mind and body....

Life has been a little on the quiet side lately - a very nice thing indeed. Around the holidays people tend to get really busy, especially with so many family things going on. Some years I've had trouble with this being a lonely time of year for people like me that don't have all that stuff going on. I'd miss my family and friends that are no longer around and basically get pretty bummed. This year I decided on a different approach. I've spent more time doing things to help myself and less time thinking. I went shopping and bought myself some new clothes with a totally different look than usual. I've been logging on to pogo more often and playing more games that make me think and react. I've been playing wii fit more often - especially the aerobics to keep my heart rate up for a half hour at a time. I'm spending more time at home and less time going out. Some would say that isn't really such a good thing but I see it as a healthy break. After the first of the year when things start going back to normal, I'll probably start going out more again. Although I may not - I really don't like the cold at all and sometimes I just really hate going out in it any more than I just have to. What I've come to realize is going out isn't really the important thing - being more active physically and mentally is.
Through my teenage years I was active in sports and I would spend a lot of time playing various card games with my Mom. We got into a routine of playing every day for at least a while. Those are some of the memories I treasure most, just her and I sitting, playing, laughing and talking the afternoon away. I was thinking of that the other day - it bothers me that it seems to me that my brain moves slower than it used to. It also bothers me that my body doesn't respond as easily to activity as it used to. then it dawned on me that the brain functions much like a muscle - the more you use it, the better and more efficient it works. Hmmm... I haven't been challenging my brain any more than I have been my body. I can either feel bad about how I used to be or I can step up and start doing something about it. I decided to start doing something about it.
I'm not big on new years resolutions. Culturally we have a mind set that they are discarded in relatively short order and we all laugh and sympathize with each other about our lack of will power. So this isn't a new years resolution, it isn't a resolution at all. It's just a choice to start focusing on myself and committing to start making myself better than I am right now. I know they say you need solid goals but I'm not at the point that I want to do that. Right now the goal is to start working my mind and body more regularly and accept whatever the outcome of that is. I don't feel I must lose 20 pounds - although honestly I'd really like to. I just need to be more healthy no matter what weight and shape it makes me. It's much more about how I feel rather than how I look. To me this was a huge bright light bulb when I realized that is what my priority should be - and now it will be going forward.
BTW, on the wii fit tonight, my wii fit age was 36 which made me feel pretty good since I'm 41. Now I just wish they would make a balance board game that has a lot of the step and rhythm boxing type things on them. I'm having a lot of fun with those but there aren't a whole lot of varieties of them. I'm considering getting something like dance dance revolution even though it is on a flat pad rather than using the step. I think that will help keep my activity level up and provide new challenges. Still - wii games designers - more step and rhythm boxing please!!!!!