Something Needs to Change

While January is the month where I batten down the hatches and do my best to get through, February seems to be when I pay for that survival with mild depression and a yearning to change my circumstances. It’s time to make some plans and take better care of myself.

Both yoga and Tai Chi are great for helping me maintain great form and posture during massages. They both keep me more grounded and centered, allowing me to be more present at work, and at home. This will be for every morning. I’ll begin with a yoga routine that specifically focuses on opening yourself up, while staying protected. Then I’ll practice a Tai Chi move or two. I want to take my time really feeling the postures and the movements so that they become muscle memory.

This will be my goal for every morning. If I do nothing else for myself the rest of the day, at least I will have done something. This is my minimum goal. I’ve tried this method before and I held to it for a little while. Here’s to making it stick longer this time.

Then I set up 5 other workouts. Three to four moves to make sure I have time for a warm-up and then stretching after. And time for three sets. The magic number for so many things! I love kickboxing and boxing workouts, so a few from that for cardio. The Six-Pack Abs workout is laid out to target each set of abdominals, so I picked one from each plane of movement. I’ve got to balance that out with some back and shoulder work, so a couple from this straightforward back routine for another day.

Pilates is another form of exercise that builds strength the way I need it; in those deep muscles that allow freedom of movement throughout the body, so I’ve got a day of Pilates. Then more yoga focused on the whole core for another day.

There’s my plan. I number the days instead of assigning a day of the week. This way I get to them when I’m able and do them in order. Less pressure, more motivating.

I do have an evening plan as well. Like the morning one, I hope to do it every day, so at least I have that, too. I’m in too much pain all the time to not do the things I need to to be ok. I recently learned that my threshold is weird. I don’t really register what I’m feeling as pain. I’m just irritated and tired. Once I resolve the pain, or it’s not there for some reason, that’s when I realize I was in pain. Psoriasis taught me that.

I’ve got some simple strength training yoga and a goodnight yoga routine planned. They should help with my main issues and keep me feeling good. As I get this on track, I’ll start working on what I’m eating, too. They go hand in hand after all.

So here’s to creating some positive changes in my life.