I mentioned in my blog yesterday that one of the things I am focusing on in 2024 is my personal health journey. I actually began getting more serious about the movement aspect of my health after chatting with Kate Galli of Strong Body, Green Planet (I've included the link to her episode at the end of the blog.) My husband and I have been walking daily in the last 2 weeks and it honestly has been a whirlwind of emotions and thoughts for me.
I find that since 2020, I can stay glued to my desk for hours without getting up, I'll suddenly notice that I'm "dancing" in my seat before I force myself up. Then, I move from the desk to the couch. Some days, I wouldn't even leave the house to get the mail. I was also eating a lot of take out so I wasn't standing all that much to cook. Looking back at it now, I'm truly stunned at just how little moving I've been doing.
Now, getting outside every day feels incredible and I can't believe I would go days without stepping outside. We've even walked in the rain, multiple times! We walk at local parks where the terrain is gravel or soft ground, not hard pavement so we've encountered some puddles but we've also been able to experience the smells of wet leaves, hear the rushing river, and watch birds flitting about.
Last week, we did some forest bathing while on our walk. If you're not familiar, check out my Earth Day blog from last year here.
Some photos from the forest bathing walk (and a little sass for good measure too)
While I've been enjoying and embracing our daily walks, they are not without their difficulty. I've been sedentary for so long that I am SO slow when walking. I fall behind JP constantly which means chatting is difficult and I sometimes make myself feel badly for not being able to keep up. My lower back gets super tight sometimes and that really slows me down. In fact, the first couple of walks when things got really tight I was tempted to tell JP to just leave me and start a new life. 🤣
so dramatic!
I also sometimes get upset with myself for not being more aware of how little I was moving and not making more of an effort to make changes sooner. A lot of things come up when we start to focus on our bodies, I realized I had been neglecting myself in a lot of ways. I feel angry, sad, overwhelmed, and at the same time, determined, inspired, and a need to be kind. We do things in our own time and most importantly, I'm addressing it now, and am excited to do so, even when it's hard.
I've also stopped with the take-out and started to cook at home every day. I realize how much I miss the creativity that comes with relying on yourself to make food. JP is also getting into it and cooking as well, which has been really nice. He has a different approach in the kitchen, I really enjoy watching him work (and the results of said cooking too!)
I feel good about my plans to add more activity into my life, my body is already thankful for what I've done in the last few weeks.
I'm a member of Adriene Mishler's Find What Feels Good app but that doesn't stop me from joining her free 30 day yoga journey every January. There's still time to sign up! Click the image below. I share this simply because I love it, there's nothing in it for me except knowing that you're doing yoga along with me and thousands of others this month!
How do you cope when the negative thoughts about yourself creep up? Have you noticed they seem to get louder as you start to take better care of yourself? Tell me in the comments below.
Check out Kate Galli's interview here
How wonderful that you are making such a good healthy change for yourself! But be patient - I don't know if I could do it at all, but I do know it would have to take time to catch up. You know, it's funny what you say about negative self-talk, because I wonder how many people criticize themselves for something connected to the pandemic. For me, it's that I didn't take the opportunity to learn something - like new recipes, etc.
Kimberly, how wonderful you are moving about more. I am also, gradually, in my journey back from chemo. (I actually read this, this morning, at Mayo Clinic, while waiting for my PET scan.) We will do this!
It is a beautiful thing when we are able to show ourselves as much love as we show others.
I had the opposite issue during the quarantine. I made my own routines and paid more attention to what I was doing throughout the day because I wanted to make sure my children had a routine. Granted, they were all different schedules, but I did my best to accommodate everyone. I found it helped with my mental health, but living in Las Vegas, NV in the summer made it hard to sit outside unless it was early morning.
When I was called back to work after five months, I couldn't readjust my routine to fit my work schedule. That's when th…
I am PROUD of you for getting out of the house and walking and it doesn't matter how slow you walk. Like you I've been staying inside to much and its allowing my son to as well which isn't health for either of us. I meant to start walking yesterday for at least 30 minutes a day which I can do in my complex by myself but I let me talk me out of it. But today I am going walking even if its by myself for at least 30 minutes although I would like to do a hour. As I walk I hope it helps with my legs going out and losing weight I've gained. Even if it doesn't…
Kimberly, I think you're being too hard on yourself. Instead of being mad for dragging out the stay at home mandate for too long, pat yourself on the back for getting more active now. So what if you walk slowly? It's not a race. 😎 Tamara