Being Able To Touch My Toes

It's definitely something I have always taken for granted. I don't know whether I grew up naturally flexible (looking at my genetics you wouldn't think so) or the years of dancing and gymnastics are still paying off. But I have always been able to touch my toes with ease, reaching past them if necessary.

I didn't realise how much of an asset this has been for me until I started firstly participating in, and now leading the mobility classes for Imperium Personal Training in South Perth. There are a core group of regular attendees, and we all train together many times through out the week (Shirts of Saturday for example) and there is no holding back when it comes to making fun of each other, in the nicest way possible of course.

But the lack of flexibility is definitely one of those things that generate a lot of laughs coming from our corner in the gym. And when I say lack of flexibility, I was probably the only one who could actually get anywhere near my toes.

So my goal for my first session that I ran, was to have 100% toe touching success by the end of the class. Goal achieved. What more can I say.

But personally, the benefits of easily touching my toes came in handy this morning when I tried a 'Toes to Bar' exercise for the first time this morning. Blessed with pretty amazing hamstring length, the challenge of having the available muscle length to even contemplate reaching the bar was not going to be an issue for me, which just left me with working out what muscles to use and when to make the movement happen. It took me a few goes to get it right, but happy to say I did get there in the end...before the fatigue set in.

Now being a Physio, I'm going to make a quick preach to you saying that everyone has the ability to achieve 'normal' or good hamstring length. It takes a lot of work and persistence, but is of a huge benefit to everyday activities such as sitting, bending and lifting; and is even more important for those who are highly active and are looking to better their performance. So stretch those hami's!!

The World Wide Web

The internet seems to know everything these days, like literally everything! As per my post yesterday, it was my birthday. I clicked onto the internet in the morning and the google home page looked like this. 

Google knew it was my birthday. How scary is that!?! Kind of very cool that I logged on to have google wish me a happy birthday, but creepy at the same time. 

Have you noticed that adds that come up in the side panels of internet sites these days are often of things you have recently searched? The other day for example I was on a work out wear website and had selected a few items into the cart and left it there, as in not gone through with the purchase in the end. 

A couple of hours later I was checking my Facebook or something and up in the advert panel came the items I had been looking at onky a few hours earlier.. Again, a little creepy. 

More and more of our lives are online these days which can be a little confronting. But on a day like this, that breech of confidentially was a nice surprise.

Birthdays

Today I turn the ripe old age of 23. I have lived for 23 years. Lots of people like to make a big deal out of their birthday, which often turns into birthday week, and good on them, I understand that it's something special to be celebrated. I on the other hand, tend not to tell people it my birthday and keep it pretty quiet. 

For me, making it to another birthday I see as a bit of an achievement. A couple of times there turning that year older was a bit of an mission. So now I kind of give myself a bit of a high five for turning that one year older. 

I got asked this morning by my best friend if I feel old. I remember when I turned 20 I was like wow, third decade, so old. This morning I actually said no, I feel no older and no different. But after I hung up the phone to her I sat for a minute and though about what has happened between birthdays this year. And it has been an absolutely huge year that I am surprised I am not feeling older or more experienced. 

In the year that has been I have worked in my first job as a full time Physio, I have got qualifications and started work in the fitness industry, I have become vegetarian and started cooking independently to my family and I have bought an apartment (amongst other things). I have done a lot this year, and yet feel the same, if not younger then I did when I turned 22. How does that work.

I think it may have something to do with working out what I want in life, and finally getting myself on track to being the best version of me that I can be. In this past year I have learnt the importance of looking after myself before I can look after others, and although I am probably not practicing this as much as I should be, I now understand the steps I need to take and the consequences if I don't. 

So although I don't shout my birthdays from the roof tops, I do take the day to be thankful that I made it another year and to look back on what being that one year older means to me.

Running

Don't you always find that when people tell you not to or that you can't do something, it makes you want to do it soooo much more?! Could just be me, but if someone tells me I can't do something, I just say WATCH ME! I'm stubborn like that

Recently though I have has a lot of trouble with my back...again (long story for another day). I am normally one to push through the pain, but this time was different. I haven't been able to put weight through my left leg, I've been walking with a limp due to the sharp stabbing pain on each step and at some points couldn't stand for more then 15 minutes at a time. And I kept trying to run...see what I mean? Stubborn.

After trying to push through for two weeks, I finally caved and decided that I should really stop running. That was around 1 month ago. I have done a couple of short laps of the oval in this time...some better or worse then others and it was pretty obvious when I was in pain.

But this morning I got to put the running shoes back on and managed around 6km...not bad for my first run back. It started out feeling ok in my back and around the 3km mark was when I started to feel some tightness, but no sharp stabbing pain just yet. It wasn't until I was about 500m from home that I started to get a couple of sharp pains, so I knew I was at my limit and jumped straight on my roller and ball as soon as I got home to hopefully undo all the tension that has built up throughout my first run back.

Although it wasn't an amazing run, I am so thankful that I was able to get back to it and be relatively pain free on a whole.

Men and Laundry

Have a good look at the photo above. Can you see what is hanging in the tree? It's a blue work shirt, hung on a coat hanger on a branch in the tree. And what's even stranger is that it was purposely hung there by one of the guys in my boxing class, to finish drying before he had to put it on when we finished the class this morning.

This guy rides to the gym each morning, and on this particular day we could see him riding up the drive way with this shirt blowing in the wind behind him. Very cape like. He had forgot to put it in the dryer to be able to pack in his bag the night before so was letting it dry now. Completely normal!

We have also had another men and laundry experience in our house this week. Mum has been away on a girls trip, and I have been pretty flat out. So I managed to quickly get a load of washing done and hung out, but wasn't able to bring it in and fold it. So Dad decided to man up and take on the responsibility. He had a good try, and props to him for attempting to fold washing,  but I did have a little giggle at his methods of folding and decided areas of which to fold. But good on him.

I am always impressed when men try to take on the laundry, especially when they are trying to help out others!

Bouncing

We decided to get in touch with out inner child last night and went to the indoor trampolining. It was literally a room filled with huge trampolines. How cool is that? We spent 1 hour just plain jumping up and down, playing trampoline dodge ball, slam dunking (well trying to) flipping, jumping off things, onto things....just a whole lot of jumping!

It's been a pretty long time since I've been on a trampoline like this, probably back when I was diving. We had to practice a lot of our skills on the tramps at the stadium which would be a good 10 years ago. So as excited as I was, also a tiny bit nervous!

Getting back on the tramp definitely took a bit of warming up before I was comfortable to do anything but jump up and down. But slowly I did and was back to a couple of flips by the time our hour had come to an end.

If you haven't been to jump on a trampoline in a while, go do it! After 5 minutes we were all breaking a sweat and one of the chicks with us exclaimed how exhausted she was...55 minutes to go! But it really reminded me of the way kids view physical activity or sport. To kids, sport is so much fun. In primary school going out for sport was the best part of the day! Lunch time use to be spent playing tag, dodge ball or capture the flag which was awesome.

Jumping on those trampolines took us all back to that time, even the non-exercise lovers!

A Hour Off

It has been another crazy busy week. I have had bank meetings, house walk throughs, working 5 jobs, planning and organising everything to continue at the fast pace I have been running at for the week. I got to Friday (today) and am absolutely exhausted.

I am so excited to have a whole hour where there is nothing that is absolutely essential for me to do between two of my jobs this morning. I was thinking about what to right about today, and then released how relieved I was to have some time to sit here and actually think about thinking about writing. Sounds weird. But I am normally thinking about my post while doing a million other things, or while I'm driving.

So as un-exciting as it sounds, today I'm thankful of nothing to do.