I realized there are two reasons -one of them is because of the obscene cost of any kind of health care, no matter how simple, even with insurance (which I don't consider even remotely useful - it's a just-in-case thing - we have yet to meet our deductible, ever). The other reason is because I take my good health for granted. I expect to be healthy. I mean, the main reason we never meet our deductible is because we don't need to go to the doctor very often. So maybe I shouldn't complain when I do. In fact, I think I should be downright grateful about it. And - I shouldn't take good health for granted. I mean, I do try to eat pretty healthfully most of the time and traditionally I have exercised regularly (I do sometimes go through sporadic bouts of laziness, but I always come back to exercising because frankly, I feel better and am happier when I do) but I'm going to add my good health to my gratitude list more often.
Speaking of good health, since I "retired," I realize that it is more important than ever to exercise every day, especially since I now spend so much time at my sewing machine. Being a teacher, I walked and was on my feet at least eight hours every day, and now I spend a lot more time sitting, and as I've mentioned before, sewing can be hazardous to one's health. I have packed on a few very unwelcome pounds in the last eight months, so in my dorkiness, I have come up with ways to counteract the perils of sitting. (Huh! Those office people with their walking machines and standing desks have nothing on me.) Here are a few of the sitting-related issues I've noticed and the stuff I am doing to counteract them.
First I noticed that I am losing muscle in my stomach from hunching forward which also, by the way, leads to a sore back and rounded shoulders, which I do not like at all. Besides doing some heinous pilates, I am trying to address this issue while I work as well. I make a conscious effort to sit up straight and hold my stomach in when I am sewing. I constantly roll my shoulders back, too. I even switch feet on the presser pedal because I figure that it works the lower abs just a little if I am holding them tightly and pressing on the pedal at the same time. Sometimes I crack myself up just a little, thinking I'm so EFFICIENT and PRESENT and all, doing these silly little things, but hey, it can't hurt, can it?
Second, I stand up whenever I can. There are a lot of opportunities to stand when quilting - one can spend hours cutting, for example. Or pulling fabrics for the next project, arranging pieces on the design wall, ironing...so that's great, but I try to find other ways to get off my duff, even for a few moments - if I need to pull stitches out, I stand up. If I cut something, I stand. If I need to look at a sketch, I stand. If the phone rings, or I need to check something on the internet, I stand. I don't know if it makes any difference, really, but I still do it
Third, I make sure that I get up every hour and do something active for at least 15 minutes, too. Everything counts, from doing laundry to watering the yard to getting dinner started. This has the added benefit of my actually getting some household chores done, too - I can still spend lots of time sewing and can eliminate any guilt I might possibly feel for ignoring what I admit I consider to be my responsibilities...killing two birds, you know.
I keep water by my side all day, too. Because water is important for so many reasons. I stretch and sometimes I even take a break and do some stupid little isometric exercises, just whenever I think about it.
These are the things I am trying to do to countermand my suddenly much more sedentary life, which I really am enjoying enormously (except for the poochy stomach, which I really believe I CAN conquer; I don't care if I am middle-aged - stomach fat is not a given, just a tendency).
In short, understanding how important it is to be active, I'm trying to fit activity in while still doing the things I really love and want to do. As nerdy as it may sound, I think it is making a difference. If anyone else has any ideas or tricks they do, please share - if it's not too insane, I'll probably be willing to try it. And I'll let you know when the pooch is gone.
WIP Report
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I finished my ode to Andy Goldsworthy triptych. I really love them, too. Right now they are hanging over my bed. I've been trying to come up with something for years! They are perfect for the spot, and Paul (hubby) loves them, too.
I also finished a summer project for my brother and his family - also three pieces, but very large (seven feet by twenty-four inches each) and designed specifically for their house. I am super pleased with them and luckily so is Katherine (sis-in-law). I will take a photo as soon as she gets them installed.
I started a project yesterday that I am so into, I only have eight more pieces to make (out of twenty) that's how motivated I am. It's not my original design idea, I got it from The Quilting Edge, my favorite blog. It kind of reminds me of Chagall's circle painting but I have these gorgeous earthy fabrics and I thought the design would work well. Not an easy sew, however; much cursing and bringing myself back to presence throughout the day occured. It's going to be worth it though, I think...Next time, however, I am going to use a different technique - this one was not fun enough to repeat. Still, I can see many different iterations on the theme - I just want to find a less annoying (to me, anyway) way to do it!
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