Health gurus and girlsies,
Welcome to Wellness Wednesday. Time to update those wellness goals. And this month we are also sharing our favorite strengthening tips. I have been feeling less than my usual 110% lately. Actually, emotionally and mentally, I have been feeling much better but now my behind hurts. Hemorrhoids. Nuff said.
I can’t believe we are winding down this year’s wellness series, the year for that matter! So thankful that Natalie at Natalie the Explorer put together this series and its 12 months of prompts. I feel so much healthier – everywhere but you-know-were – now than I did a year ago. Thank you, Natalie!
Wellness Goals Update
Here are the goals I set out to accomplish in 2018.
Going to rate my progress using a scale of 1-5, 5 meaning ‘grand slam’, baby!
- Exercise – Holding steady at a 5. Have been getting to the gym even though my Prince is working out of town a lot of this month. In addition to using the treadmill, the elliptical or stationary bike, I’m doing weights every single solitary time we go. We have added some yoga stretches, the step machine and squats to our routine. And I am averaging close to 7K steps/3 stories a day.
- Diet – 4.5, again. While PC has been gone, I have been trying to eat better. Down a pound or two; hoping to lose a total of 6 pounds before he gets back home.
- Staying well – Still 4.5 Flossing and wearing sunscreen daily. Have had a dental cleaning, mammo, bone density test, thyroid ultrasound in the last month. Need to have my eyes checked and get that elusive skin check; a close inspection of all my freckles, moles and sunspots.
- Mental Wellness – Finally a 5.0! Boo-yah! Writing and reading more. The story/children’s book I have been writing on is coming more easily. I find myself often thinking about what my characters will do next. Hosting a virtual book club and we are starting our 5th book any minute. Come read with us!! Have been reading/listening to additional fiction and nonfiction titles, too. Bought a jigsaw puzzle to work while PC is gone. The image is a kitty stretched out over someone’s sewing and craft table. When I settle down to work on my puzzle, both of my kitties come running to stretch out across it. They do the same thing when I am typing on my laptop, writing and even reading.
- Spiritual Wellness – Maintaining a 5.0 Up every week day morning to ENJOY my quiet time. Reading several fabulous personal enrichment books. Writing Morning Pages as suggested by Julia Cameron in her book It’s Never Too Late to Begin Again.
- Relationship Wellness – Up a half point to 4.5 Last month, I shared that PC had commented that I had been grumpy a lot over the summer. But I think having this part-time job has helped to alleviate some of my grumpiness and that lost feeling. Hope when he returns home, we can enjoy some of our favorite fall activities together. Wrote about some of my fall staples in a recent post, here.
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- Date Night – Haunted Tour
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- Healthy Breakfast
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- Planet Fitness Strengthening Tools
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- Taking Gym Bag to Work
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- WW Friendly Muffins
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- Puzzling
So excited at my progress. Hope to have all 5s by our last post of the series in December.
Favorite Strengthening Tips
According to the Mayo Clinic, adding strength training to your workout is beneficial in a number of ways.
- Improves bone strength and density. My bone density test results were improved over last year’s because I am doing strength training these days.
- Helps maintain a healthy weight and can boost metabolism.
- Can improve balance and ability to do every day tasks.
- Reduces the symptoms of chronic disease like diabetes, arthritis, heart disease.
- May sharpen cognitive skills.
I don’t really have any favorite tips other than just to say, do it! Strength training doesn’t have to involve a lot of fancy equipment. Crunches, planks, push-ups and squats are all example of strengthening exercises. Just adding a few reps of those activities can be a great place to start.
Begin weight training with common objects you have at home. Bottles of water and canned food may be substituted for dumb bells. This article at Silver Sneakers demonstrates a 30 minute strengthen routine that can easily be done at home without expensive equipment. As I mentioned above, we are doing some kind of weight training with each gym visit. Not lifting significant weight but I am also not trying to become Rambo or Rambita, if you will. I see a difference in my abs, arms and legs. Try it!!
Starting Your Day Strong
I have really been enjoying my morning quiet time. This morning for a split sec, I thought about turning off the alarm and sleeping a few extra minutes instead of doing my devotions. But I wouldn’t have felt armed for my day. Interestingly, my Bible study directed me to John 14:27. The Amplified Bible reads:
27 Peace I leave with you; My [perfect] peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. [Let My perfect peace calm you in every circumstance and give you courage and strength for every challenge.]
By spending a few moments each morning, reflecting, reading, meditating , writing, I am arming myself to get through whatever may unfold during the day. If you aren’t already enjoying a few quiet moments every morning, I encourage you to do so. That might be the best strength training tip of all.
Your Turn
What kind of strength training do you do? How have you seen it improve your health? Do you have a quiet time morning routine? Would love to hear your strengthen tips in a comment below. And if you have a Wellness Wednesday post to share, link up with us! Click (not kiss) the frog!
Have a restful weekend, gals! I am painting tomorrow night. Looking forward to it. And then decorating my house for fall on Saturday. What are your plans?
Hugs and kisses,
Does running around after a two years old for 10 hours on a Wednesday count as strengthening and fitness? If so, I’m good to go!
Your lowest score was a 4.5, I’d say that you were nailing your good intentions. Keep going!
Chasing a two year old is such a work out. I love chasing Lucia but can hardly wait to get into bed at night for some down time and rest! Being a hands-on grandmother is so rewarding! I am hoping we will continue this wellness series into 2019 and hope you might join us if we do.
Your goals are so amazing! I don’t do any of this other than try and watch my caloric in take on non-vacation/fun days. I use to exercise, but I felt it was causing me more joint paint instead of decreasing it, so I stopped. I do garden, big time, 6 months out of the year, so I consider that my exercise.
Girl, you garden to beat the band! That is great exercise. I have lots of little aches and pains but feel worse when I don’t exercise. For me, the greatest effort comes from just getting my behind into the gym. This summer, I started walking 20 minutes a day whenever possible and that has been good for me, inside and out.
Excellent progress, Leslie! Keep up your wellness activities. We’ll have “self-care rewards in December” 🙂 Remember to add your link.
Thank you so much for the encouragement and for proposing this Wellness Wednesday series in the first place. Are you thinking we will do this again next year? I am afraid if we don’t, I will become a slug again!! XO
You’ve done so well! Take a bow ma’am.
Bow taken, thank you. I hope I don’t slip into hibernation mode now that we are moving toward winter. I feel so much healthier!!!
I’m impressed with how well you’ve been doing with all your personal goals! I try to cook 4-5 times a week but when it’s just cooking for 1 or 2 people, that can be hard! The leftovers start to accumulate. I love the idea of taking time in the morning for yourself to start your day off right. I am really hoping I can start that when I am done nursing!
Cooking for one or two people is tough. Especially when you have always cooked for a larger number. We do have leftovers from every meal and I am not a fan but I usually send them to PC for lunch. And then Thursday is clean the frig and eat the leftovers for dinner. And Sunday is almost always grilling of some sort.
Once you finish nursing, maybe you can sub in some quiet time for yourself. It would be great if you could continue to get up at the same time and just use the time that was spent nursing on doing something for yourself…reading, devotional time, even watching a TV show you can’t get to during the daylight hours! Having that time for myself in the morning has really brightened my outlook on life!