Becoming a BLMR — Part 3

Day 5 “Strive for progress, not perfection.”

Today I did my own thing at the gym. Instead of using “machines,” I designed my own workout that might be described as focusing on my “core.”  Before getting into describing how I put this together, I should probably discuss what it is that I sought to design, and why I am willing to inflict this torturous regimen upon myself.

The core muscles are attached to your hips, pelvis, lower back, abdominals, ribs and shoulder blades. I attempted to determine how many core muscles I own, but estimates range from 4 to 35. If I was to guess, I would say 6.022 x 10²³ (see footnote *). These muscles stabilize the body and improve resistance to injury. Your core is essential to moving your body through three planes—side-to-side, up and down, and forward and backward. Developing your core will focus on functional movements that are essential to activities of daily living for any Badass Lady Medicare Recipient.

Building a core (e.g. pillar of strength) will not only build my old lady of the future body, but will also improve my performance in activities that I enjoy today. Western North Carolina is really hilly (I’m talking to you, Blue Ridge Mountains) and I want to continue to enjoy the great outdoors through four seasons for many years to come.

To design my workout, I went back to the future. I blew the dust off a big file that I pulled out of my desk drawer. It contained checklists, worksheets, articles copied from magazines, and pages printed from websites, all labelled as “workouts” (thinking about it now, I wish there was a sister file, labelled “cookouts” to go with the workouts, but alas, none was to be found in my desk drawer).  After sorting through all this paperwork, which was its own workout, I was able to define a core core workout. Then I sorted through a few books also categorized as workout related, and that enabled me to fill in and fill out my plan. This plan, which henceforth will be known as The Plan, has 4 components in its current configuration: warm-up, prehab, physioball (aka stability or Swiss cheese ball), and strength. I expect to add more components when I am struck with another moment of great workout clarity or perhaps another rest day. Then I can vary my workouts more to avoid boredom (once I get through the warm-up and prehab pieces) or ignore them completely and take a Zumba class.

Today I did the warm-up, the prehab, and finally the physioball routine. “The object of physioball exercises is to challenge your normal range of motion and in the process improve your balance, coordination and stabilizing strength. The ball should be firm and not squishy.” I spent most of my time figuring out how to get onto the physioball in the proper position and then how NOT to fall off the ball as soon as one body part initiated movement in any one of the three planes. I was more successful at getting onto the ball than staying on the ball, because staying on the ball requires core muscles which right now, are simply in short supply or MIA. Luckily, it is almost impossible to get hurt falling off a physioball. I can only hope that with time, I, like the physioball, will be firm and not squishy.

*Avogadro’s number, number of units in any substance equal to 6.02214076 × 10²³. The units may be electrons, atoms, ions, or muscles, depending on the nature of the substance and the character of the reaction (if any).

RECAP   “My life is a gift and I appreciate everything I have.”

Today I took a “Body Balance” class and I noticed a big bowl at the reception desk filled with strips of paper in many colors. On each slip there is a positive affirmation and everyone is invited to take one on their way in or out. So I took one. It certainly hit the mark. This seemed an appropriate cue to think about what I have accomplished in 21 days and to acknowledge the gratitude and pride I have been feeling.

I know some people have to consciously practice gratitude. I am not one of those people. I have the occasion and opportunity to experience gratitude everyday without having to go look for it. My life is indeed a gift and I feel grateful for the chance to make it better. Even when focusing on this tiny slice of my life, I have the money to buy a membership at the Y and people to support me and it is not lost on me that many people have neither money nor people. I have enough self awareness to be realistic about where I am starting this journey and looking forward and not backward. I have proudly accepted my current limitations and I do not care if I suck at something or look stupid. I know that sucking at something or looking stupid are both required on the road to becoming a badass. It has also provided me with a good deal of raw material for writing, and I love that. My quest to become a BLMR is bringing together mind, body and spirit in new and exciting ways.

Here is some data on my first 21 days of becoming a BLMR:

• Number of Ys visited: 3
• Number of days I went to the Y: 9
• Number of group exercise classes attended: 5 (yoga, barre, TRX, hydroburn, body balance)
• Number of weight machines in my strength workout: 16
• Number of pounds moved using weight machines in 1 workout: 2,115
• Number of days of being very sore: 1 (day after TRX class)
• Number of items purchased: 4  (sneakers, socks, flip flops for shower, goggles)
• Number of dollars spent on purchases: ~$125

Exercise to stimulate, not annihilate. The world wasn’t built in a day and neither were we. Set small goals and build upon them.