A Complaint

Gentle Reader,

I have the feeling these blog posts are meant to be positive and uplifting.  But what about when you wake up so stiff you are hanging on to the edge of the bed, the door jam, the grab bar you installed years ago in case your husband got too feeble (not for you, of course), then with both hands on the rim of the toilet seat, settling down with relief.  No falls this morning.  

What the heck did I do yesterday to bring this on?  Was it the three loads of laundry?  I woke up to a blue sky in the east and, ignoring the weather forecast, carried those wet sheets, towels, terry cloth bath robe, 4 pairs of Levi's up the stairs to the line out back.  Happy as a robin establishing her territory, I hung those clothes on the line.  I felt strong, like a pioneer woman.  I love looking at the Easter egg colors of my Descent Exposures bra and panties sets that can easily double as bikini swim wear in a pinch.  

By 2:30 just as I was going to leave to take a granddaughter to gymnastics, it began to drizzle and down they all came off the line and into the drier.  That ozone smell would not grace my pillow cases nor towels.  And the basket of all three loads at once, not quite dry, felt particularly weighty.

OK, that's a reasonable cause for this amount of creak and groan.  

What did I eat yesterday?  Nothing that would produce an extra explosion of inflammation.  Two and then four Pain Relief Complex herbal supplements didn't touch it.  

I lay on the floor on the Back2Life, did the hip opener Pilates moves and headed off for the day's activities.  No, I went back inside to snatch an Aleve from the drawer.  I had to have pain free mobility for the expedition downtown with 2 grandsons out of school on spring break. I promised to take them to the Olde Curiosity Shoppe to see the mummified man and the 2 headed lambs, the Siamese calves and the ring of shark teeth hanging over head as you walk in.  Sweet boys, but I can't ask them to slow down for their Grandma who has a reputation for out walking almost all of these 16 who call me "Grandma."

The truth is that I will be better tomorrow without any special extra treatment.  Time is a healer all by itself.  My daughter Priscilla, the hard body trainer here in Seattle, said I needed to use heavier weights in my workouts.  She scoffs at 5 lb. weights.  "If you can carry in the groceries, 5 lbs in each hand is nothing more than maintenance."  I went to Big 5 and bought a pair of 8 pounders.  They caused my back to cringe went I began the curls, flies and shoulder presses, so I went back to the 5 pounders for that part of the routine.  Then I switched to 8 lbs. for the row and, lying on the eathafoam for support, I could to flies and shoulder presses and double dumb bell french presses.  She did say to support my back.  So I'm going up a notch, more to prevent osteoporosis than for the strength of it.  I still think I shouldn't be lifting a basket of heavy wet clothes up a flight of stairs.

You can complain here if you like. Go ahead and let us know how bad it is sometimes.  Embrace it and then get on with moving.


Be well, Do Well and most of all Keep Moving,


Betsy


Betsy Bell's Health4U
206 933 1889
betsy@hihohealth.com
www.hihohealth.comwww.hihohealth.com 
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