45 calories

"45 calories," I could have shouted at the assisted living facility's activity director.  I almost did today as she was bounding up the stairs as I was following the kids down.  Yesterday, when we were in reverse roles (I bounding up, she walking down), I overheard a conversation between the activities director and one of the co-workers.  Something along the lines of "I don't need a treadmill, I walk these stairs a gazillion times a day."  It made me curious and so I looked up the number of calories burnt while ascending and descending a standard set of stairs (16 treads).  Turns out it is just short of .5 calories per tread -- 15 calories for up and down one flight.  Since I was coming down from the third floor and I assume she up from the first -- round trip would equal 45 calories. I clocked it on the treadmill desk and @ 5.0% incline, 1.5 mph, it took me ~ 9 minutes to burn 45 calories.  She is right -  she doesn't need a treadmill desk.  But for those of us that don't regularly ascend and descend 3 flights of stairs multiple times a day, the treadmill desk can do the trick.  I do think, however, that the stairs provide an important object lesson, particularly in this place where the elevator is the "default mode of transportation" for most of the residents.  When we are able we should take the stairs because it can prolong our need for the "default mode of transportation."

Medication Macala

So after 58 continuous days of exercise, I finally found myself taking a break from the treadmill desk after a long day of moving my mother-in-law into her new apartment yesterday.  I was once again reminded of the importance of preventative health as I sat at the table in her new apartment sorting through a myriad of medications.  The ginormous daily pill boxes my brother-in-law purchased provided the perfect sorting tool and a walk back into elementary school memories as I dropped pill after pill in to the little compartments -- it was a bit like playing macala -- but rather than brightly colored legumes to use as my game pieces I found myself playing with oddly shaped, brightly colored, and helpfully labeled tablets and capsules.  Medication macala.  It took my more than an hour to sort the 20 some medications across the morning and evening med boxes (checking and double checking) and provided a great opportunity to remind myself about the importance of keeping up my treadmill desk and 39 push-up routine on a DAILY basis for the rest of my life. Although I did not feel anxious about missing yesterday (as I might have weeks earlier or with previous routines), I was happy to find time today to jump back on the tread.

Arm strength & 70-year old reminders

In the last two weeks I have had the unusual experience of being active in the care of my 70 year old father and my 70 year old mother-in-law.  It is through this experience that I am so incredible grateful for the genetic code that my parents have passed down to me.  About 6 weeks ago, my dad injured his knee while dodging a wave during a spontaneous walk on the beach.  He is a fabulous physical specimen of preventative health and fitness.  He bikes, kayaks, travels all over the world, and walks regularly with my mom (who is herself a youthful 67).  My mother-in-law on the other hand is on the other end of the spectrum.  She has many chronic health conditions and after a series of recent health issues, we are preparing to move her in to an assisted care residence.  I stayed with her last night to help with some mobility issues she was having.  Earlier in the month I watched my dad easily maneuver with a walker and later crutches - his upper extremity able to carry a heavier load while he recovers from knee surgery.  My mother-in-law, on the other hand, struggles to push herself up into her walker.  These wonderful object lessons so closely together have encouraged me to add a push-up routine to my daily activities so that I can maintain a strong upper body to go with my increasingly strong lower body.