I found myself awake before my 6:30 AM alarm and, as per usual, with a back ache. I rolled around a few times, tossed and turned and grunted at the heater, which does not seem to share a thermostat with my body. And then, with the best intentions, I googled until I found a decent morning yoga routine. It’s time to get these muscles moving again.
I’ve never had a sedentary job before. Although I was quite sedentary during study time and classes as a grad student, I was studying the human body and how it reacts to exercise, non-exercise, health and disease. I was surrounded by people who also loved to exercise and enjoyed an active lifestyle. Plus I was training for a marathon and working part-time at the YMCA as a personal trainer.
These past 6 months have been the most sedentary of my entire life. A desk job at a computer doing data entry. It’s killing me.
I could just get up and start running again, and I’ve done that. But my body feels a little broken – discombobulated – sore, tired, achey, crinkly.. so before I dive head first into the half marathon training I plan to pick up, I figured I would start with the basics: flexibility & strength.
Remember my post a while back? About reflecting on your training history to figure out what works and what doesn’t work for you? Well it was all about my freshman year in college being my best running year, and that prior summer the most mileage I ever ran in a week was 14. Instead of running all the time, I spent a lot of time in my room working through an exercise routine that Michelle Kwan had put together in a Conde Nast Sports for Women magazine issue (the magazine is no longer in print, unfortunately).
So this morning I got up, cleared a space and worked my way through this morning yoga routine. It was delightful and also reminded me that I am in pretty rough shape, but that fitness comes to those who work at it. And I’m ready to start working at it. Little by little.
After the short yoga video (perfect length for the morning as well as the first day back) I grabbed my kettle bell and did a couple sets of 1-arm rows, upright rows, swing squats and then some good old-fashioned sit ups.
Another great breakfast awaits, chocked full of protein and healthy nutrition.
And my goal today is to drink more water. Which by itself is not a very S.M.A.R.T. goal because “more” is not measurable. I have a 12-oz water bottle at my desk and one of those great spring water coolers at the office. So today my goal is to go through 4 of them before the end of the work day. 48 oz water in an 8 hour day = 6 oz H2O per hour. Seems a lot better to me than 0 oz H2O per day.
Yes, folks, there have been days when I have completely forgotten about or disregarded my one true need: hydration. It has something to do with sitting on my @$$ all day. Like I said, I’m normally active at least 25% of my day.
Here’s to a great day!
Oh, and it’s FRIday! 
Cherish the weekend!