Anyone interested in keeping a fitness journal through the forum? We could post our workouts daily, encourage each other and share workout ideas. You can put as much or as little as you want.

You can also tell me what topics you need or want to know about. You might want to take a look at my article Keeping a Fitness Journal. It could give you some ideas on what you want to put in your own journal.

Keeping a Fitness Journal

Something new: Watch the Short Bouts of Exercise Journal and join in.

Okay I'll start first. Today I rode my recumbent bike for 20 minutes, while trying to keep my speed at a steady 13mph. My legs felt really heavy. I also practiced my current yoga sequence. I like to take a sequence and practice it for a few weeks or months then move on to a new one. After yoga I used my Miracle balls on my back and neck. It felt really good.

The actual exercise time was about an hour. My goals are to ride my bike longer each day while maintaining a regular yoga practice. I currently have several injuries so I am also doing PT strength exercises every other day.

Now it's your turn!

Terri, I am literally going from couch to 5k in 4 weeks. I was exercising, but fell off a month back. Now I'm back at it. I started off brisk walking on the treadmill for a mile yesterday. I will see what tonight holds when I get off work

Good luck Dianne. I have not worked out yet and it is 8:35pm. Lot's of meetings today but shouldn't use excuses. My husband will go to bed soon (early to bed, early to rise) and I will do some quiet yoga.

Who else wants to share?

Well I never made it to do my yoga. Felt bad about it. Thought about trying to make up for it yesterday but then realized it would be too much and not safe.

Yesterday I rode my bike 20 minutes and was able to raise the incline by 1. I did one of my strength workouts with dumbbells and exercise bands. I stretched afterwards. Total time 45 minutes.

What did you do yesterday or today? Don't be timid this is a safe place to share among friends.

Dear Terri,

You being the exercise expert ,so I come to you for advice.

In my case I have 8tears in the knees,fore now about7to8 years.5 years ago I was able to see specialists that I needed 2new knees.Atfter my 5 th arteries operation ,I
Joined a gym for 3 months,went well but got so bored I stopped.As far as replacing my knees,never heard about it again.

My question is what type ofexercice do you recommend to a case like mine.
Walk-pretty hard right now we have been living a cold stretch for a week and we are expected to have another week of at least minus 20 to 25 degrees.I forgot I am 66 years old.


Thanking inn advance
Loong

Dear Loong, You have come to the right place for advice on knees. I too have very poor knee health. I have had several operations and currently the outlook is for knee replacements at some point. I definitely identify with your pain.

Can you give me just a little more information about your situation:
-do you still have the gym membership and if so is there a pool?
-do you own a recumbent stationary bike or have access to one?
-do you want simple strengthening exercises you can do at home or more?

I began writing an answer to you but it became so long that I have decided to turn it into an article. However, I want to help you now so please get back to me with answers to the above questions and then I will be better able to advise you.

Thanks for your post. Talk to you real soon.

I'm still hoping some of you are going to join me. I hate exercising all by myself.

Today I did the yoga sequence that I have been working on. It is quite strengthening and helps me work on my balance. Then I did several Pilates exercises. Last of all I did some very relaxing yoga stretches. Total time apx. 45 minutes.

Terri,
I am looking forward to the article as well. It's great to have articles focused on problem areas for older adults including knees, shoulders, back issues...

I hope to get some exercise in today. I'm worried that I won't be ready for the 5K at the end of February.

I'm going to see if the gym is open today so hopefully I can get a Zumba class in today.

Dianne, that's not a bad idea, a book on focused problem areas. I could use all my personal experience, ha!

Today is Saturday and I normally take Saturday and Sunday off. So here I am resting today.

Dear Terry,

You wrote:Can you give me just a little more information about your situation:
-do you still have the gym membership and if so is there a pool?
-do you own a recumbent stationary bike or have access to one?
-do you want simple strengthening exercises you can do at home or more?
I am not a member of the gym anymore.There is no pool.
No for the bike,planning to buy a threadmill.
When I was at the gym ,they gave me exercises for strenghtening
parts above and over the knees.Cardio,threadmill ,Bicycle ,
dumbells, and finally exercises for stability.All these were made while wearing elastic knee braces.Without the braces,
I have almost no stability at all.I guess that's it.
Waiting to here from you.

loong

Dear Loong,
My best recommendation is to see your doctor and get a prescription for physical therapy. The therapist is trained specifically for conditions like yours. I’m curious why you stopped working with someone at the gym; was it a personal trainer or physical therapist? Just keep in mind I am not a doctor or therapist.

That being said, if you purchase a treadmill be sure to get one that is designed with shock absorption, these are often called floating decks. Otherwise you can get a slight pounding while walking and it may hurt your knees more.

I would suggest investing in a recumbent bike with the high back seat they are very comfortable. There is absolutely no impact on the knees and they are great for strengthening and mobility. The treadmill and the bike are within the same price range depending on what features you want.

Here is a set of exercises to begin. I imagine getting up and down from the floor is hard for you so the first two exercises are to be done on the bed. Continue to wear your knee braces as needed. I’ve given repetition instructions for each exercise, however be cautious and do what you find tolerable. Also, watch for my article on exercising for knee pain.

Quadriceps Set:
Sit on the bed with your legs straight out in front of you
Squeeze the muscles on the top of your thigh and pull your kneecap towards you
Hold the squeeze at the top, and release
Repeat 10 times on each leg
Build up to two sets of 15 repetitions on each leg

Leg Extension Using a Roller:
Sitting on the bed with your legs straight out in front of you, place a rolled towel under one knee
Contract your quadriceps muscles, lift your foot, and straighten your leg
Relax your thigh and lower your leg
Repeat 10 times on each leg
Build up to two sets of 15 repetitions on each leg

Standing Leg Lifts
Hold the back of a chair for balance
Turn and face the side, it doesn’t matter right or left
Lift your leg out in front of you with a flexed foot
Don’t lock the knee but pull up on the kneecap as you lift
Do this 15 times on each leg; build up to 2 sets

Hold the back of a chair for balance, facing the back of the chair
Shift your weight into your left leg
Lift your right leg out to the side with muscles tensed
Stand up straight; don’t lean towards the leg being lifted
Repeat 15 times on each leg; build up to 2 sets

Good luck and let me know how it goes.

To Terri,

Thank you ever so much for the instructions.
I have printed it ,and star rereading it slowly.
Is it better in the morning or evening?
At the gym,there was one person assigned to me,but he was always working out .

thank you loong

Loong, I don't think it matters as far as time of day. Just choose a time and try to stick to it so it becomes a habit. I wouldn't use a bike or treadmill to close to bedtime it might keep you awake.

I really hope this helps and I will give more exercises and ideas in the article I write.

Best Wishes

Here it is Monday again. Today I rode my recumbent bike for 20 minutes. Then I did a yoga routine I wrote for building upper body strength. Wow, talk about hard! Maybe I'll share it with everyone soon. After that I did some slow, long holds, yoga. Last but definitely not least I used my Miracle Balls. They feel so good. It is a lot like getting a massage. Total time about an hour.

Review of The Miracle Ball Method

See you tomorrow. TJ

Dear Terri,

First day on the job this morning.I feel alive again.
The only problem is the first exercise.I followed your instructions, wether I am not very strong or something,the kneecaps never moved.Did not feel any activity in my Quads also.
Maybe I am doing it wrong.
Also how many seconds do we hold each movement? My legs are still warm.Great

Respectfully
loong

Dear Terri,
I plan today to buy 2 lbs dumbell.for other exercises.
When I went to the gyn.I would do 15 reps with 10 pounds bells.
Pure show off stuff.
If You think my purchase in not advantagious please let me know.
By the way the only way I can repay you.Is to send you thoughts of loving kindness,for your giving.

Respectfully
loong

Dear Terri,
Bought 2 sets of dumbells 3 pounds 5 pounds.
My knees did not hurt all day .
Remembered some exercises from the gym .That is why the dumbells.

Respectfully
loong

Dear Terri




JUST THANK YOU

LOONG

Dear Loong, I'm so glad you have started and that your knees aren't hurting. Remember don't do much at once you want to see how you feel in the morning. I think you will be fine though. Weights are great if you can manage them and do what reps are comfortable for you.

I'm not sure why your not able to feel the first exercise. Maybe it's my instructions. So I'm doing it myself now and I will describe what I am doing: leg straight out, tighten the knee. You should feel the knee cap engage and then the quadriceps kick in. So try by starting with tightening the knee first.

Loong, why don't you go to the main exercise site: www.bellaonline.com/site/exercise; on the right side of the page is a picture with an envelope and it says contact. Click on it and it will give you a place to write to me directly without using the forum. I have a couple more exercises you could do in bed that you may like. So contact me.

Loong, your kind thoughts are appreciated very much.

Boy I was in a foul mood today. I am really amazed I was able to enforce my exercise habit. So today I rode my recumbent bike for 20 minutes. I am thinking I may move up to 25 minutes.

I did strength for my upper body using dumbbells. I have a set of weight lifting exercises from my shoulder physical therapy (rotator cuff surgery on both shoulders). I continue to use them. Today I did 10 reps of each exercise three sets without stopping between sets. Because of the rapid pace I could only use three pound dumbbells. But wow, my arms shook all evening.

I ended with some slow yoga. Wish I would've had time to do more yoga. Maybe tomorrow I'll do an all yoga day. That's something to look forward to.

Oh, by the way, I'm still waiting for you all to join me. It's getting a little weird like talking to myself.

To Terri

Hi coach.second day done.
Will do my dumbells tonite..Remembered some exercises from the gym.
Added those to yours.

Feel great.

From one giver to another giver,when I used to have a foul day,found an exercise
Thought by an 82 year old special person.

When I wake up ,first thing IS do is not move,put half a smile on my face and breathe 3 times. Then sit still with the half smile on my face breathe 3 times THEN get up
This way one cannot start a day on a wrong foot.with loving kindness
Loong.
Where do I type the address you gave me,please?

Dear Loong. I very excited for you as you start this new exercise adventure. I hope you find the relief you are looking for. I'm sure the more strength you have the better your knees will feel.

Please feel free to continue to report your progress here in our online fitness journal. It is good to let others see you as inspiration.

If you have more personal questions or something that will take a lot of room then you can go to the main site from the first page of the forum. At the top of the page it says "This is a Companion to the BellaOnline Exercise Site". Click there and it will take you to the main site. Once on the main site on the right side of the page is an envelope that says contact under it. If you click on it you will be directed to a personal comment which will go to my email.

However, like I said we enjoy hearing about your exercise progress and successes here in the forum fitness journal. Thanks for your posts.

Today I almost broke 2 of my VIP exercise rules. First of all I thought about pulling the "I'm too busy" card. Then I told myself, "well if I can't work out hard then I may as well not work out at all". Ha! What was I thinking.

First of all we can always carve out a few minutes for exercise even if it is only 10 minutes. So I took a shower and planned my workout to take place while my hair dried. Second, who said exercise had to be hard. The days of "no pain, no gain" are over.

So I gave myself a good talking too and thought I did not feel like a hard (hard for me, not everyone) workout. I decided to do one of my relaxing yoga session. Turned out this was exactly what my body needed. The forty minutes (which I thought I didn't have) felt so good. I practiced breathing with my poses and I actually felt relaxed.

Lesson learned. Working out is not all about exercise. It's also about listening to our bodies and giving ourselves what we need. TJ

Today I went to a yoga class. We did a lot of twists which are good for purifying the body of toxins. They felt good too.

Later today I rode my recumbent bike for 25 minutes. Yeah! I increased by 5 minutes and feel good.

I posted a chart of Calories Burned During Aerobic Activities. Take a look at it:
Calories Burned During Aerobic Activities

You can also find this on the Exercise Site Home Page, under the category of Fitness Charts. TJ

Hey Loong, How are you doing? Exercising okay?

Hello Coach,
Today taking the day off.Yesterday hurt my worst knee,so taking a recuperation day.
You don't know ,but you have given me a new drive. For that I thank you.

with high respect
Loong

Loong, how did you hurt your knee?

Dear Terri,
Actually ,if you saw the shape of my knee,you would understand ,how lucky .i am that it does not happrn more often.
The pain was on the top ,if you can call that a top.
Tomorrow morning ,I will restart;
Thank you for caring,and by the way ,how are you yourself.
loong the leaener

Loong, is this from your injuries? Have you ever had your knees operated on? I hope you feel better tomorrow. Thank you for asking, I am doing good.

Hello everyone. I want to thank all of you who are following this thread. It is actually motivating me so that I don't miss a workout.

Today I realllllly didn't want to exercise. Just couldn't get it in my head. Finally I knew it was now or never so I started and did not have a plan. Most of the time I have a loose plan of what I'm going to do. Well it sabotaged me. I jumped from exercise bands for shoulders to exercise bands for legs, and Pilates, to yoga. I worked out medium hard but it was not cohesive and left me feeling restless.

Now my legs are aching and I'm wishing I had just rode my recumbent bike for 30m. That's what I'm going to do from now on if I don't have a pre-planned workout.

Yeah! It's the weekend time for a break. TJ

Dear Coach

My knees were never operated on .ang if you saw the difformity of that knee you would understand.It is so bad that it twisted the bottom part of my lower leg by a good inch.
It hurt this morning.So I rubbed it with Voltaren that kills the pain instantly put on my rubber braces,and went on with my day.

Having a visit to a doctor here takes 3 months.My next one is on
March 6th ,this time I will attack the problem ,knowing our system ,something might be done in the next 2 years.Not complaining,I abused my body ,I have to take responsability for that.

Thank you for caring
loong

I did a brisk 3 mile walk today which I need to turn into a 3 mile run in 3 weeks. I slacked off way too long after injuring myself and I have no one but myself to blame. I choose not to feel sorry for myself, instead I am determined to make this happen.

Wish me luck!!!

To Dianne,
As requested, GOOD LUCK.

loong

Loong, your knee sounds awful. What caused the tears, and what is torn? Is it arthritis?

You said it hurt today, do you exercise when it hurts like this? or does it just always hurt like this? Voltaren works well for some people. Unfortunately I'm not one of them.

I know it's a month away but let us know what the doctor tells you.

Take care and prop up that leg.

Dianne, I think it is great that you walked today. Try not to rush into the running, though I know you have a race upcoming. Just need to be careful about pushing to hard, too fast.

What is the race for, charity or competitive? Do you run races a lot?

I really do wish you the best of luck! Thanks for posting.

Hi Terri, It's the Disney Princess Marathon - we go every year. Our goal is to start participting in more events in the DMV area (DC/MD/VA). Today was a sign, the employee gym is open 24/7, but today - the code for the building worked, but the door wouldn't open. I had wanted to go early, since it was snowing and I didn't know what the weather would be by now. It's cleared a bit so I'm going to go take a Zumba class instead.

I'm encouraged as I have lost 5.5 lbs in the last two weeks and lost 2 inches off my waist in the last month. Truly motivating to finally see some movement from the exercising and increasing water, fruits and veggies.

Dianne, Zumba kicks my butt. Aerobically you got just as good a workout as a run. I'm glad you enjoy running and will be doing it more. I imagine there are lots of races in your area.

I've been doing something similar, steady exercise, water, and low carbs. Lisa will like to hear that. I really want some rice or bread but I'll wait a couple more weeks. Day 18, have lost eight pounds.

Today is Monday and I think I may have to change my routine a little. My body felt weak and stiff since I hadn't worked out over the weekend. Maybe I'll take a day off in the week and workout on Saturday.

So today I rode the recumbent bike for 20m. I knew I needed to do some physical therapy for my shoulders so I did the PT routine using dumbbells and resistance bands. Wow! I did 15 reps and 3 sets. My arms were jello.

I did lateral flies; shoulder presses; bent rows; bicep curls; triceps overhead extensions. With the bands and lying on a bench I did chest presses; lateral raises; and diagonal pulls.

Then I did my relaxing stretch out yoga routine that I wrote which is part seated and the rest on my back. Felt good. Total time apx. 1 hour.

My "bench" is actually a large ottoman. I didn't have the fitness ball handy. Sorry excuse. Tomorrow I will bring the fitness ball downstairs so it will be there when I'm ready to use it.

Looking forward to hearing from you. What did you do today or over the weekend. Maybe you live somewhere that's warm and you took a nice long walk. Let us know. TJ

Terri - I love Zumba. A good instructor can really lead you through a great workout. The instructor on Sunday was horrible, I don't know WHAT music she was listening to. It was like she was making up steps as she went along...LOL... I got sick Sunday night after getting home so I was unable to go to my favorite Monday night class.

You got a lot done yesterday! Very impressive. I'm hoping to get back in the game tomorrow.

Hope you're feeling better. Today I went to yoga class. The woman nearly killed me. She did a class for knees. What a coincidence that is what my article tomorrow is about. My knees were popping and cracking so loud I could hardly hear her.

Later this afternoon I rode my recumbent for 20 minutes. I use the recumbent as my foundation exercise and then I build what else I'm going to do around it. I try to do something for my knees and shoulders on most days. TJ

Who else likes Zumba?

Dear Coach,

I remember when we started exchanging ,you told me that there was a place where all the moves for the knees were in diagram.
Did I read wrong? Sure would like to have these pictures or diagrams.

Truly yours.

loong

Hi Loong. How are the knees? Did the swelling go down? As far as the pictures, I don't remember mentioning this but I will go back through the posts and see if I can find it and what I may have been making reference to.

Regretfully I do not have pictures to include with the exercises. I am in the process of making a listing of knee exercises and I will post it on my main page under Fitness Charts but it will not have pictures. I will make a post when that is finished.

I will be adding my updates here too - just found this thread. I love journal threads - they keep me motivated.

Glad you found us Jilly and looking forward to hearing your updates.

He everyone. Well I came really close to pulling the "I'm too tired card" tonight. But my husband said, have you posted your workout yet? Guilty, guilty, guilty.

So I have been reading a lot lately about short intense strength training workouts. So I decided that since I wasn't in the mood anyway that I should do one of these short workouts.

This was supposed to be a short intense 10 minute workout:
5 Sun Salutation A, and 5 Sun Salutation B. But it didn't seem like enough so I added a short intense 15 minute workout with it. Total workout was about 25 minutes.

I've been experimenting with this short intense workout theory and when I get some more research to back it up I will write an article about it. Hopefully soon. TJ

Welcome Jilly, glad to have you joining in the conversation!

Dear coach,
I have problems with my pc just lost a post again.
Bought a bike,1/2 price ,1 in stock sale ending at 9 tonite.
It is a sitting down bike with a high back ,padded seatwith all the electronic gysmoes 300$ for 150$ very sturdy.Handles are on the sides of the seat.How much time and at what level of effort should I start.My first post was much nicer anyway.


Second is regarding what I had understood in your 803425 post that read:Loong, why don't you go to the main exercise site: www.bellaonline.com/site/exercise; on the right side of the page is a picture with an envelope and it says contact. Click on it and it will give you a place to write to me directly without using the forum. I have a couple more exercises you could do in bed that you may like. So contact me.So please if you have other exercises ,I would be glad to have them

loong learning

Loong, Wow, what a great deal on the bike. You're going to love it. I suggest you experiment with how long to ride. Start with about 15 min at a low resistance. See how your knees feel the next day and that will be your guide if you can go more or less. Of course they might be a little sore the first few times. But consistent riding will help them.

Right now on most days I ride my bike 20min and then I do some strength work. I have reached a steady mph so I am changing it up a little. I increased my resistance to the next level. Only go one level at a time.

Did you read the article I posted yesterday? It is about knees. I'm not sure if you have these exercises or not but some of them may be new. Go to:
Easy Exercise to Relieve Knee Pain

Let me know how long you are able to ride the bike and how you like it.

Today I thought I would change things up a little. I have been reading a lot about HIIT - High Intensity Interval Training. This isn't something new but is just on the radar lately. Here is how it works and how I applied it tonight:

I rode my recumbent bike for 20 minutes.
3 min - average speed (13mph) average resistance (level 2)
2 min - sprinted as fast as I can about 18mph
3 min - average speed and resistance
2 min - increased resistance by 4 levels and climbed a big hill
3 min - average speed and resistance
2 min - sprint
2 min - average speed and resistance
2 min - climbed the hill again
1 min - cool down, slowed down gradually

I also needed to some quick strength training so I did 50 half sit-ups and 50 pushups (on my knees, not full position). Total workout time 30 min.

HIIT is not meant to be done daily. It is a quick way to burn more calories, give your workout variety, and challenge yourself. However, any time you do something quickly you are at a greater risk of injury. Exercise movements should be done slower and smoothly. Even when you go faster in cardio you don't want to be jerky or unstable. So I will write an article on HIIT soon, or did I just write it? TJ

Yesterday I walked for several miles along the Clearwater beach, so that was very nice.

Today I'll hike a few miles on a nearby trail in my favorite swamp. I'd like to also do some yoga and use the elliptical trainer.

You are totally ambitious. I think it would be great to walk on the beach. I take it your in Florida? Be careful in the swamp you might meet some water moccasins or gators.

Thanks for sharing.

Yes, spending a month visiting with family in central Florida. Just got back from my three miles of walking in the swamp. I also did a little bit of walking around the neighborhood pond.

It's a little humid right now, but i hope to get in some yoga tonite - even if just easy stretchy stuff.

I envy you. I am a warm weather person. Good job on the walking. I'm from Kentucky and I know all about humidity.

Have fun with your yoga.

Hello everyone. Did you exercise today? Did you take a great walk like Jillie? Did you ride your recumbent bike? Did you take a Zumba class? It all sounds great doesn't it.

Today I got up really late because I am a night owl and stay up really late. I woke up thinking about yoga. Yeah, I'm going to have a yoga day, I told myself! All day I looked forward to doing yoga and planning what sequence to do.

This evening at 5:30pm (I like to exercise in the late afternoon or early evening. Probably has something to do with my crazy hours.) I rolled out the pink yoga mat and sat down ready to go.

I started with several minutes of Alternate Nostril breathing, which is great for relaxing a racing mind. Then I went through a 15 min sequence for strength building. Next I did a 15 min energizing sequence. After that I did some nice relaxing floor poses and finished with relaxation.

Even though I only did 2, 15 min sequences it took me 1 hour. Of course I added some other stuff but the real reason is that I hold each posture longer than suggested which is usually 5 breaths. I hold for 8-10 breaths, it just feels good for me. I really enjoyed tonight's yoga practice.

Tomorrow is Saturday so I plan on taking the day off. Talk to me. TJ

OKay, I did some really gentle yoga last night while watching tv.

Today I would like to get in more yoga, and hit the elliptical while reading.

That's great Jilly. Good luck today!

Dear Terri

The bicycle is assembled ,except for the wiring part for the
scan system,my glasses are not strong enough.Did a little 5 to try it out .
Keep you posted and oh yes ,you sent me other exercises.Will have to have them biggered at the store,can't read them.
Thanks for everything.
norm/loong

Glad to here from you Loong. Looking forward to seeing how you like that bike.

Hi everyone. It's Monday and time to get back to work. I have not been sleeping well so tonight was a real effort at first. Once I got started it was okay.

I rode my recumbent bike for 30 minutes, yeah! (10 more than usual). I don't intend on always riding that long but that is what I had decided on tonight.

I got out my fitness ball and I did 50 crunches on the fitness ball. Best way to go, really protects the back. I also did 50 pushups using the fitness ball. Everyone needs a fitness ball. I will do a review on my favorite.

I'm already planning tomorrow's workout. I am going to do a long weight lifting session using dumbbells of various weights and the fitness ball. Oh, and some resistance with my bodyweight. I'll let you know if it goes as planned. TJ

I forgot that I listed products in my last article. They are actually what I am going to use tomorrow to workout with. You can go to Amazon.com and look at the book I love, Power Sculpting, and also my favorite fitness ball.

Here's the article:
Easy Exercise to Relieve Knee Pain

Wow, I almost forgot to post tonight. I was just getting ready to snuggle up with a blanky and the Bachelor. Guess he'll have to wait.

Tonight I did the plan that I made yesterday. I did strength training using 3 and 5 lb. dumbbells and my fitness ball. I did at least one exercise, and most times more than one, for each major body part. Some exercises were only one set but several such as biceps and triceps were three sets. Abs were several sets also.



Now I am going to use my Miracle Balls and relax. TJ

Good evening all. I have something to say that I am not proud of. I did not exercise today. Let's see, I could use the excuse, I was too tired or I didn't have time or I had to go to choir practice. But when you get right down to it I just didn't do it and that is what matters.

We all know that it is hard to keep up a regular exercise routine and that things come up that are important and may keep us from working out. That's why it's important to exercise regularly so when that happens it's not such a big deal to miss a workout.

The other part of not working out is that even though you've made it a habit it can be very fragile and easy to break. So tomorrow night watch for my post because I am not going to break my habit.

See you tomorrow. TJ

Dear Terri,

Skipping a day,i beleive is not something to be ashamed of.One can be ashamed,when he lies,does not hold is word,does,say awfull things.
No one was hurt,not even you ,you rested your body .
I am sorry me ,it is always about the Mind,with the body following.

Your student
loong

Dear Terri,

I was glad to tell you that I had done 5 minutes of the bicycle force2 and the 1 set of the exercise you sent me.Well .Compared to what you do,It sounds like nothing,but I am satisfied of the effort I did this morning.You wrote the following.

I also needed to some quick strength training so I did 50 half sit-ups and 50 pushups (on my knees, not full position). Total workout time 30 min.Before all my heart operations ,and my bad knees ,I did 50 push up every day,Now I can do 2.

Can you exlain what are sit ups and push ups ON THE KNEES.
Imiss my push ups.I can't beleive that I can only do 2 full push
ups.
I await patiently the explanation,and thanking you in advance.

loong the learner

Loong, never compare your workouts to someone else. It has taken me awhile to work up to what I do now. I had a rough few years, injuries and surgeries and I am just now getting stronger.

In regard to sit-ups you will do those on your back. I am going to give you a very simple start. Lay on your back, bed or floor. Bend your knees and put your feet flat on the surface. Take a deep breath and pull it all the way up to your lungs. The exhale is where you work. On the exhale tuck pelvis slightly and draw your breath all the way down to the abodomen. Tighten, or draw in your abdomen as the breath is released and feel the muscles in your abdomen engage. You will probably need to practice this but you will get the hang of it. When you're ready we will move up to half sit-ups.

In regard to push-ups, I don't think you should do them on your knees because of their condition. So try a wall push-up. Stand about 6-12 inches away from a wall. Reach forward with your hands at shoulder heigth until your arms are straight. Now you may need to adjust your footing. Slowly bend your elbows and lower your chest towards the wall and then push yourself back up with straight arms. Just try a couple to see how they feel. Let me know if you think you can do them, practice a couple for awhile.

You are very right and it actually felt good to take a break.

Dear terri,

Just tried what I could undestand .
Sit up,lied on the floor bent legs foot on the ground.I touched my knees with my arm stretched 15 times

push up ,stood at arms length from the wall,legs parted and bent
until I would reach the wall.15 times.I know I might not be doing right ,but my calves are burning,my arms warmed up ,my belly felt it also.
Is there something I should change

loong

Wow, Loong that is a lot. You did great. Let us know if you are sore in the morning. Also, whenever trying new exercises (or any exercises) be sure to move in and out of the pose slowly. This is the best opportunity at injury, especially if your not familiar with an exercise.

Good deal!

Well I got back into the swing but I was not motivated. I got out of my regular time slot for exercising and that can really do you in.

Tonight I rode my bike for 20m and noticed that my average mph has increased. Old norm was around 13mph now around 14.5mph. That is a signal that it is time to ride further or harder. I will probably go further first and then when I get used to that I'll increase the resistance.

I also did my strength work while I was riding. I did 3 sets of 12 reps of: shoulder presses; lateral flies (very hard for me); bicep curls; overhead tricep extension; and rows. I am really trying to rebuild my shoulder strength after rotator cuff surgery. It takes a long time and can be frustrating.

My plan for tomorrow is to start with an active yoga sequence to get me warmed up and in a good state of mind. Then repeat the strength training on the fitness ball that I did Tuesday.
I also plan on exercising at my regular time which is 3:30pm.

I'm getting bored with my workouts so I'm looking for something different to put in. Give me your ideas. Tell me what your workouts are like.

It's time for you to coach me. Tell me what you would like to see me try and I will do my best to do it and give you feedback.

Dear Terri.
Just finished my workout.Almost everything was at 15.Recumbent
bike 5 minutes.No soreness whatsoever
I'll be reporting tomorrow .
Have nice day.
loong

Loong, you are coming along great. Keep up the good work. You're going to surpass me real soon.

Dear Terri,

first it is not my intention.
Second I am quite happy having you as a coach.You are very attentive to everyone's needs,and full of love
third why would I want to lose that.

Humbly
loong

Dear Terri,

I lost the extra exercises that you had sent me.Sorry,lost them between the house and the car.Great brain.

Is there any way you can send me those ?

Thanks Loong

Loong, are these the first ones I sent for your knees?

You are very sweet and full of loving kindness. Thank you. Keep up the good work.

Hi everyone. Finally back to my normal exercise time. Still feeling unmotivated because I'm tired (remember-insomnia). So I listened to my body and changed the workout I had planned.

Instead of the strength training and some yoga I did all yoga. Did several different sequences and felt wonderful. Sometimes I ask myslef, "how can you forget how good yoga feels and not do it every single day". I think I will find three yoga poses I like and do them each morning.

What do you think, good idea?

I just did some Kinect wall punching. I liked the wall punching. I thought I did a great job but the computer frustrated me.

I've been gone about a week in the keys, and got in a bunch of hiking and some kayaking. So i've been doing pretty good with getting in some activities this week.

To Terri,
The first you sent were dated Jan/27.the others came about 4 days later.
Thank you
loong

It sounds like you have been having a wonderful time. Please tell me what is Kinect wall punching?

Loong, I will have to look them up tomorrow.

Loong, here are the first exercises I sent. If you lose them you can look them up in the Forum. Your right they were on a post on 1/27:
Quadriceps Set:
Sit on the bed with your legs straight out in front of you
Squeeze the muscles on the top of your thigh and pull your kneecap towards you
Hold the squeeze at the top, and release
Repeat 10 times on each leg
Build up to two sets of 15 repetitions on each leg

Leg Extension Using a Roller:
Sitting on the bed with your legs straight out in front of you, place a rolled towel under one knee
Contract your quadriceps muscles, lift your foot, and straighten your leg
Relax your thigh and lower your leg
Repeat 10 times on each leg
Build up to two sets of 15 repetitions on each leg

Standing Leg Lifts
Hold the back of a chair for balance
Turn and face the side, it doesn’t matter right or left
Lift your leg out in front of you with a flexed foot
Don’t lock the knee but pull up on the kneecap as you lift
Do this 15 times on each leg; build up to 2 sets

Hold the back of a chair for balance, facing the back of the chair
Shift your weight into your left leg
Lift your right leg out to the side with muscles tensed
Stand up straight; don’t lean towards the leg being lifted
Repeat 15 times on each leg; build up to 2 sets

Loong, the only exercises I can find are from the article I wrote on knees. You can read it here:
Easy Exercise to Relieve Knee Pain

These are all I have.

Oh no, muscle spasms. I have back problems (don't we all) and sometimes stress will cause me to have really bad spasms in my lower back. Best thing for it is to lay down and do some deep breathing. I can also use my miracle balls if I put them in a gentle spot, not directly on the spasm area.

Tonight I was short on time but I did a HIIT (High Intensity Interval Trainig) ride on my recumbent bike. I rode 30second sprints then regular speed for 2minutes then sprint, etc. I also added in a couple of intervals of high resistance. Same thing, 30 seconds then 2 minute regular, etc.

I haven't done it yet but I am going to do some gentle yoga poses. This will sometimes help my back also.
Signing off. TJ
PS-Be sure to read my article on Wednesday. It's about workouts on the recumbent bike and will talk a little about HIIT as well as other great workouts beginners-advanced.

I bet you thought I wasn't going to make it before midnight. Well here I am with 6 minutes to spare.

Today I did strength and resistance training. I did an interval training session that had 8 exercises, 12-15 reps with the heaviest weight you can use, and did the circuit 2x. I had to make some variations on some of the exercises but all and all I think I did pretty good. I feel good about it.

I also did some yoga. First I did an active sequence that has 8 poses. The last pose is a deep squat and my knees aren't quite up to that so I used my fitness ball to steady me and get me into a pretty decent squat. After the active I did a nice relaxing set and it felt so good to stretch all my muscles.

So what are you doing? Are you walking, biking, doing crunches, push-ups, yoga, Pilates, riding a bike? Let us know every little bit you do counts.

How are you today? Did you exercise? What did you do? Well tonight I did a High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) ride on my recumbent bike. I did a 2 minute warm up, then 30 second sprint; 2 minutes standard pace; 30 seconds high resistance; 2 minutes regular pace; 30 second sprint; etc. This took me about 22 minutes.

Then I did 50 push-ups and 50 crunches both using my fitness ball. Let me give you some advice, don't exercise 20 minutes after you eat. Yuck!

Read my article this week: Recumbent Bike Fat Burning Workout for Beginners

Then watch for next week's article which will be about fat burning HIIT workout on the recumbent bike. TJ

Good evening. How is everyone? Did you exercise today? What did you do?

Today I did strength training. I did a workout from the book Powersculpting. All of the exercises are done with hand weights and the fitness ball. In my article Easy Exercise to Relieve Knee Pain
I show an advertisement for the book and also for my recommendation of a fitness ball. Take a look at the article, the book, and the fitness ball.

I did strength training on each major muscle group. Some of the exercises required more than one set. Those were tough. After I was finished I did some active and then some relaxing yoga. Felt good. Total workout about 1 hour.

You may have noticed I did not post yesterday. Well I just couldn't get organzied. I don't know why I overscheduled myself so much. So anyway to make a small story short - I did not exercise.

But here's the deal. Because we are not perfect we can give ourselves a break. Sometimes we need a break and don't even know it. So for now I plan on working out Monday afternoon as usual. Did anyone else take a day off?

Loong, how do you like your new bike?
Nancy, how's the toothache?
TJ

Dear Terri,
Are you an endorphen junkie? I love my bike.
Normand
loongdragon

No I am definetly not an endorphin junkie. Actually I am going to let up on my workouts a little. I think I'm doing too much weight for my shoulders which are both still recovering from rotator cuff surgery. I've decided to try gentle instead.

I am also going to back off on my knees, which means stick to the exercises like I sent you and no lunges or squats. And then riding my bike, nice and steady.

Oh, I can't forget my yoga. But it is not a workout, it is my quiet time.

PS- I'm glad you love your bike. Did you see my article this week on working out on a recumbent bike? Here it is:

Recumbent Bike Fat Burning Workout for Beginners

Dear Terri,
About being a Endorphin junkie,was just pulling your leg.
In today's paper a 104 year old chinese man completed another marathon ,he started at 89 years old.
Love your article on the Bike.Is there a way that you can make abook like Lisa in buddhism.It is an E-book.Would be great.Now I have a lot of loose leaves in disorder,

With friendship
Normand/loong

Loong, I know you were kidding. I am doing another article this week on a different kind of workout for the bike. Be sure to read it.

I am planning an e-book. I'm just not quite there yet.

Take care.

Dear Terri,

Did 7 minutes bike,plus hip hopping in the house instead of walking.
loong

Loong, that is great. When I first started riding my bike it took me awhile to work up to 10 minutes. I bet that hip hopping would have been something to see.

I think I could just say dito and cover my workout tonight but if you haven't read yesterday then here it is.

I rode the recumbent bike for 30 minutes. I have increased my resistance to level 4 and let my mph drop to between 12-13. Felt good. Next I did my knee exercises followed by 45 minutes of yoga. I finished off with using my Miracle Balls for about 20 minutes. Yeah Miracle Balls!

Got bad news from orthopedic surgeon today. I've injured my right rotator cuff which is just 18 months out from surgery. She suggested that it could be overuse like lifting too heavy a weight, or performing an awkward movement while working out. I am going to rest and watch it for now.

But the other news was a bit scarier. My left rotator cup is only 9 months out from surgery. I went to physical therapy for several months then started working out at home. The shoulder still has no strength. Hasn't improved much from the begining. So, dye injection and MRI this week. She says might have missed part of the tear in the surgery. Won't know anything until next week. So you'll have to wait for the sequel.

Dear Terri
This mornind dir 6 minutes bicycle level3,plus about 20 minutes of various exercises.Going well

Have a nice day
loong

Hello everyone. I took the day off. My shoulders are sore and I just decided to take an allover rest. Plan to ride the bike and do yoga tomorrow.

I'll be glad to workout tomorrow. I actually miss it when I don't workout on one of my scheduled days. Sometimes a short break, even one day, can be motivating.

Good night. TJ

Good job. Keep it up. I'm proud of you, look how far you have come.

Dear Terri,

If you were not so far away,I would give you a good massage.
My body is all broken down because of abuse,don't be one ;-]
Your studentloong

Oh Loong, that would be so wonderful. I abused my body as a "young thing" and am paying for it now.

Good evening to you all. I did a short but challenging workout today.

I did a HIIT ride on the recumbent bike: 2 minute warm-up at a nice easy pace. Then alternating one minute intervals of high resistance and recovery for twenty minutes. Got my heart rate up in the fat burning zone. Did a 2 minute cool-down, slowly winding down to a stop.

Watch for my upcoming article: Measuring Your Target Heart Rate. It will show you how to use your heart rate to guide your workouts.

That's it folks. Talk to you tomorrow. TJ

Hello to all ,

Exercise is the best way to found your perfect body. I think exercise is better then diet. I would suggest you have firstly think the plan for weight loss or fitness is important our body. Until now you have do regularly exercise. It's very simple exercise like walking, running, jumping.


***NOTE: new users are not allowed to add links/urls to their posts!!

I bet you thought I had forgotten about you. Well just for a little while. I did something totally different for my workout yesterday.

I'm sitting on the loveseat and happen to glance at the couch and lo and behold --there it is, my WII. Funny how we forget things if they're not right in our face.

So I got the WII out and did about 50 minutes of healthy back and pilates. It was great. Lots of fun to do something so different.

I have to be careful about my workouts for now until I find out about my shoulders. But there is still plenty I can do and I'm thankful for that.

Hi everyone. Today I rode the recumbent bike for 20 minutes staying in the target heart rate fitness zone. (I have an upcoming article about heart rates and zones. Watch for a posting of it's arrival in the forum).

Then I did the complete intermediate classic Pilates series. I worked up quite a sweat. I cooled off with some easy floor yoga. Ended in Reclining Cobbler's Pose. How relaxing!

Hi everyone. Well it was one of those days. Found out that I am going to have repeat surgery on left rotator cuff. I had surgery nine months ago but it did not heal completely and has torn further. I also have a brand new tear, same shoulder, probably due to arthritis, bone spurs, etc.

What this means for me:
*Can't use my left arm for at least 6 weeks and very limited use for several months
*I need help washing and combing my hair
*Lift nothing
*Physical Therapy
*Won't have to help with chores
*Exercise limitations--I plan on using the recumbent bike more as it is least likely to disturb the shoulder. I am also working on a combo pilates-yoga (yogalates) sequence that doesn't involve using my arms (for awhile). I will share this with you when I have it completed. I used to teach a yogalates class and it was fun.
*Lots of time for reading and researching.
*Better have a line-up of articles in que so I don't miss a week.

Didn't exercise tonight. Feeling sorry for myself, but now that I have an exercise plan I feel better. Tomorrow will be a better day. TJ

Dear Terri,
How do you think I got 8 tares in my knees.Abuse.Stopped playing goaltender at 41 ,my body could not take it. Overplayed Tennis ,up to 30 hours a week ,I was the scrambler type,I would run every ball.Seeing my doctor tomorrow finally.I have been living with torn ligaments,since 2007.No pills .
Why are you so hard on yourself.

I remember when I taught Tennis,the first question I would ask my studentwas:Are you planning to go to Wimbledon in a few years.
The answer was always no.So are you preparing for the olympics?

loong

Thank you Loong for the note. I feel for your knees and hope the doctor will help you.

I really don't intend to sound like I am hard on myself, only regretfull because it has taken me awhile (18 months) to get back in shape after two previous shoulder sugeries.

Right shouler rotator cuff-complete tear (18 months): I fell down and landed on that shoulder-cement- ouch!

Left shoulder rotator cuff-complete tear: I was in a car accident in India. Tore up the shoulder and first repair was 9 months ago. My right knee took some hard damage also but we (surgeon and I) decided to get the shoulders working first because they are more painful.

I'm going to need some cheerleaders so I hope you will be one. Surgery not until week of March 25. Thank you for your concern.

Hi everyone. I didn't forget you last night. I just got home late and went straight to bed. So here is the workout I did yesterday afternoon:

I did the Powerhouse Pilates series by Mari Winsor. Some pretty tough stuff. Then I did a yoga sequence for backs. Then I did one of my favorite things I used my Miracle Balls. Total time one and half hour. It was only this long because I spent about 30 minutes with the miracle balls.
The Miracle Ball Method-A Review

Talk to you later after I exercise this afternoon. My plan is a nice steady state bike ride 20-30 minutes and some relaxing yoga or sometimes on Friday I only do yoga.

Hi everyone. I didn't forget you last night. I just got home late and went straight to bed. So here is the workout I did yesterday afternoon:

I did the Powerhouse Pilates series by Mari Winsor. Some pretty tough stuff. Then I did a yoga sequence for backs. Then I did one of my favorite things I used my Miracle Balls. Total time one and half hour. It was only this long because I spent about 30 minutes with the miracle balls.
The Miracle Ball Method-A Review

Talk to you later after I exercise this afternoon. My plan is a nice steady state bike ride 20-30 minutes and some relaxing yoga or sometimes on Friday I only do yoga.

I strive for an hour of yoga each morning, and I try to keep track of that in the yoga forum. But I definitely want to incorporate other exercise each day so I'll aim to track that here.

So today in addition to my hour of yoga I did 100 sit-ups. I used to be able to do them straight through but at this stage in my life I had to do them in sets of 20. My hope is to at least work back up to sets of 30.

I also have been reading that short intense bursts of exercise are very good for you - so racing up stairs for 30 seconds, then resting, then going at it again. My stairs at my house aren't long enough to run them for 30 seconds . But I do have a step platform, so I could just hammer that for 30 seconds.

Lisa, I'm so glad you found us. I love yoga and try to do it each day, even if it is just a little bit.

Sounds like you had a good workout. Careful with the sit-ups on your back. There is a lot of conversation right now about HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) fast, hard, and powerful. I wrote this article about it Interval Training:Recumbent Bike HIIT Fat Burning Workout

It's not exactly what you did but it is along the same lines. I'm going to write an article about the theories surrounding the idea of 10 or 15 minute workouts.

I did do three 30-second bursts yesterday to give it a try. I did 30 seconds of fast stepping. Then after a minute I did 30 seconds of twisting. Then after a minute I did a minute of hula hooping with a weighted hula hoop. We'll see how it goes.

Today my tailbone area is fairly sore so I think the 100 situps on a carpeted floor wasn't the best of ideas. I should have done it on my yoga mat. So no situps today. I couldn't even do one without pain.

One of my editors asked on my facebook page for me to do an article about being too obsessed with / addicted to working out. It was in a conversation about a guy who felt all women should push themselves to be 10% body fat in order to be healthy. So that might be an idea for a future article for you! I thought it might be more appropriate for your site vs mine.

I like the idea: "I am a secret exrecise addict" or "Dark Obession, How long can she hide her exercise needs". Actually I know people who are obsessed and it is a good idea for an article.

I read an article today on Lycos about a stationary bike routine similar to your short bursts. It read "8 second sprint, 12 second recovery; continue for 20 minutes" sounds a bit over zealous to me.

Have you tried doing half sit-ups or using a pillow under your low back sacrum? I prefer crunches on the fitness ball but I also use a pillow or bolster for back support if I'm on the floor.

Were you looking for Friday's post? Well you're right it isn't there. My husband got a raise and we decided to celebrate and the celebration did not include working out.

Not to worry, I will be back at it tomorrow.

Didn't write last night because I had to watch "The Bachelor", last episode. It was so good, he asked Katherine to marry him and of course she said yes.

So in the afternoon I walked on my new treadmill for 30 minutes. It was great. I got it because after my upcoming shoulder sugery my exercise choices will be limited. Now I will be able to rotate between my recumbent bike and treadmill. Today is bike day. I plan on doing some yoga if my shoulders will cooperate.

Hello everyone. I have decided that I have been pushing myself too hard so I am giving myself permission to do less. Remeber "sometimes less is more".

Tonight I rode my recumbent bike with incline intervals(every 2 minutes) for 20 minutes. Got my heart rate into the training zone.

My shoulders are very sore and upper body work is off the table and will continue to be until after my shoulder surgery when I start PT. However I will try some simple yoga.

Dear Terri.

Bravo.I am a reformed addict.An addict does not see his overdoing may it be alcool,woman/men drugs and the sneakyist of
all Exercise.
Look at me no more knees for at least 8 to 10 years.
The sneakyist drug is Endorphen.Breaking the habit will be quite something,because an exercise addict is like an overeater,we have to eat and exercise.Setting the bar,is a great decision.

With compassion and loving kindness
loong

Thanks Loong. I took off last night. Went to choir practice to "sing like an angel". Had a nice time. I could have exercised in the afternoon but I was out and about on a really nice day.

Hi everyone. I'm a day late and a dollar short. Isn't that the saying? Yesterday I rode my recumbent bike for 30 minutes. I have worked up gradually to the 30 minutes and I have also increased the incline slowly.

Months back when I first started this I was on a level 1 incline. Now I warm up for 2 minutes on level 1-2; then I increase to level 3 for awhile, I didn't time it; then went to level 4 and stayed there until I cooled down for 2 minutes back at level 1-2.

I wasn't doing intervals, just a gradual increase and maintain. I was able to get my heart rate up to 70% of my maximum heart rate and this put me into the training zone (fat burning zone). For me 70% is around 117 beats per minute. Felt good afterwards.

Dear Terri

Just woke up.As I was passing by my recumbant bike,YOU came into my mind.I hope and pray your shoulders are getting better.I am sending you thoughts of wellness.
Your friend

loong

Thank you so much for your kindness. I will have surgery on my left shoulder in 10 days. I will definitely need your thoughts then.

Thank you for checking on me.

Hi everyone. My workouts are beginning to sound a little repetitive. I'm limited in what I can do because of my shoulders so most weight training is out of the picture.

However, last night I rode my recumbent bike for 30 minutes at low end, warm-up incline 1; high end, middle of workout incline at 4. I did some yoga afterwards. Felt really good.

Once I have my shoulder surgery (3/27) my entries will go on hiatus for a little while until I am able to exercise again. I may be able to ride my bike and use the treadmill after a couple of weeks. I am really going to miss my yoga practice. After a few weeks I will look for several poses I can do and concentrate on those.

It will be six weeks before I take the sling off and start physical therapy. That's when I will have some new and fun things to talk about.

Wow! I took the day off. It was very hectic and some pm yoga may have been nice but I was so tired. I had a doctor's appointment, then a meeting that lasted 2 hrs. Then I got to go home for a couple of hours and I used the time to get my article for this week ready to post. You should read the article:

Heart Rate Training Zones

Before I knew it it was 6:30pm and another meeting to go to. It lasted forever, 2.5 hours.

So tomorrow my schedule is not so full and I will be back at it. Plan on walking on treadmill tomorrow with some easy yoga.

ToTerri,
Want you to know that I pray for you ,everynite

Loong

Loong, you are so kind. I am so grateful for your prayers.

Hi everyone. Tonight I walked on the treadmill for 30 minutes. I started with a 2 min warm-up and then did 2.8 mph on incline of 3 for about 15 min. I started feeling a cramp in my right inner thigh so I lowered the incline to 2.5. It helped the cramp went away.

I did a 2 minute cool down. I got my heart rate into the training zone for 20-25 min. According to the treadmill I burned 170 calories and walked 1.3 miles.
Heart Rate Training Zones

Soon I am going to relax and enjoy my foam roller and do my pain-free back exercises. Don't worry I'm going to share both of these with you soon.

Last night I did "feel good" yoga which for me is seated and supine poses with long holds. It felt good, my body feels like it is turning to stone.

I also used my Miracle Balls on the sore spots (my back). Then I did a general Miracle Ball pose for relaxing my back and all of me.
The Miracle Ball Method-A Review

Terri -

Last night my boyfriend's band played a gig so I was dancing all night long. I love it! I wish they gigged more often. Today my spine was sore and it was thrilled with my yoga session. So we'll see what other exercise I get in later today.

Lisa, you should try a set of Miracle Balls. They feel so good on the spine. I like to use them after I do yoga.

The Miracle Ball Method-A Review

Hello, I read your post and really very useful information sharing.Miracle Balls method is the really very useful exercise.

I'm glad you like the Miracle Ball Method. I recommend it to everyone.

Hi everyone. Tomorrow I have my 3rd rotator cuff surgery. I won't be exercising for awhile but I hope you will continue to post your workouts here.

I will keep you updated on my recovery and the wonderful time I expect to have in physical therapy.

Hi everyone, have you missed me? I went for my surgery last Wednesday 3/27. The doctor went in (shoulder) with a scope to take some pictures before she made the incision. It was a lot worse than she thought, so she took the laser out and sewed me up. I had numb arm for awhile but I'm feeling okay.

Now I'm waiting to hear if there is a shoulder specialist who is willing to do it. But I'm also considering not having surgery at all. It won't heal but it will never heal completely, even with the surgery.

So tomorrow I plan to ride my bike and do some gentle yoga.

What have you been up too?

Yes, you were missed!

I'm sorry to hear about the outcome of your laser surgery.

Terri, I have to admit that I am only a lurker in your forum because, well, I am not so great at getting out there to exercise even though I know that it is one of the best things I could do for myself.

I start but stop. I love it while I'm doing it but I can't seem to make it a regular habit.

I no longer have a gym membership but I do have a bike. Love yoga, walking, swimming and dancing but I just don't get to it daily. Could I also post my own exercise journal in your forum to keep me accountable?

Lori, of course, you are very welcome. Everyone is welcome to post their workouts here. I'm glad you want to share.

Sounds like there are lots of things you like to do and that's the best way to get started on a routine. A routine doesn't have to be everyday. Maybe you could try something like setting a goal of so many minutes of exercise a week and then accumulate minutes doing the exercises you love. You could gradually increase your minutes per week.

Here's an article I recommend if you haven't already read it:
Starting a New Exercise Routine

I am glad you are no longer lurking and have come out of the shadows.

Thank you, Terri! I will start first thing in the morning with a nice walk around the block. Later, I will see how far it actually is when I drive out.

I loved your article. It gives me hope that I can do this and sustain it. I think I get overly ambitious and try to train for the Olympics and then drop out. LOL.

At my age, I do worry about my heart but walking is doable. Thank you for your encouragement!

Lori, I do the same thing. I design these over-the-top workouts and then I don't stick with them because they are either too time consuming or just not fun.

I am going to ride my recumbent bike today. A nice easy ride and I hope to have enough energy to do some easy yoga.

Have a nice walk!

Oh, good, so it's not only me. Sometimes, I think I'm nuts.

Well, today turned out very differently than I had planned. No walk. BUT...I am hosting my two grandnieces overnight and invited a friend with his two daughters to join in the fun.

So before they all came over, I blitzed the house by cleaning, cleaning, cleaning. Mopped all the hardwood floors. Scrubbed the bathroom/shower/toilet/sinks. Laundered the den sofa covers and linens. Guest room bedding was already clean and fresh. But, I raked the leaves and scrubbed the patio and the lawn (artificial) with water and a broom.

That was a work-out, really. Does it count?

Are you kidding? Oh yeah, it counts, big time. I bet you burned a lot of calories but even better you got your body moving. Good job. Have fun with the kiddies.

Hi everyone. It felt good to get back into the swing of things today. I didn't push myself. I took it easy and rode the recumbent bike for 20 minutes at a level 3.

Then I did yoga for about 30 minutes. Lots of long, slow, holds. I felt like my body had started to turn to stone and I was breaking free.

I plan on sticking with the bike and yoga for a couple of days then I will start alternating with treadmill again. I'll work up to 30 minutes on bike and treadmill. I don't think it will be too difficult but the important thing is to go slow.

I want to keep doing 30 min of yoga minimum and maybe longer as long as I'm not overdoing it. Have to take care of these shoulders.

I think I will start adding Pilates back in to the routine at some point, soon. Most Pilates can be done without overuse of the shoulders. In case you haven't read it here is a link to my most recent article: Pilates Workout at Home
This is a short but good workout.

Hi everyone. Today I did what I call the 20-20-20 workout. I ride the recumbent bike for 20m keeping my heart rate consistently in the training zone, which for me is anywhere between 110-128 beats per minute.

Next I did 20m of Pilates and finished with 20m of yoga.

I had a hard time getting started, I felt sluggish. After I started getting warmed up on the bike I felt better.

I am in the middle of putting together the "Mother of all Re-hab workout". I'm taking my physical therapy exercises and other exercises I have found and I'm putting together a program for myself gently working knees, shoulders and back. I'll be glad to share it when I am done.

Hi everyone. Took the day off. Had meetings all day and choir practice tonight, where I go to sing like an angel. Ha! I was really tired when I got home so here I sit.

I do have the foam roller waiting for me by the door of my office so as I walk out I will grab it. I am going to lay on it and hopefully relax my back.

Tomorrow I plan on using the treadmill and I haven't decided what else, Pilates, yoga, whatever feels right at that time.

Woo hoo! This morning I began my 1-mile AM walks. Took the chis and ended up running some and walking some. It felt so good to be out there in the fresh morning air.

The dogs distracted me somewhat, getting tangled in their leashes, but overall, we kept walking, walking, walking until they got scared of other dogs and began to run. I kept running with them.

I'm so excited to start this and I hope, hope, hope I can make this a regular routine. I would love to be able to sustain a nice walk/run routine. I want to work my way up to five miles.

To Lori -dreams

Bravo.Wish I could just walk fast.

loong

Thank you, loong.

Running really isn't so great for me. It's hard on my joints and since my triglycerides are high, I should watch vigorous exercise in case my arteries are clogged.

My "running" is like more like fast walking. At my age, I don't know if I should take up running.

Tonight I walked on the treadmill for 30 mimutes. I varied the incline, started low for warm-up; went up to 3 for about 15 minutes; then level 2 until cool-down when I took it down to 0.

Did my warm-up between 2-2.5 mph, then walked at 3mph for the workout, taking it down lower again for a cool-down. I want to emphasize that I think a warm-up and cool-down, even if it's only 2 minutes, is very important. Warm muscles are less prone to injury.

I usually do some strength/resistance or flexibility, or both but I ran out of time. Late tonight I stretched out on my foam roller. I put it underneath me. At first it hurt and took my breath away but I slowed down my breathing and started relaxing my body. Once I did this it felt pretty good and I had a hard time making myself get up.

So watch for my upcoming article and review on the foam roller.

Hi everyone. Today I did something a little different. I used to do yoga in the morning, not every day, but several days a week. I would wake up so stiff and morning yoga really helped. So this morning I woke up really stiff and remembered my little morning yoga book and did the poses. It didn't take long probably about 20 minutes. I do it while I watch CNN so I can see what's happening today.

Tonight I walked on the treadmill. This is what I did:
2 minutes - incline level flat ; 2-2.5mph
26 minutes - level 3 incline; 2.9-3.1 mph
1 minute- level 2 incline; 2.6mph
1 minute-incline level flat; 2.2 mph
Felt strong during and after.

Tonight I listened to 80's rock. We have the music channels on our TV and I pick a music station and turn it up loud. My favorites are: "Today's Hits"; "Today's Country"; 80's hits; 70's hits; Soundscapes.

Thanks for the great idea of putting together my own song list to exercise to.

I really love Soundscapes but usually not for exercise since it calms me more than juices me.

Are there particular songs you like?

I like listening to Today's Hits, and the 80's because they are really up beat. That's what I listen to when I'm doing the bike or treadmill. I like to listen to Soundscapes when I do Pilates or yoga. I don't have any particular songs. They're all pretty good.

Did not exercise today. My shoulder hurts and it just makes me feel tired and dull. I see the shoulder specialist surgeon tomorrow. That is if the office is open. We are in the middle of a blizzard right now, here in Cheyenne, Wyoming!

Hi everyone. I hope you didn't think I forgot you. I was all caught up in the joy of writing that I didn't post last night. So, yesterday I rode my bike for 30 minutes and worked up a good heart rate. I've been riding the main segment of my workout in level 3 and decreasing to level 2 as I get closer to the end. Of course, I always start and end at level 1.

Then I did some Yin Yoga for an hour. Felt great, Yin Yoga is very long holds. Afterwards I set up a little fort on the floor and used the Miracle Balls for at least 30 minutes maybe more. I call it a fort because I have my pillows and stool to prop my legs on, and covered up with my terry cloth robe. Callie cat thought it would be great fun to play with the ties of the robe and she swatted them around for awhile then she started swatting me around. She had to go, reluctantly.

I just got done writing yesterday's activity but I didn't want to put today in with it because it would be a way big post.

So today, once again, I sat at my desk too long writing. I set the desktop alarm to make myself get up at least once an hour. However that doesn't work well if you turn it off and ignore it.

Therefore I have really bad muscle spasms in my lower back and right hip. At this point I will not use my Miracle Balls or foam roller. Once spasms get to a point where they are really painful, it is too late to use the equipment. It will only irritate it further. So now, I will rest with a book and apply heat.

Did not do exercise today. I can't let this get out of control. You see what happens to me when I don't exercise, so tomorrow I plan on doing 20-20-20 (bike-pilates-yoga). It's a pretty good 1 hour workout.

I was writing earlier and was typing too fast and had some typos. I want to share the new word I created by mistake:
"Exercuse". I have defined it as any excuse for not exercising. Neat, aye?

Hi everyone. Boy do I have some observations to tell you about. First off, did anyone like my new word "exercuse"?

So I decided to wing it tonight. I rode the bike for 20 minutes, most of it at level 3, which is a good spot for me right now because it gets my heart rate in the training zone fast and keeps it there.

Next I alternated push-ups and crunches on the fitness ball. Total of 50 each.

Then I found one of my favorite shorter yoga routines. This is an active practice and I was suprised at how my body responded. My heart rate was up and I realized I had neglected standing poses way too long.

I did the PT for my knees & shoulders tonight. Now I remember why I don't do them anymore. They are hard! Mostly minor movements but with lots of muscle isolation. When I finished I thought Buddy, the big dog, was going to have to help me up the steps, my legs were shaking so hard. I am curious to see how my knees will feel tomorrow.

Okay one final comment. Yesterday I had serious muscle spasms in my lower back which I am sure were due to sitting at my desk all day. So today I got up every hour and I stretched out for 3 minutes on my foam roller. Oh, it was heaven! For the first time I noticed how I really have to engage my abs to keep from rolling off. How great is that?

You are an inspiration. I like the 20-20-20 plan.

Thanks Lori. The great thing about the 20-20-20 plan is it combines the 3 components of exercise: cardio (bike); strength & resistance training (Pilates); flexibility (yoga).

My husband calls this being mean to myself when I get upset because I didn't exercise. However, I only exercised 2 or 3 days this week and that's not enough for me to maintain flexibility and strength in my poor sad joints.

Today I ran to the grocery, came home and cooked a giant pot of chili for a benefit dinner tonight. Then I started writing an article and I know better. Once I start writing it is almost impossible to stop. I've go to grab those thoughts before I lose them.

I did stop a couple of times today and use the foam roller to relax my muscles. I am pleased by the results I am getting by using it periodically throughout the day. So far no more serious muscle spasms.

You're not exactly being mean to yourself, but you are being hard on yourself. You're doing extremely well with the exercise. In fact, I think that people can over-exercise and do damage to their joints by not letting the body get adequate rest.

Even though you didn't exercise, you weren't completely sendentary either. Plus even the Pharoah's horses get one day out of ten to rest. God Himself rested on the 7th day.

Rest is misunderstood and underrated.

Thanks Lori.

Hi everyone. I forgot to post last night so here it is now, yesterday's workout.

I hate to call Yoga a workout because it means much more than that to me. But for the case of fitness I will call it a workout.

I started with seated poses to slowly warm-up my body. After that I went into a standing pose sequence. Ended with supine poses. It all felt really good.

I'll let you know later what I do today.

Hi everyone. I felt much better today and was ready to get back into the swing of things. So tonight I rode my recumbent bike for 30 minutes.

Next I chose 5 poses from the book "Pilates Challenge with the Proform Foam Roller". These are not exercises for the timid exerciser. Working with the roller was great. I had only been using it as a relaxation tool and the exercises were challenging because keeping your balance is all about using your core. Don't worry, I am writing a review of the book and roller with some sample exercises.

Next I did my Yin Yoga sequence which is so sweet and complete. I always feel so good afterwards.

Total workout time apx. 1 hour +

One hour. I can only strive for that. I've done Pilates before and it is not easy.

I think I will try it again though.

My exercise time goes by quick when I mix up what I'm doing.

Pilates is great and there is so much cool equipment. Start out easy--it might make you sore--but not for long.

Hi everyone. My strategy was a little different tonight. I stuck to mostly cardio, walking on the treadmill for 30 minutes. My speed and incline vary from warm-up, through main workout, to cool-down.

The rest of my workout I haven't done yet but am getting ready to. I have my Miracle Balls sitting on my desk. I also have the book out and I'm going to do some of the exercises and then just relax on them. Oh boy!

Today I had an unscheduled medical procedure which has kept me from exercising. I'm sure by Monday I'll be back on my way.

Have a great weekend and get outside, if you can. If not then watch a great movie or listen to your favorite tunes and walk on the treadmill or ride your bike.

Hi everyone. Today I worked out in the morning which is quite different for me. I am not a morning person however I did pretty well. The one thing I noticed was that I couldn't concentrate clearly.

I rode the recumbent bike for 30 mins. in the heart rate training zone for my age. I also did 30 mins of yoga for strength. It is called this because there are a lot of standing poses and standing poses are known to be very strengthening.

Total workout time apx. 1 hour.

Did you workout today? Tell us about it.

Hi everyone. Today I walked on the treadmill for 30 minutes. This includes a 2min warm-up and 2min cool-down.

My heart rate stayed steady at 110 beats per miniute. This put me right in the middle of the Fitness Zone-Fat Burning Zone for my age.

You can always check out what your age predicted heart rate should be in different training zones by reading my article "Heart Rate Training Zones". It includes an easy to read chart.
Heart Rate Training Zones

I have seen the shoulder surgeon specialist. I will be having surgery next week, May 1. So I will be out of commission for awhile. But we will talk before then. Good night.

Hi everyone. Today was a good workout day. Finally it was warm enough to get outside, 65 degrees. I took Dixie for a one mile walk.

I came home and jumped on the recumbent bike for 20 min. in fat-burning training zone.

After that I did about 20-30 minutes of Yin Yoga. The perfect end and so relaxing. My muscles felt good.

Hi everyone. I forgot to post yesterday. It was sunny and warm so Dixie (golden-doodle) and I went for a walk. We walked further today, to the park and back. Took about 30 minutes.

Hi everyone. Does it feel like I've been neglecting you? I'm sorry but I have an exercuse. I am having surgery tomorrow and will be one-armed for 6-8 weeks, so I'm trying to prepare everything I might need ahead of time. This includes writing several articles so you'll still have something new to read each week.

I will be checking in and and keeping you posted. I really want you to exercise regularlly then soon we will start Physical Therapy together.

Oh, Terri. Good luck with the surgery. Prayers being sent your way--and for your doctor surgeon!

May you mend quickly and return here soon.

Thanks Lori. I'll still be around and checking in on you.

Hi everyone. I can't do any exercise yet. I go to physical therapy tomorrow. I want to get a plan I can do at home often, and I want their release to walk and bike. May be too soon for that.

I'll fill you in tomorrow PM.

First day of physical therapy (PT). They kept me for 2 hours. Are they crazy? Feeling very sore and cranky. Did lots of range of motion exercises and some massage. That part was good.

What have you guys been doing for exercise? Something fun I hope.

I am now allowed to go for short walks with a companion. One week from today I am allowed to start short rides on my recumbent bike. Yeah!

Hi everyone. Yesterday my sister-in-law took me to Wal-Mart to walk. We did the slow "zombie-invalid" shuffle. But overall I walked about a mile.

Today I had PT and my therapist said I have amazing range of motion already. Next Wed. will be my 2 week mark and I will start riding the recumbent bike a little each day and work up to my pre-surgery level. My goal is to work up to 20 min 2x per day totaling 40 min per day.

I am also working up a routine of some lower body exercises to begin soon.

You are one tough cookie, Terri. Just out of surgery and exercising?!? Wow. Such an inspiration!

You know, I really don't have an exercise goals. I wonder if that is why I am not doing much.

Glad you're on the mend so quickly. Thanks for checking in when you're not feeling well.

Thanks Lori. Maybe not so tough or smart but we'll see what happens.

It might be a good idea to set a lose goal. I used to walk a lot and I recorded how much I walked each day and added up my weekly totals. I set my goal based on the weekly number such as 12 miles a week, that way it wasn't so rigid daily. It motivated me also.

Hi everyone. Still plugging along. Did some walking today while shopping. Got really tired and my shoulder was hurting. Feelling better after some ice and a nap.

I have put together a set of seated Pilates poses which I developed using regular poses. I only did 5 poses because that is plenty.

I also have a set of lower body exercises--also in a chair. I've included my knee therapy exercises also as part of the total routine.

You are an inspiration, Terri. You offer NO excuses for not exercising! In a chair?

Speaking of chair, I say this chair gym on TV. Do you recommend it? It seems light enough for me to use. I don't need heavy weights. Just resistance.

Chair exercises can be very effective. I'm not familiar with the chair gym but I will find ot. Thanks Lori.

I did some research on the Chair Gym and this is what I found:

1. Customers considered it over-priced. They were also overcharged when purchasing the upgrade. It is advertised at $14.95 and they were charged $29.95

2. Customer reviews stated that the company customer service was not easy to deal with.

3. Once purchased most customers said they could get as good as or better workout from resistance bands and dumbbells.

4. Some customers were very glad they bought it and gave it a good review.

Understand, I have not used this product myself and this is only my opinion. After watching video examples of the exercises, these exercises can be done with bands and dumbbells in your own chair. The advantage with this is you have variety and are not limited by what the Gym Chair can do.

The advantage of the Gym Chair is that your bands are set up for you once you put it together and there is a set of prepared exercises.

This is great, I'm going to write an article on chair exercises.

Hi everyone. I have decided that I am my own worst enemy. Wednesday will be the 3 week mark of my surgery. I'm feeling better, not muuch pain. But this really turned into a major shoulder surgery so the rehabilitation is from 4-6 months.

When you look at it like that 3 weeks is a drop in the bucket. So I am a very impatient woman and what do I start doing today? Yes, a new workout plan. LOL.

I realized my chose and took only a few exercises to do. I am not allowed to move my arm so the exercises are done in a chair and on the bed. I want to come up with a great comprehensive collection of recovery poses and share them with everyone.

So today I had pt and did 6-8 different exercises in a chair. Tomorrow I plan on riding the bike.

Hi everyone. Today I had PT. I do exercises with 1 lb. handheld dumbells and with bright green silly putty for my wrists and forearms. I also do shoulder shrugs, shoulder squeezes, the pendelum, neck releases, and door pulleys. Whew! Actually the only really hard thing are the door pulleys.

After I got home I rode my recumbent bike for 20 mins. My heart rate was in the training zone and it got there fast because I am still getting my energy back. I was tired but felt good.

Hi everyone. Today I rode my bike 20 min. It was a good ride. I'm trying to keep my exercise in the low-moderate range. I really want the shoulder to heal correctly and the physical therapists keeps warning me how the muscle might not reattch and even if it does there is no guarentee that the muscles will fire back to life. So I'm trying really hard to be good.

Dear Terri,
I hope ,you are feeling better.Just did 5 minutes at level 5 on my recumbant bike.Lost 25% at least ,of my body strength since my stabbing last month.Always out of breath.

I hope in a few months,I'll be better.

With friendship

loong

Loong, please tell me about your stabbing.

Also, if you are going to ride the recumbent try lowering the resistance to 1 or 2 and then ride a little longer.

I'm sorry you do not have any strength.

Dear terri,
did 10 minutes on the bike at 2.
As far as the stabbing goes,Near the city,I was picking up a lovely girl.We had supper,she went back at her place to get her working clothes.So I parked in front of a convenience store.
All of asudden 4 teenagers stoned to death came out of the convenience store,and started yelling at me.They thought I was an undercover cop.Got out of the car and asked him what was his problem .He answered that I was lucky he did not have his knife
with him,because he would do me.So I got out my cane and walked about 25 feet.He Yelled so you are going to hit me with the cane now.so I dropped my cane and asked him where is knife was.
He stopped on the corner of the crossstreet.I made a u turn
drove maximum 75 feet in first gear.I still had mu winter tires with metal studs ,so I slipped when i braked ,turning the corner
2 of my wheels landed on the beginning of the sidewalk.
He started kicking my car.So to stop further dammage,i started walking behind my car.Then I saw one giving a knife to the guy.
He jumped over the trunk and stabbed me with a 12 to 15 inch
knife,inthe back straight in the lung.We are talking here of a
5 to6 inch stabbing.Did not feel the knife go in or out.Lost about one second of consciousness,the schock maybe.First thing i am on the ground,4 people holding me down.I told one of thepeople to get out of my sight,so I could see where they were running to.The stabber went in the first house ,the other in the 3rd house.Then I laid down on my back .Ambulance and squad car came in at the same time.Told the policeman where the kids lived.
he came back 10 minutes later saying that both had been arrested and going down to the station.I had apunctured lung .Lost a pint of blood,I stayed in the hospital 17 days,no shower ,no bathroom
in the room.They installed a 3/4 inch hose in my side ,that was the part that hurt the most.After what seemed an hour,he finally found the cut in the lung and the blood started flowing from the lung.I had that on for about 7 to 10 days.They removed ,i beleive about 3 gallons of blood and water from the lung.

loong,that is the short version of the event.

To Terri,
The police found the knife hidden in a shed between the 2 houses
hoping with my blood still on it.The next day ,I had forgiven the kids ,but they must pay for what they did.KARMA.

loong

To Terri,


Today walked about a mile,with the help of a cane.
loong

Loong, I am so sorry to hear about your terrifying encounter. I hope you are mending, and I have said a prayer for you.

You are very strong willed to go out and walk a mile. I'm glad you are able to.

Dear Terri,

Walked another mile today.Feeling great ,weather was sunny.We had not had sun for more than 10 days.

loong

Way to go Loong. You are doing great with your recovery.

Hi everyone. I am really getting tired of the cast on my left arm. My body is telling me it needs some movement. Today I worked around the house and outside the best I can. I have to stop and rest frequently.

This evening a did a combo Pilates and yoga on my bed. These were poses on my back and a few seated with my back supported by the headboard. I kept my cast on for all exercises.

I don't have a plan for tomorrow yet but I'll get there.

Hi everyone. Tonight I rode the recumbent bike for 20 min. I was trying to read my Kindle and didn't pay much attention to the heart rate. However, when I finished I was a little out of breath.

Next I did some yoga. I found that I was able to do a lot of my normal routine on my mat on the floor. I will continue to modify it as I go.

Today I went to doctor. He told me 2 more weeks in the sling; but don't use your arm after you take it off. What's up with that???

Dear Terri,
Walked 2 hours ,no cane.Took a good bath this morning to help my knees and hips.

loong

You two are formidable. I greatly admire your determination and strength under adversity.

Loong, you are so brave. You seem to be on the healing path. You are smart to be kind to those knees.

Hi everyone. Tonight I rode my recumbent bike for 30 minutes. It went by quickly because I was looking at my tarot cards. I checked my heart rate and was riding at a nice comfortable pace within my training zone.

I had PT today. Here are some of the things I do at PT:
--I use green silly putty, which is medium, to do exercises for my wrists & forearms.
--I use small dumbbells and do more exercises for wrists & forearms. Today I was moved up to 2 lbs.
--Next I do a series of neck releases; shoulder shrugs, & shoulder squeezes.
--Then I do 2 exercises called "the pendulum" for 2 min each.
--I do 3 different exercises using pulleys for 2 min each. These exercises are for range of motion and I have good range of motion most days.

Then they taped both shoulders for stabilization. I choose the fluorescent green tape. So pretty!

Hi everyone. Tonight I rode the bike for 30 minutes staying in my training zone.
Heart Rate Training Zones

Thirty min is getting pretty easy so I have a couple of choices:
1. I can ride for 20 min at a higher resistance.
2. I can ride for 30 min at a slightly higher resistance.
3. I can add 5 min at a time over the next few weeks and increase to a total of 40 min., leaving the resistance where it is now.

I think I will do this choice because increasing the resistance tends to be hard on my knees and they are already suffering.

Then I did 30 minutes of yoga. My body has felt like it is all knotted up, wearing this splint and all. I did my normal yoga sequence minus a few poses that required shoulder strength. No down dogs for me. Anyway, back to my point, while I was doing the yoga in rhythm with my breath I felt like purring. Yes, it felt that good.

Hi everyone. My workouts are pretty boring right now. I am riding my bike consistently and doing PT. Tonight I did some yoga and it felt nice.

One big problem is time--no matter how simple the task, it takes at least twice as long to do it with one arm. So with going to therapy 3x a week for at least 2 hours each time, I feel like I don't have time to exercise because there are other things that need to be done.

Does this sound familiar?

But I am steadily improving and will manage to squeeze in my exercise. I hope you will too.

Hi everyone. I'm just a little late posting. Ha!

Yesterday I rode the recumbent bike for 30 minutes. Top speed was between 14-15 mph. I was definitely in the fat-burning zone. It was a good ride.

Heart Rate Training Zones

How important is it to get one's heart rate in the zones while exercising?

Lori, take a look at the article for a more in-depth explanation and there is an easy chart to help you find your heart-rates.

Simple answer--based on your goals, your heart rate indicates how hard you are working. Walking in the fat-burning zone will burn more calories, and you will body fat faster.

Dear Terri,

I do not seem to heal as fast as I should.Had another x ray taken today.The technicians could not beleive that after almost 2 months ,my breath has not come back more.
My doctor sent me to the x ray ,because,he also could not beleive the shortness of my breath.Meeting a psycologist friday morning for post trauma troubles.

loong

Oh, loong. Please let us know what they say is causing your shortness of breath.

Also, I am glad you'll be able to meet with a psychologist.

Take care.

Loong, I am so sorry you are still having problems. Do what the doctors tell you and get lots of rest. Maybe it is to soon to be exercising.

I'm certain that seeing the psychiatrist is going to help you feel better. Please keep me updated and know that I care about you.

Had some x-rays taken today.Should know more within a week.


loong

Hi everyone. I hope you won't stop checking in to see what exercise I am doing. I have to admit that it has been a little boring lately. I did not exercise yesterday (except for PT), and I did not exercise today. My husband keeps reminding me this is supposed to be my summer of healing (He's so sweet!).

I could blame it on my shoulder but that wouldn't be entirely true. Although my shoulder does limit my capabilities and I am still feeling tired, and not quite up to par yet, I have become distracted by 2 new ventures. I am finishing up my first e-book. And I am building a website with blog.

I let myself get so wrapped up that I forget to eat, to go to bed, and to exercise. I've got to find some balance.

Dear Terri

Walked with a friend today ,2 1/2 hours.

Bit tired

taking a nap

loong

Dear Terri

Walked with a friend today ,2 1/2 hours.

Bit tired

taking a nap

loong

Dear Terri

Walked with a friend today ,2 1/2 hours.

Bit tired

taking a nap

loong

Loong, that's a really long walk, no wonder you're tired. Be sure you get enough rest and heal.

Dear Terri ,today again walked for about 1 1/2 hour.
Dont scold me.

loong

I won't scold you. If you feel up to it then it is great. I just wish I could keep up with you.

Hi everyone. Tonight I rode my recumbent bike for 30 minutes. Kept a steady pace riding at about 13-14 mph. Nice workout.

Then I did my knee physical therapy exercises; 2 sets of 15 reps. I have the exercises from the last time I had knee surgery. My knees have been killing me so I thought I would try this.

I did shoulder shrugs, shoulder blade squeezes, neck releases, and wrists and ankle exercises.

I got out my OPTP foam roller, but I quickly discovered it was not safe with my arm in a sling. I should have known better. Luckily I didn't get hurt.

OPTP Pro Foam Roller-A Review

Two more days until the sling comes off. My arm is so weak it trembles when I take a shower. Looking forward to having strong arms and shoulders again.

Hi everyone. Today I did one-armed gardening for about 90 minutes. That's my workout.

Didn't realize at the time how hard it was on my knees. Tonight I almost lost it on the downstairs steps when my knees buckled under me.

I am now going to sit with a bag of frozen peas on each knee, relax, and read.

Tomorrow---last day wearing the sling.

Hi everyone. I'm still typing with one finger. Took brace off today but not allowed to reach forward or to the side. No problem, it hurts to do that.

Tonight I had a good ride on the recumbent bike. I rode for about 15 min at a smooth brisk pace. Then I increased the incline, slightly, and rode a little faster. I did this for 12 min. I did a slow down for the last 3 min.

Today at PT I went up to a 3 lb. dumbbell. They also added a 4-sided exercise using a yellow band. Yellow is the very easiest. Then I used the arm bike for 4 min. Yeah!

Had to sit and ice knees tonight. They are so sore from the gardening.

Hi everyone. Last night I rode my bike for 30 minutes. Nice brisk pace--made me sweat.

Today I had PT and it is starting to feel more like exercise. Every time I go we add a new exercise. That's okay though because it means I'm getting stronger. Hopefully I'll be done wit PT by September.

I'm pretty sure I forgot to write last night so here it is:

I rode the recumbent bike for 30 minutes in the heart-training zone. Kept my heart rate between 109-120 which is between 65-70% of my maximum heart rate.

Then I did about 20 min of yoga. The yoga felt good but I am very limited as I can't put any weight on my left arm. I was worried that I would topple over, which I am very good at, and have to catch myself with my arm.

He everyone. I thought I should post now so I didn't forget to later.

I just finished walking on the treadmill. I walked for 30 min which is somewhere around 2 miles. My heart rate was between 65-75% of maximum heart rate. This put me in the fat-burning zone.

Next, I decided to do simple yoga stretches in a chair so I wouldn't be afraid of hurting my arm. Came up with quite a few poses that can be done seated. However, this wasn't new to me as I have taught chair yoga before.

Hi everyone. Yesterday I went to PT. It is getting harder and saps my energy. Later in the evening I did my chair workout. I do a little chair yoga, some knee exercises, and others to loosen up my joints.

Hi everyone. I didn't post yesterday so I will do that first. I did a little gardening, which I'm not supposed to do. Later I did my chair exercises.

Tonight I did yoga & Pilates for 40 minutes.

I have reached a dangerous point in my recovery. My shoulder is starting to heal. I can use it a little, but I'm not supposed to, and that is why it is dangerous. I want to use it, sometimes I forget and do use it. I think I may have done something when I was doing the minor gardening. It's been achy since then.

It's so hard to be careful.

Just in case you didn't see my post to Lori here is what I said: take a one month calendar and just mark X on the days you exercised. It's just a visual to show you if you're doing better or worse than you think.

I just did it for June. Yugh! I exercised 10 of 22 days. This was a good exercise, I thought I was doing more.

Hi everyone. Today I had PT. We added 3 new exercises. It now takes me 2 hours at therapy. However, my arm has been sore for about 6 days and Nate, my therapist, says we have to take it down. He said, " 2 steps forward, 1 step back". I was very discouraged. However, the good news is I am able to move a muscle that I had lost until the surgery. I see the Doc tomorrow.

Tonight I walked on the treadmill for 20 min. I started doing some yoga but my arm was hurting so I stopped. I have been wearing my Fitbit Zip and today I have 4775 steps which is apx. 2 miles according to the software.

Most of the time a standard of 10,000 steps = 5 miles. However, according to the software of my Fitbit Zip apx. 4800 steps = 2 miles. So that would put me at 9600 steps for 4 miles, which means I will have to walk 12,000 steps for 5 miles. I'm walking at 2400 steps for a mile.

I have burned 1400 calories which includes the calories my metabolism burned during my sleep.

A Review of the Fitbit Zip

Hi everyone. Just wanted to let you know while I'm thinking of it, or I will forget. I'm not exercising tonight. A few friends are coming over and we are going to toast my new Ebook, Exercise Basics. Check out the link below.

Hi everyone. I had PT today and learned a few new exercises. It's not real hard but I get so tired, I don't have any energy.

Later tonight I did chair exercises and PT exercises for my knees.

Fitbit Zip says I walked an "outstanding" 2700 steps today. That is 1.1 miles.

Hi everyone. I hope you won't be disappointed in me but I took today off. No good reason except that I am still soooo tired. And tonight I had a meeting at 7pm, which lasted a couple of hours.

I think I need my Miracle Balls.

The Miracle Ball Method-A Review

Hi everyone. Today I had PT. Sometimes everything is in synch and it only took 1.5 hours. I have reached what I call a "stage". This means that a certain level of healing has occured and it's like, oh wow, and you realize it all at once.

PT, at this point, has become too easy. I hope they will increase or change exercises next week. I have "under arm jiggle" from not being able to exercise my arms.
Get Rid of Under Arm Jiggle

Tonight I did 20 minutes on the bike with a maximum heart rate of about 117 beats per minute. I was on an incline of 2 which didn't work me very hard. But often less is more, as I have to keep telling myself that so I don't overdo it.

Terri -

That is awesome news that you are healing up! Keep at it! You're an inspiration to us all .

Hi everyone. I'm writing early today. First of all I learned 7 new exercises at PT today. Finally--starting me on strength work. Now I am a little achy, the arm is mostly just tired, and I'm getting ready to ice it and my knees.

I am pet-sitting (which I swear I don't do anymore???)a beautiful little Border Collie named Cassie. Cassie lives in an apartment and Miss Terri has to walk her 3 times a day. Ouch! It's killing my knees so lots of ice and elevation.

The good thing, besides getting to spend time with Cassie, is that I'm getting a lot of steps which I am measuring with my Fitbit Zip. Since I am walking so much and PT has increased I'm not doing any additional exercise. A Review of the Fitbit Zip

Cassie's Mom is home on Sunday, so next week it's back to the ole` treadmill and bike. If I am feeling like it I want to add some yoga and Pilates. More on that later.

Hi everyone. I don't believe I have written in a couple of days so I will catch up now. I told you I was pet sitting a little dog named Cassie. Cassie is keeping me busy.

Between walking Cassie a couple of times a day and PT this is the extent of my workouts. However I will be exercising on Saturday and Sunday since Cassie's Mom won't get home until Sunday night. So I will get in more steps than usual.

Still wearing my Fitbit Zip and counting steps. The Fitbit software emails me to tell me how many steps I get monthly and I can check anytime I want to get daily and weekly updates. It's fun.

A Review of the Fitbit Zip

Dear Terri

Today hicked 3 miles ,evem with my wounds that do not seem to heel well .
Did not meet any humans,just sentient beings.
with love.

loong

Dear Loong, I am thrilled that you are able to hike 3 miles but it concerns me that your wounds are not healing. Please hike in a safe place and take good care of yourself.

Hi everyone. Today I went to PT and they increased everything. Either the repetitions, the duration, or the weight. I am definitely getting stronger. Nate (PT) said that the muscle was alive and well. That's great news since they really weren't sure if it would re-activate.

I am going to therapy 2 times a week now and I have a list of exercises to do at home everyday. I don't mind if it means I'm getting stronger. I also started exercising the right shoulder using PT exercises from that surgery (2 years).

Unfortunately your exercise editor has a bad case of the "I don't have time" syndrome, along with the "I'm too tired" disease, so she can't seem to get in her 20 min of cardio a day. I plan on being well by morning so I can try something different.

I have read that if you exercise in the morning before you eat you will burn more calories because your body is in fasting mode. So hey, if I can get my butt out of bed I will give it a shot--20 minutes on the bike.

Dear Terri,

Please go read a new thread ,I put on Buddhism ,Called conquering my Everest

loong

Hi everyone. I did the ride bike first thing in the morning for 20 minutes. I am going to try to keep this up and we will see if it really does burn more calories.

I did my at home PT exercises. They consist of:
20 shoulder shrugs
Neck Releases (see article on neck releases)
20 Scapular squeezes
3 min Door pulleys- 2 different directions (total 6 min)
5 Spiders
Wall washes
Internal and external rotation with 1 lb. weight

Exercises to Relieve Neck Pain

Something new: Watch the Short Bouts of Exercise Journal and join in.

Hi everyone. I almost forgot to post but here it is. I rode my bike this morning for 20 minutes. Unfortunately I didn't get the benefit of fasting because I ate my waffles first. What was I thinking??? I am going to keep at it.

The rest of my exercise today consisted of a few PT exercises and my short bouts of exercise which you can read about on the Ongoing thread-Short Bouts of Exercise.
Short_Bouts_of_Exercise_NEW_ONGOING

Hi everyone. Today I had PT. It takes 1.5 hours and I usually don't feel like doing any other exercise.

I didn't get up this morning and ride the bike. The 2 days I did the nicest part was that I didn't have to worry about it later in the day. I will ride tomorrow as I don't have to get up early for therapy.

I am also learning Tai Chi. I did about 20 min tonight. I'm learning from a highly recommended DVD download. Once I have tried it for awhile I'll do a review of the DVD.

Hi everyone. I am still having trouble getting back into the swing of things. So I have a plan of sorts. It goes like this:

Tues, Wed, Fri, ride recumbent bike or walk treadmill 20-30 mins.

Mon & Th, I go to PT for my left shoulder. I won't ride or walk because PT takes 1.5 hours and that's plenty.

Tue, Wed, Fri, I plan on doing one of these each for the 3 days and do a different one each day: PT for Knees, or PT for Back, or PT for the right shoulder.

I told you I am learning Tai Chi by video. I am up to a 15-20 minute segment and I really like it. I don't have a schedule for it.

And I am still wearing my Fitbit Zip everyday to count my steps.

So sounds like a lot of work but actually on Tu, Wed, Fri, it will be about 30-40 minutes. Mo & Wed with PT apx 1.5 hours.

Whew! Busy day. I went to PT and was there for 2 hrs. I am definitely getting stronger. Yeah! I will be traveling for the next two weeks so my PT may suffer, but I have all my equipment to take with me, rubber tubing and rubber bands.

When I got home from PT I went straight downstairs and rode the recumbent bike for 20 minutes in my heart rate training zone. I was at apx. 121 beats per minute.

Later I did the PT exercises for my right shoulder.

Hi everyone. Today my exercise was more about short bouts of exercise. I've already put it on that post but I'll add it here too.

I did 10 min Tai Chi while waiting to leave for an appointment.

I did another 10 min Tai Chi while waiting for the microwave.

Watching TV during lunch break I did chair and standing yoga.

I marched around the house and gained an additional 334 steps.

I've really got to be more conscious of my steps. I'm not reaching my goal. But I'll get there.

Hi everyone. Today my exercise was all about short bouts of exercise. It is a good example of what you can get done in a day, when you don't have time for a full workout.

I did 10 min of Tai Chi while I was waiting to leave for an appointment.

I did another 10 min Tai Chi while waiting on the microwave.

Watching TV during lunch break, did chair and standing yoga.

Marching in the house gained additional 334 steps. I am not meeting my goal of 3,000 steps per day. I need to work harder at that, but I will get there.

Total exercise time apx. 35 mins. Not bad!

Hi everyone. Today I did a mixture of Pilates and yoga. I am just having trouble getting motivated so switching around a little helped. Plus it has been awhile since I could do a few of the moves so I was happy and I did modifications where I needed to.

I also did 10 min Tai Chi. Tomorrow I'll get lots of steps at the airports.

Hi everyone. I can't say that I am actually doing designated exercise. My Mom and do a lot of walking while we shop. And we have been learning Tai Chi together. It's great to see her so excited. She has sever arthritis and the gentle movements help her feel better.--Yes, I do have an upcoming article on Tai Chi.

I will keep checking in this week, but will still be traveling until the weekend.

Hi everyone. Today I took my neices to the pool. We did lots of water exercise and had a good time. I will be traveling all day tomorrow but will talk to you real soon.

Hi everyone. Well I am home from my travels and full of kinks and stiffness. So tonight I did yoga with a few Pilates poses thrown in for about 45 minutes.

I am now going to go rest my poor aching back on my Miracle Balls. I am so looking forward to it.

I am feeling much better, though my shoulder is far from healed. I plan to start getting back into the swing of things this week. Wish me luck.

Hi everyone. This morning I did 20 minutes of Tai Chi with my new DVD. I enjoyed it. Then I went to physical therapy, which is now all exercise. I was there for 1.5 hours. I am thrilled and amazed at my range of motion. It is 100% and matches the other shoulder!!!! Just need more strength now.

My Fitbit Zip readings (which aren't very good)
Steps-1637
Distance - .67 mile
Calories burned - 1846.
Really have to work on this.

Hi everyone. Today I exercised in the morning and I liked it. I rode my recumbent bike 20 mins. Then I did 45 mins of yoga and Pilates.

FitBit Zip:
Steps: 2483
Distance: 1.02 mile
Calories: 1377
Still need lots of work. I have to get at least 3000 steps per day to start.

Hi everyone. I want to let you know that I have stopped the "Short Bouts of Exercise" thread. I will continue to post all my fitness information here.

So today I worked in my garden. We had a hail storm a few days ago. Fortunately my flowers did not take too big a hit, but there was lots of green litter to pick up and weeds to pull. I worked for 1-1.5 hours.

I also did Tai Chi. I am really loving learning this. I did a 20 minute DVD routine.

FitBit Zip:
Steps: 2070
Distance: .85 mile
Calories burned: 1338
I forgot to put it on today until after I had done all of the yard work. I would have gotten lots more steps.

Hi everyone. Today was a good day. This morning I did 15 minutes of high intensity walking on my treadmill. For me that meant an incline of 5 at 3 mph. May not sound like much, but it sure felt like it. Remember High Intensity training burns more calories in a shorter period of time, especially if you are doing High Intensity Intervals.

After that I did 45 minutes of yoga and Pilates. My legs are sore from working in the yard yesterday. The yoga helped loosen them up.

FitBit Zip:
Steps: 2895
Distance: 1.19
Calories burned: 1293

Hi everyone. Today I did Tai Chi for 20 minutes. Made my knees a little sore but then I read about how to keep that from happing. They feel better now.

This evening after my husband went to bed I did Pilates and all my shoulder PT exercises. I did this while I watched, oh how I hate to admit it, Robocop.

FitBit Zip
Steps: 1747
Distance: .72
Calories burned: 1344

It's to bad the FitBit software doesn't convert other activities into steps.

Hi everyone. I guess you noticed I took a hiatus yesterday. My husband was home and my schedule gets messed up. But it was nice to have him home for a day.

Today I did 30 minutes of yoga, including a series of standing poses for strength. Then I did 30 minutes of Pilates and was happy to see that I am able to do a little more each time.

FitBit Zip:
Steps: 1204
Distance: .49
Calories burned: 1337

Hi everyone. Today I had PT. Because of insurance issues I can only go to the actual PT once a week right now. However, I am doing it at home so that I get 3 days per week.

I did a short bout of Tai Chi, about 15 min.

Then I did HIIT-High Intensity Interval Training. I did intervals on my recumbent bike. I did 30 second sprints with 90 second rests, for 15 minutes. I'm using myself as a guinea pig to how well this, HIIT, really works.

FitBit Zip:
Steps: 2079
Distance: .86
Calories Burned: 1287

Hi everyone. Well I don't have much to share with you today. I haven't done any exercise and it's late so I doubt I will do any. Just a really sluggish day and I know exercise would have helped but sometimes our minds and bodies aren't in synch.


FitBit Zip:
Steps: 1542
Distance: .62
Calories Burned: 1325

Hi everyone. I got back on track today and here's what I did:

Tai Chi - 20 mins
yoga - 25 mins
PT for shoulders - 20 mins
Total 65 minutes

FitBit Zip:
Steps: 1219
Distance: .50
Calories burned: 1230

Hi everyone. Did you get a chance to read the New Exercise of the week. If not go back to the main page of the forum and take a look.

Today I rode the recumbent bike for 20 minutes, keeping my heart rate in the training zone. I also did all of my PT exercises which took 45 minutes.

FitBit Zip:
Steps: 1044
Distance: .43
Calories burned: 1303
*Keep in mind that the FitBit Zip does not pick up any of the other exercise I do, only walking.

Hi everyone. Today was a good day. I walked 20 minutes on the treadmill and I'm pretty sure I could have done 30 easily.

I also did Pilates and yoga for 45 minutes.

FitBit Zip:
Steps: 3763
Distance: 1.53
Calories burned: 1414

Hi everyone. Today was an easy going day. My body needed it. I did Tai Chi for 20 minutes and yoga for 25 minutes.

I don't have my FitBit Zip info because I took it off to change my shirt and forgot to put it back on.

Hi everyone. Did you miss me last night? Well yesterday I did no organized exercise. I didn't even do any unorganized exercise. I don't have any excuse other than I kept putting it off and then it was too late to exercise.

Tonight I did Tai Chi for 20 mins. Then I did yoga for 30 mins. After that I used my OPTP foam roller to get rid of some kinks and losen up my body. It felt so good. I recommend everyone have a foam roller.

OPTP Pro Foam Roller-A Review

Hi everyone. Boy, I keep getting busier and busier with all the therapy. I am now doing PT on my poor sad knees. So now at home I do shoulder therapy 2x per week; I do knee therapy 2x per week; and back therapy 2x per week. On top of that I'm supposed to ride my recumbent bike for knees and back. I'm going for 4 days a week at 20 mins. each.

Then there are all the things I want and like to do such as: yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi.

Okay, so today I did a short 5 min warm-up on the bike. Then I did my shoulder PT and back PT. By the time I finished I had exercised 65 mins. I'll get faster when I get my home equipment more accessible.

Hi everyone. Well did you ever have one of those days where nothing goes the way you had planned? Today was one of those.

I woke up this morning with a stomach ache. It continued to get worse and I couldn't do anything but lay in the bed. Around 7pm I started feeling better, but now it's kinda late to exercise.

We'll see though, I might squeeze in some Tai Chi and yoga. If I do I'll let you know tomorrow.

Okay, I did it. Twenty minutes of Qiqong and 30+ minutes of yoga. It really felt good.

I have a whole new exercise routine that will include knee, shouler, and back physical therapy routines. It also includes the recumbent bike, yoga, pilates, tai chi, etc. I'll tell you all about it on Monday. Have a great and active weekend.

Hi everyone. Hope you had a good weekend. So my newest exercise schedule is:

1. Ride bike or treadmill 4x week 10-20 minutes (depends on how knees feel)
2. Home physical therapy on both shoulders 2x week
3. Home physical therapy on back 2x week
4. Home physical therapy on both knees 2x week
5. Short Tai Chi- 15 mins.- 5x week

Then there are the other things I want to do such as Pilates and yoga.

Today I rode the bike for 10 minutes and stopped. My right knee is really hurting right now. Then I did Pilates for about 20 mins. Next I did Yoga with dumbbells for about 15 mins. I have been meaning to try this. Not sure about it. Finally I did some seated yoga about 20 mins. Total 65 mins.

Hi everyone. Well today I rode the bike for 15 mins. before my knee started hurting. I also did knee PT for 20 mins.

Next I did my own brand of 'yogalates' I do yoga with a few Pilates exercises thrown in. I did this for about 30 mins.

Today's total= 65 mins.

Hi everyone. Today is choose it Wednesday. I have dedicated Wednesday as either a rest day or a day where I choose whatever I want to do without sticking to the workout plan.

So this afternoon I did Tai Chi with a DVD for 20 mins. I love it. Then tonight I did 30 mins. of yoga, my own sequence. The movement felt good, I grow stiff quickly without it.

Hi everyone. Just forgot to post last night. So yesterday I did shoulder PT, 20 mins. and back PT 20 mins. Then I also did some yoga. Not sure how much. But I know the total time was about an hour.

Hi everyone. I had decided that Wed. would be "anything or nothing" day, and then I would stick to a schedule M,T,Th,F. Well the schedule I have come up with is a good one only I seem to always get distracted on Fridays and often skip my exercise.

So I switched Friday with Wednesday. We'll see how it goes. I didn't exercise yesterday (Friday) so I worked out today to make up for it. I did 20 mins. on the recumbent bike which is good because my knees weren't hurting.

I also did my knee PT. Then I did some yoga with deep backbends, and supported by a bolster. It felt really good.

Hi everyone. First of all an apology for not posting last night. I just totally forgot. But I did PT for my shoulder yesterday and lots of shoulder stretches also.

Today I did PT for my knees, about 30 mins. I also did my sequence of yoga and Pilates, about 30+ mins.

Then I did some restorative yoga. Using bolsters and blankets for supported back bend and side lying twist. It was nice.

It seems that cardio and I are at odds right now. Can't explain it so I'll just wait it out.

Hi everyone. Tonight I did shoulder PT, back PT, mix of yoga and pilates. Altogether about 75 mins.

Hi everyone. You have probably noticed I've been a little lazy this week. I am suffering from lack of motivation, what is the saying--Doctor, heal thyself.

Well I decided in order to do that I was going to have to do something I really enjoy so I did yoga this morning for about 45-60 minutes. I'm glad I did it. I felt better about myself and I had a little more energy.

Hi everyone. Today I did Tai Chi for about 20 minutes. Then because my body is so stiff and sore from working out on Saturday, all I did was ride the bike for 20 minutes. Total time 40 minutes.

I usually don't formally exercise on the weekend. However, I was feeling really down, my dog Buddy died suddenly last week, so I decided to do some yoga and see if I could get focused.

I did a nice standing sequence that I had written. Then I did a sequence that I found in a magazine. It was the yoga with weights things. I did better this time. More coordinated. Sunday I was barely able to walk. Wow! Today I am still sore though not as much.

I haven't decided yet if I recommend the yoga with weights or not. I still need to dwell on it. One thing I do know is that it is just a workout not pure yoga.

Hi everyone. Have you thought I deserted you? Well not true. I have been on vacation but I'm back now and ready to keep you posted on exercise and invite you to join me.

Tonight I did yoga for about 40 minutes. For a few of the poses I added weights. I love yoga and do it for lots of reasons the least of which is real exercise. However, I am trying to find a way to incorporate all the exercise I need into my days so I start with yoga for the pure pleasure and then I add some weights for a workout.

I also did PT for my knees. Total time: 1 hour.

Hi everyone. I went to see my Orthopedic Doctor today and he told me that there is nothing he can do for my knees. My choices are to continue therapy and see if they improve or get knee replacements. So I'm a little down and out. But this did help me to remember that exercise is my medicine. It's like a prescription that has to be filled and the longer I am able to exercise the longer I can go without further surgeries.

So tonight I rode my bike for 20 minutes at a moderate pace and low resistance. High resistance is not good for bad knees, it's too much pressure.

Then I did something a little different. I was sitting on my yoga mat getting ready to start my practice and I found myself doing Tai Chi poses, while I was seated. It felt wonderful and was a great addition to my yoga practice.

Total time: 1 hour

Hi everyone. I was already in bed last night when I realized I hadn't posted, so this post is for yesterday.

I did 15 minutes of Qi Gong. This was a good warm-up and put me in a good place of mind. Then I did "Yoga for Scoliosis". This is great book if you have this problem or even if you don't.

Then I did shoulder PT.

Total time: 1 hour

Hi everyone. Yes, I remembered tonight, right before I go to bed. Tonight I rode the recumbent bike for 30 minutes, YEAH! I haven't rode that far in awhile. I stayed within my training heart rate zone.

Then I did some knee and back PT using fitness bands.
Then I did about 20 minutes of yoga, sharing my mat with Katie (one of my dogs).
I finished up with using my Miracles Balls. I love them. Every time I get them out and use them I say "this is the best $15 I ever spent".

Total time: 1 hour, but I didn't count the Miracle Balls. I think I used them for about 20 minutes.

Hi everyone. Just a quick update. It is getting late and looks like I won't be doing a workout tonight. However, today I signed up at a gym with a swimming pool which is going to be great for some of my physical therapy.

Hi everyone. I forgot to post last night, but honestly, you are all important to me.

Yesterday I rode my recumbent bike for 30 minutes. Kept my speed around 14 mph. Heart rate was in my training zone.

Then I did a short routine from "Flat Belly Yoga", using weights. I extended that into some relaxing yoga and some deep breathing.

Hi everyone. I seem to be consistently running one day behind in logging my exercise.

Yesterday I went to the swimming pool. It is a pool at a gym that is used mostly for physical therapy and it is never crowded. The minute I submerged into the warm water I could hear my joints, "thank you, we love you".

I did many of my knee exercises and a few shoulder exercises. I could use the foam dumbbells for my shoulders in the pool but the last time I tried that I ended up hurting myself so I think I'll stay away from those for awhile.

Then I bicycled in the water for, I'm not sure how long but quite awhile. I could feel my knees burning slightly, my doctor said that is one of the arthiritis symptoms.

I had a little trouble getting out of the pool because the steps are high and that's a problem, but eventually pulled myself up. The rest of the day my knees hurt so bad. I had to wear knee braces on both of them.

Today they are fine. So we will see what happens the next time I go to the pool, which will probably be Monday.

Today I did yoga with weights. I'm getting a little more coordinated. It's a workout, not really yoga. Some yoga poses are used but basically you are doing a workout with dumbbells.

However, I enjoyed it. It was something new and different and I need that right now. After I had completed the Workout for a Balanced Body, I added in some of my knee PT exercises. Then I added some Pilates still using the weights. It will be interesting to see if I am sore tomorrow.

Sorry I haven't written in the past through days, kept forgetting. So I'll catch now:

Monday: Rode bike for 20 minutes; yoga with weights 20-30 minutes

Tuesday: I did yoga with a 30 minute Dvd; then did Tai Chi with a Dvd for 20 minutes.

Wednesday: Went to the pool. I did my physcial therapy exercises for knees and shoulders. Then I did bicycle in the water, moving my legs in that motion, for 20 minutes. Total time about 60 minutes.

The pool is new for me right now. I used it a lot in the past but during my shoulder surgeries and physical therapy I wasn't supposed to use the pool. It feels good to be back.

Hi everyone. I just posted Weekend Exercise in the forum, but I will repeat some of it here.

I did not exercise yesterday. I usually don't exercise on weekends so my schedule is to get at least 4 workouts a week between M-F. I'm usually able to stick to that routine.

My excuse for yesterday could be weather. I live in Wyoming and yesterday we had a snow storm and wind chill of 9 degrees. That doesn't boad well as far as motivation to exercise.

But another reason is I went to get my nails and hair done. This didn't leave me much time, so hey, no exercise. Not that exercise isn't good for us, but we all have to do some things nice for ourselves sometime.

It is Friday afternoon and I plan on exercising at 3:30pm. That is my regular time.

Enjoy your weekend. I hope it's warm wherever you are.

Hi everyone. Today I went to the pool and was there about 1.5 hours. I did my knee therapy, shoulder therapy, and water bicycled for apx. 20 mins.

The water felt really good.

I know that you have probably wondered what has happened to me. Well the only thing is that I have been working a lot. That makes my workouts a little sketchy and makes me forget to post.

You are welcome to post or continue to read old posts, however starting November 1, 2013, I am going to take a little break from posting in the Forum Exercise Journal. Feel free to write to me, I always love to hear from you.