There are many ways to measure one’s health and I’d like to use all of them. There’s the general emotional and mental health and that’s one I’ve got a sharp eye on since I can easily fall into a deep depression. I’ll know how I’m doing on that front based on my ability and willingness to actually do anything!
As far as physical health, there are a few different ways. Every time I walk up a flight of stairs I’m out of breath, so if I get to a point where I am breathing normally, I know that I’ve likely increased my cardio health. There’s my clothing and how it fits. That’s everything from shirts and pants down to underwear. I’m busting out of all of it and would like it all to fit a bit better. There’s my overall pain and discomfort level. I tend to wake up with general achiness everywhere, mostly due to inactivity and stiff muscles. If I can sit, stand, move and wake up without feeling like I’m 85 years old that will be a good sign that I’m moving in the right direction.
I plan to use all of those previous measurements to determine if I’m heading in the right direction or not but it’s also good to use something that can be numerically measured in conjunction with the non-quantifiable determinants. So I’ve decided to share some numbers from today and report back now and then on how they are moving – hopefully in the right direction and not the wrong one!
Here’s the baseline that I’m starting from.
Weight = 155 lbs (I am using my old-style dial home scale. Doctor’s offices with more sophisticated scales have me at a higher number, but as long as I use the same scale the changes should be accurate)
Waist measurement = 32” (This was taken at my natural waist, which is the most narrow part and sits above the belly button.)
Hips = 43.75” (Taken at the widest part and viewed in a mirror so that I could determine that the tape measure was level all the way around.)
Thigh circumference = 26” (Right leg, taken at the biggest section which on me is at the upper-most part of my thigh.)
Regular push-ups = 6 (There are many different types of push-ups, for this measurement, which I’m using as a measurement of upper body strength, I kept my body straight, touching the floor with my toes and hands and lowered myself about 50%-60% of the way down to the floor. Any further to the floor and I wouldn’t have been able to push myself up at all! So as I increase my strength, I’ll use this same form.)
I haven’t taken note of some of those measurements for a while and they are a bit sobering! I’m hoping that by sharing this information via posts that it will be some type of motivation for me to keep going.
It’s important to know where I’m starting but also it’s a helpful for me to take stock of the tools at my disposal and remind myself that they can be useful in this quest! So here is a list of things I already have in my possession.
- A gym membership. I signed up at a gym near my work last winter. The limitation on this now is that I no longer work there and the gym is a 20-30 minute drive from my house and I am not someone who typically makes a specific trip just to go to the gym as I feel it’s a waste of gas. However, I do have some appointments and errands that will take me to the general vicinity of the gym and I have been making attempts to incorporate a gym stop when possible.
- Books and DVDs. I am so out of shape that I’m starting at the bottom. On top of that, I really hate intense workouts, so much in fact that if I have to ever do one, I’m less likely to continue with my fitness routine. Thanks to the general stiffness of my muscles, I will incorporate a stretching routine as part of the rotation. The DVDs in the photo are not super intense, but I know that they will be hard for me as I start out (again!).
- Home fitness equipment. I have a few lightweight dumbbells (less than 10 lbs), an exercise ball, various stretchy / resistance bands, and an ab roller (which must be used very carefully in order to protect the back).
- Bicycle. I placed my regular outdoor bicycle on a stationary trainer which was a Christmas gift a few years ago. It allows me to use it in the winter and I have it set up in the basement.
- Multi-level house. I have a basement, first floor and second floor. This means there are two flights of stairs that are at my disposal. I tend to go up and down them quite a bit in the course of my day, but they could also be used in a fitness routine. However, I have doctor’s instructions to be careful with my knees. For me, squats and lunges won’t be a part of my routine, they will only exacerbate the knee issues. Stairs can do the same thing.
- Cookbooks with nutritional information. As I’ve noted, food is my drug. I don’t like to cook and therefore tend to reach for a lot of high calorie snack foods throughout the day. This has been way out of control since I lost my job 6 weeks ago and now work part-time from home – perhaps way too close to the kitchen! The cookbooks have serving size and nutritional information so I can make a few items and be better informed as to how many calories I’m eating!
- Fitbit. I have a Fitbit One. That’s right, despite my dislike for general fitness, I was one of the earlier adopters of the Fitbit. They haven’t made the One model for years and I usually let it sit on my dresser for months at a time. However, having a Fitbit does come with their website trackers so if I want, I can log in my food intake and exercise. I’m charging it back up as I write and will use it to see how sedentary I’ve actually become the last couple of months!
I’m not going to trap myself into unattainable, lofty goals at this point. I am going to try to write a couple of times a month on how I’m progressing as a way to make myself actually do something during each week. I am also going to try to take my measurements once every two weeks. I’ve found that any more frequent and it becomes obsessive and less than that is relatively unaccountable. It might seem silly to many to start working on this during the holiday season, but putting off something like this is way too easy to do, and I don’t have a lot of holiday parties or snacks that interfere with my regular day anyway. Basically – no time like the present!
