Does Your Wellness Routine Needs a Refresh?

You may remember my e-newsletter back in February, ‘When the wellness expert becomes the patient’ – I shared that I’d recently been diagnosed with a rare thyroid disorder, plus I had sleep apnea. One good thing that came from being so sick and exhausted? I lost 10 pounds!

You might guess what happened next: I re-gained the 10 pounds that I’d lost. Not exactly part of my wellness plan!

But here’s something interesting: After a three-day home sleep study I did two weeks ago, my sleep doctor said I no longer have sleep apnea! I’m sure my condition improved thanks to practicing yoga. Research from the National Institutes of Health has shown that yoga breathing exercises can alleviate sleep apnea, because they strengthen, tone and open your upper airway muscles – breathing to help your breathing!

Today, I no longer need that ugly CPAP machine – which was a giant pain to use. And now that I’m fully vaccinated, I’m living out a new and comprehensive workout plan for ‘Life after Lockdown’.

Here’s how I’m getting back on track with new additions to my workout plan:

Dancing

I was an avid dancer before the pandemic, so I re-joined a west coast swing dance community that now hosts weekly social dancing for pre-registered and fully vaccinated dancers.

Cycling

I haven’t cycled in two years, so I joined two local cycling groups and am road biking twice a week.

Swimming

Every day, I pull on a pair of neoprene mitts to add resistance to my 30-minute front crawl/freestyle swim workouts. I always swim daily during the summer months.

Weight training

I live in tank tops and like many of you, I dread the whole bathing suit thing, so I’m working to sculpt and tone. It’s especially important to strengthen muscles and bone as we age, so I need to make this part of my regular exercise regime.

Yoga

I’m also keeping up with my go-to fitness regime by practicing with virtual on-demand classes through my local yoga studio where I completed a 200-hour Yoga Alliance accredited yoga instructor program -- just before COVID hit! I plan to resume in-person classes on July 1.

Back to those 10 pounds that snuck back up on me….

Power Pole Walking kept me fit and sane during the pandemic, but two weeks ago, I put my poles on pause. To drop those excess pounds and build bone mass – I have osteoporosis in my left hip and lower spine – I’m adding running into my exercise repertoire.

I used to run in my triathlon and college days dating back to the mid-1980s, and I stopped about 10 years ago.

Why? Because I HATE running. I am big-chested, so my posture is slouchy, making me look like a little old lady out jogging.

It’s uncomfortable. It’s boring.

Did I mention I hate running?!

So, my 60-minute workout looks more like run/walking interval training. Frankly, that’s all my attention span and aging body can handle! I do:

• A 15-minute run, then a 15-minute power walk
• A 10 minute-run, then a 10-minute power walk
• A 5-minute run, then a 5-minute power walk

But here’s what I discovered

I’m an American College of Sports Medicine-certified pole walking instructor. And while running might look like a better way to ramp up your fitness routine, I realized that pole walking gives me a way better workout, according to my Apple watch:

• I burn twice as many calories
• I reach a significantly higher heart rate
• I get a total body muscular and cardiovascular workout while strengthening my core, plus sculpting and toning, because pole walking activates most upper and lower body muscles.
• Bonus benefit: It’s easier to talk while pole walking, making it perfect for virtual walk and talk meetings!

Grab my pole walking freebie  HERE.

Keep moving forward with my full-body workout guide to urban pole walking so you can up your fitness game.

Stay well,

PS: I now partner with a US-based distributor of urban walking poles, and am offering pole walking starter packages for individuals, workplaces and conferences. Contact me HERE to find out more!