get physical

i've been exploring different types of exercise over the past week or so because i've been having some knee trouble. i'm usually somewhat of a runner because it's the quickest, easiest, cheapest and most instantly satisfying kind of workout for me personally. but sometime around thanksgiving my right knee started hurting about a mile into a run. i got harrison's aunt ellen, who is a physical therapist, to check it out for me and she told me it's because i'm weak! ha! apparently i have very weak legs and very weak hips. because of the lack of muscle, my knees kind of go loosey goosey and turn in when i run instead of staying straight. thus causing the pain. thus making it so i cannot run. she gave me some strengthening exercises to do [probably for the rest of my life] and after a couple of weeks, i can try to run again, hopefully without knee pain! aunt ellen said this is a common problem with people who are "slight of frame" like me and it's just a weakness issue. it kind of makes me laugh though cause my legs can take me so far! how can they be so weak?!

i am someone who really needs some sort of physical activity at least 4 days a week. i love my running endorphins. especially in the winter months and especially around the holidays. so, in order to stay stress-free, happy, fit and healthy, i've been forced to branch out and try different kinds of exercising during my running hiatus.

this week i have been doing a quick morning yoga sequence for about 25 minutes every morning. then when harrison gets home from work we go for a brisk 20 min walk followed by an intense 10 minute workout video, followed by some ab exercise [bicycles, planks etc]. harrison's knees are fine by the way, but since exercising is something that we do together so that we can spend time together after he has been at work, he's been sweet enough to put his running on hold in order to do these more girly exercises with me. which i really appreciate!

doing these different workouts has been good and i've been super sore all week. i'm definitely working muscles that i wouldn't normally, but it's a little hard because i don't get that immediate "YES I LOVE LIFE AND EXERCISE!!!" feeling like i would after a run.

the 10 minute videos we are doing are from fitsugar which is a great site dedicated to health and fitness. they have tons of workout videos that are all very short and do-able. we have been doing the crossfit video and this "fat-blasting" video. it's crazy how much you can do in 10 minutes.

if anyone has any suggestions for other [cheap or free] ways to exercise while i can't run, i would love to hear them!!


<3 jojy