I've been bending, I've been stretching
Though the sight is not that fetching.
But I'm trying very hard to keep in shape,
I've been strengthening and flexing,
And although sometimes it's vexing
From the exercise there's really no escape.
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Hello, fellow runners! It is really hard to believe that a week has flown by.
But..here we are two weeks into February, and as the weeks move on, we are getting more and more new runners each week.
Although we link all our New Running Friends, to the essential reading which gives all the info about how to run this amazing programme, there is a heck of a lot there to take in! I keep finding new bits and I have been here 7+ years!
One of the bits that you may miss, if you are a newcomer to the forum, ( or have forgotten about, if you have been here a while), is the bit about some strength and stamina work.
Now, we all know that one of the most important pieces of our running equipment is, our legs! But, the rest of our running body has to keep up with them, and so, has to be kept in fine fettle. Every bit of it! From top to toe and not forgetting our brain either!
So, me being me, I wrote this little rhyme to put out a very important message.
Time to think about what you are doing to help keep your running body in good shape.
This is important always, but as we move on through the plan and beyond, the importance does evolve also. Looking after our body limits, hopefully, the likelihood of injury
I began running again a week or so ago, after a heck of a long time NOT running. Illness, post viral fatigue plus weather that seemed intent on keeping me inside, meant I had not run since the 30th November...but,when I tested negative after Covid and the post viral bit had begun to ease. I began on January 1st to exercise again, very very, very gently. We do, after a couple of weeks begin to lose fitness, maybe sooner , depending what has kept us on the IC, so nearly a month between runs!
I maintained my daily routine, but easy... Yoga with Adrienne for her January programme, and as the days went on... adding a little more here and there... with a walk or indoor walking and eventually a few short runs. But it was the simple gentle , exercise that kept me strong enough to do those short runs with confidence. The exercises do not have to be intense, or prolonged or needing equipment of any kind.
That is my experience this time around, but over my years here, I and hundreds of our friends also, have realised the importance of some form of exercise on some of our rest days. It is worth it and You are worth it.
Now, there is such a choice of exercise available that it may, sometimes be overwhelming. The starting point...?
Do head, please, across to the Strength and Flex Forum. There is something there for everyone...
Simply because this is something I put together a while ago... I am linking this post, gathered together by our wonderful S and F leader CBDB , as an example... there is so, so much more there now. There really is!
healthunlocked.com/strength...
Yoga, Pilates, dancing, walking , stretching, flexing, swimming, hiking, etc. etc. Exercise to be done inside, outside, in a chair, after injury.... you name it and it is there.
The link to our super walking forum is here too.
Do not dismiss normal everyday activities either...! Short on time? A day's housework, gardening, decorating, looking after the children; lifting, climbing stairs or in my case, care days with a six year old whirlwind! Every little bit of exercise counts.
So come on... let's all have an adventure and head out towards the S and F Forum !
We can have a lot of fun and YOU can pop in here and let us know what you are doing now, what you are going to do...because if you are not doing something already... you really do need to think about it!
Looking forward to hearing from you and I promise coffee, juice, and a warm cushion for when we get back here...x
Oldfloss x
