I’ve been to the gym maybe three times in my entire life, so if you’re looking for a fitness girlie…there aren’t any of those here.
However. If you’re looking for a sleep-deprived twig who maintains a very low yet functional level of fitness, I am here to impress.
I should preface that my efforts to maintain fitness are out of necessity, and not much related to aesthetic goals. To summarize the necessity, I purchased quite a few acres of wooded land in Vermont a couple years ago, with the intent to live quasi-off grid with my partner. In a slew of potentially poor financial choices that same year, I then proceeded to purchase a 25’ diameter yurt, which may have been premature as it has now been sitting in a storage unit about 60 seconds from where I live, since the day we brought it home (disassembled).
More on all this later. But the takeaway is that I’ve been hauling logs, burning brush, and generally exhausting myself due to lack of upper body/core/everything else strength trying to get the land ready for us to move. When we started out, I could barely lift anything without shaking. Now I’ve reached a slightly improved level of strength and stamina which makes all the off grid prep tasks much easier.
Since there are no photos of me on this blog, allow me to describe the feeble build I’m working with: very tall (5’8”). Very thin (over 100 lbs but not by any amount to write home about). Very lanky (have you ever googled ‘ape index’ ? I feel like this term is crucial to defining my appearance…in a big way). Bad posture. Clearly my genetics have really done me a solid.
My fitness history can be summed up with one activity, which was running. I ran long distance for many years, but had to stop due to joint issues, chiefly ankle issues. Maybe someday I’ll get back into it, but it’s been demoralizing every time I’ve tried and failed to get back to where I was, and I’ve had too much else going on to commit.
All this being said, I’m in the mindset of maintaining my current level of fitness, especially throughout winter when we’re not doing as much work on the property and I need to find other ways to stay in shape. I will not be joining a gym, I would rather streak through a snowstorm than walk on a treadmill while inhaling the smell of sweat from hundreds of ghosts past.
On the subject of walking, this is one of the main activities that I currently do, because it helps both physically and mentally. I live in a moderately busy suburban-ish area (borderline rural), surrounded by busy streets, many of which without sidewalks. But I’ve found a couple walking routes that avoid traffic for the most part, and one in particular that involves climbing a massive hill near the beginning of the walk. It takes 20 or so minutes to walk up the hill, and I’m panting by the top. As I continue walking, it crescendos up another hill, then back down, then back up. I get to see some mountain views, and a few farms, one with cows, one with goats. I always wear boots because when cars come up behind me I have to jump to the side of the road which is mildly muddy/swampy given how often it rains here.
I used to listen to podcasts while I walked, but these days I use the walk to let my mind go wherever it wants. It’s about four miles, and takes about an hour and a half to complete due to the hills.
A few years ago I bought a cheap treadmill off Amazon (and it still works! Minor maintenance required). I use this if I need to walk when it’s dark outside, or if the weather does not permit. It has seen quite a few miles. I watch Netflix shows while I walk, usually about 30 minutes of walking at a time which is long enough to get through an episode of most shows. On nights when I haven’t slept, I usually will walk on the treadmill because if I am too fatigued to continue, all I have to do is step off. Whereas starting out a walk that takes me 45 minutes from home, I have no choice but to drag myself the rest of the way home even if I’m ready to collapse. I’ve learned this several times over.
In better weather, I will hike as well. This wasn’t so convenient with a full time job due to the time it would take to drive to the trailhead, and worry over running out of sunlight on a weekday. But I managed to get quite a few hikes in this past fall, with some pretty steep inclines that were definitely a challenge.
To make a long story short, walk every day. Make sure to include hills. Your toned butt and thighs will thank you.
As far as upper body strength, there is much room for improvement. Other than housework and yard work (raking leaves, shovelling snow), my main source of “strength training” is doing planks for about a minute. When I complained about feeling weak but not wanting to spend ridiculous amounts of money on free weights, my partner made me some weights out of steel in the machine shop at his work. I feel the guilt every time I look at them, but they have not been used yet and that was over a year ago.
Improving upper body strength is a goal for this winter but I haven’t found the motivation yet to go beyond the bare minimum.
How do you maintain fitness?
Thanks for reading,
Victoria