Health and Fitness, June 2013

[Harriet]

Welcome!

In this thread we chat about keeping ourselves strong and capable as we pursue our calling as homemakers. Our family members may need to lean on us, and we may need to lean on them. Proactive medical answers, sensible consumption of healthy food and water, getting enough rest, and getting enough activity, too - these are all part of our plans! Helping each member of our households work in all their healthy habits is priceless!

[Nancy]

I'm having a water break now after a good day getting plenty of exercise in going to the dump cleaning up the carport and yard moving wood etc. it was a great day filled with a various outside things making it a nice change in my routines!

[Ivy]

I did warm-up stretches, prancercized for 7 min., and did outdoor walking for 13 min., came home and did cool-down stretches.

[Nancy]

My Sun. ex. was cleaning out the camper doing some stuff in the back part of the yard & stairs going up and down multiple times for unloading camper putting away blankets jean quilts etc.

[Ivy]

It was a day to not exercise, since I was light-headed because of the asthma problem brought on by allergies. Am listening to my body and doctor's orders to rest and drink fluids. I'm washing 1 load of laundry and emptied the DW for activity today. Am doing light activity, not heavy chores or heart-rate-hiking exercise. Plan to stretch this evening.

I think stretches in the morning and evening would be good for me, while I recuperate. (I see him 2.5 weeks.) Also, I thought if I set my timer for 15 min., put out hot spots, start laundry, load the DW, etc.. until the timer went off, would be a good way to get activity. I'm shying away from outdoor walks because of the pollen on hotter days. It got me into trouble in the first place, when I had a cold.

[Nancy]

I did chores lots of trips up and down the stairs doing laundry and putting camping stuff away & mowing pruning roses and other yd. work for my exercise getting great variation this week here for it.

[Ivy]

Today was a rough day, health-wise. I was weak, especially this a.m. and after meals. I napped twice for 30 - 60 min. The doctor said to rest and drink fluids. When I do, I feel better. I had little energy today, but this p.m., I'm washing towels, DH will help fold/hang, I filled the DW and DH rearranged dishes I ate poor choices today. I emotional eat. When a doctor says rest/fluids, I assume the 30-min. daily walks are out, if I can't get oxygen, get dizzy, so need my inhaler. I'd promised myself, yesterday, I'd set my timer for 15 min., then put out hot spots, etc.. I ate M & M's today, they're gone; I ate an ice cream bar.

The deal is, I'm supposed to get healthy with rest/fluids. I'll write a reminder to remember making it a 15-min. day tomorrow, to walk, put out hot spots, do stretch, etc.. I'll try to stay OUT of the ice cream bars. If I make it a 15-min. day, it'll make my day more fun, rather than so "challenging". I feel much better after fluids/rest. I'll move around when I'm not resting. I have writing work to do, reading, too, while I'm resting, which will add to my self confidence and I'll be less likely to emotional eat because I'm being proactive and productive.

I NEEDED to write this out HERE, so I could READ while writing, to knock some sense into me! I'm 179.2 Lbs., which is up from 168.9 Lbs. on Thanksgiving Day 2012. It inches up more and more. I think with healthier eating, small increments of movement/activity, I'll be able to get back on track.

Thanks for "listening". You're so encouraging, to read your journeys. It helps me, it motivates me, and it makes me want to do better for myself and because YOU are doing better, too! Thanks!
TOMORROW'S A NEW DAY!

[Harriet]

Ivy, does your doctor monitor your vitamin D levels? Vitamin D is very involved with lung health and efficiency. Our doctor wants us to strive for a level of 50 mg/dl. (they measure it in milligrams per deciliter.) Also, someday when you are feeling better, you might be interested in reading the asthma studies with alternating calories higher and lower every-other-day that reverses asthma symptoms. If you search for " asthma fewer calories ", or " asthma alternate calories " you should find a lot of info. A lot would be on general constant calorie restriction, but research proves various alternating times of restriction and non/restriction does just as well without feelings of deprivation. People who choose all kinds of different methods of intermittent fasting, or "calorie cycling", or "fast 5", or just skipping breakfast sometimes, all seem to get some help. The consensus is that the body tends to work on healing some ailments during the times when it is not having to digest, and asthma looks like one of them.

Nancy, I didn't even know you had roses. My mother's Miss America rose got killed because my ddad ran right over it with a lawn mower (she was fit to be tied!) and we never planted any again. My dear aunt raised miniature roses, though.

I worked out on Sunday and Monday, 30 minutes and 20 minutes respectively.

[Nancy]

I have some old fashioned fragrant rusa sp? roses from the farm some root stock climbers that bloom once a year and some hybrid teas and try to get one or two a year to replace ones that don't make it for various reasons.

I did ex. bike 10 mi. last night. It' always feels good to put on pj pants that used to be tight that are baggy now!

[Ivy]

I walked 30 min. while on the phone with somebody in crisis today. They needed me, to talk to, about a confusing problem that popped up and I needed to be "there" for her and needed the exercise, too. So it was nice that it worked out for me today.