MommyNow

Mommynow, you asked back before Christmas what exercises I did to help myself. I take a whole body approach and I wish I had a concrete routine to offer you. Christine’s ballet routine in her new book would be that…. A lot of what I do is below. I don’t do it all everyday, but I try to do something everyday and work in as much as I can without making it boring or a drudgery. I was extremely weak from being very, very sick for over a year. I had a long way to travel to where I am now. I am simply amazed at how my body responded once it was strong enough to try. I am so eager for health and strength, and so thankful for each gain. Take great care and be good and gentle with your spirit and your body...let them complement and care for each other. Careful, respectful, gentle challenge is my mantra towards wholeness right now.

Describing my routine (do I have one?) is like attempting to describe fuzz, but I’ll try. :-)

On stairs:
I stand and let my heels drop below the step to stretch the back of my legs – 20 times or until I get tired.
I put my feet securely on the step and do some pushups off an upper step, whichever one feels comfortable that day.
I go up and down the stairway about 10 times.
I don’t do this in any particular order.

Against wall:
I stand a couple of feet from the wall, put one foot forward, bend my front knee and lean into the wall to stretch my calves. I hold for 20 seconds or so on each leg, and repeat 3 or 4 times.
I also stand with feet parallel about 2 feet off the wall, lean in and touch the wall with my hands and push off the wall 30 or 40 times.

Lying on the floor:
I play with a big yoga ball. I hold it between my feet and lower and raise it till I get tired of doing it, maybe 30 or 40 times. Sometimes I’ll throw the ball in the air with my feet and catch it with my hands, put it back and do it again. This one makes me concentrate. I’m usually day-dreaming when I exercise. :-)
Without ball, while lying on my back I’ll bend my knees and bring my feet nearer my body and then raise and lower each leg in succession. In this position I don’t feel any stress on my pelvic area. Then I pull my knees to my chest, do a kegel and raise and lower my legs together another 20 or 30 times.
I bend my knees with feet on the floor, do a kegel, squeeze my cheeks and lift my pelvic area up for about 5 times (I repeat this about 8 times).

Clonemacnoise posted an exercise for me where you stand in wwp then bend at the hips and lower your head as far as you can. I can get as far as griping my calves. Some people can wrap their arms around their calves while resting against their legs. It is beautiful to see but I cannot hope to ever do that. I am not very flexible. I do this exercise in the shower and while drying my hair.

I do a lot of yoga exercises. I have a DVD, Yoga for Weight loss by Susan Deason. I’ve not found it beneficial for weight loss but it gives me something to follow and I love the stretch and peacefulness of yoga. I love downward dog. I don’t do all of the positions anymore. If I feel stress on my pelvic area, I just do something on my own during that time. I use a common sense approach to exercise. If it feels right to me I do it, if it doesn’t then I alter it or just don’t do it. I altered several to Christine’s yoga suggestions.

I am trying to work through the ww ballet exercise routine. I do some of it each day. I can tell it is really beneficial. I hope to memorize the routine soon so it will become part of me.

I stand with my feet apart and lift each knee towards the opposite hip for 10 to 20 times. I usually then do wide circles where my arms cross over each other in front of my body, I spread my fingers wide when I do this also. Then I clasp my hands over my head and stretch. By doing this I can fit an upper and lower body mini-routine throughout the day.

I do Christine’s arm circle exercise also, but hers is oriented to the sides.

When I walk barefoot I often spread my toes and concentrate on stretching my feet.

I do lots of little things through the day. I will stretch off the kitchen counter, clench my rear cheeks while I’m walking (I do Christine’s prancing pony), do yoga sunrise salutations while walking through my house. I am continually stretching and moving while at my desk. My husband says I’m never idle, I think in the case of exercising this habit serves me well. My body cannot tolerate a lot of stillness unless I choose to do it purposefully-- then I can for a while. I am certainly not spastic but certainly not sedate either. I am calm but really engaged if that makes any sense at all. I am trying to learn to meditate. My mind is not a still place so this is a challenge for me. I am a bit too creative for my own good. Of five sisters, I am the creative one. One of my sisters says I got all of the creativity leaving none for them. My head should really lean to one side they say. I have lots of common sense but only a bit of true logic, and the logic I continually want to pretty up instead of leaving in a straight line. So something has to really grip me to completely quiet my brain. I just finished reading Liz Gilbert’s book, Eat, Pray, Love and in it is mentioned a happiness meditation where you just sit and dwell on happiness. This I am finding to be a very positive practice. I can dwell on my happiness and the happiness of those I love, pray for happiness for others, add a few sunshiny colors and remain fixed for a while. I am trying this as I prepare to sleep each night. I see this as a brain/spirit exercise. I hope to move further into meditation. I know my spirit will be receptive if I can find the stillness of mind and the discipline it requires.

I find WW Posture to be an all day exercise in itself! It has been life-changing for me.

I am blessed with lots of free personal time right now. My dh and I decided I needed a break to healthy-me-up. So I am free to move through my day in my own rhythm a lot. This is a first for me and I have to say, it is blissful. I have had many, many, many years at the will and call of others and of duty. The difference is as striking as a peach and its pit. I am loving this delicious peachy-ness.

I wish I could help with more specifics. Take care with my descriptions. I’m sure they are void of clarity. Just be careful and don’t do anything that doesn’t feel right or safe.

Hope some of it helps or at least inspires you to move. See, I told you it was like describing fuzz!! Happy New Year!! Love, Kit