+10000 steps a week

Yes, I know the idea is to walk a total of 10000 steps a DAY, but I am only counting the ones that are deliberately walk related. Since Sunday I have done 4280 additional steps, and that isn't even counting our Borders trip last night. Not bad for a start, but WOW am I out of shape. Between being pretty much housebound all winter, having a miscarriage in May, and then having my usually very active job fall through this summer, I haven't done much, and it *shows*.

I am wanting to be in better shape for pregnancy and childbirth, so I've started trying to rebuild strength and stamina - deep knee bends and getting out each day help! I even went by a Curves today, but a) the lady was really bitchy, b) I don't think that I could get up and down from a chair every thirty seconds for half an hour, let alone do anything in between, and c) did I mention that the lady was a bitch? I'm thinking that if I need to do something more formal, I'd be better off at a rehab gym. A longer drive, but adaptable to where my body is that day, and with staff that might actually know something about fibromyalgia and exercise during pregnancy. Meanwhile, I'm going to see if I can borrow my Mom's exercise bike again. I crank the resistance down *really* low and just go for movement, but it helps tons anyway.

Aside from my outings though, I haven't been spending much time in the studio - my abdomen is just too sore (hopefully implantation cramping!) to sit up for long - my computer time and bits of sewing and ironing here and there is about all I am managing this week.

And even if this week is sort of a bust in the studio, and even if I am in the worst shape of my life (I've been laid up worse, but not for so darned long before - basically since October 2004), I HAVE gotten lots accomplished on a personal level - my artistic work has made huge leaps and jumps out of bounds, and I have been doing lots of much-needed psychological processing. Not at all a wasted summer.

That said, my plans for fall are much more frugal - be/get pregnant, work on getting my house, my head and my body in shape, and hopefully do more art and teaching on the way. I'm happy with the progress that has been made so far, but there is always room for improvement!

BTW - I am spending the weekend in Western Mass with family, so I'll have lots of gorgeous pictures to share next week. Promise. Mea culpa that I forgot to take my camera to the lake for our walk today. Sorry!