Day 3: Being a Healthier Author
Being Active - It isn't all going to come back at once...
This is different for every individual. What is your level of activity now? What was the best you ever felt? Would you like to get some of that back?
The number of times I am breathing hard after activity, and I think to myself, <this didn't use to be hard,> is likely too many to count reliably. The number of times I listen to people tell stories about what they used to be able to do, myself included, is also extremely high.
The trick here isn't rushing back to that place in your life. It's about acknowledging that you aren't there anymore but believing you can return. The first step on this journey is to make a single change.
These changes need to be achievable and small. You need to have given yourself room to fail. You need to make allowances to cheat. Finally, you need to be kind to yourself because there is enough negativity out there without us piling more onto our own shoulders.
So what's achievable? For me, that goal was 8000 steps a day. Over the last two days, I have managed 2000 and 3000, respectively. Still, you will notice that I checked off being active both days. That's because I found an alternative. Walking for me is slightly challenging at the moment because I am locked inside my house. I took a trip recently to Branson, Missouri, and am now in government-issued quarantine. Trust me, there are only so many laps around the kitchen island you can do .
Luckily, I have a Kinetic Bike Trainer and a bike. So, instead of 8000 steps, I biked for 30 minutes and 31 minutes over the last two days. Minor internal arguments followed. In both cases, I intended to bike first thing in the morning, right after I woke up. In both cases, I "missed." So, I found myself downstairs spinning the wheels at 8 pm after internally pleading with myself. I still think one of the only reasons I did it is because of these posts. That's okay though, the reason isn't important; it's more important that I am being active. So thank you all.
Still, my goal with these posts isn't only to help myself. I am hoping to inspire some others to begin their own journey. So, what is more, active for you? If you already walk 8000+ steps a day, do you need to do more? If you are walking no steps a day, do you need to do more?
The answer is no unless you, like me, want to make a change. Then the answer is yes, and what can I change. Walk longer. Walk changes to jog. Bodyweight exercises etc. Reach out to me if you want; we can find something that works for you.
Handling a "Miss:"
Yesterday I didn't perform any sort of stretching routine. I had the time to do it and can even point to the easiest moment. Right after I finished on the bike and sat on my phone for 30 minutes. But for whatever reason, I didn't.
Part of this journey is acknowledging that you aren't going to hit every goal along the way. This is about making one small change at a time and then trying to be consistent with it. For example, I didn't hit the stretching yesterday, but I will add it again today.
Don't chide yourself for not getting something done. Instead, allow yourself to fail, but not give up.
Today's goals:
Eat Healthier
Be Active
Perform a stretching routine