While there are a lot of things I’m working through in my survivorship, I realized this morning that from a workout perspective, I’ve probably never been happier with my weekly plan for movement. I enjoy it all, even though the requirements for a survivorship health optimization are many:
Cardio, to preemptively combat heart disease, to which I am genetically predisposed;
Strength, to stimulate muscle and bone growth;
Impact, to combat my post-cancer tendency for Osteoporosis and current dx of Osteopenia;
Mindfulness, to relax and preemptively manage stress; and,
Mobility, to ensure range of motion and balance as I age.
So here’s my weekly lineup and I love it- I don’t dread any of it and usually look forward to all of it:
Swimming: Mondays & Wednesdays at lunch, and usually Saturdays too. Great cardio, mobility, and mindfulness. I find myself counting everything (pulls, breaths, seconds, etc) which feels meditative. There’s no space for thinking. And I’ve worked my way up from 500 meters earlier this spring to 1800 meters per session now. Shoutout to the great Master’s workout posted at the Embarcadero Y- keeps my workout fresh every week. My next goal is adding an additional 50 meters each week and possibly getting my flip turns back in action.
TRX Boot camp: Tuesday morning HIITs and functional fitness- mostly strength, but also breathwork, mobility, and some cardio. The best workout (according to my whoop & my body!) of the week. Kudos to Keir and the Presidio Y.
Cold Dip: Tuesdays after TRX class means a 20 minute dip in the SF Bay with my buddies. I’ve written about this before- it’s an incredible experience and I feel like a badass afterwards. Yeah Foghorn Fitness! If you are in San Francisco and want to give it a try, let me know! You only have to commit to two minutes the first time :-)
Personal Training: Thursday mornings are all about strength. Coach Keir has helped me become the strongest I’ve been in probably 25 years- and we started from a baseline of significant weakness during chemo.
BollyX: this is the newest addition to my repertoire (and the impetus for realizing what a delight my whole week has become). Every Friday at 4:30 I join a group of women at the Stonestown YMCA and we dance to amazing music. You don’t have to be good (in fact we are varying degrees of awful)- you just have to have fun. The best way to close out the week. Highly recommend, 11/10.
Jumping: I have a 12 minute Tabata set with 10 different kinds of jumps, and I do this a few times a week. The hope is this increased impact will offset my current osteopenia and prevent osteoporosis. And mentally it helps me feel like I’m doing something- pulling all the levers I can.
Sauna: or as my husband calls it- the Executive Workout. I like to do this a few times a week for an hour or so. Studies shows that this is beneficial for cardio and for the body’s ability to deal with stress. Plus, it feels like working out without trying.
Morning Ritual: I try to take a 20 minute walk first thing when I wake up. When I get home, I do some mobility, light yoga, and lymph movement to get myself going for the day. It’s a gentle “ease in” to the day before a workout or work.
I’ve never before been excited about every day’s workout plan. Usually there’s something I dread, or a “should” that requires motivational self-talk. I’ve managed to find the best mixture for me- and the stuff that’s harder for me (strength) gets “outsourced” to someone who I trust. It’s nice to reflect on this and realize that I’m in a great place.