Hiccup in Activity

My active lifestyle has been through a bit of a hiccup. My 89-year-old mother moved in with me. She cannot be alone so I spent most of my time at home. I stopped hiking. Stopped going to Planet Fitness. Started waking up several times a night to help mom get to the bathroom. I spent a lot of time on the couch resting from lack of sleep. But all journeys end somewhere. After six months of living with me Mom went into the hospital for an impacted colon. She is now living at a skilled nursing facility. She receives 24-hour care from very nice people. I can sleep all night and all morning if I chose.

I went back to Planet Fitness this week and realized how fast fitness vanishes. A twenty-minute walk on a treadmill got me up to 10,000 steps for the day. The long-range plan is to run a 5K by New Years.  With the help of a Couch to 5K app and an air-conditioned Planet Fitness with dozens of treadmills, it seems doable. Maybe not a 10-minute mile, but something not embarrassing.

The most important thing is to get back in there. Start doing it again. Soon I will start searching for 5K walks on Saturday morning. Just to get the feel of the race. The plan is to work out Tuesdays and Thursdays after work, dinner, and visiting mom. Slowly increase my speed and distance then start the C25K app.

Wish me luck and no pulled muscles!