Happy Monday! (And Happy Birthday!)

Not only is it Monday- but it's a very important birthday!

‎"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." - Martin Luther King, Jr. (February 25, 1967 - Los Angeles, Calif.)

Love that quote.
So, let's all take a moment to remember a great man who paved the way for advancement of all civil rights.  Let's respect those rights which we've won in this country and remember those rights which many citizens still fight for today.

As for me and Monday, this week is off to a pretty decent start so far.
Well, except for the actual start.  Back pain right from the get-go, argh.
I used my foam roller, did some healthy alignment yoga, used my roller, and then rocked the P90X back and biceps work out.  Then I used my foam roller again.  I'm feeling much better now.  Still yearning for a massage, though.  After some digging through my insurance benefits I discovered that massage can only be utilized at the same time as physical therapy.  Which makes no sense to me... why would I need both?
I'm hoping that an increase in core strengthening exercises (currently at 1-2 times per week) and yoga (P90X once per week, flow/healthy alignment once per week) will give me some relief without having to start in on my high medical deductible.
I started my day with some oatmeal dressed up with flax, chopped pear, walnuts, and a drizzle of maple syrup.  My post-sweat snack was a blood orange Chobani.  Not my favorite flavor- but it hit the spot and gave me a nice helping of protein to replenish my aching arms.  Planning on a salad for lunch with some canned salmon or maybe some sardines.  Dinner (as seen on my meal plan) is delicious kheema spiced ground beef.  Can't wait... although I am running low on tomatoes for toppers.  Dommage.
So, great workouts and a healthy meal plan for the day.  The only thing left to do is to be productive.  Haven't gotten a great start on that, yet.  I did, however, call on an interview for another social work position.  Looking forward to scheduling it- Mama needs a new resistance band.
Start your week off right, folks!

P90X?! For a lupie?!

I told you I would be sharing my plans for my workouts in the future, and P90X is what I'm pondering.

I did some of P90X a couplefew years back when I was preparing for my wedding and my honeymoon (Victoria's Secret bikini, I wanted to look good-I'm also a bit shallow...ah, humanity).

I mostly did AbRipper and YogaX and then supplemented with the weight machines and arc trainer at the gym.  Now, my husband did the whole shebang, which was a bit intimidating with all of his weight changes (he bought dumbbells), the writing stuff down, and the plyometrics.  Even back then, when I was feeling good, I was concerned my joints would rebel with hardcore weights and the jumping around.

Today, now that I'm aware of the resistance band (no joint aggravation!) and not afraid to do my own thang, I'm thinking I may start it up after my physical therapy appointments run out in November. I'll keep one appointment a week for knots and neck issues, but try to stick to a similar schedule that P90X suggests.  When they do cardio or plyo, I'll probably head to the gym for arthritis-friendly fun.  I'll probably use my Eggs for Yoga for the tough stuff like Downward Facing Dog.

(Source)

And of course, if I get tired, or achey, or flare, I'll cool it.

So, thoughts for the day: I'm human, and I'm also a Lupie... there's a STRONG need for caution whenever you go into a new exercise program.  No matter how amazing I feel, I still have a disease.


Just like today: I woke up and my feet were killing me for starters.  My right hip was a bit achey, and I just didn't feel rested.  I initially had my heart set on an Xbike workout (think a more awesome version of spinning) at nine-thirty this morning.  Instead, I did a ton of stretches, rocked my foam roller, and took Sparty for a walk.  Know your limitations and listen to your body- taking an "easy" day is much better than taking a a couple days off because you caused a flare.


I'm looking forward to bringing this up to my physical therapist and my doc to hear their thoughts.

Now, I'm going to soak my aching feet and deal with that issue before I do anymore workouts.  Apparently bargain bin shoes purchased four years ago aren't great for your toesies if you're working out a lot.  Shoe shopping time!

These are cute... (Zappos)

Or maybe this color? (Zappos)

Can you tell I like bright colors? (Zappos)

How's your fitness regimen going?  Do you do any workout videos?  Did you find yourself needing to purchase a good pair of running/cross-training/etc. shoes?