Carol's Catch-Up: June 2024

The annual winter migration begins as the weather cools

We have been so blessed this year with warm sunny days, that we have been experiencing right up until the end of May. For me, that means sitting on my deck for lunch with my sun hat on, enjoying the beautiful blue sky, and trying not to drop off for a snooze.
The warm weather also means I still have roses budding which is unusual for this time of year - I think they’re going to be blooming through June which will be lovely. On the other hand, my primulas are slow to get to the flowering stage as they need the cold weather to bring them on. My pansies are bringing me great delight though.

For a couple of weeks now my ducted heating hasn’t been working - this has been a challenge but forced me to find other ways of keeping warm. Now I start my day with step ups on my staircase for 3-5 minutes which warms me up a treat, then I do about half an hour of strength and mobility exercises.
I love having colour outside my kitchen window
I am fortunate that where I work at home, the sun comes in through the window early in the day and heats up the room nicely. In the evening I have found myself wrapping a rug around my legs when I’m relaxing - once I add in my cup of tea I’m usually pretty good for the evening! Many of you probably do this already which is great, and it’s the first time I’m looking forward to our next gas bill - I want to see how much money we have saved!

It’s time for the winter migration north and I know a lot of you will be heading to warmer weather soon in vans and motorhomes, and sometimes planes. Most travellers do a lot of walking on their holidays, but it’s important to continue your stretching and strengthening while you’re away from your usual exercise routine too. We have put together a special Travel Fitness Guide for you to download here to help you find ways to include workouts into your itinerary, and also will be releasing Travel Exercise Cards over the coming months that give you easy exercises to do while you’re away. All you need to do is print them off and pack into your suitcase! I hope you find this resource useful.
For those of you braving it out at home this winter, I want to encourage you to keep active. I know it can be hard to get out of the house for a walk, or even out of bed some mornings, but our bodies love to move. Marching on the spot for a few minutes can be an easy way to get the blood pumping again, and warm you up when you’ve been sitting too long or you’re starting to feel your shoulders hunching against the cold.

Remember we need to keep working hard to maintain our strength and flexibility and balance through winter, so if you’re struggling to do your exercises at home, or to get along to your regular class, now might be a great time to ask a friend to join you - it’s always warmer in pairs!


Yours in fitness,
Carol

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