These Feet Are Made For Walkin'

30 days to a happier, healthier me - day 3




Whenever I feel like exercising, I lie down until the feeling passes.
- Robert Hutchins

I couldn't have said it better myself, Robert, hehe.

One of our favourite, local walking tracks 

I started off well with my exercise plan about six months ago. I wore my pedometer for a few weeks to monitor how many steps I was taking. I was only shy of the 10,000 a day by around 3,000 steps, which works out to about a half an hour walk. Funnily enough, the instructions with the pedometer suggested that an average day plus a few extra steps here and there and a 30 minute walk, should do the trick. But of course, I wanted to try finding a way around it, LOL! You can read KB's tips on easy ways to reach your 10,000 steps a day here. Shame I can't take my own advice, hehe.


I was reading an interesting book about womens' health and it suggested looking at walking not as exercise, but as a chance to get out in the fresh air on your own to think and meditate on your life. Sounds much better than exercising. Changing my frame of mind about these things has helped me heaps. The funny thing is, once I get out there, I love it. Coco usually has me giggling about something within no time, I listen to embarrassing pop music (without fear of mockery from Mr Whitesnake), come up with writing ideas and inspiration for life in general
 
The reason my walking is so sporadic is because vigorous exercise brings on similar symptoms to a panic attack. In the past, when I was out on a long hike, I would experience shortness of breath, rapid heart beat etc and I thought I was going to have a heart attack, when in fact, I was fine and experiencing a panic attack. Sounds so silly when I write it down but it can be a terrifying experience. Whenever I reach for my walking shoes, there's the fear in the back of my mind of having a panic. My walking went by the way side AGAIN after I had a big panic about a month ago. Time to get back into it. Actually, walking is one of the best things I can do for myself when I feel anxious but the thought of going walking can sometimes bring on anxiety. Bit of a vicious cycle with me but I shall keep plodding on.  My plan is to go for at least one 30 min walk this week and increase by one walk per week, until I'm walking 4 times a week. I plan to walk a steep track twice a week to really get my heart pumping.
 
Wish me luck!
 
Love KB
xxx

P.S. Still on track with day 2 of my plan...I've already had one alcohol free day for the week (my week starts Thursday - don't ask) and just one tipple last night. Go me!

Read more about 30 days to a happier, healthier me here.

Me Time

My regular readers will know I have had many issues with panic attacks and anxiety disorder in the past. It's one of the reasons I began blogging, I found being able to write and tell complete strangers how I was feeling, really helped me. Now I have made HUGE changes in my life, my anxiety is manageable, I've come off my medication and the strangers I used to rant to have become my friends. Last week, I was feeling happy and balanced and then out of the blue I had a HUGE panic attack. I was really shocked and to be honest, quite frightened by it.

The past couple of days, I've been calming myself down, with the help of my darling Whitesnake and thinking a lot about what brought it on. I'm feeling much better today but still a little out of sorts. In the past my panics have been because I have had problems to work through but I honestly feel that I had this panic because I was feeling so happy. I know it sounds crazy but after all I've been through, I'm not used to things going so well. I'm scared I don't deserve it and now that I am at a place I am content, it will be taken away from me. Self-sabotage me thinks. What do you think?

Anyway, I have some really fantastic work books I use when I feel this way and I am going to have a read today. I also find that when I am feeling anxious, it's often because I haven't been looking after myself and slipping back into those bad habits like drinking too much wine, not exercising etc, so I'll look at this as an opportunity to get myself back on track health wise.

So I just wanted to let you know that I probably won't be around much for the next couple of days but I'm doing OK. Time for some KB self reflection me thinks.

Love y'all
KB
xxx         

Healthy Living

Quote of the day

The body is a sacred garment. It's your first and last garment; it is what you enter life in and what you depart life with, and it should be treated with honour.
- Martha Graham: A Dancer's Life   


Healthy Living

I can't believe it's July already, how did that happen? Half way through the year and all I can think about is how unfit I am :( Whitesnake found a new walking track which is near our house. He's taken Coco there often,  I thought it was about time I tried it out.  It's the perfect length for a daily walk and includes uphill and downhill. I felt a little out of breath on parts of the track, not so bad that I couldn't talk (so it's all good). I thought I was doing quite well until Steve informed me he usually runs up there with Coco. I was not impressed with myself, Steve's older than me, smokes, drinks and eats fatty food and he's STILL fitter than me. Not to matter, I'll be running up there after him in no time, hehe.  

As Steve is always reminding me; I shouldn't beat myself up about the things I can't or haven't done yet but focus on the positive actions I've taken. He's very wise. Let's see, on the health front, I'm walking more than I was, I'm taking less medication for my acid reflux, eating more veges and I've cut down on my alcohol by half. That's pretty good for a couple of month's work. *pats self on back*

I'm going to make health my main focus again this month. My top three priorities are:


- Knowing my numbers

I have a health check annually so I'm aware of where my health is at but I don't have a record of what my results are. I think it's a good idea to note them down so I can mark my progress. I'll record the results I am aware of for now, and ask my Dr for the others when I see him next month.


- Alcohol reduction

I've come so far already with this. My goal for this month is to have no more than 2 standard drinks in one session. Which means I'll be within the 'safe' limit for me. Wow, I've come a long way from drinking a bottle a night to one drink a night. I never thought I'd be able to do it but it was quite easy once I'd made the decision. What a difference being happy in my life can make. I've had all my blood work tested and my liver and everything else is fine. I'm so thankful I could do something about my drinking before any serious damage was done.


- Exercise

This is my biggest struggle because vigorous exercise brings on similar symptoms to a panic attack.In the past, when I was out on a long hike, I would experience shortness of breath, rapid heart beat etc and I thought I was going to have a heart attack, when in fact, I was fine and experiencing a panic attack. Sounds so silly when I write it down but it can be a terrifying experience. Whenever I reach for my walking shoes, there's the fear in the back of my mind of having a panic. At the moment I am walking twice a week, I will increase this to 4-5 times a week including twice a week on the steeper track to really get my heart working.


Well, that should keep me out of too much mischief this month.


KB's World

Everything is going well. Steve and I are feeling much more settled and happy as ever. I'm looking forward to picking him up from work, followed by 3 hours of Survivor on telly. That will keep me smiling but I'm not sure how happy Steve will be about it, hehe.

Take care, stay healthy.
Love KB
XXX



What I'm grateful for in this moment
 -my body for putting up with all the crap I've given it in the past. 


Coming up... Coco's World 


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