Category: introverts,

It Doesn’t Take Much

It doesn’t take much: a walk around the block, a couple of mini-morning salutations, some deep breathing. And good nutrition.

It tastes even better than it looks.

Late getting up, I prepared a cup of coffee and grabbed a slice of O&H kringle leftover from yesterday’s book club before logging onto my iPad. My taste buds savored the slice of sweet, moist, buttery pastry with joy before my stomach protested with nausea. I firmly believe that if I am to waste calories and nutrition on sweets, those treats need to be the best. O&H out of Racine, Wisconsin, definitely fits the bill. The problem was consuming a handful of sugar for breakfast.

Thus, I opened the Zoom for online yoga with Noreen feeling less than optimal. Learned from experience: a little movement can counteract all kinds of ill feelings. I persevered.  

Although I can no longer do many of the poses because of bad knees, Noreen reminds her students that the practice is ours, for our bodies. So I adapted and kept moving.

Within a few minutes, the nausea was gone, my muscles were relaxing, and my mood was rising.

It doesn’t take much: a walk around the block, a couple of mini-morning salutations, some deep breathing. And good nutrition. With age, my body has little tolerance for a poor diet. So my number one concern today is, how can I ignore the call of those cookies my sister left for us?   

My ceiling

For now, I will avoid classes that run over 60 minutes. Or plan my escape ahead of time.

Like watching paint dry.

Helping out a friend

As an act of charity and concerned that she would feel lonely without us, my friend Nancy and I accompanied our friend Noreen to a workout class this morning. There was no need: half of our former yoga class was in attendance.

Assured that Noreen was not alone and overwhelmed by the equipment we were expected to collect, Nancy suggested we bail before the class started. Good Midwesterners that we are, we stayed to fulfill our commitment.

We settled into the back of the gym as Noreen, ever the teacher, distanced herself from us, scrambling toward the front. We were stuck.

Okay, it was good exercise

I admit we had a workout. But after an hour of struggling to follow disjointed instructions, I hit my mental ceiling. Only the piles of equipment, evidence as to our presence, kept us from slinking out. Good Midwesterners that we are, we remained to clean up the mess.

I spent the final 15 minutes relaxing and stretching while contemplating the coffee I would order when released.

I have my limits

During the 80s, after many sessions, I walked out of an aerobics class, unable to focus on the exercises. The repetitive jumping and writhing seemed senseless, benefiting the instructor more than the students.

My mind’s inability to attend any activity longer than an hour seems to get more pronounced with age. Normally I break monotony with a walk outside or a spontaneous outing, both options limited by summer heat and Covid restrictions.

For now, I will avoid classes that run over 60 minutes. Or plan my escape ahead of time.

Good Midwesterner that I am, I wouldn’t want to disappoint anyone.

Jumpstart to the day

ach time I do even the smallest activity, though, I marvel at the benefits, and file the experience in my memory to motivate me tomorrow. That and meeting friends for coffee may be enough to get me going.

As lovely as central Phoenix

A walk in the park

After a rather sedate weekend, I got myself out of the house this morning for a 1.5 mile walk in the central Phoenix neighborhood where I am lying low at my nephew’s guest house. I call it my she-shed.

The temperature was tolerable for a change, and the humidity did not tax me until the 1.2 mile mark. After cooling down upon my return, I joined Adriene for a few minutes of gentle yoga. The sweat oiling the floor prompted me to cut the session short.

Ready to roll

A good night’s sleep and light morning exercise set the tone for the day. I completed a couple of tedious tasks which I had been avoiding and am now making plans for the rest of the day.

Natural medicine

Physical activity is truly natural medicine, strengthening the body and freeing the mind. The year of COVID with gyms closed and isolation from our support groups forced us to find new ways to move. Now, the summer weather in the southwest makes a casual walk ill-advised. Exercise requires intention and planning.  

Tomorrow?

Each time I do even the smallest activity, though, I marvel at the benefits, and file the experience in my memory to motivate me tomorrow. That and meeting friends for coffee may be enough to get me going.

Bikini season?

The best way to feel good physically is to be physical. Now is the time to devote a few minutes daily to Butts and Guts and yoga. Walking outdoors freshens my spirit with fresh air. I won’t be in shape to wear a bikini, but I will be prepared to live my life

Bikini? I think not

The ads bombard us, inviting us to prepare for bikini season while guilting us with unobtainable physical features. Personally, I have never worn a bikini. One year I indulged in a two-piece which made me feel very self-conscious. I look at the photos from those days, though, and see an attractive young woman. I can only wish I looked like that now. I stick with the Lands End one-piece, too cheap to spend my money on a piece of overpriced fabric.

The price of isolation

This year of COVID isolation, I focus not on fitting into a swimsuit but into regular clothes. For months I have exchanged pajamas late in the morning for sweatpants and casual tops until I once again don pajamas for the night.

Alas, the distribution of the vaccine has begun. This is like watching a child grow. The days seem endless, then suddenly the years are past and the children are now adults and out on their own. Will COVID-19 end just as abruptly, forcing us into jeans now tightened by boredom eating, day drinking, and hours of Netflix?

No joy in my wardrobe

I look in my closet and realize that few garments bring me the joy that Marie Kondo preaches while I have no patience for shopping. A personal dressmaker would be nice: make something that fits me and feels good. I don’t need a lot of garments: a narrow variety for my narrow lifestyle. Anything to tempt me out of my jammies.

How my closet would look if I kept items that bring me joy.

Attitude, attitude, attitude

More urgently needed is a mental adjustment. COVID-19 may be controlled in the next few months! I look forward to returning to social events, reveling in good health, not bemoaning my thunder thighs.

The best way to feel good physically is to be physical. Now is the time to devote a few minutes daily to Butts and Guts and yoga. Walking outdoors freshens my spirit with fresh air. I won’t be in shape to wear a bikini, but I will be prepared to live my life.

Brain fuzz

Today my body is feeling better. A little movement and a lot of rest. But most needed is kindness.

Two confirmed cases of COVID in the house sent all of us scurrying to isolation in our corners. The frustrations of seeking to get tested quickly so that Mike could continue caring for his sister exacerbated our own symptoms of cold and/or sinus infections.

Word of another case of COVID in the neighborhood, a good friend’s trip to the ER with COVID pneumonia, plus the death of a mother at the end of the street heightened our anxiety and anger at the mismanagement of this pandemic.

Non-COVID, a friend took the brave step to call in hospice for her husband. Then word reached me of the death of a onetime close friend. To cancer, almost two years ago. Ironically, I had been thinking of her often in the past two weeks.

Waiting

The long hoped-for vaccine is unavailable for our age group with no projected date announced. Again, rumors of mismanagement dominate.

I am concerned about my daughter and grandson’s health, listening throughout the day for signs of distress.

Managing stress

How does this affect fitness? My friend Mary paints when overwhelmed. Painting furniture, that is. Nothing in her house escapes her Fusion Mineral Paint brush. When she runs out of projects, she picks up another man’s trash from the street. I am waiting for pictures of her painting her husband because there is nothing left.

Me. I want to curl up in bed. I finally walked from the mailbox the other day, and it felt good. It also made me realize how poorly I had been feeling and reminded me to be kinder to myself. As my sister shares tales of her pickle ball, tennis, and hiking adventures, I long for the energy to trim the roses and feel blessed when I can complete a mini morning salutation.

My bed calls me.

Brain fuzz

My brain feels fuzzy and distracted. Completing some quick projects yesterday felt remarkable. Taking part in a writing group last night highlighted my distraction.

Kindness

Today my body is feeling better. A little movement and a lot of rest.

But most needed is kindness.

Rucking? Uh, no thank you.

I love walking and hiking. Unfortunately, my joints are protesting so I avoid inclines and have slowed my pace. I figure that as long as I carry an extra 60 pounds in body fat, I don’t need a backpack filled with weight. I am my own natural ruck pack. So, no thank you.

I was talking with a friend the other day regarding a different blog post when he mentioned that he has taken up rucking. I won’t knock this newest fitness craze as it appears to have a lot of benefits.

Benefits

Allen gets out almost daily for hikes of approximately five miles, increasing the weight in his pack as tolerated. The advantage of rucking is that the demand on your body can be controlled by distance and weight. Allen gets the benefit of enjoying time with his older son as they ruck together once or twice a week.

Military Rucking

Rucking is familiar to members of the military, conditioned to haul heavy equipment over rough terrain in the course of their duties. As a veteran, Allen recalls those days of training and application in Viet Nam. He doesn’t seem to have borne negative memories from that part of his military life.

Parental Rucking

Every parent has rucked, carrying children on backs or hips. The weight demand increases as the child grows until, thankfully, the child can ambulate on his own at which time parents progress from rucking to running.

No, thank you

I love walking and hiking. Unfortunately, my joints are protesting so I avoid inclines and have slowed my pace. I figure that as long as I carry an extra 60 pounds in body fat, I don’t need a backpack filled with weight. I am my own natural ruck pack. So, no thank you.

An Introvert Confronts Exercise

I have donned my walking clothes, including shoes. The door is just 10 feet away. I need to ignore the knot of fear that is holding me indoors. Venturing out for exercise can be intimidating for an introvert.

Solitary fitness endeavors are good fits for introverts who prefer to utilize their workouts as a time to clear their head and limit life’s many distractions.

– Jessica Matthews

Facing the door

The door: obstacle for an introvert.

I have donned my walking clothes, including shoes. The door is just 10 feet away. I need to ignore the knot of fear that is holding me indoors. Venturing out for exercise can be intimidating for an introvert.

The neighborhood is as safe as any in today’s society. The weather is pleasant, perfect for walking. I know I will feel refreshed when I return home. What is there to fear?

Weighing the risks

I learned to forgive my introversion tendencies after reading Susan Cain’s Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking. Recognizing the anxiety that accompanies a benign venture into public, I force myself to proceed, knowing that the benefits outweigh the risks. Imagining the renewed energy and flexibility that results from a pleasant walk enables me to put aside my anxiety for now. I will face it again next time.

Joining good friends and looking forward to coffee together enabled me to attend a pre-COVID-19 yoga class. That was enough socializing for me for several hours. I have found the Zoom edition more comfortable socially although not as challenging physically. I need to remember the rewards if I am to return to classes in the future.

Competition

Team sports are torture unless with good friends and only for fun making pool volleyball in my backyard ideal. I claim to be non-competitive because I lack the athletic skills to win. How does one win, though, if unwilling to put herself in front of a group?

I enjoy “competing” against myself. Sports such as golf, jogging, tennis, and swimming appeal to me as I measure my performance against my previous feats. Put me on a team or in a large class, and I will retreat to the back.

Overcoming Fear

There is an element of narcissism in introversion: what if someone looks at me? What are they thinking about me? If they talk to me, what will I say? This tendency has relaxed over the years, as I have found enough success in life to fortify my ego, while a degree remains to keep me humble.

Success

I eye the door. Imagining the cool air hitting my face, I open it and step out.