Health & Fitness – Update 2022

Just one small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day.

– Dalai Lama

It is not always easy to begin the day with a positive thought, especially when one has been awake in pain, on and off throughout the night. Staying positive is not easy, but over the past 12 months, when my alarm has gone off, which I hate (I hate being woken by an alarm, where possible I try to wake up naturally), I switch it off and do some controlled breathing for a few minutes, instead of jumping straight out of bed (which is not some much of a jump these days but a slow roll and then an attempt to stand upright). I have found that doing the controlled breathing helps me collate my thoughts and enables me to face the day. I won’t go through all my morning routine, but since changing jobs I have been less rushed in the mornings, even though I get up and start work earlier. I have never been a lark, more of an owl, so this is a real change for me.

Another change is that I now have access to my own transport, so I don’t use the bus get to work now. I am not stood in the cold waiting for hours and getting stressed by buses that are always coming late. I have to admit this is the best thing about my new job. I have the freedom to leave my house at a set time and know that I am going to get to work more or less on time. Some days traffic can be an issue but even then it is not as stressful as waiting for a bus. Its a shame because I am always trying to improve when it comes to sustainability and carbon footprint etc… but until public transport improves, I think I am going to try and stick with my own form of transport. The downside to this, besides the environmental impact, is that I am not doing as much walking as I once did and I am noticing the difference around my waist, especially.

Fitness Update

As you have probably guessed by the previous paragraph, my fitness levels are not good. I am in a definite fitness slump, however, since September I have been going to ballet class once a week. I did ballet when I was younger and I studied it in my teens but I have must have blocked all my previous training out as I have no recollection of any previous training. I do remember some of the names of the moves and some of the higher grade routines, but honestly I try to remember and it is like staring into an abyss. Even though I am overweight and unfit, I do still have some muscle memory which is positive. I am not as flexible as I once was, but I have hope. Ballet is helping me build my stamina, and improve my flexibility. (I am not the oldest in the room but I am the fattest)

Plans

I am going to aim to be fit enough to do the Wolf Run either for the Autumn 23 or Spring 24, challenge. I will of course aim for the 5K first and if I enjoy it I might go for the 10K. I have asked a couple of others to do it with me, but we will see if that happens. I don’t mind doing it on my own but I would like some company. I have started trying to improve my fitness by doing a bit of walking everyday, with the exception of Sundays. Sunday at the moment is my rest day, that is the continual one and then the other day changes dependant on what I am doing that week.

Friday last week I stayed in Wembley over night as I was the stadium for an awards ceremony with my brother’s business. We had a great time, and before I left on Saturday, I took a walk around Wembley Stadium. As I was walking around, I noted that there were a number of people using it as a running track. It made me almost regret not bringing my running shoes until I considered it further and decided it might have killed me if I had attempted to do this. Just walking up the steps to the Wembley walk was a little bit of a hike. Easier on the Saturday than the Friday as on Friday I was wearing heels and currently my rheumatoid arthritis is attacking my left foot, so getting up those steps on Friday was a real challenge. It makes it worse when you are fat because everyone is judging your weight for being so unfit, and they find a fat person struggling to walk up the steps hilarious. On Saturday morning I was still the same wait and got up the steps fine, though a little breathless once at the top, but I proved to myself I could do it.

I am trying to think of ways that I can measure my fitness levels, that make it more interesting when I write about it on here for 2023. I will of course keep a log, maybe some more photos when I have opportunity. Some research I think is required on how other bloggers have shared this information.

2023 Goals (so far)

• Lose weight (as always)
• Get fitter (same)
• Carry on with Ballet Class (every Monday)
• Complete the Wolf Run (autumn 2023/Spring 2024)
• Carry on with controlled breathing and meditation in mornings

I am pretty certain that the Health and Fitness update will be monthly during 2023.

Thank you for reading

Toodles

Lu x