Holiday exercise – worth the effort!

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Just one of the magnificent sunsets

I’ve just returned from a very relaxing fortnight in Tenerife – somewhere that enjoys a warm sunny and dry climate virtually the whole year round.  It has a very obvious appeal to us at this time of year when the temperatures drop, the evenings draw in and the heavens open!

It is inevitable that I’ll eat more when I am away and move less.  When I am at home, I an stringent with logging all the food I eat and keeping tabs on my calories.  At home there is housework and daily chores.  I may not move far, but I move little and often.  At this time of year I’ll also spend hours at a time raking leaves in the back garden.  Our mature oak tree keeps me busy with my rake.

On holiday, I use my wheelchair more – the place we stay is at the top of a long hill.  I can be in my wheelchair for 2/3 hours a day, depending on what we are doing.  But I can also spend many hours sitting on a sun lounger and soaking up the rays whilst enjoying a good read.

I can usually expect to return home from this holiday having gained 7 – 10lbs.  This  year, I was determined to  try and minimise any gain, as I am determined to get to 9 stone at some point during the year.  My lowest weight was in 2014 when I saw 9st 3lbs on the scale.  Since then, I have bounced about a but with my weight, but never allowed it to creep above  around 10st 10lbs.

One of the things my sister (who accompanied me on the holiday) encouraged me to do was to take my gym ball, which can easily be inflated and deflated.  Of course, it also meant taking the foot pump.  I packed this non-essential item really not expecting to use it more than once or twice.

However, on the first morning of the holiday, I sat on the ball and carried out my regular routine of warm up stretches and then a 40-45 minute “bouncing” session, when I swing my arms wildly to music.  I can get my heart rate into my “peak” zone (above 140 bpm).  It was so lovely to be outside, watching the sun rise, listening to the birds and enjoying the idyllic surroundings.  I quickly realised that this was something that wasn’t a chore – I was on holiday with plenty of time to fit in my exercise and it really set me up for the day.  My stretches do help to limit my pain and keep everything flexible.  I concentrate on my neck and back.

I’ve just totted up the various numbers which I logged on my Fitbit:

I “bounced” 60,729 steps.  Earned 6,062 calories.  Spent a total of 17.5 hours of my holiday exercising.

What’s even better was that my weight gain for the fortnight was just 3.8lbs!  Incredible!

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View out of the gym “window”
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My “gym” for the week, getting myself warmed up

Smashing it!

P1030780I’ve been on my weight loss journey for seven and a half years now.

So many little things which have now become “normal” for me – not just in terms of eating behaviour, but also in my abilities to move – were once things I couldn’t even dream of when I first started on my journey.

I’ve always been disabled.  And for most of my life (from the age of 9) I’ve been overweight.

From my own personal perspective, it was easy to use my disability as an excuse as to why I was overweight and why I was unable to move MORE.

With hindsight, it was my WEIGHT that significantly prevented me from moving more.  I could barely stand for a few minutes, let alone walk any distance.  I would need someone to help fill the car with fuel as the whole process of standing whilst operating the pump was just too exhausting.

Whatever our abilities, we can all move just a little more, even if it’s just going for a trundle in the open air in a motorised wheelchair. In fact, the benefits of doing just that can be immense.

I have just returned from an amazing trip to Tanzania and Zanzibar. This is my third “adventure” holiday to far flung destinations and remote locations in as many years.  The trips have involved long haul flights, climbing into single engine 12-seater planes and being hoisted into and out of jeeps whilst on safari.  More are planned.

One of the day trips planned on this holiday was a boat trip in a traditional dhow (wooden boat). The thing I’ve always enjoyed about boat trips is that you jump on, travel about, see things and jump off.  Not too much walking involved.

Not this time!

On arrival at the beach, the tide was right out and I could see, much to my dismay, that the boats were waiting about half a mile out in the shallow water. I immediately started to worry that I’d not be able to get out there – walking across sand and then rocks and rock pools ankle deep in water.

BUT my choices were limited.

I either attempted that walk, or neither of us would be able to do the trip (already arranged and paid for). The drive to the beach had already taken 40 minutes. We really wanted a day away from the hustle and bustle of Stone Town.

As we waited and were all kitted out with our flippers and masks/snorkels, I was experiencing an inner fear that was rising deep within me.

Eventually, we were allocated a crew member, who’s task it was to walk small groups out to the waiting boats.

Our group was allocated “Big Show”, a huge gentleman built like a water buffalo!

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Mwinchum aka “Big Show”

“Big Show” took hold of my wrist firmly in one HUGE hand, his fingers holding me tightly. “I will help you Mama” he said and started to walk me towards the boat at a steady pace, taking account of my short legs and reduced stride length.

I couldn’t look forward as my eyes needed to concentrate on the uneven ground beneath my feet, avoiding rock pools and particularly slimy patches. All the time he kept reassuring me with the words “polepole, polepole” (Swahili for “slowly, slowly”). Before long, we had reached the group of boats and I was heaved aboard – not in the most ladylike fashion, but by now I was exhausted and keen to get aboard and have a seat!

Likewise, when we stopped for our lunch, the boat had little option but to anchor in the shallows with a half mile walk to the beach and restaurant we were lunching in.

But this time, I was less fearful. By now it was the middle of the day, the sun was blazing down on us (30 degree heat).  I slid into the water and up to my waist and Big Shot took my wrist.

This time, he walked me about 50 steps and then said “Stop. Rest.” I think he was aware of my laboured breathing (or should I say puffing!) The final part of this marathon was a climb up a steep sandy beach (see picture – this shows the tide right in). Once again, I arrived at my final destination, hot, exhausted, hungry and thirsty.

I took my seat int he shade and exclaimed “I think that deserves a Kili!” (local popular beer, Kilimanjaro). No sooner were the words uttered, then one arrived on the table in front of me, uncapped – delivered by a fellow passenger.

None of my fellow passengers knew anything about my walking abilities. We were all strangers meeting for the first time – French, American, Japanese, etc. But I have no doubt from comments during the trip that they admired what I achieved that day.

I have to say though, nobody was more impressed with my performance than I was myself!

Once again, I managed to truly achieve over and above what I thought I was physically able to.

And it was well worth it.

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Costa Rica Adventure Part 2 – Tortuguero

Day 5 – We were collected in the very early hours (5.30am!) by the lovely Alex and driven to Guapiles in time for an 8.30am breakfast.  From here, we took a 2 hour coach ride to the dock at La Pavona, driving through the banana plantations and having the opportunity to see a banana production line at work.  At the dock, we transferred into a fast covered boat which travelled along the narrow river channels to our next destination, Evergreen Lodge in Tortuguero.  A highlight of the trip was having some of the passengers disembark to (1) lighten the load and (2) help push the boat through a stretch of water that was particularly shallow due to the lack of recent rain fall.

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All aboard the boat!
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Wheelchair and all!

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Might be tempted!

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Tortuguero lays on the northern Caribbean coast and is known for its network of waterways and canals – and the turtles after which it is named.  It’s one of the rainiest parts of Costa Rica, and we did see a shower or two!

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Grandpa Jo on the porch a rockin’
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No swimming in this river!
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View from our room
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Bare throated tiger heron

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Agami Heron
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Chestnut Mandibled Toucan

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Room with a view (and no glass in the windows)
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Yes, this will do nicely

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Most wildlife watching here is done from the water.  Our room here had a veranda with two rocking chairs.  Two HUGE beds and windows which were mesh rather than glass.  Great for keeping out the mosquitos, but not so great for keeping out the sound of the howler monkeys and people walking past the room on early morning trips.

Here, Andy had the opportunity to have a go at zip lining – traversing the tree canopies whilst hanging from a wire.  We took a boat to visit Tortuguero village – built on a tiny strip of land no more than 400m wide.  To get a real feel for this place, it is worth watching this video.  One side is the rough Caribbean sea and turtle nesting beaches and the other is flanked by the network of canals and rivers which make up the Tortuguero National Park.

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Turtle breeding beach, Tortuguero

Here we saw a poison dart frog (tiny but very poisonous – in fact one of the most poisonous animals alive) – thankfully easy to spot as it crossed the path in front of us on account of its bright red colour.

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Blue Crab
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The very poisonous Dart Frog