Yesterday was last week, last month, and last year. For less than 24 hours, that’s a long time ago. It’s nice to use this time of year to reflect on the past and plan or look forward to the future, but I am choosing not to make any “New Year’s Resolutions” this year because I already have some goals on which I have been working. I try not to end my sentences with prepositions; thank you high school grammar. I also usually end up disappointing myself when it comes to resolutions, and why do that to myself? This seems to happen especially if I make diabetes-related resolutions. Every day is a different balancing act; metaphorically speaking, one day I might be juggling while tight-wire walking and another I could be hula-hooping and unicycling. Each day brings something different to the diabetes circus, so it’s best to simply try every day, and hopefully on a good day I’ll learn from my mistakes and do better the next time, and maybe even replicate some successes.
With that, I hope you all have a happy and health New Year.
By the way, the title for today’s post is taken from a line in the song, “Cradle of Humankind” by Flogging Molly. I think of it as a good song for the New Year. Give a listen if you wish.
Finally, I promised I would divulge my warm-ups for pull ups. Incidentally, I use the same warm-up for pushups as pull ups because I usually do my pull ups right after my pushups. I’m following a “7 Weeks to 100 Pushups” routine (from a book by Steve Speirs), which is where I got the warm up routine. So, I hope I don’t get sued. Generally, it’s good to move your neck, shoulders, back, and waist to warm them up. Do each move 8-10 times before moving onto the next.
- · Move your neck side-to-side, then up and down, then look side-to-side, finally roll your head all around clockwise then counterclockwise.
- · Shrug your shoulders up then roll them back and down. Repeat but roll them forward.
- · With your elbows close to your side bend at 90 degrees with your hands in front and twist your torso side to side.
- · Let your hands hang down by your side then reach one side to the floor (or to your knee) keeping your hand close to your leg, then the other side (back and forth).
- · Run in place for a minute or two.
- · Big arm circles forward and backward. As if you're swimming through air, keeping your arms straight. Can be done one side at a time or simultaneously.
- · Rotator cuff warm up 1 (my addition): with your elbows tight to your side and bent at 90 degrees and hands in front (I make mine into fists), pull your hands away from each other as if you’re opening cupboard doors. Bring your fists back together.
- · Big hugs. Holding your arms out to your sides, parallel with the floor, swing your hands in front of and across you so that you end up giving yourself a hug, or a double pat on the back (one arm will be over the other). I like to alternate over-under arms.
- · Rotator cuff 2 (my other addition): with 90 degree bent elbows, again, hold your arms out so you look like a cactus or a football goal post (your upper arm is parallel with the floor, your forearm is perpendicular), then rotate from the shoulder and try to point your hand down toward the floor. Arms may move simultaneously or one-at-a-time.
- · Reach to the sky and rotate your torso “leading with your stomach,” whatever that means.
- · Run for another minute or 2.
- · Then I usually do a few more shrugs.
· Then it’s onto pushups or pull ups. Or both.
