August Abbercise!! GET OFF THAT SOFA!!

[Aunty Mame]

In the spirit of trying out new routines, I went to the gym today after work instead of before. This is partly because we are still in the middle of winter and it is so cold and dark in the mornings. Apart from the fact that I was grumpy and tired by then, and there were far too many jocks it wasn't too bad!! Think I'll keep doing that until things are a bit lighter in the mornings and my body clock feels okay about getting up at that time!!.... which should be in a months time .......

[Doggygirl]

Good morning everyone!!

Mame, I can understand your change of schedule due to dark and frigid mornings. I dread having to deal with that in a few months time!!

Congratulations to Beck, Pamina, WIP, mwo2, and fitness lifestyle leader caysea for all that exercise you are putting in!!

I haven't gone to Curves yet (of course - it's only 4:45AM here!) but I will. I also wanted to share some GREAT news from last night. For grins, I went shopping in my closet. (trying on stuff that used to be too small). I have BOXES of stuff in every size from here on down to my goal. I'm pleased to report that I put away a few things that are now just TOO baggy, and was able to button and zip (fairly comfortably too LOL) THREE pairs of jeans - two shorts and one long pair. I am REALLY REALLY REALLY happy about that!!

I still have a long way to go, but progress is motivating!! Have a great abbercise day all!

DG

[Beck]

Finally got up before my dog for my morning run. Came back and took him out for a walk. Tried to jog with him but that only lasted a few minutes before he crossed over in front of me. I didn't actually fall but he nearly knocked me down. Goofy dog.

I'm off to have a busy day

[mwo2]

Got up and did my gazelle for 25 min. and did my 25 sit ups on the big ball....

Now must jump in the shower and get going....

I asked folks in chat last night for someone to ask me today if I got my workout done....darn I forgot to tell them I post here...oh well If someone "stops" by that is why and then we can recruit them !!

Nice to have this thread to report too and to be inspired by. Yeah I read it last night !!! but didnt work out ......

[Marshy]

Hi all,

I went to my first ever yoga class today and really enjoyed it. There was one balancing posture that I couldn't do - just kept falling over! - but the rest of it was good. Apart from that one posture, the bit I found the hardest was the breathing meditation at the end - my mind was whirring about what I had to do after the class, what to have for dinner tonight etc. So there's work to be done!

I've also been doing gym 'n' swim every other day but have had difficulty motivating myself some days. One of the things I liked about the yoga class was being in a group, so maybe I'll try a few different classes instead of doing gym stuff by myself.

[Aunty Mame]

Marshy, those balancing postures are hard!!! I always fall over too. My trainer (who did lots of dancing and yoga) explained to me that it is about how strong the small muscles in your back are. But persist!!!!! I used to think that I couldn't do them because I was naturally clumsy, but I found that I got better quite quickly.

Looks like everyone else is doing well too!!

[Pamina]

Hi all,

I used to do yoga too and really enjoyed it. I'm off to visit my dad again next week so won't sign up for any classes at the mo, but it's on my incremental list of things to try out.

I've taken to a roundabout route to a newsagents that's about a 30-minute walk in total with bits along the river - yes, Beck, it's the Thames and very soothing! Picking up my paper in this way is a simple thing to include in my daily routine. I found I can powerwalk 15 minutes of that which leaves me about 7 blocks short of the newsagents and gives a reference point for improvement. So I slow down for the second 15 minutes while picking up my paper.

DG - congrats on the 'old new' clothes! I can SO relate to that, and it's wonderful! I'd had no weight loss this week but the last two weeks the inches have finally started falling away in leaps and bounds - can't wait to get WAISTED!! And, it turns out a woman in my WW group does belly dancing and offered to start teaching a bunch of us in her converted garage. Shake and Shimmy - I like the sound of that!!

[Doggygirl]

Good for you on that run Beck!! I'm LOL thinking about your little dog almost tripping you up. (well, I wouldn't laugh if he HAD tripped you up...) Mr. Doggy did what's called an AD with his dog Ferguson - it's an endurance test where the handler is on a bicycle and the dog is on a leash - they go 20km (about 12 miles for US folks). Believe me - when he started conditioning for that it took some time for the both of them to stay "upright" for any distance!!

mwo2 - GOOD FOR YOU!!!

Marshy, you and Mame's posts and some others are getting me interested in at least trying yoga, which I have never tried. I always figured I was too clumsy, inflexible, etc. I should see if they offer a class at the Jr. College. I know what you mean about finding a way to keep motivated to GO to the gym. The best way I've found this time around is to make it a part of my EARLY morning "start the day" routine. LOL - that way I sorta sleep walk through it and it's over before I'm fully awake.

Mame, did the evening routine work for you again today?

Pamina, your route sounds good the way you have it set up - so you can gradually increase the "power walk" portion over time. I can't wait to get waisted too! That's my most stubborn body part. The jeans I shopped for in my closet are all "regular" waisted (not the low waisted things that look horrifying on me that are in style these days!). That made it particularly gratifying when they buttoned! Inches is WHERE IT'S AT and I think a pair of test jeans are a better barometer than even a measuring tape. So now I have to dig out my next pair of test jeans.

I had a good 80% workout today - still burned over 400 cals according to EK. In the past I have *tried* to not be chatting on the circuit - it really does negatively impact the quality of the workout. This week I just decided that I will be as polite as I can but tell folks I CAN'T chat until after my workout. The good news is that for the most part the same folks are there at the same time every day, so it won't take too long for people to just know that I'm not being unfriendly - just focusing on my workout until I'm done.



DG
Day 77 AFHFE(xercise)F(reak)

[Aunty Mame]

Hi all,

Beck - a friend's husband was out for a run with his dog and another doggy tripped him up and he broke his leg in 3 places and was on crutches for 18 weeks!

Pamina - the walk along the Thames sounds lovely, and your post brought back lots of memories - I used to live at Camden Lock and walked along the water all the time.

DG - am so jealous of you fitting into your clothes! I recently put on 5 kg in 2 weeks .... it was a couple of months ago while I was starting the AF thing and at the gym every morning ....... then lost them all over about 3 weeks and have been yo-yoing ever since. [Menopause alert] I think this is hormones and I'm going to get the Dr and//or naturopath to get everything sorted once I have caught up on myself!

And I cheated a bit tonight ......... didn't go to the gym, but did have a nice long-ish walk after leaving work a bit early. It was very nice to be outside - we have had soooooo much rain!! Tomorrow I do weights ...... My duathlon goal is fast approaching with no runing training ...... might try one on the weekend and see how far I get before O2 deprivation hits me!

For those of you getting into yoga, it is well worth persisting! I think some people give up because it doesn't feel like a challenge and too much like stretching. Sticking with it gives you an appreciation of just how much strength and flexibility it takes to hold some of the poses. And for those of us who are nearing or over 50, there are some studies coming out now that suggest that yoga/tai chi and other related forms of exercise are a very good preventitive for osteoporosis and joint complaints!! - they are no impact but still strengthen muscles. (and weights are too!)

my lavender bath is calling me!

[Marshy]

Originally Posted by Aunty Mame

For those of you getting into yoga, it is well worth persisting! I think some people give up because it doesn't feel like a challenge and too much like stretching. Sticking with it gives you an appreciation of just how much strength and flexibility it takes to hold some of the poses. And for those of us who are nearing or over 50, there are some studies coming out now that suggest that yoga/tai chi and other related forms of exercise are a very good preventitive for osteoporosis and joint complaints!! - they are no impact but still strengthen muscles.

I totally agree. OK, OK, I've only taken one class so far but I can see myself becoming a convert. Today I can definitely feel some of the muscles that had a 'workout' - not sore, just noticeable. There were three women in my class who were late sixties/ maybe even early seventies who were giving the 'youngsters' a run for their money!

DG: Give it a whirl! I think I've maybe been a bit put off by some of the, ah, pretentiousness that can be connected with yoga but the group I went to felt very comfortable and down-to-earth - a wide age range, men and women, all different sizes. And even though I was the only one totally new to yoga, it was a beginners/'easy' level group so some other people were wobbling while trying to hold poses as well!

Happy exercising everyone!!