Getting older is great for your body. I wish I could have my body from when I was 30. Hang on it was buggered then, just dislocated my shoulder playing football. I wish I had my body from when I was 25. Hang on I had just dented my rib cage playing cricket. I wish I had my body from when I was 20. Hang on I had just cracked my skull open playing rugby. I wish I had Thor’s body from before the Endgame.

Playing contact sport is basically bad for you.

Since the world changed I have focused on our son. But that is not completely sustainable. You do need to find time for yourself. If only to help manage stress levels. My anchor has been fitness and home workouts. Thirty minutes a day as a minimum. It worked until I realised I needed to stop myself becoming completely housebound. Couldn’t afford a gym so it was running. Again it worked well. But then the buggered body caught up with me again. So until a physiotherapist can have a look at me I am banned from running and weightlifting.

So the two things which have kept me sane over the last couple of years have suddenly become unavailable. Hopefully temporarily but you never know.

So I need to find something – a new anchor. But what? Climbing but that is far too risky and we are short of mountains round here. Cycling and walking would be good options but time constraints limit their appeal. Maybe not a sport then. Shockingly it might have to be a hobby.

  • Yoga – good for stress but I have the balance of a drunk three legged mountain goat
  • Dedicate time for reading – that could work, keep moaning about not reading enough
  • Write a book – possibly a cook or baking book….
  • Astronomy – time at night is a premium plus this is Yorkshire otherwise known as Cloudsville.
  • Birdwatching – another possible option and might meet others (even if they have feathers and a beak)
  • Learn another language – the nearest classes are many miles away and learning languages other than English will probably be outlawed after Brexit
  • Photography – only available camera is on my battered many years old iPhone
  • Gardening – who am I kidding, I am a plant mass murderer
  • Gaming – certainly not stress relieving
  • Painting – even messed up a paint by numbers Mona Lisa
  • Learn to play an instrument – would find a use for that keyboard I bought our son as a present, the one he asked for which apparently was supposed to be a gaming keyboard
  • Knitting – my knitting skills are only matched by my baking skills
  • Tree Shaping – we only have two small trees
  • Extreme Ironing – far too dangerous for me

So many options to ponder over. I will find a hobby. I have to if I’m going to pull this single parenting gig off. Asked our son and he helpfully suggested

“Does sleeping count as a hobby”

91 thoughts on “Grounded”

  1. What a challenge! My husband can relate. He has been an athlete ever since I first met him and he is continually hurting something on his body! I think it comes with the territory! You definitely need an outlet, that’s for sure!

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  3. I feel so bad for you. When my knee was so swollen it killed me barely doing anything, and now with this surgery I am going nuts. I pray that you can get back to working out. It is the best stress reliever.

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  6. I think sleeping counts. It takes skill to do it well. If you want to improve your basketball skills you sign up for a basketball clinic. If you need to improve your sleep skills they send you to a sleep clinic. 😀

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  8. Oh dear Gary. Plant murderer – that’s me too! Astronomy sounds great but WHEN are those cloyds going to goaway! Abem- tis bright and sunny here right now believe it or not! No good for astronomy though.

    I loved the gym. Used to spen loads of time there every day. I reckon you could write the best baking book ever Gary. Sending love from loopy Lincolnshire xx

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  10. DO NOT!!! write a cook book! Someone might actually try a recipe you gave and then you’d be in real trouble. (Probably not as much as the poor sod who eats it, but more than you need just now!) 😉

    What about Wii Fit?? You and the lad could have dance-offs or you could ‘let’ him win at tennis? (Wink wink!)

    If you’re serious though, and want exercise that both benefits body, mind and soul, is easy on the body and can be done indoors or outdoors, on your own or in a group, has you-tube videos to help or books that are available on-line, from book sales or libraries, i would strongly recommend taking up Tai-chi.

    If possible, do it with a tape or voice recorder because i would LOVE to hear your son’s commentary!!! 🙂

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  12. Gary, I have a HUGE apology to make to you. I just found loads of your comments on my posts in my Spam folder. I didn’t put them there, but yesterday another of my friends whom I thought had disappeared told me she thought her comments were going into zspam. I thought everyone had left me lol and wondered what I had done wrong! Anyway, am just trying to work through them. Have now Approved them all and now have to find them all again at the end of posts going waaaaaay back, to respond to them! Really sorry Gary. I don’t know what makes some peopke’s comments go into Spam. Yours never used to but both yours and are ees did that, along with my
    Lace, and one or two others. It is really frustrating! Lots of love to you xx

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      3. Lol. Well I have managed to get everybody out now. It was a major operation. There were a few strange people in there as well! I git rid of them completely 😂

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  15. Pingback: Grounded – A Dad trying to cope with the loss of his Partner and becoming a single parent. – International Badass Activists

      1. If that were a TV show I would definitely tune in. And then – since you would be an extreme ironer, I would root for you! And maybe take to the sport myself 🙂

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  17. Sport gives a seretonin high, which is why some people become addicted to it and miss it so much when it isn’t there.
    Meditation (moving energy) can give a seretonin release, and believe it or not, even without movement, the heart rate and blood pressure is increased during the process too, dropping afterwards (similar to exercise). You could try Kundalini Yoga? This combines Yoga and meditation and it is a discipline that will answer some of those cravings that you want from free time.
    Writing a book may be a great goal, but will it give you that sports type high? I doubt it.

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  18. Just thought of another hobby that you could do… And possibly with son. It involves a bit of money, but also skill and can be competitive. Kite flying, is perfect for the hills of Yorkshire, often attracts people to talk to you and watch (social) and gives you a bit of a workout without overdoing it.

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  20. I love this! I’m sorry that you can’t run and lift weights for the time being––that’s an outlet for me as well, and I appreciate what you may be experiencing. And, what a creative list!

    I have an idea for you. If you’d like to hear it, contact me at info@forgivingconnects.com.

    Either way, I hope you are doing well and that you find an excellent outlet to care for you!!

    Blessings ❤
    Debbie

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  22. I’d say Power Walking – if your joints cooperate. It takes you out. Does loads for your health. Keeps your mind occupied. 15 – 20 mins is good.
    But perhaps you’re looking for something different … because it helps you to forget for a while…

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  24. I used to go hiking in the mountains and valleys, it was my escape, my time to de-stress. When I couldn’t walk far anymore due to a disability at first I felt very low indeed. So I decided to try replacing walking with another outdoor hobby I can do sitting down, fishing. If I’m honest I still miss the walking horribly, but the fishing really does help me cope with the frustration and disappointment of losing mobility. It’s not the same but it helps.

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  27. Well I’ll always recommend reading and writing. 😉 As far as walking, though, I do find it beneficial, but I hear you about time. I’m just trying to make myself walk for 20-30min a day, and that’s tough. The plantar fasciitis (however that’s spelled) doesn’t help. Birdwatching could be really fun, though–peaceful, gets you out of the house, and usually people get together in groups for that. Could be fun 🙂

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    1. I had that years ago. Bloody nightmare then I got hold of some New Balance shoes designed for it in a sale. Sorted it out. Strange tried other makes but the NB ones are the only ones that consistently work. Always on the look out for NB sales. We have a great cliff one but it’s 40 minutes drive. Must check for closer ones.

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  28. Hello… I’ve nominated you for he Liebster award in my post…. 🙂 no obligation to participate… ❤️ it’s just my way of getting more exposure to different blogs…

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