Happy New Year! Time for resolutions.
Enjoy the JOURNEY of life
January 1st, a new year, time for resolutions or people who swear they don’t make any.
I’ve been thinking about the New Year and resolutions for the last several days. I’ve asked friends and family if they have any. The average response is “I don’t make any” to which I quietly think they’re not being honest and “I want to lose weight” which is the most common resolution people make.
I’m with the majority in a similar fashion. I’d like to eat healthier and tone up more. I’ve battled with a psoas tendonitis injury since September 2011 but finally stopped being a stubborn patient and started listening to a knowledgeable orthopedic specialist that Kaiser referred me to. Dr Maheshwari knew exactly what he was looking at within minutes of me being in his office which was a huge relief since I’d seen several before him as well as a go at physical therapy Unfortunately, it meant I had to completely stop kickboxing and lifting weights for the last three months.
I’d love to eventually resume kickboxing but I know that once you have an ’-itis’, it’s more prone to flare ups. The thing is we’re taught no pain, no gain, and to gut through pain. What I’ve learned the hard way is that our bodies are designed to tell us when to slow down or reassess movements. Mine had been telling me for months before I seriously blew something out of whack jogging on the beach every morning on our 2011 St. Augustine trip. So bad had it become that there were days I could barely walk. But, I have an obsessive-compulsive nature when it comes to fitness and core training six days a week only exacerbated my situation.
I’m back to aerobic activity-finally-but am exercising two days in a row and taking the third day off. I’m also focusing on supporting muscle groups before tackling the larger ones. So far, so good.
Why am I sharing this? I suppose because I’m very passionate about fitness. My mantra for years has been it’s easier to maintain thin than to have to lose a lot of weight. In that vein, it’s just as easy to overdue and not give yourself enough grace. Plus, when you find a particular sport that you can become fanatical about, the risk of a repetitive injury becomes greater.
If you are one of those people who’s vowed to hit the gym this year, make sure you start out slowly. Give yourself time to build up and trust that each day you’re becoming a little stronger and etching a new, healthy habit into your lifestyle. Remember to change things up. Jog one day, bike another, go for a long walk the next, take a hike when the weather’s dry, try your hand at snow shoeing or cross country skiing. The more activities you engage in, the more you’ll build overall health because every exercise calls on different muscles to perform. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Well, if you start out ‘all’, you might hurt yourself and end up with ‘nothing’ like I did. Ha, ha. Enjoy the JOURNEY of fitness. Moving feels wonderful. It doesn’t have to be a half marathon to count. Every year has 365 days in it. Embrace each one.
Viki
I am a Clark County native. I am Level 2 WSET (wine and spirit education trust)-certified and enjoy pairing wine with my passion for travel and fondness of food. My most prized possessions are the memories of places I've been with my husband, the chance encounters we've been blessed to have along the way and my carry-on bag. I can often be seen around town and in tasting rooms with our two beautiful, double-Merle Australian shepherds, Challenge and Baby Girl.