April Well-Trained Bodies

[Laura Corin]

6 hours ago, wintermom said:

Yikes! You got snow? My family in Alberta had a big snow storm last night, too. I'm fortunate that we didn't get any snow here. Hope things warm up for you soon. Golf closed on Sundays? That must be tough for working folks who only have the weekend to play. At least others in the community can use the area, which sounds great.

We've been getting snow flurries for the past week. Weird weather. It's more like tiny light hail really. The temp. Is meant to come up by 10 degrees C this week, so they should stop soon.

The Sunday closing is a legacy of strict religious prohibition of games on Sundays. There are lots of other golf courses that are open.  Because of the snow, I pretty much had the place to myself,  which was fun.

[Soror]

10 hours ago, lynn said:

Today is my birthday and I enjoyed a good steak and sourdough bread and of course chocolate ganache cake all without guilt .  back to my normal eating tomorrow.  Continuing on a body beast challenge.  Hoping to get a few running miles in is week.

Hope everyone had a good weekend and will enjoy some nice spring weather this week.

Happy Birthday! That sounds like a delicious meal, yumm!

14 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

Well done! I'm deep in my last essay for this module. Three weeks to go of the semester. It's been a lot of fun but I'm quite tired.

Good run this afternoon between  the crazy snow showers we are still getting. I ran the length of our local golf course, which is closed to golfers on Sundays.

Snow showers, eek! We're having days of 80 degree weather here. 3 weeks to go, you are nearly there.

On 4/10/2021 at 2:09 PM, MissLemon said:

Still going with DDP yoga. I have lost 9 lbs in 3.5 weeks.  I signed up for a virtual race around the Giza pyramids and have completed 25% of the route, (12 miles). 

Today is a rest day from DDP. I am just going to do some of the stretching workouts, and not the more intense ones, so my muscles can rest.

The psoas muscle in my right leg is super, super tight. I think my desk chair is the culprit, so I am looking into those "kneeling chairs" to help with that. 

Congratulations on the weight loss and continuing with exercise!

14 hours ago, wintermom said:

I need to rest my arms and shoulders today, so I went on a bike ride with ds 15 and a dog walk with dd. Otherwise, I'm sat at the computer trying to get some consulting work completed. 

I finished up my winter grad course on Friday!! Now just one course this summer and I'm done the diploma. 😃

Ya! You are so close!!!

On 4/10/2021 at 10:06 AM, Ali in OR said:

Did Yoga for Courage this morning. Of course I choose it for how long it takes, but Yoga for Courage is definitely applicable to work challenges these days. 10 more weeks to the school year and it's going to be a long 10 weeks. We're in the midst of changing schedules from online-only to hybrid, which is online in the morning and a little bit of in-person by cohorts in the afternoon. And after the state of OR agreed with CDC's new "kids can be 3' apart instead of 6' apart" guidance, we will only be in hybrid for 2 weeks before we go back to full in-person with everyone (no cohorts). But with some families opting to stay at home with little to no instruction. Daily health screenings, new attendance procedures, one-way walking patterns in school--it's all very a very stressful way to learn. So I'm finding I really need the weekends to recover! We'll go to dd's last soccer game today. In Thursday's last home soccer game, a 1-1 tie, she scored the only goal, and she's a defender. An amazing shot from way out along the sideline--best of her high school career. Kind of an exciting way to end your season.

Mercy, that does sound very stressful.

Good job to your daughter, that is awesome!

[Soror]

Can't remember when I checked in.

I got a nice walk with the girls at the Lake on Friday. Took a rest day on Saturday.

Did a family walk yesterday along with some yard work.

I'm planning more yard work today and some strength work.

[wintermom]

10 hours ago, lynn said:

Today is my birthday and I enjoyed a good steak and sourdough bread and of course chocolate ganache cake all without guilt .  back to my normal eating tomorrow.  Continuing on a body beast challenge.  Hoping to get a few running miles in is week.

Hope everyone had a good weekend and will enjoy some nice spring weather this week.

Happy Birthday! Hope you had a wonderful day. Enjoy your running this week.

31 minutes ago, Soror said:

Can't remember when I checked in.

I got a nice walk with the girls at the Lake on Friday. Took a rest day on Saturday.

Did a family walk yesterday along with some yard work.

I'm planning more yard work today and some strength work.

The family walks sound amazing! Hope you enjoy the outdoor yard work. I enjoyed a family basketball 'game' yesterday. We didn't do any scrimmage, just various shots on the basket. It was fun, and great to see everyone off of screens (myself included). 🙄

[Ali in OR]

Did my 30 min on the treadmill this morning. Sunday is officially my rest day, but I did place some more pavers yesterday for our second, longer path. That counts as weight lifting, right? We got far enough along to figure out we need to go buy more pavers for the last 4' or so of path. Got the salad made this morning: spinach, romaine, cukes, grape tomatoes, turkey, red pepper, and I'll add salad toppings and Italian dressing. This weekend I did not do salads at lunch but I did have them at dinner (and I usually don't have them at dinner when I have them for lunch). I'm still getting a salad a day.

[wintermom]

I got in a couple of dog walk today. Was supposed to go for a quick canoe paddle with ds15, but we postponed until tomorrow as the winds were too strong. 

[*Jessica*]

I’d like to join in.  I’m seriously obese and out of shape, but ready to tackle the challenge of slimming down and getting stronger.  For the last few weeks I’ve walked a mile or two per day with the family to get me started.  It’s my favorite part of the day.  Tomorrow morning I start joining my dad on his morning walks.  He says he gets about 6,000 steps during those walks, but I’ll use the MapMyWalk app to see how far it is in miles since I don’t use a FitBit.  If I walk every morning with him and then do the walk in the evening with everyone I should easily get 10,000 steps a day.  That alone should put me in a better place.  

I also just bought myself one of those adult tricycles.  😂  I love riding bikes, but after falling and hurting myself a couple of years ago I gave my bike away.  I miss it, though, so I’m going to try the trike so I can ride without worrying I’m going to kill myself. 😜 It’s about 2 miles to the big park where my husband and kids usually ride, so I’ll try to ride that daily as well.  I just have to get Dh to help me build the beast!

As far as food, I know if I’m too rigid I will never lose the weight.  So my plan is to continue intermittent fasting and eat mostly a Mediterranean diet, but not beat myself up or deny myself treats sometimes.  I’m just trying to change habits here, not diet.  Over the last month or two I’ve given up diet soda except for about once a week at a drive thru (no buying it for home), and am drinking only water and sometimes coffee.  I’m struggling with the lack of caffeine, so coffee may become a daily habit.  I don’t like black coffee at all, though, so I’m either having more sugar or artificial sweetener than I would prefer.  I’m really hoping to adjust to the lack of caffeine so I can just stick to water and unsweetened herbal tea daily.  

So, that’s where I’m starting from.  I hope some accountability will make getting healthier a bit easier.  

BTW~ I was formerly *Jessica*, a member since before my 17yo was born; the board just wouldn’t let me log in after the recent update.  I’ve never been a prolific poster, but I’ve been around for a long time.  

 

Edited April 13, 2021 by *Jessica*
Hit save too soon!

[Ali in OR]

@StillJessica Welcome! I love the steps you're taking. Hope some new habits stick for you!

[Laura Corin]

@StillJessica welcome!  You've got a really good plan!  Feel free to post as often as is useful to you: some post daily, some once a month.  Watch out on the corners with your trike - the cornering takes a bit of getting used to, according to my mum's experience.  Technology might have improved though - it's been decades.

-----------------------

I had a lovely brisk dog walk yesterday, then yoga in the evening.  Today will probably be similar, although I need to drive over to my mum's care home after work to drop off her hearing aid, so I don't know if I'll manage the yoga.  Maybe some bedtime, wind-down yoga.

I've been interested in fasting for gut health rather than weight loss (I did the 5:2 diet for a couple of years and didn't find it useful for weight loss - I was much too likely to eat stupidly at other times, I think).  It occured to me that I could skip breakfast on my non-running days and get a good 17-hour break from eating.  I tried that yesterday and it seemed fine, so I'm doing that again today.  My foot is a bit sore, for unknown reasons, so I'm taking a break from running until it feels good.  It's a bit frustrating as the next run will mark the official end of my C25K - I'm not running 5K yet, but it's still a milestone.

[*Jessica*]

2.59 mile walk done!  Tomorrow I don’t have a morning appointment to get to, so we’re going to vary the walk a bit to make it at least 3 miles.  The weather was perfect this morning and the birds were loving it as much as Dad and I were.  I realized my iPhone has a step counter in the Health app, so I can track my steps, too.  So far I have 6,700 steps, so I will be able to easily get 10,000 every day unless the weather is terrible.  

I regret so much all of the inactive years I’ve spent.  I graduated high school and without varsity soccer to keep me exercising I just never did much physical activity.  Hypothyroidism setting in, three kids, depression, and many years later..... if only I had a time machine, right?  I’ll never be a size 6 again, but a 12 would be nice!  

[Ali in OR]

Did my bodyweight circuit x2 and tried to do a 10 min stress relief yoga but one of my stressors kept interrupting me. There is stress in every corner of life right now (and I know that's a very common affliction at this time). Both kids at home are stressing me out. My disabled dd has traded sleep for screaming. She used to sleep 13 hours a day up until a month ago. Now there is so much screaming, especially if we try to put her down to sleep. I think I will try to make her annual neurology appointment a bit early. Not sure what is going on. My senior has to figure out where to go to college this month, and she did not get into her ideal choices. So there's lots of figuring out to do--accepted to first-choice major at this school, might like this other school better but only accepted into second-choice major...etc. So I wake up at 4:15 trying to problem solve her situation and then hear other dd screaming...

On the plus side, the tamale lady came by last night. We had a couple of moms at our school last year who would occasionally sell tamales to the staff. They make wonderful lunches and I would buy a dozen and put them in the freezer. I had been missing that in Covid times. Then in December, there's a knock on the door and it turns out there's a couple going door-to-door selling tamales (not the same people as at school). And yes, I've heard about not buying meat from random vans that come to your door, but buying tamales to support this family in the middle of a pandemic just felt like the right thing to do. And they were so good--the best I've had. My coworker breaks them up into her salad, so maybe I'll try that to get my lunch salad in, or maybe I'll just have a side salad. I'm definitely having a tamale!

[Soror]

1 hour ago, StillJessica said:

2.59 mile walk done!  Tomorrow I don’t have a morning appointment to get to, so we’re going to vary the walk a bit to make it at least 3 miles.  The weather was perfect this morning and the birds were loving it as much as Dad and I were.  I realized my iPhone has a step counter in the Health app, so I can track my steps, too.  So far I have 6,700 steps, so I will be able to easily get 10,000 every day unless the weather is terrible.  

I regret so much all of the inactive years I’ve spent.  I graduated high school and without varsity soccer to keep me exercising I just never did much physical activity.  Hypothyroidism setting in, three kids, depression, and many years later..... if only I had a time machine, right?  I’ll never be a size 6 again, but a 12 would be nice!  

Great job! 

My fitbit died in the fall and I have a knock off one coming so I'll be joining you in steps goals. 

12 hours ago, StillJessica said:

I’d like to join in.  I’m seriously obese and out of shape, but ready to tackle the challenge of slimming down and getting stronger.  For the last few weeks I’ve walked a mile or two per day with the family to get me started.  It’s my favorite part of the day.  Tomorrow morning I start joining my dad on his morning walks.  He says he gets about 6,000 steps during those walks, but I’ll use the MapMyWalk app to see how far it is in miles since I don’t use a FitBit.  If I walk every morning with him and then do the walk in the evening with everyone I should easily get 10,000 steps a day.  That alone should put me in a better place.  

I also just bought myself one of those adult tricycles.  😂  I love riding bikes, but after falling and hurting myself a couple of years ago I gave my bike away.  I miss it, though, so I’m going to try the trike so I can ride without worrying I’m going to kill myself. 😜 It’s about 2 miles to the big park where my husband and kids usually ride, so I’ll try to ride that daily as well.  I just have to get Dh to help me build the beast!

As far as food, I know if I’m too rigid I will never lose the weight.  So my plan is to continue intermittent fasting and eat mostly a Mediterranean diet, but not beat myself up or deny myself treats sometimes.  I’m just trying to change habits here, not diet.  Over the last month or two I’ve given up diet soda except for about once a week at a drive thru (no buying it for home), and am drinking only water and sometimes coffee.  I’m struggling with the lack of caffeine, so coffee may become a daily habit.  I don’t like black coffee at all, though, so I’m either having more sugar or artificial sweetener than I would prefer.  I’m really hoping to adjust to the lack of caffeine so I can just stick to water and unsweetened herbal tea daily.  

So, that’s where I’m starting from.  I hope some accountability will make getting healthier a bit easier.  

BTW~ I was formerly *Jessica*, a member since before my 17yo was born; the board just wouldn’t let me log in after the recent update.  I’ve never been a prolific poster, but I’ve been around for a long time.  

 

I remember you Jessica, welcome! I try to eat Mediterreanish, sometimes more or less so. I never eat perfectly. I aim for 90/10 or 80/20. Walking is so great. I always feel good and good about myself the more I get in. Have fun on your trike!

Fwiw a mile is usually around 2000 steps more or less depending on your gait and the terrain. 

6 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

@StillJessica welcome!  You've got a really good plan!  Feel free to post as often as is useful to you: some post daily, some once a month.  Watch out on the corners with your trike - the cornering takes a bit of getting used to, according to my mum's experience.  Technology might have improved though - it's been decades.

-----------------------

I had a lovely brisk dog walk yesterday, then yoga in the evening.  Today will probably be similar, although I need to drive over to my mum's care home after work to drop off her hearing aid, so I don't know if I'll manage the yoga.  Maybe some bedtime, wind-down yoga.

I've been interested in fasting for gut health rather than weight loss (I did the 5:2 diet for a couple of years and didn't find it useful for weight loss - I was much too likely to eat stupidly at other times, I think).  It occured to me that I could skip breakfast on my non-running days and get a good 17-hour break from eating.  I tried that yesterday and it seemed fine, so I'm doing that again today.  My foot is a bit sore, for unknown reasons, so I'm taking a break from running until it feels good.  It's a bit frustrating as the next run will mark the official end of my C25K - I'm not running 5K yet, but it's still a milestone.

Fingers crossed you can get back to running soon. It is beyond annoying to be sidelined by injuries when you are wanting to exercise.

20 minutes ago, Ali in OR said:

Did my bodyweight circuit x2 and tried to do a 10 min stress relief yoga but one of my stressors kept interrupting me. There is stress in every corner of life right now (and I know that's a very common affliction at this time). Both kids at home are stressing me out. My disabled dd has traded sleep for screaming. She used to sleep 13 hours a day up until a month ago. Now there is so much screaming, especially if we try to put her down to sleep. I think I will try to make her annual neurology appointment a bit early. Not sure what is going on. My senior has to figure out where to go to college this month, and she did not get into her ideal choices. So there's lots of figuring out to do--accepted to first-choice major at this school, might like this other school better but only accepted into second-choice major...etc. So I wake up at 4:15 trying to problem solve her situation and then hear other dd screaming...

On the plus side, the tamale lady came by last night. We had a couple of moms at our school last year who would occasionally sell tamales to the staff. They make wonderful lunches and I would buy a dozen and put them in the freezer. I had been missing that in Covid times. Then in December, there's a knock on the door and it turns out there's a couple going door-to-door selling tamales (not the same people as at school). And yes, I've heard about not buying meat from random vans that come to your door, but buying tamales to support this family in the middle of a pandemic just felt like the right thing to do. And they were so good--the best I've had. My coworker breaks them up into her salad, so maybe I'll try that to get my lunch salad in, or maybe I'll just have a side salad. I'm definitely having a tamale!

I'm so sorry to hear aobut your dd's trouble. I can't imagine how stressful that is. Fingers crossed you get her into neurology and they figure something out.I'm sure it is a stress figuring out dd's college too. Ya for yummy tamales!

[Soror]

Strength training in the am and lots of work outside- therefore no walk (plenty of movement though). 

I'll probably take it pretty easy today. I did a another short strength training workout this am.

Kids and cat woke me in the night so there is a good chance I'll nap today. And I messed up my alarm this morning. I usually get up 30 minutes before I teach. It doesn't take very long to get ready- I just brush my teeth, hair, throw on some lip gloss and a tshirt but I like to have a bit of time to look over lessons for the next day too and not be rushed. Well, today I woke up all groggy because I had been up in the night. Once I woke up and realized the time I was in a blind panic. My alarm was set for 5:30 and my first class was 5:30. I can get a No show for being as much as 10 seconds late. I ran downstairs in my sleeping shirt, no bra, hair brushed or anything else and jumped on the computer. I kept putting in the old password b/c my brain wasn't working. I finally got logged in 2.5 minutes late and my student was still there. She was younger and I guess didn't realize I was late- I got so lucky. But then I couldn't wake up dd until after class which put her 30 minutes late. My adrenaline was racing for over an hour. 

Edited April 13, 2021 by Soror

[Lucy the Valiant]

I've been slacking off on the posting here, but not on the walking. Just got back from 3 miles with doggo (yep, still over the moon for that guy ❤️ ), and spring has sprung! My favorite way to exercise is gardening / cleaning up yard, and I've been able to do that a bit, too. 

Down 5 pounds in March, and down 1.5 so far in April . . . just keeping on trucking along here, and feeling SO MUCH WONDERFUL with the progress. This is sort of a life re-set for me. 

And - please forgive me if this is out of place in this thread, but - YOU GUYS. I clicked on Alicia64's blog here (she posts in these threads), The Inspired Eater, and I have been blown away by her helpful weight loss tips, fun strategies, and really practical approaches. She's amazing. Go read her stuff.

 

[Lucy the Valiant]

On 4/2/2021 at 2:39 PM, MissLemon said:

I started doing DDP yoga mid-March, based off the suggestion of ktgrok and ottakee.  I'm really liking the program so far. I've lost 6 lbs, too! 

My goal for April is to do a DDPY workout every day. I am going to start working out with resistance bands a few times a week, too. 

What's DDP yoga?

[Shoeless]

1 hour ago, Lucy the Valiant said:

What's DDP yoga?

It's a program created by a former WWE wrestler. I have precious little interest in wrestling, so I found it surprising how appealing this program is to me.  One of the foundations of the program is that people should "start where they are at" fitness-wise, and build from there. The program has helped a lot of people who have significant mobility issues get stronger so they can get moving again.  I've tried so many other fitness dvds and programs, and failed at them because there were a lot of moves I simply could not do, and I didn't know what to do instead.  But this program acknowledges that not everyone can do a push up, or maybe they've got bad knees or a bad back, and says "Ok, here's how to modify this move so it a) won't hurt and b) keeps you participating".   It helps that I think DDP is actually sincere and really wants to help people get moving again. 

Never, Ever Give Up. Arthur's Inspirational Transformation! - Bing video

Welcome to DDP YOGA - The Most Complete Fitness System on the Planet Created by Diamond Dallas Page

[wintermom]

@StillJessica Welcome. The walking sounds great. It's nice to have people to walk with.

@Lucy the Valiant Thanks for checking in. That's awesome weight loss. Glad your dog is keeping you company on your walks!

@MissLemon The yoga program sounds great. Glad they are working well for you.

I went for a long walk with dd and the dog this afternoon, and then ds 15 and I went for a paddle in the canoe. It was a beautiful, warm day! 

 

Edited April 14, 2021 by wintermom

[Lucy the Valiant]

2 hours ago, MissLemon said:

 

Never, Ever Give Up. Arthur's Inspirational Transformation! - Bing video

 

Oh, gosh, I loved this. Thank you for sharing it. 

[Shoeless]

36 minutes ago, Lucy the Valiant said:

Oh, gosh, I loved this. Thank you for sharing it. 

The man in the video is named Arthur Boorman. He is one of the "fitness models" that DDP uses for the workout videos.  They don't actually use "models", but use real people that have used the program and benefited from it.  It keeps one motivated; if Arthur could do it, there's really no reason why I can't! 🙂 

[*Jessica*]

I walked another 1.3 miles with Dh and my mom last night for a total of 3.9 intentional miles yesterday.  

I weighed 2 lbs less this morning after stalling a bit around Easter and my Dad’s birthday weekends, so yay!  Dad and I walked 3.7 miles this morning and I already have over 9,000 steps for the day at 11am.  Feeling good!  It’s supposed to rain tomorrow, though.  Hopefully there will be a break in the rain at some point, because I feel so much better when I get out and walk.  Maybe I will try yoga.  

Laura, I’m trying to do an 8-hour eating window then fast for 16 hours.  Eating outside of that 8 hr period is usually just boredom eating for me, so even if I’m not always sticking to a strict 8hr timeframe I’m at least paying attention, which should help me lose weight easier.  Gut health would be a great benefit, too!  

Ali, DD trading sleep for screaming does sound stressful.  I hope they figure the cause out soon and yoga helps in the meantime!  
 

 

[Laura Corin]

Lovely dog walk in the sunshine at lunchtime.  Our boiler (central heating) seems to have stopped working, so I'm glad that this might be the last day of frost for a few weeks.  I have my Eng. Lit. class this evening, so I'll do some wind-down yoga afterwards to help me sleep.  My foot is still a bit sore, so I'm not back running yet.  Skipping breakfast doesn't seem to be a hardship on these days when I don't do vigorous exercise.

[SKL]

Hi guys.  I was a dropout again last month.  I haven't done much in the past couple weeks other than eat a lot of Easter candy.

My pup does not like going for walks ... at least, not yet.  I still make him go down and up our cul-de-sac every day.  Bribes work.  When will he become my walk buddy??  Anyhoo ... he does get me outside a bit, but it's still hardly any exercise compared to what I had been doing.  And he keeps me too distracted to focus much on anything else.

I think I'll sign us up for a TKD camp this Saturday to get us caught up on our belt requirements.  Then I hope we can get back to going at least once or twice a week.  But with Kid1 having track mostly every day, that may not be so easy.

With the Easter candy mostly gone, I am gonna try to diet some for a while.

[Ali in OR]

Did the kickboxing workout this morning. Yesterday's tamale salad was excellent. Today's lunch will be a taco salad with a little bit of leftover pork carnitas. Seizures this morning (dd, not me), but at least she's not screaming. Hoping she sleeps them off.

Our high school is cramming all three sports seasons in from late Feb through mid-June. Soccer is over, first track meet is tomorrow! We did fall sports first, now spring, then we'll pick up winter which was supposed to be Jan but they had to move it when the surge was going on. I signed up to work the triple jump for all our home meets. Dd will be doing that for the first time, long jump (which she went to the state meet in two years ago), the 200, and the 4x400 relay. Supposed to be 72°--should be fun.

[*Jessica*]

@SKL I hope your pup starts liking walks soon!  My poor dad lost his dog about two weeks ago.  She was his walking buddy.  They’re getting a new puppy and I hope he likes to walk as much as Greta did or Dad will be bummed.  We saw a black lab today on our walk that obviously didn’t want to walk anymore.  He sat down and that was that.  It was so funny!  I don’t know how the guy was going to get him moving again; they had quite a ways to go still and he was definitely too big to carry.  
 

@Ali in OR I think our schools must be cramming all of the sports into one, too.  Or the rec program is.  When we walk at the park with the sports fields there are usually practice or games for football, baseball, and soccer going at the same time!  Good luck to your daughter and enjoy the weather!  It’s only in the high 50s here, which is nice for walking but a bit cool to sit around not moving.

[wintermom]

I got in 2 nice dog walks and a paddle in the canoe with ds 18 yesterday. It all felt great!  

@SKL and @Ali in OR and @StillJessica I'm so jealous of the sports your dc are able to do. We are in total lockdown for any sports other than in your own yard. It's like being back in time a year ago. I'm thrilled we have a canoe, bikes and basketball hoop in our driveway so at least my dc can access these. They don't use them much. It's not anywhere near as fun as playing team games with friends. I can't wait for life to be back to normal for my kids' sake. 😒

[Ali in OR]

Well, I did get in a dumbbell workout this morning before seizures upended my day. Used a diastat (emergency valium) which usually gets things back under control. Then used a second one an hour later when it didn't. Watching dd sleep now. I did call the neuro yesterday to try to get her in before her June annual checkup. She has to transition from the peds neuro to adult neuro. Got her scheduled for.....wait for it... June 24. We're in discussion with the medical assistants about what to do for the immediate issues. I'm expecting a call back about med adjustments.

Not zooming in to classes today but I can do some offline work while I watch her. 

[Laura Corin]

@Ali in OR I'm sorry that it's so long until the appointment. 

Really good walk at top speed up a hill at lunchtime.  We are still getting frosts at night but I was sweating in the sun. Needing to get back in time for a meeting kept me going.

I am redoing a 14-day Kassandra yoga programme that I have done once in bits and pieces. While I wait for my foot to be good for running again I'm repeating the yoga with more consistency.  It's not too easy and I'm starting to regain my yoga strength.

[*Jessica*]

Wednesday ended with over 14,000 steps, of which over 5.5 miles were walking at the park. 

Yesterday and today it is rainy and 40*F and I haven’t walked.  The depression just came roaring back.  I’ve decided that from this point forward if I’m not planning on walking due to the weather I will go to my parents’ house and use the treadmill.  I had planned on trying yoga, but as a newbie I was feeling...I guess some anxiety about starting, so I just cleaned the house and sat around watching tv.  Not doing that again.  It’s pretty obvious that I can not skip more than one day!  
 

@wintermom your kids aren’t alone!  Mine haven’t seen friends in person since July of 2020.  None of mine are on sports teams (my only athlete has Kohler’s Syndrome which affects the bones in her feet, so she doesn’t get to play competitive sports.)  And judging by the unmasked kids all over the park and the rising numbers of youth testing Covid+ and contact tracing suggesting that sports are to blame means it probably isn’t good that life appears back-to-normal for athletes in my area.  I’m sorry your kids are struggling, too, though.  It really does suck.

@Ali in OR Yay for a workout!  Boo for seizures and a June!!! appointment.  Hopefully they’ll be able to see her sooner.  

@Laura Corin I wish the sun was out here, it would make walking in these temps bearable.  I’m impressed you can exercise on your lunch break.  I sweat heavily, which frankly is a really big reason I’ve always been so hesitant to exercise.  If I walked on a lunch break I would have to change my clothes before getting back to work!  Even when I was a skinny teenager I would sweat like that; now that I’m fat it’s even worse.  I’ve just finally given up on caring if I look like a sweaty mess in public!  🤣 Getting older really can be liberating.  I even wear my yoga pants where other people can see me.  😁

[Ali in OR]

Yesterday with dd was rough; today has been better. We saw her primary care doctor this morning and we're going to check for a UTI. I think that's a good thing to check--could explain the screaming. Getting a urine sample will be tomorrow's project! As I talked with the neurology medical assistants several times yesterday, her current peds neuro decided he wants to see her Monday to work on the current problem and then we'll still go in June to transfer to the adult neuro. And while none of this is fun, I have to say I enjoyed the break from Zoom!

Today's workout was 30 min on the treadmill. Lunch salad was a simple side salad to go with a leftover enchilada. Just romaine, grape tomatoes, oil and vinegar and salt and pepper, but it was refreshing. I think I'm getting used to the daily salad.

[Ali in OR]

Did a yoga for anxiety and stress. I woke up around 2:30 last night, eventually went out to the sofa, was probably awake for a couple of hours before falling asleep. Bleah. Too much to think about in the middle of the night.

We're supposed to reach the low 80's today and tomorrow which is crazy warm for April. And we've had no rain in April. Doesn't bode well for drought and fire season, but we'll enjoy a nice day today. Yeah, probably enjoy it by working in the yard. I have a blueberry bush to plant and dh will get more pavers to finish laying out the second path.

[wintermom]

I took the dog for one short walk yesterday and that was the extent of my outdoor (and indoor) physical activity. I did manage to submit the first draft of the final report on my consultant job, so I'm one step closer to just working one job. 😉 Today I'm going for a nice long canoe paddle with ds18. Ds15 also asked me to go for a run with him, so I'll definitely do that. 

@Ali in OR I really hope your dd's immediate health issues get resolved quickly. That's got to be tough for you and her. I hope the transition from ped to adult care goes really smoothly. 

@StillJessica I hear ya with needing daily movement! For me, I'm on a streak of daily outdoor movement, so I get out there in all temps. I dress for the weather and pick where I walk if there's wind. It's pretty empowering to not have to rely on 'good' weather. 🙂 My streak is over a year, for sure. I started counting at the beginning of Covid, but I was outdoors a lot before that. I can't break the streak now, so it's great motivation!

[*Jessica*]

I’m going to have to figure out how to dress for the weather, for sure!  I sweat and then my clothes are wet and the cold gets to be too much.  Maybe I should try a wool undershirt.  A one year+ streak of outdoor exercise is amazing, @wintermom!  If I remember correctly you’re in Ontario, right?  I imagine your weather is similar or worse than the weather here in Buffalo, NY, so that’s quite an accomplishment!  

DH finally got my trike built so I’ve been riding up and down the dead end street and our driveway to get used to it.  It’s definitely different than riding a bike, but I think I’m going to love it!  I can already feel it in my thighs, though.  It’s another 40* day with wind and DH doesn’t want to ride bikes because he’s thin and the wind cuts right through him, but we’re going for a walk later.  

[wintermom]

3 hours ago, StillJessica said:

I’m going to have to figure out how to dress for the weather, for sure!  I sweat and then my clothes are wet and the cold gets to be too much.  Maybe I should try a wool undershirt.  A one year+ streak of outdoor exercise is amazing, @wintermom!  If I remember correctly you’re in Ontario, right?  I imagine your weather is similar or worse than the weather here in Buffalo, NY, so that’s quite an accomplishment!  

DH finally got my trike built so I’ve been riding up and down the dead end street and our driveway to get used to it.  It’s definitely different than riding a bike, but I think I’m going to love it!  I can already feel it in my thighs, though.  It’s another 40* day with wind and DH doesn’t want to ride bikes because he’s thin and the wind cuts right through him, but we’re going for a walk later.  

Yes, I'm in Ontario, but much farther north than you in balmy Buffalo. 😉  I sweat while skate skiing and running in the winter, but there is an art to dressing to exercise in the cold. First, the layer of clothing next to the skin should be 'wicking' or non-absorbing (the opposite of cotton). Quick-dry is good, wool is ok but not necessary because it's usually uncomfortable next to the skin. Next layer is insulating, but not overly heavy. Fleece is nice and lightweight. The top layer is for wind or moisture (rain, snow), with zippers in the arm pits to allow heat to escape. Don't dress to be warm the minute you step out of the house or you'll overheat for sure when your body temp increases with exercise. 

Enjoy your cycling! Padded cycling shorts are awesome for comfort. Required for long rides IME. 

[wintermom]

The canoeing was excellent this morning! My brother sent me a decal for the canoe. It's a viking compass. Pretty cool!

[Laura Corin]

7 hours ago, Ali in OR said:

Did a yoga for anxiety and stress. I woke up around 2:30 last night, eventually went out to the sofa, was probably awake for a couple of hours before falling asleep. Bleah. Too much to think about in the middle of the night.

I'm sorry about the stress. Recently I have been imagining or remembering yoga routines, in real time with all the breathing, to calm me into sleep. I don't know if that's a technique that might work for you.

6 hours ago, wintermom said:

 I did manage to submit the first draft of the final report on my consultant job, so I'm one step closer to just working one job. 😉 

Well done! I completed the first draft of my final essay for this module, so I'm on track.

On 4/16/2021 at 9:33 PM, StillJessica said:

 

@Laura Corin I wish the sun was out here, it would make walking in these temps bearable.  I’m impressed you can exercise on your lunch break.  I sweat heavily, which frankly is a really big reason I’ve always been so hesitant to exercise.  If I walked on a lunch break I would have to change my clothes before getting back to work!  Even when I was a skinny teenager I would sweat like that; now that I’m fat it’s even worse.  I’ve just finally given up on caring if I look like a sweaty mess in public!  🤣 Getting older really can be liberating.  I even wear my yoga pants where other people can see me.  😁

I sweat too. I'm so much happier living in Scotland than in Hong Kong, where I was for seven years.  I'm working from home at the moment so I can cool down slowly in my own company. When I have to go back to the office, I'll be taking moderate strolls at lunchtime.  There is a shower but there's not usually time to use it.

---------  

Sunny again today but I was indoors working on my essay. I made it outside at 5pm and took a gentle 3.5 mile walk along a farm track over hills. I  hope to run tomorrow.  The gorse is in flower and the air smells of coconut. 

[wintermom]

@Laura Corin Lovely photo! Beautiful blossoms and a gorgeous blue sky! Your evenings must be getting longer, too. I'll be loving the longer, warmer evenings this spring and summer so I can exercise in the evenings after a full day of work. There isn't much daylight before and after work in the winter. 

I'm going canoeing with ds 17 this afternoon. I'm sure I'll get in a couple walks and perhaps a quick bike ride, too. Dd and I biked to get the groceries for dinner yesterday. It's so nice to be able to hop on my bike and run errands again. 😉

[lynn]

This weeks challenge was beach body AWOHL (A Week of Hard Labor), I added some running, ab work and yoga.  This week is mostly Hammer workouts, hoping for good weather to be able to run some.   I picked up a spri slide board for something different.  

[*Jessica*]

I only got in a 2.5 mile walk today, but we also moved a bunch of furniture and books.  DH and our 9yo played tennis while I walked with my parents.  One of the park duck pairs has an egg, so we may get to see a duckling on our walks soon.  

[SKL]

We did make it to the TKD camp on Saturday, and the kids passed their "step test."  Although we have a lot of other things going on nowadays, I think they will be motivated to make it to TKD for a while, because their current form uses nunchucks.  (I should probably buy some for practice at home.)

The pup is still weird about walking, but we managed to exceed half a mile the other day, so we're making progress.

I looked at my iphone health app, and surprisingly, the amount of recent walking is more than I thought.  I even got 3 miles in some days, not including whatever I did without my phone on me.  So I feel a bit better about that.

My hope this week is to get back to daily TKD & yoga practice + walk outdoors at least a mile daily, even if it means the pup doesn't come with me for all of it.

[Soror]

On 4/16/2021 at 2:38 PM, Laura Corin said:

@Ali in OR I'm sorry that it's so long until the appointment. 

Really good walk at top speed up a hill at lunchtime.  We are still getting frosts at night but I was sweating in the sun. Needing to get back in time for a meeting kept me going.

I am redoing a 14-day Kassandra yoga programme that I have done once in bits and pieces. While I wait for my foot to be good for running again I'm repeating the yoga with more consistency.  It's not too easy and I'm starting to regain my yoga strength.

We are going to get a couple days of frost this week, that is unusual that time of year for here. 

I've not done a lot of yoga lately and I feel it when I do, it works different muscles. Is the foot feeling any better?

On 4/16/2021 at 3:33 PM, StillJessica said:

Wednesday ended with over 14,000 steps, of which over 5.5 miles were walking at the park. 

Yesterday and today it is rainy and 40*F and I haven’t walked.  The depression just came roaring back.  I’ve decided that from this point forward if I’m not planning on walking due to the weather I will go to my parents’ house and use the treadmill.  I had planned on trying yoga, but as a newbie I was feeling...I guess some anxiety about starting, so I just cleaned the house and sat around watching tv.  Not doing that again.  It’s pretty obvious that I can not skip more than one day!  

Huzzah on the nice long walk. 

An idea for you is to try a walking video. There are free ones on YouTube. Those are very easy and a good way to get in some steps.

On 4/16/2021 at 6:52 PM, Ali in OR said:

Yesterday with dd was rough; today has been better. We saw her primary care doctor this morning and we're going to check for a UTI. I think that's a good thing to check--could explain the screaming. Getting a urine sample will be tomorrow's project! As I talked with the neurology medical assistants several times yesterday, her current peds neuro decided he wants to see her Monday to work on the current problem and then we'll still go in June to transfer to the adult neuro. And while none of this is fun, I have to say I enjoyed the break from Zoom!

Today's workout was 30 min on the treadmill. Lunch salad was a simple side salad to go with a leftover enchilada. Just romaine, grape tomatoes, oil and vinegar and salt and pepper, but it was refreshing. I think I'm getting used to the daily salad.

I hope you get some answers today and a break from the stress.

53 minutes ago, SKL said:

We did make it to the TKD camp on Saturday, and the kids passed their "step test."  Although we have a lot of other things going on nowadays, I think they will be motivated to make it to TKD for a while, because their current form uses nunchucks.  (I should probably buy some for practice at home.)

The pup is still weird about walking, but we managed to exceed half a mile the other day, so we're making progress.

I looked at my iphone health app, and surprisingly, the amount of recent walking is more than I thought.  I even got 3 miles in some days, not including whatever I did without my phone on me.  So I feel a bit better about that.

My hope this week is to get back to daily TKD & yoga practice + walk outdoors at least a mile daily, even if it means the pup doesn't come with me for all of it.

Congrats to your kiddos!

best of luck on your goals this week.

[Soror]

Last week was stressful and I can't even remember when I posted here. I've switched to doing more strength training at a slower pace and walking (with outside work here and there). Shorter and easier cardio.

I didn't get any exercise Saturday as I taught in the morning and then was busy with dd for her bday. Yesterday I did a walking video in the am and then did some outside work (shoveling). I worked out every other day.

Today I've already did a short weight workout and short inside walk. I'm getting ready to do a bit of cardio. 

[*Jessica*]

I had a busy day with an appointment, grocery pickup at two stores, and a stop at my grandparents’, but still managed a 2.85 mile walk and my first .25 mile trike ride.  Then we played a hilarious half hour of “tennis” in our driveway.  I’m about 1,000 steps short of my 10,000 step goal, but I think I’m done and my butt will remain firmly on the couch. lol 

My parents had their second covid vaccines today, so hopefully they’ll feel good enough tomorrow for at least an evening walk.  I think we’ll drive the 30 minutes to see the cherry blossoms at the Japanese Garden.  I’ve never been and I really want to see it before the snow ruins everything on Wednesday!  I’ll be walking on the treadmill that day!  I do NOT have wintermom’s discipline or winter-appropriate wardrobe!  😛  

[wintermom]

9 hours ago, Soror said:

Last week was stressful and I can't even remember when I posted here. I've switched to doing more strength training at a slower pace and walking (with outside work here and there). Shorter and easier cardio.

I didn't get any exercise Saturday as I taught in the morning and then was busy with dd for her bday. Yesterday I did a walking video in the am and then did some outside work (shoveling). I worked out every other day.

Today I've already did a short weight workout and short inside walk. I'm getting ready to do a bit of cardio. 

Happy Birthday to your dd!!

[wintermom]

I took the dog for 2 walks today, and ds18 and I went for an hour canoe paddle. The wind and current were very strange today, and for much of the trip we both paddled on the same side of the canoe to keep it straight. Every time out is a new experience, that's for sure! 😄

[Ali in OR]

I did my 30 min on the treadmill this morning. Rough weekend with dd. Saw the neurologist today and will have a couple of new tools to try in emergency seizure situations. And we'll keep trying to get her back to a more balanced state--sleep, circadian rhythms, life. I was telling him how the pandemic has been hard on her--can't mask so can't go anywhere and is basically stuck inside. It used to be more obvious that daytime was for going out and doing stuff and nighttime was for sleeping. I don't remember his exact words, but just general agreement that it's hit the developmentally disabled population particularly hard for this reason. Sigh. Too many stresses for all of us.

[Laura Corin]

A bit grumpy.  My foot is still a bit sore and I decided not to take walks for a few days to give it time to rest.  I'm sure it's a very minor thing but I don't want to push it.  Anyway, not getting out and walking makes me unreasonably grumpy, despite my being able to sit out in the sunshine for lunch yesterday.  I'll try to swim at the weekend, maybe.

@Ali in OR I'm sorry things are so rough for your daughter. @Soror best wishes for better days.

[Soror]

8 hours ago, Ali in OR said:

I did my 30 min on the treadmill this morning. Rough weekend with dd. Saw the neurologist today and will have a couple of new tools to try in emergency seizure situations. And we'll keep trying to get her back to a more balanced state--sleep, circadian rhythms, life. I was telling him how the pandemic has been hard on her--can't mask so can't go anywhere and is basically stuck inside. It used to be more obvious that daytime was for going out and doing stuff and nighttime was for sleeping. I don't remember his exact words, but just general agreement that it's hit the developmentally disabled population particularly hard for this reason. Sigh. Too many stresses for all of us.

I'm sorry. I hope these new ideas do help

10 hours ago, wintermom said:

I took the dog for 2 walks today, and ds18 and I went for an hour canoe paddle. The wind and current were very strange today, and for much of the trip we both paddled on the same side of the canoe to keep it straight. Every time out is a new experience, that's for sure! 😄

Wow, that must have been strong current.

11 hours ago, StillJessica said:

I had a busy day with an appointment, grocery pickup at two stores, and a stop at my grandparents’, but still managed a 2.85 mile walk and my first .25 mile trike ride.  Then we played a hilarious half hour of “tennis” in our driveway.  I’m about 1,000 steps short of my 10,000 step goal, but I think I’m done and my butt will remain firmly on the couch. lol 

My parents had their second covid vaccines today, so hopefully they’ll feel good enough tomorrow for at least an evening walk.  I think we’ll drive the 30 minutes to see the cherry blossoms at the Japanese Garden.  I’ve never been and I really want to see it before the snow ruins everything on Wednesday!  I’ll be walking on the treadmill that day!  I do NOT have wintermom’s discipline or winter-appropriate wardrobe!  😛  

Oh, the cherry blossoms are so beautiful. Just keep moving, that is the most important thing, inside or out.

[Soror]

3 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

A bit grumpy.  My foot is still a bit sore and I decided not to take walks for a few days to give it time to rest.  I'm sure it's a very minor thing but I don't want to push it.  Anyway, not getting out and walking makes me unreasonably grumpy, despite my being able to sit out in the sunshine for lunch yesterday.  I'll try to swim at the weekend, maybe.

@Ali in OR I'm sorry things are so rough for your daughter. @Soror best wishes for better days.

I don't think it is unreasonable grumpiness. Fingers crossed for some swimming for you.

_______________

Worked outside in the afternoon and a long walk. Today I've done some walking inside so far and will lift weights later.

I went up in weights yesterday and I'm feeling it today.

 

[*Jessica*]

3 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

A bit grumpy.  My foot is still a bit sore and I decided not to take walks for a few days to give it time to rest.  I'm sure it's a very minor thing but I don't want to push it.  Anyway, not getting out and walking makes me unreasonably grumpy, despite my being able to sit out in the sunshine for lunch yesterday.  I'll try to swim at the weekend, maybe.

I’ve only been walking daily for about a month, but when I took two days off due to weather it was obvious that I need that activity to keep me happy.  I’m sure not pushing it is wise, but I get how grumpy it can make one feel!  I hope you heal quickly so you can get back to it.  

[wintermom]

We're supposed to get snow tomorrow, so I want to get in lots of outdoor activity today. Though maybe the snow will be helpful for my spring allergies. 😉  It's itchy eye and sneezy season for me. 

It looks like I'll have a opportunity to get the vaccine soon. I wasn't expecting it for months. Dh is getting his first dose today.