What moves you?

If you haven’t figured this out yet, I love the outdoors. I love everything from yard work to hiking up mountains and everything in between…love, love, love being outside! And it’s not weather-dependent…well…except November…what is it about November weather that is just so…blah…

When we were planning our year on the road, we weren’t entirely sure where we would be spending November, but as it happens, we are spending a large chunk of our time here on the West Coast. This is a first for me…a November that doesn’t have snow in the forecast, doesn’t have freezing rain, doesn’t have winter winds…it’s just…wet…or threatening to be wet.

The seemingly perpetual rain, and more importantly, the grey, dreary skies just make me want to stay in the van, drink tea, read books and watch movies…it’s tough for even someone like me who loves the outdoors, to get excited about the thought of getting outside!

Early November, we took a drive into the interior of BC, to do some bigger day hikes, thinking maybe we would stay longer and enjoy some more wintery weather, but unfortunately our little heater didn’t work well enough to keep us (and our fancy batteries) warm enough…bummer.

So, back to the mild coast we went. However! It was also back to overcast, dreary skies…and back to struggling to find the motivation needed to get out and get moving! The older I get, the more I’m noticing how important regular exercise, or even just regular movement or activities are to preserve my range of motion, maintain my balance and keep me strong enough to avoid injury – especially for work…and yes, so I can keep having lots of adventures! LOL

I’m also noticing with my rheumatoid arthritis, the importance of movement and activity for my joint health. I know this isn’t the case for all forms of arthritis, but it is for mine. If you’re interested in reading some of the recent research around activity and arthritis, find your way to the Arthritis Research Canada’s website and have a look around.

It can be really difficult to get moving when the weather is yucky, when it’s cozier under a blanket, when you know it’s been a while since you were last active, anticipating an experience involving stiff, sore joints…when it means starting the activity at a lower intensity than the last time…can feel discouraging, making an activity that’s supposed to be gratifying, feel more like work. Yes. Yes, all of that. That is why I need to keep moving. Every. Single. Day.

So, what am I doing to stay moving? What tactics am I using to motivate myself?

First, I bought a Rec Center pass. No fumbling for cash to pay for every visit, no pressure to stay a long time to make each visit “worth” the money spent…just go…swipe in and spend as much or as little time as is right for me that day…then sit in the sauna and soak in the hot tub 

Another thing we’ve been trying to do is to find a city park to hang around for part of the day. Many parks have walking paths, and a lot of the paths are paved, making them very accessible for all levels of ability. Oh! And parks also have bathrooms…very important 😉

We have also prioritized outdoor gear. Did I mention it rains a lot here?? Well, it does. And although I wish it was snow (yes, I’m one of those people LOL), it’s not and that means we’ve made a point of bringing our umbrellas with us and wearing raincoats everywhere we go…everywhere! It meant we needed to get different footwear…translation, shoes without giant holes in them LOL…waterproof…because even walking from the van to the grocery store can mean splashing your way through puddles…seriously…so much rain…

There is no controlling the weather, but you do have control over what you wear. Dress for it. It changes the experience, full stop.

Intention. Motivation. Purpose. All of that. To keep us moving, keep us getting out, we have had to revisit all the reasons why it’s important to us.

• We want to do some bigger hikes this winter (where it’s warmer and drier LOL), so we need to maintain a certain level of cardiovascular health
• We are enjoying our current level of fitness and want to maintain it
• We know we sleep better after days we’ve had some physical activity
• We know our moods are better when we’ve spent some time outside or even just time exercising/moving
• My joints feel so much less stiff and sore with regular activity

So now, what moves you…to move?

Do you have a personal fitness goal? Has your physician encouraged you to increase your physical activity for cardiovascular health, weight management or for your mental health? Do you have a pet who needs a walk every day, or twice a day?

There are lots and lots of reasons to get moving and to keep moving. November is a great month to remind ourselves of the importance of getting out and creating patterns that we can keep through *whispering* the winter…yes…winter is coming too 😉