Well Trained Bodies June

[wintermom]

Post your physical activities here! All welcome to come often or pop in when you can!!

[Brittany1116]

PT tonight. I am sore from ballet this week.

Tomorrow will probably be Zumba and resistance bands. 

[wintermom]

I got in my morning hike with the dogs, picking up some flagstone rocks along the way to bring home to use as stepping stones in my garden. I consider this additional weight-baring exercise - the weight adds up way too fast! I wanted to bring home more, but my backpack got too heavy! 😅

I'm scheduled to play doubles tennis tonight, but we can't find a 4th player, so it's either a 3-some and play Australian rules, or a skip it and let the 2 men play singles. I'm thinking of using the potential free time this evening to kayak or play on the beach. I just don't know how warm the water will be.

I also got in a really short bike ride to run an errand. 

[knitgrl]

Does digging a hole and planting a tree count?

[wintermom]

2 hours ago, knitgrl said:

Does digging a hole and planting a tree count?

Definitely! That's a lots of hard physical activity. What kind of tree and how big is it?

[knitgrl]

It's a volunteer maple that was growing a bit too close to the barn. It's a good 7ft tall, I'd say. My dfil dug it up while re-doing our driveway, and I moved it to the back yard where we could use a little shade.

[Ali in OR]

20 min on the treadmill this morning.

[Eos]

The last two days have been walking, cleaning, carrying heavy stuff, and gardening.  A couple miles hike yesterday, not much but fast!  And I did some high intensity intervals - I don't jog but I do love to really run fast for short bursts.

[Jenny in Florida]

[Well, you're all very kind not to mention that, when I posted earlier about making sure I connected with the thread for this month . . . I was posting in last month's thread. I'm moving it over here in order to accomplish my original purpose, with apologies for the duplication.]

Checking in here to make sure I connect with the new thread for this month. (Also, I'm working from home today, meaning I have the freedom to pop onto my personal laptop on breaks.)

I tried out the run/walk club last night. I'm not sure it's for me, but I'll go back another time or two just to see if I can hook in. Basically, a bunch of people meet up in front of a brewery/restaurant and either run 3 miles or walk 2 before reconvening at the restaurant to chat, drink and mingle. 

I had a very good walk, and it was pleasant to be somewhere other than my own neighborhood and chat briefly with folks before we started. However, I don't drink and my limited diet makes eating out challenging. Plus, I didn't know anybody and was distinctly older than most of the participants. So, quite possibly not my crowd, but, again, I'll try another time or two and see how it goes. They meet only once a month, so it's not a big commitment. 

Started this morning with the usual 4K around the neighborhood followed by about 25 minutes of good strength and stretching on the patio surrounded by dog and cats. 

I'll get in another walk this evening to finish off the step count, and that will be it. I've decided to skip the Friday night yoga class I've been trying, because they tend to work me harder than I'm accustomed to, and I don't want to be sore before the 5K tomorrow morning.

I started the new seasonal challenge yesterday and decided to stick with a lower goal, since this season has fewer days in it than the spring one did (to make room for the Holiday Hustle at the end of the year). I can always bump it up like I did for spring if it turns out I am doing more than I anticipate.

 

Summer Splash 2023 Challenge: 14.0 of 550K
Activity Streak: 106 Days

Edited June 4, 2023 by Jenny in Florida

[Harriet Vane]

11 hours ago, Jenny in Florida said:

[Well, you're all very kind not to mention that, when I posted earlier about making sure I connected with the thread for this month . . . I was posting in last month's thread. I'm moving it over here in order to accomplish my original purpose, with apologies for the duplication.]

Checking in here to make sure I connect with the new thread for this month. (Also, I'm working from home today, meaning I have the freedom to pop onto my personal laptop on breaks.)

I did exactly the same thing, @Jenny in Florida. I posted a long update in the old thread, too. 😁

[Harriet Vane]

Yesterday I hit the gym first thing for weights and core. My shoulder is still stiff and a little sore, though better than last week. But I fear I may have pushed too hard with it? I’ll baby it through the weekend. Later in the day I went walking with a friend.

Can we talk about pickle ball? I would really like people who play pickle ball to comment.

Dh bought some paddles with the idea that it’s a gentler game and might be just fine for my creaky joints and stiff knees. Cool. But when we went to play, I froze. I was really scared.

I spent months last fall in terrible agony from a pinched nerve in my neck. It was truly agony. A bat had gotten in the house one night, and dh and I spent about 45 minutes trying to convince it to fly out an open window. It was in our first floor where rooms flow into each other without doors. Dh and I suited up in hoodies and gloves, him poking around with a butterfly net and me wielding a pink plastic tub like a Klingon bat’leth. Eventually dh caught the bat in the net and released it out in the woods.

But the combination of looking up and twisting caused a pinched nerve in my neck. I spent literally months mostly sitting in one specific chair. My posture was awful, head pitched forward and to the right to compensate. It also caused awful TMJ pain. The constant nerve pain flowing from neck to fingertips was agony. I threw myself into physical therapy and also took gabapentin (which unfortunately was really tough as I was airheaded and literally couldn’t formulate words well). It was 2 months of agony, then a month of pain but way better, then a month that was shaky but progressively better. I’m back to mostly normal now, but am well aware that because I have bone spurs in my spine (and one large one in particular in my neck), this really could happen to me again. 

So to get back to pickle ball. I was/am afraid of looking up too much or twisting. I know, for example, that is a major factor playing volleyball, so I am comfortable saying I will never play volleyball. Same with basketball? I played in my teens and loved it. That’s a tough one for me—while I don’t see myself scrimmaging with anyone, lol, I have on occasion enjoyed shooting baskets in my driveway, with or without teenagers. I haven’t tried since that horrible pinched nerve.

So perhaps someone sporty can comment a little on how much looking up and twisting happens in pickle ball? If the answer is not much, I may try batting back and forth with dh in my own driveway. But if it’s a lot I will probably avoid this activity. I appreciate any perspective or suggestions.

[Just Kate]

New to this thread, but I’d love to post for accountability. I joined Planet Fitness in January 2022 and I’ve gone on and off, but not consistently. My biggest issue was not knowing what to do. I would walk on the treadmill and see people lifting weights, knowing I should do more. But I was intimidated, so I did nothing. I had searched and searched online for a routine to follow, but I just couldn’t find anything that worked for me. 
 

Fast forward to last weekend, I finally realized that my biggest problem is that I’m intimidated by the free weights and the Smith Machine. So I searched for a Planet Fitness strength training workout using only machines, and I went through the whole thing last week! Starting Tuesday, I did a warmup on the treadmill and then did a leg workout. Wednesday was back and chest, Thursday was cardio only, and then Friday I did shoulders and arms. 
 

I feel great (well, sore but great)! Now that I have a plan, I am more excited to go to the gym. And my hope is that as I get stronger, I will branch out and use the free weights and smith machine. For now, I feel good using the machines. 
 

One thing I need and don’t have is a good stretching routine. Any suggestions? And do I stretch before and after working out? I never see anyone stretching at my gym, so I tend to forget about it. But I know it’s important. 
 

Thanks! And I’m excited to get to take part in this monthly thread 😃

[wintermom]

@Harriet Vane Pickleball involves a lot less overhead shots and looking up than basketball, volleyball and even tennis. In fact, there is intentional rules to limit overhead smashing near the net, which is where you'd have to look up. This allows you to track the ball until it is lower or wait for it to bounce, then hit it. If I was you, I'd try again to play pickleball, especially doubles, where you can easily rely on your partner to deal with the over-head shots as much as possible. You are also free to simply let the ball go and not attempt to hit it. This is typically a recreational game, particularly popular with older adults who want to keep active in a way that allows them to limit certain movements. Many people transition into pickleball after playing tennis as it doesn't require as much running, and the ball is a lot lighter so it's easier on the wrists, arms and shoulders. The serve is also underhand, so you avoid tossing the ball up to serve it overhead. 

Edited June 3, 2023 by wintermom

[wintermom]

I played some super fun mixed doubles tennis last night, then had a very tough time sleeping. Today my allergies are on full strength and I'm resting up as much as possible. I went for a nice dog walk with dh in the late morning, and that will be it for me. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day. 

[Eos]

I did a 9 miles walk/hike. It was lovely and dark in the woods, on the verge of rain the whole time but it held off.

[Just Kate]

Went to the gym today and just did cardio. So I had my first full week of my workout plan! I hope to strength train three days and do cardio two days. I feel good that I did it! Here’s to hoping I’ll do it again next week. 

[wintermom]

On 6/2/2023 at 9:08 AM, knitgrl said:

It's a volunteer maple that was growing a bit too close to the barn. It's a good 7ft tall, I'd say. My dfil dug it up while re-doing our driveway, and I moved it to the back yard where we could use a little shade.

That sounds like a tree that would take a fair amount of physical effort to replant. Definitely checks the box for a work-out! Hope the tree survives the move and lives a long, happy life in your backyard! 😉 

[wintermom]

I did manage to rest and recover enough to go for another dog walk in the woods, bring home some more flag stones, and take the pup to agility with dd. Then I relaxed outside by my new pergola and waterfall. It was a gorgeous evening! 😀

[Jenny in Florida]

On 6/3/2023 at 8:35 AM, Just Kate said:

Thanks! And I’m excited to get to take part in this monthly thread 😃

I'm not a gym person, so I can't help with the stretching query, but I wanted to say welcome to the thread!

[Jenny in Florida]

Well, I had a personal best by a good amount at yesterday's 5K, more than three minutes faster than I walked the same event last year. So, that was cool. 

In the afternoon, I walked around Disney Springs with a friend, which finished off the step count for the day.

Took the dog to the dog park this morning, then came home the longer way, which added up to about 4.7K. That's it for today so far, though. I've spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon fantasizing about travel, doing laundry and prepping lunches for the upcoming week. At some point, I need to do some more walking and/or hit the stationary bike, but I'm feeling uninspired at the moment.

 

Summer Splash 2023 Challenge: 27.5 of 550K
Activity Streak: 108 Days

[Harriet Vane]

I took a walk yesterday with dh and ds and ddil. So lovely to have my son and his wife visiting. Today I took a long nap and I may shoot for a walk after dinner.

[Ali in OR]

Saturday I did yoga, yesterday was hike #4 after dinner, and I just finished a Fitbymik cardio.

I woke up with incredibly red eyes--Memorial Day to 4th of July is peak grass season here, and daily Zyrtec keeps the sneezing away, but I always know grass season is here by the eyes! Hiking around grass probably isn't the greatest idea, or at least I should shower off pollen when I get home. Naphcon eye drops work wonders for me. Two more weeks of school--this one is crazy busy.

[skimomma]

I finished up last week's goals over the weekend.  We did yard work all day on Saturday.  It was 90 degrees and this was our first big work day this summer and the first time since I started Crossfit almost a year ago.  Lots of strain on the body that normally has me very sore for days afterwards.  I was very pleased to note how much more I was able to do and I am not even sore at all.  I would say that is the biggest "marker" of my progress in fitness diversity.  I did my planned long run on Sunday.  I had wanted to get in 10 miles.  I settled for 9.  It was very hot and I did not want to push it.  I also did my last Pliability on Sunday.

This week will be lesser goals as I am leaving town on Friday with no good way to get any workouts in over the weekend.  So, I plan to attend CF 4 times, run 2 times, and 4 Pliability/yoga sessions.  That is a bit conservative.  I might be able to get a 5th CF in before my flight leaves on Friday and also might get a third run in somewhere, but I don't want to set the bar that high yet.  The CF focus this month is cardio so I don't want to stack a cardio-heavy CF on the same day as a run, but I don't know the workout details until the day of so cannot say if or how much that might happen.  Today's CF is all cardio so between that and the long run yesterday, I am not going to run today.

[Harriet Vane]

Hit the gym first thing for weights and core. Brutal workout today. I’m sure I will be sore. I’m scheduled to walk with a friend later as well.

[wintermom]

I had a very full, physical activity day, with a dog walk followed by a 1.5 hrs kayak paddle with friends, then work, finishing up with 1.5 hrs singles tennis. I hope I sleep well tonight! 😀

[Harriet Vane]

I did follow up and walk with a friend for a full hour. Awesome.

[Brittany1116]

I biked and did arms today. Ballet tomorrow. PT Wed and Thurs. Cardio Fri. 

[Eos]

Heading out for a walk in the rain, it's a long day for me.

[skimomma]

I completed CF and Pliability yesterday, as planned.  We have air quality alerts and outdoor exercise was not recommended yesterday.  CF is quasi-outdoors as one whole wall is open garage doors.  So I was nervous about the cardio aspect.  I took it easier than normal for that reason.

Today is CF, a run, and Pliability.  I have not done any of them yet:)  But I have a plan!

[wintermom]

On 6/3/2023 at 8:35 AM, Just Kate said:

New to this thread, but I’d love to post for accountability. I joined Planet Fitness in January 2022 and I’ve gone on and off, but not consistently. My biggest issue was not knowing what to do. I would walk on the treadmill and see people lifting weights, knowing I should do more. But I was intimidated, so I did nothing. I had searched and searched online for a routine to follow, but I just couldn’t find anything that worked for me. 
 

Fast forward to last weekend, I finally realized that my biggest problem is that I’m intimidated by the free weights and the Smith Machine. So I searched for a Planet Fitness strength training workout using only machines, and I went through the whole thing last week! Starting Tuesday, I did a warmup on the treadmill and then did a leg workout. Wednesday was back and chest, Thursday was cardio only, and then Friday I did shoulders and arms. 
 

I feel great (well, sore but great)! Now that I have a plan, I am more excited to go to the gym. And my hope is that as I get stronger, I will branch out and use the free weights and smith machine. For now, I feel good using the machines. 
 

One thing I need and don’t have is a good stretching routine. Any suggestions? And do I stretch before and after working out? I never see anyone stretching at my gym, so I tend to forget about it. But I know it’s important. 
 

Thanks! And I’m excited to get to take part in this monthly thread 😃

Welcome! That's really great that you did some research to find exercises that work for you! 

You are 100% correct that very few people seem to bother with stretching at the gym, but it is really important - especially as we age. I have a very simple full-body stretch routine that I do in my living room while watching TV. I'll also do it before tennis when I have time. It's printed on paper and I don't know where the original source, but I love it! It's pretty "old school" looking, but excellent and really effective. I always feel great after doing it. I'll try to scan it and share it here when I have time. 

[skimomma]

2 minutes ago, wintermom said:

Welcome! That's really great that you did some research to find exercises that work for you! 

You are 100% correct that very few people seem to bother with stretching at the gym, but it is really important - especially as we age. I have a very simple full-body stretch routine that I do in my living room while watching TV. I'll also do it before tennis when I have time. It's printed on paper and I don't know where the original source, but I love it! It's pretty "old school" looking, but excellent and really effective. I always feel great after doing it. I'll try to scan it and share it here when I have time. 

I also do my stretching outside of other activity.  I find long, calm, passive stretching to be most effective for me and that usually does not mesh well with my environment and/or schedule when I try to do it pre/post workout.  I find the gym setting to be too distracting to fully release and relax into stretching.  So, I do mine at home at random times each day.  It is a nice diversion from my work-from-home desk time.

[wintermom]

[Ali in OR]

I did my bodyweight circuit x2 this morning. I'm aiming for a walk with dd later today, probably after her dinner. I usually aim for a walk before feeding her, but I have an afternoon meeting. And miles to go before I sleep.

[Lynn in al]

For accountability...not changing much keeping with 4-5day lifting schedule trying to lift heavy  or doing a few more reps.  Walking or run/walking daily.    

[Just Kate]

33 minutes ago, wintermom said:

Thank you for sharing this!! Very helpful. I love having a basic routine and this looks great!
 

I know I need to really focus on stretching. I had started having some lower back pain over the past few months but it is getting worse since I’ve started working out (weird? I don’t know). My dh has dealt with back issues his whole life, which he has fixed by working out (strong core) and specific stretches. He’s been showing me some to help with my back. 

[Harriet Vane]

22 minutes ago, Just Kate said:

Thank you for sharing this!! Very helpful. I love having a basic routine and this looks great!
 

I know I need to really focus on stretching. I had started having some lower back pain over the past few months but it is getting worse since I’ve started working out (weird? I don’t know). My dh has dealt with back issues his whole life, which he has fixed by working out (strong core) and specific stretches. He’s been showing me some to help with my back. 

Two thoughts here, as a fellow back-pain-sufferer.

Sometimes there's a lot of pull from the backs of the thighs and calves, so keeping those areas stretched helps.

Sometimes the problem is actually in the spine. For me, I have back pain due to disc compression in my lower back. Dh has the same, though in his case a disc actually herniated, which was agonizing. The stretch that works for this specific issue:

Lay face down. Push up with the arms, bending at the waist and keeping the hips and legs down. (So it's NOT a full pushup--it's more like just a torso pushup.) As you go up, inhale. Look up slightly to get a full inverted curve from hips to neck. Release your breath, feeling the lower back drop/depress as you do so. You'll feel an additional stretch in the lower back when you release your breath. Hold just a second or two. Lower back down.

I usually do a set of ten at a time. I try to do some daily. I've even been known to do them on picnic tables are rest areas when we have a long drive because it's so very, very helpful.

[skimomma]

Poor air quality here again today.  I have wiggle room with only one run left before I leave town on Friday.  I am saving that for tomorrow in hopes that the air will be clearer.  I went to yoga today and will attend CF this evening.  I did finish up my CF/run/Pliability yesterday.  All on track!

[Harriet Vane]

I hit the gym this morning and again my shoulder is locked down hard. I mostly did leg and core stuff and only minimal arm stuff, so that is discouraging. I will be giving my arms a total break for several days other than specifically stretching.

Also gyrotonics yesterday. Ahh...

[wintermom]

I'm staying indoors as well due to the air quality. We've got active wildfires within an hour of my house. We did get rain yesterday that helped, but today is pretty bad. I played indoor tennis yesterday, and it was a wonderful match. Lots of hard hitting from everyone, including me! One of my best matches in years. All the gardening and singles play, along with rest days, seems to be helping.

I play tennis tomorrow indoors again, as the air quality is predicted to be even worse than today. 

 

[Brittany1116]

I did not go to ballet last night. I was feeling run down, and my hips and knees hurt. Not sure why on the knees, because they have not been problematic. I was better today, and had intense PT session. I have another tomorrow and hate back to back appts but it is how the week shook out. 

[wintermom]

Happily, the winds shifted and our air quality is good today. We took the dogs for their walk in the woods and I'll be playing tennis this evening.

It also nice and cool, so I've been sleeping really well! This makes me wonder why I still feel foggy brained today, though. 🙃

[skimomma]

My short week is almost over and so are my goals.  I have done my run and Pliability today.  I am heading to CF in 30 minutes.  That technically completes my goals before I leave town tomorrow.  I am signed up for early morning CF, before my flight.  That is more than my goals for the week but if I can swing it, I will.  If I go, it leaves me 45 minutes to drive home, shower, and cram breakfast in my face before we need to leave for the airport so we shall see how confident I am feeling about that in the morning.  I'll be off until Tuesday when I will set my new goals for next week.....which is also a short week.

 

[Harriet Vane]

I took a walk with a friend today. We went all the way to a particular park that is stuffed with exquisite gardens and has long forest trails around the outskirts. Beautiful.

On a different note, my friend has front-temporal dementia. It is heartbreaking seeing her lose so much in such a short amount of time. What stood out to me today in particular is that she can barely say yes/no, and has hardly any other words, but she can write in full sentences and her handwriting is perfect. I feel so sorry for her, trapped inside, unable to speak, and fully aware that she has dementia and is losing ground.

[wintermom]

Tennis last night was really fun and wonderfully intense work-out. I've done 2 dog walks today.

Work was busy, and I'm also preparing to present some research findings at a conference this weekend. I'm stressed about my slides and what exactly I'm going to say. I haven't had time to do a rehearsal either. I'll have to find some time this weekend before my presentation. 🤪

[LifeLovePassion]

Went on a walk yesterday and today. 2.3 miles is the loop. 

[Harriet Vane]

Doing respite care for three kids for a day. I've had these three before, and the baby is absolutely enormous. Such a chunky monkey. And happy to say he's more active and alert than last time. But oh my goodness, it's quite a tussle just hauling him around. This time I bought an over-the-shoulder baby sling and an umbrella stroller, and it's way easier. Still, just carrying him around while wangling his two older siblings should probably count as at least mild exercise. 😆 There's no time for anything else anyway...

[Ali in OR]

Rough week. It was the second-to-last week of school, last week for seniors. I worked "Saturday School" last weekend to get several of my students back on track. I was writing all of the lessons, all of the review problems for Algebra 1, wrote the final (I work with 3 other teachers but I'm the one who needs to have a test written before I write a review, and I'm the only one who hates "winging it"--showing up with no lesson plan. They all just use what I write.) Anyway, I could feel the stress hormones rising and I just needed time to sit and think through the math and get stuff written up. Then I go visit my dd Tuesday evening, find out she's been having seizures all day and they've already used the max emergency meds we can do. So I end up taking her to the ER with cluster seizures and we wait in the waiting room for 4 hours on a Tuesday night. Got home at midnight. Wrote my lesson plan in the ER. Very sleep-deprived. Anyway, just a very hard, very stressful week. No exercise Wednesday, 15 min dumbbell workout Thursday, 20 min on treadmill yesterday. Just did the two most recent Yoga with Adriene videos--one was just a five-minute stretch. This week will be a lot easier and it's the last week of school. We're planning to head down to CA to see middle dd graduate from her teacher ed program at the end of the week, but my travel depends on how seizure kid is doing this week.

I'm so ready to get life back in balance this summer. I need to get back to at least 30 min exercise each day, eat more salads, take time for yoga, get the home projects done, and relax a bit.

[Lynn in al]

Another good week getting all my workouts in.  Hoping to keep up momentum.  Navy kid is putting up a weight rack with barbells and plates at his new house and he's only 10min away so I'm looking forward to trying some heavier leg workouts vs just dumbbells in the next few weeks.

Edited June 10, 2023 by Lynn in al

[Harriet Vane]

Finished out the respite care today for three kids. Even with the sling and the umbrella stroller, my hands and wrists are killing me. At the least this is validation on giving away the piano earlier this week as my hands/wrists really cannot take the pounding. Taking a break today, though I may go for a walk with dh later.

[wintermom]

I walked for 3 solid hours around Winnipeg, Manitoba, along the banks of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers. They must have had some serious flooding earlier this spring as there was dried mud way up the banks and washed out areas still needing repairs. It was a lovely walk, though. My conference starts tomorrow, and there will be two straight days of sitting.