No, I’ve not moved, I’ve just managed to get moving again.

I had to stop exercising when I was laid low by the dreaded porcine lurgy. It is very dangerous to exercise when you have a virus, as it puts too great a load on the heart.

I had been very good up to that point. I’m not able to do a great deal when it comes to physical activity as the MS tends to jump up and bite me at inopportune moments – like my legs failing somewhere away from home if I go walking, just as a f’rinstance.

One thing I have always done is light handweights and I am quite muscular in my upper body, though not bulky. This has caused me insurmountable grief when shopping for clothes in the USA as it appears that American women don’t have biceps. Of any kind. Apparently. I have to buy shirts several sizes larger than I need, just to get them to fit around my arms. Sigh.

Anyway, I couldn’t bring my weights with me – can you imagine the excess luggage costs? – and I needed to do something before I turned to flab. So, I used the old noggin and went to Walmart. There was no way I was spending money on weights while I was here, so I bought two 1.2 litre drink flasks with handles on them instead.

My makeshift handweights.

One litre of water weighs one kilogram. So, I started off doing my routine with 500ml and worked my way up as I got back into form. The bottles are a little bulky, but I can hold them by the handles and they cost me $1.40 each. I’d just gotten to the two sets of reps stage when I got sick.

So, I started again yesterday with only one set – it almost killed me. I couldn’t believe how hard it was! Man!! No ill effects today though.

I have been wanting to do some more aerobic-type exercise. The treatment for an MS attack is large quantities of IV corticosteroids, which cause the body to retain fluid and create abdominal fat; both of which are incredibly hard to shift and cumulative. I’m thoroughly sick of both of them and want to get something resembling my own body back.

At home I have a stationary bicycle, but I’m unwilling to pay to join a gym here to use one of theirs. I considered going walking around the neighbourhood, but the fear of getting away from the hotel and being unable to get back is a major deterrent. The heat outside would cut my ability to move short and I wouldn’t be able to get any sort of speed up without running the risk of the legs not obeying instructions at the next step. That also puts my dignity at risk, and is terribly unattractive as an option.

However, the less you move, the harder it becomes to move. So, I had started setting a timer for 10 mins and just walking on the spot in my hotel room for 10 minutes at a time. I fold up the coverlet from the bed (which I never use, as it is far too hot) and walk on it. It cushions my steps, so I don’t get shin splints and means my downstairs neighbours don’t get disturbed.

When I was at Borders last week, I picked up a copy of the Prevention Guide, Walking Fit. It advertised walking fitness plans inside and that grabbed my attention. It was/is an absolute treasure trove of info and I was all fired up to get going after reading it.

The interval workouts seemed to be the most effective and involved walking at different speeds for different periods of time. The problem was that I had no idea how fast I was going at any time!

Then I saw an article on songs with the right beats per minute for different speeds and started toward my computer and iTunes… then something else caught my eye. Instead of listening to the same tunes all the time, someone called Podrunner had put together podcasts to fit the different walking plans; available through iTunes or their own site.

Hmmm. Went to the site, downloaded the tunes, like them very much. I quite like techno and electronic music, so these mixes are right up my street and I won’t get bored hearing the same music each time. I also don’t need to think about what order I should do things in or any other technical stuff. The music is slow, I walk slowly; the music is fast, I walk faster. Bewdy.

And if I get too hot, I’m near the airconditioning – if my legs fail, I’ve got a bed to fall onto nearby. So, I’ve got a plan and a pleasant listening experience to look forward to.

I did the first “walk” out today and it pushed me, but not too hard and I now feel like I have achieved something. It’s a 10 week programme, so we’ll see how far I get, but I’m feeling positive and (ahem) upbeat about it all!

Now, though, it’s back to work on the novel.

ttfn,

S.