Way back when I started seeing a physiotherapist, my biggest complaint was my knees. However, my shoulder that became a frozen shoulder and torn rotator cuff trumped the knee issues. But now that the shoulder is in good shape and I know how to keep it that way, we are finally returning to my knees.
Step one: assessment that confirms the crunching and grinding I hear when I bend is not normal. To do: book an appointment with my doctor to see about getting a proper assessment for arthritis.
Step two: test the muscles surrounding my knees to figure out what else is going on. The constant quad and IT band pain are also not normal, and they are impeding my ability to stand up unassisted, or even use the stairs comfortably.
Diagnosis so far? Quads that are massively overcompensating for my underperforming glutes. So tight, in fact, that my quads are pulling my kneecaps up and out of alignment. they are probably a significant factor in causing my bunions, too.
My immediate future looks like a lot of clamshells using a band, leg lifts slightly to the back to engage and strengthen my glute and hamstring muscles.
Not like this! Four images of Jane Fonda doing various leg lifts in the early 1970s, complete with skimpy body suit and leg warmers.
There will also sessions with a rolling pin, and just hanging around with my leg elevated behind me to stretch out those quads.
So far, my lifts are very tiny. Sometimes it feels like I am only thinking about lifting the leg, not moving at all. But my butt has definitely been engaged!
What do I hope to achieve? Deeper pliés in dance class, a decent flutter kick when swimming, and knees and feet that don’t hurt every time I move. Honestly, I would settle for the last two.
For today, I would like to invite you to remove something from your list of December/End of Year tasks.
I can only assume that, like me, you have a few tasks on your tangible or mental lists that you are planning to do if you have time.
I’m hoping that you will consider removing one of them today.
Now, I am NOT suggesting that you remove something you really enjoy and that you are hoping will be able to get done in a spare moment. I think those kinds of joyful things can stay on your list.
Instead, I am talking about those tasks that it would be nice if they got done but you also don’t have a lot invested in them. Or tasks that someone else has pushed off on to you. Or tasks that take more effort than the value they add.
Those kinds of tasks take up mental space and they keep an open loop in our brains and are generally annoying but they aren’t all that important to get done right now.
Try to take a few moments today to evaluate those tasks that are hanging around in the back of your brain or at the bottom of your list and pick one that you are NOT going to do. Something that you can just release entirely.
(If you feel weird about deciding not to do them at all, try scheduling them for sometime in late January and see how your brain feels about that.)
Making that kind of decision in advance will help reduce that ‘gotta do ALL OF THE THINGS” feeling and it will free up some mental space.
Taking that item (or items! Go ahead and pick more if you can) off your list will be a step toward realistic expectations for yourself AND it will remove a little bit of the ‘December deadline’ feeling that we often get caught up in this time of the year.
And not only will current you get some space, future you can also feel good about the decision because when a little window of time opens up for them they won’t feel like they *should* (blech! I hate that word!) be doing that thing.
You will have already made the decision for them and they can do something fun instead. That’s a great gift for future you.
So, with all of that said, let’s have a look at our practice suggestions for Tuesday, December 10:
Today’s movement practice is Express Cardio Routine| 10 Minute At-Home Low Impact Workout from the channel for the SWEAT app – remember that you can just do part of it if 10 minutes is too much for you today.
Still image description: The instructor – a woman with white skin, her brown hair in a ponytail- is wearing a sports bra, shorts, and white sneakers, while doing Mountain Climbers on a blue mat in a studio with light brown laminate flooring, white walls, and plants in the corner. The title of the video is overlaid on the background of the image and the name of the channel is overlaid in white on the bottom left.
And for our meditation today, we have 5 Minutes to Calm Your Overthinking Mind (Guided Meditation) from 5 Minutes by Great Meditation.
Still image is a cartoon drawing of a woman with light brown skin and long black hair in black leggings and a cropped tank top is seated with her legs crossed and her arms bent at the elbows and extended towards her knees. Her hands are lightly curled so her thumb and first finger are almost touching. She looks serene. The title of the video is in the upper right of the image.
If these videos don’t appeal to you or don’t meet your needs at the moment, then please do something else that helps your day (and your brain) feel more spacious.
I just want you to have room for yourself in your day-to-day life.
I know this sounds like a Christmas post but that’s by coincidence not by design.
Thanks to an off-hand reference on a TV show on the weekend, my family ended up talking about what we would ask for if we were granted one wish.
An artfully lit photo of a brass genie-style lamp with a raised design, a loop at one end for holding it, a sort of spout at the other end and a little conical top. The lamp is sitting on a shelf or table.
After we did the usual rounds of wishing for peace, wishing for wealth, and wishing for super powers (one of us would like to fly, another would like to be able to turn invisible, and I’d like to have to power to calm an anxious crowd – big shock there, hey?), we got into a certain type of more specific wish and I surprised myself with my answer.
It was one of those situations where I don’t remember ever thinking this before* but I was intrigued once I said it.
My wish was to be already 6 weeks into a fitness routine – a well-established practice, the challenges of fitting it into my schedule already behind me, starting to feel some results, the aches and pains of new movements already done.
The thought of being able to step into that point without the specific challenges of the early part of the process is incredibly appealing.
It’s not that I don’t want to work hard, I am totally willing to do that, but since all of my efforts to establish habits involve the extra loops and challenges that my ADHD throws at me, I find that there are more mental layers for me during those first few weeks than I hear about from other people.
My friends will report a reluctance to get started or some resistance to the activity itself or muscle soreness or whatever and I get all of that plus a lot of second-guessing, a lot of task initiation problems, a lot of overthinking about every part of the task, and a lot of internal pressure not to be wasting time if my efforts don’t pay off quickly.
Now that I have had that wish pop up, though, I am thinking about this whole thing differently.
I know that I can’t actually wish myself into that 6 week point but what can I do to help myself have some of that 6 week feeling sooner rather than later?
Is there something I can be doing now to help smooth the path to that feeling?
What can I do to give myself some relief from the endless loops that my brain goes through during that first part of a new program?
I don’t have the answers to all of those questions, of course, but I am going to figure them out.
And I will happily read any suggestions you put in the comments – as long as they don’t include ‘you just need to buckle down and do it’. I know that one and it doesn’t help. If perseverance was the answer, I would be the fittest person in the world by this point
ALSO, I would love to hear your fitness wishes!
What would you like to be able to do?
What would you like to make easier for yourself?
What would you magic into existence fitness-wise?
*Note: Given my ADHD and the way that brains work in general, I am not claiming that I have NEVER thought this before. I just don’t remember thinking it.
Now, I’m working on my “25 for 2025.” I’m going to scale back and be more specific. My advice? 25 is a lot. Be sure to add in some small stuff.
I’m also going to check in on my progress rather than looking at the year end and going, “Yikes.”
This is Gretchen Rubin’s 25 for 2025 list.
“Ready to start designing your 2025? You can now visit the site to download your “25 for 2025” list PDF and explore my other favorite tools for boosting happiness in the year ahead: https://bit.ly/3VjJCwE“
I hope your Weekend Fun Plan served you well and that you are considering planning some extra fun for next weekend, too.
This week, I’d like you to consider how to manage expectations during the weeks ahead.
I know that it is really tricky to manage other peoples’ expectations and that it is even tricky to manage our own so this isn’t about waving a magic wand and making things instantly easier.
It’s about (shockingly!) making a little space for yourself amidst those expectations.
And, for me, that starts with recognizing that those expectations are there in the first place.
I often find myself feeling tense or stressed about a situation but not quite knowing why I feel that way. Usually, when I dig into the feeling a little I realize that I have either made an extra big deal of it in my head or I have internalized someone else’s expectations for the event and I am trying to live up to them.*
Events, activities, and holidays in December always seem to have extra pressure on them to be perfect and mindful and memorable so unreasonable expectations abound.
The only way I have found to deal with this is to figure out what expectations I have, what expectations other people have, and then to decide which ones I am willing to try and meet. And, of course, I can work to clarify for myself (and for others) which ones I will NOT be meeting – this is often easier said that done, of course.
Obviously, I know that I am not responsible for other people’s happiness (nor am I in control of their expectations) but I am willing to do part of the work to make an event fun and memorable so it is helpful to know what people expect (and to be clear about my own expectations.)
So, with all of that in mind, I wonder if you can take a few minutes and consider your schedule, your plans, and your commitments for the next few weeks and get some idea of what expectations are in place and which ones you are willing to meet.
For example: If you are expected to bring a dessert to your Aunt’s house for a family supper on the 21st but you have three busy days beforehand, I think it would be easier to let yourself and your family know now that you will be buying a dessert this year. That way, you can close the ‘when will I get around to making that dessert’ loop in your brain and you can avoid the static from your relatives when you show up with a different dessert than they were expecting.
Ok, now that we have done something for future you, let’s consider present you:
For today’s mindfulness practice, I found a 5 Minute Candle Gazing Meditation from Peace of Mind. You may prefer to light a candle ‘in-person’, of course, but the practice is good either way. **
Still image is of a yellow lit candle with a tall flame against a black background.
We have two shoulder mobility routines to choose from today (but I won’t stop you from doing both!). The first one 5 Min. Shoulder Mobility Routine |SOS – Strengthen and Stretch is from Julia Reppel. Since that one doesn’t have any verbal instructions in it – just music and a timer sound to switch movements – so I thought it would be good to find a second video with actual instructions (since some of us – me -) often do better with instructions said aloud. So, I also found this lovely 5 Minute Shoulder Stretch video from Black Yogi Nico Marie with clear verbal instructions for creating ease in your shoulders and upper body.
Feel free to do either, do both, or to do something else entirely.
Please, please, please, be kind to yourself in the process either way.
Wishing you ease today and always.
Still image is of the instructor, a woman with white skin, visible muscles, and red, braided hair who is wearing exercise clothes and looking determined. She has her arms extended out to the sides with her hands closed into fists. Each of her arms is turned slightly so one fist is facing the ceiling and the other is facing the floor. The video title is overlaid on the bottom of the screen.
Still image is of the instructor, a woman with brown skin and shoulder-length, curly hair who has tattoos on her right arm, with a serene expression. She is sitting on a yoga mat in her living room and she is stretching one arm across her body and holding it in place with the other arm. The video title is overlaid on the left side of the screen on white title cards and there are some line drawings that look like a topographical map on the left side as well.
*This is doubly true when the other person’s expectations are unstated. Unstated expectations are slippery things and they are hard to deal with. The only way I have found to deal with this is to state very clearly to that person what the event or activity is going to actually be like so I can help avoid any guilt trips they might want to send me on. If I have been clear it is easier for me to untangle myself from their feelings. Your situation is probably different than mine so I trust that you can find your own best practice here.
**The rest of the video title states that this practice will improve your eyesight. To be clear: I am not making that claim, I just found the video restful.
So apparently there were 24 things I wanted to do in 2024. Have I done any of them? Let’s find out. I have a sneaking suspicion it won’t be good news. It’s been a bit of wild, busy, and demanding year even by my standards.
On the upside there are 22 days left in the year. As long as I’ve done them 2 of them, I could do 1 a day and still make it. Since I don’t remember what sorts of things they are, that may or may not be possible.
*Checks list*
NOT POSSIBLE.
Here’s my list:
Go canoe camping. ✔️
Update: It was late in the season (October!) but Sarah and I finally made it to Algonquin. Off to a good start with this list thing! 😊
Canoe camping in Algonquin in October
2. Spend some time Snipe racing. ❌
Update: Didn’t happen. No one got out very much and when we did it was for serious racing and Sarah raced with Jeff. Part of the challenge is getting up to the lake in time after work and then there’s wind conditions. Next year? Will need a change in attitude and a commitment to going out whatever the conditions. 😞
3. Go bike-packing. ❌
Update: We planned a bike-packing trip on the Simcoe loop trail but work and life got in the way. Instead, we cut the trip short and went car camping with bikes. Next year? Might need to commit to doing it with other people in order to get out the door, or take time off work to make it happen. 😞
4. Hike a section or more of the Bruce Trail. ❌
Update: Didn’t happen. Too busy. See above strategies. Next year! 😞
5. Swim in the Great Lakes. ❌
Update: Didn’t happen. Too busy. Next year! 😞
6. Winter yurt camping. ❌
Update: Didn’t happen. Too busy. Next year! (There’s a theme here.) 😞
7. Do more vegan Mondays. ❓ 😊
Update: I did a lot more vegan eating but not necessarily on Mondays. I’m okay with that.
8. Try a new class a month at the gym. ❌
Update: Didn’t happen. Too busy. Next year! 😞
9. Spend more time at the beach. ❌
Update: Didn’t happen. Too busy. Next year! 😞
10. Read two books a month. ✔️
Update: Finally a thing I did! 😊
11. Do something, anything, even if it’s just giving money, to see that we don’t elect a conservative federal government and reelect a conservative provincial government. ❌
Update: I’m still trying to figure out what if anything I can do. 😞
12. Get a matching tattoo with my youngest child. ❌
Update: My fave tattoo artist is too busy and we both have busy schedules. Maybe the bearded dragon moment has passed though Lizzy is still with us. 😞
Lizzy with a raspberry
13. Go to church more often. ❌
Update: Weekends are a busy blur of activity and when we’re home I tend to clean, Zwift, and eat French toast. Next year? Honestly it might be a post-Dean thing. 😞
14. Practice lane swimming. ❌
Update: Didn’t happen. Too busy. Next year! 😞
15. Dance! ❌
Update: Didn’t happen. Too busy. I did sign up with a local dance studio but Tuesday night is the only night they have classes and I’m Zwift racing on Tuesdays. Next year! 😞
16. Do more things with my adult kids. (Kids, you’ve been warned.) ✔️
Success! So many weekends with kids. So much fun. Thanks family. 😊
17. Sneak lots of mini-adventures into my year. You don’t need a week or even a weekend to do something fun and adventurous. ✔️
Success! Lots of weekend and weeknight adventures. 😊
18. Play more games, host games nights with friends. ❓
Update: Does one games might count? Well, we are playing lots of games with our favorite ten year old, and with my adult kids. 😊
Azul and Quirkle
19. Buy less stuff/get rid of stuff. ❓
Update: Well, yes, but there are no more people living in the house and more stuff. It feels like a never ending battle.
20. Eat more vegetables. ❓
Update: The Good Food dinners help with veggies. I’m still bad with the whole veggies at breakfast time idea and lunch on campus is a mixed bag. Overall, it’s a work in progress. I read an article the other day about a woman who aims to eat a lot of different veggies at every meal. She writes, “Usually, my goal for every meal is to get 10 different fruits and vegetables in.” Goals? 😐
21. Ride outside more often. ❌
Update: I’m still struggling to find people to ride with in Guelph, especially in the evenings or before work. I’m not fast enough to ride with most of the local bike clubs on my road bike. And lots of the trail riding people have schedules that are more flexible than mine. I need to work this out. Wish me luck. 😞
22. Ride some of the bike rally. ❌
Update: Oh, the bike rally. I’m not sure I’m up for the full thing, but the one day ride is the ride out of Toronto and that’s one of the most difficult days. I like the middle bit the best. No riding out of Toronto or into Montreal. I’ll try to sort it out this year. And at the very least I’ll make some charitable donations. I’ve also been doing the Parkinson’s Ride and will definitely keep that up. 😐
23. Keep the house more ready for guests. Also, invite more guests. ❌
Update: See the opening comment about it being a ridiculously busy and demanding year. I can’t even keep track of all the work and family changes. It’s been a lot. And when I get busy the house is a place it shows. But next summer I want to do more backyard entertaining, and for friends who don’t mind the chaos and mess, there’s always room. (See you in August Catherine!) 😐
24. Have a fun 60th birthday party, which will include lots of the bloggers, feminist philosophers, Guelph friends, and friends of the blog. ✔️
Update: A terrific time was had by all. 😊 See here and here and here! And photo at the end of the post.
Reflections
I’ve been mulling over this list all day. I never meant it as a “must do” list or even a list of goals. Instead, it was supposed to be a fun list of possibilities, of things I’d like to do. I thought it might be fun to have a lost.
Did I have a lot of fun this year? Yes. Are there some fun things I’m not getting to? Yes to that too.
Some things I didn’t get to are about logistics, about making things happen–like sailing and riding outside and the bike rally. Others are things I want to do but there is no one else in the nearby family is keen–beaches, dancing, and great lake swimming fall into category.
Others are more chore and duty like–eat more veggies and vegan Mondays and getting rid of stuff fall into that list.
Also, 24 is a lot of things!
Anyway, it was an ambitious list. Life got in the way. I’m going to try to learn some lessons and move on.
What do you do with your unmet goals or ambitions? I might be more specific next year. Check out my 2025 post.
Personally, I had to shift my WFP a little and do parts of the craft yesterday and then finish it today.
Breaking it into two parts was actually a space-making move for me because I was tired yesterday and didn’t have the focus I needed to do the more detailed parts of the project.
If I had pushed myself to keep going, it wouldn’t have felt like I was creating space, I would have felt rushed and cranky.
And, obviously, those are not the feelings I was going for!
Anyway, I hope your WFP worked out/is working out the way you need/needed it to and that you were kind to yourself in the process.
Actually, I would like you to be kind to yourself in every process but that, in itself, is something that takes a lot of practice!
Speaking of processes and practice, our movement practice for today is a 10 Minute Full Body Pilates Workout with Jessica Valent.
Remember that the key here is to take a few minutes for movement – you can adapt her movements, just do a few, or you can do something else entirely.
You are the boss of you!
Still image description shows the instructor outside on a sunny day, lying on a blue mat in a grassy field surrounded by trees. She is in exercise clothes and she is extending one leg along the ground while the other one is extended toward the sky and she is holding onto the calf of her raised leg. Her face is toward the camera and she’s smiling.
Gift giving can be a process fraught with uncertainty. Many of us admit failure and dole out cash or gift cards out of fear of disappointing our friends, family and coworkers. This is why we at Fit is a Feminist Issue are here to offer you our version of the seasonal gift list. Our mission is to wade into the deep-end of the internet shopping pool, so that you don’t have to.
In keeping with our general theme of feminist wellness and activity swag, here are a few items that caught our notice, with varied price points.
Does anyone on your list already have an ice roller? I doubt it. There are lots of ice rollers to choose from, in many shapes and sizes. Each one comes with detailed instructions. I’ll say this for them: they’re cheap (the one below retails for $8.99 USD) On the other hand, a DIY ice cube is cheaper. But who am I to judge? Take a look for yourselves.
A pink plastic thingie with a cold cylindrical thingie attached to it.The science of ice rolling– an exercise for the viewer.Roller head use instructions– freeze it, attach to plastic thingie, roll it wheverer.Glad to read it’s multifunctional. Confused to see human calves referred to as “shank”.
If you love love love the concept of the ice roller, but are looking for something a bit more upscale, theres a set of Cryo Sticks that retails for $134. Yes, they’re a bit pricey. But in return for all that cash you’re laying out, they have clearly employed someone who spent one semester as a physics major to write their marketing copy. To wit:
Made of stainless steel, Biologique Recherche Cryo Sticks work as conductors, storing thermal energy. By storing the Cryo Sticks in ice or the refrigerator and applying them to the skin, the cold energy is transferred to the skin.
Yep, thermodynamics in action.
A pair of Cryo Sticks, shaped like juggling clubs but made (allegedly) of stainless steel, with handles. Also there’s a small inset of a person placing the cryo sticks over their eyes. Unclear if anything good is happening.
Continuing in the ersatz recovery gift category, have you considered compression boots for recovery after exercise for that special someone? Here is a pair from the fine folks at Normatec, on sale for $699 USD.
Normatec 3 air compression boots, remote-controlled (obvs).Close-up of the sexiest remote control ever for air-compression boots. In black (obvs).
Hmmm. What are these things for, exactly? And do they actually work? Here’s what Normatec has to say:
The idea behind compression boots is to facilitate flow of fluids through the legs to reduce swelling and after-workout soreness… One 2014 study … concluded that these devices are promising at accelerating and enhancing recovery following a rigorous training program.
However, other studies suspect that these devices might be .. [a] placebo. For example, a 2022 literature review found that compression had little effect on delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and a 2021 study found that they may provide short-term… but not continued relief from muscle damage.
If you have expendable income and want a passive recovery tool that you can wear while you wind down in the evening, compression boots do offer a lot of benefits… But there are also much cheaper ways to drive out swelling, like active recovery. “You know what also drives out swelling?” Longworth says, “Muscles contracting. Movement.”
Yeah, ’nuff said.
Sometimes it’s easier to go practical on gift-giving. And what’s more practical for your ball-sports-playing besties than gear, plain and simple. But sometimes plain and simple just won’t do. In which case, check out these tempting offerings:
Prada tennis ball case— with a can of Prada tennis balls (included, I think) for $480 (*cough, sputter, cough*)
A black (obvs) nylon tubular bag, designed to hold a black (obvs) tennis ball container. By Prada.
You can also get a Prada basketball (with its own harness carrier) for $925 USD or a splurge on a Prada volleyball (same harness setup) for $1200 USD (I wasn’t brave enough to do the calculation for cost in Canadian dollars).
Prada basketball in black (obvs) with a little black harness.Multicolored Prada volleyball (Colors! Eek!) with its own little black harness, presumably to take it on walks.
I know– as appealing as these high-end accessories are, sometimes a basic and low-cost gift is better all around. Lululemon has just the thing: the (small) towel, for $18.
It’s a (small) towel. And what is adaptive pink? Why did they make this? Because their profit margin would be huuuuge.
Not that there’s anything wrong with (small) towels, but 1) it is very likely that your proposed giftee already has a bunch of (small to medium) towels hanging around; and 2) if you want to buy them a new hand towell, this one from Land’s End looks much nicer, is on sale for $8.97 and comes in many colors, including a non-adaptive pink shade.
Holiday shopping is hard. So I hope this gift guide will be useful, at least inasmuch as you know what to avoid. Honestly, if you’re stuck for what to buy, I think a pretty scarf is always welcome.
Today, I’d like to remind you that little spaces are good.
Sometimes, I write off taking little breaks because I imagine that, if I just keep puttering along, a bigger space will open up and I will be able to REALLY relax.
And sure, that works out sometimes but mostly I find that if I don’t take those little breaks, if I don’t enjoy those little spaces in my schedule, I am too tired to enjoy the big ones that do come along.
So, my space making friends, please, please, please, stop and chat with your friend, write in your journal, do a couple of stretches, savour your cup of tea or coffee, do a two minute drawing.
Those small spaces are good for you.
Yes, it’s still important to seek bigger spaces, longer rest, and more fun, but let’s not dismiss the restorative power of those little spaces.
Please do what you can to take good care of yourself by taking those breaks whenever you find (or make!) them.
Now, onto your Weekend Fun Plan.
I don’t know whether you planned your Weekend Fun for yesterday, today, or tomorrow, but I hope it goes off without a hitch and you have a delightful time.
BUT
What if you get to your time for Weekend Fun and you can’t actually do the thing?
May you’re sick or your kid needs you or you couldn’t get the thing you needed to make it work.
First, let me say that I’m sorry it didn’t work and that it is ok for you to be grumpy about it.
Second, once your initial frustration eases a little, you could try a modified version of your Weekend Fun and see how it feels.
Finally, if your Weekend Fun Plan cannot happen this weekend, please reschedule it.
Yes, I do mean reschedule.
Please don’t just abandon it or put it off until you get around to it.
Pick a different time and plan to do it then.*
I promise it will feel much different than hoping you’ll get to it at some point.
A changed plan is way better than an abandoned one.
And whether you get your Weekend Fun or whether you have to change or reschedule it, I wish you ease and self-kindness in the process.
Now, onto today’s smal spaces –
For our movement practice today, here’s Yes2Next with a Seated Core Workout.
Still image: A senior mother and her middle aged daughter seated in chairs with their legs extended forward. The mother has her arms crossed flat to her chest, the daughter has her arms extended. There is a light coloured rug beneath their chairs.
And here’s our mindfulness practice for today – Minute Meditation to Drop Into the Present Moment from Mindful Moments with Katie.
Still image description: a cartoon depiction of a person sitting cross-legged on a couch with their arms extended overhead. On the left side of the image is an orange blob with the title of the video on it in white. There is a blue background in the image.
Have fun out there! 💚🌟💚
*and if that time doesn’t work, re-reschedule! Your fun is worth the effort.
