Tag: fitness

Year Two – Week Eight

by annemariedemyen, posted in April 2023, Health and Fitness

Before I jump into this week’s ‘Health and Fitness’ update, I wanted to explain why my blog writing – and READING has been so sporadic over the past few months. 

With weeks of being down with the flu before Christmas, and then with a broken arm in January/February, one would think I would have had all kinds of time on my hands.  Which I did… but I also had a big bored dog on my hands who took offence every time I sat down to do anything.   She has been getting better these past couple of weeks. Hopefully, she will only improve going forward. And hopefully, I will have more opportunity to read and write on WordPress.

As for this week’s update…

My health and fitness journey has been a bit rocky these past few weeks.   My fractured arm has healed, but there is still random pain or discomfort when I move or stretch. I understand it will take a while for any tears or tweaks to muscles, tendons, and nerves to heal completely. But… It does get rather frustrating.

That being said, there has been a lot of positive movement – and more than I had anticipated a few weeks ago. 😁

I am back to doing full on, two armed, Zumba most days. I am not as comfortable or capable as I was last fall, but I am excited to be back at it. There are days that I just dance, but even the dance workouts are more intense as time goes on.

I have been getting out and about with Molly as often as possible. I am still going only when Dan or Jen are free to handle Molly’s leash. That is due to treacherous walking conditions, which are quickly improving thanks to our double digit (Celsius) temperatures this week.

At the dog park on Saturday where Molly had a bit of a run with Rocko.

I have also taken on a 21 Day Stretching and Balance Challenge, starting this past Saturday.

Molly makes any horizontal workout a challenge.

Finally, and best of all, I have been doing my strength training six nights a week and I am crushing it! I am going to stick to three pound weights for the next couple of weeks, increasing the reps and sets each week. Then, I will switch back up to five pounders. Yay!!!

That is it for this week’s update. I am anxious and excited about getting back on track and enjoying all the benefits of health and fitness, going forward.

Take care and have a great day! 💞🌞

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Begin Again!

by annemariedemyen, posted in February 2023, Health and Fitness
Happy Valentine’s Day

It is Valentine’s Day!  Last night my husband and I celebrated with an awesome supper of steak, lobster, crab, baked potato, asparagus, and mushrooms – all barbecued by my husband Dan (after doing the shopping, cleaning up the yard, and shoveling the snow and ice off of our walks). Today, he went out to run errands and returned with this bouquet of roses.   I am too fortunate to have such a good man in my life. 💞 

Today also marks another special occasion for me. 

One year ago today, I was sitting on my rocking chair, wrapped in a shawl, and feeling miserable.  I was cold, tired, and struggling to breathe through my asthma, COPD, and bronchiectasis.  I was seriously overweight.  For days, I had been thinking that I would take it easy for one more day and hope that ‘tomorrow’ I would magically feel well enough to get up and do something to improve my situation.  Finally, one year ago today, I realized that the magic was not going to happen unless I made it happen.   I got off my chair, put in my earbuds, turned on some Buddy Holly, and started to dance.  It wasn’t pretty and it wasn’t long until I was wiped out, really struggling to breathe, and my heart was pounding harder than my music.   I had no plan and I had no goals. But… It was a start, the start of my journey to health and fitness.

The next day, I got off my chair and danced again.  It still wasn’t pretty, but I did a bit better and I knew that I was on the right path to regain my health – and my life.

I wasn’t wrong.  This past year has been amazing.  My health has improved, my strength has improved, and my life has improved.  I have discovered and experienced benefits of my fitness journey that I never, ever imagined.

  • Finding my Volley friends Dwight and Jackie, who share this fitness journey with me – every day! Two strangers who have become family to me during these past months.
  • Finding a way to LIVE, and live well, with Asthma, COPD, and Bronchiectasis.
  • Finding peace, and happiness, and hope – despite what happens around me.
  • Finding that I have so much more potential than I ever realized. Finding that I have so much power to create my life, as I wish to live it.
  • Finding how effectively I can use ‘setbacks’ to motivate myself to push forward.
  • Finding that a fitness program is not only for the athletic, or the already strong and healthy, or the young, or those who spend limitless funds on equipment, gym memberships, or designer workout clothes. With free Zumba classes (or Yoga, Pilates, etc.) On You Tube and minimal equipment (dumbbells, resistance bands, yoga balls) one can put together an entertaining and effective workout program – even if one is working with limited workout space.
  • Finding that all one needs to live better is the will and the determination to make it my priority and focus.

 I cannot begin to detail how much, and in how many ways, I have come to appreciate this journey that I am on. I have loved this past year and I am excited and ready to move forward into Year Two. Broken arm and all, I am excited to see where this next year takes me.

Take care and have a great day! 💞🌞

Eleven Months🎉

by annemariedemyen, posted in Health and Fitness, January 2023

Molly and I are both celebrating milestones!    I began my current health and fitness journey on  February 14th, 2022.  This past Friday marked eleven months since I got up, got active, and made a commitment to get healthier, stronger, and fitter.   Coincidentally, our Molly was born on February 16th, 2022 which makes her eleven months old today.  🎂

This has been a productive eleven months for both of us.  Molly came to live with us in April, when she was two months old.   Her first ‘outing’ was a visit to the vet with me and her immediate favourite human, Genie.

Molly’s First Outing

Over the past nine months, Molly has chosen a few more favourite humans – and she has grown! 

Molly and her favourite Dan.
Molly at the dog park with Alec
Molly watching tv with Cason, Lucas, Bacardi & Cornelius – favourite humans and favourite doggos.

Through my health and fitness efforts, I have also grown – in many ways. Fortunately, size wise wasn’t one of them.

Fitness wise, I have definitely grown.  I started out struggling to dance to 60’s tunes for a few minutes each day.  Through determination and perseverance, I was able to follow some beginner dancercise classes on You Tube.

The first classes were a challenge for me and  I had to take more than a few breaks to make it through an entire session.   But quitting was not an option, so I pressed on and graduated to You Tube Zumba classes.

This was the class I did this morning – spot on and NO breaks.

I am also spending a half, to an hour and a half, outside every day – walking Molly, playing fetch, or shoveling snow. And.. I am exercising with light weights (dumbbells) six evenings a week.

Eleven months in, Molly and I are both doing well, working on making the most of the final month of our first year, and happy with our progress.

Molly & Me 💞

That is it for Molly and I today. Take care and have a great day!

Five Weeks To Go 🖐️

by annemariedemyen, posted in Health and Fitness, January 2023

Five Weeks to go until I have completed YEAR ONE of my health and fitness program.   The year has not been without its setbacks, but I have stayed committed.    I remind myself daily that to feel better, do better, and be better in the future, I have to take care of myself physically, mentally, and emotionally today.  So, I do it!

This past week, I worked out every morning.  It felt really good to get in some relatively intense Zumba workouts.   The days when I opted for some freestyle dancing were fun as well.  It just feels good to move.

I checked in every day with my Volley workout accountability group, as I have been doing for months now (even when I had no voice and not much to say).  We share our struggles, our triumphs, and our triumphs in spite of our struggles!  It  is  more helpful than I could have imagined.  My Volley partners and friends, Dwight and Jackie, are so encouraging, supportive, inspiring, and upbeat!  Volley sharing has consistently become one of my favourite  parts of  my  day.

I have been getting outside more often.  Just getting a bit of fresh air is a bonus at this time of year.   Obviously it is a bigger and better  bonus, fitness wise,  when I can shovel some snow or take Molly for a walk as well.

I have been working on my diet.  Avoiding sweet and salty snacks hasn’t been easy, especially over the holidays, but I have tried to focus on healthy meals.  We have had my full repertoire of salad meals in the past few days.  We also celebrated with our belated New Year’s Eve supper on Friday evening.  That was a bit indulgent but we did share one steak, one baked potato, and one bottle of champagne. 👍

Yesterday, Dan and I took Molly over to the dog park.  She had a great run with half a dozen other dogs, we had a nice visit with their humans, and we were joined by granddaughter Genie.   Once we were all sufficiently chilled, I coaxed Genie over to the house for a  cup of hot tea and we plied her with leftover Christmas chocolates.  🤗

Speaking of Genie, she has been keeping herself occupied while on break from the midway.    This week she, and her fiance Alec, built a full-on sanctuary for their miniature parrots – George and Nova.

They added a sleeping tent and they still have a few exterior trim boards to install, but George and Nova are moved in and enjoying their bigger and better home. 

That is it for this week’s update.  Only five more weeks to go for YEAR ONE and I am pushing hard to make the most of them.  This week I am going to make more of an effort with my evening light weight workouts.  I have been struggling to get back up to speed on them, but I am determined to do it, so it is as good as done.

Take Care and Have A Great Day!💞🌞

Ten Seconds of Molly While Dan Was Vacuuming the Rug.

Six More Weeks To Go

by annemariedemyen, posted in Health and Fitness, January 2023

I seem to have lost track of a couple of weeks this past year, but I checked my calendar and my math and there remains a mere SIX weeks until I have completed Year One of my Health and Fitness Journey.

It is amazing how the time has flown by and how much has happened in the past ten and a half months. Even though I am still recovering from my pre-Christmas flu, I can’t believe how much my physical, mental, and emotional health has improved.

Despite still being somewhat congested and croupy, I am back to doing physical work outs on a regular basis. Yesterday, I did an amazing You Tube workout and I felt great when it was done.

I also helped Dan shovel the walk that runs beside our house – about 25′ of packed snow and ice and I did a short workout with light weights last night. This morning, I did an Emma Fitness workout.

I am still reading David Goggin’s second book “Never Finished”. It is almost, if not as good, as his first book “Can’t Hurt Me”. I love them both and find them both seriously motivating. In “Never Finished” there is offensive language, but I can live with it. (But then, I worked at some shops where there was a LOT of offensive language used. Some of it may have been used by me on occasion).

That is it for my update this week. Take care and have a great day! 💞🌞

Our front walk that I did by myself. We had freezing rain, followed by snow, followed by a lot of comings and goings that packed it down. Good times! 😊

Weeks  40 & 41 – Third Time’s a Charm!

by annemariedemyen, posted in December 2022, Health and Fitness

Just when I thought that I had built up my health and wellness levels as to be bullet-proof, Dan and I went for a third round of the 2022 flu season.  This time we both went down hard, and I am still struggling to get back up.  I have no voice and if a dishrag could feel, I am pretty sure this is what it would feel like.

This flu is brutal – everything a flu can throw at us and then some and it doesn’t spare anyone.  Granddaughter Genie, her fiance Alec, and her brother Rory were all taken down hard these past couple of weeks as well.  

But, everything has an upside and this little episode has been no exception.   December, my famously least favourite month of the year,  managed to arrive with much less todo than  usual.  I caught a few strains of some holiday carol, was pretty much able to ignore that, and let it go.  I tried to find anything unholiday related on television on Sunday night.  There was one non-seasonal Willy Nelson special on, but that turned out to be more depressing than the ubiquitous Christmas specials.  I ended up watching a marathon of ‘King of the Hill’ episodes. 

It never fails to amaze me how there is not one television channel that has not clued into the seasonal angst of so many in December.  I would think now more than ever!

How many people in North America no longer embrace the holidays?

  • People from different countries,  cultures, and religions who have never celebrated Christmas
  • People who have been force fed tales of Christmas Miracles, Peace on Earth, Good Will Towards All for decades and know it is nonsense or at least non-existent in December?
  • People who are beyond dealing with the commercialization of Christmas – and the greed and garbage that it entails from September to January.
  • People who have lost loved ones during the holiday season and walk a field of landmines –   PTSD triggers during December –  EVERY December – every friggin Holly Jolly holiday display, every Christmas Carol, every holiday movie.
  • People who’s families are, or have been, torn asunder for whatever reason. 

It is so ridiculous.   So much is ‘said’ about mental health and well-being these days – but what is actually done to support those who mentally or emotionally struggle through the holidays?   A ‘King of the Hill’ marathon, SERIOUSLY!

Anyway, on a true upside – I have had the time to do some meditating and some You Tube browsing in anticipation of my health comeback. If you are looking for some motivation for the week, I hope this Goggins helps to inspire you!

If you are not into Goggins, my Volley friends have made this a ‘Rocky’ Monday to help get me back in fighting form…

That’s it for today. Take care and have a great day! 💞🌞

Last but not least… A Prim smile from the archives. 💞🌞

Week 39 – Medicinally Speaking

by annemariedemyen, posted in Health and Fitness, November 2022

It has been 39 weeks since I started working out on a regular basis.   I am looking better, feeling better, and doing better than I have been for a long time.  😁

67 Years and counting. 👍

Last week I had my semi-annual appointment with my respiratory specialist.   I have asthma, COPD, and bronchiectasis.  I have permanent lung damage from these conditions and from having a fully collapsed lung due to empyema ten years ago.  I use Advair and Spiriva inhalers daily and use a Ventolin rescue inhaler as needed.   Over the years, I have taken oral steroids (Prednisone), antibiotics, and a variety of inhalers – blue and green and orange and purple… Every color in the rainbow.

I have had recurring pneumonia and bronchitis and have been susceptible to every flu and cold bug that made its rounds.  Between the bouts of pneumonia, bronchitis, flu bugs, colds, and asthma attacks… I struggled to ever feel GOOD.  

In  February, I started working out on a daily basis.  I started with half an hour of dancing to hits from the 50’s – 60’s.  As I felt better, I turned to You Tube and started following a channel that posted dance/exercise classes for seniors.   By May, I was doing You Tube Zumba classes every morning.  By July, I was walking our dog 2-4 km  every day  and doing my Zumba lessons.  In September, I started lifting light weights every evening.  I am up to using 5 lb dumbbells now, plus doing Zumba, plus walking the dog (when weather permits).

And I am feeling good!  I am active! I am strong!   I am looking lean(er)  and fit! I am happy!   I have had one ‘bug’ which was come and go for a few days before it went away – with no need for antibiotics, oral steroids, or the like.

So…  Last week I went to see my respiratory specialist.   He checked my lungs, my blood pressure, my heart rate, my oxygen level.  He asked if I was experiencing any shortness of breath, how I was feeling, any current health concerns.  Everything was good!  I told him about my workouts and he said that was good.  😊

Then he renewed my inhaler prescriptions and offered to write me one for an antibiotic.  🤦 WHY? In case I get a lung  infection – bronchitis, pneumonia or the like.    I declined and told him if I needed antibiotics, I would let him know, but I wasn’t anticipating any such need as I am doing great! 

His response was…. “That’s because you are taking your medication”. 

I have been taking ‘my medication’ for thirty years!  My medication may have kept me alive but it sure as hell didn’t make me feel great!   It didn’t make me healthy and strong and fit! 

Every time I have seen this specialist, I have asked for advice on what I could or should be doing to best manage my asthma, COPD, and bronchiectasis.  He could try this drug or that.  He could send me to a cardiologist or an ENT.  He could send me for scans or pulmonary function tests.  I would ask about exercise – specific exercises that he could recommend.  He would make a vague comment about any activity being helpful and remind me to take my medication. 

Ultimately, I started working out on my own and I found a workout program that worked for me.    I worked it for nine months – and his response to my phenomenal results was “That’s because you are taking your medication.”   😤🤯🤬

It doesn’t matter to me.  I take my inhalers to control my chronic lung  conditions and I do my workouts because I know that they are giving me the quality of life that I want and deserve.

But what about all the other people out there with asthma, COPD,  bronchiectasis, or other chronic lung conditions?    It is hard to know what will help or hurt when one is already struggling just to breathe.    It is hard to push oneself when one is  handed a simple fix in the guise of a pill or inhaler.   It is scary to get any diagnosis of a chronic incurable disease and to believe that it will only get worse.     It is just wrong that  people  are not hearing what they need and deserve  to hear from their respiratory specialists and that what they are hearing is only half the answer to living with chronic lung conditions.   😢

Molly and Sasha playdate – healthy, happy, and active! 💞

Take care and have a great day! 💞🌞

Week 38 – Feeling Fine!

by annemariedemyen, posted in Health and Fitness, November 2022

It is thirty-eight weeks since I started my health and fitness journey back on February 14th. That was nine months ago yesterday!

Feeling fine!

I have a few things to mention in my weekly update…

1. I am feeling fine, which is really great because I have a semi annual checkup with my respiratory specialist on Friday. He didn’t order any x-rays, scans, or lung function tests so it remains to be seen what he will notice, but in May my blood pressure was on the high side and these days it is holding steady at about 117/71 so I hope that impresses him. 🙂

2. I went to the mall on Sunday and stopped in to see grandson Rory who works at a casual clothing shop. I picked up a pair of fleece lined sweat pants and a pair of light lounging pants. Both were size SMALL and they both fit. YAY!! That would not have been the case in February. 🙄

3. I pumped up my weight workout last night. 5# dumbbells – 4 lifts – 5 reps – 5 sets. Plus 15 wall push-ups. 💪

4. have been nailing my Zumba workouts in the morning and I was trying to walk Molly every couple of days since her surgery. Due to the snow and ice and her uncooperative nature, I had to pull the plug on her walks on Sunday. She is hell bent on going to the dog park and that just cannot happen until next week… 😟 (Have I mentioned that she weighs 90 pounds now?)

5. In lieu of walking, I have been getting outside for some fresh air and snow shoveling. 😏

And finally… I know I have been MIA a lot lately for posting blogs and reading those that I generally follow. I have been keeping busy but mostly Molly has been going through a phase and surgery recovery. High maintenance would be an understatement – and she takes particular issue with me picking up my phone or sitting down at the computer – or sitting ANYWHERE for that matter.

She is usually good when we are eating, when she is eating, or when I am doing my workouts. 💞

That is it for today. Take care and have a great day! 💞🌞

Cleanest walks on the block. 😊

November 11th – Dane Sanders

by annemariedemyen, posted in Health and Fitness, November 2022

Today I am highlighting another inspirational teacher that I have discovered.  Dane Sanders is a motivational speaker, business trainer, and professional photographer.   I was just recently introduced to his work by my friend Dwight Hyde at https://www.fadedjeansliving.com

Dane Sanders is one of the co-creators of ‘Men and Women of Discomfort’.   This is a group of men and women who take on 90 day challenges to push themselves physically, mentally, and beyond.   More information on this group can be found on Instagram or at their website https://www.mwod.io/

What inspired me about Dane Sanders was a blog that he shared discussing character roles.    In writing narratives there are three typical character roles – Villain, Victim, and Hero. 

In real life,  we all tend to play these roles.  We switch roles on a continual basis – playing the villain, the victim, and the hero on any given day (or at time of day).    These roles are not  specifically positive or negative – much depends on the circumstances and our intention.  Often, we are not even aware of the role we are playing.

The role of a victim is not one that we typically choose – we just are a victim of circumstances or others.   We have been victimized.   Generally,  our goal will be to work through our victim role to a hero role.  Occasionally, we deliberately or unconsciously choose to remain in the victim role because there is a lack of personal responsibility in playing the helpless victim.   We just are.   We do not realize that this choice  is costing us  our  free will –  the power to create and live our own life on our own terms.

Victims attract heroes.  Those who choose to remain victims attract ‘false heroes’  or villains who are called rescuers.    These rescuers, do not help victims – they are enablers or victimizers, who use their false hero role to empower themselves at the expense of the victim.  

Victims with  a goal  to work their way to being a hero, attract true heroes.   True heroes are guides.   Guides lead by example and provide the information that victims require to become true heroes, so that they may in turn guide others.

Dane Sanders  encourages  us to notice the role(s) we are playing, choose the role we want to play in our lives, and move towards that goal. 

This lesson by Dane Sanders gave me a new perspective in how I see myself and how I live my life.    At times I am  the victim – not choosing to remain the victim for long.  Everyone enjoys the occasional (self) pity party, and I am no exception – but I really do NOT enjoy feeling helpless.    At times, I am  the true hero (the guide).   I have, especially with my family, tried to lead by example and to share that which I felt would be beneficial to them.    But, most often (and again especially with my family),  I have played the villain (the typical ‘rescuer’ villain!).   It makes me feel needed – even if I do not feel wanted or loved.   It is a role I choose to mask my lack of self confidence and self worth.   And worst of all –  It victimizes others, by undermining their own confidence and self worth.  😢

This is a hard lesson to learn – but it is an incredibly powerful lesson in my mind.  It is a lesson that I believe can help me to be a genuinely better person.   For that, I am truly grateful to Dane Sanders for sharing his wisdom.

Take care and have an authentically great day! 💞🌞

Week 37 – Changing up!

by annemariedemyen, posted in Health and Fitness, November 2022

Time for another health and fitness update. I finally did it! Last night, I moved up to five pound dumbbells for my evening routine. I did cut back on reps and sets, but I also switched up two of my lifts to dumbbell rows and dumbbell squats. 😁

I missed my Molly walk on Sunday, but I did shovel some HEAVY snow. I did the back landing and steps at about 6 AM when I let Molly out. Dan did most of the sidewalks and front steps, but I did go out and help.

The snow was about 6 inches up the back door and packed solid.

I also missed my Molly walk yesterday because she was at the vets getting spayed and today because she is still fairly medicated.

Molly on painkillers and sedatives. 🥳

Molly is doing fairly well, so we should walk tomorrow. That collar is about two feet across so it’s just a bit awkward for her to move around the house. It is also rather awkward when she tries to herd me around the kitchen. 🙄

We had serious wind and a bit more snow last night, so I have some more shoveling that I can get out to work on. Molly is finally taking a nap so I am just waiting for her to wake up so she can come outside with me – at least for a while.

Other than that I made some cinnamon buns on Friday – kneading the dough was a bit of a workout. 😊 They weren’t my best effort but they were okay if you didn’t actually know they were supposed to be cinnamon buns.

And… There wasn’t any fitness involved, but we did go out on Saturday to help celebrate great granddaughter Alaska Rose’s first birthday.

Alaska did an amazing job of opening her presents – with a bit of help from Mom and a couple of aunties.
She could use some work on her cake eating skills. 💞

That’s it for today. Molly is awake so time to bundle up and go move some snow.

Take care and have a great day! 💞🌞