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Category Archives: fitness

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30 Monday Sep 2024

Posted by azahar in casa azahar, fitness, health, health & happiness, home

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

change, happiness, health, sevilla

5 kilos

I am happy to report that I am leaving the month of September carrying 5 fewer kilos than when it started. It’s more impressive (to me) if I think about it as no longer lugging around this 5 kg sack of potatoes (just over two Morcillas doesn’t have the same impact). I know it’s still tip of the iceberg and also that I’ve been here before, many times, but let’s see if it sticks this time.

If what sticks, you ask? Well that’s what I’m not sure about. I mean, I got a bit of a “head start” when I got sick a few weeks ago and could barely eat anything for a week. Then when I was getting back to feeling normalish I just tried eating a bit differently, at different times. And of course keeping up with my chair workouts, as well as trying to get out for a daily hobble (my god I miss walking!). The good thing is that this new “whatever it is” hasn’t actually changed how I live. I can still go out to my tapas bars, enjoy meals out and Beer O’clock, have fun cooking at home etc, which I think is going to help make it sustainable because this isn’t a DIET, more a bit of a lifestyle tweak, if that makes sense.

Anyhow, it’s also a learning process as I figure out what feels best. Weight loss is just a part of the changes being made, and losing 5 kilos a month is maybe a bit too optimistic, but I’ll check in again at the end of October and let you know how it’s all going. Maybe by then I’ll know what I’m doing!

too much pain

23 Friday Feb 2024

Posted by azahar in fitness, health, health & happiness, knee saga, knees

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

health, knees

knee pain

So I’m pretty much desperate now. I’ve had KNEES for the past few years, meaning that I became physically aware that they existed rather than previously when they just functioned without making their presence known. But it was only last year May-June when I started having serious knee pain. So I got it checked out, got x-rays and an MRI in September (on the left knee, though by then it was the right knee that was giving me more grief). In fact I ended up at emergency when the pain got so bad it scared me. Doc just said I should stay off it and prescribed pain meds, including Nolotil which is BANNED IN 20 COUNTRIES as one of its many nasty side effects is DEATH. Needless to say I eschewed the drugs.

I haven’t gone back to my GP about the MRI results because when I tried a phone appointment a few months ago she was on holiday and I got her replacement who just told me to take painkillers and ride a stationary bike. The fuck? For what it’s worth I’ve set up another phone appointment for next week to see if she has anything more helpful to say. Like, I should probably be seeing an orthopaedic specialist at this point, plus I think the right knee also needs an MRI. And then, you know, maybe some helpful advice?

Meanwhile, I can barely walk anymore. It’s shocking to me how things went from “gee my knees kinda hurt” less than a year ago to screaming pain whenever I have to get up from a seated position (once I get moving it eases up a bit, but only a bit). Needless to say this affects my job which involves a lot of walking. But it has also affected my life in general because walking is what I do! I’m always out and about, getting my steps in, just being out there. Now it takes all my effort to put myself through the pain it takes to just walk a few blocks. It’s exhausting. I’m exhausted.

sunday indoor race

15 Wednesday Apr 2020

Posted by azahar in coronavirus, fitness, home

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

coronavirus, covid-19, sevilla

Well, it’ll be something different to do on Sunday! An indoor race (both running and walking are permitted) whereby people count steps on their devices and send in screen shots of the final number on their Instagram accounts with the hashtag #EdpEchaUnCable. Then power company EDP will donate money to the Red Cross, based on the number of steps calculated…

Yeah I know, they could just donate the money (I mean, why not?) but I think it’s not a bad thing to promote something like this, get people involved, and get them moving.

So I’ll be up early(ish) on Sunday with my iphone in my pocket and will walking all around my apartment, up on the roof, maybe even up and down the stairs. You could join in too.  🙂

hump day

29 Wednesday Jan 2020

Posted by azahar in fitness, health & happiness

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

dowagers hump, health

A couple of years ago (or more?) I noticed that I “suddenly” had a hideous hump on my back. Well, between my neck and shoulder blades. At first I thought it was what’s known as a Buffalo Hump, which is usually caused by (amongst other things) being overweight. Then I heard about Dowager’s Hump, which looks similar but is basically caused by bad posture that leaves one with a curvature of the spine at shoulder level.

So I got online and also checked with the amazing @sledpress, and now I have a few stretch & strength exercises I can do at home. I’m also watching my posture when I sit in front of the computer. But the most challenging thing I’ve tried so far is simply walking (my almost-daily 10,000 steps) with shoulders and chin held straight. And OMG it’s hard. To consciously stay erect, no slouching, while walking. I had no idea I was so slouchy. Anyhow, this gives me over an hour of holding myself up properly and so perhaps I will see some improvements – hunchwise – soon.

Happy Wednesday (AKA Hump Day)

sunday song – I’m walkin

07 Sunday May 2017

Posted by azahar in fitness, health & happiness, music, sunday song, video

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

I'm walkin, sunday song

Yep, I’m walkin these days. Morning “power walk” routes, which take me over my daily Fitbit goal of 10,000 steps. So… yay!

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