Wednesday fitness update

I think I might be better about writing if I have a specific thing for each day of the week to think about writing. Not that I’ll always have to write about that thing on that day instead of another day or maybe just write about something else entirely, but it’s a starting point, right?

Anyway, for right now, Wednesday is going to be fitness updates.

I’ve been very mindful for the past week about making sure to get 30 minutes of exercise daily. It doesn’t have to be much, just a walk down the street and back, something to make sure I’m moving more than I have been all the rest of the day and try to improve my current fitness levels.

This has been the most I’ve exercised consistently in a long time. And I can tell the difference in just the few days I’ve been doing this. My knee isn’t hurting as much, I’m able to walk faster and get further during those 30 minutes than I did last week. I’m feeling good!

It’s been a challenge some days when I just really don’t want to go back outside again or do anything other than sit on my butt and read. Especially with the longer work days, my evening has gotten shorter and giving up what is essentially an hour for this goal is something I have to really set my mind to doing. (It’s 30 minutes of exercise, bracketed by a couple minutes to change, and then stretching and showering afterward.)

But I’m giving an hour now in order to be able to do things later that I really want to be able to do, like hiking in the mountains and donating blood, which I can’t do right now because my blood pressure is too high, and, you know, live longer and be happier!!

So, today I walked down the street from our apartment complex toward the next housing division down the street. When I started doing this last week, I just barely made it to the entrance to that housing area. And today, I made it 3 lamp posts past that, nearly halfway to the next housing division! And my knee wasn’t nearly as swollen and I wasn’t nearly as painful the whole way there and back. Progress!