Happy New Year!
As I stagger around my house this January 1, 2015, I feel sore, tired and exhilarated. We danced last night for 3+ hours as we ushered in the Happy New Year… in spiky heels! Personally, I don’t indulge in alcohol because it dries out my contact lenses. I suppose I could wear my glasses, but they fly off when I’m dancing, so… no drinking.
All this late morning (I slept in) tottering is due to sore muscles and joints, not from imbibing, but from dancing. We had a wonderful time with family and friends at Georgina’s in Bolton, CT where we’ve been going for the last three years.
What a great way to greet the New Year- dancing! If I pause a moment to reflect, this year I had to take off my heels in order to continue dancing. I got winded faster than in the past. My arms and legs were tired. But the DJ kept playing songs that I like, so obviously I had to keep going back for more. This morning, not only are my feet mad at me, but hips and shoulders are saying, “Seriously?”
They are reminding me it’s time for a lifestyle change. Not a quick fix, but a change that will take me into my elderly years, when I’m in my 90’s with blue hair. I am going to embrace an active lifestyle. That means dancing, walking, stretching, hopping, and yes, wiggling every day. I will frequent the gym. I have hired a Personal Trainer to help motivate me and make me accountable to someone outside my head. And yes, I am a Certified Personal Trainer myself, but there is nothing like having someone to encourage you and recognize your commitment.
My goals?
1. Be fit enough to take tennis lessons without injury this spring.
2. Stabilize my joints so they will support movement.
3. Pick one day a week without any sugar, sweetener (real or artificial), fruit, pasta, or bread to give my body a chance to process what I put into it without going into overload. Eventually I will increase the number of days per week. Til then, check this out: https://www.simplyquinoa.com/sugar-addiction-and-quinoa/
4. Attend a fitness convention this fall to renew my certification.
5. Dance every day. Check out this article on the study they did on the effects of dancing on the brain in terms of dementia and Alzheimer’s.
6. Incorporate movement into my daily routine by:
a. Ride my bike while watching TV.
b. Do squats while brushing my teeth.
c. Kick to the rear while flossing.
d. Use walking lunges to move around the house.
e. Pace up and down the staircase while talking on the phone.
f. Balance on a ball while proofreading.
7. Let Wiggle Writer, my alter ego, loose on the unsuspecting world. Wiggle Writer is the self-proclaimed champion of the multitude shackled to a computer. If you add 5 minutes of exercise EVERY HOUR to your work day, you will completely change yourself. You can follow Wiggle Writer on Twitter @WiggleWriter or #WiggleWriter, or on Facebook at Deborah Ann Davis, Author.
Get the idea? What are some suggestions that you have to add movement to your day?
