I’ve mentioned before that I find it a lot easier to motivate myself to exercise if I have some end goal in mind. This summer that goal with first the Avon Walk, then the Peak Hike. My goal then transitioned to preparing for vacation. Now, I have my sights set on an Epic Experience – a winter camp for cancer survivors. I’ve been accepted to the January 3-9 camp where I’ll be joining other cancer survivors cross country skiing and snow shoeing in the Colorado Rockies.

I mentioned to my exercise coach that I have been accepted into the program. She has given me a couple of exercises to add to my routine to help me get stronger in advance of the Experience. So, my weekly exercise routine looks like this:

• Three times week week I go to the gym, where I spend 40 minutes on cardio equipment, I do a few strengthening exercising, then I spend 30-45 minutes in the pool swimming.
• Twice per week I spend 2-3 hours walking or hiking (usually 7-12 km).

For strengthening exercises, I am doing squats while leaning an exercise ball against a wall, and another exercise my exercise coach calls a dead bug. You lay on your back and lift your arms and legs in the air (in reverse table-top, so knees bent). Then you stretch out alternating arms and legs (so left arm with right leg, then right arm with left leg). This does a truly wonderful job of working on the abdominal muscles and kind of simulates some of the movements in cross country skiing. What’s good about it is that it is something I can do at home each night – it doesn’t require special equipment, just a little floor space!

In addition to all this, I’m hoping to get back on my bike sometime soon. I stopped riding just after my arm swelled with lymphedema. Initially, I was afraid to ride without sleeve. Now that I have a sleeve, I no longer have that as an excuse – however, with spending 3 days per week at the gym, and two days doing long hikes, that doesn’t leave a lot for biking. Especially since my body does need a day now and then to recover – and days like today where it rains most of the day are not conducive to biking – especially given that the underpasses are all full over water.

And so, for this week, my plan is 3 gym days, and 2 walk days. We’ll try and sneak in a bike day if we can manage it.