I broke my phone screen several weeks ago (the Beast strikes again) and finally dropped it off for repair on Friday. Unfortunately, I did not take any pictures off the phone before.
So over a week ago, I hurt my back again. I couldn’t find my tennis shoes that I’d bought from www.tennisracquets.com/collections/head-racquets, so I had been wearing flip flops for a few weeks. I finally found the shoes, but it was too late. I immediately started going to the chiropractor again and a few days later, I was able to move a little easier. Before I hurt my back (or maybe the day I did it) I had bought an Up by Jawbone. I always wanted a body bug so this was a (slightly) cheaper alternative.
I really wanted it to see my sleep patterns and how many times I wake up every night. After I moved again, I decided to start walking more since Up also tracks steps. The four days or so I wore the Up when my back was hurt, I saw I was averaging 4,000 steps a day. That isn’t a lot since “they” say you should average 10,000.
Right after I started working out in April, I saw this video for walking half an hour a day. The most important part for me, is that you can split up the walk. So I was doing the Arnold challenge by Fitocracy. It’s a 15 minute work out every other day. Working out for just 15 minutes a day made such a huge difference in my energy level. After the first time I hurt my back, I had to back off, but after I hurt my back this time, I realized I really need to step it up a bit, but work up to a weight lifting/resistance program.
I had also signed up for a 21 day yoga challenge and even bought the DVDs, even though they email you a link to each day’s work out for free. However, I really didn’t have the time to do the work outs. (Although, I think the DVDs have different work outs than the daily stuff.)
One week ago, even though I was still in a lot of pain, I decided to walk 7,000 steps a day. I thought it was a good challenge, but not outrageous. I marked out a mile in one directions and determined to walk it with the dogs. Then, the Up band said if you walk 10 minutes a day, it is supposed to boost your over all steps through out the day. A couple days of just walking the two miles at night (one mile there, one back) I added 10 minutes in the morning.
Actually, a therapist mentioned doing this a few years ago, but it was in the middle of Chicago winter.
My friend’s yard is actually a quarter of a mile around. If I walk a little over two laps, that’s 10 minutes. It’s also convenient since I had to walk around the yard instead of my 1 mile trek after dark one night.
Starting tomorrow, I will walk 8,000 steps a day.
So for the last week or so I have gotten at least 7,000 steps a day and for the last 5 days I have been doing at 10-35 minutes of yoga a day. Plus 3 visits to the chiropractor and my back is better than it has been in over a year. I can get up with out pain.
Now, just because my back has been hurt doesn’t mean I haven’t been working. We have paint in the living room and kitchen. Johnny put in a new faucet in the kitchen, the living room floor is laid out, the bathroom is almost 100% finished. We just need to put the tile down, touch up the shower, and add baseboard and in the shower area we need to add molding. I really love the way it looks.
Shelves have been added to the cabinets in the kitchen. Between me and my friend we figured out how to make the bed into a convertible full size/couch. The tiles for the kitchen back splash have been picked out. Johnny and my friend put the living room wall back up.
For the bedroom, I have to touch up the paint. I want to build a small shelf by the bed, I need to get curtains made. My friend is talking about building a small cabinet to support the bed when it is full size. And I need to figure out how I want to cover the shelves under the bed. I can use fabric or paneling. The lights need to be installed, as well as the carbon monoxide detector.
I really love sitting in my bedroom at night. It is so relaxing and calming. The ceiling glows and it is so cozy. The bed is ridiculously comfortable. I am really in love with the bedroom and it isn’t even finished.
I don’t even know what we have done the past few weeks. It’s been a whirl wind. Johnny has come up every weekend and really busted his butt.
We have had fun too. The weekend before we had a bonfire and wiener roast. If you haven’t had s’mores with chocolate chip cookies instead of graham crackers, you don’t know what you are missing. The next morning my friend, his grand-kids, Johnny, and I all went to breakfast. Johnny really endeared himself to the kids by teaching them to shoot the straw paper at each other with the straw. That quickly turned into breaking the crayons the hostess had given them and using the broken bits as their projectiles. Luckily, the hostess is their Aunt.
This past weekend, there was a car show/parade. Friday, we all went to a parade of the cars and Saturday, the cars were all parked down town and we walked around looking at them all. We almost saw a fight break out, I had some yummy kabobs and a pumpkin cake. Mmmmm. They had a great 50’s cover band. Both of those days I had almost 14,000 steps.
I also, discovered Teavana. I bought a blueberry pineapple tea. Mmm. Tasty alternative to soda. I’m very close to getting rid of soda for good.