I have been keeping track of my exercise every Friday for over 2 years, and plan to continue doing so.
I started the Friday Firsts sections as a way of keeping track of some of my “firsts” as I dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic. Things seem to be settling down, but I will keep it for now–more as a way to be aware and thankful of what is happening in my life.
Friday Firsts
This week’s firsts:
- I live half-way between 2 library branches. One is on the way to work, the other… isn’t. I finally stopped in the less convenient library this week, my first visit since the pandemic. It looks so different!
- Tuesday I walked around the local park’s sports area for the first time. It was a weekday, and it was a change to see who was there. Instead of small kids playing weekend soccer, there were tons of runners, people of all ages doing walking lunges (on fields as well as the track), an outdoors gym class. Plus people and dogs walking. I never realized there were so many people interested in fitness here! I was also impressed that not everyone working out looked like they were under 30.
Fitness Log
As a reminder, my current goal is to make sure that I get 210 minutes a week of moderate exercise, of which 60 minutes should build strength (yoga counts); if I am working in the hospital, my goal is just 90 minutes, which is a more realistic stretch during those busy days.
After 2 weeks of vacation, it was time to get back to my normal schedule.
How did I do?
- Saturday: Took a morning walk, checking out some of the Little Free Libraries on the way. 48 minutes. Later in the morning I watched Wimbledon (ladies’ final), and got energized to go out to the tennis courts. 27 minutes of running around later, and I was ready to go home and work on my leftover clinic notes.
- Sunday: A lazy day indoors. I thought about exercise in the morning, and decided against.
- Monday: I went to PT, finally, now that my hip is mostly better; I got a few exercises to do at home, and can come back if I don’t return to normal. I ended up walking most of the way home, with a side trip to the local library branch. 28 minutes.
- Tuesday: My schedule was open after work (no yoga), so Mr. PiN and I went to the park to play tennis. It was much more crowded, and we had to wait for a court. I walked around the entire upper field (13 minutes) before we played for a bit (17 minutes).
- Wednesday: Took a walk home from my neighborhood bakery, with a detour on the way. 41 minutes.
- Thursday: A long-ish day of work, no exercise today.
- Friday: I didn’t feel like getting out early, but Mr. PiN had a tennis date and I was behind on my exercise goal, so I took a morning walk. I used to do these before I got married to a night owl, and I’m so glad I went this morning. I found a bunch of new Little Free Libraries, saw updates on blocks I haven’t walked in a few months (or maybe years), got in 52 minutes of walking, and now have met one of my exercise goals for the week.
Total: 182 minutes walking and 44 minutes of tennis. Still no yoga or strength training. I hit my goal for all over exercise with 226 minutes, but will need to get back to my strength training goals. This may have to wait a few weeks, since I am about to go back to the hospital, working with July interns. I sense my free time will be sharply curtailed.