exercise everyday

...was to exercise at least 10 minutes every day until Hallowe’en. It’s easier to do now, although I know I expected to see some obvious physical difference.
So, I have to extend the challenge and/or increase it.
But the initial challenge is done. It was worth it, because it can only get better and easier from here.

Thursday is the new Friday, and as such it’s painful to get up and get moving on the stair-stepping. It was an evening of spicy Asian soba noodles and very good white wine. I’ve given up temporarily on Marnie’s knee-slaps while I learn the Thriller dance. I will now go and do it. Then sleep. And pretend I can have a lovely lie-in.

For the final weeek of the challenge, I bought a set of ankle weights that are supposed to help to sculpt the lower body. So far I’ve been clomping through the house like a petite yeti. This afternoon I will use them properly. After tea and cake.

The Heart God said, “No repair for you for a year at least.
So go forth and sin no more.”
I’m going to try Marnie’s knee-slapping exercise- that’s what it looks like. Not very soignee, not very shibumi, but perhaps it leads to soignee and shibumi.

October 8th:
We look at all angles (especially since we’re attempting the thriller dance here, missy) but there doesn’t seem to be any visible sign of fitness. We’re looking for solid muscle-building. Not to be discouraged- that’s not part of the Rat vocabulary- but the next check-in will be Hallowe’en.
The cardio benefits are great- feel like a Rat powerhouse lately.

No visible progress yet. At all. Still determined to keep to at the very least 10 minutes per day stair-stepping.
At least the cardio benefits count for much…and I can’t get a look in there!

Today’s September 7th, and the switch from summer to fall is always hard. There’s the getting up earlier thing, and the getting used to suddenly turning into evening when the clock stills says it’s afternoon thing.
That said, so far the daily exercise has stretched to about 25 minutes a day.
I also found an aerobics trainer who lives literally across the street who can turn a marshmallow into a superball. I told her I am not a high energy type, except on sugar and caffeine. She said:
Let’s do it!

If I add about 20 plies, I can get a start on the ballet goal, too. The problem is that I haven’t had a ballet lesson in 20 years, and when I did, hmm, the plies were a bit dodgy. Some of us are not natural born Gelseys.

It’s now, not never! The challenge has been to stair-step for 5-10 minutes every day this summer. I started post-Paris, June 20th, after a head-start walking daily through la belle ville for a week. That was the preamble. Today’s August 21st, and I’ve upped the challenge to 15-20 minutes a day. It’s not easy, no, not even remotely easy, and I have to do it in “instalments”, but with a bit of mid-afternoon caffeine it can be done. By the way, I hope this is the right kind of exercise for cardio and leg-toning.