivating! Silly, but it works for me.

So what's the point of this blog post? I've found that by being physically active each day -- consistently -- this "chore" has turned into a habit. Now I don't come up with excuses to miss the gym or do my yoga. As a result, I feel better, I sleep better (because I'm REALLY tired on some days!) and I'm getting stronger. 

I'm still not athletic, but showing up for myself -- on the yoga mat and at the gym -- is making a big difference in my well-being. And that makes it worth it!

jp

Feline Friday: Yoga with Rory

Rory has decided to take up yoga in the New Year! She especially likes Yoga with Adriene because Benji the dog can often be seen on camera. This encouraged Rory to give it a try! :)

Since she's just getting started, Rory is spending a lot of time studying each pose very carefully. I CAN DO DIS!

HAY WHATS DIS ABOUT DOWNWARD DOGS?

  Part of Rory's yoga preparation is riding along with her meowmy on poses such as the "reclined twist" to better understand how it's done.

DIS YOGA IZ RELAXXEEN!

SOooooo relaxeen...DIS IS CALLED ZEN!

Good job doing yoga, Rory! :)

jp

P.S.: If you'd like to try yoga, Rory HIGHLY recommends Yoga with Adriene's free YouTube videos. You (and your kitty or dog) can practice in your home at your own pace. Check it out!

Treadmill Running: Slow and Steady

I started treadmill running a couple of years ago using a Couch to 5K app on my phone. As a beginning runner, I found the app very useful and motivating. Although I'm not really sure how I did it, I plowed through the eight weeks and somehow made it to the "5K" level. Unfortunately, life happened and I could not maintain that level of running for very long. I think I pushed myself too quickly to achieve the 5K goal without truly improving my level of fitness.

Since then, I've started back at the beginning of the C25K program a few times, trying to work my way back to that level. But I've continued to struggle for one reason or another: I hurt my eye, I hurt my foot, my side aches, I'm too tired...excuse of the week, I guess.

I finally decided that before moving on to a new level, I needed to spend enough time at the current level to truly master it. If that meant repeating a day multiple times, that's what I've been doing. I might repeat Week 6, Day 3 for several days until it becomes easy and I don't think about the time elapsed or the time remaining on that particular run. When I get to the end of a run and am still feeling great, then I know it's time to move on to the next level.

So I've plodded through the C25K program at what must surely be the slowest pace ever (good thing this is not a race...ha!) but this time when I reach the 5K level, I want to be able to maintain it. I want to be able to go to the gym, hop on the treadmill and run 3 miles comfortably (well, maybe "comfortably" is not the right word). At this very slow rate, I should be there in a couple of years! Actually, I hope to be there for good in a couple of weeks. Slow and steady wins this "race"!
jp

Fitness: The Slowest 5K Ever

It's been a long time since I've posted anything about my trips to the Dreaded Fitness Place. Yep, I'm still going. And yep, I'm still working on the eight-week Couch to 5K program. But it is taking me ever so long to make it through those eight weeks. 

I've done the whole C25K thing before but, for a variety of reasons, did not maintain that level of running. This time I decided to spend several days on each DAY of the program so that I truly build up my fitness level before moving on. After all, there is no rush. I'm not preparing for an actual race. My only competition is myself...and trust me, that's a good thing!

So this month I'm finally back up to Week 7, which is jogging 2.5 miles in 25 minutes without stopping. I can do this level pretty comfortably now and only have to stop if I've had too much water before arriving at the gym! LOL I only need to add 5 more minutes of running to be at the 3 mile (5K level). I'll be there in a couple of weeks!

Remember, I'm not at all athletic, so here are a few things that have kept me going:

* Invest in good running shoes. You can't run with just any old tennis shoes. I tried it. Good shoes completely eliminated my ankle and knee pain.

* Have a positive mindset. I've found that my emotional state affects my ability to run more than almost anything else. If I tell myself that today is the day I'm going to meet that goal, then I almost always get it done.

* Drink 3-4 full bottles of water over the hours before going to the gym. This is the ONLY thing that keeps me from getting a side cramp while running. I have no idea why drinking water prevents cramps but it does. I've tried everything else and this is the only way to go for me. 

* Watch crafting videos while running. :) Jennifer McGuire doesn't know it, but she is now my personal trainer!

When I finally make it to the 5K level, I hope to be able to sustain it and move on to longer programs. We'll see how that goes!

jp

Fitness: Still at It

I think exercise tests us in so many ways, our skills, our hearts, our ability to bounce back after setbacks. This is the inner beauty of sports and competition, and it can serve us all well as adult athletes.

Peggy Fleming

Back in June, I promised to write more regularly about my adventures at the gym. I have had the best of intentions of doing that but fell short. I've been going to the gym pretty regularly but have had a bit of slippage in my fitness plan. So I've regrouped and am back on track. Silly pun, I know. :)

I first started treadmill running a few months before my dad passed away. When I started, I wanted to challenge myself to do more than I had been doing at the gym, and the idea of running appealed to me. Little did I know how well my running program would serve me as I worked my way through the agonizing months following his passing. I would come home from a brutally hard day sorting through the contents of my childhood home, too exhausted to think, yet I could hop on the treadmill and just run and run. It took my mind to a safer place, where the only thing I had to think about was that day's running goal.

Then over the winter, things began to unravel with my grandma, and I found myself missing time at the gym. I was still in a dark place emotionally, and this time I let it affect my running. Truthfully it affected my entire physical self. Headaches, stomach aches, side aches...you name it. Each "ailment" kept me from running. Somehow I got away from the very thing that had helped me feel better about myself. I re-started the C25K program more than once but each time something got in the way.

After Grandma passed away in August, I finally decided it was time to put myself first for awhile. I opened up my C25K app and started over, this time vowing I would not make excuses. I told myself that I could take longer than 9 weeks to complete it this time. After all, what's the rush? And it would be OK to repeat a day once in awhile if I didn't feel ready to move to the next day's plan.

As of today, I'm ready for Week 5, Day 1. I've cut myself a little (but not too much) slack, and I feel solid in what I've accomplished so far.

My message to you is this: If I can do this, anyone can. I'm the girl who was last to be picked in gym class, the one taunted and teased for her lack of athletic skill. Maybe "it" for you is not running. Maybe it's swimming or yoga. Find something physical you enjoy, and just get started. It may help you in unexpected ways one day. 

The body achieves what the mind believes. 
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Fitness: Back on Track

 

 Awhile back, I wrote that I would share some of my experiences with treadmill running. I recently realized that I completely forgot to do that! I have continued to run, but I've had to stop and start over on my C25K program more than once.

 

Since last fall, I've been struggling with a pesky (and painful) side stitch which sometimes derails my running efforts. I get about 10 minutes into the run and I have to stop and walk. After talking to the trainer and doing quite a bit of research on this, I traced the problem to hydration. On days I plan to run (or even better, EVERY DAY), I need to drink several glasses of water. When I do this, I don't have any side stitches. Go figure!

 At any rate, it took awhile before I figured out the hydration issue so in the meantime, I curtailed my running. Now I've started the C25K interval training program all over again. It's a little discouraging to have to do that, but I was successful once before with it so I decided I might as well do it again. Assuming all goes well, I should be able to move through the nine weeks faster by skipping a few days here and there. Still, it's important to build your stamina before moving on to the next week's regimen so you don't want to skip too many days. Truly, there is no rush!

When I first started running, I had visions of running in an outdoor 5K. But I've had difficulty transitioning to outdoor running and have finally concluded that it's not for me, for several reasons. First, I like the climate controlled environment of the gym. I hate the hot and humid weather and BUGS that come with outdoor running. I'm also not all that coordinated (understatement of the year!), so running on uneven surfaces is a bit worrisome to me. And finally, I really like watching HGTV or a craft video on my phone while I run. These things keep my brain occupied and my feet moving. These perks are not available on an outdoor run. :)

 At the gym, I spend 30 minutes on the treadmill and the remainder of the time working on other machines. Recently our gym added rowing machine, and decided to give it a try. I love it! This is the closest I will ever come to being in a row boat, since I am deathly afraid of falling in the water. It's perfect for me! I get the full body workout without any danger of capsizing!

 

 So that's my fitness update for this week. Or this month. If you're struggling at the gym, just KEEP AT IT. It's OK to have to start over. Just get out there and do SOMETHING. Trust me: If I can do this, anyone can!

jp