Hello High Heelers,
I’ve been the ultimate social butterfly lately. It’s been loads of fun for the psyche, but less so for the physicality. So after about three weeks of epic gluttony and virtual inactivity, I thought it would be wise to get back into action before I lose my fitness and turn into a generously well-rounded individual. It’s really scary how quickly those extra little pounds can climb on when you’re looking the other way (usually towards another restaurant with cream donut in paw and cheese soufflé in tummy). I’m not there, but it’s coming! Maintaining your wellbeing is a long-term commitment. It’s a promise we make to ourselves – for better or for worse, in sickness and in health. Because we have this one body till death do us part. And if we’re bad to our bodies, that parting may be a little sooner than we’d like.
So, on Saturday morning I hit the treadmill with vengeance. That treadmill was mine. I owned it. No matter how much my legs turned to jelly, I kept going. Even though my silly asthma was having none of the superhero behaviour on unfit lungs, I pushed through. My chest seized up and had me wheezing like a terminally ill patient. I kept going. I was puffing on my asthma pump sounding like I was dying, because technically, I was. Good health is necessary. Because bad health can be deadly. I’m an asthmatic, who’s had some really epic emergency runs, one involving being carried into a hospital trauma unit by my ex-boss (very embarrassing moment, I might add) – so, I know from first-hand experience.
On Sunday, even though I should have been recovering from prior stupidity, the sun was out in Jozi, the weather was sweet, it made me want to move, my running feet. Tired of being a hamster on a treadmill, I took to the road with two of my besties in tow. Well, to be fair, they were towing me. After a good few (like 2!) minutes of running my brain said “go, go, go” and my asthma and legs said “hell no.” And that was the end of that. It was a lovely walk in the sunshine. A leisurely but extended one that didn’t result in any form of glowing (as you know – girls glow, boys sweat). Then back us tweeting birds went for breaky. Though the egg stayed on the plates, not on my face – at least I’m back on track and that counts for something. After weeks of breaking promises to myself (for which I’ve had excellent excuses, obviously) I was true to me personal word and hit it.
Now there are two things about all this that are important to note. Number one – when you’ve reached a good level of fitness, hang onto it and nurture it. It takes time to get there and it’s really quick to lose (it takes about 3 weeks to reach the place where you start again.) Really, like everything in life, consistent commitment is the only way – on the good days, and most vitally, on the bad ones. Number two – be kind to your body. You only have one and it is amazingly kind to you. It pumps blood around your body all day and keeps you breathing. If your physiological processes decided to take a couch day, you’d literally be permanently couched. And we do such awful things to ourselves. We over indulge in rich foods, we drink too much too often, we run out of time to exercise and we spend lifetimes in front of laptops and TVs in the seated position. Some of us smoke, many of us take medications that are difficult for us to filter. Our commitment to our health is one of the most-lasting and beneficial commitments we can make.
Like in any good union, we fall from time to time. Getting back up is what counts – and most importantly, getting back up when it’s salvageable. Today I renew my vows to myself for the hundredth time, and I’m sure there will be more times ahead. The benefits are enormous. If you do it, you will reap the rewards. Your body will be faithful, it will keep you happy and it will be kind, for the most part (granted there are some really unfair ill exceptions).
High Heelers, today, just say ‘I do’ to you. Then do as Nike says and ‘just do it.’ Get on track. You’ll love yourself for it.
Have a wonderful week.
Yours in heels,
Jo
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