Exercise Accountability - anyone want to be exercise buddies?

[Igglepigglesgrubbyblanket]

Over this year I have really lost condition and I'd like to start doing some daily exercise to make up for the fact that I'm at home all the time now. Anyone want to join me for some daily accountability?
My plan is to do at least 20 minutes of YouTube yoga each day and increase the amount I'm walking by doing long walks on my days off.

I've not done my strength exercises today, and struggled to get to 5k on the trampette. I've lost weight though, and had a bath, so I've done something right!

Great idea there for avoiding the squabbling @Igglepigglesgrubbyblanket, if my DC were old enough to leave one at home I'd definitely do it

Hope you're feeling better now @picklemewalnuts and well done on the weight loss!

Huh, interesting seeing I was below par on Saturday. I was dopey yesterday, and am dopey and clumsy today! I've had trouble with personal organisation and generally low stress tolerance. I think I must be overtired. Maybe the 5k every day is taking its toll on me 😂 pacing is everything!

How's everyone else? The sun came out, and it was above freezing. I didn't need to gear up like an explorer when I walked the dog! Little mercies!

I managed to get out for a walk today but it’s the most I’ve managed in several days, I hadn’t left the house since Wednesday. I know exercise is good for my MH so I should make more effort but new meds + period + some extra stuff to deal with at home made things pretty tough 😳

Frankly, you did well getting out of bed, let alone out of the house. Hope the next few days are better for you, Sing.

Oh I completely understand @SingToTheSky, sometimes leaving the house seems like a step too far, especially when you have DC to organise/ wrap up/ deal with the muddy clothes afterwards! I didn't make it outside today (apart from the garden) as frankly I was just too tired and fed up and couldn't be bothered. I did do a short HIIT workout but am only on 6K steps

I'm finding it difficult to have any motivation TBH - there doesn't seem to be anywhere interesting to walk within a reasonable distance - I'm so sick of our local scenery!

Hope you are feeling a bit better today Sing?

@picklemewalnuts, always nice when the weather gets a bit warmer and you can enjoy a dog walk rather than enduring it!! I'm just exhausted at having the DC at home EVERY SINGLE MINUTE and counting down the seconds till I can have some time on my own...

Aw thank you both 💖

Totally sick of the local scenery here too. And I have to confess that for me going for a walk doesn’t even involve getting others ready. DH is home all the time now (had to give up his main job due to health and he does a few hours a week charity coordination work from home) so if I need to get out on my own I can generally. It really is hard having so little space from each other isn’t it. My 3yo is so amazing but she’s in a relentless in-your-face phase right now. I can’t blame her, she’s bored too!

Today I did have to organise 11yo DS getting himself together though as we went out for a Pokémon raid :o but then I sent him back and I went for a slow walk. Ended up in town for a bit.

Hoping I’m over the worst from the meds now, will see how it goes over the next few days and try and get out for a little walk each day

Hi @SingToTheSky well done on getting out of the house, every little helps I think! I've managed quite a lot of walking today as I had a day off. We even went to a different park than usual... Exciting times! Hope everyone else is doing well. 5k every day is brilliant @picklemewalnuts!

Glad you made it outside @SingToTheSky. I thought about doing Pokemon with the DC but my phone is so old and rubbish that it drains the battery too quickly! I'm considering learning how to do geocaching instead, might put a bit of excitement into our walks?!

Exciting times indeed @Igglepigglesgrubbyblanket, my DC would be thrilled with a new park at the moment!!

I didn’t get outside today (wed) in the end. Was going to go to the shop but DH went instead as my anxiety had built up too much by then

I get anxious, too. I won't walk the park routes alone, I stick to pavements. Odd.

I'm struggling at the moment with brain power. It's possible I'm over tired from my 5K. I certainly won't be increasing it for a while! I do hope my brain recovers soon. It's hard being a bear of little brain!

Sorry to hear about your anxiety @SingToTheSky it can be absolutely crippling can't it? In the past I've found that having very small goals helped.
The new park was indeed exciting! It was pouring down but we stayed and played on the swings for a while.

I know people worry about the impact of all this on D.C. I'm not convinced it's all bad, though. It feels a bit more like the old days, when you had to find your own fun and endure boredom!

I didn't do Tai Chi today- was out and about, did a shop (the first since Christmas), collected a prescription, and emptied my old office. That's enough excitement for me!

Very low exercise for me today. My period is bad and I've only been on a short walk.

My main worry for my own kids is regarding socialisation and exercise. I agree re getting used to boredom though.
Generally, I think the issue will be exacerbation of existing inequalities... But that's not about exercise! How is everyone doing today? Hope you are ok @SingToTheSky

I have spent most of the day in bed crying 😳 I’m going to ring the doctor tomorrow.

Youngest back at nursery on Monday so I’m hoping that might help get us back into routine a bit more and it’ll force me up and out of the house each morning although the thought of doing that fills me with horror currently

@picklemewalnuts I removed all technology from my DC today as they were squabbling relentlessly and I was fed up of them being so ungrateful. They got one TV programme in the afternoon and that was it. Reminded me of my childhood when we looked forward to kids TV coming on at 3.45pm, with extra excitement if it was a Grange Hill day

I think the exercise wouldn't be so bad for us @Igglepigglesgrubbyblanket if we lived somewhere with more interesting walking routes, maybe near some woods or a common or a beach... but no. For any of those I have to drive, which of course we're not supposed to. I'm going insane with boredom though, will probably take the DC somewhere at the weekend where they can ride their bikes more easily. The socialisation is the main issue for us; they're missing friends and turning feral the longer they're cooped up together

Really sorry to hear that you've had a bad day @SingToTheSky. I hope the GP can help you and that the routine of the nursery run is useful too. Sending

Oh dear Sing, that doesnt sound good! I'll echo Clara!

Try not to worry- it doesnt actually achieve anything. Beating ourselves up about how things are takes energy we need for other things.

It's not about trying, or doing better today than yesterday, it's about doing what we can and then stopping. And that goes for both exercise and kids!

I've learned after a lifetime of 'shoulds' that sometimes you have to wait until you can/want to do things.

for a better day today, everyone.

Thank you both ❤️ I am feeling a little more positive today having phoned the GP and left a message with the psychiatrist, I have a tentative plan for meds but need to get it checked out etc.

Decided to join DH on his walk with 3yo, just so I had some company, I think I would’ve stayed home otherwise. Didn’t walk far or fast, still shattered 😳

I hope you had some response from your GP and psychiatrist @SingToTheSky? I keep hearing those radio adverts for the NHS saying how much they're supporting people's mental health, but I don't know how true it is in practice

Here I'm just... fed up. At least we had a nice day today, took the DC to the park this morning and for a walk this afternoon. DP claimed that he couldn't come with us this morning as he was too busy doing jobs round the house, then promptly spent his time chatting to the neighbour instead he did come out with us this afternoon but even a very short walk is enough to exhaust him at the moment!

Thank you for the @picklemewalnuts. It feels here like lockdown's been going on for years and years and there's still no way out; I keep trying to make plans but it just seems hopeless, until we have an actual date for the DC returning to school! On the bright side I did 11K steps today which is my highest total for ages

Thank you clara the GP is bringing it up at a team meeting where a psychiatrist is also going so by the end of next week I should know. But the anxiety hasn’t been so awful today, and last night I managed to fill in a form for a voluntary role so I think I’m kind of over the worst bit?

Anyway I managed to have a longer walk today - again not fast (the disadvantage of Pokémon go is that I stop a lot to catch them 😂) but I walked a bit more than usual and spent longer in the fresh air so that’s an improvement.

Well done on the steps! That’s annoying about DP though. I feel the same about the plans. I’m on tenterhooks waiting for Monday’s announcement. I’m glad nursery is opening again on Monday (they had a case so were shut virtually the whole month so far).

Wow that's fab, Clara! I've had two really slow days. I think my Fibro is playing up. I've been trying to stay calm and relaxed, but my mum is excellent at sabotaging that! Never mind.

Tomorrow is a new day, fresh air, roast chicken, and helping DS make his gingerbread house kit left over from Christmas.

Hope you enjoyed your Sunday @picklemewalnuts and that your DM didn't ruin your relaxation...!

Glad you enjoyed some fresh air @SingToTheSky. I'm so pleased the schools will be back on March 8th - the DC will be glad to see their friends and I can get my steps in again!! I did Joe Wicks this morning and took them on a 40 minute walk, but they don't walk that fast (or that far) so I'm still only on 8K!

Well, it didn't go as planned- DS1 spent 3 hours on the phone with mum, fixing her tech, so the gingerbread house didn't get made.

Hey ho. I had a couple of slow days trying to sort out my back and neck- I'm on ibuprofen now, hoping to settle it.

I'm back to my 5k now though as I don't think overdoing the exercise is the problem now, it's the stress or the changeable weather. So that's reassuring.

3 HOURS @picklemewalnuts

I'm hoping to get back to running once the DC are back at school; only going once a week just demoralises me that I'm rubbish every time! For now it's PE with Joe and very achey legs for me.

Still trying to up my steps from 8K a day though. Again, it's hard when I'm always accompanied by small whiny children

Nearly there now, Clara! School return is in sight...

My neck/shoulder is still painful. But I'm back on the 5k steps. It's not making it worse. It does make Tai chi hard though- it twinges and distracts me. You are supposed to really concentrate and get meditative, but that's hard when it hurts! I had a nice Epsom salt soak last night, which may have helped a little...

How often do you usually run, without the children?