I Can. I Will.

The "woozies" and "wobblies" have slowed me down for over a year. For many days, I've gripped my cane and/or held onto the walls and furniture. Finally, I'm feeling better. Along with the improvement in my balance has come a surge of hope that I just might be able to resume normal activities again--or to become more active than I've been for a long time.

Thus, when I opened an email that contained a link to a blog post entitled 71 Ways to Exercise More in 2018, I didn't delete the message, as "hopeless me" might have done before starting to feel better. 

As I looked over the long list, I noticed there were many activities I am not able to do. Yet, I continued to read on. (Hopefully, you, Dear Reader, may be able to do them; so, I will list a few for you to consider.)

• Do pushups or sit-ups when commercials interrupt your favorite TV shows.
• Ride your bike.
• Take your dog to the park.
• Sprint to and from the mailbox.
• Run a 5k or a half-marathon. (I can't, but my daughter can--and does! I'll cheer her on.)

Rather than despair over the ones I can't do right now, I made a list of several I can do, while inside my house. 

• Do calf raises while I brush my teeth.
• Stand up and walk around a few minutes each hour. (Increases heart rate, burns a few calories, and improves circulation.)
• Use resistance bands. (I'll use the set of training tubes my daughter gave me years ago.)
• Repeatedly lift and hold both feet off the floor when I'm sitting at my desk and checking e-mails. Doing so will strengthen my core, as well as my leg muscles.
• Vaccum.
• While sitting anywhere, point my toes and flex my feet.

And I noticed activities I used to do that I can now resume.

• Do an exercise video. (I have some of Leslie Sansone's in-home walking workout DVDs and have enjoyed them in the past. I'll start using them again even if I can't walk a mile right away.)
• Set a daily step goal on a fitness tracker. (I'll walk throughout the day, accumulating steps as I make "laps" inside the house and as I do my housework. Hopefully, soon I'll be able to walk for extended periods in the neighborhood again.)

I know I'll experience good results if I choose to think about what I can do (and do it!) rather than let what I can't do discourage me to the point of doing nothing at all. 

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..whatever things are true..think on these things.

Philippians 4:8

Decide to Do; Follow Through

Photo taken during a half-marathon (13 miles) at Orange Beach, AL.
J. Gaskill Photography

My daughter Jena set a goal to run 100 miles each month during 2017--and she exceeded it! Previously, she had not enjoyed running, but now she does. She takes time to run nearly every day; sometimes during her lunch break, sometimes before going to work, sometimes after getting home from work, sometimes in 5Ks and half-marathons, sometimes alone, sometimes with family, sometimes with friends, sometimes in the heat, sometimes in the cold. Running has become a priority for her. Consequently, she's reaching her running goals and experiencing the benefits of a more active lifestyle.

Seeing her set goals and work diligently to reach them inspires me to determine my priorities and do them. After all, deciding isn't worth much if there is no follow through.

Whatever you do, do [it] well. 

Ecclesiastes 9:10, New Living Translation