Not good, but getting better

 I can't quite believe it's April already. Snowdrops have finished flowering. Daffodils have taken over in gardens and parks. Forsythia is blossoming against a (sometimes) blue sky. Tulips and magnolias are getting ready to move us on to the next mood of Spring. Where did the last three months go? Usually when time disappears like this it's because I've been busy but this time I feel like I've idled them away, though really it's been a period of rest, illness, and recuperation.

The year didn't start well with a fall down the stairs on New Year's Day. Nothing serious but my ankles were strained and required rest. Resting unfortunately impacted the rest of my fitness levels so when my ankles felt up to walking, my legs had become unaccustomed to the idea.

But I started small and by the end of February I'd worked my way back towards a reasonable distance (7000 steps). Then I fell foul of Covid. It didn't last long, wasn't severe, but it exhausted me, and I'm still struggling with a range of problems - tiredness and the inability to focus on tasks for long being the worst - and which, added to my general lack of mobility due to my ankle problem, have left me feeling old, overweight, and unfit.

Fortunately my elder daughter sent a link to an NHS website about Covid recovery, which explains that fatigue, low mood, inability to concentrated are all common post-viral symptoms. They should pass. Fingers crossed. And it helps a lot to know that what I'm feeling is normal.

I'm not going to leave it totally to chance though. I've heard so much about the possible long-term effects of Covid but don't feel they're things I can do much about. What I can do is make a commitment to getting fitter (and thinner), so that I face any future problems (or another bout of Covid) in good health. 

It's small steps at first, more about mindfulness and relaxation - feelgood things like a delayed Mother's Day family get-together, getting outside if possible, enjoying a potter round the garden, talking to the seedlings in the greenhouse, taking a short walk to see daffodils, or just noticing the vase of picked flowers currently in front of me as I type - but also trying to increase my daily step count (currently at 3000). April's arrival seems to have marked an upturn in the weather, it's my birthday soon (65!) and I'm hoping the two mark an upturn in my health.