Outside!

Since spring and then summer have arrived, my babyboy and I are enjoying good weather outside every day (well, we went outside at least once every day before but obviously not as long and he used to be mostly in his push chair then). Before I was a mother I already knew that kids like to go outside but I really didn't have a clue how strong that desire is! It really is in the nature of children to leave the house and spend their time under the open sky. This can be a bit tiring at times (especially when the first thing he is saying when he gets up is "Fuhe, jaus!" (= "Schuhe, raus!" = english: "Shoes, outside!" - he is 21 months now and only learning to speak) and we haven't even had breakfast... But it is also very nice and good for me - I haven't been that tanned in ages, my mood is a lot better and I think my health has improved considerably. Even though I refuse to spend the whole day outside usually (Emil has to have his nap times every day, I have to do some housework and going outside always also means descending three stories on a staircase where I have to carry my baby who already weighs 15 kg when dressed which is quite exhausting...- that's the downside when living in an apartment in the city no matter how small that city is, we can't just go out the door into the garden and back again) but we spend several hours outdoors, either on the playground, strolling through the town, going to the swimming pool, visiting friends or the grandparents (and they have a garden!) or making small trips. Watching Emil enjoy nature is heartwarming and also very reminiscent of my childhood. I think I haven't appreciated hot temperatures and the outdoors that much since I was a child myself and I thank my toddler for giving me this life lesson (one of many lessons he taught me and is still teaching me).

Emil with one of his favorite objects these days

On the playground

Football

In the animal park in Bad Mergentheim

 

Sporty Me

I am very proud that so far I am doing yoga or a kettlebell workout every day! Okay: maybe I sometimes take one day off when I am not feeling well but who cares? I feel very fit and I can even see the benefits on my body - there are really muscles somewhere underneath my bodyfat! 

Kettlebell training 

Yoga with a spectator

But more important is that it makes me feel better. The only thing I am neglecting is the meditation/mindfulness training. And the healthier diet. I don't know why I can't bring myself to improve in this respect - I am really aware of how much I would benefit from it. However, I try not to scold myself too much for it and focus on my progress because I hope that by being positive the other resolutions will eventually be fulfilled (sorry - you probably can't say that but you get what I mean) as well. 

Last year I bought some yoga props and I don't regret the purchase. I love the yogawheel as it helps you get into asanas that are too hard for you or you are afraid of. I use the blocks mainly to work on my splits as I noticed I'm turning my hips while doing the splits and this isn't the correct way to do them. The strap is great for stretching further into certain poses. To sum it up, all of the props really help you to improve your asanas and I can really recommend them. 

I am most excited about my progress with the inversion asanas (handstand, forearmstand, headstand,...). The yogawheel mainly gives you the security to try those poses because it's mostly fear which keeps you from trying them!

Hand-, chin-, and forearmstand Training with the yogawheel 

I only started the kettlebell training because my husband did but I am very satisfied with the effect - you feel yourself getting stronger every day which is very helpful when you have to carry around a 13 kg toddler all the time. But it doesn't make me look like Arnie - thank God! 

I really hope I'll keep up the training. Maybe now that it's on my Blog it will be an even bigger incentive to do so.

Hello 2017

Unfortunately, the last quarter of 2016 has been a bit problematic for me health-wise. Nothing serious but it kept me from  keeping up the yoga routine I had taken up throughout August and September (I am blaming my very bad diet and some too extense exercises).
My health was improving in December but at the start of the New Year I caught a cold so now I have to stay in bed instead of trying to fulfill all my New Year's resolutions. But then again, even though I am not happy about it it also means that the year is very likely to improve for me. And I might not be able to start daily exercises again at the moment but I can try to eat more healthily and (very important for me) to drink more! Not alcohol though, apparently. I am trying to drink two liter of camomile tea during the day at the moment - to fight the cold mainely but I think I'll try to keep this habit up.
And even though I can't do exhausting exercises at the moment I have a new plan to do some physical exercises every day which are not exhausting - just a little stretching to train the fascia (I've read a very interesting article on the most recent research on the fascia today!).
My other resolutions are as uncreative as the above: read more, be more creative (sewing, knitting, writing, drawing...), more meditating, character-improvement (trying to be nicer and not a bitch so often), cooking, ... That's all I can think of right now. If I manage to do at least a little more than last year, I'll be content :)