Usually I choose health through my diet and good food choices. But we can’t focus solely on one piece of the health puzzle while ignoring the rest. I do so much outdoor work in spring, summer and fall, I don’t worry much about getting exercise or making sure I move a lot. But this time of year I can turn into a serious couch potato if I am not careful. I am going to share with you what I have been doing to make sure I address this peice of my health puzzle but you have to promise not to laugh.
Please this is serious and I need your attention and your pinky swear to secrecy. Promise?
I hate to exercise. The idea of me going to a gym to work out makes me laugh and then shudder. I can run about 25 feet before my left knee starts squawking and my breathing gets all messed up. I like to play with a ball or a frisbee but have never really enjoyed exercising for the sake of exercise.
For the last twelve years, my primary form of exercise (other than yard work) has been walking my dog. We take a morning walk and an afternoon walk seven days a week, 365 days a years. I wear a Fitness Tracker and my goal is 10,000 steps per day. When working oudoors, I blow this goal out of the water pretty much every day. But now it is winter and this is getting tougher.
My Fenway is aging and can no longer walk very far. We head out multiple times a day but typically walk to the corner and then back. As soon as she has done her “business” we are done. She is having trouble walking and tends to criss cross her back legs. I need to carry her up the stairs to get into the house. People used to mistake her for a puppy, now they say she is aging or “has some years on her”. My poor baby!
I have had to force myself to figure out how to get 10,000 steps a day when it is freezing cold here in Upstate NY and I am a self described Exercise Hater. My sister helped me figure this out while I was visiting her and Mother Fran in Florida.
In the afternoon, when Mom pops down for a nap, she would turn on her Wii and start playing all sorts of games. I have had my trusty Wii machine since around 2009 and quite often it gets neglected for months at a time. It has been getting a workout since I returned home from Florida. I have used my Wii to choose health in the past but must thank my sister for reminding me to do so!
I play tennis, basketball, ping pong and frisbee golf. I canoe, bicycle and swordfight. Following the example of my sister (Child #7), I do all of this while jogging in place in front of the television screen. Rather than thinking I am crazy, my honey has actually joined me in a few of these games.
Yesterday, I rediscovered a Wii game that I hadn’t played in years. It is called “Active”. You wear a strap around your thigh to hold one of the controllers and the second controller in your hand. The game has a bunch of different workout routines led by a trainer. I did a 25 minute routine and my thighs actually burn today. Then I made myself go for a 2.5 mile walk in order to ensure I would get my 10,000 steps. My trainer gave me attitude on the track when I was trying to do one of the exerxcises. I was too slow! My honey is a good motivator as well as she will often walk with me and is always up for extending the walk to get in extra steps.
Child #7 and #3 and I all wear Garmin Fitness Trackers and challenge each other regularly to see who can get the most steps. It is such a silly thing but it does force me to go the extra mile each day. We can view each others total steps for the day/week and when I am in last place… I force myself off of the couch and play a best of 5 tennis match in the TV room! They hold me accountable to making sure I am moving and that is a critical component to ensure I am addressing this piece of my health puzzle.
My goal is 10,000 steps a day, every day. Having my sisters hold me accountable is priceless!
Choosing Health with my Wii!
Lake Girl
