OK I know that few of us exercise enough and I am right in that category. I will be brave and admit that I got out my Newsweek and put it on my exercise bike and could only ride for 5 minutes before stopping. I waited a while then did another 5, then another 5. So I rode for 15 minutes total. Very sad!! But I did do it.
Post away if you managed to get some exercise in today! Celebrate the small victories!
Good for you, Lisa! My goal is to do some sort of exercise five times a week this year. Yesterday it was 20 minutes of cardio and like 30 of stretching. The day before, it was 10 minutes of strength training and about 15 minutes of stretching. I love stretching.
I don't like strength training and that's what I need to do more of. And, I tend to slack on cardio in winter, too. It's so cold out! LOL--there's a nice fitness center right here in my complex! Really, I'd like to go there three times a week for cardio. If I go there, I do at least 30 minutes on the treadmill and elliptical. It's still way more boring than walking around the lake. Oh, well.
Well I'm still walking a total of 32:37 miles this month. i keep track of the day, miles walked, n how many minutes it took. im lucky i can walk in my PJs
so great full to have my treadmill!
ya Bella i also find it sooo boring walking to music helps a little my treadmill is right in front of my tv so i get to do both. TV And music
Well where do I start. I am the most exercise phobic person I know. If I dont have to do it myself I wont. I got up this morning thinking about the numerous amount of times I have started a weight loss regime and been very successful at it only so long as someone else was doing it with me and in the end failed myself and given up all together yet again. I am so sick and tired of doing that to myself every time. My last weight loss was 35kg that I lost only about 6 months ago. I have a very large fatty lower abdomen which I always try to hide with long shirts etc, and 6 months ago I had an absess right from one side of my tummy to the other which was about an inch thick and felt like leather and covering the most of the lower abdomen. I went to the doctors and I was told that I had too much cellulite rubbing on my trouser fronts therefore it was causing the absess. Also that it would keep happening if the fatty cellulite tissue remained. Oh my god I thought. I went into a state of horror and just stopped my exercise and diet and failed myself. I have come on here to find some support as I am about to start a weight loss regime again and feel like I need alot of encouragement to keep going. I have tried to get support from family and its just not happening. Please help with any support at all.
I have been walking every day for about 35 years! It's just part of my day. Now I have 3 dogs that won't let me forget either.
This month I signed up at the YMCA and have been going to a senior aerobics class 2 times a week and yoga on Friday. I have to work it into my work schedule, which isn't easy after all these years of not doing it, but even after a month, I'd miss it.
you just have to get started! Take a class you're paying for and would feel bad to miss.
Lisa - We can definitely help you!! The key is to find something you enjoy doing. Like for example I have this nice exercise bike in my living room and I rarely get on it. But I like to read Newsweek each week. So I decided rather than sitting on the couch and reading it why not put it on the bike! And really it did help a LOT because instead of concentrating on the boring numbers on the bike I was reading my story. So find ways to do things that you enjoy.
Make up a play list in your MP3 player with your favorite songs and listen to them. It really helps to play music you enjoy. Or I *highly* recommend getting books on tape - you get absorbed in the story and the time flies by!!
What types of activities do you enjoy doing?
It really does help a lot to have someone with you - or a whole class - so you feel like you've got friends along for the ride with you. It also gives you incentive, if you know someone is waiting for you - it gives you that extra little "push" to go.
We can all be virtual exercise buddies here! We can encourage each other to make the time to be healthy. Now of course after riding my bike on Tuesday and Wed I didn't ride it yesterday. But I will ride it today, I promise!
Today I am up to 17 minutes
I am trying to add on a minute each day going forward. I am doing it in 5 minute chunks though
How did you guys do this week?
Ha Ha!!! I did three SIX minute rides yesterday! I am making progress!! I have to enjoy the small victories
It is just KILLING the top of my legs to do these rides. I think I must have my bike seat set too high or low or something.
I realized a few days ago that my only avenue to working out was running in place. There is too much snow outside for jogging and we haven't bought a treadmill for our new house yet.
So i feel like an idiot, but at 5pm I put on CSI and walk/run in place, and wave my arms around like in an aerobics class, for an hour or two each day. I am trying to do intervals during commercials. I am sure I look like a moron but am trying to "get over it". lol. My husband says "whatever it takes" and says I look fine. But I would feel odd doing my workout in front of other people.
We are looking on Craigslist for a used Treadmill, but for now this seems to be working.
Jilly, that's exactly what I recommend for everyone who can't walk outside or go to a gym. I do it myself. I do mostly Leslie Sansone's steps (I just don't usually watch the dvd--I watch other stuff & do the same steps, with a little freestyling mixed in!).
Now, my cable has exercise on demand, so on the rare occasions I have some free time, I'll explore/try some of those.
But, an hour or two a day? You're a superwoman!
Lisa, good for you on that bike! You must be riding really hard! Make sure to stretch your quads!
Well i don't run really fast. i have to be able to watch Grissolm and Sara use their special forensics techniques, after all. It's really easy to just keep going when you are watching a movie or show or something. Otherwise I just end up back on the computer. I feel guilty just watching TV without being productive.
Jilly - really, you are doing aerobics from memory. That's how the aerobics coaches do the aerobics after all!! So you shouldn't feel silly at all. As long as you're active and having fun, that's what matters! Think of it as dancing - when you dance, that is *wonderful* exercise but nobody tells you you have to dance in a certain way
OK I haven't done my bike ride yet today, I am getting on the bike now!
I'm up to 19 minutes now!! I'm about to cross the 20 minute threshhold!! Hurrah, and I've lost almost 4 pounds already!
See, this stuff works!
Anybody else out there making even tiny progress?
I walked Monday (35 min) and Tuesday (30 min)! Lost 2.5 lbs.
okay yesterday i did two hours of walking/jogging in place during Biggest Loser "couples" reruns. Unfortunately I did this barefoot. I really need to get some decent indoor workout shoes. This can't be good for my feet. i did a little stretching after, but not as much as I should.
Then, today i shoveled snow and carried boxes for my move in. That is a tough workout - whew!
I was a bit tired yesterday, so walked in front of the TV instead of jogged. While watching the Biggest Loser Couples eps.
Hopefully I will be able to get down the hill today and take a look at some treadmills.
Good for you Betty!! Walking is so good for you!
I hit 20 minutes on my bike finally! Or maybe even 21 - I think I did three sets of 7 minutes. I also did 26 sit ups.
I'm down to 134.4 from a high of almost 140 last week, so this has been pretty quick. I have a formal dinner on Sunday that I'm aiming for right now, to be slimmer for my dress.
My biking skills are improving! Last night I did two 15-minute sets and the tops of my legs are no longer in agony when I bike. Now I'm just "tired" but not in pain when I'm done. I might actually be ready for the heart rate monitor to see what my heart rate is while I bike!
I haven't done more sit-ups though. I need Bob for those since he has to stand on my feet.
OK now I was bad and pretty much didn't bike all this time, I wasn't feeling very well and also the dinner was past
I did do 15 minutes in a stretch last night and did it without any pain at all! So I am impressed that my muscles have survived the quiet period without any noticeable issue! This encourages me to get back to it
March is almost here! Soon it will be warmer, and we can all start going out for walks, tending the garden, enjoying the sunny outside world some more! I'm really looking forward to it.
My boyfriend has filled the living room with recording gear (he's in a band) so it's challenging to get in to the exercise bike right now. I'll have to find alternative options - and I want a new pedometer! Maybe we'll go to the mall and get one and go walking
What will you be doing for exercise this week?
well i walked 2.05 miles this morning, seem like it was taking forever! don't you just hate that
I know what you mean, Rosie. There are some days that the time flies by and others that seem to drag on. I walked for about 30 minutes today outside. It was cold, 32 degrees, but I would rather brave the cold than be on the treadmill. I get bored faster when I'm on the treadmill, even with the TV on.
Our side walks are full of snow n ice, I'll stick to the treadmill
Bundle up Chloe, burrr its cold out
skyhaven - do you have a MP3 player? Sometimes it really makes the time fly by to listen to music or even to a story. When I would listen to stories in my car I would drive around the block to finish up a chapter
I like biking while the TV is on especially if it's something active like an iron man competition. It inspires me to ride even faster
I posted my exercise update on the Biggest Loser thread. should i be putting it here? i keep going back and forth, ooops.
You can post it whereever it makes you happy to post it!! Some people aren't doing the loser challenge so there is a spot for everybody.
My exercise bike is covered with recording gear thanks to my boyfriend so I am stuck right now. I should walk in place or something ...
walking in place to TV has been working well for me. And it's low impact. :-)
Lisa i have a CD player, and walk to music its a lot better than just watching tv i do both ;o) my treadmill is in front of the t.v.
i also alternate my speed to the music i usually start off with a speed of 3.0 and when a slow song comes on i drop down to 2.7 or 2.5 depends how slow the song is. then back to 3.0 when a fast song is playing. i've been getting the job done, and it is a chore most times. lol
Fed up today - too busy working to walK - time for a rethink and re-prioritizing!
There is always tomorrow!
Yes definitely never get discouraged by the past. Tomorrow is always a fresh opportunity
I guess I am too backlogged with work to just listen to music. I have a pile of 10 books to read and review never mind my email and such
So at least if I watch TV I can review the movie I'm watching, I feel like I'm making progress. I suppose I should just be happy with my health progress of course
Someday I'll catch up a bit!
I am so pleased I finally found a good treadmill. it was originally $1000 but Sports Authority had it on sale for only $430. That is a VERY big expense for us, but after all the research we did on treadmills we really wanted a good one that will withstand both of us using it every day, for years.
We figure it's also cheaper than two gym memberships. I have wasted a LOT of money in past years on gym memberships. LOL.
We also picked up a few hand weights, a stability disc and yoga mats. So now we have a nice little home gym in what was the unused dining room. We can watch TV, look out at the view or read, all while on the treadmill.
Thats great Jill, happy walking
That is so true Jill - if you get something solid you will use it. If you get something less solid you won't want to use it and the money will just be wasted. We bought our exercise bike several years ago and we really do use it because it is comfy to ride.
Yoga mat! I really do want to learn yoga. I keep prodding the yoga editor to do an intro series for me. I should just buy a darn book and get on with it
OK I'll go to Amazon right now!
How are those big round balls people use, i am thinking of getting one for the tummy exercises but i don't want it to roll away and hurt my self ;o)
Skyhaven those stability balls are awesome for EVERYTHING. You can stretch on them, do crunches and back extensions on them, or sit on them and lift hand weights. just sitting on them and doing nothing - reading or watching TV - is a workout for your core muscles.
My ball is still in storage in Arizona. I miss it.
But i do have a stability disc coming in, which is good for standing on while using hand weights. You can also put them on your desk chair for a simple, excellent core body workout while you are on the computer - with no effort whatsoever.
Thanks Jill, i think im gonna get one
make sure you look up how to size one for your height. :-)
some people sit on those balls while on the computer to help strengthen their cores while they basically sit on their butts.
It's a good idea. :-)
I've heard that people who try it find it incredibly annoying, that they can't work or type well while doing that
So I think some things just don't combine well.
I did just get 15 minutes of riding in though! I cleaned off the exercise bike (again) and put on the next episode of Mansfield Park. I was electrocuted by every single thing I touched though so I had to load the humidifier with water and now that is running at full blast. In a little while hopefully I'll do another 15 minutes. Step by step!
I'm encouraged at least that I can do a 15 minute stretch without problems though. When I began a few weeks ago I could barely survive 3 minutes
OK I'm very proud of myself I actually got my second 15 minutes of riding in, again while Bob was sleeping. I guess now that I've proven to myself that I won't wake him up while I ride I have more available time to do this
The second set was definitely harder, but I got through it! Maybe I should start going to two 20 minute sets ...
Lisa, is your bike's tension set too high? Put it on a "granny gear" and you'll be able to sit and read on it for hours!
Granny gear, I'll, have to as my son to set mine i didn't now you could do that, just what this "granny" needs ;o)
it's much better for your knees to have a low setting and to just use it for a longer period of time. you can set it as "you time" and break out the magazines and catalogues and just enjoy yourself.
remember spinning classes? they alsways used low tension and were very enjoyable. you can use intervals if you want a better workout (ie - go faster during commercials if you are watching TV while on the bike).
I have it set on level 6 - I actually would rather go for shorter harder periods vs longer easier periods. While some people are going for lean invisible muscle I always adored the Terminator Sarah Connor look and would love to look like that
So I am going for the hard workout that slays me.
Yes, I am slightly insane
If anything I would crank it up higher to level 7.
IMHO, I would try to gain muscle from weights (or broadsword training) and stay away from the high bike tension that can rip up your knees, Lisa. :-)
I like that buff Sarah Connor/Gabrielle (from Xena) look too. But for me personally it's a lot of work to maintain it, so my personal goal is the long, lean rangy, tomboy look i can actually keep up with when i stay on track. :-)
I found it, the setting is right on the handle bars, now i'm easy going i can make it easy to peddle or down right hard.
Broadsword training!! What an excellent idea!!
I just finished my first 15 minutes for today - I kicked the level up to level 7 for the first 5 minutes but then had to bring it back down to 6 for the remaining 10. It definitely made the workout more hard!!
My knees feel fine - the burn is all in my upper thighs - so that's fine by me
I used to bike a ton - maybe I'm lucky, but biking has never hurt my knees. It's always the thighs that feel the heat.
I have always loved a flat stomach so I *should* do situps but I need Bob awake for that to stand on my feet. I do have a device that attaches to a door that you hook your feet under but it really doesn't work that well. I do actually have that rolly thing where you kneel on a pad and put your hands on the rolly thing and push it away and back, I should go figure out where I put that ...
Well OK you guys as always have enthused me. I am going to go downstairs into the horror zone ... ummm basement ... and see what can be done about digging out the bowflex ...
Great Skyhaven! (Or do we call you Rosie?) Your workout should be enjoyable, not punishment (unless you are Lisa - heehee).
If you are not enjoying it, then you need to change things until you DO enjoy it. The Am Heart Assoc says to workout every day, 20-30 minutes. So if it's to be sustainable, it better be a "treat".
For me, i get to enjoy flipping through my decorating magazines and dreaming about fixing up my home, or I can watch something fun on TV. I go at a slow rate and the time just whips right by in an enjoyable fashion.
Jilly, call me Rosie
I did less then five minutes on the bie this morning and i was so board ;o(
haha can't spell to good today you know i meant to say "BIKE"
didn't you
Lisa the rolly thing sounds good. you do know you can do crunches without someone standing on your feet, right? a proper crunch means you never come up above 45 degrees anyway - going face to knees is not really good for you and is considered last century.
here is how to do a crunch by my online fitness coach (PDF):
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Hi Rosie. If you are bored then you need to find a book, some good music, or put on a movie or something. Or talk on the phone. :-) While you work out. You know?
Lisa, I totally think you should find a broadsword trainer. It will help your novels too, to know about it firsthand. :-)
I think that would be so incredibly fun. Even if the swords are super heavy, i bet your leaning curve will be swift as your arms adjust to the movements.
OK I keep time by this forum
Exactly 38 minutes and 59 seconds ago I went down into the basement of doom and plowed at it. I dug out the bowflex!! I somehow managed to wrangle the giant rolling shelf around into the back corner, move the two bikes that were leaning against it and move all the other junk that had accumulated.
The bowflex is freeee!!!
And then because, as you know, I am insane, I hooked up the 50 pounds arms (or whatever those tubey things are called). I did 10 back pulls and 10 to-chest pulls. I'm sure those are the technical names for those exercises. And then 21 situps because I found that even without weights just looping my legs through the foot areas is enough to hold me down to do a sit-up against.
Hurrah!!
Now of course my shoulders will be in agony tomorrow but right now I'm feeling quite encouraged
For broadsword training the SCA is always looking for people to join their sword teams and fencing teams. So I could do that quite easily. I just don't have the time
I can sneak away for 15 or 20 minutes here or there while I'm waiting for a system to reboot or such, but it would be too hard for me right now to dedicate the 5-6 hours a week (including travel time, setup time etc) that something like that would take up. Maybe someday
Also I'd want to be in much better shape physically before I tried, so that I had the starting stamina to learn
My second ex-husband and I bought some of those wooden training swords once and he got so mad because I was better than him. Truly, he quit playing! Said I was doing it wrong! What a whiny brat. But, it was really fun.
I have a real bike and am looking forward to riding it this year. I just hate the helmet thing, but I suppose I should get used to it.
Doing it wrong??? Sword fighting is about defending yourself. If you hit the other person you are doing it right!!
We have five bikes here (I just had to go down and move them around) and all of them have flat tires. We used to road bike and mountain bike a ton. I *love* mountain biking. So maybe this year we will get them fixed up ...
I used to hate helmets. I was in a car accident when I was 23 or so and my head feels sensitive (or maybe I am just paranoid). In any case I had to force myself to wear a helmet when I got into biking but I got used to it very quickly. Make sure you go for a quality helmet, they are MUCH more comfortable than cheap ones. A good bike shop can help you with a fitting. Bob used to work in one for several years so we tried a bunch before we found a good one for me.
I am so glad I got my Bowflex cleared out! I am going for quick-but hard with that right now, since I don't have a ton of free time. So every day I'm going down, hooking up 100 pounds (50 on each side) and doing 10 front curls and 10 back pull-downs (whatever those are called). Actually I did 15 of each yesterday. I'm also doing 50 sit-ups. That way it's not a huge time commitment, I just run down, do the reps, and come back up again. So far that's working well for me.
Lisa it's generally advised to pair sit ups with back extensions. :-)
Sounds like the bowflex is really working well for you. I hope you don't overextend and hurt yourself with the heavy weights. If you do even five minutes of walking in place to warm up, it will be better for your muscles - they will be lubed up and ready, according to my trainer.
oh, Lisa, i was thinking there has to be a sword training DVD out there, somewhere. And I know you have a sword! It would be so cool, wouldn't it? I want to do that too!
The 100 pounds is tough but doable, it's not hurting at all later or the next day. So I think it's OK.
What's a back extension?
I did find several sword training DVDs out there - I have to put that off for now though
Too many things on my plate! And yes we have several swords here in the house
Lisa, here are back extensions (PDF):
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OK this may sound funny but I don't know if I have floor space anywhere that is clear enough to do that. I suppose I could do it on the bed, but I'd sag into the bed ... still, I suppose it's better than nothing!
Jill may have passed me on the weight challenge, but I did just go from 25% fat to 23% fat - so I am building up muscle! So that's a good thing long term, that should accelerate my weight loss going forward
OK I'm up to 20 reps on front and back with the bowflex at 100 pounds. Also 50 situps. Although this morning my stomach was killing me so I only did 15.
Jill - interestingly the yoga DVD I got (which I'll post about in the yoga forum) as back extensions as their very first exercise. So I guess I'll be working on those once I figure out how to get a clear spot in front of the TV!
I also did an hour of DDR - I got the new game in already from Amazon!! It has Unbelievable and Got To Be Real which are fun songs to dance to. These songs are slower than the other game - more "dancy" and less "jumpy". So it's good to go between them.
Lisa, are you doing the bowflex every day?
Well first I have to caveat that I only dug the Bowflex out of the gigantic basement mess a few days ago - in fact I could go back through the forum posts to figure out exactly when that was. So I wouldn't take my current daily Bowflex activity as any sign of long term progress yet - I think it's been less than a week that I've been doing it.
But yes, right now I have an area of the basement cleared out with the bowflex in it, and my Dance Dance Revolution pad and laptop sitting next to it. So every morning I go down and dance for about an hour, then do 20 front pulls at 100 pounds and then 20 back pulls (down to the back of my neck). Then I do 50 sit-ups because I can loop my legs in the leg-lift thingie and it holds my feet well enough to do sit ups. That's been my routine right now.
Jill said I should do back extensions too, and the yoga DVD I just got has those as their introductory exercises. So later today I'm going to try finding a way to push the coffee table out of the way in the living room and do that. I think it was a 10 minute set. So that's not too bad.
Wow, that's a lot of exercise and that is so great, Lisa!
Keep in mind you should not work out the same muscles every day. Cardio every day is fine, but the Bowflex should be every other day. Muscles are torn down by a workout and need a day of rest to rebuild. Otherwise you are just tearing down all the time.
Some people alternate upper body and lower body if they want to lift everyday.
So cardio and yoga every day are fine but not lifting/Bowflexing.
Oh, and I am glad that yoga vid seems good and that you are doing back extensions. Back extensions are a nice stretch, besides just balancing out against crunches.
I am STILL waiting on my yoga mat to get here! Arg. I will go into town and check my mail right now. (no house delivery where I live - you'd think this was a remote area and not just a half hour from a huge metropolis!)
I was just asking in the yoga forum about mats. Maybe I'll go on Amazon and see what they have ...
Really the Bowflex stuff takes maybe 2 minutes tops, and the situps another minute or so. So I do those while the PS2 is booting up
It's the bike stuff I'm having trouble motivating myself to do. Dancing is just so much more fun! It's active and moving and the music is great, where sitting and watching TV is seeming boring to me. Maybe I need to get some new movies in via Netflix ...
OK I think today's going to be my day of rest, my shoulders are a little sore now and I just don't have any energy. Of course that is probably because my evil boyfriend brought home eggplant parmesan with ziti last night and as soon as I ate those ziti I was pretty much asleep ...
Lisa We all need that day of rest, sorry to hear your a little sore. hope you feel better tomorrow and by all means rest, rest,rest.
I started doing TaeBo last week and I guess I overdid it the first time out, with workouts two days in a row. I could feel my knees starting to bother me. Mainly from standing on one foot while doing kicks. I took a break yesterday and today I'm feeling as good as new. I believe it is important to give your body a rest sometimes so it can heal and renew itself.
Good for you Chloe, im so off balance, lol
You deserve a day of rest also
LOL I said I would take a day of rest, but we went out shopping and got some nice interlocking pads and set them up below where Bob plays darts and then underneath my dance dance area. So then of course I had to test them out
I did a full hour of dancing, and even tried two of the songs at a harder difficulty. Then I did my 25 pull-downs front, then back, and 50 sit-ups.
I asked my boyfriend who supposedly is expert in these things about my form on the Bowflex exercises and even though I asked him up front to be supportively constructive he starts in on the "you're doing it all wrong!" kind of stuff which was not a "you are going to break something" thing but more a "You're working out X muscles instead of Y muscles". And I said Well I don't WANT to work out those muscles. It is just so frustrating. I wanted him to help me with what I wanted to do - not to tell me I was doing it all wrong because he felt I should be doing something else. And what is most frustrating is that he always does this so I even began with a request to have him be constructive and help me with my aims and he just ignored it.
But I suppose he did help me find good dance dance pads and set them up, so that was semi productive. And we did get a heart rate monitor that is a wristwatch (no chest strap needed) so that is good, to see how I'm doing. Oh and we got some more cholesterol test sticks so I'll try those out later tonight.
Lisa, I know it's good to take a day of rest, but I have to give you credit for doing what you feel. There is no specific plan. Just keep going girl, I'm trying my best too!
heehee, Lisa, you just could not resist. :-) I am thinking if the Dance Dance is so fun that I should for sure look into it.
We are REALLY liking our Twist Board and Stability Disc. Both are incredibly fun to play with; work out on in a creative way. It's nice to break up the treadmill time using those. Dan is also enjoying using these.
Also I love love love using the disc on my office chair. It's super comfy on my tush, but also adds a subtle core workout while I sit here on the old computer. (it also has a side with nubs that is all massagey for my feet when i stand on it with hand weights).
You keep going Chloe!
Oh, hey, Chloe, are you enjoying the Taebo? What is it exactly? Is it fun? I am all about the fun.
Lisa, I am sorry your boyfriend is not being supportive in the manner you specifically asked for. This is always a constant issue in my marriage, but for the most part I will admit Dan is trying. It's hard b/c really, his idea of support is totally different than mine. But at least I am very upfront about what I need. He may not do it perfectly but I imagine sometimes I don't support him the way he asks for right sometimes.
But, back to people telling you "you are doing it wrong." The thing is, you know what kind of body you are trying to build. As long as you are using proper form then you have all OUR support!!!
Lisa, i wish i could be half as motivated as you are. you inspire me so much! you go girl
Oh, hey, Chloe, are you enjoying the Taebo? What is it exactly? Is it fun? I am all about the fun.
Jilly, I am really enjoying TaeBo. I hadn't done it in years until my daughter pulled out the tapes and I thought I would try it again with her. It combines Tae Kwon Do with aerobic exercise. There are a lot of punches and kicks in the routine. It gets you going and energized.
Ah but I used to just sit here at the computer all day long every day and my body was just so out of shape and sore and awful feeling. So it's not that I'm motivated really (or at least I don't "feel" motivated). It is that the dancing is a lot of fun and when I'm feeling stressed it's a nice break to take to go listen to music I really like and dance around.
So it's not at all like I'm forcing myself to exercise. It's like I'm having a fun break that I actively look forward to doing. And while I'm dancing I'm not saying "OK I have to do 10 more minutes". It is more like the hour flies by and my legs are killing me and I'm thinking "I bet I can have fun dancing one more song before my legs completely give out on me". So I actively want to do more.
On the biking, I am doing it while I watch TV so again it's not really motivation as much as TV is sometimes a nice break so that is how I watch it.
Still all of that being said, knowing that I'm coming to post about it in the forum does encourage me to go get on the bike when I'm not feeling like watching TV for example
Chloe, taebo sounds like great fun! And possibly helpful as self defense?
Do you need a punching bag or are you punching and kicking the air?
Lisa, that is so bizarre that you have no room on your floor for a back extension. Wondering if it's b/c you have a small place, or a lot of furniture? (and pushing the coffee table out of the way sounds at least doable).
Rosie, did you get a stability ball yet?
Interestingly I did in fact do 20 minutes on the exercise bike last night - Roadhouse was on again and I hopped on. I did interval set on "hills and valleys" I think at level 7. So I am increasing my endurance there. I had done an hour of dancing and my Bowflex stuff earlier in the day.
As far as the space problem, we have a house and not and apartment so in that sense I know we have more space than many do and I am very grateful for that. I know for example that in many of my old apartments there would be no room at all for a bowflex. But that being said, it is a small Colonial and all the rooms are very small. So for example in my office there's room for my desk and shelves and that's about it. In the living room there is the futon, then a coffee table, then a narrow path for walking and then the TV. There really isn't a lot of space. The bike is jammed into the corner next to the futon. So I will have to find a way to slide the coffee table over against the bike wall to free up the space between the futon and the TV, to have a place for me to lie down and see the screen. I suppose an alternative would actually be to "lay down" the futon into a sleeping position and put the mat ON the futon, but I don't know how that would work in terms of doing yoga on a thick mat like that.
i don't think you will be able to do back extensions on a futon. Although I have seen books that have chapters on how to do some types of yoga in bed...so for those poses you should be fine on the futon.
Maybe get a plywood board you can stick over the top of the futon for yoga-time. We have a big board that hubby and i stick over the coffee table when we do puzzles together. Maybe you can keep the board under the futon normally.
I can sense disaster with the idea of having a wooden board that goes on the futon. I think I will stick with the idea of moving the coffee table. I don't have the mat in yet so there is still time to decide.
In the meantime I thought I'd share a funny story with you all. It was only a few weeks ago that I did no exercise at all. Today I had my brand new pedometer and I wanted to test it out to see how accurate it was. So I convinced my boyfriend to go out with me for a mile walk at the local mall with my new pedometer, old pedometer and GPS to test them out. But on the way back I was feeling down because we had spent all this time so I would "not get any exercise in today". Now keep in mind I had just walked a mile - which I hadn't done in months and months!! But now I was considering this "no exercise"
That is pretty funny to me.
And actually I went out to dinner with a friend and when I got back I did my hour of dancing and then my Bowflex (although admittedly not the sit-ups) so really I am in good shape for the day
That's great Lisa! Your whole POV has shifted. :-)
Well I suppose walking with a friend, you're talking and such so it doesn't really seem like exercise. I guess that's the great thing about going for walks
OK today I just did 25 minutes on the bike, on the "rolling hills" path at level 6. It's hard with the seat - if I have it down a little my legs hurt from being too floppy, but if I have it up a little it hurts my rear. So I need a position halfway between the two ...
My friend said at her club they have bikes where you can actually "ride a course" where you see a video of where you are riding and you can steer left and right!
The bikes with a virtual course sounds motivating. Sometimes, I'll use the treadmill with a built in TV at the local YMCA. It definitely makes the time go by.
Yesterday, I walked with a girlfriend in the park. Apparently, we had a lot to talk about, because we walked a little over two hours which is about 5 to 6 miles for me.
This morning I went to my Zumba exercise class. I hope I can keep this up. ...not the 5/6 miles, but exercising consistently. It's like a heard someone say on the Oprah show, "exercise is no longer an option for me." I must keep these bones moving.
That is really great, Beverly! It does make such a huge difference if you have someone to talk with while you exercise, to get the time to pass without you even noticing. Two hours of walking is great!
Unfortunately my friend who lives near the local bike trail has a new boyfriend so she's gone every Fri-Sun, otherwise I could email her and lure her out for a walk! It's go lovely out right now, spring is finally on its way!
I walked for about 45 minutes today. It was beautiful out, around 55 degrees and sunny!
walking with friends is wonderful. You get to have a nice quality session with a friend, be outdoors to enjoy clean air and birds, AND, for a free bonus, you are moving your body.
Walking alone is really the same thing. You are walking with your best friend - you. It's quality time with your own space, your own mind. I get my best thinking done after a walk alone, and always return to life feeling refreshed.
I walked 51 minutes today. It's really nice out--upper 60's, slightly cloudy. Big stormy rain last night, too, so it's all damp.
Way to go Deb! that was a great walk, nice temps i can't wait for it to get into the 60s. just to open the windows
It was 50F here and we had the screen door open
It felt nice and warm compared with previous temperatures!!
I got my new dance mat in so I went down and danced for a while. Then I did the Bowflex with 140 pounds total, because my new aim is to be able to "lift myself" with chin-ups. Plus 50 sit-ups.
I want to note that when I do the bowflex with the "one 50-lb arm" on each side it pulls smoothly but when I have it with "one 50-lb arm and two 10-lb arms" (i.e. 3 arms) on each side it is much more "tremulous". So I'm not liking this. It's not that it's really shaky but before with the one arm on each side it was very solid feeling. It might be better with just two arms, but I'd have to do 50+30 so I didn't want to go right up to that weight. But I did do 15 reps in each direction with the 140 pound weight.
My new dance pad is a RedOctane pad which is more rubbery on the bottom so it doesn't slide along the floor as much. It does still slide slightly so Bob will have to velcro it in place to the rubber mat we got to go beneath it.
I still want to do yoga later tonight after I get a bit caught up here.
OK I didn't do yoga or anything yesterday, I got caught up in doing some coding projects.
It figures, it snowed here last night! So much for our 50F temperature. Today's log. I went down and danced for about an hour, then did 15 reps in each direction with the 140 pounds. I then did 60 sit-ups, the sit-ups are definitely getting easier now and I was able to go through all 60 without stopping.
Then I came upstairs and did the 20 minute "standing" yoga workout and realized just how bad at balance I am
That's OK, it's something to work on. I came back to my computer to check in and report on that new yoga session, but now I'm going to go back and do the 10 minute "back bend" workout.
Jilly has impressed on me how important that back bend part is given the situps and chest exercises I'm doing. So I'm following Jilly!
How is everybody else doing on exercise this fine Saturday, the Ides of March?
That walk outside sounds great Deb. Damp after a storm is cool.
Also good job, Chloe!
I am doing my usual mix of treadmill, stability disc with hand weights, twist board, and also tried a half hour of yoga.
Jilly I'm really intrigued by this twist board thing. How much do you use it at a stretch? Is it like a 10 minute activity and then you go on to something else?
I really love the twisty board. I used it twice today. Dan is actually on it right now while we are watching a movie.
It's hard to *not* be on it b/c it's fun and easy and a core workout that requires so little thinking/effort.
here is is on Amazon:
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I was just trying to twist around while watching tv and thinking the disc would be fun. What do you do on a disc though? I think I'll get the spinny one for now
I just rode my bike for a half hour on level 6!! First time for a half hour!!
I was pretty tired after that trek!
Thanks Jilly! I went out walking again today, another beautiful day in the low 60's.
I am so interested in the twisty board and the price is right. I'm not sure how I would use the stability disc though. I would also like to know how you use it?
I've ordered the grey twisty one and Jill has the blue one so we can compare notes on them. It appears they're really the same on in different colors. I should have mine in two days, so Tue or Wed!
Then Jill can tell us all about the other stability disc. To me that doesn't look as fun, I'm looking forward to the spinny one though
I did try "twisting" on my kitchen floor in socks and it wasn't very slippery
Let us know how you like the twisty board, Lisa. I'd like to order one and I'll need to find something else to go with it so I can get the free shipping.
I think it would be cheaper for my to just put on a Chubby Checker lets twist again cd, lol
Hi everyone and Rosie. it would be cheaper to just dance to chubby checker, but do you actually DO it? That's the thing. This fun board makes me *do* it. And it's only 10 bucks with free shipping if you order something else.
The Bally Twist Board is fun, like a kids' toy for grownups. I like the blue color too - it's cute and happy looking. That was the major reason i didn't get the grey one. Happy colors are motivating.
Notes: the board is deliberately small. Dan was like "I wish this was bigger" at first. I told him small was the point. It's to help your balance and core muscles through constantly having to adjust your torso in small motions as you spin/twist.
I get on it and twist for a half hour watching TV, and I hold hand weights at my hips while doing it. You can't really do arm exercises since you WILL fall off the thing. heehee. When my weighted ball comes in (6 pounds squishy ball by Valero) i will hold that instead of the hand weights to make it more challenging for my core.
I love the Stability Disc also. For one thing, I plop it on my computer chair for a "free" core workout while i work. It's very comfortable and makes my posture better.
I work out with it in tandem with the disc. When i use hand weights I stand on the disc. It's a little bit wobbly, but very easy. I can even lift my weights on it standing on one foot - requiring more concentration but also very fun. And it's also fun while watching TV.
I think it's good to have both. The twist board really does ONE thing: mainly to work out your obliques, and to a lesser extent your torso as a whole. The stability disc is a better torso/core workout and while both improve balance, the Disc is better than the Board.
The Board is more "fun," and i do also get a mild cardio workout from it.
The Disc is not cardio at all (unless you jiggle on it, which i do because i am a big kid)...but the big plus is using your hand weights while on it for a SUPER core workout/upper body blast.
The nubby side is also a nice foot massager.
So I recommend both. They really do different things.
I just rode my bike for a half hour on level 6!! First time for a half hour!! \:\) I was pretty tired after that trek!
Congrats on Level 6 Lisa! You are now permitted to enter Sto'vo'qor.
LOL I had to look up Sto'vo'qor - it's Klingon Heaven!! Cool!
I even have a Klingon shirt that is red with a cute little Klingon on it - I can't find it on the web to show you. Maybe I'll take a picture of it later if I can find it. I will have to wear it while I twist
I have been looking for a "cute" timer to have down in my workout area to show me how much time has elapsed but I can't find any! The best I can find is a red-yellow-green stoplight style one for kids. I don't want one that is a stoplight
I want one that is encouraging! Something like this -
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Jilly and Lisa your both so full of energy, clapping for both of yous, at 60yrs old all i've been able to get my self to do is walk the 2miles 5 days a week. stay young yous two ;o)
THIS is the Timer of Choice:
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oh, and also the Flylady timer has an option between buzzing and vibrating, VERY useful option!
With a built in clip for standing or hanging or laying flat, and a magnet also for hanging on the fridge.
Okay i will stop promoting it now. But it really is the best timer i have used.
Hey Rosie, 60 isn't old! It's the new 50. Plus, Lisa and I aren't as young as you are probably thinking. I am 40 next month. (which is the new 30).
But really, walking 2 miles every day is AMAZING. Walking is the best exercise. Right, Deb?
Your still a young chick,lol thanks for the encouragement.
Right I turn 40 next year so we're not that far behind you!
Jill - I really wanted a "visual" timer - something that I didn't have to see numbers on but that had a moving color bar or band or something to visually show my progress. I've written the guys who make the red one to ask if they can do it in another color
And yes definitely walking is SO good for you - it is great that you're doing that, Rosie!!
So far all I've done today is the 20 minutes of "balance yoga", I think I will head down and dance now
Thanks Lisa, keep on dancing girl
I had fun dancing, and did some more Bowflex. We also went out and did a ton of shopping, I wish I brought my pedometer with me to see how much we walked. I have to remember to bring it along! So now the remaining thing I want to do tonight is the next "sun worship" segment of the yoga DVD to report on that. I'm afraid of it though - I think it might have the famous Downward Facing Dog in it. However, I need to try each segment to be able to write them up. So I'll brave it!
I don't mind the Downward Facing Dog, myself, but i have not yet tried the upward facing dog. it looks harder, at least on the video i have. I learned the downward one from my yoga book.
Anyways i wanted to add that i tried one-legged twisting on my twist board. it's doable, but quite a bit harder. More concentration is needed for sure. What is funny is that one leg is better at it than the other.
Jill, it is natural for one side of the body to be different than the other. You will notice this more and more with your yoga, I guess it isn't surprising considering that most of us are right- or left-handed.
I'm going to try that sun worshipper segment today, later on. Bob has band practice tonight meaning the living room will be free.
In the meantime it's sunny out so I'm going to pop outside for about an hour I think and get our bikes cleaned up!!
In good news, I got my Valero Fitness Ball today. I am excited to use it on my twist board tonite. It weighs 6 pounds and is big and squishy and bright yellow.
Okay, i opened and used my package with the valeo ball and it's actually blue - a really pretty blue. I used it on the treadmill, twist board, stability disc, stability peanut and yoga mat. I LOVE it. It's pretty heavy for bing a small squishy ball, and it came with a wall poster of Fitness Ball Exercises.
So my gym area is now looking pretty good with the various posters that came with my gear. And I really love having all these fun options in bright cheery colors to play with. It's like having a playground as a grown-up. Why do we stop playing in playgrounds? We All enjoyed them as children, right?
Wow, that's great news, Jill! I'm glad you're getting everything set up!
I'm looking forward to my twisty board, I think that will be a lot of fun!
I did get in some actual bike riding today, for the first time in many years. Plus I danced for 2 hours while Bob practiced with his band. Also, 20 minutes of yoga. I'm hoping to get a long walk in tomorrow!
Claybird, thanks for the info on balance. it's weird that one side is more balanced than the other but what you say makes sense.
You are really grooving Lisa! What is your long term plan for exercise? Do you plan to do this every day, do you plan to have rest days? Are you trying to achieve a goal right now, or are you just experimenting?
Also i think you will love your twist board. it is so easy to just climb on while watching TV. so fun to twist high and low and kinda go crazy on to music.
Lisa did you find a good visual timer?
The red visual timer wrote me back and said really it's meant for helping kids learn and that they only have them in red. I really like the way it's set up so I think I'm going to just get the red one and live with the color. Maybe if this type of timer becomes more popular then other varieties will start to appear.
I just got my third and final dance game in today with a new set of songs - but I just got back from a 1.6 mile walk with Bob. We did half of a nearby bike trail that is under construction so I could take pictures of it. I'm going to dance later tonight to try out the new songs, plus do that final 30 minute Yoga set to document that. So that will be my stuff for today.
I checked on the twisty board progress and it's in Kentucky somewhere so it should be to me tomorrow. So I can give that a try!
I really have no plan right now. I did just buy a new road bike yesterday, and Bob did as well, so we will have incentive to go out riding on them. Other than that, I'm taking each day as it comes! I do want to document the other half of the bike trail later this week so that'll be a 2 mile walk or so, but it looks like it'll be chilly this week so I think any other activity will be indoors.
So, what's the twisty board? Okay, I looked it up so I know what it is and I actually have the wobble board, but tell me about the twisty one--it looks fun. Does it do any good?
And, what's the visual timer?
Taking these one at a time. The twist board looks like this -
You stand on it and can twist around. One argument is that you could do this same activity on a kitchen floor in socks - but I've been testing that theory out for the past few days while I wait for mine to arrive. I really can't twist well on the kitchen floor even in socks - and I definitely can't on the carpet. So I think having this by the edge of the sofa where I can just hop on it for 10-15 minutes while watching TV will be really fun and useful - and it definitely will narrow my waist.
Jilly has one in blue
On the visual timer it looks like this -
As mentioned I really wish it wasn't red - that it was purple or green or blue or something - but this is all they have now. I want this down by my dance dance revolution setup. Right now when I start dancing, I normally want to dance for about an hour. But when you're dancing and moving around and such it'd be a pain to look for a clock with numbers and try to read it. Or to try to remember exactly when you began and subtract backwards. With this, you just set it for an hour when you begin and when you glance up you see right away what slice of the pie is left. That's exactly what I want.
Yes i keep mine right by the edge of the sofa, as lisa said. DH and i hop on and off it all day long. we LOVE it.
(The blue one is cuter)
I got my twist board! I want to say first this is SMALL. My feet hang over the edges. But that being said my boyfriend is very heavy (280 I think) and HE can stand on it. So even "large" people can fit on it. I think it's deliberately small to make you focus on balance. It's about the size of a dinner plate.
I twisted on it for about 10 minute - and then he used it for about 5 minutes. It is fun in short bursts but I don't see that we here will use it for "long stretches". Still even if we do a 10 minute twist every day, I'm sure that will be very helpful to our waist area.
It has a nubby side and a black smooth side. I wasn't sure it was supposed to be "reversible" but my boyfriend really didn't like the nubby side so he flipped it over so he could stand on the flat side and it worked fine. So hopefully he won't break it doing that
He was trying to pry it apart to see how it worked inside
We are curious people. I figure when this one gets worn out we'll open it up to see and just get another one.
Thanks Jill! And we LIKE our grey one, no need to look down on us for having "just grey"
Although it says "for her" on it which Bob seemed grumpy about
Twisting the night away, Lisa you go girl
I can see where the twisty board would be great in short bursts while watching TV. I'm sold, I think I'll get one.
I was really dragging today and had a hard time getting motivated to exercise. I finally did some TaeBo and I feel much better.
Yes definitely even if you just hop on it during commercials, it revs up your metabolism so that even sitting for the next 15 minutes you're burning more calories than before. Plus its nice waist whittling motion
And it's fun!
That is great on the TaeBo! Isn't that funny how sometimes exercising can give you more energy?
I have to say that this board has been a great motivator. Reading all of your posts inspires me to also get moving.
Thanks everyone!
That's great news, Chloe!! I definitely know there are times that I think about just sitting but then I remember I would have to post on the board that I did "nothing today" so I get up and get moving. And it really does help to do even something small vs nothing at all!
Yes, it's small to increase your core workout - tiny continual torso readjustments.
It gets almost too easy really fast. I have been experimenting with using a weighted fitness ball with it and with trying to hold a leg in the air while twisting. That's much harder.
LOL. I think the grey one is much classier looking than my cute blue board, so you got that going for you Lisa.
At first Dan and I didn't use the twist board for longer than five minutes, but we just got more addicted to it over time. In fact, and this is funny, Dan just grabbed it right now to twist on while watching BSG. He has no idea I am writing about it right now.
I like to switch back and forth with it and the treadmill after each commercial break.
Anyway, just a warning that the thing is addictive.
Does anyone use a Wobble Board, or a Bosu? (still looking for fun new workout toys).
We are just getting used to the twist board - we just got it - but I've used it twice today and it is a fun break from other activities. I find I "circle around" though so if I'm trying to watch TV I move away from central
I was watching Ninja Warrior which was very inspiring
I also rode 30 minutes on the bike today. I do want to do the next Yoga session too (I've finished the 'beginner set' and am now into the 'full sessions') but I'm taking a few minutes to catch up first
I have a wobble board, Jilly. Found it at Walmart for $10 or so. I've had it several months and it was only when I found at via yoga how my balance "ain't what it used to be" that I've been using it some.
We've been playing with our twist board daily - it definitely is being used each day. Bob was trying one-legged twisting today
It's something you can easily hop onto, twist for a while then go on to something else.
Bob is on the exercise bike right now!! He hasn't been on in a while. I'll get on it later when he's off. Yesterday I did a full yoga set - 55 minutes - so I'll go write that up in the yoga area!
I've been getting really creative with the twist board. One legged, twisting high, twisting low, using hand weights or my weighted ball, and trying twisting with different motions - hips, waist, legs, butt out, butt in....
What's nice is it's totally non-impact and pretty easy after the first few times to just hop on it and twist, so I think anyone could use this.
it's so fun I am now looking into wobble boards. Deb, can you go into more detail about yours? Is it fun? hard? Wobbly enough?
I think it's good if you need to improve your balance and it is also good if you are like me and have issues with just being still.
I can stand there for a pretty good while on both feet now, and I can appreciate that it is helping me even though it seems so "easy" compared to more moving exercises.
(It took me forever to learn to stretch properly--I am I guess a Type A person who tries to hurry everything, so I think this is a good thing for me! For instance, I've never been able to "lay out" in the sun like my friends used to do for hours.)
One foot is still quite challenging, and I've done a bit of light weight lifting (with two feet on the board) which is another level of challenge.
For the money, it's worth it. I think I saw them at Target or Wally World this week for around $16, but I know I got the same board back in the fall for maybe $10--I think the box was messed up or something. I have the Gold's Gym brand one.
I'm not a sun layer either, I'd rather be doing something than laying. Yoga is hard for me, to convince myself to just do "slow stretches" for long periods
But I'm trying to remind myself that stretching is important!
Today's log! I biked for 30+ minutes - I was reading the Wil Wheaton write-ups and completely lost track of time, so I'm not sure how much I ran over the set time. I did a fair amount of twisting on the twisty board, and I danced for about 1 1/2 hrs downstairs just now while Bob was practicing his darts. I also did maybe 15 Bowflex pulls.
Lisa i would be happy with half of your energy, lol
well but remember, you can trace back in this forum to where I was doing NOTHING. It wasn't that long ago!! I would just sit in front of my computer all day long and do nothing at all. I finally got up the courage to sit on a bike for **three minutes** and it was too much for me. That's all I could do.
So take things in small steps. It all begins with small steps. Just walk a quarter mile. Go up and down your stairs a few times. Even a small change is better than the status quo!
That im doing, i walked my 2 miles this morning, and my bathroom is up stairs so with all the water i drink i am climbing up n down those stairs morning, noon n night ;o)
Great job, Skyhaven! Stairs are great exercise!
Today I did 40 minutes of yoga, 1 hour 20 minutes of dancing (at higher speeds) and lots of twisting
ok I admit it - I did no exercise at all today. I got up and have been plowing through my taxes all ... day ... long ...
Maybe tomorrow!!
Lisa, You did a brain exercise. lol
I guess but I really do feel sluggish!! I *think* I am nearly done with the tax work. I am entering the mileage entries for the car which is very tedious, a separate entry for every time I ran to the post office. But it adds up!!
I should be sending in my CD to the tax guy tomorrow and then I will be back to normal, or more normal at least.
Is anybody else exercising or have we all hit the too - busy timeframe with taxes coming up?
Lisa, You will be able to get back to "normal" every day work outs now that your nearly finished with your taxes. i hope your sluggishness isn't cause your coming down with some thing. hope its just a brain sluggish. lol
yup i walked 2.15 miles today
Get a good nights sleep,
Good for you for your walking!! That is so great
Maybe I will get out walking tomorrow (today) if the weather is nice!
I am making an extension on my taxes while i seek a new tax person in my new town. So i am still steady as usual with the workouts. although my groin pull means i still have to keep things slow and easy.
You know I actually had planned on doing that - because I was just so backlogged right now - but there apparently are other things relating to my taxes that need the tax figures for me to go forward with so I really had to do it. So I just buckled down and worked 24 hours a day (although I admit to sneaking off here to the forums occasionally to get a sanity break).
Good idea for you, though, to get the extension and relaxation!! That way you can talk to a tax person AFTER April 15th when they are sane and able to spend time with you.
Yes definitely work up your health again and take it easy!!
I have promised myself once I get my inbox down to 500 messages today that I can go and do my next yoga workout. A lot of my inbox is press releases and that sort of thing so I'm filing them into a variety of to-do folders, that way tomorrow I can for example just go through the press release folder and forward them along to whichever editors the items apply to. That will be much more manageable.
Lisa, I feel for you, tax season is not a fun time by any means. But try to take a bit of time for yourself in doing whatever you need most.
OK I got my inbox down to 500 messages! So I did the full 70 minute yoga basics - then Bob got home and I did 50 minutes of dancing. I am so proud, songs that used to kill me I can now get through and even try on a harder level. So there's great "quick feedback" here, in seeing the songs get easier every day!
Great job, Lisa! And you have given me inspiration for what I can do tomorrow!
Tomorrow is always a fresh day! Maybe I should get some twisting in
I did an hour of twisting last night while watching Reaper. It's so nice that twisting does not aggravate my injury.
Jill, I think that's great! I know it's hard to exercise when your not at your best. I hope you're feeling better soon.
I started using the exercise bike and I'm up to about 20 minutes. I've been adding a few extra minutes each time. I also want to do some crunches today. I'm up to 110 but I've been at those for quite awhile.
Still thinking about that twisty board.
Chloe, you go girl, i get so bored on the bike;o(
Chloe - that is great news!! Good job!!
Rosie - the key is to bike while watching something. Watch a great TV show or movie - the time just flies by!!
I did about an hour of dancing today, plus while I was out with Bob at the bike shop I did a variety of yoga like tree poses and such. It's cool now that I can do them when I'm out at random places. Of course I have to not mind that I look silly
Thanks Chloe. this is the second time i have had to baby this area of my body after a move. You'd think i'd have learned the first time.
it took months to heal it before - i just have to remember to go super slow on the treadmill - under 1 mph, and to only do easy hikes.
That's great about the bike and the crunches! Lisa is right, if it's front of a good tv show the time flies by.
Yes in fact you can end up biking for "too long" if you're doing something that is too much fun
Which I suppose is a bad problem to have!!
Saturday I did my 70 minutes of "strength yoga" which was rather hard, but fun. I actually feel like I have a "taller spine" today!! I don't know how to explain it, it feels very nice. Very loose and strong. I also did some twisting, and we did some walking around in stores.
I took your advice Lisa, i started out biking while watching tv than my 11yr old grand daughter called me and i biked for almost a half hour while talking to her. i have a sore ear n a sore butt ;o)
Rosie that is cool. Just think of all the phone calls we could get caught up to if we did them while walking on the treadmill, using an easy setting on the bike, or even strolling around outside.
Oh so true Jilly. i need to hold on with 2 hands on the treadmill though or i get dizzy ;o(
Rosie - that is great news!! Not that you have a sore butt but that it made time fly by
They sell really cheap headsets for phones, so that you can have the headset on your head and talk while you do other activities. Maybe arrange with your granddaughter that you'll talk with her while you bike, and you can use the headset so your arms don't get tired!
OK today I hadn't exercised at all - but then we watched the Biggest Loser so I got up on the bike. I'm doing 30 minutes now at level 6, on random courses that appeal to me at the moment (hills, ride in the park etc). It actually seems too easy to me now.
Bob thinks I should increase the level, but stay at the same length. He also thinks I should do a 15 minute "ride" then a 15 minute "strength training" which I find boring. So we'll see ...
It was a half hour on the bike today at level 6 but on a harder session, so I definitely felt that. Plus some twisting time
We took the bike apart to try to fix the hand-grip heart monitor, but no luck.
Today we walked around a lot of mall stores getting my new UPS and DVDs for backups and so on. I got a new wheel rolly thing which I played with for about 10 minutes once home. I twisted some, and I just finished 30 minutes on the bike. I was reading Wil Wheaton's blog again and rode over 30 minutes, it is just so much fun to read that I lose track of time
I only did yoga yesterday, but it was super nice. Dan and I did the 30 minutes seated hip openers.
Today will be a big workout day and it's so lovely out that I am thinking of trying yoga outside AND taking a walk (probably with the doggies).
Lisa, I love Wil's blog. he is a hoot. Who knew?
Shame on me, i haven't walked on my tread mill since last Thursday the 3rd. i haven't felt good have a head cold. will get back on it tomorrow, i really feel guilty, im so hard on myself ;o(
hey Rosie, you have to be nice to yourself when you are sick. A head cold is, er...nothing to be "sneezed" at. heehee.
I would say put the treadmill on a super low speed, like 0.5 mile and just stroll on it for 20 minutes. That should be lovely. You can also read magazines, catalogs or whatever at slow speeds like that.
And don't forget to hydrate and take vitamins. No guilt. This isn't about guilt! It's about being good to yourself and being happy!
Good idea Jilly; my nose is soo stuffed up i fell like my head is gonna explode.
I'll start off tomorrow slow like you said, thanks
Rosie, you've been doing so great that you deserve a little break anyway. Hope you're feeling better soon!
Chloe, thanks a bunch, i love all the support i get here from all of yous
Yes definitely don't think about it in terms of guilt. We all have highs and lows, and days of activity and days of rest. You needed to rest to feel better. Now try just a gentle walk, for a short period, Get those little gears going again
Today I did 70 minutes of the "basics" yoga set. Bob is whining about his stomach hurting from doing 10 minutes of the ab wheel yesterday, when he was showing me how to use it
My stomach feels fine, although I used it less than he did.
I haven't danced in a while, so I am going to go down now to dance for a while. I'm trying to lure my boyfriend to go down and throw darts while I do but he seems diligently stationary on the couch
OK sure enough when I went down for my hour of dancing, he came down to play darts
I am definitely much better - I was able to do three 'in the navy' in a row - a song which used to slay me. Now I can do a few songs on difficult, too.
Now for a few minutes of rolling too ...
I have GOT to find a friend who has DDR to try it out.
DH and I think it sounds fun, but we are not sure we want to bother adding it to the treadmill/twist/hiking/yoga/everything else we do.
Well, you have a game console already - so you don't have to get anything more, just I suppose the game itself and a mat
You can get those cheap on ebay
it's a bit intimidating to decide which game to get though. I know, do the research and get started. lol!
Maybe by mid-summmer. Got a lot of traveling to do first.
I DID decide to take my yoga mat and twist board with me on my travels in April and May. They are both light and smallish.
My yoga mat is sort of large even when rolled up, so it'd take up a lot of space. I guess that was the downside for going for the super thick one. Maybe I should get a travel one too ...
Oh for my exercise log, I've been catching up on reviews I hadn't done, so I didn't do any real exercising yesterday. I did some ab wheel rolling, and some in-bed yoga, but that was about it. I'll be going to bed soon, so we'll see about "tomorrow"
OK I take back my bed comment - my new plan is to just stay awake through the day and to go to sleep tonight at 9pm after my monthly "Geek Girl" dinner, with other techie business owners. It's just been so lovely and sunny recently and I've been sleeping during the daylight hours. I want to wrap my schedule around so I can start going out for walks and such!
I'll drink lots of wakeful-tea to see if I can pull this off
Yesterday I did yoga with Dan, and then twisting while watching some Firefly (love love love Nathan Fillion).
Lisa don't forget BL is on tonite, the one with the voting.
I couldn't watch it live - I forgot that tonight was my once a month Geek Girls meeting. I just got home - but I'm exhausted now since I stayed up all night long. I'll just have to watch the video tomorrow morning and see what I missed!
OK Bob biked for a half hour tonight at level 9. So I went on to ride mountains at level 6. The bike claimed my heart rate was at 203
I definitely need to do strong exercise more regularly. I did do my half hour at level 6. I also did some twisting, some wheel rolling. I was out raking for about 45 minutes earlier. So today was a good day!
Today we walked about three miles together! It was a gorgeous day out. I took a lot of photos, I'll post them later on.
Now I have to fold 75 origami cranes for someone to mail out tomorrow, so I'm stuck on doing any other exercise for today I think ... unless it's yoga in bed before I go to sleep!
Dan and I had a nice nice walk today, then we did a bit of yoga (back extensions). I will probably do seated hip extensions yoga and then treadmill later on tonite. (I like to work out at night).
have fun folding Cranes, Lisa! I do want to see your walking pics.
I was lucky, I did get in the 70 minute "yoga basics" which was good because I was hunched over for *many* hours getting these cranes done. The yoga offset the hunching damage. The cranes are now all set - so I can get some sleep, setting an alarm so I'm awake in time tomorrow to get them to the post office!!
It sounds like the yoga basics was a nice antidote to the hours of crane folding.
I like the basics part of the DVD.
I did not get in much exersize on my san diego trip. There was much lounging around by the pool, lots of drinking of the wine, and one walk around the bay.
So last night when we got home i did 2.5 hours of cardio to hopefully help.
That sounds great! Life goes in cycles and sometimes you need that rest and relax time to connect
Sometimes you have tons-of-walking cycles like when we'll be in DC! So it all balances out
It is very nice out today - and my work backlog is very large - so I'm on my laptop on my back porch. You could say I'm not exercising - but I did a lot of walking / biking over the past few days. So I consider this physically my rest day - and work-wise, my catch up day to get things even slightly caught up. So it will all work out long term
It is very peaceful and restful out here and I'm getting some sun, which I rarely do! Not direct sun - I'm under a shade - but ambient sun
Yesterday I did a ton of work on the back porch with my laptop which was both productive and restive. Then I went down in the basement and danced for an hour.
I did a few wheel rolls - and I had bought a new set of "push up supports" that I opened up to try. In essence they are circles with hand grips, and the circles can rotate. Sort of like you had a pair of twist boards and each one had a raised handle.
Here -
http://www.amazon.com/BodyRev-PP6000-Perfect-Pushup-Original/dp/B000KDM3BG/So its main feature for me is that I can have my hands in a more natural position, because having them flat on the ground really hurts me right now. It doesn't hurt using these. Also the twisting means my wrists twist naturally as I go down and up which also lessens the strain.
Now my arm strength is VERY weak and I can barely do 2 or 3 right now. But I remember with the bike I started at only 3 minutes and am now up to 30 minutes. So I have faith if I keep trying these daily that I will build up my arm strength safely - which will then mean I can hold the yoga poses without hurting myself.
Lisa, sitting outside working sounds so lovely. My laptop lost the ability to connect to WIFI so i need to get a new card. Then I can join you sitting outside, watching the birds and also working!
I do like direct sunlight, but i make sure to wear sunscreen, a brimmed hat and sunglasses. So I can luxuriate in the warmth on my back and arms but not have to worry about cancer. Your sunshade sounds like a nice alternative.
Lisa are you doing the pushups from your knees, or the full out "plank" pose?
LOL I am only trying on my knees!! I can barely hold myself up in plank right now. As I said, I know my arms are super weak and am working on fixing that!
I just got in a review copy of "Shiva Rea Flow Yoga for Beginners" from the Amazon Vine program, and Bob is out at band practice for the evening. Now that I got caught up on a few pressing issues I think I will give myself an hour break and give this a try!
I have to say, that pushup thing looks hard. but maybe you are right and with the swiveling it's less strainful. I guess that is the point of it?
Right, for me my wrists kill me when they are flat on the floor. I know it can be partly wrist strength but until I build that up I need to do something. By holding onto the support with my hands wrapped around the bar, it is much easier on my wrists.
And then as my arms move up and down, the swivel helps the wrists to stay in good alignment.
Vine is a program Amazon set up to get more reviews done. In essence they took their top reviewers and started giving them a list of free things to review. So every month I can choose 4 items from the list and they send them to me for free. It's a short list - maybe 20 items - and many are things I don't want. I lucked out with the yoga DVD.
Really, most of us top reviewers are getting bombarded with free item offers anyway, so I don't think it's a huge advantage, but I do like that they say right on the review that it was a vine item so that people know I got it for free. I send most of my free offers along to the editors, so most of what I myself review is something I paid for.
Ah, okay, that is interesting. I didn't know Amazon did that but it makes sense.
hmmm on the pushups thing. How many more gym things can I buy this year? heehee
Well I think your arms are WAY stronger than mine so you probably don't need that help
I'm having trouble with from-the-knee pushups! But I do think I'm slowly improving ...
The vine program is new - they only started it a few months ago. It's actually bothered me - because they offered it to people who are not good reviewers. These people get a pre-release copy of a book (where it says things like "photo to be inserted later") and then whine that the photos are missing. The Vine team even had to write everyone and tell them to stop doing that
odd. What reviewer ranks get to be in the vine program? You'd think they would pick the best reviewers, and select things the individual reviewers seem interested in, based on the choices of things they review naturally.
I can do around 15-20 pushups from plank mode, but I don't go way down like my stronger DH does. His are perfect. Mine are just 'sorta' down. But I am sure this will get better with time. When I was rock climbing I could do great ones, even one armed ones. But that was a while ago.
I am slowly getting better at the ab wheel rolly too.
Today's stuff was:
twistboard (20 mins), ab wheel, yoga (70 mins), No Excuse Workout, hang rod.
I will do some treadmill/reading before bed too.
Today's stuff was:
twistboard (20 mins), ab wheel, yoga (70 mins), No Excuse Workout, hang rod.
I will do some treadmill/reading before bed too.
todays...
a facial on a bodybuilder and I was exhausted by the time we were done with the hand and arm massage and I hadn't even gotten to the shoulder, neck and face massage LOL
I can still feel the birn in mybiceps LOL
Jase, its a tough job, but some one has to do it ;o)
LOL Jase you should get a twisty board and twist while you give massages!
Or do the ones where you walk on their back ...
Jilly - they don't "define" the Vine program. It's completely at their discretion so you only know because you're invited, not because you see a write-up about it and then ask to join. The only public page on Vine - linked to from any review done with a Vine tag (like my flow dvd one) is
What is Amazon Vine�?
Amazon Vine� is a program that enables a select group of Amazon customers to post opinions about new and pre-release items to help their fellow customers make educated purchase decisions. Customers are invited to become Amazon Vine� Voices based on the trust they have earned in the Amazon community for writing accurate and insightful reviews. Amazon provides Amazon Vine� members with free copies of products that have been submitted to the program by vendors. Amazon does not influence the opinions of Amazon Vine� members, nor do we modify or edit their reviews.
I did a bunch of walking today - I had a number of chores I had to get done - but no real exercise. Lots of plugging away at email on my computer!
We did 15,000 steps two days ago, then 10,000 steps yesterday, then just today we did almost 5,000 steps. I suppose at this rate we'll do zero steps tomorrow
But tomorrow is airport day so I imagine we'll do a fair amount!
OK I did well on airport day - and even got good walking in the next day - but then I got stuck! We are writing the walkthrough for GTA IV and are in front of the TV all day - plus I am SO SO behind on email that I am just stuck for hours and hours trying to catch up on it all.
Not even a twist! Not even a dance! No yoga!
Once I get through the main push on this I will at least try to set aside an hour to get SOME exercise in so I don't lose the momentum!
At least I am currently at 137 so still in my 135-140 weight range that I've been in for so long.
Lisa, perhaps you could do just 10 minutes a day while you are working on the GTA IV and catching up?
Your weight is fine, but you want to do something active every day, even if just for a little while.
Two reasons:
1--Exercise is a hard habit to make and an easy one to break. Inertia or something sneaks in and next thing you know, it's been months! (Personal experience here).
2--You need to be active a little bit to keep removing toxin, keep your joints loose, and keep your muscles strong. Just a minimum of 10 minutes on your twisty board or a 10-minute walk will help. Can you walk in place while playing the game?
And, bonus--you will perform your other duties better. Exercise is invigorating and energizing.
I rested up Tuesday and Wednesday. Didn't even wear the pedometer.
Thursday, I walked 3.54 miles, all "exercise".
Friday, none for exercise. I did dance around the living room, though!
Saturday, all in all, 4.4 miles, but only about 1.5 as "exercise". The rest was shopping mostly.
Sunday, 3.76 miles--all exercise.
I do definitely need to take some breaks, sitting here in front of the computer really wears me down. I try to take occasional breaks in the forums to get my mind fresh, but I should take breaks for my body too. It's just hard with the piles of backlog ...
OK I'm going to go do a short 20 minute yoga session. I'm sure my backlog can wait 20 minutes ...
also you can twist probably in between things or while watching Tv.
OK I did the 30 minute rejuvenation session and feel much better!
The thing is I really don't just watch TV. When we're doing the walkthroughs I am typing furiously the whole time, so it's hard to twist
Good for you, Lisa! That will keep you going. I think yoga is so valuable for us keyboard slaves.
Yes indeed! Now I'm taking a deep breath and working on my origami to-do folder. I have 147 messages backed up in that folder. Really. It's been a while since I had the time / emotional strength to even deal with those requests ... poor little origami wanting people ...
Awww. Poor them. They need their cranes, Lisa!
Can you twist while doing origami? Maybe it could become a whole brand new abstract form of origami!
I did a very slow walk on my treadmill last night for 35 minutes and then did 40 minutes of very slow lying down and breathing type yoga. Also a bit of standing poses in the bathroom while DH showered.
I wish I could get over being sick! This is a week now! Such fun!
Jill, I hope you're feeling better soon. Hang in there!
I did 10 minutes of weights and 35 minutes of the exercise bike today. Also did some weeding outside which wore me out more than the exercise.
Wow that is awesome that you did over an hour of exercise even while sick, Jilly! You really are an inspiration for others
Yard work definitely can be tough - I was out raking this morning and it wore me out quickly! I then dragged Bob out of the house for an hour bike ride which was very nice, on a local bike trail. It's only our second time out on the bikes. Then when we stopped at the bike shop on the way home I was doing tree pose while I waited
I'm getting better at it!
Tuesday my friend was in from Texas so we walked almost 3 miles around Boston to see things. Wednesday I did the Freedom Trail with her so I think it was more like 5 miles. Unfortunately I forgot to wear my pedometer!! I had it in the car and everything but forgot to clip it on. It figures!
Today won't be much walking, ah well ... tonight is my dad's birthday so I'm taking him out. He wants pizza so I'll have to find something healthy to eat there, maybe a salad.
Today I did an hour of dancing for the first time in a while! I was worried that I'd be "back to the beginning" on the songs, but I actually made it through some of the challenging ones! It goes to show that building up your muscles is worth it and lasts a while!
I'll try to get in an hour of yoga in after I do some more work on theses forums.
That's great Lisa! Sounds like you built some muscle memory! Good job.
Tonite the plan for us some more easy yoga and maybe some easy treadmill.
Well Bob just called and said he'd be home from the bike shop in 10 minutes so there goes my yoga
He takes over the main TV. There's always tomorrow! Plus I want to mow the lawn tomorrow so that will be a lot of walking and "pushing exercise" so that'll be good. Still, I will try to do some "random yoga" off to the side I think, maybe I can string together some random sun salutation stuff to get my arms stronger.
Tonite - 96 minutes of treadmill at 0.6 MPH (still sick) and then 30 minutes of "relaxing" yoga.
I did feel more energy today, so am hoping I am on the road to wellness.
That's great Jill! Onwards and upwards!!
I just woke up - I was up super late (super early) doing forum work so at this rate I might not get in exercise today. Bob says tomorrow we can mow the lawn so that will be good exercise!
OK *I* mowed the lawn, while he sat inside. Hmmmmmm. Still, it was good exercise for me - just about 5,000 steps for me so far today. Now to think up an excuse to go shopping for a while ...
Finally! After going up and down between 123 and 127 for several weeks, I broke the wall and was 122 this morning. What is strange is i did not do any exercise at all for the last two days.
maybe my body needed a break.
Woo hoo! Yes it's all about a balance, and rest is part of that balance!
Congratulations!
Hmmm. Now that we aren't doing a biggest loser challenge, I don't feel inspired to post my workouts any more.
It seems that other people feel the same way?
In any case, yesterday I did a mild walk on the treadmill for an hour last night and for some reason no yoga. I did also have a nice walk around Lake Arrowhead Village in the afternoon with my honey.
I haven't posted here i believe since April, But that doesn't mean i'm not moving. I had spent 3 days in the hospital. but i'm feeling better now ;o) and i'm baby sitting 5 days a week 6hours and 15mins a day. A 4 month old and a 2 year old, let me tell you i am moving by the end of the day i'm exhausted. I will be doing this till October i believe. So i felt this belonged on the exercise log. believe me i'm getting a lot of exercise
That's great news skyhaven! Natural, life-built-in exercise is always a wonderful way to get active!
Jill that is great that you're staying active! I have been flat out with computer work for a while and haven't done any yoga or anything. I did do the WiiFit for a week or so in a row, but not in the past few days.
I'm making some progress in the work pile so hopefully tomorrow!
I did some tai chi and chi gong yesterday. Some chi gong today and bed yoga.
Took a yoga class in town today, a nice gentle one. I will probably do some treadmill tonite.
That sounds great!!
Our living room is a MESS now - everything is moved all around and there isn't room to Yoga or WiiFit any more. Hmph. Time to prod Bob into doing something in here (it's all his rearranging of things to hang the TV on the wall that is doing it).
Lisa, this might be the day to try your qi gong tape - you only need room to stand in one spot and lift your arms. Takes up about the same room as a twist board.
Actually I was on a reviewing kick yesterday so I made a yoga mat spaced spot and did the yoga DS game for an hour. It shows you poses that you then do. It's actually really cool because it has a "construct your own routine" section where you can put any combination of their 80 poses together in any way. So that was good!
Today I finally got downstairs to do some more DDR - so I got in an hour of that. I had to do it in three stages because I kept getting phone calls. I also did some bowflex work on my arms, and then 75 sit-ups.
Tomorrow Bob's band has a gig so I'll be doing a lot of dancing!
that's great lisa! Such a lot of situps too! The DS sounds convenient for traveling or just being out and about.
this morning i did bed yoga and plan to do some twisting/treadmill/yoga tonite.
While watching BSG. I love that show.
Hey Lisa, you are a HUMAN now! heh
He he yes although I can only use simple tools.
Saturday was Bob's gig and I logged over 16,000 steps!! I'll have to plug my pedometer into the computer later to see how many were aerobic ones. I imagine most of them were! I was dancing all night long
Now I want to weigh myself tomorrow to see if it helped any
I also did some "car yoga" as we drove to and from the gig.
What were you able to do in the car, yoga-wise? [curious]
that is great about the dancing. what a great full-body workout!
The yoga game I got for the Nintendo DS had a series of "Car yoga" poses.
* you would cross one knee over the other and twist your spine in the direction and hold, then reverse.
* you would lean forward and put your elbows on your knees, and put each palm over each eye as a meditation.
* You would bring one ankle up on the opposite knee and lean down towards it. Also rotate your ankle around
That sort of thing. Bob has an Odyssey now I think, it's some sort of minivan that was getting over 30mpg so very fuel efficient. Normally I am very hesitant about minivans but he managed to get a good one and it was really full to the brim with band gear, so he needs that space. So in any case it has a very roomy passenger spot for doing this. I can stretch one leg out fully and cross the other leg up on it to do these poses full bore. It might be more challenging for someone doing it in a Mustang
this is pretty cool. the idea of car yoga. hmm. maybe we need a new thread!
Today - I did some qi gong (20 min), my No Excuse Workout (6 mins) and plan to walk to town later in the afternoon to meet up with a friend. It's steeply downhill about three miles. (she will just drop me off after).
Yesterday did treadmill, some hanging, my No Excuses Workout and a little bit of bed yoga.
Friday did an hour of treadmill and twisting, some hanging, and an hour of mat yoga while watching House Hunters and Property Virgins on HGTV.
Thursday was my yoga class. That's as far back as I can think right now. I keep forgetting to post here.
Well technically the DS has "chair yoga" but it works well in the car too. It really is about sitting on a chairlike object yoga
Today was fight with the mail server day so I really only got some walking around Walmart in, about 11pm when I ran out with Bob to get some quick groceries ... as much as people pick on Walmart, it was the only thing open! I was able to have a lovely salad because of it.
Well, i enjoyed my walk into town, even though about half of it was on a busy road. I might do it again today. I have a pedicure appointment and may as well walk to it. I'd have to work it out that DH picks me up after. I would not want to ruin my nice new toes but a steep, dusty walk home.
I'm so pleased Skyhaven posted about workaday exercise! I often pass by here guiltily cos I prefer to garden! But how many calories might this burn up I wonder? Can it count as daily exercise - I do hope so!
LOL that is great that you're getting your toes done, Jill! Take good care of your toes!
Siobhain, you should put your name in your signature! Otherwise we have to guess what to call you when we respond to you
Do you have a pedometer? I bet you do a number of steps while you garden!
LOL, I was just on my way to the editors forum and profile with my new avatar and previous name! I kinda liked BellaShorts - sounded a bit sporty and lively - all ready for a bit of Daily Exercise lol!
Yes, I must get a pedometer - then I can count how many steps I do when carrying 4 heavy bags of shopping back from the local store every day!
Yesterday I walked to town (3.5 miles or so from that direction) and then did an hour of yoga at night. So a good day, fitness-wise!
BTW, my toes are now looking very pretty with a Caribbean Frost polish! It's the exact color of the ocean in that area of the world. I usually do pinks or bronze colors, but felt flirty and tropical this week.
Wow Jilly, good for you. Do you know how many extra calories carrying weights burns?
PS What does anyone/everyone think of my new avatar LOL?
Awww that's cute Jilly! Post a photo!
Short Stories Editor - you can leave your "display name" - but if you update your signature it can at least show your real name there
Right now you are nameless!
Yesterday i took a rest day. Today i did 35 minutes of tai chi, then a little over an hour of yoga. It was so nice. I really need to do this everyday - that's when i was happiest.
I did about an hour of WiiFit yesterday, great fun
Nothing yet today - it's been a busy day!
Today I am hoping to get in a walk with hubby and maybe doggies, then do some yoga tonite.
Tomorrow we are heading (with dogs) to my sister's, who is hosting father's day. I plan to wear my pedo, bring my fat tester, and bring four twist boards with pool noodles for family fun. DH and I each have a twist board, and I got one for dad and one for my sis...everybody twist!
That's an awesome idea Jilly - have a lot of fun!
My dad is coming here for some beef stew and Celtics watching
Well I was pretty stationary all weekend, between my dad coming over and golf etc. being on TV. I'm sitting here watching the Biggest Loser and thinking I really need to start getting active again. I'm in the middle of a huge origami project that has to be done in a few days, so once it is done, I can get started again!
Good for you Lisa. BL always gets my motivation really high.
We all twisted a bit on sunday but not as much as I'd hoped. My father thought the twist board was a weird gift, but mom immediately grabbed it and started messing around. My sister and her daughter loved it. So we all tried to twist high and twist low, and then I showed them one-legged!
yesterday I got in 75 minutes on my treadmill and did intervals.
My MIL is coming to stay with us a few days - and she used to do yoga very regularly. So i am very excited to do yoga with her. It's nice to have a partner. Dan isn't doing as much of yoga as he used to - he is doing the tai chi - so it's harder for me to get upstairs on our dirty plywookd floor full of staples and do it.
So hopefully having MIL here will be a great incentive to do yoga together. PLus we will go to all the antique stores in Big Bear...
Besides chasing a 2 yr old around and feeding n changing a 4 month old i walked my 2 miles on the treadmill today, im pooped
Jill that is awesome that you'll have a yoga partner! You can share all your cool DVDs with her!
Skyhaven, good for you! So you got in 2 miles plus extra activity!
I really need to carve out even a half hour for some exercise. I am just flat out between the website work and this origami project, which isn't healthy
It's funny - today is my day to clean the house for MIL. It's actually a great deal of physical activity and I just sat down for a little break - to reward myself - by checking into the forums.
Basically, it's top to bottom - high dusting, appliances, counters, floors, water plants, water garden, mist plants, laundry 1, laundry 2, dishwashing, unloading, dishes and laundry away, wash dogs, dry dogs, brush dogs and do ears and eye stains, clean bathrooms, change guest room linens, air out home, vacuum bedrooms, fluff pillows, prep guest goodie basket...whew! Housework is a workout!
Your a little busy bee, glad you took a break. Its almost bed time. i need some sleep
Wow that sounds like an incredible workout Jill! No wonder you needed a break!
You are such a good hostess!
okay, didn't actually do any exercise while MIL was here at all. No yoga. We ran around and went to antique stores, thrift shops, house hunting and seeing things.
So I need to catch up now! It's been in the 90s today and really hot in the house (no AC), so I just did 45 minutes of bed yoga.
When it cools off tonite i plan to do some twisting and treading.
I didn't do any twisting last night as DH and I had a lovely evening hanging out o the back deck and looking at the view and talking.
So i did do 20 minutes of PM bed yoga, which was nice.
Yeah, Lisa, I like hosting. I always try to add little touches so they feel like they are staying in a high end bed and breakfast. I can't cook, but I do like to spray their linens with lavender water, have a goodie basket and freshly washed, pretty towels stacks out, and provide fresh flowers. Maybe I should do towel animals!
I walked my 2 miles on the treadmill today, very slowly my knee hurts. Jilly i can't cook either, ;o) I sure know how to kill meat i over cook every thing.
Towel animals is a really cool idea
I love towel animals!!
Skyhaven that is awesome that you are so diligent about walking! I'm sorry that your knee hurts. Can you do something about that, maybe a heat wrap or something?
I still haven't done any "formal" exercise in a while - I've been flat out with trying to catch up my mail - but I have been trying to work exercise into every little moment that I'm free. Even in bed I do breathing exercises and such. It really seems to be helping!
You will catch up Lisa, your doing brain exercises ;o)
I have a heating pad on my knee it seems to be helping along with Motrin
That is awesome Rosie! You deserve a life free from pain. I am sure your knee will heal up soon
Rosie, i think the gentle walking will definitely help with your knees if you keep it up! It will keep that synovial fluid flowing where it should be.
Last night I did 63 minutes of treadmill intervals and 15 mins of bed yoga.
Lisa, would you say towel animals are a form of origami?
Last night i did 76 minutes of treadmill intervals. Up to 2.5 mph with no groin pulling.
That is awesome Jill it really sounds like you are healing up!
I promised to do yoga - but our TV died again. Now they won't be out to fix it until next week. And Bob has taken my dance dance TV up to use as a temporary tv so my dance dance is out of commission. The little TV is really too small to do yoga with. Hmmmmmmm. I'll think of something! Maybe I'll just go up and down the stairs for a bit ...
Happy Birthday Rosie!!!!!!!
Yesterday i did my library yoga class; that was an hour.
Today i only walked 0.75 miles its just to hot in my house, will try to walk earlier in the morning next time.
I took the day off to help my daughter-in-law paint her new office. So I did at least get some exercise there.
Yes you did Chloe, painting can be quite a job, what color did you use for her office?
We're painting it a deep green and it looks like we'll need two coats. So we'll be back at it again next week.
Sounds nice, hope you have air conditioning
Rosie, have you tried a damp headband and wristbands? Those can *really* help keep you cool. Also, drink water with ice cubes in it. Cool yourself off from the inside!
I did a ton of "chores" last night - I completely emptied all my desk shelves of books. Lots of walking around and carrying things. My old UPS blew up a month or so ago but it's still under my desk because it's plugged into the wall behind my desk and I couldn't get to it. My new UPS is plugged across the floor. So we need to get everything off this desk structure, lug it all away from the wall, unplug the old UPS and then this time plug a regular high-test power cord into the wall. That way when the new UPS dies a natural or unnatural death we can just replace the UPS without going through this all again.
Yesterday was my date night with my honey so I didn't get in a decent evening workout. I wanted to at least so something, so I did a 20 minute easy treadmill workout before going out to dinner.
We also did some after dinner walking along the shore of Lake Arrowhead, which was nice but not a workout per se. We just meandered, but it was a very pretty evening on the water, and it did settle our stomachs after our delicious dinner out.
Hey sometimes you need an emotional stress-reliving period, which is like a workout, but different! It keeps your emotions and mind in good health
So good for you for doing that!
Finally I got some exercise in. The main TV started working again so I did just over an hour of WiiFit, and did every yoga section in there plus a lot of walking and running things. That was good.
I did the "meditation" challenge (sitting perfectly still) and was finally able to master it! Hurrah! I really wanted to do that because my boyfriend had maxed it out using my account, so my name was on top, and I wanted it to be really me who had done it if I was in that spot.
Today I tried Qi Gong for the first time (pronounced cheeee gong) and it was nice and relaxing! It really points out how weak my arms are. My arms start to feel sore when all I'm doing is holding them out in front of me for a while. I'm sure over time I will get more strong!
That is so cool, lisa! I like my qi gong DVD a lot - it's very soothing. Do you find it calms your mind?
Log: treadmill last night and a yoga class. Feels good to be getting back onto schedule. My weight is back up at 127 again as I have been inconsistent with the yoga and working out since we ripped up the carpet and MIL's visit.
Log: last night I did 1.5 hours of twisting while watching Buffy. Weight is creeping back down - 125.5 today.
What I found helpful to getting back on track was rearranging the entire living room. We moved the love seat into the dining room, which is totally empty anyway. We also really tried to clean the plywood floor and removed some more of the dangerous carpet staples.
So now there is just the sofa, treadmill and one comfortable chair - loads of room for yoga now. No need to move furniture.
Good job on the twisting, Jill! Moving furniture is also a good workout. That's great that you'll have the room you need now.
I did 45 minutes on the exercise bike and 10 minutes of weights. I've also been replacing some wallpaper in a bathroom which is keeping me moving.
Thanks Chloe! And good job on the bike and weights.
Wallpapering can be a great arm and core workout too...
I did a yoga DVD tonite that was very tiring (breath of fire - jeeeeeez!), so about 90 minutes (although a lot of that was chanting) and an intense core/arms workout.
I have found I am not a power yoga fan. I like my yoga smooth and slow, the better to calm my mind. I can use running or the treadmill to get a sweat going. But for yoga, I like it to help me discover slow strength, balance and flexibility.
That sounds like a good thing to discover, Jill, what combination is perfect for you! And it is also great that you have an open space for yoga - I think we all really do much more when it's "right there" vs when you have to lug and move things to get started.
Today is Friday meaning our DVR should have recorded two separate Qi Gong tracks this morning. My son is here and was up all night with Metal Gear Solid so I'm hanging out with him - once he eventually goes to sleep I'll go down and try out my Qi Gongs and write them up!
Tonite I did a 51 minute yoga DVD to review. it was fun but not as enjoyable as my Shiva or Barbara Brenagh DVDs. I reviewed ir in the yoga forum - Elements Yoga for Beginners.
That's great that we chose awesome ones to begin with, and your research is bearing that out
I never did try the Qi Gong - by the time he went to sleep I was sleepy too so I just watched Sense & Sensibility. I'll do the Qi Gong today!
I know, i was thinking just that about how we found our two favorite DVDs right off the bat! Actually, you found them.
So i should just do whatever you do. heeheehee
How did I even find that first yoga DVD? I think I searched on Amazon and read reviews. So it goes to show how important those Amazon reviews are and how people really do use them to make purchases that are important
And the second DVD was a vine freebie, i think?
That sounds right - so that was nice
I'm inspired by all those of you who prioritize daily exercise. There is so much to do with our work, our kids, our marketing, houses, gardens, schooling and more writing work, it dismays me that I can't do everything!Nowadays families and friends can't even find time to keep up with each other.
I do usually manage a 20 min walk with shopping - is this enough? It would be interesting to hear how you all manage to blend in work/writing with home and exercise. How on earth do you do it lol?
Siobhain, the basic need for aerobic fitness is this rule:
At least three times a week, not more than three days apart, for at least 15-20 minutes at a time.
So if you are doing your 20 minute shopping walk without stopping, three times a week with no more than 3 days between walks, you are in there!
The next thing is to try to add little extra exercise points all across your day. Park further out when you do errands, taker stairs instead of escalators, even for a few floors if not all of them.
House cleaning, if done in chunks of at least 15 minutes absolutely counts. Vacuuming is a great workout, for example. So is gardening. Or washing all your mirrors and windows - what a great arm workout! Or sweeping and mopping and counter wiping, etc.
Also you can add in physical play with your kids - dog walks, hikes, play frisbee, go swimming...kids are the BEST excuse to get physical activity in your day - you are multi-tasking. And it's better for both them and you to be doing active play whenever possible. Go climb trees! Do a yoga DVD together or a tai chi class.
I know we have a ton of posts about this kind of thing in various places but this is the gist of it.
Success tonite! I was able to get my treadmill up to 2.5 mph for 90 minutes without feeling pain in my pulled groin. Weeee!
Keep going Jill, you're doing great! 90 minutes is a long time!
The weather was really icky today, very humid, cloudy and warm.
I usually keep a bottle water in the freezer to take with me on days like this and it's melted by the time I get back.
I did walk for about 40 minutes and was planning on doing more but I heard thunder and decided to head home.
Yes definitely if you have kids exercise should be easy because there are so many things to do WITH them! So you get family time and exercise time and fun time, all rolled into one!
Those without kids don't have that kind of excuse, we have to track down someone to play with
Did 90 minutes of treadmill tonite and felt a few twinges when i put the treadmill to 3.0mph.
I will stay at or below 2.5mph.
Okay, I weighed 127.5 yesterday and 122.5 today. Do other people fluctuate like that?
Last night I did 30 minutes of treadmill, alternating running at 3.0 and walking at 1.5. No groin twinges. I also had an hour AM yoga class and did about an hour of mat yoga variations from a book at night.
Jilly thats great, i haven't weight 122 since i was 22
Good for you girl
Thanks Rosie! My goal is 120, but it seems that every time i get to 122 that the next day it's above 127. I don't understand but I will just keep working out and eating healthy. To stay at 120, knowing my body, I will probably have to fluctuate between 117 and 122 to stay on average for 120.
Yup it is definitely about averages, rather than exact numbers
You are doing wonderfully!
Focus on eating healthily, drinking your water, taking those vitamins
Woo hoo! I finally got my Dance Dance Revolution area set back up - now that the main TV is working again I got my mini-TV into the basement. We even bought a plastic shelf to set it on so that it's up at a better height! I was so pleased that I did some dancing and can still do the harder songs (or "hard" as in what I found hard before
).
So that's good, my endurance and muscles are still doing well! Back when I began I couldn't even do some of the easier songs.
I also got a plug-in small air filter thing, which will help with some of the basement odors I hope
Yesterday I did a 20 minute easy stroll on the Alpine Pedal Path alongside big bear lake. That was nice. And the day before that i had another short easy stroll in the woods. Not too much exercise.
I will try to get some treadmill in tonight, and maybe either tai chi, or some of the yoga that does not require putting weight on my injured finger.
Lisa, that is great that your endurance is still high! I also think it's a great idea to make the basement space more appealing, like it sound like you are doing. A nicer area is used more often.
DH and i were talking about making our guest room into a yoga studio but we decided we like being able to host family and friends for once, w/o having to make them camp on the couch. I wish i had a basement to transform like you do!
Well again it's just one stripe in the basement, it's hardly a whole room
It's just enough space for the little TV on a shelf and the square mat in front of it
But I put my japanese screens behind the TV, and my Tibetan prayer flags on that, so at least when I'm looking at the TV itself I have a nice backdrop.
It's harder with yoga because a yoga mat is much bigger than the DDR square mat, and also you need room "around" it. With the DDR mat, that one square is all you need because you're always vertical above it.
that sounds nice though, even just the small area. Maybe you can clear out more room eventually to make a yoga space.
Well the dance stripe is right next to the bowflex machine which takes up a fair portion of that area. So there isn't much room to expand.
I think once we get the various rooms cleared out that the guest room / James' room which has a TV in it will be fine for yoga, the mat can go right in front of the TV there. I just need to do some more cleaning first because when James isn't over that room turns into a giant storage area. So once we have no "junk to store" it'll be perfect
I think that sounds lovely. what items do you keep in the room for guest/James? a bed, bureau or what?
i have not room in my guestroom for both a bed and a yoga mat which is why i am asking.
Log - did an hour yoga class this morning and plan to do some twisting to Buffy tonite.
Well remember we are game reviewers
So the room is wall to wall bookcases with Wii games, GameCube games, PS2 games, PS3 games, computer games - plus tons of dungeons & dragons books, Nodwick magazines, Cranium games, and much more. There's a queen sized bed in here, plus the TV, plus a PS3, a Wii, a Rock Band full set of drums and 2 guitars, 2 more guitars for other games, an XBox, a N64 and random gear for all the systems.
I'm sitting in here right now with James, he's playing Metal Gear Online. So we have the wireless router too.
Plus 2 Furbies
Old Style and New Style.
Ah, the life of a professional family of gamers...
Yesterday i had an hour yoga class and then did some harder poses at home.
Need to do some treadmill running tonite.
Yes James has friend over right now and I put them to work reviewing games
No rest for the weary ...
I have been doing yoga any time I'm standing, but no "real" workout recently. Hopefully tonight I'll get to play with the Wii Fit game!
treadmill on 18, 19, 20, with yoga mixed in. Working on my handstands - I have a wall variation that i am working on and it's getting me closer.
Also trying to get my headstand away from the wall.
Rest day was monday.
Tuesday did 26 minutes of treadmill and 35 minutes yoga while watching HGTV.
Thanks Rosie.
yesterday - 45 minutes slowish treadmill. was feeling tired but at least got up on it.
Weight is 123.5, still on my period but at the end.
I have been very active today. We had a birthday for my 13yr old granddaughter. Now i'm dogie sitting my sons little Shih Tzu hope fully it will stop raining so i can take him out for a short walk. I am ok walking with the dog i don't feel alone
Weight 124. Last night spent 70 minutes on my twist board.
Great on ya Rosie! I hope it stops raining for a bit - dog walking is good for body AND soul.
Skyhaven that is awesome that you have a dog to walk! That can be wonderful exercise!
I have just NOT been exercising recently. It was really rainy out today! I have been doing a lot of house cleaning which is a form of exercise though
Tomorrow I will make some time!
i did some sweaty fun trance dance yoga yesterday - 45 min - and am reading online and using the twist board right now.
while i was camping i walked for a few hours on the beach.
That is great Jill - I bet that was very relaxing!
I went out raking for a while yesterday. Today I have a bunch of cleaning and vacuuming to do, so that will get my blood going!
the beach walking was relaxing but also a workout. Walking on sand is challenging.
Yesterday I did two hours on the twist board while reading things on the computer.
Rosie, is it possible for you to get a dog of your own? That would be great exercise to take the dog out everyday and good company too.
Walking on the beach is definitely a good workout. Good for you Jill!
I still have to get myself one of those twisty boards, but I'm not spending any extra money in August.
Maybe in September.
I did do some stretches today and spent 40 minutes on the exercise bike.
Chloe - I would actually count a twisty board as a healthy investment in you, like buying broccoli. I am all for not spending extra money, but if you need a piece of exercise equipment to make you healthy I consider that in a good budget.
For example, not buying anything extra in August still means you can buy milk and eggs and broccoli. It doesn't mean you live on bread and water because you could
Thanks Lisa, it would be a good investment. I might just get the twisty board afterall.
Twisty boards are cheap, great fun, and are no time investment at all. You simply leave one by the couch and hop on it for five minutes during commercials. Even five minutes can really help out a lot
True Lisa!
Yesterday did an hour on the twist board while reading online in my office.
Will do more of the same today.
You are just amazing Jilly!! Twisting for an hour!
Now that James' room is clean, I think when he goes home tomorrow that I will set up a DVD player up there and move the yoga mat up there in front of his TV. It's worth a try to see if there's enough space in there for that to work.
Okay three hours on the twist board yesterday. It's easy when reading on the computer.
That sounds good about using the guest/james' room as a yoga studio. Good luck!
In my office it wouldn't be easy to do computer work while twisting, I usually do a lot of coding and typing which I don't think i could do while twisting. What I have to do is balance more away-from-computer time and find a way to incorporate that into my schedule.
Today was cleaning the kitchen day, I did get the entire floor clean and ran the Scooba three times! So that was a fair amount of exercise to get the floor clean. Tomorrow I will run Scooba another 3 times then reassemble the kitchen only with necessary items. So that will be more exercise and the Kitchen will be clean!! Hurrah!
Then Tuesday Bob gets his tooth pulled so that day will be all spoken for. But that means Wednesday should be quiet and I an give a try at a James room yoga room creation!
Well it only works when i am reading, not typing. lol. Good thing I do a lot of studying online. :-)
Tonite did an hour and a half of twisting while watching Buffy with Dan.
Ah that makes sense. When I was exercise biking I would read Wil Wheaton's logs about Star Trek and found that vastly amusing. I should find something else like that to read in short bursts so I can exercise while I do it. That might get me to get up and do it. Otherwise for some odd reason I can't seem to justify the time to exercise. Odd as that might sound! But really I am getting quite caught up, the house is getting clean, so I am feeling more and more like I can make time for "taking care of Lisa" stuff like exercise.
Good on you Lisa! It's a nice feeling to get things cleaned and uncluttered - it feels like your spirit gets lighter too.
I love Wil's logs too - I also follow him on twitter - he posts quite a bit, always interesting.
Yesterday didn't do any workouts, today I did 1.5 hrs on the twistboard and i think i will go up and do more. I have two more ebooks to read so i may as well workout while i do them.
We are here to support your "taking care of Lisa" time!
It's amazing how my energy levels change based on what I eat. I just had a snack of flax / soy chips with salsa. Suddenly I am really tired!
two hours of reading and twisting tonite.
Rest day yesterday - today weigh 122. Closer to my goal but it might just be a daily fluctuation. We will see over time.
That is awesome Jilly!! My weight this morning was 129 even though I ate at Olive Garden yesterday with a friend and had the eggplant parm with whole wheat pasta. I also had a salad with that. I was worried about the whole wheat pasta but I'm staying steady! What I really need to do is start putting time in my schedule for exercise. I am really enjoying working on the final proof run of my romance novel, so once I am done with that (another 100 pages) I will go do some yoga.
I got up early and took my dog on a 20 minute walk and then did 20 minutes of gentle yoga since that's all my body seemed to want today. Will take the dog on another walk this evening.
Having a dog is a great way to insure you get a little exercise. Even if I don't feel like walking, she insists!
That is awesome Martha! Sometimes I wish I had a dog to have that "built in exercise". But I am so busy all the time, and go out on trips, that any pet we had would be neglected if it needed that daily contact. So we have parakeets and cats which are OK with that less frequent contact. Maybe someday our lives will be organized so we are always home and have that time for them.
I spent many hours dragging everything out of my office, cleaning it top to bottom, dragging it all back in and setting things up. Then I was too tired to work out.
Hey that is a natural workout! That is great! And so refreshing for you too I imagine!
I am down to 128.8
Slow steady progress! I'm really not exercising at all either which is bad of me. I always have reasons why I don't have time but really I need to *make* time. My current excuse is that the yoga stuff is upstairs but I don't have a DVD player hooked up. So I will do that tonight.
Cool! let's both do yoga tonite! I need to get back on the dailyness habit.
yesterday - 2.5 hours on twist board while reading at the computer. will do more of it today.
Also did an hour of seated yoga while watching TV.
Weight is 123 this morning.
I have been so bad with yoga. Between my wisdom tooth and everything else I have done very little exercise. Even just holding myself in a push up position is hard right now, which is scary. I did at least go around walking a lot on shopping chores yesterday which was good, and today once I get through some of my mail backlog I am going to do at least a few push-ups against the stairs.
It's just comforting to know you are not actually Superwoman, Lisa!
You are an amazing role model, but honestly - sometimes a little daunting, too!
I would not have been surprised at all to hear you had run a marathon the day after you had your wisom tooth out, LOL!
Glad you are feeling better.
Lisa, there's always tomorrow, you'll get back into the swing of things in no time.;)
LOL well when I got home from the wisdom tooth extraction I was definitely in "superwoman" mode, I was online blogging every hour, convincing myself I would just plow through it. But then several of my friends actively pushed me to rest and to take it easy for a while. Thank goodness I listened to them, I really think it helped a lot with the healing. I finally just "backed off" for two weeks, trying to take it as easy as I could, and I'm very happy with how everything has healed up. Now I feel good and am getting back into the swing of things!