I'm trying to improve myself.
My physical health is pretty good, given my size and shape. But it is not a good long term path. My hobbies and interests are all sedentary, and my diet wavers between fairly healthy to college dorm, and I stress too darn much over things I shouldn't.
How to straighten this out, realizing that you're not tracking somebody determined to be the next triathlete, but someone who just wants to stay healthy enough to enjoy the reading, writing, acting and other storytelling interests that are so cherished, that wants to enjoy being with has family a very long time.
The first thing is to restore some semblance of walking to my routine. I'm starting out with an evening walk with the dogs, just to get back into things. There are several challenges.
The first is the unrequited love affair that gnats have with me. They love buzzing around my ears, and it drives me crazy. Something about my pheromones attracts them in such large numbers to me, when I walk I look Pigpen from the Peanuts cartoon, a huge cloud of them following me wherever I go. I have received a number of suggestions to combat this, including the male perfume BRUT, other commercial spray repellents such as off, an electronic noise emitter, and my own favorite - wearing earmuffs. I have to try BRUT, although I am afraid it will repel more than just insects (Alison does not care for perfumes, and I have not worn so much as an after shave). The commercial sprays also leave me sticky and odorriffic, and the noise emitter doesn't work all that well. Earmuffs just make me look even dorkier than I already do. But I'll keep working on it.
The second problem is Georgia weather, and our frequent summer evening thunderstorms. When we moved, we sold the treadmill along with the house, so I eliminated my indoor option. I have to develop some sort of routine I can do in the house. I noticed Alison the other day using something from her iPad that gave her an exercise routine. Maybe I can find something like that that won't utterly and completely bore me to tears.
The other element of my attempt to reform is diet. I will save that discussion for another post. Suffice it to say I am trying to talk myself into more fruits and vegetables.
But I will not be deterred. I will find a way to keep the gnats away, or at least more tolerable. I will figure out a way to sneak more exercise into my life. But there is a trade off. The idea is not to let the exercise subsume me. It's like working. I work in order to have the money to pay the bills and to do the things my family and I really enjoy. That's the same thing with exercise - it is not an ends to itself, but a means to enjoy other things in a healthier state.
I will keep you posted. Unless I give up this blog and take up jogging in the morning.
Nah. Not gonna happen.
I am trying to change my diet for the better. It is difficult! Walking more, even if it is just around Wal-Mart a couple of times, has made an overall difference in my life. I use the Myfitnesspal to track my food intake and exercise. Just being able to watch my exercise helps me. I also like that MyfitnessPal counts time walking and not mileage. It gives me easier goals to work towards.
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