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Originally Posted by nycfembbw
I'm always looking to incorporate health into my life and find it of the utmost importance. It's very rewarding and an exciting journey.
Without BB knowing it, hy helped me tremendously in becoming healthier (Other relationships led me in the other direction.). Hy convinced me to get a job that didn't consume my life (I switched from a psych hospital with horrible management to an elementary school that I love.). And hy convinced me to move from a rent-controlled hellhole to a livable dwelling. Both actions felt like risks, and I was taught in my family to cling to what one has instead of ever taking a risk for something better. Wow, what a difference taking those risks made. Both paid off so much in regard to my health. I was able to sleep better, relax more, cook more, feel happier, and have a happier partner too. I think if one is partnered, the partner really has a lot of influence on one's health. I look at photos of myself when I was with a previous unhealthy partner, and I'm amazed at how I allowed myself to sink into unhealthiness: mentally, physically, and emotionally. I've also learned from the changes I described (living, work, a mature partner) that one can fool around with typical, surface changes in health, but without a solid base they just don't stick.
I like to find new exercises that feel intense and that I can hone my skills in. For instance, lately I've gotten very into stair climbing, not at the gym but stairs around the city. I found that there is a whole culture of people into climbing stairs (by googling, of course). I like to count my steps up and sometimes go up fifteen long flights. It's symbolic and positive for me. On pretty days I also sometimes walk over the Brooklyn Bridge home from work. It's an hour commute that I have by subway and three to four hours walking. It's exciting to walk through different communities and, again, the symbolism of making that long journey home feels really good. I always have interesting encounters along the way.
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This is a great post!
I think both points you have brought up are spot on. Our partners DO have a tremendous impact on our health simply by how they treat their own health and how supportive they are in what we want to achieve for ourselves. Another way I also like to look at this is that we can also be a big influence on our partners and others we care about. Not by trying to convert anyone else's habits, but by sticking to our own and being both an example and supportive when they want to make positive changes for themselves. Sometimes people want to do things that are different from each other, and that can be fun too. I have picked up areas of interest from being a participant in other activities that I might not have thought of on my own.
I also think that not enough credit is given to things like where we live and work when it comes to our health. As you discovered, it can feel risky when it goes against the grain due to upbringing or maybe ending up being different than expectations, in this case, better.
The stress reduction that can be had by taking a chance like you did can pay off huge, and stress is a major player in a lot of diseases.
I love your idea about the stairs. It reminded me about a radio program I had heard a couple of years ago on NPR about it. I took a quick look just now and found
a place listing public staircases; I don't know if this is a site you use, but it seems to have a pretty good list of things like
maps for various cities and it is a volunteer effort. It lists the stairs, how many steps (some have hundreds), and photos included. I just googled 'urban stair climbing' and there are a lot of resources. Maybe some other folks might like this as a way to explore their own city.
