I need an exercise goal
I went to the heart doctor today for my quarterly checkup. Things look to be fine still. Heart rate great. A little higher on the bad cholesterol, a little lower on the good, but both still within their good ranges. My weight only went up a pound since last time, which I was surprised about considering the holiday treats. Elasticity of my arteries is not so good, and is tied into the cholesterol level. Everything else is fine, but a few are borderline into the not good range. I have a few more heart tests coming up in the next few weeks.
I do realize that the meds alone are not going to help me get my good/bad cholesterol in proper balance. And I don't want to be on meds for the rest of my life. I must exercise, and I must focus on that exercise. Besides, my knee is now bothering me again, and again, it comes back to lack of exercise.
If I plan on living to a ripe and very old age, I must do more than the small bits of movement I do around this house. And the dancing I have been doing is not enough, tho fun. I need to ramp all of it up more. But I will have to do this a little at a time, not all at once. If that little old Indian lady in her pretty sari can walk slowly with her cane every day, even in the cold, so can I. Like her, and my diet change, this has to become a part of my every day life.
I've seen the SMART principles on exercise, like seen here, and I think I need more of a plan for my goals, than the nebulous "move more".
SMART goal for me.
To exercise (by walking, dancing, biking, or Wii activities) every day for 30 minutes.
I will start by doing a minimum of 30 minutes, for two days for one week. This can be spread out during the day so long as they add up to 30 minutes.
Then I will add another day each week. By the sixth week (the first week of March), I will achieve this goal.
I will then see about adding more time to my daily routine, or what I need to do to improve my goals at that point. I still want to do a spring walking event with a large group of people. I need to find an event I can do.
Thankfully, meal planning is something that Rob seems to have taken upon himself for both of us. We bought two of the SBD recipe books, and he's been finding a variety of interesting, tasty, low-fat, healthy recipes for all of us to enjoy.
I do realize that the meds alone are not going to help me get my good/bad cholesterol in proper balance. And I don't want to be on meds for the rest of my life. I must exercise, and I must focus on that exercise. Besides, my knee is now bothering me again, and again, it comes back to lack of exercise.
If I plan on living to a ripe and very old age, I must do more than the small bits of movement I do around this house. And the dancing I have been doing is not enough, tho fun. I need to ramp all of it up more. But I will have to do this a little at a time, not all at once. If that little old Indian lady in her pretty sari can walk slowly with her cane every day, even in the cold, so can I. Like her, and my diet change, this has to become a part of my every day life.
I've seen the SMART principles on exercise, like seen here, and I think I need more of a plan for my goals, than the nebulous "move more".
SMART goal for me.
To exercise (by walking, dancing, biking, or Wii activities) every day for 30 minutes.
I will start by doing a minimum of 30 minutes, for two days for one week. This can be spread out during the day so long as they add up to 30 minutes.
Then I will add another day each week. By the sixth week (the first week of March), I will achieve this goal.
I will then see about adding more time to my daily routine, or what I need to do to improve my goals at that point. I still want to do a spring walking event with a large group of people. I need to find an event I can do.
Thankfully, meal planning is something that Rob seems to have taken upon himself for both of us. We bought two of the SBD recipe books, and he's been finding a variety of interesting, tasty, low-fat, healthy recipes for all of us to enjoy.