Category Archives: Exercise

Although they do not define me, the numbers don’t lie

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I am a runner and a yoga practitioner. By all accounts, I am pretty fit. I try to eat whole foods and for the most part, I eat plant-based. All of the above is true. 

What is also true is that I love wine. Typically I save that for the weekends, but during quarantine every day has been a weekend, right? I also really LOVE dark chocolate (vegan) and my ultimate vice is potato chips. I won’t even tell you how much of those I consume, but it’s bad. 

When we lived in Portugal I walked a lot: to the kids’ school, to the shops, to the beach and if I needed to go further, I would often walk to the train station to get myself to whatever destination. This, plus a more flexible schedule allowed me to keep my weight down 7-10lbs lighter than what I have weighed since my return to the United States. Since coming back, my work schedule combined with the kids’ manic activity schedules gave me a perfect excuse for missed workouts, quick snacks and some less healthy, but quick meals for the family. 

Now, flash forward to quarantine. I am one of the lucky ones who still has a job. It’s different, but I am still able to do my work from home and get paid for it. What I also now have is a few more hours that I no longer use to commute to work or drive my son around. Yesterday I decided that I needed to take advantage of this time to get my weight back on track. 

If you go to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services website you can calculate your BMI. This allows you to see what weight category you are in: 

BMI Categories:
Underweight = <18.5
Normal weight = 18.5–24.9
Overweight = 25–29.9
Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater

I won’t tell you how much I weigh, but I will tell you that my BMI is currently 26.6 which puts me just in the overweight range. Now please, I am in no panic about this. I know that I have a lot of muscle mass. I know that I am a good person and that I am loved. But, I also know that I have a few pounds to lose. So I am going to lose them and I am going to keep them off!

I am also lucky in that I have been able to get some guidance from an Ayurvedic practitioner. I had sought Kathy out not because of a need to lose weight but because I had been having some medical issues since January. I was also worried about not getting restful sleep and having very low energy. I signed up for a 5 week online course and I am already feeling better. This idea to lose weight had nothing to do with my wanting to learn more about Ayurveda, but as I considered what I was putting in my body, I had to acknowledge that not all I consume is benefitting my health. 

I assure you I will still be having wine with my dear friends on our zoom chats, and ice cream with my kids some evenings, but this time is a gift of sorts. And I am silly to not make the most of it. 

God bless anyone reading this and my wish for you is that you stay safe and healthy.

XOXO

Music and movement

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One aspect of this global lockdown that I have appreciated is the time that I now have to run. I still find that my days are full with work, but both for the physical activity as well as the mental break, my running has become an essential aspect of my survival. Of course, I recognize how lucky I am to live in a part of the world where this is a possibility. Living in the middle of nowhere has never been such a blessing.

Before the time of quarantine, I had been running with my friend Lisa. Our runs involved 45min-2 hours straight of talking. It was a beautiful thing and we never listened to music while we ran. Since we don’t want to get each other sick we have not run together in a while. I have gone back to listening to my podcasts or songs. It helps me to not miss her and our time together as much. 

The other day I was out running and each of the songs I heard on my random mix seemed to be the universe or God talking to me. The first was Bob Marley’s – Everything’s Gonna Be Alright. 

This upbeat and reassuring tune made me smile. But it also broke my heart a bit for those who have lost family and friends already. For them, a future that will be alright must be that much harder to imagine.

The next song that popped up was The Specials – Free Nelson Mandela.

Immediately the complaints I or any of my family and friends have about quarantine were laughable and almost embarrassing. It also made me want to make sure that all students take the time to get to know the story of this great man. Many do not. 

The next song that moved me was Anjo the Guarda (Guardian Angel) by the Tribalistas. 

The Tribalistas are one of my favorite bands. Marisa Monte has the voice of an angel. That combined with the soothing voice of Carlinhos Brown was meditative as I finished my run. 
 
Lucky am I to have the option of movement and music. 

INSPIRE

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Last year at Christmas time we had a Secret Santa exchange at school. The person who picked my name did a rather brilliant job of spoiling me with little notes and treats that I found both beautiful and thoughtful. One, however was one that I remember thinking, “Will I really  wear this?” You see, the bracelet had letter blocks that spelled out INSPIRE. It was cute, but not my typical style. Yet on my wrist it went. 

Immediately I knew that it would stay on my wrist. It has since December been a reminder of the role that women, myself included, should play in each other’s lives. We should always aspire to inspire others, while also ‘allowing’ ourselves to be inspired by others. Often, as women when another succeeds we use their success as a point of envy or an opportunity to doubt our ability to do equally great things. I am guilty of being envious and envy is ugly. This bracelet has reminded me to be happy for others successes and to use their victories to inspire me. 

A few months back I got a friend started on running. She went from being unable to run a mile to training for a half marathon, 13.1 miles! It’s funny because even though I am the ‘runner’ I was the one that was inspired by her to stay on track with my training this summer. I say this because we often are moved to do things when we allow ourselves to be moved by a gentle nudge that we get from others. We can take ideas and brush them under the rug, or allow them to flourish. I know that seeing this bracelet I am often reminded to stay on track because my good choices may influence others. But I also make sure to let others know when they inspire me. This cycle of inspiration can only be a good thing.