Lack of fitness

Since we went on our road trip, tenting every night, I’ve found I’m suffering from a real lack of fitness. Before we came to England, we were going aqua-jogging a good deal, and I normally walked to work. But since we’ve been here we’ve done less and less exercise. There have been occasional patches when we’ve got up and going, like when we stayed with my sister-in-law and her husband. She’s a fitness fanatic, and enjoys taking a bus to the next village and then walking back. This can mean a walk of several miles. Naturally while we were with her, we got up and moving again.

But the long hours of driving while we were moving from place to place over the last month hasn’t been good for me at all. I don’t enjoy the bucket seats that most cars have (our van at home has straight up and down seating – much better for the back), and I find when I get out of the car at the moment that I feel as though I’ve got to unfold. Very unpleasant.

Twice in the last month or so my back has given one of those nasty clicks and I’ve felt very uncomfortable for days afterwards. At present I find getting something up off the floor makes my back cringe, and even sitting for too long at a table becomes uncomfortable. Don’t mention sitting in the average lounge suite. They’re killers on sore backs.

So, the last couple of mornings I’ve gone for a decent walk before everyone else got up (yesterday I walked for an hour). This hasn’t made my back less achy yet, but it will in due course. My legs are complaining that they’re on holiday and shouldn’t be made to work, but I tell them that if they don’t work they won’t work soon, and they grudgingly accept this.