Mature Fashion: Back Boo Boo

Bed Rest

Well, the whole fitness program I have outlined for myself has encountered another hitch.  I told you a few months ago that I set a goal of reaching a  weight of 125 pounds; (down from 137-which I actually thought was 134!!).  I have still to reach that goal, but the good news is I now weigh 132.8 instead of 137.

In an effort to accomplish my goal and to increase my physical fitness, I joined an exercise class that met on Friday morning. I also volunteered to help out in the clubhouse library, also late Friday morning.  I also met with a delightful group of ladies in the early afternoon (only had time to grab a quick lunch) who held a regular jewelry making class on Friday afternoons.

For those of you who read my post on Look #2 (Rockmyrunwaay.blogspot.com), I wanted to craft some of the artsy neckwear that is being worn for F/W 2016. Unfortunately, I pinched a nerve in my back from sitting so long at the class (we were having a great time, and I was there from 1:00 to 4:30)  I didn't realize it until I walked the short distance home.  Of course, the moral of this post is 'watch your back'. 

I have mentioned in previous posts the importance of not sitting too long at one time.  It is recommended by many of the health articles to try and not sit any longer than 20 minutes at one time without getting up for about five minutes; other articles say not longer than one hour sitting and spending 15 minutes of moving about. (I find the 20 minutes usually work best for me).  I find this advice to be very helpful because it also stimulates the metabolism, helps regulate blood sugar. Unfortunately, knowing all this, I still find I forget do move as often as I should and forget the possible consequences if I fail to do so.  

Having this problem before, I changed into sleeping clothes, laid down for prolonged bed rest after taking an aspirin and alternating ice pack and heating pad to reduce swelling and increase blood flow.  I also took a melatonin tablet (a natural sleep aid approved by my doctor) to provide additional sleep (sleep both aides the healing process and keeps my back at rest for a longer period of time). I always have magazines and books yet to read, etc., so I used the down time to advantage.

Of course, any time one has such an injury, it is recommended to see your doctor unless you have already had professional advice in this area, and are certain you know what to do. (I have had this happen several times).  

My low impact exercise program will certainly help me improve in this area, however, I will be sure to take it very easy on Monday morning.  I will not do any exercise that will cause any pain at all to the injured area.  What I really plan to focus on is not remaining sitting for very long, and maintaining good posture.  I try to remember to set a timer and to remember good posture when at my computer.  Watching television is rarely a problem if I get up every time there is a commercial break (they are always good for five minutes!!) 

Mature Fashion: Our "GYM"

Trying to stay on top of my physical fitness pro
gram, I joined our community exercise class. I recently discovered our homeowner's association in this retirement community has  exercises three times a week from 8:30 to 9:30; They do a combination of weight bearing exercises and stretching using video discs (Jane Fonda's Fit and Strong (?)).  I am excited about this discovery because I have three different neighbors who regularly attend (one with her husband!) and I know I will have added incentive to attend.  There appear to be only six regular attendees at this time, but that may be a plus for us; one of the problems I have with regular gym membership is the wait time  to use the machines.

I have never been successful with gym memberships; I find that it is just too easy to let life get in the way, or because it is simply too much trouble to drag myself over, etc., etc., etc.  This is only my second week so I hope this type of group session will be more productive for me. It is too soon to tell, but anything that adds to my physical fitness is certainly a benefit.  I will still continue to do my AARP routine on days I don't go to our 'gym'.  Of course, I still want to keep my 1K step walk each evening. I have also been 'pinning' a few yoga stretches into my Pinterest account, also. I want to do more yoga because of the stress release factors and to help me sleep better, if possible. That is one of my biggest problems now. (I am determined to maintain my health as much as possible).

One thing I do realize as I am 'journaling' all these physical improvements; when I focus on improving one area of my health, I find myself paying more attention to the other areas.  When I began the exercise routine at our gym I immediately became more aware of my at home exercise routine; I also became more aware of my diet (that may be attributed to the scales, however it hasn't worked to well in past weeks!)

I really believe that simply beginning any program improves ones overall health. There may be a lot of room for improvement but every effort I make does seem to count. 
One of the ladies I have met at the gym (she is 86!) said that she just started with one repetition of each exercise on the video. She has increased it until she does all of the routine on the CD; her achievement has really helped my incentive

Diet update:  I haven't lost or gained any weight at all since my last update; another reason for upping the exercise activity.