How are you? Everyone healthy and ok out there? This is all a little weird, right? Do you have enough toilet paper? So many questions…
This reminds me of that phrase, “Be careful what you wish for.” I have always dreamed of a carefree life with no obligations or commitments. Now that I have it, I realize I should never be left to my own devices ever again. It would seem that I am apparently now retired. Nothing is filming, there are no shows on the go, and I have seemingly attempted to become some sort of self-taught sommelier and Doritos aficionado.
Writing this blog has single-handedly taken two weeks to get together. It’s not that the last two weeks have been free of any exercise. I leave the wine bottle in the kitchen so that I have to go up the stairs to refill (cardio). I have children (weight lifting). I am learning to appreciate the intrinsically rewarding nature of COVID memes (mental sharpness).
Send help is what I’m saying.
Do something small every day
About a week ago, I kind of got to a point where I had to “shit or get off the pot.” Given that we have an abundant supply of toilet paper right now, I decided to give ‘er a go. And that, my friends, may, in fact, be the worst allusion that I have ever come up with.
The idea of going to the gym (that isn’t open anyway) or out for a run was overwhelming. The idea of making a meaningful change when so much that was meaningful in my life is no longer possible, at least for the time being, seemed pointless. I was sleeping late, eating poorly, and the daily news was filled with “ugh.”
So here’s what I’ve decided I have to do now; something every day. Walk to check the mail, dig a hole, change a fence post, whatever. In those quiet moments, I’m trying to appreciate how lucky I really am –– I call them perfect moments. For me, these perfect moments come when I see my kids playing together while sitting in the backyard with a beer, or as I watch the trees move in the wind. For those few seconds, nothing else matters. Everything is good. I am wanting for nothing, and I am enough, perfect…and then inevitably one child hits the other, the beer foams over, or my son has a blowout. For that one moment, though, everything was perfect, and I was awake to it.
An easy way to get in shape at home
To get back to basics, I am starting small, and ten minutes seems achievable. I want to make sure I sweat for ten minutes every day. There’s plenty of exercise waiting for you at any turn these days when you’re maintaining your own place. You come to appreciate all that your condo fees or landlord covered. So that’s helped, getting the yard sorted and things built. There’s lots of lifting, shovelling, and bending needed to take care of our place that has become important to my daily routine. The good news is that the more out of shape you are, the less you have to do to get the ol’ Swollocks Betty — if ya know what I mean.
Easy workouts for the win
So instead of trying to go to a gym (that isn’t open yet anyway), I’ve decided to make small changes in how I live my life. I’ve decided to add micro workouts to my daily trials and tribulations. Almost like a game of turning things that I am already doing anyway into exercise. I mean, I literally have a 35 lbs and 55 lbs pair of “dumbbells” running around me at all times anyway. So I might as well pick them up as I continue the journey towards making a better me.
Spoiler alert: I don’t think to keep the wine bottle in another room, so you have to get up to refill your glass will really make any difference. At least it’s something, or maybe a place to start.
What creative things are you doing to get through this pandemic? Drop a line in the comments below.
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