100 Things: Fitness and Health posts, 14/100

Today is day 5 post surgery and about a week since I've had a serious workout.
And ye GODS is the body complaining!
the hip muscles HURT, the hams are tight and short, quads hurt to stretch, I keep stretching arms and back, but it's not enough.

 

I wanted to go yesterday but the timing didn't work, and Jeff is on vacation so it is hard to leave him... it's lovely having him home, but he hasn't got a regular habit of movement yet, and can sit or lie on the bed for hours.  And I don't think I can do that anymore.

 

found myself lying in bed an hour ago, trying to stretch out the discomfort,  realizing I was feeling resentful. Resentful!  of my body! because it demands movement! I reminded myself that this is what I want. Not the discomfort, surely,  but to be moving regularly, to have a strong, ideally unbreakable habit of movement and strength. Such a strong habit that I can trust myself to take care of myself into my eldering.  I'm not there yet, not at 42, but the early signs are here. Silver hair, skin cancer, wrinkles. Thank the gods I'm still bleeding every month, I couldn't handle The Change atop everything else that's happened this year.

 

My body is undeniably stronger. What's also undeniable is that this habit of moving must be carried forward or I will suffer, risk backsliding,. and miss out on the chance to meet my goals.

 

They are important goals, goals of strength and independence and fun. Goals of self care and an ongoing ability to contribute in the world.
this is an ongoing "put on your oxygen mask before putting someone else's on."

 

This is non-negotiable. This WILL be done,
And the nice thing about this 100 things challenge is that I can use my Livejournal addiction to feed this new habit till it can take root and grow strongly to shape my life.

 

yay for healthy addiction?   =)

Posted via LiveJournal app for Android.

100 Things: Fitness and Health posts, 15/100

Aww yeah baby.

Gym today was SPECTACULAR.
And not just because my right hip and leg desperately needed the workout. I started with the adductor and abductor machines at 50#, ten pounds down from my usual, just to try and give those complaining muscles some immediate love. That was a good thing. Then a wee bit of stretching before moving on to cardio...

There was a fun new machine, which is kind of like the love-child of an elliptical trainer and stationary bike, that was just too damn much fun, it goes REALLY REALLY FAST which is something I hardly ever do, but it didn't have a lot of resistance, so it wasn't HARD exactly. It was just hella SILLY. I was grinning like a loon (as they say.) 17 minutes was "ten laps" for whatever value of laps this machine uses. It worked upper and lower body, so I just did a little light work with the hamstring machine (because my hamstring was part of the OMG YOU'RE NEGLECTING US!! brigade) and then a little flexibility work for shoulders and core, and THEN I got on the bosu-ball, it's a balance ball, with like half an exercise-ball topped by a flat platform; you stand on the platform and it's OMG-hard. I did good stuff there, bent knees and straight, holding my core muscles, until I was making with the wobbly-knees only it wasn't my *knees*, I'm not sure what was wobbling but all of me was wobbling, and then I hopped off. I felt the muscles in the bottoms of my FEET being tired. Wow. That would explain the recent bout of foot-cramps I've been having this last few days when I haven't been working out... Okay!

Ok, now, now, is my favorite part, my most bragging part. =D
I went into the foyer, which has become kind of my default stretching and yoga-work place at the end of a workout. Got a mat, and went from Cobra to Child's pose and back a few times to limber my spine, kicking my right hip out in Crescent Moon to stretch the hip muscles (still sore, I need to get up and move again once I finish this post) ... Up-dog, Down-dog. Rolling my pelvis around on the mat to massage my lower back, I kicked my legs out and rolled up to my feet. This made me remember how much I liked rolling from Boat forward and back... and then I started to roll and kick my feet up, back toward my head, and then I almost made a shoulder stand, and then I DID make a shoulder stand. =D =D =D

And then I had to do it twice more to make sure I had really done it. I did! I did make a shoulder stand!!
This FAT CHICK did a shoulder stand! This OLD BROAD did a shoulder stand! THREE OF THEM!!

So. Much. FUN!!

And then to cap off my triumph, I got the foam core roller and pounded on my IT band and the sore hip and butt muscles, and then I rolled my SPINE, which I always forget how it hurts so, so very good. And makes me feel like I'm at least an inch taller.

Now, now my ducklings, I must go have something to eat, and some more water, and figure out What's For Dinner, because I inspired Jeff to go for a bike ride on the New Bike (which is hella nifty machine, let me tell you) and I plan to reward him by having something delicious ready when he comes home. I think scallops on linguine will do nicely.

Dance music and cooking, ahoy!