Tag: exercise

Feeling Better Journey

Getting Strong: My Fitness Journey Begins

Getting strong has never been a top priority for me. As I discussed in an earlier post, I am not one for lifting weights and building muscles. With that being said, I now realize that I probably should get stronger. Especially if I want to truly enjoy several “bucket list trips” I am planning.

The Choice of Gym for Getting Strong

I spent two weeks researching every local gym/fitness center that also have facilities close to my family in Georgia. A gym with an indoor pool so I could swim laps or take aquatic exercise classes was preferable. Other wants included a sauna or steam room, access to personal trainers, a wide variety of class options, and opening early since I prefer morning workouts. After considerable research, I chose to join OneLife Fitness.

I made the call and went in to tour the facility with Nadia and discuss membership options. After touring the facility I sat down with Nadia to sign the dotted line and set up my evaluation. That’s when I met Talent, the fitness director and a personal trainer. Talent’s job is to evaluate the client, discuss their fitness needs and goals, then match them with the right personal trainer.

Evaluating What I Need for Getting Strong

Now I will admit to being out of shape and having little to no strength. So during the exercises Talent had me do during my evaluation, I let him know my muscles were calling him very ugly names. It was a laugh thru the pain or cry situation. I chose laughter. Afterwards, we sat down together and discussed my goals and nutrition. I’m sure the look on my face when he told me I needed to consume a minimum of 90 grams of protein and approximately 1400 calories a day would have made most people cringe. Talent didn’t bat an eye at the look I gave him. It was that moment when I knew I would prefer Talent to be my personal trainer and that I had made the right choice.

The Work Involved in Getting Strong

My first real work out was two days ago. Talent walked me thru several exercises for building strength. One particular exercise had me wondering why I didn’t know we had muscles in our armpits. Did you know? I thought he was kidding when he said, “now, as you bring the bar down to your thighs I want you to really squeeze those armpit muscles”. My reaction was, “We have muscles in our armpits?” Trust me when I tell you I had to actively THINK about those muscles.

By the end of the workout, my leg muscles felt wobbly. And even though I had worked my shoulders, arms, and armpit muscles, they felt ok. Two days later all the muscles I work are calling Talent some extremely ugly names. Especially my armpit muscles!

I know I made the right choice for me when it comes to my choice in gyms. Do I have a long way to go when it comes to getting strong? Absolutely! But there is plenty of time to achieve the goals Talent and I set for myself. And I know all the work and temporary pain will be worth it when I take my first “bucket list trip” in January 2027.

Feeling Better Journey

Getting Older Bites, But We Don’t Have To Let It Keep Biting!

When I was young I could do anything. Well, I thought I could. I didn’t think about nutrition and exercise and never thought I would. But then I got older and realized….bumps and bruises take longer to heal, recovery after a workout takes longer, and nutrition has a huge impact on how you feel.

I went through menopause rather early. By my 50th birthday I was officially post menopausal. Hooray! Let’s be honest with each other, having a monthly cycle is aggravating on many levels. But I’m done with that and rejoice in the fact every dang day! But with this joyous change, I needed to make some changes in my life if I was going to “feel good”.

First, it took a while for me to fully understand why my body stiffened if I sat too long. But, a friend of mine made some major changes in her nutrition. When she told me what she had changed and how she felt better, I decided I would do some research and see if the changes she made were right for me. Let me be clear, this is personal research. Neither one of us is a doctor, nurse, dietician, or any other medical personnel. After doing my research, I changed my diet. Did I do the exact same thing my friend did? Absolutely not! We are two different individuals and therefore needed to adjust our diets to our own personal needs.

Second, I was not sleeping well. It wasn’t night sweats or hot flashes (I didn’t have much of that at any stage during menopause), but I was HOT! This blew my mind since I am always cold. But at night, my body temperature would rise and I couldn’t sleep. So I researched what I could do and came across a solution I thought would work….the ChiliPad by SleepMe (formerly known as Ooler). It was a total game changer! I can literally set a schedule for the temperature that allows me to climb into a warm bed, then gradually cool down after I’ve fallen asleep to keep my body temp at a comfortable temperature, and then wake up to a gentle warming. I sleep soundly all night!

Last, I noticed I was lacking the energy I used to have. Now this was a combination of not enough quality sleep, poor diet, and lack of exercise. I solved the first two issues, but I am not one to go into a gym and lift weights, take a yoga  or aerobics class, and I’m certainly not a jogger/runner. So what were my options? I live in one of the most walkable cities on the planet. I started walking. Then I got a dog and I started training/playing with the dog (training/playing with you dog(s) should most definitely be counted as exercise). And while Athena and I are out and about, we take breaks to stretch, drink more water, or maybe just sit and watch the world go by.

The end result is I feel better because I’m taking more care with my diet, sleep and exercise! My body doesn’t stiffen up quite so much, I’m getting a minimum of 7 hours of quality sleep every night, and I have more energy! WooHoo!!!! I’ve shared all of this with all of you, because I will be writing about all of this more in depth as we go along. Feeling good is a never ending journey and we’re all on that journey. We may take different paths, but we’re all headed in the same direction….feeling good. Getting older may bite, but we don’t have to let it keep biting us! So, what have you done, or are thinking about doing to feel better? Let me know.