Category: Exercise

Oy! My weight is up! After so many weeks of family visits and Easter holidays, I have regained all the weight I lost over the winter (about 8 lbs). It’s not a huge deal; I’m not really overweight by any standard. But I feel more like the Pillsbury Dough-boy than the lean, mean, fightin’ machine I like to pretend I am. And I’m not thrilled I’ve got to work off those pounds AGAIN!

But I will do it. I am still working my way back to a regular exercise schedule, but I’ve been getting out for a run on a regular basis and that seems to be helping. I’ve discovered that it’s very important to warm up before I run. I overdid it last Monday and spent the rest of the week limping around. That sucked because it put some serious limits on what kind of activity I could do, and of course not being able to workout makes it even harder to lost that extra weight. However, I found that I could still hop on the elliptical machine. In fact, I also discovered that if I do 15-20 minutes first on my elliptical machine, I can then still go for a 20 minute jog/walk and get in plenty of cardio that way.

I’ve also discovered this past week that my iPod Nano has a pedometer on it, and I’ve been using it to track my progress. I’ve set a daily goal of 5000 steps for elliptical/running. That’s about 40 minutes of working out for me (yes, I run very slowly). And of course I’ve been using my iPod for its original intended purpose – playing podcasts and music while I exercise. I was able to finish off Phil Rossi’s horror novel, Harvey, last week, and now I’m cruising along to a mix of Pink, ABBA, Owl City and others while I sweat. I like it. A lot.

What I like even more is that sometime this week I will be getting a wristband for my iPod Nano. This has absolutely nothing to do with exercise, because the pedometer doesn’t seem to work very well when I where the iPod on my wrist. I know, I tried wearing it clipped to my wrist watch and it didn’t record a single step! But, I will now have a watch that I don’t have to worry about buying batteries for every couple of months. Aaaaaaaaaaand, I’ve discovered how to load images onto my iPod so I now have a mini-portfolio of my artwork that I’ll be able to wear on my wrist. How cool is that?!

Again, none of that has anything to do with exercise, but it just gives me one more reason to love my Nano.

One more thought, I’ve gone back to eating more vegetable-based meals. I tend to drop weight when I go partially vegetarian. Between that and getting back into running last week, I have managed to drop a little weight. According to the scale yesterday, my weight was down 1.5 lbs. I’m hoping to continue the trend now that all the spring holidays and family visits are out of the way. We’ll see what I weigh again in a couple of weeks.

But for now… time to get ready to exercise!

I’ve been back to running for over a week now. So far, things are going slowly, but that’s okay. I’ve worked my way up to intervals of running 3 minutes then walking 1 minute, and I usually go for about 25 minutes. I’ve managed to squeeze in three runs this past week. I would have done more, but I’ve had family here since Wednesday, and so I’ve kept busy with them.

I have to admit, my exercise schedule has been very erratic the last several weeks. I chalk this up to work, trips, family events, and keeping up with work and the kids. I do my best to squeeze in a little exercise when I can, but I feel like I’ve been getting clobbered with all the stuff going on. I’ve regained the 5 pounds I lost over the winter, so I need to refocus on losing that again. However, my blood pressure is still normal and I am getting back to running, which makes me happy.

With the running, the only problem I’m really having is soreness in my calves. Running in the Vibram 5-Finger shoes definitely puts more emphasis on my calves and Achilles tendon, since I’m landing on the ball of my foot instead of the heel. I’ve been pretty stiff after a couple runs. However, I’m not having any pain in my hips or knees, which is what made me stop running last year. I can recover from muscle soreness. Joint soreness, especially the kind that last for days and makes it difficult to get up and down the stairs, is a deal breaker for me.

Hopefully, I’ll get out for another run today, and then by next week I should be back to my regular exercise schedule.

The weather here has been gorgeous lately, so nice that I’ve been seduced into starting up running again. Yes, once again, I’m throwing on my Vibram Five Fingers shoes and heading outside for my physical activity. Because I’m out of the habit of running, I’m taking it slowly. I’ve been running 2-3 minutes, then walking one minute. This is more to give my calves a chance to build up than my endurance. My cardio endurance is pretty good, and I can happily go for 30+ minutes on the elliptical and not be out of breath. But my leg muscles aren’t in such great shape, and the Vibrams really do change my running stride so I have to build them up before I can run 30 minutes straight.

But that’s okay. I figure I’ll continue to increase the amount of time I run versus the amount of time I walk over the next month or so and I’ll be up to speed by mid-June at the latest. I plan to run early in the mornings, right after dropping Pixie off at her preschool, until school lets out. Then I plan to run even earlier in the mornings to make sure I get my running time in before Hubster has to leave for work. I expect I’ll be running 4-5 days a week. I’m certainly glad to get back into running, as it’s the best way I know of to maintain my weight.

I’ve also started doing a bit of yoga again. Yoga Journal has a podcast of 20 minute workouts, and I’ve downloaded some episodes of that to my iPad. I’ve got Yoga DVDs, but I don’t use them much anymore. The problem with the DVDs is that I only get to do the same 3 workouts over and over again, and that bores me to tears. Also, I don’t really like the DVD workouts that much. Can’t exactly say why, but I enjoy the podcast workouts better. And it helps that the podcast workouts are FREE and I can take them with me wherever I go.

So yoga and running will be key componants of my summer workouts. I’m hoping to get to water aerobics at least one day a week, and do 4 hours of karate class each week as well. Plus I’m sure I’ll throw in some Wii Fit, EASA 2, etc. Whatever I need to keep moving.

Tax Day has come and gone, and around this area that means it’s finally safe to go out into the garden again. Unless you are a plant that happens to be going out into my garden.

Yes, it’s once again time for me to start killing plants. On Thursday, the girls and I hit the local home improvement store and picked up about $30 worth of seedlings and compost. We have the best of intentions, as we do every year. We’re going to grow lots of herbs, plus tomatoes, cucumbers and banana peppers. I managed to get a third of the new seedlings potted that evening and had hoped to finish the rest this weekend, but haven’t yet. That’s okay though. I can do a couple every evening this week until they’re all settled into their final resting places.

I love to get out and dig around in the dirt. It’s one of those activities that actually feels healthy, and it’s one of the few things I enjoy about warm weather. I prefer Fall and Winter to Spring and Summer. There’s more holidays, I’ve got more stylish clothing to wear for those seasons, and I don’t feel like I’ve melted into a puddle of sweat by the end of the day. But if I know I can spend my day playing in the dirt in my backyard, I’m okay with Spring and Summer.

I’ve also discovered that in addition to being good, dirty fun, gardening is relaxing, especially if I drink a glass of wine while doing it. Yes, it’s decadent. No, I’m sure real gardeners don’t sip a glass of Merlot while contemplating which plant to torture next. But I like being able to take a sip every now and then between potting seedlings. And a glass of red wine a day is supposed to be good for me, so long as I don’t get so tipsy I trip over a rake or skewer myself with a pair of hedge shears.

The plan for this year’s garden is to continue with the basic veggies, and maybe add some new herbs. I also want to add more host plants and nectar plants to attract more species of butterflies. We had so much success raising Eastern Black Swallow Tails last summer, I’d like to see if we can lure more species into the garden.

In any event, whatever I end up planting, you can be sure I’ll be getting plenty of fresh air and sunshine in the upcoming months. And I’ll be killing plants. Lots and lots of plants.

Huzzah! Had my blood pressure checked on Friday. It’s back down to 110/62, my normal level.

Life is calming down, and I love it. I made it to all my karate classes last week, and though I was sore from all the exercise, it still felt good to get back to the routine. I also finally made it back to the Y for water aerobics. Normally I do shallow water aerobics on Fridays, but there have been some schedule changes and now on Fridays they’re doing a deep water aerobics class. I’d never done that before and wasn’t sure I’d care for it. The only deep water classes I’d seen had been led by an instructor who took things very slowly, very casually. It looked more like people bobbing about aimlessly in the deep end of the pool than actual exercise.

Not this past Friday’s class though! The instructor who led the class is someone I’ve worked out with before. She’s very energetic, to say the least, and she got everybody into the pool and moving fast. We were pumping our arms and kicking our legs so hard the pool looked like it was boiling. I was already feeling tired half-way through the class and by the end, it felt as though my bones had been melted right out of my body. Getting out of the pool after an hour of kicking and paddling and treading water was probably the hardest thing I’d done all week. I almost thought the life guard was going to have to haul out winch and pull me out of the pool, then carry me to the hot tub and dump me in!

Needless to say, after a workout like that, I will be going back for more deep water aerobics. I need that kind of intense exercise. I need an activity that will work every muscle in my body. With deep water aerobics, I’m spending as much energy just trying to stay upright in the pool as I am doing the actual exercises, so my core muscles are getting a solid workout along with my arms and legs.

On Monday, I’ll go back for shallow water aerobics, since I’ve got a friend who expressed an interest in attending then. I’ll save Wednesdays for karate practice, which will probably work better since that will be between days I do karate class. In any event, I have a feeling I’m going to be very buff after a few weeks of this schedule. Or very tired. Or maybe both. That’s not a bad thing though.

I finally made it to four hours of karate class last week! Yay me! I know my instructor was happy to see me. I was sore after the first day back, especially around my arms and shoulders. I must have spent an hour just working on one kata alone, and it was one that involved a lot of punching, so I’m not too surprised by the soreness. But by Thursday I was feeling pretty good.

I need to get back to regular practice as well as regular class attendance. That’s something that’s always been a problem for me during cold weather. I will freely admit that I am a wimp when it comes to cold weather. I do not like to get outside and freeze my butt off, so I tend to look for ways to workout inside all winter long. That’s hard to do with karate. I need room to move about, otherwise I might kick a hole in the wall or knock over the furniture. And I can forget doing weapons katas inside. One wrong move and I might shove a bo straight through the TV screen.

I had thought about trying to practice outside, and just layer silk long johns underneath my gi. But if the weather’s been wet and nasty, that makes things difficult. Oh sure, I could tough it out and do kata in the mud, but that’s the point at which I have to ask, is that really the sane thing to do?

The best option I have during the winter is to visit the Y and practice in the inside basketball court. Lots of open space there and a nice clean floor to work on. I suppose I will have to get back to doing that again for at least a few more weeks until it warms up some more.

Here’s the current planned workout schedule:

• Monday – karate practice at the Y
• Tuesday – kobudo and karate classes
• Wednesday – workout at home, elliptical machine and Wii
• Thursday – black belt and regular karate classes
• Friday – swimming and water aerobics
• Saturday – off
• Sunday – workout at home, elliptical machine and Wii

I’m also trying to add in 20 minutes on the elliptical machine in the early mornings, Monday through Friday. It’s not much, but it does make a difference in my endurance and in my weight. I’m getting older, metabolism is slowing down, and I have to work just a bit harder to keep from getting pudgy.

Plus it’s a great excuse to watch FarScape in the mornings…

We’ll see how I do with the schedule this week. See you later!

Finally, finally, finally I am free of cookies and other stressful things. I finished gathering up all my tax stuff for the Hubster yesterday, so now it’s just me and my usual work routine. Sure, the house is a wreck and I’m behind on some stuff, but at least now I have better than a snowball’s chance in Hell of catching up.

And I have plenty of catching up to do in the exercise department. I desperately need to get back to swimming, water aerobics and karate, and it’s not because I’ve gained weight but because my blood pressure has shot up. I’m normally 112/60 or there abouts. On Friday I was 140/72. The nurse who took my blood pressure Assured me that those numbers were still within the normal range, but as I told her, that’s not normal for me. It’s way up, as far as I’m concerned, and I can feel the effects. I’ve been having headaches lately, and I feel tired and irritable and uncomfortable all around.

So it’s time to get back to my regular exercise routine. I got up this morning and did the elliptical machine for 20 minutes. I’ll probably do Wii Fit or Walk It Out this afternoon. And I’ve made the decision to forgo all caffeine until next Sunday. Since my father-in-law’s death, I’ve been downing coffee, tea and soda like nobody’s business. That has to stop now.

Hopefully, by the end of the week my blood pressure will be down. If I can, I’m going to have it checked again and I’ll report back on next Monday what the numbers are.

With everything going on in the last few weeks, I’ve had a hard time making it out to the gym or the dojo. I hate that. I hate when things get so busy I can’t, or don’t want to, pursue my preferred methods of exercise. But at least I don’t give up on exercise entirely.

I haven’t been exercising as much as I should lately, but I have been making the effort, thanks to having a backup plan. Having a backup plan means that even if I don’t make it to the gym or the dojo, I can still get in some exercise. And my backup plan consists of exercising with the Wii and the elliptical machine I have at home. I realize not everyone has access to this type of home fitness equipment. I didn’t always have these things either. But I also know from experience you don’t have to have a Wii or a big piece of equipment to workout.

Here’s a list of simple things I’ve done to keep myself moving when I couldn’t get out of the house:

Walking

Running

Exercise videos

Yoga

Vigorous housecleaning (work that mop!)

Yard work

Dancing

I did a lot of that last when Princess and Pixie were infants. I’d sit them up in the bouncy chair and pop a CD in the stereo, than dance around the living room like a lunatic. This accomplished two things – it made me sweat and it made my cranky babies laugh instead of cry. I also used to perform curls, bench presses and ab exercises using my daughters as free weights. They’re a little too big for that now though 😉

So, how do you keep yourself moving when you can’t get out to the gym? Suggestions?