Well Trained Bodies (Diet & Exercise) - Sept. 2017

[Laurie4b]

Looks like maybe Scoutermom is on vacation so I thought I would go ahead and start the thread (since I did it once before and it was ok...) :) 

 

How did you do with your  diet and exercise goals for August? 

 

 

 

What are your goals for September? 

[Laurie4b]

My goals for September: 

 

#1 Get to bed at an hour that allows me to get 8 hours of sleep, 7 minimum. (My natural tendency is to stay up past midnight.)

 

Other goals: I should do flexibility every day, so the aim will be 7 days/wk. Realistically, I'll aim for 5. I've been hitting about 3-4x per week, which is a big improvement from zero, but still a way to go!) 

 

Stay hydrated. Shoot for 8 glasses of water per day. I get 4-6 now including 3 cups of cofffee. )

[Anne]

September will be a re-set for me since the last five months have been absolutely dreadful. I am aiming for no sugar, no bread/pasta and no alcohol. I will allow myself one cheat SERVING if necessary. So basically I will be aiming for a strict paleo diet this month.

 

Exercise - I am walking fairly regularly but need to incorporate some weight training and flexibility work. I will aim for 6X/week for those two, alternating days. I will be happy if I get 4! :-)

[OlgaLA]

I think my main goal for September will be trying to get my arm into good enough shape for a major competition in October. I will probably have to sacrifice some (most?) of the training in the name of healing. I got myself  a Flexbar to see if it helps. Right now it isn't too bad, but I can feel it often. I can't even swim without aggravating it. Yesterday I was swimming with my hand in a fist, as open palm produced enough pressure on the wrist to hurt.

[Laurie4b]

I think my main goal for September will be trying to get my arm into good enough shape for a major competition in October. I will probably have to sacrifice some (most?) of the training in the name of healing. I got myself  a Flexbar to see if it helps. Right now it isn't too bad, but I can feel it often. I can't even swim without aggravating it. Yesterday I was swimming with my hand in a fist, as open palm produced enough pressure on the wrist to hurt.

 

Yowza. That sound rough. Have you been able to see a doctor about it? I hope it heals up quickly!

[Laurie4b]

 

Exercise - I am walking fairly regularly but need to incorporate some weight training and flexibility work. I will aim for 6X/week for those two, alternating days. I will be happy if I get 4! :-)

 

 

That is exactly how I set goals: ideal goal of 6, happy with outcome of 4. It works for me! 

[blondeviolin]

I am finally getting to the point where I can start walking again. I'd like to aim for walks five days a week.

 

64 oz of water a day

 

Flexibility - I'd love a stretching routine or ideas that yall do. This is an awesome idea, but I need something quick for after my walks or something.

 

And of course, keep up with my meds and eating enough leafy greens.

[wintermom]

September and especially October are notoriously tough months for me exercise-wise. I get so busy with school, it gets cold and dark outside, the lights don't stay on in the evening to play tennis outdoors, and my motivation plummets. I'm really hoping to get a good balance of working out at the gym so that I don't replace all my hard-earned summertime muscles with fall fat. I also need to keep my stretching/yoga routine going. I think if I keep going to a yoga class once a week, it will keep me motivated to continue with my home training to avoid pain in class from lack of flexibility. ;)

 

Food-wise, my family is doing a low-sugar challenge for the month of September, so this will be helpful to have lots of support and accountability in the house. We're really upping the fruit and veggie eating, as well as nuts and seeds. 

[wintermom]

Dd and I went to the gym, as my tennis match was rained out. Ds suggested that I do some weight training, so I did. It was a nice change. I could not do any intervals afterwards, though, as the muscles were too fatigued. I did a nice warm-up run. Sadly, no tennis on tv at the time we were there. 

 

 

Question for those of you who do weights: Do you stretch the muscles you're working on in between or after sets? I really felt the need to, and did, but no one else in the gym seemed to. 

[Soror]

I still don't feel well and it is making me grumpy. I don't know at this point if it is a cold or allergies or if my body is whacky again. I'm so far past annoyed. I was on the couch most of this weekend, just no energy, depressed, etc. Anyway, luckily I had already planned to get blood work done (still waiting on my lab orders- should be able to get it done this week) so I can make sure it is not thyroid crap. As I've said before I tend to struggle in the fall so it is not entirely unsurprising if I'm off again, even though it was just good. If it is just a cold it should go away soon, if it isn't I'll find out with the blood work and adjust accordingly.

 

Dh and I had some couple time Sat. and we did a bit of hiking, I did some walking Sun. and I just got back from a walk with the kids. Ds did some running and the girls did some biking but I wasn't up for it. I'm going to try to do some low-level strength work later today (I tend to have more energy in the evening), I'm going to modify my goal to 2x a wk and whatever I can manage- even if that is 1 set until I feel human again, just hoping to keep in the practice and maintain what I can. Still aiming for daily walks- at whatever speed and distance I can manage.

Edited September 5, 2017 by soror

[wintermom]

I went for a walk and 20 min bike ride this morning with the dc. I'll be playing a competitive ladies doubles tennis match this evening with a friend as my partner. I'm really looking forward to getting out on the court again after all the rain here. 

[Sarah CB]

 

 

Question for those of you who do weights: Do you stretch the muscles you're working on in between or after sets? I really felt the need to, and did, but no one else in the gym seemed to. 

 

I do if I need to. It depends on how I'm feeling. I'm at a very small gym - more like a training studio - and some people will even use the roller between or after sets. 

[solascriptura]

Dd and I went to the gym, as my tennis match was rained out. Ds suggested that I do some weight training, so I did. It was a nice change. I could not do any intervals afterwards, though, as the muscles were too fatigued. I did a nice warm-up run. Sadly, no tennis on tv at the time we were there.

 

 

Question for those of you who do weights: Do you stretch the muscles you're working on in between or after sets? I really felt the need to, and did, but no one else in the gym seemed to.

I usually do a few light stretches. If you feel like you want to you should. It's really important to listen to your body. I definitely stretch for at least 10 minutes after a workout though.

[solascriptura]

I did a crossfit kettlebell workout today. It felt pretty good.

[Sarah CB]

Ok - September goals. I am in London, England from the 10th to the 15th of September and hope to run twice while I'm there and maybe get to the gym once. We'll see. I'm there for my birthday and will continue on with no sugar as much as possible. However, my dear friends live there and we're staying with them for two nights. I know she'll have stuff planned for my birthday and I'll participate in whatever comes my way. Anything we're not doing with them will be able to be no sugar.

 

Thankfully my running group is still doing a 6am group this fall. It's 6 weeks long and starts today. Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturdays. So, I'll continue doing half marathon training with the group.

 

I do strength training at the gym on Tuesdays and Fridays and I'll continue that.

 

I want to do more hiking - ideally I'd like to go for a hike once a week and make it a family event. 

 

The no sugar thing is a huge goal for me. I'm on day 12 of no sugar. Low carbs are easy - I love my Keto meals - but I've struggled with sugary snacks over the past few months. I think I'm finally motivated enough to cut them out for good. 

 

I knew this about myself before, but this whole sugar thing was a good reminder that I do not do moderation well. I'm kind of an all or nothing person.

[Laurie4b]

 

 

Question for those of you who do weights: Do you stretch the muscles you're working on in between or after sets? I really felt the need to, and did, but no one else in the gym seemed to. 

 

Because I tend to do weight lifting that involves multiple muscle groups (push-ups,, squats. deadlifts, etc.) I save all stretching until the end. The problem with stretching between sets is that  static stretching weakens muscles for a while after you do it.  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3273886/   "To avoid decrease in strength and performance that may occur in athletes due to static stretching before competition or activity, dynamic stretching is recommended for warm-up"  (I know you like sources ;)

, so this was the first result from a professional journal that popped up. Not doing static stretching before an activity that requires muscle strength, like lifting, is pretty pervasive in any popular sports literature right now.) 

 

 

I used to skip stretching altogether. It was mostly an attitude of "I've done all the major stuff. I just want to be done." But a personal trainer I met with (she has a masters in exercise physiology) said I've got to stretch. So I am working on it. I do it now more than I don't so that is a lot of progress from not at all. 

Edited September 6, 2017 by Laurie4b

[Laurie4b]

 

Flexibility - I'd love a stretching routine or ideas that yall do. This is an awesome idea, but I need something quick for after my walks or something.

 

 

 

My flexibility routine is a work in progress. I will type out what I do, but will try to come back later with links. 

 

Legs/hips

 

Hamstring stretch (I like a standing version.) 

Quad stretch---the one where you grasp your foot and pull it back toward your butt)

Figure 4 stretch: Sometimes I do it standing where it also trains balance; sometimes lying down

 

My personal trainer added 2 more I haven't incorporated yet. 

 

Back: 

Cat/cow

Child's pose

Trap stretch (tip head to side) 

 

Chest: (usually just do one of these) 

"Snow angels" on a foam roller. Feels so good! 

Corner stretch

Doorway stretch 

 

Shoulder: (I have had 2 forzen shoulders, so my flexibility always needs work. Usually just do one of these) 

 

Cross body stretch

Reach one hand down over shoulder, one hand up behind back and try to touch fingers

Lying down on back (or on foam roller), raise arms overhead thumbs down 

[Laurie4b]

Yesterday, we rented some kayaks and were out for about 2 hours. We stopped so the young adults in the family could swim. We probably paddled about an hour total. My shoulder protests so I have to stop fairly frequently and just glide, so I figure it was light cardio.  I also realized while planning for my exercise this week that if I didn't do a full strength training routine on Monday I would have a really hard time meeting my goals.  I was tired by the time we got home and our adult kids were home so I was hostessing but once everyone left, I pushed through it. (I really didn't wanna!)  I also did flexibility.

 

I almost got caught on my cardio today by the earlier sundown. I need to adjust to that because I don't like running at night (cars and copperheads!) But I was able to get in 60 minutes of walking with 24 minutes of embedded jogging intervals. I mostly kept an easy pace during the intervals, but pushed ttwo at the end to a little over 90% max HR. Came home and did flexibility. 

 

Last night, I got to bed on time. Hope that starts a trend!  ;)  I am such a night owl, but have started back to work, so have to adjust. 

 

Tomorrow is Zumba. I want to see if I can get some strength training in too, but the day is pretty packed and I can't do them back-to-back. 

[lmrich]

Waiting on my back to recover from the damage I did by over exercising in August and July.

New goals - in the pool 3 - 4 times a week; weight training 3 days a week.  (fyi to those joining ... do not aim for 6 days out of 7 -ouch!)

Continue to keep to diet plan - no unplanned snacking! Limit sugar and carbs, increase veggies, keep up with the protein smoothie for lunch. 

 

 

[wintermom]

Because I tend to do weight lifting that involves multiple muscle groups (push-ups,, squats. deadlifts, etc.) I save all stretching until the end. The problem with stretching between sets is that  static stretching weakens muscles for a while after you do it.  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3273886/   "To avoid decrease in strength and performance that may occur in athletes due to static stretching before competition or activity, dynamic stretching is recommended for warm-up"  (I know you like sources ;)

, so this was the first result from a professional journal that popped up. Not doing static stretching before an activity that requires muscle strength, like lifting, is pretty pervasive in any popular sports literature right now.) 

 

 

I used to skip stretching altogether. It was mostly an attitude of "I've done all the major stuff. I just want to be done." But a personal trainer I met with (she has a masters in exercise physiology) said I've got to stretch. So I am working on it. I do it now more than I don't so that is a lot of progress from not at all. 

 

Thanks for the info! I'll definitely do dynamic stretching, as it does feel really good and I'll save the static stretching for after. I just need to make sure I've got enough room for dynamic leg stretches. I don't want to kick an unsuspecting passer-by.  :laugh:

[Greta]

August - I moved more toward the plant end of the diet spectrum, and liked it so much that I went completely vegan on the 22nd. I'm doing it for migraine help, for healthy bones, and for health in general. But I have to say it was pretty nice to lose five pounds in one week! Kept it off the second week, so I'm now at my lowest weight since starting peri menopause, and only two pounds above where I was for most of my adult life before that. So that makes me happy. And I've been able to drastically cut back on my migraine meds and that makes me even happier!

 

Exercise-wise, though, I'm afraid I didn't accomplish as much. Still rehabilitating the sprained ankle, so I've only made it up to 0.3 miles of running. So for September my goal is to get up to a mile. I've mentioned before that my weight-lifting goal is to get back up to 200 pounds on the leg press, but I didn't lift weights frequently enough in August to make much progress. So the goal for September is 200 . . . again.

 

Olga, I sure hope that your arm heals quickly, and Soror I hope that you feel better soon!

 

Wintermom, I save any stretching until the workout is done. The way it was explained to me was that stretching sends biochemical signals to your muscles to relax. That's not the message you want to send them right before asking them to contract against resistance. But Laurie's explanation was better!

 

I did weights on Monday with my husband since he had the day off. Did cardio on the AMT machine today.

[Laurie4b]

Waiting on my back to recover from the damage I did by over exercising in August and July.

New goals - in the pool 3 - 4 times a week; weight training 3 days a week.  (fyi to those joining ... do not aim for 6 days out of 7 -ouch!)

Continue to keep to diet plan - no unplanned snacking! Limit sugar and carbs, increase veggies, keep up with the protein smoothie for lunch. 

 

I think you make a really important point: rest days or active recovery days are critical to progress and for preventing injuries. Rest/active recovery days are when your muscles repair themselves and build back up. 

 

Right now, I have one full rest day and one other day when all I do is light to moderate cardio. The moderate cardio is a recovery day, too.To get in 3 days of HIIT and 2-3 3 days of strength-training, I have to double up some days, but I've decided overall it's better than to have something challenging 6/7 days. 

[2ndGenHomeschooler]

August was a complete bust for me after I finished my previous program on the 7th. We started September with a family vacation and birthday party. It's been a full month of little exercise and unhealthy food. I'm amazed at how quickly that caught up with me. Clearly I'm not a teenager anymore. At this point my body hates me. I'm tired, foggy, and unmotivated, allergies are bad and waking me up at night, my skin is dry and flakey but also oily and breaking out, and I woke up this morning with the world's largest cold sore. Oh, and my knee is stiff from playing frisbee last night. What's up with that?! Now I understand what people were talking about when I heard them complain about the effect of being in their 30's on their bodies.

 

So, goals for September:

 

- 8+ glasses of water a day

- no added sugars or processed foods

- limit grains and dairy

- vegetables at every meal

- take vitamins everyday

- exercise 6 days a week

 

Time to get back on track before an arm falls off or something:-P

[wintermom]

This school year is starting out wonderful! The dc and I are doing a lot more physical activities together, such as cycling and walking places, going to the gym and swimming. And it's really pleasant, as I don't have to monitor their behaviour like when they were young! 

 

Today they did their math, science and music, and then we went to the gym to work-out and then hopped in the pool for a swim, finished off with a soak in the hot-tub. I can really handle this life-style!  :D 

[Soror]

Got my lab orders in and went this morning.

 

Sinuses are feeling better today. I did one round of strength work last night and met my friend this am for a walk. Fingers crossed I'm on the upswing and can get back in the groove. I've got hiking and camping trips coming up so I've got to get some more pep in my step.

 

This school year is starting out wonderful! The dc and I are doing a lot more physical activities together, such as cycling and walking places, going to the gym and swimming. And it's really pleasant, as I don't have to monitor their behaviour like when they were young! 

 

Today they did their math, science and music, and then we went to the gym to work-out and then hopped in the pool for a swim, finished off with a soak in the hot-tub. I can really handle this life-style!  :D 

 

Aww sounds great. Our year has gone fairly smooth too, mine aren't quite as old but it is getting easier, bit by bit. I wish I had a pool close by, that would be awesome. I am concerned as they get older we are going to have more and more school, my oldest starts hs next year and I'm a bit nervous about the increase in work load. 

 

August was a complete bust for me after I finished my previous program on the 7th. We started September with a family vacation and birthday party. It's been a full month of little exercise and unhealthy food. I'm amazed at how quickly that caught up with me. Clearly I'm not a teenager anymore. At this point my body hates me. I'm tired, foggy, and unmotivated, allergies are bad and waking me up at night, my skin is dry and flakey but also oily and breaking out, and I woke up this morning with the world's largest cold sore. Oh, and my knee is stiff from playing frisbee last night. What's up with that?! Now I understand what people were talking about when I heard them complain about the effect of being in their 30's on their bodies.

So, goals for September:

- 8+ glasses of water a day
- no added sugars or processed foods
- limit grains and dairy
- vegetables at every meal
- take vitamins everyday
- exercise 6 days a week

Time to get back on track before an arm falls off or something:-P

 

Good luck, today is a new day! You can get out of whack quickly but you can get back in the swing of things too.

 

 

 

 

August - I moved more toward the plant end of the diet spectrum, and liked it so much that I went completely vegan on the 22nd. I'm doing it for migraine help, for healthy bones, and for health in general. But I have to say it was pretty nice to lose five pounds in one week! Kept it off the second week, so I'm now at my lowest weight since starting peri menopause, and only two pounds above where I was for most of my adult life before that. So that makes me happy. And I've been able to drastically cut back on my migraine meds and that makes me even happier!

Exercise-wise, though, I'm afraid I didn't accomplish as much. Still rehabilitating the sprained ankle, so I've only made it up to 0.3 miles of running. So for September my goal is to get up to a mile. I've mentioned before that my weight-lifting goal is to get back up to 200 pounds on the leg press, but I didn't lift weights frequently enough in August to make much progress. So the goal for September is 200 . . . again.

Olga, I sure hope that your arm heals quickly, and Soror I hope that you feel better soon!

Wintermom, I save any stretching until the workout is done. The way it was explained to me was that stretching sends biochemical signals to your muscles to relax. That's not the message you want to send them right before asking them to contract against resistance. But Laurie's explanation was better!

I did weights on Monday with my husband since he had the day off. Did cardio on the AMT machine today.

 

 

I hope the diet changes work well for you, maybe this will be your migraine cure, fingers crossed for you. Awesome that you are having some weight loss too, that is a nice bonus. Hopefully, this month will be a good one for you, one day at a time.

 

Edited September 6, 2017 by soror

[wintermom]

 

Aww sounds great. Our year has gone fairly smooth too, mine aren't quite as old but it is getting easier, bit by bit. I wish I had a pool close by, that would be awesome. I am concerned as they get older we are going to have more and more school, my oldest starts hs next year and I'm a bit nervous about the increase in work load. 

 

 

Yes, the work-load does increase, and ours will as well. We haven't started all the subjects, music and sports yet, and when this ramps up there won't be much time for leisurely soaks in the hot-tub. 

 

I'm just so thrilled that all the dc enjoy a wide range of physical activities and recreational sports. I think there's a great chance that they'll be active for life. 

[Laurie4b]

I did manage to squeeze in a light strength training routine today and went to Zumba. Zumba has been more "moderate intensity" lately. I may speak to the instructor about incorporating more of the vigorous routines. 

[Greta]

I did weights today. Made a little progress on deadlifts, made a little "regress" on seated rows. Oh well, it was a great workout overall!

 

Thank you so much for the encouragement Soror! I hope that you get good news on the lab tests. Will it take long to get the results?

[2ndGenHomeschooler]

Today I ate really well, drank enough water, and exercised. I waited too late in the day to drink most of the water though so I'll try to do better with that tomorrow. It was raining most of the day so I pulled up a Jessica Smith workout on YouTube and did that.

 

Meals:

Breakfast - 2 scrambled eggs, broccoli, applesauce

Lunch - coconut breaded chicken, roasted sweet potatoes, green beans

Snack - apple with natural peanut butter

Dinner - hamburger with lettuce instead of bun, topped with veggies, avocado, and homemade mayo, green beans

[Laurie4b]

Today was a beautiful day and I took our dog to a local greenway for my exercise. It was an active recovery day so I did some light to moderate cardio , walking with some easy jogging intervals. Very pleasant. 

 

Got to bed on time last night too. Going for a record. Haha. 

[Greta]

I did another (pitiful) 0.3 mile run today, but the good news is that my ankle didn't hurt afterward like it did the first time. So even though it was the same distance, I'm counting that as progress!

[Laurie4b]

I did another (pitiful) 0.3 mile run today, but the good news is that my ankle didn't hurt afterward like it did the first time. So even though it was the same distance, I'm counting that as progress!

 

Glad it is healing, Greta. 

[2ndGenHomeschooler]

I did another (pitiful) 0.3 mile run today, but the good news is that my ankle didn't hurt afterward like it did the first time. So even though it was the same distance, I'm counting that as progress!

Sounds like progress to me! Am I remembering correctly that you sprained it? I sprained my ankle about 6 months ago and I've just in the past few weeks gotten to where I feel comfortable doing all my activities without the brace. Sprains take a long time to heal.

 

Today was a good meal and exercise day. Meals were similar to yesterday and I walked 3 miles. I also drank 8 glasses of water.

[Soror]

I am feeling better. Not exactly great but better, we'll see how it goes. I have upped my food and carbs so weight loss is not happening. 

 

I'm working on getting caught up around the house.  Today we've got a hs thing, a little hiking and walking around.

I did weights today. Made a little progress on deadlifts, made a little "regress" on seated rows. Oh well, it was a great workout overall!

Thank you so much for the encouragement Soror! I hope that you get good news on the lab tests. Will it take long to get the results?

I should get results back next week.

 

Your welcome, sounds like you are getting back in the groove, slow and steady.

Edited September 8, 2017 by soror

[Greta]

Sounds like progress to me! Am I remembering correctly that you sprained it? I sprained my ankle about 6 months ago and I've just in the past few weeks gotten to where I feel comfortable doing all my activities without the brace. Sprains take a long time to heal.

 

Today was a good meal and exercise day. Meals were similar to yesterday and I walked 3 miles. I also drank 8 glasses of water.

 

 

Yes, sprained it in July.  It is a slow process, but I'm glad that yours is doing so much better!  I probably need to be doing lots more walking than I am, since running is still tricky.  I think we're going to do a family hike this weekend so that will be nice.

[wintermom]

My dc spent many hours at the wall climbing gym yesterday as a back-to-school treat, and I had to be there the entire time. They LOVED it, and I really enjoyed watching them. My wrist is still painful from tennis, so didn't participate though I'd love to try it when I'm healed. The upper body strength, as well as core strength required is huge. My ds 13, who is tall and light-weight really enjoyed it, and was very skilled and fast.

 

Indoor wall climbing has really exploded in popularity, it seems, though not many people were doing it when I was in my early 20s. I think I would have loved this sport, and I can see my dc doing it for years to come. Does anyone here do it? 

[Greta]

My dc spent many hours at the wall climbing gym yesterday as a back-to-school treat, and I had to be there the entire time. They LOVED it, and I really enjoyed watching them. My wrist is still painful from tennis, so didn't participate though I'd love to try it when I'm healed. The upper body strength, as well as core strength required is huge. My ds 13, who is tall and light-weight really enjoyed it, and was very skilled and fast.

 

Indoor wall climbing has really exploded in popularity, it seems, though not many people were doing it when I was in my early 20s. I think I would have loved this sport, and I can see my dc doing it for years to come. Does anyone here do it? 

 

 

That's awesome!  I'm too afraid of heights to enjoy that sport myself, but I love watching people do it.  It looks like so much fun (if you're not frozen by fear, of course!), and I would imagine there would be such a sense of accomplishment in scaling a vertical wall.  My husband used to do quite a lot of rock climbing and even some ice climbing.  I've always admired him for it, but never wanted to join him!  :D

[Soror]

My dc spent many hours at the wall climbing gym yesterday as a back-to-school treat, and I had to be there the entire time. They LOVED it, and I really enjoyed watching them. My wrist is still painful from tennis, so didn't participate though I'd love to try it when I'm healed. The upper body strength, as well as core strength required is huge. My ds 13, who is tall and light-weight really enjoyed it, and was very skilled and fast.

 

Indoor wall climbing has really exploded in popularity, it seems, though not many people were doing it when I was in my early 20s. I think I would have loved this sport, and I can see my dc doing it for years to come. Does anyone here do it? 

I've done some when I get a chance, I love it. Unfortunately, the closest place to me is 2 hrs away. My kids love it too.

[wintermom]

Dh and I were supposed to play mixed doubles with a group of friends tonight, but it was rainy and cold, and my wrist is still quite sore. I backed out of tennis and went to the gym instead. I did 20 min running, and a few high-intensity intervals on the recumbent bike.  I also got in a 30 min bike ride this afternoon and walked the dog.

 

 

[Laurie4b]

Walked for at least an hour today with 24 min of embedded jogging intervals on an absolutely gorgeous day at a beautiful farm turned recreational area nearby. Did upper, lower, core, and flex for back and chest. Off swing dancing with dh --probably for an hour or so. 

[wintermom]

Walked for at least an hour today with 24 min of embedded jogging intervals on an absolutely gorgeous day at a beautiful farm turned recreational area nearby. Did upper, lower, core, and flex for back and chest. Off swing dancing with dh --probably for an hour or so. 

 

How do you organize your walking/running intervals? I used to run 10 min then walk 1 min. I'd have a wrist watch with timer. I've also used physical landmarks along the route, like running to a certain light post and then walk 2 light posts. This more random pattern is called "fartlek" which is speed play in Swedish. I was first introduced to it in Norway - where it's also called fartlek, which is the same in Norwegian. ;)

[Laurie4b]

How do you organize your walking/running intervals? I used to run 10 min then walk 1 min. I'd have a wrist watch with timer. I've also used physical landmarks along the route, like running to a certain light post and then walk 2 light posts. This more random pattern is called "fartlek" which is speed play in Swedish. I was first introduced to it in Norway - where it's also called fartlek, which is the same in Norwegian. ;)

 i walk 7 min to warm up. I take my cell with me both to time intervals and to take heart rate b/c I am going for a certain range during intervals. After w/u,  I jog for 1 1/2 min and then walk anywhere from 30 sec to 1 1/2 min. (Generally at the beginning, I am fresh enough to just take 30 sec of walking;  towards the end, I am tired and walk longer or if I do a jogging interval at 90% of max hr, I rest with a longer walk phase. ) I just alternate between the jogging, which is always 1 1/2 min and the walking. Then, I wind up by walking the rest of the hour which also serves as a cool down. I started with 5 min of jogging and am working my way up to 30 min, adding an interval per week. 

 

I got into adding the jogging because i love, love love to exercise outside but my body was so acclimated to walking that I could barely budge my HR. 

 

The fartlek idea sounds fun! 

 

I was just thinking of you this afternoon because I have an old pair of cross country skis I want to get fixed because I also love cross country skiing. Other than in grad school, when I went once to the mountains, I've only ever done it in the neighborhood, but we don't get much snow. I really would like to be able to drive up to the mountains a few times during the winter. 

[2ndGenHomeschooler]

My dc spent many hours at the wall climbing gym yesterday as a back-to-school treat, and I had to be there the entire time. They LOVED it, and I really enjoyed watching them. My wrist is still painful from tennis, so didn't participate though I'd love to try it when I'm healed. The upper body strength, as well as core strength required is huge. My ds 13, who is tall and light-weight really enjoyed it, and was very skilled and fast.

 

Indoor wall climbing has really exploded in popularity, it seems, though not many people were doing it when I was in my early 20s. I think I would have loved this sport, and I can see my dc doing it for years to come. Does anyone here do it?

I've only climbed once but it was a lot of fun. The closest climbing gym is about 45 minutes away. A couple of years ago they decided to start offering homeschool hours and offered several free days to let the homeschool community try it out. I took the kids and we had a blast. Ultimately it's both too far away and too expensive for us but we'd do it more often if those things weren't an issue.

 

Most of this week was pretty good for me. I drank enough water every day which is a huge thing for me. I didn't get in a very good workout yesterday but today's about killed me :-P Today was karate class. It was 1.5 hours and was a tough one. Before class we had a karate demo for a local fair. I only participated in about 10 minutes of it but that 10 minutes was all fast paced and right at the end. I was tired out more than I realized by the time class started. My legs were jelly by the end. This afternoon I was unbelievably hungry and ended up eating stuff I shouldn't have because it was easier than the healthier food I'd planned. I need to prep some healthy options for when I don't have time, or am too hungry, to cook. I keep saying that but it hasn't happened yet. I really need to do it before we get busy with school and I'm really short on time.

[Soror]

Friday we had some hiking and such. 

 

On Friday dd2 fell and got a nasty cut on her leg. She was wailing like she was dying, it was horrible. I ran out carrying her, she fell at the bottom of a steep very rocky hill. I was running on adrenaline trying to get her to the van and to get my first aid kit to stop the bleeding. Then I ended up nearly passing out I guess from the stress combined with the lack of food (we hadn't ate lunch yet and my breakfast wasn't big). I grabbed a few prunes and sat down while some other Moms helped for awhile then I got her to urgent care and she got stitches. It was so stressful, she had to get stitches a few years ago and the dr was horrendous, she was nearly screaming in terror. We got her relatively calm and this dr. used numbing spray instead of lidocaine shots so it went much better. That really zapped it out of us. When I finally made it home I ate and ate. 

 

I still wasn't feeling too spunky yesterday, I ended up sleeping until 8:30, and I wasn't even up in the night. I'm usually up by 6:30 at the latest. I took a nap in the afternoon too. Anyway, we did a small bit of walking, cleaning, and some errands for Scout stuff but that was it. Today we have volunteer work so I'll be on my feet for several hours, otherwise we have house cleaning.

Edited September 10, 2017 by soror

[Laurie4b]

Friday we had some hiking and such. 

 

On Friday dd2 fell and got a nasty cut on her leg. She was wailing like she was dying, it was horrible. I ran out carrying her, she fell at the bottom of a steep very rocky hill. I was running on adrenaline trying to get her to the van and to get my first aid kit to stop the bleeding. Then I ended up nearly passing out I guess from the stress combined with the lack of food (we hadn't ate lunch yet and my breakfast wasn't big). I grabbed a few prunes and sat down while some other Moms helped for awhile then I got her to urgent care and she got stitches. It was so stressful, she had to get stitches a few years ago and the dr was horrendous, she was nearly screaming in terror. We got her relatively calm and this dr. used numbing spray instead of lidocaine shots so it went much better. That really zapped it out of us. When I finally made it home I ate and ate. 

 

I still wasn't feeling too spunky yesterday, I ended up sleeping until 8:30, and I wasn't even up in the night. I'm usually up by 6:30 at the latest. I took a nap in the afternoon too. Anyway, we did a small bit of walking, cleaning, and some errands for Scout stuff but that was it. Today we have volunteer work so I'll be on my feet for several hours, otherwise we have house cleaning.

  :grouphug:  to you and your dd. Sleep is such a restorative thing: very healing after a stressful event. 

[solascriptura]

Friday we had some hiking and such.

 

On Friday dd2 fell and got a nasty cut on her leg. She was wailing like she was dying, it was horrible. I ran out carrying her, she fell at the bottom of a steep very rocky hill. I was running on adrenaline trying to get her to the van and to get my first aid kit to stop the bleeding. Then I ended up nearly passing out I guess from the stress combined with the lack of food (we hadn't ate lunch yet and my breakfast wasn't big). I grabbed a few prunes and sat down while some other Moms helped for awhile then I got her to urgent care and she got stitches. It was so stressful, she had to get stitches a few years ago and the dr was horrendous, she was nearly screaming in terror. We got her relatively calm and this dr. used numbing spray instead of lidocaine shots so it went much better. That really zapped it out of us. When I finally made it home I ate and ate.

 

I still wasn't feeling too spunky yesterday, I ended up sleeping until 8:30, and I wasn't even up in the night. I'm usually up by 6:30 at the latest. I took a nap in the afternoon too. Anyway, we did a small bit of walking, cleaning, and some errands for Scout stuff but that was it. Today we have volunteer work so I'll be on my feet for several hours, otherwise we have house cleaning.

That sounds so stressful. I'm glad it went better than the previous time.

[wintermom]

Soror - How is your dd doing now? Sorry your hike ended up being so stressful. Hope you all recover quickly.

 

2ndgenhomeschooler - Way to go doing all that Karate in one day!  I'm with you on struggling with meal preparation, especially when people are hungry.  I've been really careful about keeping lots of nuts and seeds on hand for those times when the dc and I are starving. Fruit, cheese and milk are go-to snacks as well here.  This summer, when I was so busy with tennis (usually right around dinner time), I didn't even bother making or eating a large dinner. I have to be more disciplined now that there is a school routine and people need more organized meals. 

 

Laurie4b - Thanks for the details about your run/walk intervals. I've rarely exercised while monitoring HR. I will occasionally check that it's decreasing well after intense exercise, but I can usually feel the beating and feel how my breathing rate slows to normal.  What are your goals with HR monitoring? 

[Laurie4b]

 

 

Laurie4b - Thanks for the details about your run/walk intervals. I've rarely exercised while monitoring HR. I will occasionally check that it's decreasing well after intense exercise, but I can usually feel the beating and feel how my breathing rate slows to normal.  What are your goals with HR monitoring? 

 

I am going for a certain range in the HIIT intervals for various reasons related to general health goals (that many people have)  and personal health goals based on my medical history.

 

Keeping track of the numbers when I engage in exercise  that is not intrinsically interesting makes it more interesting to me than it would be to just walk and run for an hour without a goal.  For another, in the upper ranges, my perceived rate of exertion is lower than my actual rate of exertion.  Knowing the numbers means I will know for sure whether I need to dial it back for the next interval.  

[wintermom]

I am going for a certain range in the HIIT intervals for various reasons related to general health goals (that many people have)  and personal health goals based on my medical history.

 

Keeping track of the numbers when I engage in exercise  that is not intrinsically interesting makes it more interesting to me than it would be to just walk and run for an hour without a goal.  For another, in the upper ranges, my perceived rate of exertion is lower than my actual rate of exertion.  Knowing the numbers means I will know for sure whether I need to dial it back for the next interval.  

 

Sounds like a great way to get to know your body, and how it responds to different exercise! Are you keeping track of your improved training effect over the weeks and months? Have you noticed whether you can go faster and/or farther with your running intervals while maintaining similar HR?

[Laurie4b]

Sounds like a great way to get to know your body, and how it responds to different exercise! Are you keeping track of your improved training effect over the weeks and months? Have you noticed whether you can go faster and/or farther with your running intervals while maintaining similar HR?

 

Right now, I am still increasing numbers of intervals. Once I get to 30 min, then it will be easier to track the increase in ground covered in the same amount of time at the same HR range. I do know that compared to 5 years ago, I've taken about 30 bpm off my heart rate getting to the top of the steepest hill in our neighborhood. ;)