Moving Furniture Constitutes as a Work-Out, Right?

So, the day has officially arrived that it's time for me to head back in to my classroom to prepare for the beginning of the school year.

It arrived way too quickly...and "officially" I don't go back until August 12th.  But there's way too much that needs to be done before the first day of school (Aug. 15th) to gamble waiting until the 12th.

Back to school classroom preparation is both a mental and physical work-out.

Mental in the sense that I worry and over-think and stress over what I need to get done, rather than just jumping in and doing it.  Or maybe making a to-do list to keep myself focused.

Physical because it's my job to unpack all of my furniture from the corner it's been stacked in to and get it to where it needs to be.  All by myself.

I know it probably doesn't sound too bad, but move around 22 student desks, a teacher's desk, several book shelves, a kidney table, and computer carts... and then once they've been moved, move them all over again and again until the layout is just right.  It can get pretty exhausting.  

Especially when it's just me.  And not even a dolly or equipment to help.

Who needs gym equipment when they can lug around classroom furniture?

That equates to a work-out, right?  Spending a couple of hours moving furniture around... which I know is how long it will take.  And that's just today.  No doubt I'll hate the arrangement by the time I go back tomorrow and will start from scratch.  Again.

Yesterday morning, I went and walked 5K.  It was close to mid-day, but the temps were only in the lower 70s by then...and it was just perfect.  I quickly got in to my zone, letting the beat of my music set the pace of my walking.  I may or may not have been singing out loud while doing it... but that's one of the fun parts about walking.  I love being able to sing along with my music and not have any idea how loud I actually am.

I walked down to the park.  Walked around the park a couple of times.  Walked down Main Street for a while.  Then, turned around and came home.  It was probably more than 5K being that it's a mile down to the park... so it's two miles just there and back.  But, 5K is pretty close.

It's amazing how good I feel after a walk.  Not just mentally, but physically as well.  For the past few days, my knees have been acting up.  Undoubtedly due to the weather changes.  By early evening, I've been feeling quite a bit of soreness in my knees that have to be babied and hobbled around on.  I knew that I ran the risk of further aggravating my knees with my walking, but I took the chance.  And it paid off.  I didn't have a bit of knee pain last night.

I've also been waking up with some back pain over the past week or so.  Probably from sleeping so hard and so long.  Well, I felt some twinges in my back while walking... but twinges like whatever was clogged up back there was getting untwined.  And, no back pain this morning.

I know that with body aches, I should air on the side of caution about how much physical activity I do... but it's different when those body aches come from a lack of use.  I know my knees get sore from sitting around too much.  I know my back aches from sleeping too long.  The only way to fix those issues is to put them both to work.  Which paid off, big time.

With the physical remedies, there's also the mental remedies.  Clearing my head.  Not thinking about anything except the music that's playing in my ears and the way my feet hit the ground.  Sure, thoughts come sneaking in to my mind... but they don't last long.  I'm too busy focusing on keeping my pace to the beat of the music.  I'm not talented enough to multi-task my brain.  It has to be thinking about one thing at a time... while I'm walking, anyway.

I just wish I could remember how great I feel after a walk each time I am mentally arguing with myself about whether I want to go and walk or not.  Making myself go is the hardest part.  I never regret going.  But, for some reason, my mind just fights with me to just get started.

My eating has been going pretty well.  I'm eating less.  I'm eating better foods.  I found some small onion bagels while grocery shopping on Friday and Greek yogurt cream cheese.  I had both after coming back from walking yesterday and they were SUPER yummy and filling.  And I didn't have any cravings after for something else.  

I guess there are carbs out there that can satisfy me without sending me on a binge.  It will just take a while to test and evaluate.  

Anyway, it's time for me to start thinking about heading to work.

That sounds weird.

But it is what it is.

Till next time!