Jan 18, 2024 By Kristin Emery 3 min read

We’re more than halfway through January and it finally feels like winter with Arctic air firmly in place all week.

That’s not boding well for my workout goals since the cold air causes me to just want to curl up under a blanket rather than do any type of exercise … well, other than skiing. I usually try to ski one day a week during the winter season, and it is terrific exercise.

I just returned from a week of skiing in Utah and those were my first runs of this season. The first two days were a bit rough since my legs were not in peak ski season shape yet, having not skied at home any days before the trip.

Skiing at high altitude (6,000 to 9,500 feet) leaves you more tired and out of breath the first few days as well, but I was pleased with myself that by days three and four, I could really tell the improvement in my stamina as far as breathing and leg strength. After seven straight days of skiing, I felt like I was starting to make progress on yet another New Year’s resolution of getting into better shape. Then came the flight home, a return to work and now the bone-chilling temperatures. This week, I haven’t done one bit of exercise!

How are you doing in keeping your New Year’s resolutions? Exercising more was one of mine along with wanting to start to do yoga. I have tried yoga classes, videos and even just doing some of the moves and poses on my own through the years and I do enjoy it. I never really stuck to it all that much, so I thought this might be a good resolution to see if I can reap the benefits of stretching, relaxation and even some mindfulness and stress reduction. If I can even try doing it once a week at first, that would put me off to a good start. There are so many free videos online for every type of workout or hobby that I really don’t have any excuse to not do it starting this week.

Another resolution I made this year was to swear less. So far, so good on this one, if you don’t count the swearing I do when I talk to myself in my own head rather than saying it aloud. That counts, doesn’t it? I thought this might be a good resolution for self-improvement that would be pretty easy to keep.

My last resolution was to try to be more patient and kind, and I’m doing pretty well so far. I recently wrote a health article about the physical and mental benefits we can reap by practicing kindness, so I want to give it my best effort.

OK, time to get off the sofa and do some yoga!

Kristin Emery can be reached at kristinemery1@yahoo.com.