Just because I am a doctor, and encourage patients every day to exercise, doesn’t mean that I don’t have my own issues with getting sufficient exercise. Long hours, tiring days, family obligations, illness: they are all stumbling blocks, no matter what your occupation.
I have been recording my exercise weekly, mostly to keep myself accountable for reaching my goal (sometimes this works, sometimes I miss). If anyone reads this, I hope they will take this as encouragement to keep going, acknowledgement that it isn’t always easy.
As a reminder, my goal is to make sure that I get my 150 minutes a week of moderate exercise (or 75 minutes of high intensity exercise, which probably won’t happen).
I have been trying to incorporate strength training, with many set backs. At the start of 2020, I plan to start working (again) with a trainer, which has so far been the best way for me to do the work. My ultimate goal is to spend 60 minutes a week on this, though starting at 30 minutes a week is perfectly fine.
- Saturday: Late in the afternoon I set out to return a DVD to the library, and plant a huge paperback in someone’s Little Free Library. On my travels, I ran into three people and had some interesting conversations: a total stranger who turns out to live in my neighborhood, a co-worker, and a college friend. My Fitbit registered 61 minutes. I don’t know if I was truly in motion for all that time, but I will take it.
- Sunday: Today I spent at home. No exercise.
- Monday: Between walking around at work and then walking home from a meeting, I managed to log 51 minutes today.
- Tuesday: I had to go several places at work today, so my Fitbit registered 10 minutes. I felt terrible after a long day, and got a ride home.
- Wednesday: Feeling much better today. I had some off-campus stuff to do this morning, but couldn’t go home like I did last week. I walked back to the office, and then all the way home from the office (no part-way pick up) for a total of 72 minutes.
- Thursday: I didn’t think I had done much walking, but the Fitbit registered 7 minutes walking. I think I was just walking in the halls.
- Friday: It was a busy day, but getting to and from meetings netted me 21 minutes at work. No walk home, as I was in a hurry to get ready for company.
Total: 222 minutes walking, no weight training this week (no meeting with the trainer). Verdict: a pretty good week.