First half of 2019 - health in numbers

"Beat last year" is a good motto when it comes to staving off the onset of old age. The fact that I am stronger and healthier than I was last year and even more so than two years ago  is good news. Above all, I have greater strength of will. Knowing this contributes to good well-being and that useful Polish word samopoczucie (how you feel within yourself, a combination of mental and physical). But to beat last year, you need to know what last year looked like. I've been logging health-related key performance indicators since the beginning of 2014 in an ever-growing Excel spreadsheet. Paces walked, alcohol and fruit & veg consumption, exercises and (since June 2017), blood pressure.

In the first half of this year I have walked more - with a daily average of over 11,800 paces a day, every day, while in the first half of 2018 it was 11,078 paces. Press-ups - comfortably more. Although I had a break in London in mid-June due to a shoulder-sprain (once again, too much stuff in the rucksack, this time groceries). I was unable to rehabilitate with weights as these were back in Warsaw. However, since last week I've returned to the full exercise routine and have just done 47 press-ups. Focusing more on quality - from nose to the floor to arms fully extended.

Planks are great exercise, strengthening the body's core muscles. Since the end of January when I started, I've 'held the plank' for over 14 hours in total! (usually two-three minute stretches).

Weights - 5kg is now the norm, lateral rises, internal and external shoulder rotations. I returned to these gently after coming back from London, starting with 3kg, now back up to 5kg, building up the numbers to 12 x 3 set of repetitions for each exercise.

Alcohol consumption - finally got it down to the UK health guidelines of 14 units a week (first six months of last year this was 17 units), with number of days without alcohol increased to 121 - up from 116 in the first half of 2019. Intake of fresh fruit and vegetables at 5.4 portions a day identical to the first six months of last year and 2017.

The real achievement remains my overcoming high blood pressure without medication. This time two years ago, my average readings were 140 (systolic) over 100 (diastolic). I was prescribed pills ("to be taken for the rest of my life"). How am I faring? On 30 June 2017 my average reading was 134/95. On 30 June last year - it was 112/79. And now it's 110/79. [Heart Foundation's guidelines are between 90-129 (systolic) and 60-84 (diastolic) as the acceptable norms of healthy blood pressure.]

Over the past two years I have lowered my blood pressure to healthy levels, consistently and sustainably, without gulping pills. I take measurements daily and log them, observing them consciously, like the results of a quantum experiment. This, I believe, helps me will myself to stay healthy. So far so good - onto the second half of this year!

This time last year:
Key Performance Indicators - health - first half 2016

This time two years ago:
Three and half years of health and fitness data

This time three years ago:
First half of 2016 health & fitness in numbers

This time four years ago:
Venus, Jupiter - auspices

This time five years ago:
Down the line from York

This time six years ago:
Cider - at last available in Poland

This time seven years ago:
Despondency on Puławska

This time eight years ago:
Stalking the stork

This time ten years ago:
Late June lightning