Well, we've made it three weeks through February. My wrist has managed to hang in there (literally), so I've been able to keep at it with the kettlebell swings. To keep track of all the swings, I still need a workout timer, a stopwatch, a water bottle, paper and pencil, and I use my fitbit out of curiosity to see the old bod is actually doing... Oh, and a generous supply of movies. Those $5 bin DVDs have come in handy, although it seems I am getting into a routine - if you can believe that, after five years - of watching the same movies. It's like tradition now. Like visiting my old kettlebell friends... Master and Commander, The Fugitive, Valkyrie. And I even threw in a "new" one this year: The President's Men. I have three more workouts planned, and I might throw in an extra one, but I will probably get to see Bullit again before it's all said and done.
Don't let ordinary life crowd in on you and stop you from investing in your wellness. If you started a challenge, keep going with it, as best you can. We only have a week left!
Monday, 24 February 2020
Thursday, 13 February 2020
Dealing With Obstacles
We're nearly half-way through February, and so nearly half-way through the challenge. For me, personally, I've been dealing with a bit of a wrist injury - not bad enough to completely shut down the kettlebells, but enough of a nag that I have to take it easier than I had planned. My original idea of using several different weights had to be modified, so I'm using a lighter weight, but still doing the reps. The biggest challenge with that is that it feels a bit like a cop-out.
I haven't exactly run into this kind of obstacle before - a nagging injury - so I've had to do a bit of soul-searching. It looks like my wrist is able to tolerate some light duty, but I don't want to aggravate it or make it worse.
Our bodies are not invincible, and we are subject to damage from a variety of sources - bumps and bruises, slips and falls, accidents, or even damage from improper training or excessive strain on joints and limbs, or simply overuse. And it appears that increasing age makes your more vulnerable to these things.
Nevertheless, I realized that, if I had been unable to keep going with the kettlebells, I could have switched over to swimming and just done more of that than I usually do. But it would have been disappointing. I suspect that disappointment or frustration is probably the biggest obstacle we face, because they represent our response to our situation, as opposed to the situation itself. So I may have a mild wrist injury, but the difference-maker is my attitude about it. And I'm not here to say I have the perfect attitude, but I think my attitude is more realistic than it used to be. Reality demonstrates that we WILL face obstacles when we step out and put effort into improving our wellness. We will need to overcome them. And the more difficult obstacles, IMHO, are really our attitudes.
I don't have the magic answer for you, but my encouragement would be to be careful if you experience an injury or run into a difficult obstacle. Be careful with your body. Allow injuries the healing time they need. Adjust your plans if necessary. And remember that your attitude about the situation plays a key role in determining how well you get through the situation. So try to be kind to yourself - you are trying to improve your wellness. You should be proud of yourself.
Keep up the good work. Only two weeks to go!
I haven't exactly run into this kind of obstacle before - a nagging injury - so I've had to do a bit of soul-searching. It looks like my wrist is able to tolerate some light duty, but I don't want to aggravate it or make it worse.
Our bodies are not invincible, and we are subject to damage from a variety of sources - bumps and bruises, slips and falls, accidents, or even damage from improper training or excessive strain on joints and limbs, or simply overuse. And it appears that increasing age makes your more vulnerable to these things.
Nevertheless, I realized that, if I had been unable to keep going with the kettlebells, I could have switched over to swimming and just done more of that than I usually do. But it would have been disappointing. I suspect that disappointment or frustration is probably the biggest obstacle we face, because they represent our response to our situation, as opposed to the situation itself. So I may have a mild wrist injury, but the difference-maker is my attitude about it. And I'm not here to say I have the perfect attitude, but I think my attitude is more realistic than it used to be. Reality demonstrates that we WILL face obstacles when we step out and put effort into improving our wellness. We will need to overcome them. And the more difficult obstacles, IMHO, are really our attitudes.
I don't have the magic answer for you, but my encouragement would be to be careful if you experience an injury or run into a difficult obstacle. Be careful with your body. Allow injuries the healing time they need. Adjust your plans if necessary. And remember that your attitude about the situation plays a key role in determining how well you get through the situation. So try to be kind to yourself - you are trying to improve your wellness. You should be proud of yourself.
Keep up the good work. Only two weeks to go!
Thursday, 6 February 2020
Still Trying New Things!
Old dog? Check.
New things? Check.
I don't really feel old. Actuarially, though, I probably "fit the criteria"... So, I'm an old dog. But I can still learn new things, and maybe that's what has been keeping me in the game (at whatever level of metaphor you want to apply it)!
My latest "new thing" as it relates to the February challenge is that I'm learning more about swimming, not just technique, but more about how to develop and train over the long term. That may sound like a disconnect, since this challenge started out under the bizarre guise of a Kettlebell challenge. But really I think what I'm learning is that I enjoy variety in my activities, and I think I'm bored of Kettlebells - well, that and they are kind of gruelling if you set yourself up to punch out 10,000 of them!
Nevertheless, back to swimming. First, I'm no swim pro, and I don't set speed records. My swim development started about 20 years ago (no need to rush things) and I first learned to improve my stroke efficiency and a few things like bilateral breathing because I wanted to do a triathlon. Since then, though, to "train", I've just done more swimming. More of the same. Guess what? I got a bit better. And I could swim a bit farther at one go.
So here I am now, a bit bored and looking to up my game, so to speak. I asked myself what would happen if I were to study swim training and actually develop a plan and then, well, train. The question is still so fresh that I can't tell you the outcome yet, but one thing I noticed right away is that it re-oriented my enthusiasm. I quickly discovered a whole world of training resources and development strategies out there (on the Internet, nestled in and around the cat videos). I decided I'd like to see some significant improvement in my swim performance, so I've started learning about how to actually train for swimming.
This is where I am on my wellness journey at the present moment - slogging away through my Kettlebell challenge as promised, but with a rekindled interest in another area of wellness. Trying this new thing keeps me motivated, and I think it will lead to some actual development of my swim skill!
Regardless of your age, keep being active, and keep learning new things. Imagine where you could be in a few months!
I'll keep you posted if I learn something REALLY cool about swimming.
And, all this swimming and Kettlebells is making me HUNGRY!!!
New things? Check.
I don't really feel old. Actuarially, though, I probably "fit the criteria"... So, I'm an old dog. But I can still learn new things, and maybe that's what has been keeping me in the game (at whatever level of metaphor you want to apply it)!
My latest "new thing" as it relates to the February challenge is that I'm learning more about swimming, not just technique, but more about how to develop and train over the long term. That may sound like a disconnect, since this challenge started out under the bizarre guise of a Kettlebell challenge. But really I think what I'm learning is that I enjoy variety in my activities, and I think I'm bored of Kettlebells - well, that and they are kind of gruelling if you set yourself up to punch out 10,000 of them!
Nevertheless, back to swimming. First, I'm no swim pro, and I don't set speed records. My swim development started about 20 years ago (no need to rush things) and I first learned to improve my stroke efficiency and a few things like bilateral breathing because I wanted to do a triathlon. Since then, though, to "train", I've just done more swimming. More of the same. Guess what? I got a bit better. And I could swim a bit farther at one go.
So here I am now, a bit bored and looking to up my game, so to speak. I asked myself what would happen if I were to study swim training and actually develop a plan and then, well, train. The question is still so fresh that I can't tell you the outcome yet, but one thing I noticed right away is that it re-oriented my enthusiasm. I quickly discovered a whole world of training resources and development strategies out there (on the Internet, nestled in and around the cat videos). I decided I'd like to see some significant improvement in my swim performance, so I've started learning about how to actually train for swimming.
This is where I am on my wellness journey at the present moment - slogging away through my Kettlebell challenge as promised, but with a rekindled interest in another area of wellness. Trying this new thing keeps me motivated, and I think it will lead to some actual development of my swim skill!
Regardless of your age, keep being active, and keep learning new things. Imagine where you could be in a few months!
I'll keep you posted if I learn something REALLY cool about swimming.
And, all this swimming and Kettlebells is making me HUNGRY!!!
Tuesday, 4 February 2020
We're Into It Now!
We're already at Day 4 of the wellness challenge, so we're well into it. I've decided to rename February "Sore Hamstrings" month, as I have been more posteriorly aware from doing kettlebell swings. Not that I'm complaining, but I find that work tends to have an effect on you. That is an understatement, because, really, we want this kind of work (investing in our wellness) to actually improve our wellness. Which is an effect and, as I always say, "There's no free lunch."
I am always impressed whenever anyone takes a step out of the comfort zone into some kind of discomfort zone - exactly what happens when you try something new. Or when you try more of something old. So I don't shy away from saying that I encourage everyone to take on a wellness challenge that is a stretch for them - something over and above their normal activity. If you're doing a physical challenge, you will probably experience some physical discomfort as your body adjusts (understatement alert) to the new activity.
Since I'm swinging kettlebells, my biggest two challenges are (in order): keeping count during a set, and finding movies to watch. I think I'm on Hoosiers for the 3rd time! Oh - and I just finished All The President's Men, which has eerily contemporary overtones...
We are just past the mid-point of week 1, so keep your eyes focused on your goals, and keep on pushing yourself toward those goals. Discomfort is often part of growth, so take it in stride and think of the stories you'll tell your friends.
Gotta go - off to the pool!
I am always impressed whenever anyone takes a step out of the comfort zone into some kind of discomfort zone - exactly what happens when you try something new. Or when you try more of something old. So I don't shy away from saying that I encourage everyone to take on a wellness challenge that is a stretch for them - something over and above their normal activity. If you're doing a physical challenge, you will probably experience some physical discomfort as your body adjusts (understatement alert) to the new activity.
Since I'm swinging kettlebells, my biggest two challenges are (in order): keeping count during a set, and finding movies to watch. I think I'm on Hoosiers for the 3rd time! Oh - and I just finished All The President's Men, which has eerily contemporary overtones...
We are just past the mid-point of week 1, so keep your eyes focused on your goals, and keep on pushing yourself toward those goals. Discomfort is often part of growth, so take it in stride and think of the stories you'll tell your friends.
Gotta go - off to the pool!
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