Feet to the fire: Time to get moving again

I have now publicly committed to being a LifeWise of Washington ambassador with a promise to help model the way - with 29 other ambassadors, all at various fitness and activity levels - to a healthy lifestyle.

I stopped running for the most part in December of '09 when the temperatures hit freezing and I got too cold. And for whatever reason, I never got back into it with any consistency. I sit at my desk for work all day every day, and often go home at night and sit and do more computer-related tasks.

While I have made fitness a big part of my adult life, I've had a hard time getting going again. Up until last June, I was still going to the climbing gym (about twice a week), but other than the occasional walk, I wasn't doing much else between that December and spring, 2012.

So I got moving around Easter last year with Zumba, a little running, more walking and some Golden Gardens stairclimbing, only to end up on the sidelines by mid-summer with plantar fasciitis. Tight calves, hamstrings and hip flexors, as well as hips that could use more strength, all contributed. I've always stretched a lot when I'm exercising, but I really suck at it when I'm not. And I never developed a love affair with yoga. My lack of flexibility makes it frustrating and uncomfortable.

I think being part of this program will help get me back on track - keeping me focused on my goals and reminding me to at least do something. Even if that something is soaking and massaging my feet every night, and maybe just a few good stretches. Oh, and maybe a few pushups, a pull-up or two, and a little bit of core work. I can do this! Everything I do with a focus on healing will contribute to getting me back up and literally running again. Which is what I want. Really I do. So why is it so hard?

I am so ready for a physical outlet - I feel better physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually when I am moving, particularly when I'm outdoors. And I believe it absolutely when I say that we're really all we have, and we are our own health plans. Whether or not we have insurance. Sure, stuff can happen no matter what - I certainly don't mean to imply that it can't, but we at least have some control around managing our health, and I'd rather be proactive than just wait-and-see. My health isn't something I want to leave to chance.

So here's the blog post I wrote for LifeWise, which puts my intention out there for everyone to see.