Happy Thursday, y'all! After I shared one of my big, bucket list goals--to complete The Crazy Horse Memorial Volksmarch in 2022--I received quite a few emails and comments which circled around the same question: how will I, as a blind person, train and build strength in order to complete the walk?
My stock answer to most "how do I" questions is pretty standard and runs along the lines of: the same way a sighted person does. Depending on my mood, I might then segue into a bit of Blind 101 and ableist language education. I am not a blind person. I am a person who happens to be blind.
All knee-jerk responses aside, I thought this could be a fun way to share some of the many ways I strive to stay active not only as a person who is blind and lives in a climate with snow and ice a large percentage of the year (which, yes, does limit some of my outdoor activities), but also as a writer with strong sedentary and nap-loving tendencies.
Want to come along? Just look for the #TheWalkingWriter tag here on my blog in 2021. To make things a little easier for those of us who are leery of making any financial commitment right now, I'm going to share mostly free or inexpensive ways to meet my goals.
I'll start small this first post. Like, five minutes small. One of my favorite writing techniques is the Pomodoro Technique. Not only does it help me stay on track and avoid distractions during my writing time, but it also allows me to sneak in a quick check of both my current fitness state and my cardiovascular progress.
How do I use it? I set my timer, write or edit for 25 minutes and then, for my five minute break, I walk stairs. A single flight. 12 Steps in all. Over and over again without stopping. That's it. Then back to the writing. Then another five minute stair break.
Okay, I hear some of you snickering out there. But try it yourself. Just walk up and down one flight of stairs for five minutes without stopping. Let me know how you feel. Don't be surprised at your results. I was truly horrified my first attempt. Maybe it's a not a challenge for you, and maybe you won't break a sweat and your heart doesn't try to pound out your chest. Bless you, if that's the case. Mine sure did.
What about when I lived in a house or apartments without internal stairs? How did I sneak activity into my writing breaks? Well, when bored with simply walking through the house practicing my cane form, I turned to another favorite and free resource, YouTube.
Yes, it's visual. Yes, I'm not. The key is to find exercise classes with strong verbal cues. One of my favorite instructors is Leslie Sansone and her Walk At Home videos. The beauty with Leslie? She uses four steps, not a lot of room, and as long as you keep moving, you can't do it wrong.
Here's a quick, five minute walking break perfect for doing in front of the computer during my Pomodoro break:
Granted, five minutes at a time won't build the strength or cardiovascular fitness I need to compete the volksmarch, but it builds consistency, habit, and confidence. Plus, I consider anytime I get my blood pumping and my heart going a win and good for my writing.
How about you? Did you set any health goals in 2021? Are you an at-home exerciser or do you prefer a gym? If you're an author, how do you fend off a nap-attack when it's time to write?
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