Pillar #2 - Part 2, Plus

Continuing with the F theme from last week (Fitness, Fab 4 & Factoid), we are going to revisit Pillar #2 of Octagon of Wellness just because I want to address a couple more important things. And include a Fun idea at the end.

Many of my readers suffer from chronic conditions (as do I ) that make fitness especially challenging for them. One person knowing this about me, asked after reading last weeks article if I was able to do what I was prescribing. 

My answer: You do what you can. And then build from that. For instance, I talked about the Fab 4, an exercise routine that I created, which involves four songs. If 4 songs are too much, then just move gently to 1 song without doing any of the strength movements. The important thing is to do what you currently have the strength and energy to do. Then push yourself a little to do a bit more the next day. 

One of the best things you can do is walk. And it is easy to quantify with a pedometer. Here is what you can do if you are very unfit. Let’s turn this ship around. Talking steps, if all you can do is walk to your mailbox, then do that, and then the next day do that plus one house. On a slightly different scale, if you have somewhat been a couch potato and average 2000 steps a day, then dance to some music or go outside and walk up and down your block, and the next day do more. 

If you are medically cleared. 

As for strength training, use the same strategy, although one will typically do strength training on alternate days to allow for muscle rebuilding. Strength training can be done using actual weights, or exercise bands, or your own body weight (like squats, pushups, sit-ups), or even cupboard items like cans and bottles.

There are poor levels of fitness, which many of my readers have, there are moderate levels of fitness, which some of my readers have, then there are those with fine fettle. 

Wonder of Words - Readers know that I sometimes include this section in my articles. Today’s

Word of the Day: FETTLE. It means “state or condition of health, fitness”, according to Merriam-Webster. Hey, I challenge you to use it in a sentence today.

Want to be inspired? 

What My Son-In-Law is doing to Get Back in Fine Fettle 

My SIL Jesse…we were pretty worried. That’s an understatement. Very recently he was hospitalized for 23 days, needed 2 surgeries for an obstruction of the small intestine, was transfused 3 units of blood for a hemoglobin level of 7, lost more than 10 pounds, had two and a half feet of his small bowel removed, and much more which I won’t go into. By the way, I got Jesse’s permission to share all of this.

So in early February (interesting that it starts with an F), Jesse considered himself to be in the finest shape of his entire life. For more than 30 years he has always been in great shape; he ran Track & Field and Cross Country in high school. And has continued to run in many races since, including several marathons, a few 50k (31 miles), three 50 mile races, and one 100k race. As well as many smaller races that would be difficult for most of us. 

Anyway, Jesse was discharged from the hospital on March 9, so you can imagine my shock when I heard last week when my daughter told me that he was able to run 2 miles accompanied by his wife Tara. His pace was slow. Jesse, being a runner, said he was more of a jogger that day, and he walked for two minutes in the middle of it.

Flabbergasting. You should have seen him in the hospital. Not doing well at all. He credits this fast recovery to having a long term history of good physical fitness. He thinks that was what kept him out of the ICU. 

I found out today that Jesse created his “Return to Fitness Plan”, with the goal of being 80% back by September. I am impressed how well he has structured it. He says his biggest threat when he got home from the hospital was overdoing it. That sounds about right to me. His plan includes strength training again when he is cleared for it, to increase the running distances no more than 1/2 mile a day, and to walk and hike, gradually increasing the pace. 

Wise Words from Jesse: “We need to stress our body to encourage it to build, and balance it with rest to recover”.  His measurement stick is, “How I feel”. 

Fun Factory

I love fun. And fun is good. Here is an idea that might spark your interest and imagination when life becomes a bit dour.

Opposite Day!

A couple of weeks ago we were having a dark, rainy week with some sad things happening. I thought it would be a perfect time to have Opposite Day in my high school biology class. I initiated it last year and it was very successful and…fun. 

Anyway, as the students were walking in the room I told them they had to turn around and come in the right way. Their puzzled look changed to a smile when I added, “You have to walk in backwards because its Opposite Day.” One kid replied, “Oh this sounds like fun”, to which I replied, “No, it will be super boring”. To another who told me good morning, I corrected him that today he should say bad morning.

So, we watched a short clip of a Sponge Bob episode.

Sponge Bob video - 5 minute version that I showed.

Other things we did to celebrate Opposite Day was to do everything we typically do backwards. For example, we always start the class with what I call !st Five, a little quiz during the first five minutes with a few questions. Then it is self-graded and they get a ticket for each right answer for the raffle at the end of the semester. Anyway, this day it was Last Five. We usually do lab time the 2nd hour, but this day we did it first. And so on.  

The next week (we only meet once a week like a college course) they asked if we could do Opposite Day again that day. No. Then they asked if we could watch another Sponge Bob video. No. So, it was a little rough starting out that day. Just a warning. 

Conclusion - START - BUILD - CONTINUE

“If you have to have perfect or nothing, you will nothing every time.”  The late Francis Schaeffer, philosopher and theologian.

Next week I will do a quick update on my 100-Day Wellness Adventure, as well as share some derailers to watch out for. Ran out of brain power today.

Aspiring to fantastic fettle,
~Vanessa
www.vanessamarsden.com
Instagram @wellnessadventure_RN