cermakalex Every time I read articles like the one about Jeannie Rice, who runs marathons at age 77 and achieves very good times for her age, it boosts my motivation and discipline. Even after doing almost nothing for my fitness for 40 years, I’m not giving up now. She also supports the claim that starting at 40, 50, 60, or even 70 is not too late. It’s never too late to start!
Jeannie Rice started running at the age of 35 and today (40 years later) she has completed many marathons. When scientists measured her VO2 max — a measure reflecting her aerobic fitness and endurance capacity — they recorded values similar to those of a 25-year-old. This reflects an increasingly discussed idea that consistent physical training can slow down aging. (Washington Post)
21-Day Challenge: Gratitude Journal
I’m not giving up and I’m pushing forward! It really is a magical thing! It helps me take the best from each day or situation. Today’s example might be: shared showers — better water pressure than at home; being in the middle of nowhere among the woods — fresh air for morning and afternoon walks; school-style meals — a chance to appreciate my own cooking and look forward to a weekend family lunch at a restaurant. Hopefully, there’ll be a great burger.
If that’s not enough, scientific studies say that regular journaling:
- can lower the stress hormone cortisol by up to 23%
- can reduce stress by 28%, and increase happiness by 25%
- can reduce symptoms of depression by 20%
Quitting now would be a crime!
30-Day Challenge: 5-Minute Plank
The first challenge has become a routine. It’s time for a new one. I love challenges! We’ll be at the spa for another 44 days, so I’ve got time for two 21-day challenges or one 30-day challenge to focus on something. What could it be? I looked into my bucket list and…
There it was, high up under the “Health and Wellness” section — “Master a 5-minute plank.” Strengthening my core is one of the things I should really work on. That’s because it strengthens the deep muscle groups, engages the whole body, and helps with stability, which is important for longevity. When you strengthen your core for better balance, it’s also injury prevention — not just for the back and hips.
Spa Survivor
Every morning, except restful Sundays, I go for a brisk 20–40-minute walk. Sometimes I refill our sports bottles with the spa water “Prameník.” If you’re curious about what the spa water in Janské Lázně tastes like — it doesn’t taste like iron, sulfur, or anything else you might know from Luhačovice, Poděbrady, or Karlovy Vary. It’s just good, cold, clean water from the Krkonoše Mountains.
Thanks to this, I’m able to meet my active minutes goal and walk over 10,000 steps a day. This week, it was a total of 301 minutes — double the recommended 150 minutes. I was very surprised when there was a big jump on Tuesday — I had to hand-wash laundry. My Garmin Venu Sq tracks it all, and getting into a state where you’re slightly out of breath and benefiting your body is no mystery.
Other household chores that can replace a workout and be beneficial:
- mopping the floor
- vacuuming
- washing windows
- mowing the lawn
- raking leaves
So if you can’t make it to the gym or go for a run, just do some home cleaning and kill two birds with one stone — do something good for your health and enjoy a tidy home. 🙂
Habit 1 – More Protein
Tracking how much protein my current spa food has led me to order another protein powder for my morning smoothie after my outdoor walks.
When I opened the new package, I got a real scare. There was a different scoop, and now I’m wondering what 30 g of powder actually looks like — that’s the recommended dose. But I don’t have a kitchen scale here.
The instructions say: Mix 1 scoop (30 g) with 200–300 ml of water. But the previous scoop had no markings. The new one is transparent and has markings up to 70. That suggests the whole scoop holds 60–70 g, and I may have been using 60 g instead of 30 g all along. Yikes! I hope I haven’t harmed myself — too much protein can damage the kidneys.
Habit 2 – Better Sleep
I keep reminding myself that sleep should be the number one life priority. Quality sleep helps with practically everything, and if you don’t have it, nothing else works well. It’s been tough here — there’s a toddler in the next room who sometimes cries in the evening.
But what I can improve is not convincing myself to read “just one more page” when I’m already tired and should go to sleep. I had to remind myself of that three times this week 🙂 While reading a good book, I caught myself thinking: sleep is the number one priority. I’d then put the book down and fall into a sweet sleep. So I wish the same for you — when you’re watching Netflix, tell yourself “next episode tomorrow” and give sleep the top spot it deserves — priority number one.
Let’s see what next week brings. Keep your fingers crossed!
