Sonya Elliott – Page 19 – Back on the Court

LIFE INSPIRED FITNESS: Listen To Your Body

My husband has bad knees. He played football in college and has had many knee surgeries so he no longer has much cartilage. He’s had to adjust his workouts over the years and eventually cut out a few things. He waited a long time to cut out competitive basketball. Probably ten years later than he should have, but he really enjoyed playing, so it wasn’t easy to quit, but the pain became too much, so he had no other choice.

He’s never loved to walk, unlike me, and he likes speed. So a few years ago he turned to biking. It took him a while to jump on the biking bandwagon, but now he loves it. When he first started riding he trained for the STP (Seattle to Portland) with a group of guys and had a blast, and it actually helped his knees. Then a year later he started mountain biking, and found more speed, and a bit of the fear factor on the downhill, that he really enjoys.

Finding a new activity has helped him to stay active longer, and he found a new group of friends. Discovering what you like and what your body can do, will help you to get out and get your body moving.

What new activates have you found that help keep you active? Are you good about listening to your body?

Follow me on Instagram for ideas on how your life can inspire your fitness @lifeinspiredfitness.

LIFE INSPIRED FITNESS: Push Yourself

I like to run, sort of. I don’t like running long distance (too many miles on my body that I’d rather use pounding the hardwoods), but I do like shorter distances, less than three miles. When I do a running workout, I usually just jog/run to a spot, pick a couple of trees or telephone poles that are maybe 50-80 meters apart and then do a little sprint workout.

Well, I’m using the word sprint very loosely here because my emphasis is on not pulling a muscle, so what I do is more like a fast jog, but that, to me, is better than ten miles at a slow jog. Which is not to say ten miles is bad, it’s just not what I like. Find what you like, and then even push yourself a little.

Last year, I decided to run in a track meet, as a “fun” way to stay fit for basketball. It gave me a goal and also fueled my competitive side; I was curious how I might do. I chose the 400 meters (I ran the 300 Meter Hurdles in high school, but the hurdles sort of scared me back then, so why take a chance when I’m over 50 years old. 400 Meters made more sense).

The race was awful. I was nervous, even though there were almost no other people in my age group, and I thought I was going to die by the time I got to the end of one fricking lap. But I did it. And then, did I say I was competitive, my time was good, really good for an old lady, so I ran it in another meet. Call me crazy, but I’m planning to do it again this year.

So do things you love to do, and push yourself a little […]

LIFE INSPIRED FITNESS: Dog Gone Good Exercise

I like to walk, which is good, because I have a dog and he needs to go on walks. Walking your dog is a great way to get some exercise and keep your body fit. I walk at a pretty good clip, but just getting out there and moving your body does the trick to burn some calories, not to mention getting you some fresh air.

For me it’s also a good time to think. Whether I’m deciding what groceries to buy or coming up with a new blog idea, walking clears my mind. And just think of how good it is for Fido. So get out there and take your dog for a walk, it’s a win-win.

What do you like best about walking with your dog? Or maybe you walk a different pet. I’d love to hear about it.

Follow me for more ideas on living a happy and healthy life @lifeinspiredfitness.

PEN TO PAPER: Discover Your Story

This last weekend I drew inspiration from my daughter. Not only did she graduate with a degree in Creative Writing, she used what she’s learned in her major to inspire her classmates in her valedictorian commencement speech.

She related the life of a college graduate, one who is stepping into a new and unknown world, to that of a writer staring at a blank page.

“The sprawling expanse of possibility lies before us, both tantalizing and terrifying all at once. Yet, I’ve found that the cure to writer’s block is to just start writing. The time has come to start crafting our own stories.”

So true. Life can be scary, whether you’re a writer plugging away at a difficult piece, a new graduate starting a career, a new mother discovering what it’s like to care for an infant or an old mother figuring out what life has in store for her, life can be a challenge.

“The important part is that you start, and start with a vengeance. Chase dreams, chase jobs, chase experiences, chase what makes you happy. Because right now, inside each and everyone one of us, a story is waiting to be told.”

What story is waiting inside of you?

Read Charli Elliott’s full commencement speech on her blog eloquentlyelliott.com