Streaking through the Holiday Season

Yesterday I went to the podiatrist, and I left with a diagnosis of arthritis in my big toe joints (more in this blog post).  It really wasn't a surprise.  And yet, there's not much that can be done.

I was glad to hear about this idea of adopting a daily practice to take us through the holidays.  In this blog post, MaryAnn McKibben Dana writes about taking the idea of a streak from her running practice and applying it more broadly:  "To 'streak' in running means to run at least a mile a day, every day.  Many runners choose to streak as a way of staying accountable to moving at least a little bit each day. This holiday season, between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, we’re creating our own twist on the streak. We’d love to have you join us." 

She offers a variety of practices that we might adopt through the holidays, from moving more to making sure we get enough sleep to drinking more water.  In light of my recent arthritis diagnosis, I plan to move every day, and then ice my feet at the end of the day.

I immediately thought of the many things that might disrupt my plans.  The end of the blog post has important advice for us all:  "Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Life happens, and sometimes the exercise just doesn’t happen, or that second (or third) cookie is just too tantalizing to ignore. Don’t stress about it. Melissa and MaryAnn believe that health and wellness come in the midst of baby steps, setbacks, recommitment, accountability, and grace. Let your goals and intentions be a North Star that guides you, not a destination you either succeed or fail to reach."

I do tend to let my inner perfectionist derail honest efforts.  Let me remember the idea of a North Star and the daily practice that can help me towards it.

Soon the holiday season starts in earnest.  I do a pretty good job at keeping a sense of balance and not double or triple booking myself with big events.  But I haven't been doing a great job of making a daily commitment to movement.  Now is a good time to start.

The blog post makes an offer of a daily e-mail of encouragement.  I signed up--it's free, so what do I have to lose?  I can use the daily reminder to stay alert and awake.  It's a great Advent message, but also one that's relevant throughout the year.