lgbtseniors-care: 3/22/12 - Exercise - Physical + Reading tonight

The importance of exercise in our daily lives is so crucial, from a physical, spiritual, and emotional health perspective. LGBTQI folks are particularly at risk for preventable conditions, such as type two diabetes (can develop later in life but is not genetic), heart disease, blood pressure, depression and substance abuse issues. I grew up in London, England as a girl and Scotland as a teenager, and I used to watch a show on tv on the BBC called, "Music and Movement" in which we, as kids at our school, would be required to move our bodies in all kinds of positions to the annoying sound that the BBC educational authorities deemed to be "music"! Alas, it turns out, that Mother did in fact know best and this was a great way for us to release some of that excess energy, thereby increasing our sense of well-being, and, of course, happiness.
It turns out that Mother is still right, and, moving out bodies in any kind of way is good for the mind, body and soul. The Dali Llama agrees with this, and being a great fan, I am glad to have someone I look up to so much concur on this point.
Here are some suggestions on how to get started:
1. Choose a form of exercise that you actually like to do - this maybe something that you had not considered to be "exercise" e.g. country dancing, line dancing, walking up and down the stairs at work or home instead of taking the elevator, walking instead of driving or taking the bus to work or appointments, biking (including biking instead of using transportation), swimming, signing up for a class at the local gymn or senior center, getting a membership at a local gymn (e.g. YMCA has scholarships for low income folks), roller blading around Greenlake, and/or skiing. You get the idea - try something again that you haven't done for a while but enjoyed a lot when you were younger or maybe pick something new.
2. Timing is crucial - try to do something aerobic (where you raise our heartbeat and get out of breath) for at least twenty minutes at least three times per week. I am not a doctor so I encourage you to talk with your doctor or healthcare provider if you have specific concerns about this.
3. Schedule this in your diary or IT device and remember to stick to this plan. This will give you a sense of accomplishment and will also give you the chance to get into a rythmn of incorporating exercise into your daily routine without even thinking about it.
4. Sleep Hygiene - very interesting term, and, yet the idea is a great one, particularly when we are living in such a fast-paced, multi-tasking time. This term means basically going to bed early on a regular basis and getting up at the same time every day (not sleeping in on your days off as this throws off your sleep cycle), avoiding caffeine after a certain time of day (you can test this out to see what works for you), doing something relaxing before going to bed (e.g. taking a hot shower, meditating, reading, listening to music, drinking a herbal tea, getting a massage), avoiding a heavy meal or exercise before bed, and only reserving the bed for sleep and intimacy. Sleep hygiene is an important part of the exercise plan because they compliment each other so well.
5. Eat healthily - I know this is a tough one. As Mother used to say, "Eat your vegetables!" Try to think of it in terms of eating healthily and incorporating more healthy grains, fresh seasonable (preferably organic) vegetables and grains, non-meat protein, fish and nuts. Also, try using some interesting and new spices and fresh herbs that you haven't used before. For example, using organic herbs and spices really adds some zest to salads, soups and stews. Also, my Grandmother (born in London and lived through two world wars) used to say, "Waste not, want not" - try using the citrus fruit peel as a zest - either grate directly onto vegetables/salads or incorporate with dressings and sauces. I use lemon and lime juice as salad dressings - they have a lot of flavor with no fat. Sometimes I do not add a meat or fish as a protein to a salad but will use e.g. nuts, such as sunflower seeds.   When you get into the swing of things, you can give yourself a treat such as a small piece of organic chocolate or eat one of the one serving size containers of ice-cream that available in stores now.
6. Explore a higher power - without wishing to sound too new-agey or alienating those that are already connected to a particular religion/spirituality, it can be really valuable to give up the stress in your life to a higher power. This can mean different things to different people e.g. Christian God (which can be female or gender neutral for some), goddess, nature, Alah, or many other forms...
7. Connect with a class or exercise with a friend/partner/parent - Exercise can be a great social tool, particularly as our bodies are talking to us more (e.g. arthritis pain), especially now that spring is coming and we have such lovely places to walk around, in the city and outside the city.
Last, but not least, good luck!

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Great reading tonight - sorry for the late notice - you can find that she is reading at other locations by checking out the Seattle Times:

CHERYL STRAYED

Start: 03/22/2012 7:00 pm

Great anticipation is in the air for this visit by Portland writer Cheryl Strayed. The author of an award-winning novel, Torch, a few years ago, she is here now with Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail (Knopf), a captivating, inspiring memoir of her solo trek down the Pacific Coast Trail as a young woman—impulsively, as some form of response to immense calamity that had befallen her. "While reading Cheryl Strayed's stunning book about her arduous solo journey along the Pacific Crest Trail, I kept asking myself—what would I do if I were stripped of everything—money, job, community, even family and love? Thoreau once said, 'In wildness is the preservation of the world.' For Strayed, it is clear that in wildness was the preservation of her soul. She reminds us, in her lyrical and courageous memoir Wild, of what it means to be fully alive, even in the face of catastrophe, physical and psychic hardship and loss." – Mira Bartok. "This is a beautifully made, utterly realized book." – Pam Houston.