Perhaps Practice Push-ups…an update

My plans did not proceed perfectly. Perhaps I need more push-up practice?

Oh, I definitely need more push-up practice!

My aim for this month was to do my push-up routine three times a week and to use my pretty chart to keep track.

That didn’t exactly work out.

Challenge #1: I lost my fun chart.

It’s hard to use something for motivation if you can’t find it! After taking the index card chart out of my planner to snap the photo, I must have put it ‘somewhere safe for now.’  Spoiler: it may be safe but apparently it wasn’t just ‘for now.’

Not having my chart wasn’t that big a deal but it was annoying. I could have made another one but some part of me insisted that I would find it any second now so I couldn’t bring myself to recreate it. (Yes, I do know how foolish that was.)

Challenge #2: Our new dog started sleeping on my bed

That doesn’t sound like it would affect my practice but I am not actually clinging to just any old excuse here.

In early March, we got a dog. Khalee is 5 years old and, despite my allergies, I’m charmed by her. I want her to be happy and comfortable in our house so when she decided that I was her alpha and that she should sleep near me, I didn’t want to object.

What I didn’t realize was that my sleeping self is over-courteous towards the dog. Apparently, in my efforts not to disturb the dog during the night, I was staying ridiculously still.

Sleeping in one position is NOT ideal for my hips and back.

So, I spent one week of April with my back in knots and I couldn’t actually do any push-ups at all until my back smoothed out.

Challenge #3: Push-ups apparently irritate my wrist

Remember how I broke my wrist last year?

Well, even though it has healed very well, there are apparently some movements that still cause me a bit of grief. Push-ups are apparently one of them.

I’ve spent quite a bit of the month with an aching wrist and a slightly swollen hand.  That is not something that adds to your motivation to do push-ups.

Challenge #4: I was busier than I expected to be this month

I thought I was setting myself up for success by picking specific times to do my push-ups.

However, through a stroke of luck, I picked up some extra writing and coaching work and that work affected both my schedule and my available energy.

So, what did all of that mean for my push-up plans?

Well, despite all of those challenges, I still did pretty well.

My plan was to do my routine 12 times in April. I did it 7.

That’s pretty good, especially considering how many things got in my way!

And, the best part?

When I was late for Taekwon-Do class one night,* I had to do 10 push-ups before I could join the class.

I did them from my knees but the 10 push-ups were pretty easy.

And, for some of them, I felt actual ease. I felt new power in my arms. There was actual fluidity in my movements.

It was encouraging, to say the least.


What’s next?

I’m going to keep following my plan into May with the following adjustments:

1. I’m going to put my chart directly into my planner – not on a separate sheet.
2. I have already shifted where the dog is allowed on the bed, so I’ll keep that up.
3. I’m adding some wrist stretches to my bedtime routine
4. I’m going to do my push-ups while I wait for the kettle to boil/my tea to steep at some point during my day. I make multiple cups of tea daily and I usually do busy work while I wait. I’m going to pick one of those times and do my push-ups.

Did you try adding any push-ups in April? How did you do with it?

Do you want to join me for May?

*I wasn’t being disrespectful. On my way to class,  I saw a young woman on the side of the road struggling with a huge suitcase and I stopped to help her. She was a student, moving to a new apartment and trying to move all her stuff by walking it from her old place to her new one. I drove her and her suitcase to her new apartment but it did make me late.