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Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Getting Fit


It has been such a long time since I last posted. Life has been busy but great. Ashton is now 19 months and very active and funny, he keeps me on my toes. So, recently I have made a commitment to myself (and to Ashton and the dog) to go walking every day. I have set a goal to walk 2.5 miles most of the time. The days I don't are usually when Alan is with me and he is not up to walking that far due to his bad joints and lack of fitness level. I can't complain, he has to start somewhere.
I have been walking when I first get up in the morning. I put my walking clothes on, get a bottle ready for Ashton, get the dog's harness and leash on, and off we go pushing Ashton in the "new" jogging stroller. It has been a great way to start my day. I am getting some very needed sunshine and the exercise I need to get fit. For so long I had difficulty getting out to go walking due to osteo arthritis in both of my knees. I would go out one to two times per week but would be in too much pain to go more often. I finally decided to get cortisone injections in both of my knees and it has helped me immensely. I am not miserable and can go longer distances. Why I didn't do it sooner is beyond me!
Ashton and Mandy (my dog) are great motivators and very excited walking partners. Mandy follows me around the house wondering if I am going to get ready to go and keeps whining at me until I actually get her harness on. She gets me out the door. Ashton, on the other hand, keeps me moving once I am out. If I stop longer than 15 seconds Ashton gets upset and will cry. The second I start moving again, Ashton is happy and content. What better motivators could I ask for?
I have to keep this up. Not only for my health, but for Ashton's health. He needs to see his mom exercise and love it. I will never be a runner because I don't love it and it hurts too much, but walking is something I totally enjoy. I wish I could get over to the pool to do water aerobics but it is too difficult for me to get ready and drive over there in time. No worries, walking is great and I am going to keep it up. It is time for me to start a new blog tracking my fitness progress and hopefully weight loss. I think I'll call it "Fluffy Girl Fitness" because I am a fluffy girl trying to get fit (I use fluffy because I hate the word fat.)
Thanks for reading my blog and feel free to give me any weight loss or fitness pointers.