My gym time is definitely the time of many days when I can really just do what I like, and I feel more relaxed afterwards, grounded, often a bit happy, and sleep better
Thanks @
greenleaf, I really appreciate your message! Y'know, it's silly, but the gym I go to has all these windows that look onto snow covered fields... when it's sunny outside, it's sunny inside the gym, too... so y'know, I did do something like you said... I had on yoga pants, but a bigger, baggier top, then I had on my sunglasses and headphones. I'm sorta ridiculous... I'm like a teenager sometimes, walking around in a baggy hoodie to hide my curves with sunglasses and headphones on whenever I'm out and about, LOL! So, I dunno, I really like what you said about projecting a bubble. I mean, I know it's all in my head, and it's PTSD thinking and all... but once in a while I just want to stop thinking about how screwed up I am and how to get over it. It's not exactly giving in to the bad PTSD thinking... it's just taking a break, I guess. So, yeah, I like to trick my brain into thinking things are okay, just like you said.
So, the gym update... I went and tried out the gym on Friday, the staff was lovely, people in general kept to themselves and did their own thing (which I liked a lot), the gym was actually super nice, and I did great. I ended up doing...
12 minutes on a regular exercise bike.
20 minutes on a treadmill (right in front of a huge wall of picture windows that looked onto the street then just a bunch of snow covered fields and then trees... I could see shadows of the clouds on the snow as "The Simpsons"-like clouds passed overhead... it was really pretty and interesting and 20 minutes passed by in what felt more like 5 minutes).
4 minutes on the Nordic Track machine... my daughter who's away at college recommended it, and it sorta started to kick my butt, as far as being a good exercise... which is awesome, but for my first day there I didn't want to overdo it... I wanted to take the time to go around and do a bunch of things... plus I'm such a pale girl... Irish and Polish with brown hair... as soon as I do anything, even laugh too hard... my face turns red like a lobster or a tomato, LOL! It's SO embarrassing. :x3: So... the Nordic Track was definitely seeming like a boiling pot of water, to me, Ms. Lobster Face, so I decided to save it for later. I'm looking forward to doing more though... it's a easy machine to use, but definitely a workout. This is maybe bad of me... but I was happy to see a bunch of people come out of the exercise class room with bright red faces, too, so at least I wasn't the only one. :joyful:
10 minutes on various weight machines... I was definitely feeling it in my arms today, but not that bad at all... the whole time I was working out, I kept reminding myself not to push too hard... I didn't want to strain myself, just have a good workout at the right level.
20 minutes on the sit-down type of exercise bike.
I would have definitely done more, including walking and/or jogging around the track, but we had a homeschool event in the afternoon to go to, so I had to leave by 11:45am. But I did it! :happy: I had a great experience and I'm really looking forward to going next Friday (to prove that I'll go even when I'm not the Energizer Bunny (I've been a little manic this week... that won't be the case next week...) and then get my membership.
Anyways... like you said, @
greenleaf, I felt so much better after exercising and I felt more balanced and a lot less manic... like when I was walking outside everyday for over an hour. I realized that most of the time I'm walking a little too slow at the track (which is free... the gym is part of a community center with a branch of our library downstairs, and the track is free to anyone who wants to use it)... so I decided to start timing my laps and pushing myself a bit harder on the track.
Then when I got home, I did a little extra stretching... it was kinda ridiculous, actually. I was listening to Led Zeppelin, and doing some stretching and yoga, which, y'know, grooving to the music turned into this kinda new, original workout... Yoga Zumba to Led Zeppelin's "A Whole Lotta Love," LOL! :eek: I don't think you're supposed to Yoga Zumba while listening to Led Zeppelin, but hey, I'm just really cool (or totally weird) that way, LOL! :roflmao:
Anyways... :rolleyes:
So today (Saturday), I was so excited about the idea of working out at the gym on a regular basis, I got up and got ready and went to the gym to walk around the track. I did 60 minutes pushing myself a little harder... thankfully my knee is cooperating. I guess I'm happy that I was excited to go... too often I do things like going to the gym once, and then I give up. I really hope I can keep things going even when I'm not manic.
Speaking of which... so sorry for going on and on. Sometimes my mouth (or my fingers, in this case) have a hard time stopping when I'm manic. Good news is I'm doing well at keeping it very reasonable this time around... more like an energetic, happy normal than someone who seems like they're hopped up on too much Adderall. ;)
Also, since I've been feeling really good and pretty normal (today was day 10 in a row... that hasn't happened FOR YEARS!), my husband has been taking me out to do extra fun stuff... any type of positive reinforcement when I'm doing well at balancing my moods. So we headed to Wisconsin and all the outlet stores. Kinda ruined my diet eating at a BBQ place... we were starving by time we got to Wisconsin and so I ate a little too much, and drank soda when I would have usually had just water... but it was okay. It was a special thing. And then we walked and walked and walked around looking through outlet stores. The miracle was that I only spent $7 total. I love to shop and I have a hard time saying no, so this was sorta miraculous! It was by no means a perfect day... there were definitely some hiccups (my daughter K hates new experiences... and it's been years since we took her to Wisconsin to go to the outlet stores, so she was anxious and out of sorts all day), but somehow we still all managed to have a good time.
:eek: And sorry, sorry, sorry this is too long. I really appreciate the accountability of writing down what I'm doing... it motivates me to do more, just so I can report in. :D Thanks again to @
Definitely..maybe for starting this thread.
Today I walked for an hour but slowly due to my wounded dupa. It was sunny and the wind was still so the cold wasn't fierce. I listened to The Fifth Dimension's Greatest Hits on my iPod. It kind of does a binaural beats thing because different harmonies and instruments are playing on each ear bud. "Groovy man" as they said in the 60's, except no one I knew said that seriously.
This made me smile. Good for you! Y'know, after exercise, I really think music is the best healthy, non-prescription way of dealing with depression and mania and PTSD symptoms in general. I'm absolutely addicted to Spotify. Despite being 40, most of the time I still feel (and act) like a teenager. I'm such a dork. :alien: Oh, and @
franciemarnie, I *love* songs where the tune kinda goes back and forth from one ear to the other, they're fantastic! I'll have to put The Fifth Dimension's stuff in my music queue. You're also the one who turned me on to binaural beats, too, love them! They really help me to focus and concentrate and get into almost a meditative state. I listen to them several times a week.
Okay, enough... sorry, sorry, sorry this is too long! :confused:
