Hello Teal Sisters,

I recall reading years ago that if you write something down (a goal) it increases your chances of fulfilling the goal however, if you tell someone then your chances of committing to and achieving that goal increase significantly. Knowing that someone else is aware of your commitment creates a "social pressure" to follow through. 

Knowing that exercise is so important to our health, I'm wondering if anyone wants to be an "exercise accountability partner". When I say partner, it could be multiple people. I know that having someone else to provide support and encouragement can be so powerful and I believe can help drive consistency in our personal commitments.

 I have personally fallen into "excuses" mode and need to snap out of it. My starting commitment is four days of exercise per week. Each exercise day will include a mix of strength training (minimum 10 minutes) and at least 30 minutes of cardio. I will reassess at the end of 30 days and see if I can increase the number of days and/or the amount of time devoted each day (and the mix of activities).

Anyone interested in being an "accountability partner"???

#Healthandwellness

I work as a wellness coach and you are correct in your approach to setting a goal and finding an accountability buddy.  Setting goals is important but always remember to make sure they are S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-based).  The most important aspect of this is to make sure it is truly doable (attainable) or you are setting yourself up for failure not for success.  Are you already doing a significant amount of exercise?  If not 4 days a week is a lot.  This is the only aspect of the goal you have set for yourself that I question so please let me know what your activity level is now.  
I would be happy to be your accountability partner.

Joan

Hi @JoanEG .... ahhh, SMART goals. I know them well. I should have gotten a dime for every time I did a workshop on them in my 30+ year in HR. I'd be a millionaire 😁 It is a good reminder though on ensuring a goal is truly attainable. I am quite capable of being very active. I've just been lazy to be honest. I was going to set a 6 day goal however I think 4 days is more realistic to start. I also only committed to 10 min of weight training as I ease in as muscles will be very sore to start until they get their memory back.

I use the Peloton app, plus we have the Bike+ and Tread and a full home gym so I don't have any excuses. While I'm in Florida I have access to a huge gym and I LOVE to swim which is what I've done the last few days. I also play Water Volleyball but only started out playing two games today as it's been a year (they play for 2 hours). Plus I can start to ease back to Pickleball but that will be last on my list.

So for now, I'll start with my four days of exercise per week w/ the mix of strength training (minimum 10 minutes) and at least 30 minutes of cardio.

I will reassess at the end of 30 days and see if I can increase the number of days and/or the amount of time devoted each day (and the mix of activities). We will see what my body says.

#Healthandwellness

Thanks to you, @sherrygroenendyk and @LeslieA for agreeing to be my accountability partners. I figure we can check on once a week to see how we are all doing. Others are welcome to join in at any time!!

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Well you definitely know what you are doing and you have all the tools you need to be successful !  You go girl! 🤗

AlwaysLearning.   I would like to join your exercise accountability group.   I was/am an avid hiker and backpacker, but I lost a lot of weight and muscle following my stage 4 diagnosis.  I currently walk 8 to 10 km per day and have started back hiking hills to regain my cardio strength.  
My exercise accountability plans would be to add strength training back in 3 to 4 days per week (I have my own weights and follow BODI app) and I would like to join a local yoga facility and practice yoga 2 to 3 days per week.  Also analyzing after a month to see if I can add more yoga days.   I would continue my daily walks but they wouldn't be part of my accountability as the walks are just part of my lifestyle especially while I'm taking olaparib (I started 500 mg a day 18 days ago. So far it's going pretty good especially if I keep active) 

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@sherrygroenendyk welcome to the accountability team. This is awesome. I'm hugely impressed with your daily walking. That's amazing!!!! I too lost a lost of muscle over the past year however I gained vs. lost weight so I'm trying to address that a bit too with my goals.

I love that you are adding strength training back. It's so important and even 10 min a day is beneficial. And good on you for adding yoga. I can't do yoga. I have NO flexibility and it really isn't my thing and I'm so jealous of those that can do it.

I'm thrilled to hear you are doing well on Olaparib. I'm 15 months in at 600/mg daily. I'm glad it's going well for you especially only 18 days in. It took me almost two months to get over the nausea and fatigue to start so you are doing amazing.

I will be posting my 'accountability' on a weekly basis with my progress. Looking forward to engaging with you and other on this. Yeah us!!!

#Healthandwellness

Greetings, Teal Sisters

@Alwayslearning, I want to jump in as a big fan of yoga.  ANYONE can do yoga! One of the beautiful things about it is that, like exercise programs for cancer patients/survivors that I've been in, it is easily modifiable.  I am stuck with neuropathy in my feet, so I can't do all the poses I used to do in the way that I used to do them, but with the help of props, I can get pretty close.  Chair yoga and gentle yoga are some options for anyone who is interested in giving yoga a try.  In trying different styles of yoga for the last nearly 15 years, I've realized that "power" yoga, Ashtanga, etc. are not really for me (although they offer great workouts).  A gentle flow is what I really enjoy, but sometimes I just do yoga on my own at home and let my body tell me what it's craving.  Yoga can increase flexibility, so even people who think that they're not flexible enough for it might surprise themselves.  Sadly, I've not been attending in-person classes these days, but YouTube is full of yoga classes.  Here's one that I like to do at bedtime.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZ1vnMbSkAI 

@FrogProf I'm always happy with how many people love Yoga. I occasionally will do Yoga Flow via my Peloton app however I have a condition where I cannot do any exercise where my head is down and below my heart. It causes me to pass out. I also can't do any high intensity impact (HIIT) either as my body cannot handle ups/downs in my cardiovascular system. Again, the result is fainting. This was all diagnosed years ago. Thus if I do Yoga, it's flow. I tend to do Pilates, again with modifications and do like it much better than Yoga. It has similar benefits relative to flexibility. The key as we all know is consistency. At 60 years old, I've learned sometimes the hard way, what works and what doesn't.  Thank you however for the reco and hopefully it will be helpful to others too!

#Healthandwellness

@LeslieA I'm excited to have you on the "accountability partner" team. I understand having the equipment at home but still tending to ignore it. We have a full gym that we built with everything you could imagine yet I would find lots of excuses to avoid it. I'm done with excuses.

Let me know if you have any specific goals that you'd like to commit to.

I'll be checking in on a weekly basis to this thread (at a minimum), with my progress on my personal accountability.

#Healthandwellness

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@JoanEG  @sherrygroenendyk  @LeslieA  .... here we go! I like to start my week on a Sunday so my exercise accountability goals will officially start today. This past week was my lead up. I've got my calendar printed so I can keep track (and keep myself honest 😊).

I'm excited to have you all there to help me stay on task. Good luck with your goals too. Looking forward to hearing how everyone is doing in a week.

#Healthandwellness

Here is my action plan for this week:

I have signed up for two Zumba dance classes and two strength-training classes. I have been doing these classes consistently since the beginning of September, and I notice that my body is getting much stronger. I also walk our dog Ember most mornings for about 2.5 km. So my add-on this week will be a bit of resistance training at home using the Arena bands. I will make this goal very small and doable such as 15 minutes on Thursday (which is a no-class day). 

I generally lie down for a rest each afternoon for about 1 hour, as I think rest is a good counterbalance to all this activity. My routine seems to be working well. I just have to stop eating tempting treats! Ugh. 

Leslie 

Good luck everyone. I also agree that yoga is good for every body. I must admit that I enjoy Pilates more than yoga, but it is hard to find in our little community. 

Leslie 

@LeslieA - a great plan!!! I'm with you on Pilates (I just posted that in a separate comment 😁).

I'm looking forward to engaging with you on this.

#Healthandwellness

Excited to get started this week.  I'm reducing my original goals as I'm finding myself more fatigued and nauseated this week.  Aside from starting olaparib this month I'm tapering off of fentanyl patches.  (When I was in palliative care for 3 weeks before treatment started they put me on fentanyl which I am now just tapering off of.)  I think the fatigue and nausea is from withdrawal symptoms.

So this week I will do my planned yoga at home rather than joining a studio at this time.   So 3 to 4   20 to 30 minute yoga sessions from YouTube and 3 to 4   20 minute sessions with weights at home, plus my daily walking.    
Hope everyone has a great week 

@sherrygroenendyk sorry to hear about the nausea. Good goals. Try not to overdo it if you aren't feeling great though. Listen to your body (I know...we all know that but sometimes the reminders help 😊). Happy exercise/movement! 

#Healthandwellness

Hello ladies,

I think I will join in on the fun of exercise accountability! Never heard that term before. I am a member of a lovely gym that is literally across the street from my home. I joined about a year ago and for the first few months I was consistently going 3 days a week at least. Doing very light cardio on the bike to help strengthen my leg that I broke. Then.... I stopped going.about a month ago I started going again. About 2to 3 times per week.

My goal is to walk on the treadmill for 30 to 45 mins or 5000 steps. Plus, kettlebell training 15 mins 3 times a week. If I can do this consistently for a month I will make changes to my plan. I do gentle yoga and essentrics at home maybe 2 times per week but want to increase that. Surgical menopause has really given me a voracious appetite, I certainly had one before, but it's something else now... Which has really turned my midsection into a pile of dough lol

@melissa yeah! Welcome to the group. I totally understand the midsection comment. I don't think having my belly sliced open vertically, from my boobs to my pelvic bone has helped me much 😂 although neither has my lack of consistent exercise so I gotta' own that one. 

I think this is going to be great for us all. Glad to have you with us on this more enjoyable part of this journey. I'm about to head into my home gym for abs and weight 🫠

#Healthandwellness

@lbarr72 how great to have the exercise resources available to you. I understand being a "social" exerciser. That's why I love my water volleyball so much. With lap swimming, it's just me however there are other people in the pool (some swimming, some walking) so there's typically always someone to say "hi" to. I firmly believe that all movement is good exercise, and moving firewood definitely counts!! Just don't over do it. 

P.S. I've been to Lucan when I visited some fall fairs in that area many years ago. My good friend lives in Kincardine and we hit up a bunch of towns. I also went to university with a gentleman from Lucan (VanGeel family if that name is familiar to you). It's a lovely area of Ontario.

#Healthandwellness

I agree with you @lbarr72 that movement of any kind is what we are shooting for. Chores around the house can count, especially if they involve some muscle strengthening and movement. Dancing around the house counts too! We can adapt exercises and movement according to how our bodies are recovering. Some days will be better than others. I notice that if I haven't had enough water during the day or enough protein at meals, I am more depleted when I go to Zumba class in the evening. I want to become more mindful of these areas and I might create a chart to track and improve this daily habit.  

Welcome Melissa.   Great goals. Love hearing other people's exercise methods.  I feel I may be  motivated to try new things 

@brendalee we will be here for when you want to join up. For now, you just take care of you and do what you can while completing your transfusions. They do take a lot out of you. When is your last chemo?

#Healthandwellness

Hello Brendalee,

   I am glad you got through that long day. I can relate, as my infusions were about 6+ hours each time because I reacted so badly to the paclitaxel. I had to take dex steroids (10 pills) the night before in order to tolerate the chemo. And somehow we get through!
   I imagine that you are relieved chemo is over. On my last day of chemo, I salsa danced (not very energetically) out of the cancer clinic, hoping to never come back. I wish that for all of us. 

Take good care of yourself as you go down into the dip, knowing that you will rise again. 

@brendalee CONGRATULATIONS on completing your chemo. Sometimes you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel however you persevered and got through it so well done. I, like you and @LeslieA had very long infusion days averaging 6-7 hours. I reacted to the Paclitaxel on the first infusion and had to do the 10 dex steroids the night before. Plus they did two additional steroids and an antihistamine via I/V before they'd even start my chemo infusions. Then like you, they had to start very, very slow albeit I certainly didn't have to go as slow as they did with you. I was told by one of my nurses that for Carboplatin, infusion 6+ is typically where people react and they said almost everyone does. You reacted so much sooner than most is appears. I'm so glad they pulled out all their tricks to get you through it. 

I hope this week goes without incident. I know from experience that the 1-7 days post infusion can be tough however you've been through it before so you know what to expect. Let's hope it's a mild vs steep downhill slope. Get lots of rest. Drink lots of water. Take the nausea meds if you need them!!!

Will be thinking of you.

#Supportandencouragement #Treatmentandsideeffects

@brendalee ...well you've certainly had a go of it with all those reactions however amazing (even though it may not seem that way), that you made it to 10 infusions before the carboplatin reaction AND that they have a process that enables you to continue with it.

We've had previous discussions on OVd with regard to Nab Paclitaxel and why it's not the standard of treatment, since it pretty much eliminates the allergic reactions. It always seems to boil down to cost which is very sad. It's a good reminder however for other Teal Sisters that it is an option if you react to Paclitaxel so don't forget to advocate for yourselves.

#Treatmentandsideeffects

Hi all! For anyone struggling finding time and access to an exercise program that understands some of the challenges we face due to cancer (and our treatments), and you're in a rural location, the University of Calgary (and a number of other universities across the country) offer this fabulous program: https://kinesiology.ucalgary.ca/labs/health-and-wellness/research/research-studies/exercise-cancer-enhance-living-well-excel 

It's online and they are fantastic. I've been doing this for two years and the difference in my strength and balance is tangible. 

Check it out if you get a few minutes. 

@LDMaking thank you for sharing the UofC information on their exercise program. Much appreciated. In addition, I've heard good things about the EXCEL exercise program. Information is at the link below. This is in addition to what is offered from Wellspring (they have online and in person programs) and Inspire Health both mentioned previously by another member in a separate thread. There are certainly lots of resources out there for us to take advantage of. 

• EXCEL exercise program -- you can find information about that program at this link:
• https://www.thepaclab.com/s-projects-side-by-side-1

 #Healthandwellness

@brendalee glad to hear you had your last infusion today!  Yeah!  Rest up.

@Alwayslearning this is great topic! I too need accountability to keep up my exercise routine. I love to walk, do pilates, ride my bike and do a weekly spin/strength class. I also do weight training 2-3 times per week. I am ready to jump to both keep myself accountable and encourage everyone else who is working ot keeping active. I am now 6 years NED and have kept up my exercise with many lapses in between! It always feel good to get back on the wagon.

Today I am goin got set a goal of doing an outdoor stair climb for 30 mins and see how many flights I can get in just to mix things up and work on my cardio a bit. Will let you know how I do,

Happy Saturday everyone!

@LizR  Wow, that's very inspiring!  Congratulations on 6 years NED.  Welcome to the accountability group 

HI @brendalee - I finished my chemo in the fall of 2019 before we had maintenance therapy as part of routine treatment for most people with High Grade Serous OC. I did ask about once it was available and my doctor and I decided I would not go on it. So far so good. 

I will say even when I was in treatment I tried to walk every day even it was just around the block. I had friends who came to walk with me which helped. When I started back to working out after treatment I tried thing sI was routinely doing before treatment and it would leave me flat on my back for 3 days! I learned from physio to just work out hard enough to be able to recover in 24 hours. You might feel a bit stiff but not wiped out. It took some trial and error but I found a good rhythm. 

I don't a lot of supplements I am not really a pill taker unless I have to. I do try to eat well, keep my sugar intake low and eat lots of fresh fruits and veg. We are also eating a much more plan forward diet. I still have a belly but then I think I will always have one of those! 

Also reporting in - I did my stair climb today for 30 mins and got 13 flights done. yeah!

 I think that LizR meant plant forward, which is a focus on plant-based foods such as vegetables and legumes. 

@brendalee.    I think trying different eating methods is a good idea to see what makes you feel the best.  When I had triple negative breast cancer 14 years ago I tried a variety of eating plans.   After trial and error I found eating lots of protein both animal and plant based and lots of vegetables made me feel the best.  As far as fruit goes apples and berries are my favourites so that is mostly what I eat.   Unfortunately I have a sweet tooth and that's a real struggle for me 

I also like to practice intermittent fasting because it helps with the evening sweet tooth, but now that I eat a small amount with my olaparib at 8 am and 8 pm an 8 hour eating window no longer works 

Sherry

@brendalee I modified my diet slightly. I was having a lot of lower abdominal pain. They could not diagnose it. Could be side effect of the Lynparza (Olaparib). Could be scar tissue forming on my colon. When I had my colonoscopy (routine) they discovered that my sigmoid colon had narrowed likely due to the surgery and it all readjusting into it's new space (plus scar tissue). So, I was advised to cut back on fibre and try more "low fibre diet" stuff. My oncology medical team did say that a true "low fibre diet" is not really healthy so they said to just modify. So I cut back on things like raw veggies, and I try to moderate how much salad I eat over the course of a week. Plus I used to eat a lot of nuts and I've cut back on those quite a bit (they have rough/raw edges when being digested so can get stuck in the colon. My modifications have seemed to help. Thankfully I can still eat cooked veggies. I eat nuts but I chew them really, really, really well. So I feel that I'm in fortunate.

I like @LeslieA eat as balanced as I can. The only vitamins I take are Vit D and Calcium. The rest I do my best to get from natural food sources.

#Healthandwellness

@brendalee I have not reduced my carb intake. I don't tend to eat a lot of bread to start with however if I want a slice, I'll eat one. I also make homemade banana/blueberry muffins and typically have one of those each day. I do tend toward veggies vs. potatoes however that's always been a preference. Grains and beans are not "low fibre diet" friendly so I do eat them however, I monitor how much just to make sure my system doesn't get mad at me.

#Healthandwellness

@brendalee that sounds like an interesting thread and a good idea to create separately so the ideas don't get lost within this thread.

@LizR first off CONGRATULATIONS on 6 years NED. This is news we all love to hear as it provides hope and proof that we can beat this thing!! Also, welcome to the accountability group. Sounds like you have a good plan of attack and lots of differentiations which I find helps break up the monotony. I hope the stair climbing went well. I'd be out of breath after 3 stairs 😂

I'll be checking in with folks tomorrow and see how everyone did in their first week. Stay tuned!

#Healthandwellness

Hello exercise accountability group. It's Sunday and I wanted to check in to see how everyone is doing against their goals. I will admit I thought I was going to miss achieving mine as I ended up with muscular aching in my right leg at the latter part of this week. I had it checked out and it was nothing concerning. It's a reminder to ease in slowly. Thankfully xS-Tylenol and exercise on alternate days helps. 

So I accomplished my goal (YEAH) - 4 days of exercise this week; 10 min of weight training each day plus 30 min of cardio. 

For the coming week, I'll stick to the same plan. I'm going to focus a bit more on upper body with the weights. It will give my legs a break. 

How did everyone else do?

@JoanEG  @sherrygroenendyk  @LeslieA  @melissa  @LizR  @lbarr72

#Healthandwellness

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@LizR .. thanks! You've got a great plan for the week. Love the additional flight addition to the stairs (I prefer my flights in wine 😂). I'm headed to the pool. I'm aiming for 26 laps this week!!

Here's to continued strength and wellness!! 

#Healthandwellness

Congratulations @LizR and @alwayslearning on reaching your goals this week.  I am one weightlifting session shy of my goal this week.  So three times yoga and two times weightlifting at 20 minutes, plus my walking which totalled 97 km this week. I know I said I wasn't going to count the walking, but it makes me feel good to acknowledge it.
Boy oh boy do I need that yoga! I have never been as stiff and inflexible as I am right now.

I will keep my goals the same for this coming week

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Happy Sunday, Teal Sisters

Well, by posting about yoga, I seem to have joined this group... I've really been a slacker about exercise since the summer ended, which makes me very sad.  I was very active over the summer, doing an in-person circuit class for the 55+ crowd (even though I'm not quite there yet) 3x/week, in-person yoga at least once a week, an EXCEL program a few times a week (until the instructor moved away :( ), and walking when I could find ways to fit it in.  I've been trying to get into a routine where I rotate my physio exercises across Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, an EXCEL workout at home on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and then walking and yoga when I find ways to fit them in.  Unfortunately, I've rarely met these goals.  Maybe this accountability group will be good for me! Perhaps I also need to get back into the habit of inviting myself to swim at the home of some friends who have a hot tub and heated pool (!) in their basement. I also have a treadmill at home, so when it's too cold to walk outside, I'll sometimes get on there.  (I remember some of my post-surgery goals, like walking on the treadmill for 5 minutes a day.)

So, trying again... There might be in-person EXCEL classes picking up in January, but (health permitting), I'm working full time, so those can be hard to squeeze in if they happen on days that I teach.  In the meantime, I'd like to go back to my goal of physio exercises MWF, EXCEL workouts (online) Tuesdays and Thursdays, and yoga + walking (outside or on treadmill) when I make the time.  Perhaps by posting my goals publicly, I'll push myself harder to meet them! 

I'm always trying to get out daily and walk the dogs, it's only like 20-25 mins but I'm still moving.  I walked with a friend on Thursday did 14000 steps by end of the day, but boy once I stop I find my body stiffens up so much and everything hurts, haven't figured out if this is the chemo, colder weather or the menopause part….but boy so achy feel like you gotta keep moving but then so tired don't want to move anymore once you stop…..

Sorry I have been MIA.  I have been crazy busy and therefore my activity has mainly been in the getting stuff done category.  I have to admit that since I turned 74 it seems like I dont have the energy I once did.  Between the Olaparib, the COPD and my high blood pressure some days I struggle.  I work part time and twice a week I look after my two oldest great grandkids after school.  I have made it to yoga class twice a week, I walk my dogs (stroll is more like it) everyday and I have been trying to get in 20 minutes brisk walking on my walking pad 3 days a week.  This week I only managed twice.  Today I moved furniture out of my living room and two bedrooms as I have someone coming to clean my carpets tomorrow.  I also put away all my lawn and garden tools, drained my hoses and shut off the water to my outside taps.  I do so many chores that my husband used to do I find my "exercise" program is more in the form of day to day activities.  It all counts!  Keeping this old body moving any way I can!

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@JoanEG thank you for my morning chuckle. I saw the Zombie pic before I read your post and boy did that make me laugh 😂. Years ago I had a shirt made that said, "I don't run. And if you see me running, you should run too because something is chasing me." It still makes me laugh to this day.

Your post and all your activity almost exhausted me! You clearly have a lot going on so remember to give yourself grace. I'm betting that looking after great grandkids can require a lot of energy in and of itself! Dog walking also counts, regardless of how fast you are going. It's still movement. I love that your exercise program is in the form of daily activities. Exercise takes so many forms. When I was recovering from my surgery (my incision runs vertically from just under my boobs to my lower pelvic bone), I had 64 staples and movement was very hard. I cried many times just trying to get out of bed. My husband however, encouraged me (I cursed his name many times) every day to walk. We were using a friends condo and so I would go out in my bathrobe and slippers and walk one length of the hallway out and back to the apartment. It felt like it took forever but I still did it, even with lots of breaks. Slowly I would add two lengths, three etc. I'm so glad I did because the movement is what got my brain refocused and gave me purpose and strength. So please, take purpose and strength in the form of exercise, from all of your daily activities. You are after all, a Teal Warrior!! 🩵

#Healthandwellness

@Meinvan I think that daily dog walks definitely count!!!! It's movement and that's what matters. 

Perhaps it's worth doing some basic stretching before you go for walks. I'm betting you can find some lower body/pre-walking stretch videos on YouTube. I did a quick search and found "How-To Warm Up Before a Long Walk" and "Three BEST walking warm up exercises". I would suggest, post walking you may want to do some stretches too. It can take 5 minutes and may help. 

I was never one who did stretching however the more I got involved with the exercises on my Peloton app, the more I was reminded that pre and post stretching is so important. When I do my swim laps, I always stretch my arms/legs/neck. I do the same before my water volleyball. I've actually noticed a difference.

Just a suggestions however, perhaps it will help. Regardless, keep up that dog walking!!!

#Healthandwellness

@Alwayslearning. I'll try a warm up stretches before walking and an after walk cooling down stretch….i feel I'm already doing that most of the time because I'm usually always on the go 

@lbarr72 excellent words of reminder and wisdom. Thank you!!! Also, your friend is very fortunate to have you ❤️

#Healthandwellness

@lbarr72 I agree. I think that's why I love how honest everyone in this group is being. I also love that everyone's goals are so different and are aligned with what they feel they can accomplish based on their personal circumstance. It's ultimately about each of us as individuals. ❤️ 

@brendalee.   It definitely will get easier as the days pass and you recover from chemo. I could only walk a kilometre or two during my chemo with 2 walking sticks at a very slow pace.   Hang in there and give yourself time. ❤️

@FrogProf blame that all on me. I went through the thread and was reminded of your post so I didn't want to exclude you. If however we've provided inspiration then we'll take that as a positive. Remember to start slow (I know you know that). I will admit that I thought my 4 out of 7 days was an easy goal to set. As Sunday approached, I realized it wasn't as "easy" as I thought, albeit it was achievable. It is however nice to have you in the group. Happy exercising!!!

As an aside, I want to know some of your friends with indoor heated pools in their basements 😂

#Healthandwellness

@sherrygroenendyk 97 km of walking!! You darn well better add that to your achievements. That's amazing. 🙌 It's reminding me that walking is the most simple of all the exercises available to us. I need to rethink whether I should add that to mine. I could easily pour myself out of bed in the morning and go for a walk. Thanks for the inspiration.

Onward to this week...

#Healthandwellness

@Alwayslearning.   I absolutely love walking.  I can get up in the morning start walking and walk all day until bedtime.   I'm also a backpacker and love nothing more than crawling out of my tent in the morning, strapping on my 28 lb pack and hiking all day until the next planned camp spot.   I was lucky enough to hike the Grand Canyon rim to rim to rim last year with my pack and tent.  It was one of the most magical experiences I've ever had.   I'm working at building strength and endurance so I can get back to backpacking this coming summer.  

@sherrygroenendyk that's amazing!! 

@LizR a border collie. OMG. Don't throw a ball (my sister has one too) 😁

I completed my two Zumba classes and two strength-training classes this week, but I didn't do any resistance training with my bands at home (which was part of my plan). I know it takes a while to be consistent with a new behaviour, so I will stay mindful. This upcoming week brings some challenges for my fitness goals because we are driving to Victoria on Tuesday so I will miss one fitness class. Our plan is to walk around the harbour and see the beautiful Christmas lights on Tuesday night so I hope to get some steps in. As long as I keep moving in some way throughout the week! 

It is great to read everyone's responses to our fitness challenge. Any kind of movement to any degree one can manage counts and makes a difference in the long game! 

@LeslieA.  You mention driving to Victoria to see the lights which makes me wonder if you live on Vancouver Island?    I'm in Parksville.  

Yes Sherry we are both Island girls, as is Joan. I now live in Campbell River, but was born & raised in Nanaimo, moved to Victoria for a few years and later on lived in the Comox Valley for 22 years. I have lived other places too (Toronto and Vancouver), but I always came back to the island. 

@LeslieA good for you for what you did accomplish and yes, getting into a routine/habit does take time. I think that walking around a harbour counts towards your fitness. As you say, it's movement!!

I too am so impressed. Everyone is being so genuine and honest. It's a reminder that we can set goals, but we can also change them. A goal by it's definition is, "the object of a person's ambition or effort; an aim or desired result."  It's not a requirement. It's something to strive towards and something that can always be modified. I think we are all amazing!!!! Way to go Teal Sisters. 🙌🩵 You are helping me more than you'll know!!! 

#Healthandwellness #Supportandencouragement

Hi all! I am late to the discussion! First, is there another way to add to the thread other then "reply" to someone's post? (Still trying to figure this out!) I bit the bullet this fall, knowing I might be back in chemo, and joined a masters swim team once a week. I am a former swimmer/lifeguard but it has been about 30 years since I have trained with a team. I go with a couple of friends and am loving it! I actually signed up to do a meet next weekend as I wanted to do one before restarting chemo in case I dont feel like it in the spring. I am terrified but hoping I won't chicken out! I also started playing pickleball and am loving that too! I usually play once a week with friends…one of whom is a breast cancer survivor and it is the best to sweat it out and not think about cancer for an hour! Other than that, I like walking and weights, yoga….you name it! Love the accountability here! I truly believe exercise is one of the most under-used drugs!

Hi @GoldenDaisy ... to answer your first question, the easiest way to add is to just hit "reply" to my initial posting for this thread. That will put your post right at the bottom, or said differently, it will make it the most recent post. If that doesn't make sense let me know.

How exciting to join a swim team. And masters level. You are a true champion! I only started swimming a few years ago and really do love it. It's why I added it to my accountability goals as there's no excuse not to get into a pool and do some laps while I'm here in Florida (unless the pool is too cold...that's my excuse 😁). Also love that you signed up for a meet. The fact that you signed up shows your strength and just participating will demonstrate how amazing you are!!! Wishing you lots of luck in the pool.

Isn't pickleball great?! Who knew right. I haven't played since Jan 2024 when I was diagnosed. I'm easing back into all my activities and it's on my list to re-engage in January. There are over 400 members in our community PB club and I'm looking forward to getting back on the courts.

I just want to confirm that you are okay if I include you in the weekly "check-ins" for this group. It will still be through this thread.

#Healthandwellness

Sure! It will help keep me motivated during treatment. Masters meets are amazing. I have officiated at a few and to see people of all ages competing really against ourselves is so inspiring! There was a woman in her 60's swimming and when she was done, she got out to cheer on her Mom who was in her 90's competing! The hour in the pool is amazing as your brain is too busy counting and trying to breathe that you can't think of anything else. Getting in last night though when it was -18 was the real challenge! Lol

.🏊👍

@Tanja ... I love the diversity of activity from the Teal Sisters. Yoga. Pickleball. Walking. Swimming. Horseback riding. Hockey. The list goes on. It reminds me of how unique we all are even though we share a common enemy in OVC.

Out of curiosity, what position do you play??

#Healthandwellness

Happy end of week folks. Just checking in to see how everyone did against their exercise goals this week. I managed to achieve my 4 days of cardio (up to 30 laps in the pool) plus 10m of strength training. I've also added in 10 min of abs too. My ab work messed up my lower back a bit (always a weak area for me). It's been burning for a few days so I've taken it a bit easy. It's a catch 22. To help strengthen your back, you need to strengthen your abs. However, when I do ab work, it tends to hurt my back. 😗 I have to be careful which exercises I do. It's my own fault. I didn't pay close enough attention. Good reminder for me.

I hope everyone had a good exercise week. I'm so impressed with the diversity of exercise approach across this group. As we said, this is not a competition. This is just a way to keep each other motivated into movement. Drop a line if you get a chance. Here we go into the coming week!!

@JoanEG @sherrygroenendyk @LeslieA @melissa @LizR @lbarr72 @GoldenDaisy

#Healthandwellness

This week was decent for me! Weights and yoga, my swim practice and lots of steps working at a meet. I still need to get into a better routine to try to get more weights and yoga/pilates. Also need to motivate myself to get out and walk when it is cold out! Great job@Alwayslearning on hitting your goals! 

@brendalee ahhh Dead Bugs. I know them well. Also I completely know the exercise you are mentioning although I too have no idea what it's called. Both good suggestions. Thank you. I know what I did to make my back angry. I tried to do some V-Ups. Dumb. Dumb. Dumb. My core is just not ready so it all went into my lower back. A good reminder to modify my exercises to what I'm capable of. Planks are always a go to for me. I will endeavour to try some of those too. Appreciate the suggestions. 

#Healthandwellness

@LeslieA well done plus the 3km dog walks. It's all great movement for the body. Sorry to hear about the Achilles tendons. It's maddening when you have motivation in your brain but your body has other plans. Hopefully your physio therapist will have some ideas. I learned a few years ago that weight training can often be better than cardio so perhaps he/she will have some reco's for that. I'm sure regardless, they will provide some exercises. I hope it gets better.

Also I love Golden's. I have a Labradoodle. She's 14 1/2 so her energy level is very low now however I remember her active days. I'm guessing that's a picture of her in your bio picture?

#Healthandwellness

Yes Alwayslearning, that is my girl Ember. She is turning 3 in February. She started sleeping beside my bed after I became ill and during those long, sleepless, distressing chemo nights, came to comfort me wherever I was. Now that I feel much better, she has returned to her dog bed in the living room. Pets can be so attuned to our pain and provide a kind of loving attention like nothing else! 

@Liz well done this week and snowshoeing. That's very cool!!  We go to the Fern Resort in Orillia each year and that's when I try snowshoeing. I say try because I think I spend more time laughing and trying to move my foot then I do conquering distance. It's not easy so I'm betting you got a good workout with that.

Keep that motion going!

#Healthandwellness

@GoldenDaisy nicely done! Lots of variety in there. I agree, cold outside can certainly be demotivating. 🥶 Maybe target for one day of outside walking when there's sun (I know...it's winter...where's the sun!!). You've got this!!

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Good morning, I'm a day late checking in.  Had a busy day yesterday with a four hour hike and then tromping through the bush looking for a Christmas tree.  I got all my weightlifting in this week, but I was short one day of yoga, so I only did two x yoga.  I had some withdrawal symptoms from tapering my fentanyl this week, so I spent too much time laying in bed rotting when actually I should've been doing more yoga.   Feeling better now and I don't taper again until next week so hopefully I can meet my goals this week.  I did accumulate 97 kilometres walking.  

Very impressive Sherry! 

@sherrygroenendyk I hope you found the perfect tree after a four hour hike 😁🌲

Good for you on all your activity this week. Sorry to hear about the withdrawal symptoms however you clearly did so much and should be very proud of that! Plus I'm glad you are feeling better.

Out of curiosity, how do you track your km's? I have a Fitbit which counts steps for me. Sadly it doesn't do anything, even when I'm wearing it, when I'm swimming which sucks. I'm always curious about the different technology people use. I think I need to make a change in mine.

#Healthandwellness

@Alwayslearning.  I have an Apple Watch that I keep track of my activities on   So when I go for a walk, I said it on Outdoor walk, then hit the X button to finish the walk and it keeps track of my kilometres.   I have a spreadsheet that I keep track of my medication's on, so I added a section to it to keep track of my activities which is where I then track my daily kilometres     If you have an iPhone, you can keep track on there too.  Just put it in your back pocket when you go for a walk and then look at the little heart health at the end of the walk and it will show your kilometers.   

@sherrygroenendyk thanks. You made me curious so I poked around my Peloton App and there you go...there's a section to track an outdoor walk. Plus it counts towards my overall Peloton activity milestones. I'll give that a try and if I don't think it's working well, I'll check it out on my iPhone.

Thank you.

#Healthandwellness

Hello ladies,

I've been a bit of a slacker in the exercise department the past two weeks. Last week I managed to get 39,000 steps in mostly due to my job. I went to the gym twice last week for the treadmill but I have not got any kettlebell sessions in which I am upset about. My intentions are always good but I have a hard time being consistent. You would think knowing how exercise can benefit us and potentially reduce likelihood of recurrence would be enough : ). I need to find a way to just make it a non- negotiable and I think the only way to accomplish that is set very easy goals, and take it from there. It is quite impressive reading all that you ladies accomplish during the week... particularly the 97km, my eyes bugged out of my head when I read that last week lol

One thing is undeniable is how much exercise can improve the mood even with just a few mins. This morning I did 30 minutes of my mom's old Jane Fonda workout video.. I do love my 80's aerobics lol.

have a great day everyone and good luck with your goals!

We can do it!!  

@lbarr72 doing anything related to moving gets your body moving in ways you don't always realize (bending, pulling, pushing, lifting etc.) so you are no doubt getting a workout. The fact that you also were able to add in two workout classes is admirable so pat yourself on the back for that! For this week, you do whatever you can. The goal is for this to be fun and motivational and to represent what works for each of us. You've got this!

P.S. I hope the oncologist checkup goes well 🤞

#Healthandwellness

I have to walk every day. It's the only thing that helps manage my anxiety. I have a lot of anxiety and I'm taking citalopram, but I still need more help.  I've been seeing counsellor and I'm learning coping tools like the 54321 and breathing exercises but that's not enough.   Seems if I walk, do the breathing exercises and listen to a podcast about anxiety all at the same time I can get some relief.   Yesterday was bad so I left the house at 11 am and got back home at 4 pm.  Just walking………. 

@sherrygroenendyk it's good you've found something that works for you...and it costs nothing, right?! No gym membership needed to walk. ❤️

@brendalee you need to do whatever you can as you recover from your chemo. I used to read about how many people were out walking after their infusions and I felt lucky to get out of bed the first 7 days post my infusion. I kind of felt guilty and then realized we can only do what we are capable of and to not judge or compare or compete with others. Once I was feeling well and ready, I started to walk but it took me time to get momentum. So....your walk to the coffee shop is a great start! You will know when you are ready to get back into the swing of it. 

P.S. I love Escape to the Country too

#Healthandwellness

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