DAY ONE!

   So I have talked the talk and today I had to walk the walk!

I completed both my A.M and P.M cardio sessions and managed to get in a little back work-out and arm work-out. I felt quite motivated this morning so I hope this motivation lasts through-out the rest of the week and so on. Although 20mins in the morning and at night seem like a small amount of time, it still is hard for me to fit in because of my 1 hr and a half treatment schedule every morning and every night.

So the 10 min jog proved to be pretty difficult for me! I had to take little walking breaks in between but I still pushed though it! I even had to put my Oxygen a little higher than what it is supposed to be at. When I'm just walking around the doc told me to keep it at 3, but since I was jogging I figured it makes sense to turn it up a bit.  

So here's a recap
In the A.M :
10 minutes bouncing on the yoga ball while sitting ( this is just to get me warmed up and my lungs moving) &
10 minutes on treadmill

P.M
1O minutes bouning on yoga ball
10 minutes on treadmill
* The line in crossed though means that it is completed :)

So there it it. I hope my jogging will soon become easier because after I get off the tread I am absolutely exhausted and crash on the couch and am stuck there for a good 5mins panting out of breath lol


So day one was a success! Woo! The first day is the hardest right? I don't know, I heard that somewhere though. 

Shelly A.

My First Post

    So I have hopped on the blog bandwagon. I'm not sure exactly what this blog will be but I know that it will be mostly CF based. I often have thoughts in my head that I want to say or rant about and Twitter's 140 character restriction makes it a difficult outlet to really say what's on my mind. (plus, I do like writing in general.) I am 21 years old and this past year has been one of the most challenging years of my life. CF is like a train that keeps on going and I can either run as fast as I can to keep up with it or let it drag me into the enevadable. I think I will mostly be using this blog as some-what of an exercise journal to track my improvements and write short-term and long term goals. With a FEV1 teetering around from 23% to 25% I feel like it is now or never. I must take my CF more seriously before it is too late and I am unable to exercise. I have been making exercise a daily priority in my life for about a year now and I credit that to why my I have managed to  keep my numbers pretty much stable, and  I have even managed to gain 7 pounds over the year.

    Today, I have worked out a new work-out regimen that is pretty intense (well for me anyway haha) but I think I can do it. I don't want to settle for 'stable numbers' anymore, I want to see improvements! My next clinic day is in 4 weeks and I'd love to be able to see some improvements by then, even if it is slight.

My doctor told me an amazing story at my last clinic about one of her patients (lets call her Sally) who wanted some sort of plastic surgery procedure but my doctor didn't feel comfortable with the idea of this because Sally's FEV1 was only 27%. And so, my doctor told Sally that the only way she would feel comfortable with the procedure is if Sally could get her FEV1 to 40%. My doctor told me that 7 months later Sally got her FEV1 above 40%! (42% to be exact) How? She did her treatments the exact same as before and ate the same as before, the only thing she did differently was just add a Cardio and weight-building routine into her day, everyday. Now, I say "just" lightly. I know that it will take a lot of hard work and discipline but I am tired of always being breathless and if that's what I have to do, it's worth it.

WEEKLY GOAL: To stick to my exercise routine EVERYDAY

Here it is: 
Morning= 10 minute light jog on treadmill    &&
                 bounce on yoga ball for 10mins (my doctor recommended this to me)


Night= 10 minute light jog on treadmill     &&
            bounce on yoga ball for 10mins

*I know this may not seem like much to most people but it's a lot for me and I'm pretty sure anyone else with a lung function as low as mine.

I need help trying to figure out a good weight lifting routine as I don't know much about this kind of stuff, I have read that you're not supposed to work-out the same muscles two days in a row? If any CFers out there have any tips on the subject and their experience and they don't mind sharing, it would be greatly appreciated :)

Anyways, that was my first blog. I will try to check-in daily to update and record any progress or thoughts I so feel the need to share. :)

Shelly A.