Tag: water therapy

Reframing My Goals

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I made it to water aerobics on Tuesday and even though I knew I was going to really feel that workout, I went home with a pleasant feeling of tiredness that I really kind of enjoyed. I could tell I had exercised, but I wasn’t so tired and sore that I regretted it. It was like my muscles were saying “Oh, that’s right – THIS is what we’re meant to do!” Thanks to that and a nice hot soak in an epsom salt bath, I’m really looking forward to doing it again tomorrow!

This evening I had a massage – a self-care item that I have not been doing often enough – and it was obvious to me and to my therapist that even after just two water aerobics sessions, my muscles were less tight than they were before. I know part of that is because I’m actually using them instead of just sitting at my desk or on the couch. Or even just walking (which I’m trying to do more of, as well). And it feels good. My shoulder that had been stiff and sore feels so much better, I’m sleeping a little better, and I’m excited about the changes. I’ve already signed up for 8 classes in June.

All of this has led me to reframe my health goals. I am trying to lose weight, and have been off an on for years (haven’t we all?), and so far I have fallen short pretty much every time.

So this time I’m going to focus instead on a goal of “attending all my water aerobics classes” instead of giving in to the desire to slack off and skip one… or two… or five… or all of them. My goal is to build a twice-weekly habit of getting off my rump and getting into the pool. It’s not scary, it’s not burdensome, it’s not even that far away. It’s just making the commitment to do it.

Waxing and Waning

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This week is the waxing moon, which symbolically is representative of setting intentions, reaching goals, and increasing energy. I’ve never really done a lot of work with regards to moon phases, aside from full and new, because so many of my intentions are about things decreasing – my weight, my stress level, stuff like that. And it always seemed counterintuitive to me to focus on losing during a waxing moon. Of course by the time the waning moon rolled around I had forgotten my good intentions from a couple of weeks before, and then suddenly it’s the new moon and I’m back in the cycle again.

So this time I’m trying something new. I am trying to visualize my goals as things I want to increase instead of decrease and setting my intentions that way. Things like “increase the time I spend meditating” (instead of “reducing my stress”) and “increase the number of bubbles filled in on my goal chart” (each bubble represents a pound of weight lost). Things I can visualize as growth instead of loss.

I have also become enamored of the idea of getting a hybrid kayak/stand up paddleboard (SUP). I love kayaking, but the logistics of hauling and storage have meant that I’ve been relying on renting for the past several years. It is a lot easier, but it means I’m working on someone else’s schedule and I’m ready to strike out on my own… I think. I have a tendency to get really excited about really expensive hobbies and then end up with a lot of really pricey stuff that I never use, so I am trying to temper my enthusiasm with realism this time around. I have my eye on an inflatable SUP with a kayak seat attachment, meaning that as I work on my balance and core to SUP, I can also enjoy it as a kayak. I find time on the water extremely relaxing, and it can also be a workout. Both of which are positive steps towards my intentions, so that’s a good thing.

Wait… did I just talk myself into a kayak/SUP?