Let’s get moving…

~ msgracefulnot

Thank God not the packing and unpacking kind!  I mean the putting one foot in front of the other moving kind of moving.

So I bought a “generic” Fitbit.  By generic I mean the $30.00 not name brand one from amazon.  ( If interested….click the picture!!!) While the specs say that I can link it to my phone, check my heart rate,  and sleeping patterns, the only thing I investigated about it, is how many steps I take in a given day.

I’ve heard people talk about making their goal 10,000 steps in a day, and wanted to see where I compared…..

NOT EVEN CLOSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On an average day, I took about 1500 steps.  WTF?!?  I am busy from the time I wake up til the time I “pass out” each night…. That couldn’t be accurate!!!!!

Well it turns out it is.  I spend so much time driving, waiting at doctors, playing on the computer, fighting with insurance companies, reading, doing laundry whatever…that I really don’t move.  SMH

Time to fix this shit!  I made myself a challenge to get at least 3000 steps in a day and I have done it!!!!!!!  Can I have a cookie now?.… No I’m actually serious…..Ok I’m not, but I AM feeling good!  I am proud of myself.  Not only for setting a goal and making it, but for facing a huge fear of mine by walking alone again.

I am not quite up to a mile at a time yet, but I have learned that if I can beat the heat (waking up at 5 am), I can come close.  I have even started taking my dogs with me again… ONE AT A TIME, and holding the leash very loosely.

Walking by myself in a residential area is kind of boring,

road hazard

 

and to be honest it is still kind of scary for me considering a crack like this can be a major road hazard. but it is still better than walking on a treadmill and every step I take hopefully keeps me out of a wheelchair that much longer.

 

Sometimes, I can con my neighbor into walking with me, but she works nights and doesn’t appreciate the early morning “Hey let’s go for a walk wake up calls”.

A bonus is that I don’t smoke when I walk, so if I can keep increasing my activity, maybe it will help with the quitting smoking goal too.

 

 

Published by msgracefulnot

So hard when someone says tell me about yourself...what do you want to know?

30 thoughts on “Let’s get moving…”

  1. Grace, I am so incredibly proud of you and in awe of you. I know that our physical challenges are very different, but I relate to so much of this; the fear, but also the feeling of freedom when you do the thing you have been fearing. If I lived near you, I would be on those 5am walks with you every day. You have totally inspired me to start getting out for a walk early so I can’t use the heat and bright sun as an excuse. Thank you!!!!!

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  3. What kind of cookie would you like?

    I had one of those things until it fell apart. I actually hit 15,000 a couple of years ago, and 10,000 wasn’t that much of an exception when I was doing yard work. But 3,000 to 5,000 was pretty much the norm, primarily because the distance between my desk and men’s room at work.

    I also know what you mean about those nasty road cracks. I have actually been tripped up by a flat piece of cardboard, but I think those would more likely shatter an ankle than make me fall. Be careful please. Maybe you should reward yourself with an extra cookie every time you arrive home intact.

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    1. What kind of cookie? Hell a cookie is a cookie.. they are all fantastic! But I would love it if you would eat one for me. The last cookie I ate was a “pot cookie”, and that experience left me laying on the bathroom floor tossing cookies for over an hour

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  4. You are doing exceptionally well. You have you goals set – just try not over push them. Reach your goal and stay there for a few days – then add to it. Baby steps and one day at a time.

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  5. You are my role model! A little over a year ago, I was walking my two hound mutts home from the vet and they went dogshit crazy over this over pair of dogs, and pulled me so hard I fell on the concrete. It’s a good thing I didn’t yet know I have advanced osteoporosis, or I would have broken a bone! Since then, I’ve let my husband do all the walking because these two litter mates are “inseparable.” Which is, of course, nonsense. It’s a beautiful day today. Thanks to you, I will separate the inseparable and get out and enjoy it, with one crazy hound mutt at a time.

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    1. AWWWW! That’s awesome! Today’s walk for me was very difficult, I’ve made 4500 steps so far, but that will be it. My right foot that I broke a year ago is all black and blue now…..always something isn’t it?

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  7. Look at you! Stepping up your game! Nice job💪👊 They sure are motivating aren’t they? Mine’s been great. With CFS we have to pace to same amount everyday, as able. So no going crazy (getting more steps) on the good days and it’s really helped me there as walking is my favorite activity. Hoping your foot eases up on you and you can continue with your goals! Go Grace!✨ Also hoping you’re feeling a bit better in general.🌸

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  8. Great job Grace at setting a goal for yourself and achieving that goal! I believe you are pretty damn incredible and can do anything you set your mind to! I am glad that you can’t smoke when you walk, see you can handle quitting that as well! I seriously think you will accomplish your goal to quit smoking. You have lots of great reasons to quit and you have such determination to do what you set out to do! I am so proud of you with your walking goal! I can understand how hard it can be to walk at times, but you are not letting anything hold you back! Now that is the Grace we all know and LOVE!! I hope you have a nice weekend sweetie!

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  9. I wouldn’t mind trying a generic fitbit style thing (only if cheap enough!) out of curiosity as I’ve no idea how many steps I walk either. I doubt it would be fine-tuned enough to count the shuffling movements I make around the house…
    Great that it’s encouraged you to do a little more walking, but I get what you mean about walking alone. I find it harder to get out for a walk without a purpose; there’s a little shop just down the road so if I can set a goal (pick up a paper or loaf of bread) I’m more likely to go walkies. Of course, having a dog is a great reason to get out, too. Stay cool and hydrated and remember that ‘every little helps’, even a few extra minutes here and there! 🙂

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    1. I don’t know what the conversion is from dollars to your currency but it was $30…..sad that I don’t know the currency for the uk?….yes is has definitely given me a goal
      ..what I really need is a walking buddy

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      1. That’s about £23 in the UK, not a bad price. Probably all I’d want to spend on one to see what it’s like. Aw, if I were nearer and not across the ocean then I’d be your walking buddy!! x

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    1. I started talking Ampyra (the walking drug) to help me walk faster better, I’m not sure that’s a good thing though. I walk faster now, which makes using a cane difficult, but I my gait is terrible…which aggravates back and feet problems….smh always something isn’t it?

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      1. I don’t like talking additional drugs if I don’t need them — this summer has definitely been worse than any other. I have a AFO and have been to PT for my gait (gained fabulous core body exercises). Anyway — my point is I may have to take a pill to improve my walk. I am incredibly slow this summer!!!!

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  12. Let me see if I can find my guide from my PT.
    He had me using machines at our local gym – YMCA. Basically you have to improve your core body’s strength and stamina (back, legs neck). More tomorrow Grace!!!

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  13. So funny and inappropriate story time alert. I have one of those fancy watch activity trackers and the other day I was masturbating and it was like “new activity detected!” and I was like…….is this app seriously going to track my masturbation? But it thought I was playing Racquet Ball. Which is the sexiest of the balled sports lol

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  14. Pingback: One step forward, two steps back – MS Graceful…NOT!

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