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Merry & Happy Everything!
I’m having a hard time believing there are only nine days left in 2021. (And this is the second-to-last Workout Wednesday of the year!) However, just like this time last December, I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in being ready to rip this year off the calendar, too.
I didn’t want 2021 to end without expressing my gratitude to all of you who’ve continued to stop by here despite the limited number of posts. Just like this blog’s first holiday season back in 2011, I am beyond thankful for all the supportive comments on the increasingly random musings shared here – from my personal reflections on the ongoing COVID situation to the unbelievable lifechanging ear surgery I had in October. I feel beyond blessed to wrap up another year in good health and being able to share another Christmas with my aging parents. Of course, I also think of those we lost this year, especially my dear Uncle Lou. My heart goes out to all those missing loved ones during the holidays.
None of us knows what 2022 will bring on so many levels. James and I will start ours in a new home in a new town with new adventures ahead. (For me, that includes getting back in fighting form at the TITLE Boxing Club in Huntington!) I’m honestly not sure what the future of this site will look like, but if I’ve learned anything since the world changed nearly two years ago, it’s to let go of the small stuff and just do the best with each day you’re lucky enough to open your eyes and start anew.
I close out the year with another heartfelt thank you for the ongoing support here at LauraLovesFitness and on my social media channels. Wishing all those celebrating a very Merry Christmas, and cheers to a happy and healthy 2022 filled with countless opportunities to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
Eat. Trace. Sleep. Repeat.
Caffeine fix before the work day
Six weeks since my last post. Yikes. Aside from my summer hiatus when life was “normal,” I’ve never taken such a big pause between sharing my thoughts. But life is far beyond normal, and somehow time seems to stand still and race ahead at the same time. I do find comfort in the knowledge there are only three weeks left in this horrendous year.
Writing has always been one of my escape mechanisms. During these past six weeks, however, I’ve simply been too tired to put more than a few sentences together. And it’s not just physical fatigue. This is the most mental exhaustion I can remember pushing through since I don’t know when. Of course, I realize I’m not alone. Especially since I hear more fatigue, fear and frustration in the voices of the people I speak with every day in my work with the Test & Trace Corps. Twenty weeks into the job I never could have dreamed having during my lifetime, the number of those voices has exploded. When our call center opened yesterday, there were 10,000 calls to be made to cases and contacts throughout Manhattan and the five boroughs.
My 2020 Survival Tools
So forgive me if this isn’t one of more eloquent posts. Like many New Yorkers and I imagine, most Americans, I’m tired. Tired in my body, heart and soul. So finding daily comforts has become increasingly important with each day I’m blessed to open my bloodshot eyes. As the official start of winter creeps closer, my 2020 self-care indulgences include wine, baths, Vitamin D supplements in addition to my daily multi-vitamin, lots of candles and anything scented with lavender. I encourage everyone to find your own creature comforts and moments of Zen – no matter how fleeting – whenever you can.
I don’t mean to sound so heavy. I do love the ability to talk with my fellow New Yorkers and know the Test & Trace program is helping many of them by providing everything from the phone number for the city’s mental health hotline to assistance with food and medication deliveries. I am beyond thankful I’ve gotten to see my parents this year, especially when I know many families have been separated since the pandemic began. I am thankful for my husband, family and friends who worry about my well-being. I am thankful for the doctors, nurses and researchers who keep fighting the good fight and the essential workers who keep our city open. And I look forward to celebrating another Christmas – even if it involves a virtual get-together with our usual holiday crowd – and of course, to ringing in the start of what has to be a better New Year.
Thank you for entertaining my random thoughts through these difficult months and for all the support you’ve offered from near and far. I wish all of my readers moments of peace and happiness during this strange holiday season. Here’s to a safe end to 2020 and all good thoughts for a 2021 filled with new chances to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
A Festive End to 2016: The 12 Days of Fitness
I truly can’t believe this is the last Motivation Monday before Christmas. Keeping up with tradition, this will not only be my last post of the year, but it’s also a chance for me to offer my fitness-inspired twist on a holiday classic. Today I give you…
The 12 Days of Fitness
On the first day of fitness, my workout gave to me…a super-surge of endorphins.
On the second day of fitness, my workout gave to me…two tighter thighs and a super-surge of endorphins.
On the third day of fitness, my workout gave to me…three sets of squats, two tighter thighs and a super-surge of endorphins.
On the fourth day of fitness, my workout gave to me…four minutes of tabatas, three sets of squats, two tighter thighs and a big rush of endorphins.
On the fifth day of fitness, my workout gave to me…five fitness apps! Four minutes of tabatas, three sets of squats, two tighter thighs and a big rush of endorphins.
On the sixth day of fitness, my workout gave to me…six static stretches, five fitness apps! Four minutes of tabatas, three sets of squats, two tighter thighs and a big rush of endorphins.
On the seventh day of fitness, my workout gave to me…seven stability exercises, six static stretches, five fitness apps! Four minutes of tabatas, three sets of squats, two tighter thighs and a big rush of endorphins.
On the eighth day of fitness, my workout gave to me….eight pulse and squeezes, seven stability exercises, six static stretches, five fitness apps! Four minutes of tabatas, three sets of squats, two tighter thighs and a big rush of endorphins.
On the ninth day of fitness, my workout gave to me…nine neuromuscular benefits, eight pulse and squeezes, seven stability exercises, six static stretches, five fitness apps! Four minutes of tabatas, three sets of squats, two tighter thighs and a big rush of endorphins.
On the tenth day of fitness, my workout gave to me….ten minutes rowing, nine neuromuscular benefits, eight pulse and squeezes, seven stability exercises, six static stretches, five fitness apps! Four minutes of tabatas, three sets of squats, two tighter thighs and a big rush of endorphins.
On the eleventh day of fitness, my workout gave to me…eleven eccentric muscle actions, ten minutes rowing, nine neuromuscular benefits, eight pulse and squeezes, seven stability exercises, six static stretches, five fitness apps! Four minutes of tabatas, three sets of squats, two tighter thighs and a big rush of endorphins.
On the twelfth day of fitness, my workout gave to me…twelve reps of lunges, eleven eccentric muscle actions, ten minutes rowing, nine neuromuscular benefits, eight pulse and squeezes, seven stability exercises, six static stretches, five fitness apps! Four minutes of tabatas, three sets of squats, two tighter thighs and a big rush of endorphins.
Whatever you and your family are celebrating as another year winds down, I wish you a very happy and healthy holiday ahead. I close with a heartfelt thank you for all the support throughout a tumultuous year. Here’s to the New Year ahead filled with so many new chances to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous. See you next year!
lauralovesfitness 