Well now that it’s rained for over a week I’ve been going crazy(er) all cooped up. I guess over the last year I’ve become a relatively active person and i didn’t notice until I’ve been stuck inside!
A few days ago we had almost 100 mm of rain, and that was before the heavier rains started. Today was like living in a submarine – freezing horizontal rains separated occasionally by insanely dense fog. I can’t run as the roads are basically gravelly mud-slicks right now and I don’t really want serious injury at this stage. I can’t walk as I only brought one jacket here and it’ll never dry once it gets rained on. Tai chi is a non-option as i have to move around a lot and besides the total lack of level floors, my sword tends to connect with the light fittings (and after the explosions I treasure the ones that still function). It’s so cold that as well as watching my muscles melt back into goo, I really need to move around and warm up. I did a few dancing-like-a-maniac-around-my-living-area sessions, which confused the kudu who were looking through the window at the time. I’m not much of a dancer though, it’s easier with strobe lights and people around you who also look silly.
So when I went to town today (fun driving when everywhere is at least ankle-deep in mud and water!) and bought a heater for the lizards, I decided that desperate times = desperate measures and got myself a skipping rope.
Firstly, wow, I suck! It took me about four tries to manage more than about 10 ‘skips’ without a)tripping myself up, b)falling over my own feet c) tying my feet together or d)smacking myself in the face with the rope.
But now I’m really getting into it! Whenever I start feeling cold I get my ipod, put on ‘Excuses for Skipping’ (they’re a very awesome band!) and skip until I feel warmed up.
I’m beginning to wonder what other skills I’ve lost since childhood – tree-climbing and skipping have been salvageable, but I still can’t cartwheel or do a handstand. And there we think the kids are playing, while actually they’re in a brutal training regime…
3 comments:
You can totally relearn cartwheels and handstands! If you have a wall you can practice holding handstands against them until your arms get used to holding you in that position, and the best way to do cartwheels is to try again and again, and not be afraid of collapsing in a heap. They are both highly recommended :)
Skipping is a good - and very intense - workout, kind of like 'maniac' running (think of the old movie 'Flashdance') and very good for coordination and strength.
whatever works.... even if it's crazy dancing in front of the local flora and fauna.....
I too have a skipping rope. When I haven't had a chance to exercise, I use it the kitchen, between steps in my cooking. So if I'm microwaving something, waiting for the stove to heat up or needing to kill time while the kettle boils, I skip. The cats think it's hilarious. But it's flipping good exercise!
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