Another Goal for 2009

It's that time of year when many folks turn to thoughts of self improvement, usually in the form of exercise or losing a few pounds. And that includes me. I recently lost about 17 pounds and I need to keep it off so....

I've been fairly active for the past few years with regular biking, then taking up hiking as well. The lack of enough daylight hours and the overabundance of iffy weather makes the biking and hiking difficult to achieve, except for the weekends, which, of late, have been filled with work or family related activities. So that leaves indoor exercise.

Yech.

I don't like to exercise. There. I've said it aloud, or at least on the internet. My attempts at going to the gym last for a short time and then I'm outta there. Swimming would be fun except that I seem to be susceptible to any number of microscopic organisms that seem to thrive in a chlorinated environment and on the floors of the change rooms. I had taken to wearing those little surfer bootie thingies when I went to the pool, but those don't really offer much protection. I may give the pool another chance in the new year, but don't hold your breath.
So what to do?

When I was a kid, I remember my folks doing an exercise program at home. It was designed by the Royal Canadian Air Force and can be completed in just 12 minutes a day. It greatly improves flexibility and aids in weight loss. There are two different programs, one for women and one for men and they are available online absolutely free of charge to download. Years ago, I bought a copy of the program (in the days before this here interweeb thing) and dug it out of the bookcase the other day. After taking another look at it, I realized my biggest problem with it was the format of the exercise charts. I need a spreadsheet made up. I'm sure it would be faster if I just physically drew up a chart that indicated the exercises and number of times I'm supposed to do them, but there's a young gal at work (filling in for an admin assistant) who is working on a spreadsheet for me. And that will be one of my attempts to stay nimble and ready for biking and hiking in better weather. 12 minutes a day? I can do that easily. And as soon as I have a spreadsheet done I'll post it.

I also have a yoga DVD (I can hear Denver Refashionista cheering) that I hope to get into soon.

After having been to 4 exhibition basketball games in the past 4 days I have an additional goal for 2009. I want to be able to touch the bottom of my feet with my hands while keeping my legs straight. The ball players all do it while warming up before the game so I have been inspired to do the same. 25 years ago after taking an aerobics class for two months I was able to touch the bottom of my feet. I want to be able to do that again. For some reason The Rubberband Man by The Spinners is running through my head....

S.