A black and white tarot card – the three of cups – depicting three women in long dresses holding wine glasses in the air Adding a little woo to my fitness journaling
ADHD · fitness · habits · self care

Adding a little woo to my fitness journaling

Christine HenneburyLeave a comment

Hmm, if I were to pull a Tarot card before I started exercising would that mean I was doing a woo-kout?

Yes, I do find myself funny. Your mileage may vary.

As a writer, a storyteller, and someone who is intrigued by mysteries, magic, and ghost stories, I love Tarot cards, Oracle cards, story dice, and all of that kind of stuff.

Six rectangular tiles on a green cloth. Each tile has an image on it that will be used to interpret answers to a question.
A few tiles from a set of oracle tiles I created for myself out of wooden tiles, drawings, stickers, and collage items. Image description: six small rectangular tiles on a wrinkled green cloth. One tile has three candles and a striped background, one has a gold star against a background of black lines, one has a window or maybe a French door against a green background and there are flowers in a vase in front of the door/window, another has the word wonder cut from a magazine against a black background with gold polkadots, another shows a green puzzle piece against a background of gold and black alternating lines, and the final one shows a sticker of a snail moving up a green hill that I drew on the tile.

And I use those tools regularly for writing, storytelling, journaling, and reflecting.

I’m not particularly mystical about using them. I know that some people are very engaged with the rituals around Tarot but I generally think of myself as in conversation with my subconscious rather than with an unknown force. (The woo in my title is more about playing with perceptions than about my approach to engaging with these tools.*)

I like the way that Tarot or Oracle cards give me a container for examining my thoughts, feelings, and reactions to a situation.

And given the speed at which my ADHD brain seeks context, generates ideas, and weaves a web of connecting thoughts, it can be a relief to have a structure I can borrow to organize my thinking.

So, when I found myself planning to journal on the question, “What could make it easier for me to exercise?, it made sense for me to turn to my Tarot cards for some guidance.

 I drew the Three of Cups.

A tarot card for the three of cups
This particular three of cups card is from the Phantomwise Tarot by Erin Morgenstern and the images are related to her book The Night Circus. Image description: A tarot card is propped up between the keys of my black computer keyboard. The card depicts three feminine presenting figures in long dresses and black opera gloves lifting glasses high in the air towards each other in a ‘Cheers’ sort of gesture. The occurred itself is black, and all of the images are in black white and grey.

The interpretation of this card seems pretty straightforward (although there are ways to dive deeply into the meanings of any card, of course.)

This card is about friendship, joy, support, and connection and it resonated with me in terms of my exercise practice.

I know that all of those things can be helpful for any ongoing practice but I hadn’t really thought about whether I needed to include them in my fitness plans.

But ensuring that friendship, joy, support, and connection are part of the plan seems like a pretty good place to start making my exercise easier to do.

So I changed the nature of the questions I was asking myself.

Instead of just ‘What could make it easier to exercise?’ I asked myself:

How can I make the exercise process more fun?

How can I make exercise a more social activity?

What kind of support do I need to make it easier for me to exercise?

Now, I know that all of these questions have come up for me before.

They’ll probably come up again.

But since the initial question occurred to me now and those other questions arose as a result, they’re worth exploring.

I don’t think I would’ve thought along these lines without drawing that card.

I probably wouldn’t have considered whether I needed a social element or more moral support right now.

But since the themes of that card resonated with me, I’m going to explore how they might be helpful to me.

A different card may or may not have resonated but, at the very least, it would have guided me to different questions to consider.

And journalling without pulling a card would have probably been helpful but my thoughts may not have been focused and they likely have sent me off in a whole different direction.

So, just as I had hoped, pulling a Tarot card gave me a container for my thoughts, a way to direct my inquiries that felt purposeful.

And even if the card hadn’t resonated, I would have been able to journal about why that definitely wasn’t what I needed – a helpful piece of information in itself.

Anyway, I’ll let you know about any useful answers that arise from my journalling in response to these questions.

And now I have a few questions for you:

Do you ever use Tarot as a way to guide or contain your thinking on a given topic?

Have you ever found Tarot useful for your fitness practices?

Would you like me to pull a card to help guide your thinking about a fitness question?

If so, please let me know in the comments!

*If you have a more mystical or esoteric approach to using divination tools, please don’t think I am dismissing you here. I am aiming for a clear description of my approach not a dismissal of yours.

Book Reviews · fitness

Food, Feminism, and Fury

Diane HarperLeave a comment

Someone, somewhere, recommended I read the book If You Can’t Take the Heat, by Geraldine DeRuiter. I put it on my TBR list and forgot about it until I was looking for something from the library and picked it up. I’m glad I did.

Geraldine DeRuiter (everywhereist.com) is known as a food writer, but this isn’t exactly a food book. It’s mostly a biography, but filled with both biting feminist commentary and hilarious turns of phrase. I don’t mark up books, or use bookmarks to remember particularly interesting bits in books I’m reading, but this one is full of sticky notes. Here are a few of my favourite lines:

  • From page 11 of the first chapter, entitled “the First Taste of Defiance”: I wouldn’t touch hot dogs, but consumed pig’s feet and boiled cow’s tongue with all the restraint of an underfed hyena, delighting in my cousins’ and brother’s horror. (This was when I knew I would love the book).
  • It’s a hard thing to learn: that we can ask things of other people, that we can order food how we want it. That our bodies deserve to be nourishing and loved and fed the way we want them to be.
  • On being trapped in the kitchen preparing Thanksgiving dinner with the other women of her family: Growing up, I had plenty of examples of men cooking…In my ruthless assessment, when someone could not cook, they’d failed at adulthood. But I found myself judging women slightly more harshly than I judged me when I discovered they were inept in the kitchen. I simply expected lore of them, at least culinarily, which was unfair to everyone…I’ve accepted the feminist notion that women can do everything, but the idea that we don’t have to do certain things is taking a bit longer to sink in.
  • On paying at restaurants: By not endeavouring to imagine that [women] might be the ones picking up the bill, the staff is not regarding them as legitimate patrons of the restaurant. They are there as accessories for the male guests. Given the transactional role that biting a woman dinner has historically carried in Western society, the entire situation becomes even more fraught.
  • On coping with anxiety by amassing food in case of disaster: My favourite part of any survival story is the acquisition of food and water…I love when the befriend a dog, which people in disaster stories almost always do, because it adds dimension to the story, but also because dogs are edible!
  • The contents of my pantry would not stop my father from getting cancer, would not prevent my mother from forgetting a portion the stove and burning down the house she had lived in for twenty-five years. I was ignoring the first precious word in the phrase “comfort food” – that in order to comfort, the grief and pain have already arrived. The casserole delivered in the wake of a tragedy does not reach back and undo the devastation. But…it reminds us, at a time when we so desperately need it, that we are loved.
  • According to the psychologist Sandra Thomas, a leading researcher in the field of gender and anger, anger is often perceived as a distinctly masculine trait….In that same vein, women are taught that anger is undermined, and to suppress, it, until one day we drop dead from a lifetime of biting our own tongues.
  • On body image: I had very distinct dietary goals. I wanted to outlive all of these assholes and be healthy enough to dance on their graves.

It’s not all snappy one-liners and fury. Her struggles as a child in a chaotic and sometimes abusive household, her complicated feelings about her mostly-absent father, the misogyny and hate she has faced for daring to have opinions in the public sphere are all laid bare. But she has great tenderness for her parents, her friends, and most of all, her husband.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked up this book. But I’m very glad I did.

My library copy of If you Can’t Take the Heat. It has a pink cover with a woman’s hand crushing a frosted pastry. A whole bunch of blue sticky notes are hanging out the side.
fitness

Things Sam didn’t buy this week, the fitness edition

Sam BLeave a comment

February is a no-spend month for me. This was week 1.

I did book travel this week, but it’s physical stuff, and I guess digital purchases, that I’m ruling out this month.

I will be keeping a list of things I was tempted to buy. My thought is that at the end of the month, I can revisit the list. This way, I can see if I really want any of the stuff I was tempted to buy. My guess is that I won’t. This will be a lesson worth learning. However, if I do really want something, I can consider buying it.

So here’s the list!

🔴 Team Canada Ribbed Alpaca Wool-Blend Beanie. Actually, all the women’s winter Olympic gear looks pretty great. I really like the vests that you can also wear as skirts. But are there sales after the Olympics? I need to know. I REALLY like this stuff, even though Lululemon is selling it. I’m also feeling proud and happy to be Canadian right now, so maybe that calls for some Team Canada merch? We’ll see. Ask me in March. If you’re looking for a birthday or Christmas present for me,  here it is.

Red knitted beanie hat with the word 'CANADA' prominently displayed on the cuff.

🔴 I have attended swimming lessons exactly two times, and I’ve already been browsing Speedo bathing suits. In my mind, I’ve jumped ahead a couple of years, and I’m training with a Master’s swim team and I need a racier bathing suit. Lol. That led me to Left on Friday, a Canadian swimwear brand, and then on to Australia’s Funkita and Kozii. I need a suit that’s good in chlorine and easy to get on and off. It must be relatively modest, so it doesn’t require the removal of body hair. I’d be happier if it’s available in funky colours and patterns, but basic black is okay too. It also needs to have long torso sizing. I’m 5’7 but have short legs. All my height is in my torso which makes one piece bathing suits challenging. Recommendations welcome!

🔴 Women’s ice skates. Mice chomped on the pair I have now. They built a nest in our shed and the nest turned out to be made out of fleece from inside the tongue of my right skate. The new skates need to be comfortable and supportive. They should also be easy to get on. They have to be figure skates because old habits die hard. The problem is that they are all expensive. I can’t try them on and try them out on the ice. I don’t need a collection of attempts to find comfy cozy ice skates. I need one good pair, sans mice. Recommendations welcome!

🔴 New cross-country ski boots. Mine are many years old. They hurt my heel and my toes. I keep thinking a new pair might not do that. But they might, I worry. So I put it off. If I see a good pair on sale, I may just test out that theory. Thoughts?

🔴 Sherpa hoods, because one can never be too bundled up! What’s a sherpa hood? Look here. But I don’t want beige. It’s so cold this winter that I’m wearing all my winter gear and still want more.

fitness

Turning 3D

fieldpoppy2 Comments

I turned 61 on Sunday.

A digital illustration of a person with short, wavy gray hair and glasses, wearing a black sleeveless shirt and a green floral headband. The background is a solid red color.
What happened when I asked Gemini to make a 3D image of me

According to my math-y friend Jim, 61 is “3D in hexadecimal.” He explained the math, but it meant nothing to me. (Jim is really smart as well as being a lovely human, but that’s not the point).

But the idea of “becoming 3D” captivated me.

I mean, obviously, I have been occupying the world as a multi-dimensional human most of my life. (Well, maybe not when I’m flattened on the couch with a cat on my chest). But 61 is some serious aging math. I got a free “seniors” bank account the other day. I’m deeply conscious of that secondary wave of rapid aging that study pointed to last year, and — like Sam and Mina and others on the blog — I’ve had some new physical depreciations show up in the past year that make me anxious about being able to move the way I want, inhabit my body with the freedom I take for granted.

So 3D. I started to play with what it might mean to twist the kaleidoscope a couple of turns to explore what life could be in if I bring new parts of me into focus, gently let others shift to the sides. Let the things that have been at my centre shed light on the middle, but not glow so much that I can’t see the edges.

A vibrant abstract pattern featuring intricate details and a kaleidoscopic design in shades of purple, pink, and blue.
Photo by Yuriy Vertikov on Unsplash

Last year on my birthday, I woke up in a nunnery in Bhutan. I had been there briefly in 2018, and the sensation of it kept coming back, like the memorytaste of the best sushi I’d ever had. So I arranged my life to take six weeks off (one week for every decade), worked with Chador, my guide-friend, to make a plan to sleep in a place that doesn’t host westerners, and, the day before my birthday, rode a bike 30 kilometres up a mountain, climbing nearly two kilometres at Himalayan altitude.

A cyclist in a blue shirt and helmet is stopped on a mountain road, looking at their phone. A road sign indicating 'Chelela 27' is visible nearby, surrounded by pine trees and fallen leaves.
One of the flatter parts of the mountain road, at the beginning of the ride.

It was sublime. I slept on the floor of the nuns’ little receiving room. I woke at dawn and watched the sun creep alive over the himalayas, watched one of the nuns build a fire and fan scented smoke up to the sky in a morning offering. Walked down the mountain with an ancient nun who was as fit as a goat, even though she came down with me so we could take her to the hospital for some ailment or other.

That moment epitomized some of the core dimensions I’ve lived my life with — yearning to be in something bigger, persistence (stubbornness?), a kind of fearlessness, independence, forging connections all over the globe, imagining something and pursuing it, a boundless (sometimes misplaced) trust that I could push my body into anything I want it to do.

When I think about some of the places I’ve woken up on my birthday, this Cate is the one I’ve centred. Puerto Natalas, Patagonia, after hiking the W trek (and losing all my toenails). Sarajevo, where I did 108 sun salutations and wandered gloomy, smoky streets feeling the trauma of civil war in the roses painted in the mortar shell scars on the sidewalks. Costa Rica, where I hiked in a rainforest and looked for tiny bats and frolicking monkeys.

That Cate is the same Cate that took me across dozens of countries on my bike, most often alone, into a two decade project in Uganda, into work that generates complex and challenging emotions. Life lived with a constant question of “what else is there to know and be with?”

The mountain in Bhutan was sublime. But I also skidded on the ice at the top of my ride and hurt my quad, and I got mild pulmonary edema. After I came down, I had the feeling that I wanted to come home, be in a less outward dimension, turn into myself in a new way.

The year that followed had a lot of moments that felt like the slow toil of climbing that mountain, the destabilizing seconds when I skidded on the ice, the searing ache of trying to squat over a latrine to pee when my glute was in spasm. Many people I love have been flung into wounding, unexpected situations. My own relationship ended in a painful slide that was disorienting, made me look at my centre and touch it gently, like a bruise. The world around us slid into chaos and a revelling in brutality, an exposure of craven selfishness.

I let my kaleidoscope drift, then actively shift. I went into a different centre, reaching back into history and my creative self. I started writing a novel inspired by one of my ancestors, who was the first woman in New France to be hanged — after she murdered her abusive son-in-law. (A lesson for our times). I discovered that turning my physical persistence toward imagining, shaping, sitting down and actually just being with the act of creation was much harder than anything physical I’ve ever done. Discipline without the dopamine reward of a hard ride or lifting something heavy.

In that space, I found a community. I’m not a joiner, but somehow, magically, my persistence in writing found five other women who are doing the same, and we meet every morning on zoom for an hour and write together. A new dimension, where I’m one of a group, not navigating the edge or facilitating it. I let myself receive.

In this pursuit of story, the DNA online lottery was benevolent, and I found a lost second cousin. An amazing person I see myself in. The truth of our family story was healing, connecting, openings.

In the edges of loss and upheaval around me, the core people I trust with my life — and who trust me with theirs — were reinforced over and over. And new ones emerged.

In those openings, I let the adventurous, pace-rabbit of a human part of me slide to the edges. Let myself feel what was in the middle. Touched it with my tongue, like a snowflake or mist from the sea. A desire for creativity. Generosity. Reciprocity. Community. Fresh air.

I’ve been idly toying with how I’m going to live the next part of my life for years. I want to work less, be somewhere I can ride and run and walk from my door, be by the sea. Vague ideas, no real plan, held in orbit here by work and my relationship and inertia. Then my friend Stephanie sent me a real estate listing in Lunenburg. “I think this might be your house,” she said.

It was. There’s a loft for writing and art and yoga. It’s five minutes walk to the wharf. A life to live in new colours.

A charming red house at dusk, featuring a stone pathway leading to the entrance, with warm lights illuminating the porch. The sky is a deep blue, and trees are partially visible around the property.

So I’m moving to Nova Scotia. To a little red house that my writing group calls our clubhouse. To a space to create anew. And be with my aging, beautiful physical being in a space where I can breathe.

My very first post for this blog was a reflection on turning 50 and tending to my body so I could still be agile and adventurous when I was old. I read it now and it feels so … active. I’m learning that protecting the old lady inside me does mean movement, does mean stretching and physical balance. And it’s also about connection, and stillness, and community. A kind of movement that also honours sitting down and letting myself find joy from the inside out.

Fieldpoppy is Cate Creede-Desmarais, who is keenly aware and appreciative of the privilege of their life.

A woman in lab glasses and coat infront of a blackboard. by Unsplash. Research roundup– moving is good and good for us…
fitness · Research Roundup · Science

Research roundup– moving is good and good for us…

catherine wLeave a comment

Amidst all the chaos and destruction in the world, science is still happening (although the funding situation is also chaotic and destructive, but never mind that for the moment). Interesting questions are being asked, tested, and interesting answers are being given. Here are some of them (mostly courtesy of Sam, who sends these to me– thanks, Sam!)

Question: Does exercise result in a net calorie reduction, or does the body compensate to balance things out?

Answer: we don’t know yet. But, a bunch of scientists are hard at work testing different active subpopulations (from Tanzanian Hadza hunter-gatherers to American collegiate cross country runners) to look for ways that human metabolism responds to energy output. This article from Outside magazine gives a detailed and accessible overview of recent research on the topic.

Good news: even if exercise doesn’t result in a ton of extra calories burned (if that’s your goal), it still results in other good things, like increased longevity, better sleep and overall well-being.

Walking with kids is fun. By Krzysztof Kowalik for Unsplash.
Walking with kids is fun. By Krzysztof Kowalik for Unsplash.

Question: Does cycling make you smarter?

Answer: Maybe, in some ways, for a little bit. Here’s what this article in The Cycling Week magazine had to say about it:

A study published in the Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research found that people scored significantly higher on memory, reasoning, and planning tests after just 30 minutes of spinning on a stationary bike.

This effect is primarily linked to the production of a protein called BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor). BDNF acts like a fertilizer for your brain, helping to grow new cells and protecting existing ones from decay.

Essentially, every mile you ride is an investment in your brain’s structural integrity and future processing speed.

Yay! Does cycling do anything else good to your brain? The article also cites research results suggesting that cycling promotes lower dementia risk, increased neurogenesis (creation of neurons in the hippocampus) and psychological resilience (this last one is less surprising if you’ve tackled big hills at very low speed, as I have).

Riding bikes with kids is fun, too. By Mukkpetebike for Unsplash.
Riding bikes with kids is fun, too. By Mukkpetebike for Unsplash.

Question: Can exercise help reduce my cancer risk?

Answer: yes, a bit. But the research study supporting this is small and very preliminary. Here’s the deal, from an article in Men’s Health magazine:

The researchers looked at 30 men and women between the ages of 50 and 78. All met the criteria for having extra weight or obesity. Each person underwent a short but intense cycling test that lasted about 10 minutes.

Afterward, the researchers collected blood samples from everyone and analyzed them for 249 proteins. Thirteen of the 249 proteins increased after exercise. This included interleukin-6, which helps to repair damaged DNA. Exercise raised the levels of other molecules in the blood that work to reduce inflammation, support blood vessel health, and improve metabolism.

According to the researchers, the evidence showed that 10 minutes of exercise was enough to support DNA repair to lower colon cancer risk. Though keep in mind, these were short but intense bursts of exercise. A slow, leisurely stroll wouldn’t qualify.

There are a bunch of things we don’t know, like what is the amount of reduced risk, and what is the variation in different subpopulations. Plus a bunch of other relevant factors that may influence the effects. Still, it’s good news.

Vigorous exercise is fun, too. By Kaspars Eglitis for Unslpash.
Vigorous exercise is fun as well. By Kaspars Eglitis for Unslpash.

Happy week, everyone, and enjoy some movement!

Nat’s winter biking is not happening
Sat with Nat · winter

Nat’s winter biking is not happening

natalieh (she/her)Leave a comment
A bare road on the left and a 30 cm layer of frozen slush runs up the bike lane. You know it’s a bike lane because there is a higher pile of snow to the right and there are white lane markers sticking out.

Friends, we have had a very snowy winter in London. I was so happy to see Diane’s post on Thursday that she is out and about on her bike.

https://fitisafeministissue.com/2026/02/05/winter-cycling-again/?amp=1

My bike is in the garage. I keep thinking “maybe next week?”

In the mean time, my beloved and I had our basement renovated in January. This limited our workouts to some dumbbells in the living room.

Today I’m mopping the floor and getting set up for indoor spinning.

My lower back is a mess at the moment so I’m not looking for personal bests, just getting in the saddle for some easy rides.

And likely shoveling more snow. Apparently that will keep happening.

Nat peaks out from behind the snowbank at the end of her driveway. It’s mostly above her head. She is waving both hands in red mittens. Her hair, eyebrows and lashes are covered in frost. She is smiling like a kid in her green parka because this is a silly amount of snow.
fitness

Snow? Snow. Snow!

marthafitat55Leave a comment

It’s winter where I live. Cold. Damp. Icy. Earlier this week, we got a dump of snow.

How much snow? Quite a bit. The picture below shows my backyard. The snow-covered object is a claw-foot tub that serves as a planter. It’s about three and a half feet high. There’s a lot of snow.

A snowy outdoor scene featuring a white blanket of snow covering the ground, a chain-link fence in the background, and several evergreen trees. A small sled is partially visible on the snow.

Luckily, the street has been cleared. It’s very tempting to stay inside but with clean pavement, sturdy boots, and little wind, a short and brisk walk is enough to get the cobwebs out. Besides, having a good stomp in the winter will also do wonders for your mental health. Check out this post and learn about the eagle going on a walk!

Fitness doesn’t have to be complicated, and it should be fun. Even shovelling works! Check out Christine’s post on shovelling as fitness here.

MarthaFitat55 lives and works out in St. John’s

Fit is a Feminist bloggers: our favourite non-alcoholic drinks
fun · habits

Fit is a Feminist bloggers: our favourite non-alcoholic drinks

natalieh (she/her)Leave a comment

I love a good group post. Last month I did a three part series called “Thirsty Thursday”. It got a lot of traction, especially from friends and colleagues, people want to talk about other options than drinking alcohol while out on the town or celebrating at home. Here’s our favourites.

Catherine

Honestly, right now I’m treating myself to the occasional fresh-squeezed orange or grapefruit juice. Several evenings this week I poured myself a small glass half-full of OJ, and drank it with great pleasure. The tart citrus, the texture of pulp, even the bright orangey-yellow color are sensory delights during the dark cold winter. It’s intense, so it’s perfect for sipping. I am squeezing grapefruits myself for the next round of after-dinner citrus concoctions. Yes, you add grenadine for color/flavor-sweetness, and/or seltzer or tonic for fizz, but at the moment I’m into the pure power of citrus.

Sam

I’m a big fan of Geez Louise. The company is Canadian and women-owned. The drink is
prebiotic sparkling water with 5g of plant-based fiber, zero sugar, and no sweeteners. I like Melon Mint best,
Lemon Lavender second best, and
Grapefruit Basil third.

There’s a lot I can’t drink now, coffee after noon, very carbonated beverages any time. Luckily I’m happy with plain water most of the time. Also, mint tea. But the Jeez Louises taste good and don’t upset my stomach so they’re a win.

A picture of four cans of Geez Louise Melon Mint.

Elan

I haven’t tried this yet but the Juicer at Pearl Morrisette, One of only a few two Michelin star restaurants in Ontario, creates a tisane with herbs infused in water, then mixes with a fresh pressed juice. The result is depth and complexity without too much sweetness. Try infusions with basil, nettle, sea buckthorn, oregano, or lavender!

Martha

The Carbon Bar has a great mocktail menu. My favourite mocktail is any variation of a Moscow mule. I love the zip the non alcoholic ginger beer gives to fruit syrups!

It’s in Toronto. It’s also quiet, conducive to conversation and the meal we had there a few years ago was lovely.

Diane

I love my sparkling water with a splash of flavouring. I use a SodaStream because it creates less waste, and preferred flavours are lemon or some sort of shrub (an old syrup recipe that I make using fruit, vinegar and sugar). You can find the recipe here:https://siglindesarts.wordpress.com/2024/01/01/rhubarb-shrub/

A funnel shaped crystal glass containing a drink the colour of ginger Allie on a white lace tablecloth.

Tracy

Day to day I like flavoured sparkling water. But my favourite two mocktails are both at Planta: the cucumber mule and the cosmic colada. So good.

Nicole

I have had some good shrubs and similar in restaurants, but really, I’m happy with good coffee – or – a Diet Coke!

Cate

I like RISE hibiscus kombucha for a sparkling middle of the day treat.

Nat

There are so many great mocktails. My favourites are Edna’s mojito. It’s crisp and served over a glass full of ice so the tall can goes far.

Clever G&T is available at grocery stores in Ontario and is a modest price point.

Chill Street Gin Fizz from Nova Scotia is tangy and blueberry flavored.

As a side note, I loved reading everyone’s go to drinks. I remember the first fresh squeezed orange juice I ever had. It was in Florida and it tasted like sunshine.

Often I’m looking for complexity or intensity of flavour, a different kind of stimulation than water, tea or coffee.

I hope you found inspiration to try something new!

fitness

Nicole and Cate commit to 2000 pushups for mental health

fieldpoppyLeave a comment

Friend of the blog Alex Boross-Harmer was on CP24 on Wednesday morning doing pushups and promoting The Push Up Challenge, an initiative to do 2000 pushups (or alternative movements) between February 5 and 28, to raise money and awareness for mental health.

Graphic promoting 'The Push-Up Challenge' with bold text stating 'I'M TAKING ON THE PUSH-UP CHALLENGE' on an orange background.

The mental health of Canadians is worse than before the pandemic, and stats show that only one in three Canadians who need mental health care can receive it. The pushup challenge is raising money for the Canadian Mental Health Association, but is also reminding people that movement, community, fun and purpose are key factors in reducing stress and improving mental health.

Blogger Nicole and I have both signed up for the challenge. Well, Nicole is organized and trained for it. I signed up when Alex reminded us in a group chat on Monday that they were going to be on TV doing pushups.

Here’s Nicole’s description of her intentions and plan:

A gym acquaintance put out a call to join their team for this year’s Push-up Challenge, in support of Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA). I was immediately intrigued for a couple reasons. I am aware of CMHA’s good work through my own work and through friends who work there and I remember when they participated in the challenge last year. I am very happy to support CMHA and any way that we can find resources for better mental health support. I am also pretty good at push-ups. I am not sure I will be able to do 87 full push-ups a day to reach my goal of 2000 for the month, but I am confident I can do a large chunk of them and the challenge allows you to supplement full push-ups with variations (hello eccentric push-ups) or other movements. I can report about my success at the end of the month. For me, posting about a positive challenge is a much-needed distraction in this time of constant, stressful news, for which I feel a bit powerless to respond effectively. I can do push-ups and try to support a worthy mental health agency.

A person performing a yoga pose on a window sill with a view of an ornate building and cityscape outside.

Here is the link to Nicole’s donation page: https://www.thepushupchallenge.ca/fundraiser/nicoleplotkin

As for me, I really don’t think it will be good for me to go from 0 to 90 in the pushup department in one day, so I’m going to mix it up with squats and assisted pushups of various kinds. (One time I did like 80 pushups without warning and cause havoc in my chest muscles to the point I thought I was having a heart attack. Good times!).

I’ve been “training” for two days now (as in, I do 10 pushups every time I think about it) and I’m psyched. You all know how much I love counting things, and I particularly love it when I can poke an app when I’m counting. Apparently there are different goals for every day, relating to stats about mental health and ideas about how to support each other.

Join us, or sponsor us — my fundraising link is here

A person performing a push-up on a yoga mat in a sunlit room, wearing a dark tank top and pink leggings.
what a pushup looks like in a person who is 61 minus 4 days

cycling · fitness · winter

Winter Cycling Again!

Diane Harper3 Comments

It has been a hard year for me on the cycling front, so it has been exciting to rediscover the joys of winter cycling.

Diane in her blue and white helmet and black ski jacket, with her red bicycle and another winter bike in the background. It’s a sunny day and the bikes are parked in the snow at a bike rack outside a school.

Pros:

  • It’s often faster than driving or transit, especially for shorter distances.
  • It doesn’t require a lot of special gear (though I do not regret investing in studded tires).
  • Even on a grey day, that little bit of fresh air and sunlight will boost my mood.
  • My neighbours think I’m a bit of a badass, which is hilarious. I’m easing back into riding, so most trips are under 2 km each way.
  • It’s an excuse to indulge my inner child and buy all the bike lights.
  • No bugs.
  • I don’t overheat.

Cons: none that don’t also apply to summer cycling.

Photos from previous winters, showing off the bike lights and beautiful winter weather.