Shedding It

 Ow! I tried my first HIIT workout on Monday thanks to my local community association (free zoom classes in different styles all week).  Yesterday was yoga, which was fine but somehow I didn’t have the energy for a bike ride in my basement as planned. This morning I woke up feeling sore abs and arms from HIIT, and discovered that there are actually two classes this morning. I just finished the core strength and balance class, where I really felt the imbalance between my right and left sides. Next up was balance and stability for older adults, with a focus on arms. This was surprisingly challenging. I really liked the modifications to do weights and crunches while in a chair. I may incorporate some of them into my daily routines. I am full of admiration for the HIIT instructor, as she did the workout using her son’s 15 lb weights instead of her usual 10 lbs. I was using 2 lb and that was plenty. It’s funny how you think you are fit, but still discover new things to work on when you try

My goal this year has been to do 220 workouts in 2020, not counting my regular walks or bike rides to work. The pandemic really messed up my commutes, but it got me looking for ways to keep fit, especially when my barn was closed, and eventually reopened for one rider per horse (my daughter got that privilege), plus the pool closures that ended swim club. For a while it was daily walks with my daughter. Then semi-regular walks with my friend Renee. I swam outdoors every week once the ice was gone, but didn’t do the big distances of most summers because the crowds at our usual lake were insane. Instead, I contented myself with figuring out smaller loops in the river. There was yoga, too, though that was mostly saved for when I was really tired or sore, at least until someone at my office started offering lunchtime sessions twice a week. Thankfully, ballet was a constant. My teacher pivoted immediately to on-line classes, so I have danced more than ever this year, albeit in my living roo

I spotted these at my local grocery store yesterday and almost gagged.    Apparently there is a mindful nut too (a woman meditating or doing yoga). I love pistachios, but won’t be buying any this year.

 I love fitness challenges, as long as they are things I can do at my own pace. I am not very motivated to do things on my own, which is why I prefer doing classes or exercising with friends. Right now I am doing two ballet classes a week, plus a riding lesson. If I can, I will ride a second time on my own. I am also doing a powwow workout once a week (offered by the Indigenous Theatre at the National Arts Centre). And I swim with friends outdoors whenever I can, of course. This year I have been doing 220 workouts in 2020. For that challenge, I count any purposeful extra movement that takes at least 30 minutes; that meant that when I was still going to the office, my walk didn’t count unless I did more than 3 km (ie walking one way didn’t count - it had to be the full 6 km). So far I am at 287. For the month of December I am stepping it up a bit by committing to at least a half hour of cardio or strength training every day; yoga counts for the 220 challenge, but not here. My biggest ch