Sometimes we get lost on our journey and it’s not because we don’t know the way, but because we get sidetracked or distracted. As a personal trainer with decades of experience, I know what it takes to keep my body healthy - mindful eating (most of the time), strength training for my muscles and bones, and cardiovascular exercise for heart health and mental health. I’m really good about strength training three days per week and changing my programs every few months. For cardio, I tend to do different Peloton rides that challenge me in different ways. For the past several years, I haven’t done any other cardio since I was so focused on my Peloton Power Zones. I haven’t thought much about cardio cross-training until recently.
A few weeks ago I went for a massage. You might be thinking that it was so nice and relaxing. Well, when I say I went for a massage, I mean to say that Chris worked the hell out of my quads, my calves, and my right shoulder and neck. Not only is Chris a massage therapist, he’s a personal trainer with over twenty-five years of experience. He will find the tight or locked-up spots and work them so the muscles are softer and not pulling the wrong way on the joints. It’s a reality check massage, not a relaxing, soothing endeavor.
As I have gotten older, I have gotten so much better about mobility work and stretching. However, no matter how much I roll, floss, stretch or theragun my right calf, it is still so ridiculously tight. As Chris was doing everything to my right leg, he asked me if I had had any Achilles issues recently. I thought about it, and every now and then if I’m on the Peloton and pull up on the pedal stroke incorrectly, I might feel it in my Achilles. I tend to notice it right away and adjust my pedal stroke.
While Chris continued to work on the right foot and ankle, he told me about his Achilles issues. After a long day of work, he would run 3-4 miles which for him, is comfortable and not too challenging. After a few weeks of that routine, both of his Achilles were really bothering him. He couldn’t figure out why until one day he checked out one of his devices and it showed that he was getting 20,000-30,000 steps a day at work and then getting in even more steps when going out for his run. It made sense that his Achilles was shouting at him. I kind of tuned everything else out when Chris mentioned his step count. The last time I had anything resembling his count was when my daughters and I were on vacation in Quebec and we walked close to nine miles our first day. I wasn’t trying to be competitive, but I really was curious about what my average daily step count was over a week.
What’s the first thing that I did after I got home from my massage? Of course, I checked my daily step count. It was a fraction of what Chris was getting per day and not even close to the recommended daily step count. While I am on my feet almost all day long, I don’t go very far - kitchen to training space, grocery store, taking the dog out to do her business. I could blame my cute, but infuriating dog who often takes fifteen minutes just to walk two houses away. If I’m lucky Sascha will go around our street one time per day. I’m often not so lucky.
The lack of steps and, more importantly, lack of walking made me realize that I’m missing out on the most basic but vital form of low-impact exercise. I know how important walking is for my body, especially since I have osteopenia. Most of my cardio comes from Peloton or strength training. Walking would be a great way to add variety to my steady-state cardio. And if I’m thinking of making a change or adjusting my movement during the day, I should take the SEEDS of change into account as well. Adding walking to my repertoire would help with Sleep, Exercise, and Stress (destress).
Now I know that I need to leave Sascha at home and take care of myself!
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