This past summer Rebecca worked on the trail crew at Rocky Mountain National Park.  All of her work was physically active and a lot of it was physically demanding.  She hiked great distances, lifted heavy objects, swung sledgehammers, and crushed rocks.  She lived and worked at high elevations (8,000 to 12,000 feet) On her days off she would go on strenuous hikes up to and over 20 miles across rugged terrain.

Now, Rebecca spends most of her day sitting in front of a computer.  Rebecca’s body is having a difficult time adjusting.  “I remember the first week I was back I felt really restless.”  Many things about Rebecca’s summer made her body feel good.  Her body had a schedule.  She woke, ate, and went to bed at the same time every day.  She was outside all of the time in pristine wilderness.  Her body soaked up the clean air and sunlight.

“When I was working I really took care of my body because it was my tool.  If I stayed up late or didn’t eat breakfast work was miserable.  It was just so physically demanding I couldn’t get away with not taking care of myself”

Unfortunately school is a different story.  Rebecca routinely does not get a full 8 hours of sleep.  She eats healthy, but not as regularly as she did this past summer. 

She lives in the city and has more contact with streets and building that meadows and mountains. 

“I still exercise.  I run everyday and do yoga, but it’s not the same as being constantly physically active.  Hell, I would still run after I got off work in Colorado.” 

Rebecca is trying to give her body more breaks.  She tries not to stay in the studio past 1am when she has to get up early the next day.  Rebecca is planning a camping trip for the next weekend she isn’t busy.  She still hasn’t picked a date.