Well-trained bodies - May

[MEmama]

16,156 steps

Met a friend for coffee all morning and fell asleep after a long walk this afternoon, so I didn’t manage anything else. 

[Soror]

Finished yesterday with only 9K steps BUT got a good chunk over that. I did 30 minutes straight of push mowing (which is entirely walking back and forth) and it counted zero steps for that. It doesn't count steps when my hands are holding onto something. I stayed busy from 6 am until 8:30p doing various tasks inside and outside the house. 

Today--- rest day (no strength training)+ walk + yoga

Some small outside jobs today (refinishing the top of a table if I have some finish left) and washing my car but mostly inside work today. I'm slowly knocking out the to do list.

[wintermom]

Tennis was a lot of fun last night. We played for 1.5 hrs, and I'd also taken the puppy for a walk in the evening. My body, and feet especially, were done.

Dh and I are playing mixed doubles tennis with friends this evening. I'll probably walk the dogs, and hopefully walk with my friend who is moving.

[Ali in OR]

Dumbbell workout this morning--first time in several weeks. Still can't hold all my weight on a bent right knee so I couldn't do a couple of balance moves I usually enjoy. But it's still one of my favorite workouts of the week--glad I could get back to it.

[Jenny in Florida]

So, the answer to "how will I get the rest of my steps in" yesterday given my opera broadcast outing was . . . I didn't. I finished the day with 10,500 (well short of my 15,000 goal). I also ended up hanging out talking after the show and didn't get home until nearly midnight, after which I couldn't sleep. So, today I'm working with about four hours of sleep, which rolled over into a late start to the day . . . 

I did walk 3.9K and do one of the 20-minute seated upper body workout videos. I have nothing else on the calendar today besides work and plan to try and either hop on the stationary bike or do a quick walk on my lunch break, then do the usual evening walk to finish off the day.

 

Spring Start Challenge: 405.3 of 500K
Walking Streak: 10 days

Edited May 12, 2022 by Jenny in Florida

[MEmama]

8,879 steps + 30 minute rowing

I'm not sure what all I did but I was busy all day long, finally knocking a few items off my to-do list. For the first time in a very long time I didn’t have to rest between activities. I’m tired tonight, but in a good way. 

[Harriet Vane]

Gyrotonics today, cha-ching. Planning to go to the gym tomorrow.

[wintermom]

@Harriet Vane What are gyrotonics? Is it an exercise class? 

Tennis was really fun tonight! I played quite well, and actually felt like I was hitting the ball harder than I have in a long time. Maybe all that digging has strengthened my upper body muscles. 😅

We played at our new club with clay courts, and it is waaaaay easier on my body than hard court. I'm tired but not sore at all. I'm supposed to play tomorrow night on the hard court and now I'd rather just play on clay every time. I'm spoiled already. 

Edited May 13, 2022 by wintermom

[Laura Corin]

Short yoga first thing yesterday then ran errands on foot at lunchtime and visited Mum after work, so a low exercise day.

Today - woke early but not too early, and did half an hour of yoga first thing. I was pleased to stay in Crow for ten breaths - I've been working back towards feeling confident with it. I'm a kilo or two lighter than I was a few months ago, which might help.

I'm walking with a friend at lunchtime, then hope to do some rowing after work.

I need new shoes for the office, so I've decided to experiment with barefoot shoes. It's a low impact part of my life, so shouldn't be too high risk. They have a 90-day no questions asked return policy. I'll report back. I'm interested whether gait/muscle use change might support my arthritic knee better.

[Jenny in Florida]

Took the dog out for a short (2K) walk at lunch yesterday, and it's a good thing we went when we did because it was pouring by the time I logged off work and tried to get back outside. I ended up finishing the daily "steps" with 30 minutes on the stationary bike.

The weather was cooperative this morning, though, and we walked 4.2K at a decent pace. Back at home, I spent about 30 minutes on the mat outside on the patio for strength and stretching stuff.

I'm getting kind of a lazy start on work this morning, but I may try to get out for a lunchtime walk. My husband is back this afternoon from a three-week work trip, and I have to collect him from the airport. We may stop for dinner on the way home, too, meaning my evening will be pretty busy. I'd prefer not to have 6,000+ steps hanging over my head at 10:00 PM.

 

Spring Start Challenge: 412.0 of 500K
Walking Streak: 11 days

[Harriet Vane]

17 hours ago, wintermom said:

@Harriet Vane What are gyrotonics? Is it an exercise class? 

Tennis was really fun tonight! I played quite well, and actually felt like I was hitting the ball harder than I have in a long time. Maybe all that digging has strengthened my upper body muscles. 😅

We played at our new club with clay courts, and it is waaaaay easier on my body than hard court. I'm tired but not sore at all. I'm supposed to play tomorrow night on the hard court and now I'd rather just play on clay every time. I'm spoiled already. 

Gyrotonics is kinda like Pilates and dance and synchronized swimming, but not any of those. And it's done with pulleys. 

The basic idea is spine stretching through arching and curling and swooping in various ways. You sit on a special table with handles and use the spinney handles to facilitate some of the moves. Then you lay on the table with the spinney handles out of the way, hook your feet up to pulleys, and do various swoopy mid-air movements with the feet/legs. Every movement combines many parts of the body (not isolating just one part as in classic weightlifting), and smooth continuous movement is the goal. 

It's weird stuff, LOL. But I hope it helps with my spinal compression issues, and I think it's good to be doing the big, continuous movement that uses many parts. Plus my much-beloved athletic trainer teaches it and I really like working out with her. Here's an article

The Latest Twist: Gyrotonic Exercise - The Washington Post

[Harriet Vane]

Such a weird day! I had dry needling done in my neck/shoulder/arm to break up this interminable pain/stiffness system I've been dealing with. When I had this done before, it was just a few needles, and I shook off the sleepiness after about 15 minutes. This time there were a million or so needles. (Okay, maybe 12 or so???) It was overwhelming--not particularly painful--just felt awash with this overwhelming heaviness. After I left those feelings kept building into a massive sleepy miasma until finally I laid down to sleep it off. Two hours later not much better.

Dh helped roll me out to get to the gym, and it actually really helped to be there. Rode the recumbent bike to get the blood flowing and then did some weights and core work. 

Came home feeling better, then descended into the heavy exhaustion again and slept some more. Golly. Have accomplished nothing useful today so far. Am now going to start cooking and I think I will drink some tea to help shake off the lethargy.

[wintermom]

@Harriet Vane Thanks for the info on gyrotonics. Sounds neat. I've had dry needling done, and I have heard that it can release some strong emotions for some people. My emotions during the needling was pretty much just about the things poking into me. 😉 

I went for a nice walk with a friend, and tonight I'm playing doubles tennis with dh and friends. It's gorgeous weather today. Really hot for this time of year. 

[MEmama]

16,952 steps

Walked to the farm market this morning and through the woods this afternoon. It was a beautiful day, warm and sunny but with an undercurrent of chilly coastal breeze and wispy fog.
 

After 2.5 months of doing little housework and general life upkeep, my to-do list is growing much faster than I can check off the boxes. My boy is coming home next week (!!) and I have to remind myself that it doesn’t all need to be done before then.

[BusyMom5]

@Harriet Vane The Gyro classes sound very neat!  I've been looking at a spine corrector, it sounds similar.   Anyone know anything about using those?  I have L3 back issues.

@MEmama Don't worry about doing everything- my college kid just got home and I'm nursing a back issue- she's having to help out,  but its good!

I will hit 10K steps again today- thats every day this week!  Yay!  Ive done okay on eating, but tonight I'm cheating,  lol.  I'm too tired to cook, so I'm heating up smoked turkey from Sam's Club.  It has way too much sodium, but oh well!  

[Harriet Vane]

12 minutes ago, BusyMom5 said:

@Harriet Vane The Gyro classes sound very neat!  I've been looking at a spine corrector, it sounds similar.   Anyone know anything about using those?  I have L3 back issues.

@MEmama Don't worry about doing everything- my college kid just got home and I'm nursing a back issue- she's having to help out,  but its good!

I will hit 10K steps again today- thats every day this week!  Yay!  Ive done okay on eating, but tonight I'm cheating,  lol.  I'm too tired to cook, so I'm heating up smoked turkey from Sam's Club.  It has way too much sodium, but oh well!  

I'm not familiar with spine correctors, but I will be very interested to hear more about them. I hope you'll report back. I have multiple bone spurs on my spine (biggest one at C5) as well as narrowing/squishing in between vertebrae here, there, and everywhere. When I fell in late October, injuring my shoulder and elbow, it threw the whole system out of whack and I am still fighting to regain the strength and equilibrium I had achieved before.

[wintermom]

Tennis was so much fun tonight. We were originally only booked to play for an hour, but we ended up playing for 2 hrs. My body is sore, but my mind is so happy. I'm playing much better after 3 days in a row of tennis. 

Tomorrow I'm heading down to NY to pick up my pondless waterfall kit. I want to do some more shopping for outdoor stuff as well. We'll see how much I can fit in the van. 😄

[Laura Corin]

2 hours ago, wintermom said:

Tennis was so much fun tonight. We were originally only booked to play for an hour, but we ended up playing for 2 hrs. My body is sore, but my mind is so happy. I'm playing much better after 3 days in a row of tennis. 

Tomorrow I'm heading down to NY to pick up my pondless waterfall kit. I want to do some more shopping for outdoor stuff as well. We'll see how much I can fit in the van. 😄

Have fun!

[Soror]

7 hours ago, wintermom said:

Tennis was so much fun tonight. We were originally only booked to play for an hour, but we ended up playing for 2 hrs. My body is sore, but my mind is so happy. I'm playing much better after 3 days in a row of tennis. 

Tomorrow I'm heading down to NY to pick up my pondless waterfall kit. I want to do some more shopping for outdoor stuff as well. We'll see how much I can fit in the van. 😄

I guess you decided to go ahead and get it 🙂 I can't wait to see the pics. I bet it is going to be gorgeous. I had a friend that had a little pound and it was really neat. 

10 hours ago, BusyMom5 said:

@Harriet Vane The Gyro classes sound very neat!  I've been looking at a spine corrector, it sounds similar.   Anyone know anything about using those?  I have L3 back issues.

@MEmama Don't worry about doing everything- my college kid just got home and I'm nursing a back issue- she's having to help out,  but its good!

I will hit 10K steps again today- thats every day this week!  Yay!  Ive done okay on eating, but tonight I'm cheating,  lol.  I'm too tired to cook, so I'm heating up smoked turkey from Sam's Club.  It has way too much sodium, but oh well!  

Huzzah for meeting goals. If your cheat is smoked turkey that is not doing bad at all (imo).

11 hours ago, MEmama said:

16,952 steps

Walked to the farm market this morning and through the woods this afternoon. It was a beautiful day, warm and sunny but with an undercurrent of chilly coastal breeze and wispy fog.
 

After 2.5 months of doing little housework and general life upkeep, my to-do list is growing much faster than I can check off the boxes. My boy is coming home next week (!!) and I have to remind myself that it doesn’t all need to be done before then.

Oh, that does sound like a really lovely day. I bet you are so excited for your ds to be coming home.

14 hours ago, Harriet Vane said:

Such a weird day! I had dry needling done in my neck/shoulder/arm to break up this interminable pain/stiffness system I've been dealing with. When I had this done before, it was just a few needles, and I shook off the sleepiness after about 15 minutes. This time there were a million or so needles. (Okay, maybe 12 or so???) It was overwhelming--not particularly painful--just felt awash with this overwhelming heaviness. After I left those feelings kept building into a massive sleepy miasma until finally I laid down to sleep it off. Two hours later not much better.

Dh helped roll me out to get to the gym, and it actually really helped to be there. Rode the recumbent bike to get the blood flowing and then did some weights and core work. 

Came home feeling better, then descended into the heavy exhaustion again and slept some more. Golly. Have accomplished nothing useful today so far. Am now going to start cooking and I think I will drink some tea to help shake off the lethargy.

Sounds like the needling is facilitating some healing. Hopefully, the lethargy is better after a night's rest.

[Soror]

I did not get in my weight lifting yesterday am. I had to be out the door by 9:15 and had too much to do before then. I'll get it today.

Also up today is shoveling mulch. Dh got a truck load for me. He did half of it last night (I was out ferrying children until almost 9) but I'll finish it and hope I don't kill my shoulders in the process.

This week has been good and bad for me-

Good-- at least 10k steps a day, lots and lots of work done around the house, weight lifting done, sleep decent (although I've woke up early the last 2 nights)

Not so good-- food has not been great-- I've been so flipping busy. I've absolutely got to do some lunch prep this weekend. I didn't have it done this week and with being so busy I didn't eat enough for lunch and then being busy at dinner and being hungry meant bad choices.

Dd is doing half days now so she can't ride home with ds or take the bus. I have to pick her up. Then she has homebound tutoring 2 nights a week, that of course is not quite at the same time as anything else. I made it home for the evening after 8 every single night this week. Way late and entirely too much people time for this early bird introvert.

But I feel good about everything I'm getting done around the house. I've felt so very behind. So much stress the past 2 years. And issues with my thyroid medication (recalls and so many medication changes- horrible fatigue). We are leaving on vaca in a bit under 2 weeks. I want/need the house to be in order before then so I can come back on a good foot and hope/pray nothing else bad happens. I know that seems trivial with everything else but there is so much that has been out of my control. It gives me peace. I can feel like there are some things I can accomplish. The work of helping dd is not quantifiable. I'm here. I listen. We talk and talk. But it takes time. I can't check it off my list.

My weekend should I *think* be relatively quiet. I have to take dd to work today but I'm making ds pick her up. I hope to go to the lake for a walk tomorrow and then maybe other than that I can stay at home. 

[Ali in OR]

I did my 30 min on the treadmill yesterday and a balancing flow yoga today, thus completing a whole normal week of exercise! I didn't quite manage to end work at 9:00 every night, but I did for a few and that will still be my goal. It will still be quite difficult to keep life in any kind of normal balance for the last 5 weeks of school. Food is still going ok--no major post-Lent gain yet. And we have another rainy weekend--so much rain for the last 4-6 weeks. Trees are leafed out and the days are nice and long with early sunrise and late sunset, but otherwise it doesn't feel like spring at all yet. Always in the 50's and rain.

[Harriet Vane]

3 minutes ago, Ali in OR said:

I did my 30 min on the treadmill yesterday and a balancing flow yoga today, thus completing a whole normal week of exercise! I didn't quite manage to end work at 9:00 every night, but I did for a few and that will still be my goal. It will still be quite difficult to keep life in any kind of normal balance for the last 5 weeks of school. Food is still going ok--no major post-Lent gain yet. And we have another rainy weekend--so much rain for the last 4-6 weeks. Trees are leafed out and the days are nice and long with early sunrise and late sunset, but otherwise it doesn't feel like spring at all yet. Always in the 50's and rain.

Good for you accomplishing a whole normal week of exercise! Sometimes that’s a difficult achievement. Ask me how I know…😜

[Jenny in Florida]

I logged my steps for yesterday by scooting out for a walk more or less as soon as I got my husband back from the airport (after a stop at a new Indian restaurant on the way home, which probably undid whatever I accomplished with the walking . . .). It was good I went out when I did, because the clouds that made for interesting skies to walk under began dumping water on us before I even managed to unlock the door and get back in the house. 

Walked 2.75K with the dog this morning, then headed out to the nature preserve for a 30-minute gentle yoga class. The class location is a little over a kilometer from the parking area, so walking to and from class put me well over my morning goal of 4K.

Husband is in rest and recovery mode today after his work trip, and I'm hoping to get through all of the laundry he brought home in between working on my second-to-last assignment for my Coursera graphic design certificate. So, I will just plan on another walk this evening to top off the step count as necessary.

 

Spring Start Challenge: 420.0 of 500K
Walking Streak: 12 days

Edited May 14, 2022 by Jenny in Florida

[Soror]

Finished total body strength this am. I was not feeling all that strong with my weights endurance was meh but I did it.

The last exercise was push-ups and I did 20 in 30 seconds-- on my toes without stopping. Woot! Woot!! 10 months ago when I started with CG I had just been back to doing knee pushups for the longest time after aggravating my shoulder injury. When I started it was 2 in a set, just adding 1 a week for 10 weeks and a lot of time I was stagnate (the fall was rough) but there is progress, even it is not visible sometimes.

Edited May 14, 2022 by Soror

[Laura Corin]

My Bose II sleep plugs arrived yesterday and I slept with them last night. A bit weird to still have sea sounds in my ears when I went for a pee. One ear was also a bit uncomfortable at one point because of the way I was lying on my very firm pillow, but I think I can adjust that. I can still hear husband snoring, but the white noise overlay makes it easier to ignore,  I think.

My Vivobarefoot shoes arrived. I ordered their recommended size and my expected size,  and I think my guess won. They feel good so far.

30 minutes of yoga first thing, then a dog walk with Husband.  I'm now pottering around potting up seedlings and planting out larger home-grown plants.

[MEmama]

15,441 steps

Took the train to the pro choice rally in Boston today. It was *sweltering*— unseasonably hot at 83 (28C) according to my phone—but it was such an inspiring event. Now I’m exhausted and ready for sleep.

[Jenny in Florida]

I have been feeling very, very low energy lately. Obviously, the continuing depression plays a role, but I was also kind of hoping that my annual bloodwork for the endocrinologist might turn up something that could be improved by tweaking my medication. Sure enough, the results show that my thyroid replacement is low and my blood sugar is slightly out of whack. I see the doctor on Wednesday, and I'm hoping he'll adjust the meds and that will make a difference. 

My radiation oncologist has also encouraged me to talk to the medical oncologist about trying a different estrogen inhibitor, because the one I am on can cause joint pain and weight gain, both of which have become increasingly troublesome for me in the last few months. So, I have that on my list for this week. It's become harder and harder to maintain any kind of motivation to walk or exercise regularly when I feel so sluggish, heavy and achy.

That said, between short lunchtime ramble and the usual evening walk, I did log my steps for yesterday. Today is a rest day, so I walked my 4K but didn't do any other exercise. I am attending a work event for my husband at a WDW park tonight, which I assume will go a long way towards finishing off the rest of the day's step goal.

 

Spring Start Challenge: 428.6 of 500K
Walking Streak: 13 days

[Soror]

@Laura Corin well done on Crow pose, that is inspiring. That is a great one to practice. I need to take a page out of your book and practice a short sequence daily. I do some poses to help my hip but not often enough but balance is something I could use more practice with. I really like barefoot shoes although dont' try to wear them all the time now. My only issue in the past was not enough protection on rougher terrain and thinner shoes wearing through more quickly. But they have a lot more variety than they used to have. You'll have to keep us posted on how you like the Vivo. I've shopped and shopped for a new casual shoe and have yet to find anything I like better than the water shoes I wear most of the time now.

@Jenny in Florida I sincerely hope the doctor's can get your thyroid levels up and your other medication worked out. Having low thyroid levels itself is a big risk factor of depression and causes weight gain. You are fighting against a lot right now. I know that sluggish feeling, without the other medication issues is a PITA. 

@MEmama sounds inspiring. I've never been to a protest or rally of any kind but think it would be a cool thing to do sometime. (I'm in the midwest and it cooled down to 83-86 yesterday felt much nicer than it had been but still not fun in the sun in the middle of the day)

 

[Soror]

Upper Body workout this am--- Arms, Abs+ Core 40ish minutes + 40 minute Shoulder (that I missed 3 weeks ago)-----Iron Series is done

I started Caroline Girvan's workouts 45 weeks ago in that time I've done--

10 weeks Epic Heat; 10 weeks Epic Endgame; 3.5 weeks Advent Series; 3 weeks Epic 3; 3 weeks Epic 1; 6 weeks Iron; 2x No Repeat Week; 1 week Kettlebell; 1 week Tempo=

39.5 weeks

In there I had 5.5 weeks of deload weeks between series and before and after my Spartan Race. I missed a workout here and there but only when I was really sick and I always made them up. 

I have 1.5 weeks until vaca and will be doing the 2 week Beast Mode series until then.

[Laura Corin]

1 hour ago, Soror said:

@Laura Corin well done on Crow pose, that is inspiring. That is a great one to practice. I need to take a page out of your book and practice a short sequence daily. I do some poses to help my hip but not often enough but balance is something I could use more practice with. I really like barefoot shoes although dont' try to wear them all the time now. My only issue in the past was not enough protection on rougher terrain and thinner shoes wearing through more quickly. But they have a lot more variety than they used to have. You'll have to keep us posted on how you like the Vivo. I've shopped and shopped for a new casual shoe and have yet to find anything I like better than the water shoes I wear most of the time now

So you didn't find shoes for your trip? What a pain.

The Vivos feel okay but it will take a while to be sure.

I like my daily yoga routine- it does vary a bit but the basic structure is fixed. I like that I can see improvement over time and that it's a fairly good balance of asanas. It reminds me if when I had an Ashtanga yoga teacher - there was a comfort in working on the same sequence each time. 

Today - slept poorly. Husband and I had a talk about strategies, so we'll see how they go.

Had a good walk at 6am and am now going to do a half-hour yoga practice. 

[wintermom]

The trip to Syracuse was great yesterday. We picked up the pondless waterfall kit and got some good tips, shopped at the Christmas Tree Shops for outdoor decor and patio umbrella, and bought the dogs a couple of toys. Sorry dc, nothing for you - only my furry babies. 😅

Last night I assembled part of the 'eco-blox' but had to redo them with ds today. I wasn't strong or heavy enough to make them click into place correctly (plus I'd drunk 2 ciders and probably wasn't seeing exactly straight). 🤪

I played 2 hrs of ladies doubles tennis this morning. It was the most fun ladies tennis I've played in a few years! ☺️

I did some more work on the waterfall prep, then it started to rain really hard and thunder storm. I hope my dirt didn't get all messed up. I'm afraid to go back there and look. 😨

Edited May 15, 2022 by wintermom

[Laura Corin]

Slept better, but I'm in a bit of a boom-bust cycle with sleeping, so fingers crossed for the coming few days.

Half an hour of yoga first thing.  As Crow is going well, I've set myself a new goal: 5 breaths in low plank.  Right now I'm at two breaths.  I told my husband about it and he said (joking), 'Because your really need to dig into your self loathing?'  I'm making sure to work on alignment so I don't put stress on my shoulders.

It's pouring with rain all day today, so I'll just put on my waterproofs and go for a tromp at lunchtime anyway.  Perhaps some rowing after work as well as (internal) window cleaning.

 

[MEmama]

Yesterday: 9,984 steps + week 11 yoga + core workout yoga with Adrienne

Took a lovely walk along the river yesterday morning, the pine laden granite islands barely peeking through the thick fog. I forgot my phone, so unfortunately no photos to share. The alewives are running and we stopped for awhile to watch the gulls fight over them, there were some epic battles.

Week 11 yoga in the post abdominal surgery series is a big step up from previous weeks, but like all the others it’s exactly what my body is ready for. I  also tried out my first Yoga with Adrienne video and kept up pretty well despite the rapid pace. I was surprised by how quickly she moves, I prefer to focus on breath and form rather than speed and will be interested to try other videos to see if this is her normal or not.

During a side twist I happened to open my eyes just as a hummingbird was sipping on a freshly opened lilac outside the open window. It was so peaceful and timed just right. Yoga with Hummingbirds, lol 🙂 

[MEmama]

9 minutes ago, Laura Corin said:

Slept better, but I'm in a bit of a boom-bust cycle with sleeping, so fingers crossed for the coming few days.

Half an hour of yoga first thing.  As Crow is going well, I've set myself a new goal: 5 breaths in low plank.  Right now I'm at two breaths.  I told my husband about it and he said (joking), 'Because your really need to dig into your self loathing?'  I'm making sure to work on alignment so I don't put stress on my shoulders.

It's pouring with rain all day today, so I'll just put on my waterproofs and go for a tromp at lunchtime anyway.  Perhaps some rowing after work as well as (internal) window cleaning.

 

I’m so impressed you can do crow pose! I’ve never been able to get far but it’s one I’d love to master.

[Laura Corin]

19 minutes ago, MEmama said:

I’m so impressed you can do crow pose! I’ve never been able to get far but it’s one I’d love to master.

I think it's partly that my hips are naturally pretty loose, so it's more a question of courage to tip forward enough.

Edited May 16, 2022 by Laura Corin

[Soror]

26 minutes ago, MEmama said:

Yesterday: 9,984 steps + week 11 yoga + core workout yoga with Adrienne

Took a lovely walk along the river yesterday morning, the pine laden granite islands barely peeking through the thick fog. I forgot my phone, so unfortunately no photos to share. The alewives are running and we stopped for awhile to watch the gulls fight over them, there were some epic battles.

Week 11 yoga in the post abdominal surgery series is a big step up from previous weeks, but like all the others it’s exactly what my body is ready for. I  also tried out my first Yoga with Adrienne video and kept up pretty well despite the rapid pace. I was surprised by how quickly she moves, I prefer to focus on breath and form rather than speed and will be interested to try other videos to see if this is her normal or not.

During a side twist I happened to open my eyes just as a hummingbird was sipping on a freshly opened lilac outside the open window. It was so peaceful and timed just right. Yoga with Hummingbirds, lol 🙂 

Beautiful---

fwiw Adrienne has a ton of videos so some are faster but she has some slower ones too. 

35 minutes ago, Laura Corin said:

Slept better, but I'm in a bit of a boom-bust cycle with sleeping, so fingers crossed for the coming few days.

Half an hour of yoga first thing.  As Crow is going well, I've set myself a new goal: 5 breaths in low plank.  Right now I'm at two breaths.  I told my husband about it and he said (joking), 'Because your really need to dig into your self loathing?'  I'm making sure to work on alignment so I don't put stress on my shoulders.

It's pouring with rain all day today, so I'll just put on my waterproofs and go for a tromp at lunchtime anyway.  Perhaps some rowing after work as well as (internal) window cleaning.

 

LOL to your husband. Good point to work on alignment on your shoulders in plank. It always feels like the most challenging part of low plank to me.

[Soror]

Today: Beastmode-- 45ish min Lower body--- lots of lunge and squat variations with 90 sec wall sits as a staple (ouch) and finisher-----Done--- loved the format and the wall sits didn't kill me as bad as I thought they would

Hoping/planning for an actual walk and a bit of yoga--- 20 min of easy yoga done; 30 min walking done

Today is the coolest day all week so I'm trying to think what work would be the best to do outside but at this point I have much more to do inside the house. Maybe I'll get my outside furniture painted.

Edited May 16, 2022 by Soror

[MEmama]

58 minutes ago, Laura Corin said:

I think it's partly that my hips are naturally pretty loose, so it's more a question of courage to tip forward enough.

I have very, very tight hips (making an appt with a DO to address it) so maybe that’s part of my problem. It’s such a badass move and looks so powerful and fun! 

[wintermom]

I had to take a warm bath in the middle of the night to stretch and ease some muscle pain in both my upper and lower body. All the tennis and digging is getting to my aging body. 😅

I'm going to let the ground dry up a bunch before I try doing more work on my pondless waterfall, while at the same time letting my body rest some more. 

I'll take the dogs for a couple walks at some point, and probably do some more stretching to try and loosen things up. I moved a few big patio stones yesterday, plus a bunch of other strenuous stuff. I think I need to pace myself a lot more on this project. 😉 

[Soror]

1 hour ago, wintermom said:

I had to take a warm bath in the middle of the night to stretch and ease some muscle pain in both my upper and lower body. All the tennis and digging is getting to my aging body. 😅

I'm going to let the ground dry up a bunch before I try doing more work on my pondless waterfall, while at the same time letting my body rest some more. 

I'll take the dogs for a couple walks at some point, and probably do some more stretching to try and loosen things up. I moved a few big patio stones yesterday, plus a bunch of other strenuous stuff. I think I need to pace myself a lot more on this project. 😉 

Man, you must of really did too much. It is so easy to overdo it, especially working on a project. When were were doing a bunch of outside work a couple of years ago I had the same problem. I had to drop my exercise level to compensate for all the work and have days off in there too.

[Jenny in Florida]

Thank you for the good wishes and commiseration, @Soror. When I looked at those blood results, I suddenly remembered a few years ago (pre-thyroid removal) telling my endocrinologist that most days I felt like a truck had run over me. When we finally removed the thyroid and got the replacement levels right, it made such a difference. I'm now hoping that maybe an adjustment will help this time, too.

I did, indeed, get the balance of my steps (and then some) at my husband's work event last night. I ended the day with almost 25,000. I will say that Disney definitely knows how to throw a party.

Sadly, this morning is not going as well. We got home late, and I didn't actually make it into bed until after 2:00 AM, so I opted for a delayed start. However, the dog was not into walking with me, so I had to loop back around and drop her home, which cut into my walk time a bit. Logged only 3.5K. Then, because it was already late, I decided to just to one of the 20-minute upper body videos . . . and didn't make it all the way through because I tipped over my not-entirely-closed water bottle (which I typically fill with flavored water that turns a bright pink color that would not look good as a stain on the bedroom carpet). I got that cleaned up, but then the dog decided to pee on the carpet right in front of me (out of character for her, so a vet visit may be appropriate). I got that cleaned up, but by that point the motivation to finish the video had dissipated. 

I may try to make it up this evening (although I need to work late to cover the delayed start) or use my usual rest day as a make-up.

 

Spring Start Challenge: 432.3 of 500K
Walking Streak: 14 days

[BusyMom5]

Good morning!  We leave for vacation in 5 days!  This week is going to be crazy trying to get everything done.  This morning I was running late on breakfast, then a plate was broken and I had to clean it up.  I was about an hour late taking my anti-inflammatory.  I thought I was doing much better, but apparently that pill is masking quite a bit.  Its finally kicking in, so I'll go for a short walk.  

Goals for this week:

10K steps for 5 days (I did all 7 last week!)

Watch my food intake and make good choices

Don't re-injure my back while packing, take it slow. 

 

I am trying not to focus on weight loss, but I have lost 4 lbs since May 1!!!!!  I'm really excited about that!  

[YaelAldrich]

@MEmama, my son was doing security at that rally on Saturday. 

 

I've been suffering from loss of range of motion in my right shoulder for about 4 months now and while the chiropractor assisted stretches helped, it wasn't getting better so I went to the orthopod.  He diagnosed a mild frozen shoulder which he said was certainly helped by my stretching.  He offered (and I took) a steroid shot and a new series of exercises.  That should help with the stiffness.  Didn't get to run yet today.  Hopefully I will.

[MEmama]

35 minutes ago, YaelAldrich said:

@MEmama, my son was doing security at that rally on Saturday. 

 

I've been suffering from loss of range of motion in my right shoulder for about 4 months now and while the chiropractor assisted stretches helped, it wasn't getting better so I went to the orthopod.  He diagnosed a mild frozen shoulder which he said was certainly helped by my stretching.  He offered (and I took) a steroid shot and a new series of exercises.  That should help with the stiffness.  Didn't get to run yet today.  Hopefully I will.

That’s awesome! I almost asked if any Bostonians/New Englanders on the board were going to be there but I figured the logistics of possibly meeting up would be tough. Your politicians have pretty much convinced me that if we have to leave Maine, Mass would be a good substitute. 🙂 

DH recently had a steroid shot for his shoulder and it worked wonders (not perfect yet, but so much better)— I hope you have a similar experience.

[wintermom]

6 hours ago, Soror said:

Man, you must of really did too much. It is so easy to overdo it, especially working on a project. When were were doing a bunch of outside work a couple of years ago I had the same problem. I had to drop my exercise level to compensate for all the work and have days off in there too.

The weather today has made it really easy to rest. It's been raining really hard all afternoon. No digging, no lifting cement and no tennis. I did get a short puppy walk in, though. My body feels pretty good now! 😉 

[MEmama]

11,043 steps + 30 minutes rowing + week 11 yoga

Spent a couple hours this afternoon vacuuming (DH tried to take care of the basics while I was laid up, but the house is in serious need of a deep clean) and now my body is *done*. Good night, all! 

[Harriet Vane]

Today I've been focusing on basic PT stuff, trying to sprinkle several movements throughout the day to keep loosening up my neck/shoulder/back. Sometimes continuing to nibble away at it is more effective than one big session.

I had originally planned to go to the gym but was waylaid by myriad other commitments all stacked up. I'm thinking I will plan to either take a long walk or go ride the recumbent bike tomorrow after class, and also keep up with the PT stuff.

[Ali in OR]

Did my 30 min on the treadmill this morning. Way too much work to do--don't see that changing any time soon.

[YaelAldrich]

I ate lunch and only then had time to exercise. So I did a 12-3-30 treadmill workout (set the incline at 12%, walking at 3mph for 30 minutes). Got a little sweaty and burned some calories. Did most of the exercises for my shoulder since it's feeling ok now.

[Soror]

Up in the night but hoping I can go back to sleep and have some energy for the day.

Food normalish yesterday. Decent meals and no snacks. 

45 min- shoulders/arms+ easy walk+ short yoga

Doing some gardening today- digging up and moving some plants from a friend.