The alarm went off at 5 am, offering me just enough lucidity to have to go to the bathroom. As I stumbled out of bed and hit the snooze button, I thought dreamily about how I would crawl back into bed, and how maybe I should set the alarm ahead to 6 so my sleep wouldn’t be disturbed.
As I sat on the toilet, however, I realized, Oh yeah, I have to get up and exercise, because I look like a beached whale.
(I realize that isn’t a very nice thing to say about oneself–and I know my friends, and Sean [who said some very nice things about the way I look last night], would disagree, but it was motivational, so I don’t regret it.)
I turned off the alarm completely, gathered up my cell phone, glasses, and wedding rings, and left the bedroom.
Last night, in order to prepare for today, I laid out my work clothes and my workout clothes on the dining room table. This was a very good idea, and I should keep doing that. One of the most time-consuming things in the morning is trying to pick an outfit, and it’s doubly annoying because Sean is asleep and I don’t want to disturb him. Doing it the night before (something that FlyLady suggests) solves both problems.
I pulled on my new yoga pants and a blue shirt, both of which I bought yesterday at Wal-Mart. I grabbed my camera bag and put my cell phone and keys in it, and picked up my 3 pound handweights. Then I hung my kitchen timer around my neck and set it for 45 minutes. Finally I was off, heading out of the apartment for a nice brisk walk around the complex.
I made the circuit twice, moving my arms around with the weights in alternating motions, trying to work as many muscles as I could think of. By the time I was finished with my second lap, my arms were feeling the burn.
Coming around to the final stretch, I went into the workout room at the apartment office, where I managed the stair climber for 5 minutes (yow), and then did some stomach crunches and leg lifts. To finish off my workout, I hopped on the treadmill and did some very fast walking.
I may actually have time to hop in the swimming pool after my workouts, which might be something I want to try sometime. This morning, though, I hurried back to the apartment, made Sean’s lunch, emptied the dishwasher, took my shower, and made my Slim Fast for the morning. Now I’m off for work, so I’ll grab my lunch Slim Fast from the fridge, leave Sean’s lunch in the bedroom where he can see it, and head off.
I’m feeling a little sore, especially in my upper back (I think from all the handweight stuff I was doing), but I also feel fairly energetic. I’m going to keep this up!
Original comments from Blogger
Anonymous said…
You’re back is starting to hurt? Try one or two of these methods. Maybe they’ll work for you. Something I picked up from my year’s worth of massage classes. =]
You want to separate the muscles away from your spine, to allow for better blood flow. There’s a groove between your spine and the muscles next to it; the more tense you are, the smaller the groove.
1. Make a fist and place the knuckles next to your spine, trying to push the muscles away from the center. Then lie down on the fist so that your body weight is helping you do separate the muscle and bone.
2. Find a jutting vertical section of wall, such as a corner (not too sharp, though). The bucket seats in my car stick out slightly on the sides; I’ve used these before as well. Place your spine right next to the protruding section and lean back to force the muscle away from the spine.
All you’re looking to do is increase bloodflow into the back, so that the muscles will relax. Might help you with your back. =]
Monday, June 14, 2004 12:28:00 PM
Heather Meadows said…
Thanks, Hai! I’ll try that when I get the chance. :)
Monday, June 14, 2004 1:08:00 PM