It's been one month since I ended my taekwondo training and I miss it very much. I felt it was the ONLY thing that would force me to get moving as I am NOT the athletic type, nor am I one who can stick to any exercise program for a long period of time.
And it's been almost a month now since we've moved to our new home. Now the challenge is to move my body! %-0
Several days ago, I got tired of not doing anything about it, and went outside to do my tkd forms, walk around the property, and play tag with the front door by running up and down the front steps of my in-laws home (which is maybe a couple hundred feet from our cottage) a dozen times.
Yesterday, I forced myself to go outside, but this time I jogged around the entire property. I felt like a new woman! %-D I'm hoping I can keep this up at least every other day. It's hard cuz I like the social aspect of an exercise class, and my heart is still in martial arts--I worked so hard to get my black belt, after all!
But the reality is that we are now about 17 miles south of civilization (the nearest city), three miles from the main roads in our own town, and gas is expensive. Not to mention looking for work.
Am I a slave to fate? Not if I can help it!
I have my heart and mind set on finding further martial arts training in the future, but in the meantime, I'll have to try to remember my forms. I have to think of one of my heroines, Simone de Beauvoir, who wrote,
"I remained faithful to my declared intention of turning all that life imposed on me to my own purposes" (from Prime of Life)
Of course, this move was not imposed on me: I agreed it would be a good idea, not least being that it would be financially wise. There are pluses and minuses to every living area, however.
To counter the lack of civilization nearby (!), I bought The Yin Yoga Kit from half.com yesterday. I saw it in the public library near where we used to live and it looked intriguing to me, although I never got to check it out because someone else always had it. The massage therapist in me (I am one, after all!) likes the idea of yin yoga stretching the connective tissue, rather than conditioning the muscles, in the form of static stretching--holding the form for 3-5 minutes. It is supposedly a more meditative kind of yoga, and reputedly, the oldest form of hatha yoga. I'll have to do more reading on yoga, as I know little about it; I have discovered that there are some noteworthy books on the subject in our library system down here, so I am looking forward to that.
Hubby moved our Nordic Track into a spare room today, that is linked to a five-car garage. Fil wants to turn it into a fitness room. Our NT is the original model. No fancy digital stuff or heavy machinery to help stabilize your body: you gotta do all the work! We bought it used, years ago. Then I found another near-copy of our version lying next to the dumpster in our apt complex a couple years ago, with skis missing. Hubby's got the "new" version in the fitness room now. I'd rather run up and down the steps outside! ;-)
To make myself move, I've determined any activity I engage in must be on MY terms only, for some measure of long-term success, i.e.: continuity! It has to INTEREST me, and not seem like a chore! It must have some element of FUN and VARIETY, or I'll quit from boredom! The activity/ies must also incorporate the essential activities to meet my fitness goals of flexibility, cardio, and strength, or I'm wasting my time! %-0 I don't intend to ever become decrepit in old age.
I'll have to work on the social aspect in other ways, in regards to exercise and life in general. That's a big challenge in a rural area. Maybe mil and I could walk together some mornings; she's always been a great walker.
Thankfully, there's social groups I can bide my time with, like facebook. I just need to find real face time with women who have similar interests as I do.
And just maybe one day, I hope I can find a group of people to practice all the things that go along with taekwondo or another form of martial arts with...like sparring!;-)
