Exercise Once a Month (January)

[Life_is_Simple]

This is my exercise challenge to people who have a hard time with any kind of continuity regarding exercising (including myself). We are setting the bar low, to ensure success.:)

The goal is to exercise that first time in a particular month, and anything additional is a bonus. Also, the exercise session can be something "I went to the gym for 10 minutes to re-acquaint myself with the machines, and tried a few on the lowest settings." Or, "I walked outside for 5 minutes."
:cool:

The goal is to make things easy and doable, so continuity appears.:+1:

[Life_is_Simple]

My January Entry: Yesterday I walked 2 min to the apartment clubhouse which has a small weight room. Then I got on the leg machine, that I recently discovered is not as hard as it looked, and did it extremely slowly for 10 min. Then I got on the stationary bike for 3 minutes, on the very lowest setting, mostly to check my heart rate.

Note: I wonder if someone could tell me the name of said leg machine? It has a place for each foot and you walk, you don't climb stairs, but the foot does go up, then there are bars for the arms which you pull back. I googled it it might be an Elliptical machine.

Anyway, I had done this machine for 3 minutes at a time last month, and worked up.

[Kestra]

I've been really bad about exercising lately. Just so busy with school and work. Plus the cold weather now. And I haven't been able to convince myself that exercise is a reward, not a punishment.
But anyhow, on boxing day, DH somehow convinced me to go shopping to the electronics store. And I bought myself a Wii Fit Plus (we already have a Wii) and it's been really great. I've done some type of exercise with it the last 6 out of 7 days. Usually at least 30 minutes. It's not always that intense a work-out, but a hell of a lot better than the 0 minutes a day I was doing before. I find it really fits me, in that I like to work-out at home (since I like to stay home), exercise where it's warm, and have a short attention span. Most things start at 1-3 minutes. And it keeps track of many things and I like charts and beating my previous records. Money well spent. Hopefully I will continue once school starts again. It's great if I'm a bit stressed, to just turn it on and do some funny exercise that at least gets me standing up, instead of sprawling on the couch like I have been when I'm not sitting in front a computer.

[NetTurtle]

Ok, sounds good. I'll get in for one this month. Going to a free yoga class :). Hopefully, my body won't rebel.

[NetTurtle]

The Xbox Kinect is really fun. No controllers :).

Haven't ever tried the Wii Fit.

[Life_is_Simple]

Kestra

It's great that you have found some exercise that suits you! Let us know how you progress.

I think half the battle is finding something that is easy to keep doing. In the middle of winter it's hard to want to drive to a gym, change clothes, exercise, change back, drive back. There's too many steps involved there. I am liking my workouts in the apartment clubhouse gym, because I can walk in, toss off my coat, and start exercising.
:cool:

[Life_is_Simple]

Ok, sounds good. I'll get in for one this month. Going to a free yoga class :). Hopefully, my body won't rebel.
That sounds good! Hopefully it is gentle yoga:)

[Life_is_Simple]

I strangely have done 3 days of exercise this year. Jan 1 - 10 min elliptical, Jan 2 12 min elliptical, Jan 3 14 min elliptical.

At first I thought the machine was broken, as it wouldn't register my heart rate. But I realize that it won't register because it thinks I'm am going too slow. :D

I cannot go this fast --> :treadmill: I have to work up gently :+1:

[SoSimple]

My challenge right now is finding time to exercise. Yes, old excuse I know. But I'm working extended hours right now and traveling a lot, so it really is hard to find time to exercise. I've promised myself that I'll get out and walk at lunch three times a week, but that will be a challenge (I almost always work through lunch). So I will adopt a modified once-a-month and make it a once-a-week while I'm on the road.

[Simplemind]

My walking/running shoes are trashed from the muddy trails. I went out to buy a virgin pair of cross trainers to wear to the gym. Does that count :0)

[Life_is_Simple]

My walking/running shoes are trashed from the muddy trails. I went out to buy a virgin pair of cross trainers to wear to the gym. Does that count :0)
That counts as 1/2 a point ;)

[Life_is_Simple]

I strangely have done 3 days of exercise this year. Jan 1 - 10 min elliptical, Jan 2 12 min elliptical, Jan 3 14 min elliptical.

I've additionally gone Jan 5 (14 min), and Jan 7 (15 min).

This is going well so far! Still going slowly, and steadily.:cool:

[lhamo]

I like this challenge! I set a goal of 11 workout sessions a month, and 11 total sessions with a trainer. This week has been crazy with getting back to work and school, planning for DD's birthday hooplas, trying to work out scheduling with Dh for various work and family related things we need to do, a good friend coming through town unexpectedly, and a whole passle of my inlaws arriving for an indefinite stay yesterday (that will get a post of its own at some point). So no trips to the gym so far this week. But I am having my first trainer session this afternoon. And I did get the following excercise:

1) Brisk 15 minute walks to the bus on M, Tu, Wed -- at -12C temps!
2) Got out of the taxi early on Tuesday and Friday on my way home and walked briskly home (about 15 minutes that way, too).
3) Spent an hour walking around a mall yesterday while waiting for a dinner engagement. Probably walked about 4 km!
4) Lugged about 30 lbs of grocerys home on MOnday (a 10 minute walk) with no grocery cart.
5) Did my normal Saturday walking grocery rounds this morning -- hit several stores and probably walk around 1 km. Had the cart to pull the groceries, but it was heavy so that probably counts a bit.

lhamo

[Life_is_Simple]

Lhamo,

Wow! You did a lot! :+1:

They do say that when you are busy, work some form of (not necessarily at-the-gym) exercise into your day. All the stuff you did counts. It creates continuity. :cool:

I think the biggest problems people have in exercising, are getting continuity, and thinking that only 'official' exercise counts (forcing them into all-or-none thinking). 30 pounds of groceries? Yikes!:0

I'm curious as to how your session with the trainer goes this week. Please report back. :)

[katieb12]

This is timely for me. I was thinking the other day that my gym membership cost about $30 per gym visit last year. <sigh> Because I have two kinds of arthritis and am only 51 years old, I really need to work on maintaining mobility by continuing to move in some way. Now, if this flu/bronchitis/whatever the #*$& it will just go away, I can start working on this. Thanks!

[Life_is_Simple]

Katieb12

I hope you start to feel better. Does your arthritis affect certain body parts more than others - like hands? Or is it in some of the bigger joints, like knees/hips?

If you want, for the purpose of this thread, you can count something you do in your home, even on your couch, as the first exercise session. Maybe stretching, or moving around your hands/feet. :+1:

I'm all for doing whatever is possible, with the given constraints. And working up to something bigger later.

[Life_is_Simple]

Well, I ended up going to the apartment clubhouse gym 5 times last week, and doing my newly favorite leg machine.

I went again yesterday - did 14 minutes. Then today was a blizzard - I count shoveling the snow out from around my car as exercise. I think we got 1.5 ft of snow.

[grendel]

I commit to myself that two times a week, three if I have time, I will put on my workout clothes and go to the gym. I don't have to work out; my commitment is to merely show up *ready* to work out. I've given myself permission to turn around and walk out at any point. I have found that the hardest part for me is getting there, but once I'm there, I'll stay and work out. I've only turned around and walked out twice in two years. It's been a much easier commitment to keep than working out two or three times a week, even though the result is the same.

[Life_is_Simple]

Grendel

How have you been doing in getting into your workout clothes and going to the gym (whether you exercise or not)?

[Life_is_Simple]

I am now realizing that I may be successful in exercising at least once a week.

Last week I was at my bf's for the week. There was one day where I walked inside his house for 15 minutes. He thought I was pacing. :laff: But no, that was my exercise.

Then yesterday, back on the elliptical for 16 minutes at my leisurely rate. It was tough, since I hadn't done it for a week, but I knew I could go slow.
:cool: