View Full Version : January Fitness
It was a little chilly to take a walking break at work today, so I walked the stairs 1.5 times in the 16-floor building across the street from mine. Boy, was that humbling. I am in sad shape! My lofty goal is to be able to do it 5 times briskly in a row. That should put me in decent shape for any hiking I do this summer.
Just did my first run since Tuesday. 2.5 miles followed by 2 miles of walking. The worst part (as always) was the pre-run dread/attempted cop-out session. I have to keep in mind next time that this part is by far the worst and if I weasel my way out of it I'll have done all that dreading for nothing.
I ended up stopping because my body got tired which means I need to build up my muscles. Tomorrow, I'm going to do my walk on the Buttermilk Trail along the river bc this is a REALLY hilly bike trail and will help me build muscle strength. I want to get close to 4 miles by the end of January.
At the end, it began to sleet a tiny little bit. This was the first winter precipitation I've seen this year so that was kind of cool...
I am very happy I sucked it up and ran.
Can I join you all with the fitness thread. I have a lot of things I am trying to improve on and still believe in New Year's Resolutions.
On the 3rd, I did a Body Pump class.
fidgiegirl
1-4-13, 10:29pm
Please do, cheapo!
I'm hoping to get out and ice skate this weekend.
I'm off to a pretty good start. I wasn't able to make it to the gym M-Th due to transpacific flight, work, errands and jetlag, but I did walk to/from the bus and subway W-Th, probably a good 30 minutes of brisk walking all together each day. I think commuting this way is going to be really good for my fitness because the route I have to take basically means I'll get in a good 20-30 minute brisk walk daily M-F in addition to going to the gym regularly. And I'm saving money on taxis, too -- double win!
Yesterday I had promised DS to go to the gym with him so even though I got home a bit later than planned due to an errand at the bank we did go. I was originally just going to do 30 minutes of walking, but decided to kick it up a notch and threw in 15 minutes of running. Did 4.5km in 45 minutes. This morning I hit the gym on my way to do weekly grocery shopping, was planning to run for 20 minutes, but then realized I forgot to change into my sports bra -- oops and ouch! Decided to try it and figured out that I could tolerate 1 min intervals as long as I kind of kept my fists in front of the girls so they didn't bounce too wildly. Did 3km in 30 minutes, with a total of 15 minutes of running. I may actually go to the gym again this afternoon with DS -- he says he can go without me, but I might as well get some more walking in. I'll do a steady run tomorrow, then Monday I am starting on the Hal Higdon novice 5k training program. Want to ease back into it, even though I could probably handle the intermediate, because I had some issues with overtraining/injury last fall and I don't want to have that kind of setback again.
Was going to post about my food/recipe successes, too, but I think I'll shift that over to the Food thread.
Oh, one other significant thing is that I have started taking my multivitamin again and I think I can already feel my mood improving/balancing out.
good luck with your fitness goals, everybody -- get up and get moving if you can! Feels great to overcome the inertia...
lhamo
PS: Did make it back for a second round at the gym -- 30 min of brisk walking, 2.53 km, followed by an ab and back session.
My old Beast died, aka treadmill. Winter is here in Mi and I just can not run outside, so I was hoping back on the treadmill. My biking as dropped because of the snow too. SO yesterday the Y was offering no sign on fee and one month free, so I joined for three months. I will ride there and work out daily till spring.
zumba and treadmill on thursday. DH and i took a long, fast walk outside yesterday - it was a beautiful winter day.
Hiked the Buttermilk Trail this morning. It took about 1.5 hours and I think I did about 3.5ish miles. It's very hilly and definitely counts as hiking. Then I worked for 1.5 hours on the leaves. Yes, I'm still working on the leaves.
Skated today! And it turns out there is free skate rental at the warming house. Slick! I did get a pair from my mom and dad and they are a fuzz too big. I will need to tighten them tight and wear two pairs of socks - good enough!
Then did an abs video on Sparkpeople's YouTube channel. Soon we are off to the dog park.
Hi fitness folks. I finally got active today after a rather slug like past two weeks. The weird thing is that I haven't been to the gym at all, but have been overall more active - and have lost four pounds. Finally broke through that plateau.
Dd says her new years resolution is to train for a 5 k. I have done several so I said I would join her. Today we walked for just over an hour. If she sticks to her training then she will blast past me since she has youth on her side and I suffer from reduced lung capacity due to asthma. I will use psychology to encourage her. If mom can do it, so can she, right?
So right, lmerullo. Isn't it amazing how even though the gym visits ebb and flow, it seems like every concerted effort to be more active really does lead to overall more activity. I don't know if I'm saying that. Like, I joined SparkPeople in 2009. I never worked out. Ever. And even though I'm not always "working out" in the go-to-the-gym sense, I am much more active now, in 2013, than I was then. If it were a graph the line would go up, dip or plateau, go up some more, and be higher in the and than in the beginning.
We skiied for about an hour today at a state park about 45 min. away from our house. Lovely! Too bad we didn't get up there earlier - was getting dark so we called it a night. But I can feel it! Lovely.
45 minutes on the bike and an hour on circuit training. 10,877 steps in today, too. Thanks for being here, Everyone!
Biking back to the Y today, hope the bike racks are plowed out this time>:(Guess the plow person does not think anyone will bike in the winter.
Sorry, ctg, but that's funny! Must be my sense of humor, but coupled with the smiley - it made me chuckle. Hope they are cleared for your trip.
Yes, fidgie, I am learning that official workouts aren't all that is needed - general activity is the trick!
I finally have something to put here after usually being a sloth. Yesterday I started a six-week trial package at a women's kickboxing place. Now, I used to train in karate for about 6 years but quit 4 years ago and have been pretty lazy since. The kickboxing was really good. It had all the similarities to karate that I like - punching and kicking things, self-defense, camaraderie, decent full body work-out, without the things I started to dislike about karate - arm on arm bruising, training with guys twice my strength and/or size, more teaching than learning as I was a senior student. It was a good time. And the best thing is that the location and class times make it such that I can walk there after work when I work in the office, without adjusting my schedule. I hate having to drive places and also to get home after work and then go out again.
So I should be going 3 days a week. It's such a novelty to me to wear gloves instead of bare hands, and to only work with women instead of guys who just keep getting younger than me - funny how that happens.
zumba today, and will use the treadmill before dinner. yesterday, no specific 'exercise' but was moving around the entire day - cleaning, pruning, etc.
Started my 5k training program today -- should have had the first run yesterday, but had to stay late for a meeting so I pushed it back to today. Goal was to run 2.4 km. I did a total of 3.03 km in 27 minutes -- 2 minute walking warmup, 2.4km of straight running for a little over 19 minutes, then walking to cool down. Also did some ab/back stuff. Feel pretty good, though the last couple of days have been very stressful at work and I'm still jetlagged, so I'll probably sleep early again today.
Short run on Monday - I, too, want to get back into a running program. Then I stumbled across an app on my phone for a sparticus workout and thought it would be fun. Well, it was but boy! I had to modify a bunch and I only did two rotations. (One of their disclaimers says you will puke if you do three)
Speaking of apps - does anyone use an app to plan their workout? I would love something that changes up a variety of weight training moves so each workout feels "fresh " - of course, free is best.
fidgiegirl
1-26-13, 11:35pm
Oh my, friends, our January thread really floundered. Has everyone else been having as hard a time as I? Successes? Let's hear 'em!!
DH and I took our health insurance annual assessments tonight. He is at his heaviest ever, which is only a few pounds above his norm, so that's good, and I refused to weigh myself, but know I've gained and feeling icky about it (and after so much success this summer!) so I am going to use our mutual paunchiness to my advantage. We have agreed we will have a salad every night with dinner. We do need to look at our dressing choices. I make our dressings so they do not have artificial stuff in them but they might be higher cal than we want. I think this might be because I use a lot of oil in them. I know good fat is, well, good for us, so have to do a bit of research on this. I took a page from Rosemary's playbook and bought greens at Costco. It really is a superb bargain, and we don't have to feel like we should be shy about eating a heaping bowl full. Also, our new bowls are awesome salad bowls. Which also reminds me that I need to get to Cost Plus World Market, because our beautiful new bowls are TOO big for many other foods, like cereal. We need a few smaller ones. Maybe I'll go place an online order now. We know exactly which ones we want.
We also have to do a health activity this year to get preferred copay and deductible rates in 2014. I am going to choose the three phone coaching sessions where you talk to a dietitian on the phone. However if I can't get one who knows GF needs well, then I'm going to choose the 10,000 steps tracking activity. If I get really motivated maybe I'll do both. We can do as many health activities as we want to, but are required to do at least one.
Hi all, I have been doing very little. My husband got me a pedometer for my birthday, Dec. 26 , and I have been using it just to keep track. I plan to chart and figure my average movement each day then try to increase it in February. I've only been dooing a few "star" days a week, lucky if it's 3- generally 1 or 2, but more than this time last year. So, some success, a plan and moving on. My walking buddy still has a bad knee so my husband has been walking with me once a week or so. Truly it would only take one good walk each day to increase that pedometer reading. I'll be interested in seeing what others are planning and as usual I am highly impressed with those who DO the actual running, walking, biking and dancing!
Like most of us, my commitment to fitness in January peaks and wanes. Right now I am waning, as this past week has seen a lot of bad habits creeping back when a few weeks ago I was all gung-ho and even managed to not smoke for 5 whole days! I feel like I am re-entering the redemption mode because I DO NOT LIKE HOW I FEEL, which is unduly tired!
So I will start all over, again. I try not to beat myself up over my failings but I am discouraged by my cycle of healthy/not healthy. But alas, I am only human, and I can choose to re-start at any time.
PS: I am really enjoying my pre-work breakfast of sauteed sweet potatoes, red and yellow peppers, red onions and kale (a cleaning out the fridge kind of meal) which can be surprisingly delicious!
fidgiegirl
1-27-13, 2:30pm
nswef and SQ, we are not alone, then!
I also take comfort in knowing that at any time, at any moment, one can start anew. And SQ . . . I might just have to try that breakfast! Yummers! Do you season/use any kind of sauce? Just sautee in olive oil?
Work has been busy and DH was gone on a business trip until last week -- oh, and we've been having regular bouts of "smogocalypse" here in Beijing -- but all things considered I've been doing ok. Getting to the gym at least 3 times a week on average, and also doing more walking now that I am taking bus/subway both to and from work. Doing well with my running and NO PURPLE TOES so far -- yay! But I have backed off on the weight routine and my muscle tone has gone all to pot. Did a goot weight workout yesterday and need to commit to doing that at least 2-3 times a week to get back in the groove. Muscles sore today so that means it did something!
Weight hovering at around 70kgs, which is waaaay above where it should be. I would like to get it down to 60ish, but realistically going to aim for 64-65, which is where I plateaued last time. That means losing about 15-20kgs of fat and replacing 5-10 of the fat with muscle.
I'm still pondering experimenting with eliminating wheat to see how that affects me. Maybe in the spring when I can stuff myself on salads, etc and be pretty happy. Really hard in the winter when all I want to do is suck in carbs at very high volumes and sleep...
Oh yes, many snacks that are white and beige....I'm sure it doesn't help motivate, but am glad to see others working away and know that Yes, I can keep improving!
I have been able to keep to a rather fordable schedule of three days running / walking intervals and two days weights. I have figured out that if it's scheduled, I do it.
Added a bike riding weekend with my hubby, grandson, brother and SIL - we had such a good time.
fidgiegirl
1-27-13, 10:48pm
Awesome successes, lmerullo and lhamo. Every little bit helps . . . I am also uber-sleepy lately. January, I guess . . . though I do suspect my thyroid is not operating optimally. Well, it never is, but worse than usual. But I have a doc appt. on Tuesday, so will ask her then. My lab numbers are different than the last two times but I always get confused if they are better or worse.
Fidgiegirl: sauteed in olive oil and garlic, a little water to steam and keep from sticking, some crushed dried rosemary, and a four-peppper blend I got at WF (really good). I ate the whole thing too...
Regarding thyroid: I had been on 75mg of Levoxythyrine (sp?) for many years and hadn't had a blood test for my thyroid levels for a few years due to lack of insurance. Last month I finally got a routine physical and blood tests and it turns out my thyroid levels were pretty off and they had to up my meds to 88mg. Now I know why I was feeling so tired for months! I just thought it was me working hard at a physical job. I actually feel better since I started taking the new dose, except for the smoking thing. I am going to try again tomorrow with the patches - I have signed up to do a quit smoking class offered through my insurance at work. I spoke with the "wellness coach" (ie: addiction counselor) for about 45 minutes last week and the next session we have will be designing a way for me to quit, setting a date, etc. I think I'll try once again to get a head start on it. I had been doing pretty well, as I mentioned before, down to a couple per week, then none for five days, but as usual, I let myself slip up and am right back where I started. The winter weather doesn't help, because all I want to do is hibernate in my cozy little house.
fidgiegirl
1-28-13, 9:59am
Ooh, glad they figured it out! I am hoping and not hoping for a similar answer. I want to ask the doc if she thinks there is a way we can get me OFF of the hormones, but I kind of doubt it. I think once a person starts on them, they have to take them forevermore.
fidgiegirl
1-29-13, 10:20pm
SQ, I got my dose upped today as well. I go back in three months to get the numbers checked. Hoping it will help. I love my doc. I have recommendation to exercise (duh, but love that she told me this) to help regulate my cycle. As part of the digestion/thyroid saga I have gone off hormonal BC. I did not realize all the domino effect that taking hormones can have on the body - thought it was harmless. Silly me. So I'm still not back to normal three months later, and doc says it can take up to a year! But exercise can help regulate cycles, evidently, so I need to buckle down. Here's to a good February, all!!
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