Tag: injury prevention

Nat’s new motto “little and often.”
fitness · habits · Sat with Nat

Nat’s new motto “little and often.”

natalieh (she/her)2 Comments

As word of my retirement got out, I started receiving invitations to do cool things on weekdays.

One of those invitations was from my friend Heather to hang out in her garden. Oh. Maybe that was “work” but I just love her vibe and I’m happy to help anyone in the garden.

I tried to remember how we met. It was probably Food Not Lawns or The Carolinian Food Forest. It was definitely around growing plants!

In addition to gardening, we share a love of crafting, especially sewing.

I was so glad I got to see Heather this week. She procured scones and we enjoyed tea as we shared our hopes for our gardens.

Heather has beautiful gardens on all sides of her house. Some plants are for pollinators, some are for eating and still others are for pure joy.

Heather shared her motto for her garden this year: little and often. I love it and have decided I too will do a little amount of things often.

On Tuesday I was getting more work done on my tattoo. Kaley shared she had been doing some chopping of roots with her wife.

“I don’t know why gardening is framed as a gentle activity. I’m always moving wheelbarrows of stuff, lifting, digging, it’s hard work!”

Kayley is very wise. I often get caught up in puttering in the garden and forget how hard I’m working. A bit of weeding and light pruning can drift to chopping down a tree and hacking away at roots. Two days later wondering why my hamstrings are sore.

“Little and often” works not only my gardening efforts but also my crafting and writing. My goal is sustainable efforts that avoid burnout or injury.

Two hours in the garden caused me some lower back pain and some tender muscles. It’s humbling that what used to be a reasonable effort is now a bit too much, at least early in the season.

So I’m changing my expectations. I’m going for 30 minutes at a time for gardening, an hour at writing, crafting and housekeeping. Small, continuous progress always yields satisfying results.

I am so glad Heather shared her motto with me.

A pretty garden with a bicycle decoration. The best things in life!
Nat’s had her first slip and fall of the season
Sat with Nat · snow · walking · winter

Nat’s had her first slip and fall of the season

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I was shoveling my driveway on Wednesday. It was after my morning walk with Michel, my immortal beloved, and Lucy, hellhound, when I had a slip and fall.

It was sudden. I was upright shoveling and then on the ground. I’m sure I yelled.

I landed on my right hip and shoulder. Imagine a panda bear rolling around, that was me.

I got up, dusted off my pants and headed inside. I was embarrassed and mad. There was ice from the previous day under the fresh powder. A classic formula for slipping.

It’s been a few days. I’m sore but nothing serious. My socials have photos of friends with broken arms or other tales. One involved a brain bleed. They are recovering. But. Wow. Falling is not nothing.

I’ve been working on my balance. It involves deliberately using my peripheral vision, core strength and practicing my balance in a variety of settings. It’s really helped.

But it is icy and I’m out in it, biking and walking.

A friend offered her strategies for avoiding falling. We know these things well.

The penguin shuffle, where you are slightly forward and take small steps.

Wearing grippy footwear and adding crampons (little spiked overshoes).

I occasionally break out my hiking poles.

Strength and flexibility should help me stay relatively injury free. I credit learning barrel rolls in roller derby to my good outcome.

If you go down like a rodeo clown rolling helps disperse the energy.

Here’s to staying Rollie Ollie this winter!

A penguin being very skilled at walking in slippery conditions.
functional fitness · Sat with Nat

Nat moved and didn’t injure herself!

natalieh (she/her)

It’s been 13 years since I have last moved. I was more than a bit nervous I’d injure myself. Am I tired? Heck yes! Sore? Most definitely! But definitely just fatigue. I’m so grateful.

What were the keys to getting through an epic move without getting hurt?

Team work

My partner, adult children, my sister and brother-in-law pitched in. Many hands meant no one person had to push themselves too hard.

Michel, my partner, is standing in a bathroom with a grey tile floor and a tub in the background. He is smiling at the camera. My whole family helped clean our new house. It was awesome!

Outsourcing

I was able to pay a painter and order take-out. Outsourcing two key tasks meant I could focus on packing and moving.

Weight Training

I’ve been back at the gym twice a week for a few weeks. Getting a full range of motion and engaging muscles helped me be aware of when I could or could not lift something.

The right equipment

My sister Anj ensured we used a dolly to good effect on the heaviest items. She knew to use grippy gloves and how to work smart. I’m so grateful for her expertise!

A multiphase, multi day approach

Our house closed on Nov 16 and our rental was paid until Nov 30. We took full advantage of the two weeks to get things done. Moving some boxes each day meant the “big move” day was focused on furniture.

All the feelings, all the time!

Despite all that there were many challenging moments on the big day. Oh. And I definitely got my period so was not feeling great. I definitely cried a few times in frustration and because of anxiety.

Post move chiropractic care

I had our regular appointments set for the Monday after our moving day. It allowed me to check in with my body and I was surprised I didn’t have any injuries. Not bad for functional fitness at 48!

I’m making a silly, smiling face next to Michel. We are in our car that is full of boxes and loose items. We did it!