Putting Action into Words
Putting action into words
I’ll bet lots and lots of people made a New Year’s resolution to lose weight or get fit. Certainly a worthwhile goal, but I’m tweaking my New Years resolution this year after reading a blog by Diane 
Carbonell, author of 150 Pounds Gone Forever. She recently blogged about New Years Resolutions. She’s not a fan of them, and instead of making one, she suggests making your words match your actions.
Last week I blogged that the Klutzy Athlete had lived up to her name by being klutzy and spraining her ankle. This week I’ve been struggling with a painful ankle and ice baths. I’m not sure which is worse, the injury or the treatment! I think the ice baths might be more manageable if was 110 outside versus 40. The good news is, they really do reduce the swelling and the pain, so definitely worth the 20 minutes of aching while it’s soaking.
Finding ways to exercise
As I read Diane’s blog, I thought about my struggle to stay fit through an injury, so I decided to put my actions to words. I want to stay fit so I rode my bicycle today. My words matched my actions, and I am successful in moving toward my goal. This makes a lot more sense to me rather than a one time resolution. Instead, I’ve made a resolution to a lifetime of continued fitness regardless of my injury.
I’m finding with a little imagination there are a lot of exercises I can do so long as I don’t put direct pressure on my ankle. Besides the weight lifting I did last week, minus the leg presses, I can ride my bicycle (indoor and outdoor), do many yoga poses, and I even attended my aerobics class last night.
While I couldn’t run or walk, my instructor designed a routine for me that included upper and lower body work. I used a 10 pound medicine ball and did a variety of arm workouts laying on back. This worked my stomach muscles, too. He also had me do a series of exercises with the medicine ball while sitting up that gave my upper thighs and arms a good workout.
When the class walked or ran, I sat on a rolling cart and pushed myself up and down the gym using my arms. An intense workout that really exercised my shoulders!
Thinking outside the box
While I’m frustrated my ankle isn’t healed, at least I’m able to continue exercising. I’m learning the hard way that sprains take time to heal.
This week I will continue to think outside the box for ways to stay fit while working around an injury, and I will put my words to action. Do you have a fitness/weight loss goal? What words can you put to action?