fitness

Monthly resolution-of-sorts check-in

catherine w

In my resolution-of-sorts New Year’s post, I solemnly swore to write in about how I’ve been doing on my promises to myself.  Here’s a reminder of what I wrote about my proposed weekly plans:

  • Go to yoga twice a week every week
  • Ride trainer twice a week every week (yeah I need more than that, but I am committing to this right now)
  • Ride outside once a week, weather permitting, or xc ski or snowshoe, different weather permitting
  • Do everyday movement on teaching days– e.g. park far (like, really far) away from office every time I drive to campus
  • Track all of this activity honestly
  • Reflect and write on how things unfolded, compassionately and honestly

So how’d I do this month?

When I wrote this, I had just gotten pneumonia.  And I had no idea (even though everyone told me) how much pneumonia saps you of all energy.  My lungs cleared quickly with antibiotics, but I was oh so tired all the time.  The fatigue was so impressive to me that I even blogged about it.

The upshot of this is that I didn’t:

  • Go to yoga twice a week; I went a few times this month, and have just restarted at-home yoga.
  • Ride the trainer twice a week. I’ve ridden it once for 20 minutes.  It was hard…
  • Ride outside at all. Oh, no.  I haven’t had energy for that.
  • Do everyday movement more than necessary at work. I am so deconditioned that just climbing the two flights of stairs to go to classes and my office leaves me breathing heavily.

However, I’m tracking all of this.  And I’m writing about it now.

In service of the compassionate/honest part:  rest and non-active movement is what my body needed all month.  And my body enforced that need; I simply couldn’t move much.  I simply had to rest rest rest. And you know what?  It’s been okay. Boring and frustrating, but okay.

My body is now ready for more movement.  I’ve restarted at-home yoga, and next week will go to one or two classes.  I will ride the trainer (for a short time) twice this week.  And I’ll start walking more around campus.

How are you doing on any resolutions-of-sorts you made for 2018?  I’d love to hear from you, and promise to listen compassionately.

Published by catherine w

I'm a feminist public health ethicist (yes, that's a thing). I'm interested in heath behavior change, particularly around eating and activity, and how things other than knowledge affect our health decisions.I'm also a cyclist (road, sort-of-off-road, commuter), regular yoga-doer, occasional swimmer and kayaker and leisurely social walker.

2 thoughts on “Monthly resolution-of-sorts check-in”

  1. I love how she handled this!
    I stay connected with an old group of friends and there is one who’s initial conversations with me always start with something like “ they’ve got classes at my gym you’d really like” or “ twenty pounds is the only thing between you and any guy you want”.
    Reading your post, I think I’ve got a real slick fat shamer on my hands.
    I am fit! I’ve done 18 mile bike rides. I can press 3 sets of 80! ( the pats on the back are to help me stay mad that I’ve let this go on)

    The expected hug in the story – that’s crazy! It’s like ‘ so I’ve offended you and now I want you to let me hug you so I can feel better’ . No – when you understand you’ve done something wrong , you don’t turn around and follow it with a request/a gift like a hug!
    Again – her response – PERFECT!

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