The Plank - 10 Steps to Success

My idea of a perfectly-formed plank.

By Angie Quantrell

No. Not that kind. The exercise kind. Planks are hard to do.

I don't like them.

Does anyone really like them? This is what it looks like when I try to do a plank.

1. Gear up. Avoid doing planks following a recent meal.

2. Collapse to floor level.

3. Set timer. Otherwise, I will be positive that 15 seconds is a full complete minute.

4. Start timer.

5. Assume position. Elbows and forearms on floor. Toes on floor. Nothing else on floor.

6. Tighten stomach, back, and buttock muscles.

7. Immediately begin to breathe harder. At 5 seconds in, notice trembling limbs.

8. Sweat.

9. Fight the feeling of giving up or falling on my face.

10. At 30 seconds, convince self to keep going. Or pause for a rest (I like that one better).

1 minute? DONE.

What a workout!

I'm sure I'm not the only one who experiences these physical manifestations of pain when doing a plank. I mean really, shouldn't a 53 year-old be able to handle this?

True, I haven't even done a sit-up since, well, I don't know when. Maybe shortly after my last baby was born. She's 25. Years-old. Wanna know an embarassing fact? When I started this new build-core-strength-workout-program I could NOT do one sit-up. Not one, folks.

But I digress.

Planks are not fun, easy, or pleasant. But I have to admit to a certain joy in knowing that I can hang in there and do a minute. On most days.

Care to join me? On to sit-ups.

What is your most hated, feared, or dreaded exercise? Let's commiserate.

Planks AND flowers.

A Month of Thanks - November 24 - Health

Generally speaking, I have been blessed with good health.

Sure, there are a few age related issues cropping up. Family heredity influences the way test results are treated. The occasional cold or flu hits my household just as it does the homes of millions of other families. I hurt myself, bruise my knee, smack my head, and close my fingers in things.

But really, the most severe issues I face are dry skin, hot flashes, and sinus headaches. For the most part.

Today, November 24, I am thankful for my health. I am also thankful for the health of my family.

Millions of people worldwide do not have the access to healthcare that I have or even sanitation, clean drinking water, and good-for-you foods.

I am blessed.

May I be a blessing to others with the gifts I have been given.

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!
~ 2 Corinthians 9:15

Off to a Healthy Start

I so desired to get my husband off to a great new year. If you knew him, you would hear words like vegetables, fruit (but not too many), more veggies, oatmeal, low carbs, whole wheat carbs, whole grain carbs, no sugar, vitamins, supplements, exercise, more veggies...even more veggies...green tea, some coffee, maintain weight, additional exercise...The family knows of which I speak.

That is my man. Very intent on staying healthy and avoiding the Big D (diabetes), which the doctor has told him he will get some day (not maybe).

So, in order to help him stick to his health plan, I purchased a special healthy gift for him. Which I promptly lost until a week after Christmas. But that is a different story.

(Love to purchase my locally (Yakima) made soap from www.thelittlesoapmaker.com)

Tongue in cheek. Don't you think that soap WITH flax seed is healthier than soap WITHOUT flax seed?

Lol.

Thinning the Herd

Yes. Thinning. The herd of kale. Which appears to be my best and most wildly growing plant in the raised beds. Italian red kale, in particular.

Kale capades.

The garden is a bit odd this year. Kale abounds. Radish abounds. Maybe zucchini and yellow squash. But everything else...kind of sad. I believe something is eating the seeds and seedlings as fast as they appear. Especially green beans, which I have planted 3 times and still have a few scrawny plants. Of course, since last year my friend gave me her pickled spicy green bean recipe and it was a hit. I don't think I'll have extra beans this year. Or any.

Back to kale. Not to be confused with Kale (Dragonspell female protagonist who rocks on adventure), or Kale (a preschooler I know), but kale - super food of current publications, health shows, and the cooking world.

I seriously thinned the kale herd. Thinking I was original, I wondered how good dehydrated kale would be (as in = sneak it into baked goods, soups, stews, salads, and so on). Just to check, I found myself in line behind hundreds of posts about others doing the same thing. Drats. Not original.

But for me, a first. The completely crammed dehydrator easily shrank my overabundance of super greens into a quart jar of crunchy powder. An added bonus was one blog that suggested that frequent use of kale encourages ongoing leaf production. A never ending supply!

Following the suggestion of Health magazine, we did Meatless Monday - on Tuesday. Kale, hominy, and black bean soup. Pretty tasty and spicy. I think I loved the roasted poblano peppers the best. Mmmmm.

Followed up by a fruit smoothie using banana, strawberries, blueberries, Greek yogurt, almond milk, and yes, the hidden ingredient, kale.

When asked this morning if he had tasted any kale in his smoothie last night, the husband replied, "Huh? I didn't want a veggie smoothie."

Translation: He LOVED the smoothie, but was surprised to find that I had pulled one over on him and added a surprise treat.

Still to be tried are kale chips (I've made them with store bought kale) and homegrown kale and sausage stuffed delicata squash. Which, incidentally, are also not growing well. Already tried so far: scrambled eggs and omelets with kale, various forms of soup including kale, kale on sandwiches, and kale in salads.

Just call me Greeny, the kale hunter.