My philosophy is that I don't really care what I do, but I want to do something most days of the week. I already go to my private studio/gym, Strait Fitness, where Coach Ben is always positive, and has a program for me that takes into consideration my limitations due to injuries, and since I've been working with him, I've largely seen major improvements that are keeping me free of discomfort. Initially I worked with him individually, but now I work in a small group with three other women who are about my age. I am willing to get up a little earlier so I can get my workout done. I love doing deadlifts with the trap bar, and I'm lifting 125 pounds! This makes me very happy, and if you had told me I would be doing pushups, I would have said you were nuts. I also have daily stretches, but Tuesday and Thursday are reserved for the gym.
Another thing I started doing was a class I had tried once and dismissed - Pilates. I had done the very first class month ago, and felt that I was in crunch hell - that class was hard for me, the person who has never really had a great core. Restorative yoga was about all I was doing at Poser Yoga. After a few classes under my belt, I am pretty sure this is going to be my go-to class. The teacher is very knowledgeable, and has her own studio, and I would like to try a month with her there. As for regular yoga, Jenny, the owner and my very favorite yogi, is a very caring person who really makes a huge effort to make things work for everyone. I love the restorative class, and always look forward to going. I enjoy the quiet and the slow breaths, and my favorite part is at the end, when Jenny comes around to give shoulder presses. You can hear her coming, rubbing her hands together to warm the lavender tea tree essential oil. I've come to associate that scent with yoga. I've been thinking about taking a 200 hour certificate course in how to teach meditation; we'll see.
And then...Pandemic.
It's not a word I associate with my life, but here it is. Living in Washington state, with the first case in the United States, I think we were aware earlier than a lot of people just how deadly this was going to be, and continues to be. Staying at home wasn't all that hard for me, because I like staying home; it was probably one of my retirement goals. The social distancing part, however, was a little more difficult, mostly because it meant I could no longer do my usual activities of resistance training and yoga. These small local business have had to adapt, and they really have.
At Strait Fitness. Coach Ben has created a personalized workout for me, and I've been doing that twice a week. He did ramp up some of my exercises, so now I'm doing three sets of wall squats for ten seconds, I'm now doing thirty seconds, but I understand the reasoning. He also called to check in, which I really appreciated. My goal is to not lose ground when we can finally go back to the gym.
Poser Yoga started live-streaming classes using Zoom, with a variety of classes and teachers. What I find very interesting is that these classes are being attended by at least 30 students; the size of the studio limits attendance to about eighteen. I've taken a couple of classes that I normally wouldn't have been able to get to, and with a teacher I've wanted to have. I'm only doing one a week, but I'm sure that will be increasing. My goal here is to continue to increase my flexibility and balance.
These two at-home activities take place in a section of the bedroom, where I have mats, weights, a spinning bike, and other pieces of equipment that I've collected (and used sporadically) over time. I'm glad I have this stuff on hand! And I'm still walking, still getting out in fresh air, and adding miles to my 365 Mile Challenge. Washington State's governor, Jay Inslee, has just extended the 'stay-at-home' order through May 4th, so it looks as though I'm going to have plenty of time to get my workouts, my yoga, and my walks in. I'm still looking forward to achieving a double this year.
196.1/365
