Exercise

[Nomad]

i put my gym membership on hold. My intention is (sort of) to go back in January.

I am conflicted about it. Even under the best of circumstances, I don’t use it often.

Some people walk. And that is more or less ok. It is freakishly hot here for 4-5 months out of the year.

Maybe May and Sept I can go very early in the day. No joking...for perhaps 3 months of the year (June-August) even early in the day would not help. Just sickingly hot.

I thought of that Baree class I see advertised???

Would like to get some ideas.

I went back to WW and was sad how much I had gained back during my goofing off for two months.

I keep hoping I can find exercise I like even though I have some autoimmune problems and sometimes foot problems (so daily walks are out...but can do alternate days). Hot sun is super bad for me. Summer is a big problem due to my health concerns plus it is simply too hot probably for most people where I live.

Any ideas? What are you guys doing? What have you heard about? What works?

Maybe I just need to go to the gym 2x a week under my unusual circumstances and call it a day. Sometimes it’s more like one. Ugh.

Thank you.

 

[Nomad]

Ya know typing that out was so helpful.

I was thinking that I could walk in my neighborhood every other day much of the year.

Then I would have to find something indoors May-Sept. if it involves a group, it would have to be something flexible in terms of membership. ??

Ideas?
If you walk in your neighborhood , do you do it morning or night? Alone or with someone? How long do you walk?

 

[BusynMember]

Nomad, I walk and jog 9-10,000 steps a day (sometimes 12) and in Wisconsin there are at least five months of cold plus I dont like the heat while working out at all.

Do you have a basement? That is my go to place to get any work out in. I do other exercise there too. Then the weather doesnt matter.

I also do it upstairs in my living room while watching TV with hub.

Since eating one big yummy meal a day and staying on my feet most of the day I feel very healthy and lost 20 pounds.

I am thinking of Yoga but not sure.

Good luck!

 

[Copabanana]

Hi. It is hot here too in summer I struggle too.

I am doing pilates which I love. There are all ages and capacities including those with chronic illness and those recovering . One lady is 87. It costs $15 for each group class here.

I am thinking about yoga too. The senior citizens center has it and the hospital too for free. Yoga is for everyone, they say. Here the age for senior citizens is 55 I think. They also have zumba there for all ages. That's fun. But hard .That's what I would do. And walk.

I work with a trainer sometimes which I like, at the mma studio but even though he's reasonable it adds up.

 

[Nomad]

I like these ideas! Yoga, PILATES! I had a fit bit. It’s one of the things that went awol during the move...although I have some ideas where to look. I don’t think I could do 9-10 K. But, I could shoot for 7,500 and be very proud of that. Things to consider! thank u

 

[Copabanana]

I'm going to pilates right now!!

 

[RN0441]

Nomad

I am not a fan of exercise either. I do power walk 2.5 miles at lunch most days with my coworker. She lives on a farm and has 6 horses that she rides and shows. I think she is part horse. She is 5'10" and walks so fast and I am 5'7" and I am able to keep up with her although it's killer and my legs hurt most days at night. Ugh! She is 50 and I am 57 so maybe that is why. LOL She had major foot surgery this year (horse stepped on big toe a few years ago and she let it go) so she does have foot pain but you'd never know it!

I have been doing this walking for about 2 years now and I'm afraid if I stop I'll balloon up into God knows what!! I also watch what I eat and my hsuband says for the walking I do and hte way I eat I should be a twig. Have to agree but nope.

I actually started doing it to help ease MY anxiety over son and they do say after you walk 11 minutes the chemicals in your brain actually change. I do think it helps with anxiety too.

We have a lovely fitness center in our sub division so do hope to get in there too. My older son is getting married the end of July and I want to look fabulous!!

 

[Crayola13]

I liked water aerobics very much. I injured myself in spin class, so there isn't much I can do anymore. Water aerobics is a lot of fun. Most people like it.

 

[Elsi]

I used to run (and walk) outside with a friend every morning, before we moved. I miss that, a lot. We're in a place now with no sidewalks. We've got a huge and gorgeous state park next door, but I wouldn't feel comfortable walking the unlit trails alone in the early morning. R has to be at work very early, so we can't do it together in the mornings, and morning is what works best for me - it gets me going for the day. But my running days sadly seem to be behind me anyway. At least that's what my back and joints are telling me. And I can't drive to a gym most of the year in the morning, because my eyes won't let me drive at night anymore. So I'm a little limited in my options these days.

We have an elliptical and recumbent stationary bike in the basement, so that's my main weekday workout now. I also do yoga down there - Amazon has some great beginner yoga videos, if you have Prime. It's a large finished room down there, so I don't feel like I'm in a dungeon. Strength training has been my weakness. I hate it. But I know it's one of the most important things we can do as we get older. So now I'm doing cardio 5 days a week followed by a 30-minute yoga video 3 days a week or a 30-minute strength training session with dumbells 2 days a week. (Also found some videos on Amazon for that - left to my own devices I get bored and peter out about ten minutes in.) Eventually, we'll have our weight room set up with some real equipment! On weekends, R and I do more active things together, so I don't do a formal workout. We're trying to hike a different park in our state each weekend this year.

I'm also trying to make a concerted effort to get up and move more in my workday. Since I work from home, it is REALLY hard to get 10K steps in naturally - my office is ten steps from the kitchen and 15 steps from the bathroom, and it's a ranch so I don't even have to do steps on my "commute" from bedroom to office! So I've instituted some breaks during the day where I run up and down the basement steps a few times and go through a "seven minute workout" with squats, lunges, jumping jacks, etc. just to get my blood flowing. But even that isn't much to counteract the effects of working from home (ten steps from the kitchen) and sitting in front of a computer all day. I really count on the elliptical to get the majority of my "steps" in every day.

 

[Lil]

Saw this thread. Looked at my Fitbit. It's 11:30 a.m. and I have 914 steps.

914.

I've been up since 6:50 and at my office since 8:05 - (Yes, I get ready for work that fast and that includes feeding the dog and cat and driving 10 minutes to work)...and though I don't have my Fitbit on for the first 40 or so minutes of the day...914 is ridiculous. That's how sedentary my job is.

I'm surprised I'm not 500 lbs.

 

[Elsi]

I just recounted. I'm only 6 steps from my kitchen...

 

[BusynMember]

I force myselft to.read, text, listen to Youtube, and watch TV, walking back and forth. I also put on music and trot.i also go to our Super Walmart and walk around I have to force it. But I am retired.

When I worked I hit the gym.

And nobody hates exercise more than me. But I am stubborn as it comes. If I decide that I need to do something I do it. I already lost 20 lbs for Jumper's wedding and I didnt do it starving myself. I was the same way with the gym. Tired or not after work I went or days off

I also had very few sir down jobs. I need to move. Helps my anxiety.

My Dad danced still at age 92. I want to be like him.

 

[toughlovin]

I am not an exercise lover and have always struggled with my weight. I did get into walking and walked 3 miles a day on a regular basis and then got plantar fascitits. I was also doing water aerobics and when I could no longer walk due to my foot the pool was it. I knew I should really swim but I always struggled with getting the breathing right and then we went snorkling on vacation and I realizes I could take my snorkel to the pool and I wouldnt have to worry about coordinating my breathing! It has been wonderful. Now I do a combo of swimming and water aerobics almost every day and I actually dont mind it (even kind of like it which is huge for me). It has really helped my back and my foot is much better.

 

[Tired out]

I have a fitbit charge hr.
I am not much of a sitter.
When there isn't snow I walk every morning
if there is snow I go to my work out room
Elliptical, workout (Jillian Michaels) dvd then weights
I am usually between 20-30000 steps in the summer
18,000-25,000 in the winter.
I can't say I like exercising while I am doing it but I like the feeling afterwards.
Endorphins make me happy. Happy people don't kill their Difficult Child.

 

[KTMom91]

I'm currently jumping through hoops preparing for bariatric surgery this summer (hopefully). I've done the cardio clearance, the nutrition classes, and still have the psychiatric evaluation to do. Not sure if the psychiatric evaluation part is covered by insurance. I know it's necessary, I've tried nearly everything I know to try at least twice, and I'm frustrated and in pain all the time.

 

[Nomad]

I have decided I might go back to the gym after all. Long story. But, I’m going to check out their class offerings as well. I wish I could say I like exercise, but I just don’t. If I can do something consistently 3 times a week and an occasional 4...I would be very happy. Bahumbug. I might reassess/readdress next January.
Meanwhile, I went back to WW with a low carb twist. Ironically, I had a weird over eating splurge just last night. Good grief. The night before weigh in. So, I hesitated to go and get weighed in. But, even with that bad mess up and no exercise, I lost 1.2 pounds. So, I think if I put in honest effort I should be ok. I find sugar in particular to be a big weight gainer for me. It is a huge issue for me for some reason. I know my body.

 

[Lil]

I truly am a person who does not like exercise. Really, not any. Oh, I suppose there are things I like to do that do constitute exercise. I like to swim. I like to hike - somewhere new and fun, even if it's hard for me. I enjoy yoga. That would be about it. But even that...I hate the getting ready for. I hate changing clothes and having to drive to the pool or gym or yoga studio (not necessarily in that order). I hate taking an hour out of my day when I already don't get off work until 5:30 or so on a good day and then I don't get home until 7 or so at night. Fine...I don't do anything but sit on my hiney at home...but that doesn't mean I want to be doing something ELSE. I used to get up and get on the elliptical at 6. But these days I'm lucky to drag my exhausted hiney out of bed at 7 and I have to take care of the dog and cat and still get to work by 8 (or close to it). I used to walk at lunch. I hate sweating mid-day though. I used to be known at work for my "topless lunch". Basically, I'd change, walk, come back and strip down to my skivvies - or at least to my bra - and eat lunch at my desk until I stopped sweating so I could put my office clothes back on. Everyone knew to NOT come in my office without my express permission at lunch time! I hate sweating my makeup off and screwing up my hairdo and just ... everything that goes will getting all sweaty and stinky at lunch!

I always think, when I retire, then I'll be more active. I can see me taking walks when I don't have work. I can see me going to the pool or putting on that Yoga DVD or something mid-day. But being away from home from 8 to 6 or so already? I have about 4 hours a day to myself and I HATE using even 10 minutes of that on something I find uncomfortable and annoying at best, not to mention inconvenient and sweaty.

Of course, I may not live to a happy retirement if I don't lose some weight and get off my butt!

 

[Copabanana]

I already don't get off work until 5:30 or so on a good day and then I don't get home until 7 or so at night.

Dear Lil. How long is your commute? This is a hard, long day. If I was still working like this, I would not either want to do anything except to stop to eat so that somebody else could make dinner.

When I was a young woman, I could do it. I could leave work and go swim for an hour, or go to the gym for an hour. But I stopped this, I think, before age 50. I could even at age 30, take a 3 hour difficult class, after work. But not for decades, could I do this. I forgot sometimes, and I tried. But I could not sustain it.

At present, my life is centered around "wellness." This is my job. I can't think how I would do it, if I had a commitment to work even 20 hours a week.

 

[BusynMember]

I did it but die in part to my own disabilities, a 20 hoir work week was my norm. Believe it or not, this still ate up time with two littles and I had to find time. I never felt the need to work put fpr three hours. 45 minutes to an hour five days a week is fine. I never overdo exercosing. But I found time to stay fit and staying fit does not require that ypu work out so long and hard that you pull muscles or exhaust yourself.

In that frame of mind ai usually did a hard hpur work out when I could get to the gym, 4-5 days a week. I feel the effort helped me stay healthy throigh the long haul. I dont have most old people diseases. No diabetes, hogh blopd pressure, heart disease, bad memory loss, inabiloty to move well. And whenever I needed pr wamted tp tose weight, I could. Part of this I know is hereditary. Part of it so far is luck. The genetocs on my moms immediate family were not good. Brand n cancer. Parkinsons. Lewy Body dementia (this was my uncle who likely had anorexia). Angina. My Dad has a better profile. Not perfect but he himself lived 92 years fairly healthy. He always tried to be active but didnt go nuts.

I think its hard to fit in workouts especially with full time jobs and if the jobs are inactive. But I do recommend trying, even if its not fun.

 

[Lil]

Dear Lil. How long is your commute? This is a hard, long day. If I was still working like this, I would not either want to do anything except to stop to eat so that somebody else could make dinner

I think I was confusing. My "commute" is literally 10 minutes. That's how I can get up at 7 a.m. and still be at work by 8 (-ish. I'm usually late but no one cares here). I generally work late (which is why no one cares if I'm late in the morning) - leaving around 5:30 or after. Packing up my stuff and walking to the car and such...I'm usually home by 5:45. BUT - IF I were to go work out after work - I'd have to add more than an hour taken up with driving wherever and changing and working out and then going home - putting me home after 7 p.m.

Without working out I'm generally home by 6. That puts me out of the house 10 hours a day. That gives me 4 hours in the evening to cook, clean, eat, etc. and relax a bit before getting ready for bed. 4 hours sounds like a lot of time...until you take a chunk out of it for workouts.

And of course, we have the little dog who we have to be there to take care of, so one of us has to be home after work...we can't leave him locked up for 11 hours! Jabber gets off an hour before me, but he also has a 20 minute drive and sometimes has stops to make. There are times I get home before him. We have choir Wednesdays and that's already one day we rush home, feed the dog and cat, try to feed ourselves, and run back out again for an hour and then home again. I can't imagine living every day on that schedule. It's too busy and rushed.

Oh, and taking the dog for a long walk is out. Not only is he blind, but he now has a soft-tissue sarcoma on his front leg and is having a hard time just getting around the house. Walks are out of the question. And to be perfectly honest, I've got a thing about the dark...so no walking after dark for me.

I find if we go out and do something before we eat, we end up grabbing fast food because it's easy and that's worse than cooking and not working out at all.

I know we need to find something that works...but it's really not all that simple.