Well, I am still swimming 'around the island' and until the school holidays started I was going 3 times a week. I never thought that I could enjoy exercise but miss not being able to go swimming when the pool is full of children, either islanders or holidaying 'grockles'.
To this end I have now started going to Aqua Rehab, which is a bit like a water workout crossed with hydrotherapy. Unfortunately this is on Tuesday evenings at 6.30pm which means I have to rush around after my shift at the shop in order to get there. On the plus side it isn't too taxing and I stay afterwards to swim a few lengths while the showers and changing rooms clear. (The session includes the Aqua-natal pregnant ladies so there is a bit of a rush for the 4 showers once it ends). I normally manage 20 lengths before too many other people get in. I have recently brought a fitness monitor called a polar loop - this connects to my laptop and monitors how active I am during the course of the day. Most days I only manage about 20% of what I should do, but on days I go swimming it can be as much as 180%! Not many of these devices are waterproof and suitable for swimming - mainly being like post pedometers - but this one is ideal, measuring steps and calories burned as well as telling the time and telling me when I should get up and move (cheeky bugger - my fingers on the laptop are moving frantically).
You can connect it by bluetooth to a heart monitor but despite recently buying a tablet with a Android 4.4 Kitkat OS I do not have the modern technology to transfer the data or install the the Polar Beat App. Never mind, I still have my Polar Loop diary page and my Swimfit Dashboard. Incidentally I am now almost 27% of the way around the island now and have just passed Hurst Point having left Newport on 7th June! I successfully avoided the Wightling Ferry and Yarmouth pier - Next landmark will be the Needles!
I only wish my feet were less uncomfortable and I could get rid of the 'stones in my shoes' and 'wet sand around my legs'. On the plus side, we have a new MS specialist Neurologist who comes to the island twice a week - I have my first appointment with him next month - ironically the day before my MS Nurse appointment.
Keep well and upright peeps and enjoy the summer xx
