National "Get fit. Don't sit" Day

Before you begin reading this. Please stand up!

Who knew? This is the inaugural day of "Get Fit, Don't Sit" sponsored by the American Diabetes Association. There is a great article about the importance of reducing our sitting time. Take a few minutes to read this (while standing)!

Here are some of my suggestions on how to decrease sitting time as they relate to knitting.

1. Knit 2 rows (ok, you be the judge on how long it takes for you to knit 2 rows), get up and walk for 2 minutes, repeat.

2. Knit for 10 minutes, fold a load of laundry, repeat.

3. Stand at a counter and knit (for as long as you like).

If anyone else has some suggestions on how we can break up our sitting and knitting time with some activity, please leave a comment. I can't emphasize enough how important these small breaks are at improving your health.  It might just be as important as going for that walk!

Knit one. Stand two!

Happy May and a little challenge...

Happy May Day! Here are some flowers for you to celebrate the beginning of this wonderful month. As a child, my brother and I would make May Day baskets and leave them on our neighbor's doorstep. We would sneak up to the house, leave the basket, ring the door bell and run for the hills.  So, now I leave them for you on your "doorstep". May they brighten your day.

Today while walking I decided to create a challenge for myself.  I'm inviting you to partake in any version of this challenge that you can imagine. I've decided that for the month of May, I'm going to do something active every day...yup, that's right 30 days of something.

I have a plan. All decent goals need a plan. Bottom line, I decided that I needed to create a baseline level of activity for myself. The amount of activity that I know I can find time to complete regardless of what life throws at me. For me, this is a 30-minute walk.  I know that with some focus, I can get that amount done. My more detailed plan includes some running, biking, and walking. I have a set amount each day. I won't bore you with my details because each of us is unique.

After I made this decision, I received an email from MapMyRun with a "30 miles. 30 days." challenge; one mile every day whether you walk, run, bike, just get 1 mile done every day. This illustrates another example of how you can define your May challenge.

So, if you want to join me, please do so. Just in case you didn't get out there today, start tomorrow and go through June 1, whatever works for you.

If you are the type that wants a little accountability...just a little, then email me at thehealthyknitter@gmail.com to let me know that you are joining me on this journey. I'll give you a high five via email. Sometimes it helps to let others know the goal, so if you want me to know, I'd love it.

Happy May and enjoy the flowers!

Knit one, Walk lots!

The Healthy Knitter Poem

Jotted down a few thoughts to motivate myself and turned the words into a poem that I wanted to share with all of you (illustrated by Lisa Orgler). 

Hoping that you are having a grand day whether the sky is blue or grey where you live...do something today for you. Get out and go for a walk then treat yourself with a little knitting time. 

Knitting and gardens...

Let me introduce you to my friend and illustrator-extraordinaire, Lisa. She is a true source of inspiration and has mentored me through the entry phases of learning how to create a blog. She created the "HealthyKnitter" logo for which I am so grateful. You are in for a treat....you must read on!

 Not only is she extremely talented illustrator (all these drawings are from her collection), her background is in garden design. Ok, that's not the official title but that's my interpretation.  Lisa has an amazing website and blog about garden design that you must take the time to read PLUS she is doing something really fun right now that relates to knitting.

Last week, Lisa surveyed her readers for ideas to incorporate into a garden theme.  She had lots of suggestions but guess what she picked? Yes, that's right...knitting. She is going to take us through a 4-step process on how to create a themed garden that is definitely outside the box. Read more on the topic on her latest blog post. 

The best part is this...she is seeking feedback and ideas while in the brainstorming phase. At first, I thought, "ok, Lisa, see what you can do with knitting and gardening" because how could she possibly create a garden with that topic? The only thought I could imagine were old metal knitting needles as stakes in the garden...but then, it was as if the flood gate of ideas opened. You could use Queen Anne's Lace (for lace, obviously), you could color block sections of the garden (intarsia) plus mix lots of colors together (stranded knitting). The possibilities seem endless. I am so excited (can you tell?) to watch this process unfold. I can't wait to start a new garden.

So, calling all Healthy Knitters...let's capture our love of knitting and being healthy in our "Knitting Garden".  Make sure to share your ideas with Lisa. I can't wait to read them.