
Gas prices aren't the only things dropping here, weather temps are too. We're expecting a hard freeze snap for the next few days. I know, I know, for many of you you've been in a freeze snap for some time but we don't usually get this 'til Feb. maybe Jan. Looks like we're gonna get a winter this year.
With these low temps we need to pay attention to the 4 P's. What the heck are those? You may ask. Well,here they are;
People; bundle up
Pets; keep them inside and give them some extra bedding to cuddle up in. Cray-ray's been sleeping next to me for a couple of weeks now and Putney's always next to the bed but I have a feeling he'll be climbing up with me & gato now, Rowdy takes the dog bed at night.
Plants; cover them with some cloth, or bring 'em inside
Pipes; cover them with insulation or towels to prevent freezing and bursting
I wrapped my pipes a few years back and have never taken it off. Sadly, every year we hear on the news, someone's pipes have burst and the flooding of their home and more.
I sure hope your holiday brought you all you wanted. I must say, the decision to not exchange gifts made it a very wonderful Christmas. Giving more focus on family time and sharing whats truly important.
It did get a little dicey when I got a call from the adult care home about Mom. She claimed to not be feeling well and was somewhat hostile with them, just as she got the night before Thanksgiving. I called and spoke with her after I got the call and told her I'd call as I left work and see if she felt good enough to join us this time. When I called, she seemed to be up & ready to go. Even a little pushy about it. What a surprise, right? Oh well, bottom line, she came and we had the family together, quite possibly her last time. I hope not, I'd love her to see her first great-grandchild born.
Mom was pretty shaky when I picked her up though and the caregiver thinks she's having panic attacks. Could well be the case, she's so clueless all the time of where she is and forgetful. I can't imagine what that's like. It must be frightening for her.
I'm sore from a couple of the classes I had to teach on Christmas day as we had a skeleton crew for the day. I'm hoping that "they" allow me to teach these types of classes a bit more now and not just because the other instructors are on vacation. It makes me feel alive again to teach them. Makes me more active, less grouchy and, quite frankly, less bored. Both classes were strength-based classes. They're good for me to do too. One class I used to use a bench but I used physioballs for a bench instead. Holy moley! I thought my legs & glutes were going to fall off. I do a fairly long grouping of exercises, 1 right after the other, and we held a ball bridge the entire time.
***What the heck is a bridge on the ball?*** Well, you sit on top of the ball, walk your feet forward and you will begin to lie back on the ball. Make sure your head & shoulders are supported on the ball. Squeeze your buttocks and lift them up to ball height. Hold them them up while you perform any exercise you would normally do lying on a bench. You'll get quite an isometric work load on those hamstrings, quads and glutes. Whoo! And...yes, the abs and adductors (inner thighs) are firing too. Just a word to the wise here, you'll probably have to lesson the amount of weight you're lifting due to the added workload of the other body parts firing at the same time. Not by too much, but a bit.
There are many different ways to utilize the physioball or stability ball in your workouts. Try it sometime to spice things up or completely change your workouts. It'll make your body respond differently to a simple exercise.Remember, you should change up your workouts every 4-6 weeks if change in your body is the goal.
The new year is almost here. 2015! What expectations have you set for yourselves? Mine is to get back the strength and cardio-respiratory endurance I had prior to my knee issues. Also, to try & not sweat the small stuff. I have gotten better at that but still can improve upon it. I plan to pay off a couple of bills, take a fabulous vacation, get some work done on the house and all in all, be a better human being.
Please, be careful out there on the road. Between the weather and celebrations, folks aren't on top of things so stay safe.
Happy New Year, may it bring you all you could ever want or need. I wish you health & happiness.
Peace and as always, keep dancing!