Today, I did my first workout, other than walking, since getting the flu and perhaps some pneumonia. Mobility is something I want to improve because I once could do pilates and yoga with smooth transitions. Now that I’m heavier and almost 48 years old, I’ve noticed I’m not as agile as I once was.
To improve my mobility and flexibility, I chose to do PIYO. PIYO is available on the BODI app, but I also bought it in DVD form on Amazon, if you want a physical product. PIYO is an excellent workout that targets your entire body by combining the balance and flexibility of yoga with the strength and cardio of Pilates.
While doing PIYO, I was aware that I was using the wrong leg, wrong arm, and just flailing around at times, but afterwards, I felt my brain light up. It felt like I had done something super challenging—and that felt good.
After the 20 minute workout, I took a walk with my dog, Gumbo. He stopped to pee and leave presents about a million times during the walk, but he was happy about getting to explore. Watching him be happy made me feel happy.
Lately, I’ve been feeling really stressed out about a lot of things. As someone with mental health challenges, I often want to withdraw, retreat from obstacles, and let myself go. This is where reading some stoic philosophy has been helpful.
Taking care of your needs, adapting and working around challenges, and being present for people who really care for you and matter in your life is important work as a human being. It felt good to take time today to care for myself. And I’ve got some time planned today and tomorrow to be with the people I love.
Before my workouts, I was reading Dr. Richard Restak’s 2009 book, Think Smart: A Neuroscientist’s Prescription for Improving Your Brain’s Performance. It’s a little dated but I enjoy his books. I struggle with my memory at times, and it has always concerned me. As I read, I realised I do a lot of things to help improve my memory but, I need to have regular exercise. I can’t just push it to the side because I view it as a way of achieving a better looking body. I need to do it for overall health and wellness.
Being sick for about two weeks hasn’t been much fun. I’ve been sleeping a lot and resting. I get fatigued quickly. But I don’t want the whole month of January to pass me by before I get some exercise in regularly. Exercise from this point forward will probably help me recover as I don’t think I’m likely to have a repeat infection at this point.
Writing has been helping me with my stress and anxiety. It forces me to sit down and to think about my day, experiences, and thoughts. It also helps me to reinforce information from books I’ve been reading—which is helpful to memory.
Another helpful activity I’ve enjoyed is reading blogs by other people about their lives and thoughts and goals. It is nice to have that ability to connect with others, even if from a distance.
Well, I need to get busy doing something. I probably need to make food since I keep forgetting to eat today. Thank you for reading. If you have exercises or memory skills you’d like to share, feel free to comment below.
Reality Bytes 