Ten Thousand Steps and a Dog

When we went away recently I bought a Fitbit HR Charge at the airport, so I could have an idea just how far I was actually walking while sightseeing. It's turned out to be quite a good gadget because it measures the amount of steps you make, how far you've actually walked, how many steps or stairs you've climbed, your heart rate, calories burned and even how well you sleep. You can also input your calorie intake and the water you've drunk if you want to, although I haven't bothered too much with this as I don't want to start becoming obsessed with what I eat.

Always concsious about my fitness these days and working on becoming fitter, I've found it really useful. It's also given me an insight into my sleeping patterns, which are quite unsettled because of the immunosuppressant drugs I have to take. 

On holiday we were walking an average of 12,000 steps a day and when I came back I felt really healthy and well with all the exercise and fresh air, so I've tried to aim towards walking 10,000 steps a day and go out in the fresh air as much as possible. On some of the lovely autumn days we've had this has been reasonably easy, but now we seem to be having those dismal and, at the moment often windy and wet, November days -  it feels more of a struggle.

I still have my exercise bike, which I haven't used too often since my recovery, as I do find it boring and tedious compared to walking outside in the fresh air accompanied by my camera, seeing the wildlife and plants. I'm back using it a little more now though, but it's difficult to be motivated with it any more. I use my WiiFit too and do the step activities on there as well as the yoga exercises. I love the yoga and try to do that as much as I can. I can be a bit wobbly with some of the yoga poses though because of my drugs, one of them makes me shaky, so often the trainer on the WiiFit keeps telling me my balance is bad! 

I love it when I walk Alfie, Sarah's and Oli's working cocker spaniel and when I dog sit and have him for the day, I find it's more than easy to break my target of 10,000 steps and more - it makes me go out in all weathers. Today we've been out together a few times, one of them a long walk and not only have I been walking, but just controlling him on the lead and throwing his ball feels good for strengthening my arms - they are still a bit weak even two years after my transplant. 

For quite a while now we've been thinking about having a dog again, it's 21 years since we've had a dog, but I think it will help me become fitter and motivate me to be outside in the fresh air when the weather isn't so good. I believe that exercise is more enjoyable if you can chose something you love doing rather than force yourself to do things that feel tedious.

At weekend we went to see some cocker spaniel puppies and we fell in love with them all, but there was one that stood out as 'the one' for us. Hopefully we will be picking him up in a few weeks time, as he's too young yet to leave his mother and the rest of the litter. Watch this space, hopefully he's coming soon!