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Amanda-in-Motion

six panels with a woman in a nightgown swirling in a blur with a scarf
photo by Charles Earl

 In January 2020, I began a fitness regime through Carleton University which had me attending the gym and the pool three times a week. This went wonderfully well until the pandemic came to Ottawa in March, and the gym had to close down. In June or so Carleton offered the Stretch and Strength class that I was doing on Zoom, which was completely foreign to me, but I joined again and attended as many times as I was capable of, when I wasn’t curled into an anxious ball about the pandemic.

 Flash forward three years later and I’ve been pretty good about keeping to three times a week. I can even hold a plank for 50 seconds, which I would never have imagined in 2020 as being possible at all.

 I haven’t been doing other physical activities much at all, unless you count sex with my husband and wanking (2-3 times a day, dear Libido, really?). This diagnosis means I have to ensure I keep moving, so I’ve embarked upon Project Amanda-in-Motion. I have to move every day.

 Music has always been an uplifting and motivating force in my life. I was already dancing for 15-20 minutes before the Zoom fitness class and enjoying it, but I’ve also returned to daily walks, or if the weather is bad, I’ll walk up and down the 22 flights of my building. I don’t mean straight up, I’ll cross the corridors of each floor and move from stairwell A to B. I did this when I was recovering from my health crisis too.

 My dream is to go out to a club and dance. I know, eh? Makes me smile too. I mean after it’s safe again of course. Do you want to come dancing with me?

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