Done for the day!

Today, due to the unexpected advent of my dad coming into town, I have already done my three 10-minute exercise sessions for the day.

Had ACV/BS water and salt water once, each, so far, today.

No Makka Ho stretches, yet, on this day.

This morning Dad called and said he was coming in to buy me a good pair of walking shoes. So, we went to the store and got them. Went to Alan's Shoes at 5432 Speedway in Tucson, where Marcy (I believe is how she spelled it) helped me. She was very nice and helpful, both. Plus, a man, who I believe is named Jim, was there to answer questions. It was one of the most pleasant shoe shopping experiences of my life. Expensive (for Dad), but, pleasant.

I ended up with a pair of New Balance running shoes. They are not what I would consider cool, fashionable or anything that could be described in a similar fashion. Though, they are not ugly, either. Just, the sort of shoes one would wear in a gym, not wear to make an outfit. Unless one is a super hero! That's the sort of shoes they are. Silver flash, red, blue, white. Captain America would be pleased by these shoes!

After we got the shoes, we went over to my friend's house to pick up a patio set she gave to me. This involved carrying some of the chairs, getting them into the vehicle, getting them out of the vehicle, moving them into the side yard - twice; because, it wouldn't all fit into the vehicle the first trip.

After that, we went to Sam's Club, where we walked all the way across the parking lot to inside, all the way to the snack bar (or, whatever they call it), through the line, to the table a few times, to the condiment area once, to refill my drink from the register line once, to the bathroom from the tables once, and around the store to help Dad gather what he came for. Then, of course, back out again.

I am counting that as one exercise session. Even though I did not count the minutes, it was at least 10 and it was separate and distinct from the other two.

The first one was when I got up in the morning and while I was mixing and imbibing my healthy little potions. Plus, a wee bit extra after the timer went off, just to make sure I got the full 10 in, since I did slow down or stop, ever so briefly, a few times.

After I got home, I got a call that my check is in the bank, so I walked down to Walgreen's and back, which is approximately 1/3 of a mile. I wore my new shoes, which are heavier than I am used to. I can really feel that they exercised my feet, too!  Anyway, that was at least 10 minutes and, also, a distinctly separate exercise period.

Tada! All done for the day. I mean, I could do more if I wanted to, and I might do more, but, I don't have to do more.

I am not going to go weigh for quite some time, so, I have no tangible proof to share with you (or me), but, I have reason to believe that I am losing fat. To whit, my arms and belly (especially) feel looser and flappier than they did a couple of days ago.

Oh, I forgot that I had also done a wee bit of raking in the yard, in-between my indoor initial exercise period and the furniture getting /shopping exercise period. It was very little, but, it all counts, right?

Or, does it? ,

This is what I think:

If it is something you do not normally do as an every day activity (before exercise becomes part of your every day activities, that is), then it counts toward your exercise total. 

IE: If you always take your kids to the park, push them on swings, play ball with them, etc. then it does not count toward your exercise total. Same as if you always walk 6 blocks to catch the bus. These are normal activities for you.

If you start walking more, and going a bus stop that is 5-10 minutes or more away from your normal bus stop, though, then it counts as part of the 30 minutes per day exercise total. Or, if you start taking your kids to the park on an extra day of the week, or, doing more with them, or running around the perimeter of the play area while they are doing the things they usually do while you are sitting on the bench, then, it counts toward your exercise total for the day.

I don't normally go to Sam's Club or move furniture, or walk to Walgreen's. So, it all counts. Does that seem unfair? It shouldn't.

The goal, here, is to add 30 minutes of exercise, per day, in three 10-minute sessions (if possible), so as to burn fat faster. If it's not an addition, then, the goal is not being reached, and the fat is not going to be burned.

Though, there are exceptions to this rule. Such as, if you normally work out for an hour at a time and you break it up into sessions of smaller amounts of time. Why is that different? Because, the workout, itself, is already an addition that you have made to normal activity, and you are simply reconfiguring how you workout to get better results. Workouts count as workouts! But, if you do an hour, as you always do, then, you are still triggering your bodies proper fat burning response only the once, and you still need at least two more separate workout sessions of, hopefully, 10 full minutes each. Or, to avoid working out for 1 hour and 20 minutes, instead of 1 hour, you can simply change how much of
the hour you use at a go.

If you normally walk to work, then, that is not a workout. If you normally take the elevator to your office and, instead, you take the stairs, and you feel that you are more exercised as a result, it counts toward the total.

This is where you need to pay special attention, not so much to the clock, or to your reasoning, as to the way your body feels.

Right now, I am pleasantly exhausted, all hot inside, strangely both energetic and ready to fall to sleep. I feel like a rumbling furnace, burning it's fuel. I know, then, that I have been well exercised, today.
This feeling could get addictive. I don't want to push myself too hard, though. I still have to worry about Fibromyalgia. So, even though part of me wants to jump up and dance, I am sitting here typing at you, instead, and allowing myself to wind down a bit.