As I was looking back in my post archives, I have written about my health a lot. With my Crohn's Confidential posts, I have become transparent about my journey and how I cope with it all; I have written about Yoga and how much I enjoy it (check out that post from 2015 here) and most recently I spoke about my fitness journey in 2020 and what I was doing to stay healthy during the pandemic. (That post can be found here).
I figured it was time for an update on what I am doing to stay healthy.
One of my favorite things I have been doing as of late is Indoor Rock Climbing and Bouldering. I tried it for the very first time in 2018 and it was hard, and challenging but so much fun. I felt in an hour I accomplished more than i normally do in the gym. I couldn't wait to get back to it. It took me until 2021 to try it again and on our second date- Kyle and I went climbing again at Gravity Vault. It was just as exhilarating than I remember it. My knees couldn't stop shaking and every time I looked down, I got scared (even thought I was attached to the wall with a harness and rope) but I felt so strong! This has become our thing and we have kept that up for the past 9 months and even if during a session I struggle, I walk away with a feeling of accomplishment. Rock Climbing has shown me that strength has nothing to do with big muscles, just sheer determination, problem solving and being consistent. There have been and will continue to be sessions where I have fallen and yeah its scary but every single time after I fall, I get myself back up, look at my hands, chalk up and give it another go. I've been averaging about 6 climbs a month at both of my local Gravity Vault's - Brick and Middletown. Kyle and I plan to visit the other ones in NJ and PA.
When I moved back home in the fall of 2019, I started to go back to my old gym. It provided me a lot of stress relief and to be honest, it was something for me to do, I was in a bit of a funk. As the world shut down, I was just getting into my groove at the gym and I was really bummed about not being able to go to the gym. Lots of home workouts and lots of walking in that following year. Once the gyms opened back up in 2021, I decided to make the scary decision to go back. I liked the time I went to the gym and I liked the characters I encountered then. I was worried it was going to be totally different- would there be certain restrictions? Would the same people be there? Color me surprised when after a week of going back, things were back to normal, just how I left them 2 years before. I continued going pretty consistently all summer, going to the gym almost everyday after work. I felt strong and proud and like I could do anything. I liked my little routine and my exercises I came up with, it served me exactly how I needed it.
In October of 2021, I started splitting my time between my gym and the rock climbing gym and continued that through 2022. As we approached June, I started thinking about my gym membership and how my summer would look, exercise wise. I knew I wanted to spend more time outside. As my membership was about to be up for renewal on June 1, I made the decision to not renew it and do alternative workouts all summer. ( My gym has a buy 3 months, get 1 month free membership that I normally get)
Since it has been nice and warm, Stand up paddleboarding has also been another fun outdoor workout type activity I enjoy doing. I tried it for the first time in 2015 and then it took me until 2020 to experience it again and I have been hooked ever since. I bought myself a SUP board and last summer that thing lived in my trunk (it was inflatable and came with a backpack). I always got so excited when I was able to go on the creek or the river with it. Being on the water is so peaceful and calming. SUP makes for a great full body workout and like above, I really enjoy SUP yoga on the creek. I use the Body Glove inflatable stand up paddleboard; mine is not currently available but you can find their boards here.
My exercise goals for the summer is to move at least 3 times a week for a minimum of 30 minutes a session; I will do that by spending time outside walking, hiking and jogging. I joined my town's Couch to 5k program this summer. I did the program in 2017 and I am excited to try it again because it has been a LONG time since I have run. As an added bonus, Kyle is signing up for the 5K with me!
In addition to movement, which is one of my yearly goals, I will also check in with my mental health as I see fit to make sure I am not overly stressed or overwhelmed which is something that seems to sneak up on my when I least expect it/realize it. Seeing a therapist twice a month has really helped me work through some hard problems. Sometimes talking about a situation that seems insurmountable with a trusted friend or therapist, can provide you perspective and you start to realize that its not so scary after all.
Keeping my mental health in check sometimes can be a challenge for me and I don't realize when things are getting bad. Sometimes I get to a point and realize, wait a minute, something is off and then I think back and realize I wasn't in a good spot mentally. I use my planner as a journal to write down what happened each day and noting if my mood/attitude was off. This has helped me figure out these weird moods and why things were happening when they did.
I was never one for diets. I always found them just hard to stick to and with some food allergies, I didn't see the appeal to them. I always tried to just listen to my body and feed it as I deem fit. Some days I crave more sweets, some days I cannot get enough of veggies. I eat what feels right and I allow myself to eat without limitations (ie. no bread, no sweets) besides my allergies. Do I regret eating something when I realize I have a stomach ache and I don't want to move, yes but I look at it as a learning experience.
Making sure I am eating a wide variety of foods not just my favorite junk foods( I am looking at you Kraft Mac 'N Cheese Paw Patrol shapes). Which I find a lot easier to do in the summer because there are so many fresh things so readily available. Veggies have been my go to snack to the last few months; I still eat my favorite pudding and ice cream treats but just not as often. There is something about eating chips, salsa and guacamole outside with a nice summery cocktail on a perfect summer night that makes me daydream and drool. I can go on and on about my theory on eating but bottom line, eat what your body is craving and drink lots of water.
This year, as one of my yearly goals, I am trying to spend 1000 hours outside. So this program is technically for children/families but I find it fascinating. Making a conscious effort to be outside 1000 hours in a year is a hefty goal but with some planning, its totally doable. NOW with saying all of that, I can't say I have been doing a great job of making sure I get outside. Since the weather has become warmer, it has been a lot easier to be outside than in the colder months. 1000 Hours Outside has some really awesome resources for you and your family to undertake this adventure.
For my update of spending 1000 hours outside, I believe I have spent about 30 hours outside this year. I am hoping that having Fridays off this summer and the weather being warmer, I will be adding to that number exponentially. I have my expectations set that I might not reach 1000 hours but I am curious to see if how many hows I can spend outside.
This is a fun endeavor and I cannot wait to share the results with you at the end of the year!
What are you doing to stay healthy? Is being outside a priority for you this summer? Let me know in the comments below.
[[Nature is the greatest place to heal and recharge.]]
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