- Complete the Integral Assessment discussed in chapter 11 (p.115).
- Describe the exercise and assessment process. What did you discover about yourself? What area have you chosen to be a focus of growth and development? Why? What are some specific exercises or activities that you can implement to foster greater wellness in this area?
The exercise asks us to relax and ask ourselves what aspect of out life is a source of difficulty and suffering..( options are psychospiritual, biological,interpersonal, or worldly").Then were to focus on that one area and , in the most basic sense , what can be done to improve this area..
If I'm honest, there isn't really one of the four that pop out as a focal source of great suffering or difficulty. , but there are things within all four, to varying degrees that I feel can be improved upon..
Choosing one, I went with biological as I am wanting to loose weight, and gain a sense of better physical health , or basically get in better shape. I don't want to end up like my dad, with so many health issues he's basically home bound as a senior and is quite dependent on people for anything mobility related.. he suffers from hypertension and cystic kidney disease as well..
I discovered that while I have a certain amount of motivation to get fit.. I certainly can improve,, the habits learned in my parents' home are hard to break.. and sometimes its hard to make myself get to it and move!.. I wont' go into diet this week, as like I said , travel kind of screws up this whole diet thing.. I don't usually eat out this much but as I am in a hotel right now, choices are a bit limited.. and the convention provides free meals that I will take advantage of ( cheaper than going out and time restraints apply as well) The one thing I did plan ahead for was I am in a hotel that is about 1/2 a mile away,.. so I have to walk to the lectures and back as well.. and then there is the river walk.. have done that as a full loop once already.
Obviously , more exercise and less calorie dense food is the way to go.. common sense changes and creating new , healthier habits for long term for better health and mobility when I get older.. ( I already have a few things in my favor, as my blood pressure at 43 is perfect, I have a job that is not sedentary , although not a great source of exercise, I am standing or walking for most of the time.. and my mind is also engaged, so bonus for my brain to keep learning ) I am going to the gym more often and varying my workouts for fun and function.. I do have bone spurs on my knees, so I have pain when I kneel or bend my knees too sharply.. so I am doing concentrated exercise to strengthen the areas around that joint to stabilize. Mentally, I know that everything I do is beneficial, but sometimes, especially when my knees hurt, or I'd rather read...I have a hard time convincing myself that I should get to it.. I remind myself how much better I feel afterwards, and , about 85-90 % of the time, that works.... the other 10-15%, I feel guilty about ( unless I am reading for a purpose other than fun)...
Again, this week is not an ideal example, as it's hard to feel motivated in lecture of this type.. mentally stimulated, yes.. wanting to circuit train, not so much.. I am very glad, that today was nice a breezy here in San Antonio, or that river walk would have been the short circuit:Today I did the 4.2 mile downtown route-).. Yesterday was 99 degrees and I was done in after less then 3/4 mile... ugh.. just to the convention center, back and then to dinner and back.. ( Bella on the River is highly recommended by the way.. expensive but all homemade pasta, marinara sauce and amazing house salad.. my big splurge for the trip:-))
Andi
Hi Andi,
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean I have tried to do some of our exercises while camping and while my family was making too much noise. It is very hard to concentrate. You definitely need to be able to have a quiet area to do them. I think everyone has room for improvement and lord knows I can use a lot. Sorry about your dad that has to be tough. I agree with you I wouldn’t want that either for me or my family. I need to get in shape also, for a skinny person I am so out of shape and unhealthy, a lot of mine is due to the chronic stress in my life and hereditary. People think because someone isn’t overweight that their healthy, not the case. I have high cholesterol and I’m borderline diabetic, I have quite a few more health issues. My best friend was told she was morbidly obese. I have watched her struggle to lose weight and she doesn’t over eat, she actually runs the zumba program at the local church. But besides being overweight, she’s healthier than I am. I hate how people label other people because of the way they look. I always feel better when I work out it’s just doing it that’s my problem.
Good Luck to you, Nicki
Hello Andi,
ReplyDeleteThat is great that you are away at an amazing place. I think that you state a wonderful point and that is that there are for a lot of us more than one area that one would like to focus on not just one. But I am sure there is one that we all can say ok that is the area that I am going to view and what could be done. For me it was worldly. I would like to sharpen up on and strengthen my social relationships with others so I can help them the best way that I know how (not just through my knowledge from school but my passion about health).
I think that it is great that you are taking a step into the right direction by getting active. I run on the treadmill all the time (which might not be the best for sore knees but I do not know, each person is different) but I also love to read. I love to read to the point that I have a hard time putting a book down. SO I made myself some rules about reading; the number one rule which gets my on the treadmill every day is I can use my tablet and run and read at the same time (with large print of course). I love it because I get to do both and feel fantastic when I am done.
I was thinking about your comment about diet and I wanted to say that diet is ones way of life that he or she chooses. But within that diet I feel that it is ok and important to allow yourself times to eat something that you enjoy. If you can't eat what you enjoy sometimes then that just leaves one so frustrated and back to square one (that is what I have notice in the past with patients). I think that it is very important to stress to patients that diet is a way a life and when you change your diet to satisfy you in a way that is healthy and fuels the mind and body your whole perspective will change. But like I said it is ok to let yourself go once in a while and enjoy a piece of pie because we only get to go around this world once but in that same sense we need to watch what we do because there is only on shot that one gets to make the trip.
Good luck to you,
Melissa