Angel Food (lowfat)

So, wouldn’t you know it? The couple of weeks leading up to my big car accident were really great workout weeks for me. My workouts got me outside, walking and jogging in the beautiful Georgia springtime air. Now that I’ve been cooped up for a week nursing my bumps and bruises, I’m aching to get moving again. I’m going to approach working out very timidly, which is sort of how I’m approaching life in general these days.

I’ve been back at work now for a few days, but my commute still creeps me out. I used to be fearless while driving, which is probably a cause of my running into a telephone pole. But, now i’m at the other extreme. There must be a happy medium where I’m driving with caution but not like a grandma. (Not that there’s anything wrong with grandmas; I just want to enjoy driving again.) Friends who’ve been in accidents tell me that my confidence will return, and I’ve just got to be patient. So, patient I am trying to be.

Back to exercise… I’m going to get walking again. My knees were banged up in the accident, but I think I can handle a nice stroll through the neighborhood. The dogwoods, azaleas, and cherry trees are blooming like crazy this week and are so beautiful. The azaleas are stunning this year, showing off their deep purples and hot pinks. The cherry trees went all out today, probably at their fullest for the year. I got distracted at work several times just looking out the window at the lovely light pink blossomes. The more subdued dogwoods, which are creamy and light green, are my sentimental favorite, though; I’ve loved them since I was a little girl. I say, “Allergies be darned. Where are my walking shoes?”

Walking is just a start of my exercise again; I’d like to run after my knees have healed. Of course, I really want to get back to my yoga, but I know I’m not ready for that yet. I’m trying to get by without my pain meds now; introducing yoga will probably not help with the soreness at this point. I’m still processing through my accident, and one desire that came out of it is that I have a stronger desire to do what I can to live a long and healthy life, to take good care of this body I’ve been given. I’ll never be an athlete, but I can be strong, lean, and well-balanced woman. I’m not too far from where I want to be physically, from feeling how I want to feel. For me, it will be important to ease back into a consistent exercise routine again (note: routine not regimen). I want to incorporate movement and activity into my daily life, so that some time well spent exericisng isn’t out of the ordinary, just part of who I am.