Talk about your exercise experience today

[Gemme]

So, after my training session Monday, my trainer helped stretch me out.

I've got to remember not to let him do that.



I had a sciatic episode yesterday and that was not fun at all. Changed my plans for the day and I wound up on the sofa for most of it.

Once I got up off the floor, that is.

My exercise for the day was breathing and eating.

[nycfem]

I was able to fit in my usual work-out (30 min. stairmaster, 30 minutes weight floor). I'm watching another true crime netflix doc: Evil Genius. I saw Taylor today in the locker room. I told her I'd missed her. I was indeed happy to see her. The thing with gym friends is you only see them when you happen to see them. I've thought about asking to exchange numbers with her but a little nervous to do so. She asked me a whole lot about myself today, and it was easy to talk to her. She told me she was not in a good mood and asked why I was always so happy. I said, "Because I take anti-depressants!" It's true in part, but I also said it for comedy's sake. I think she appreciated my self-disclosure and shared that she turns to alcohol and thinks she's in a bad mood due to a slight hangover. Gym bonding!

[easygoingfemme]

Yesterday was a brisk 3 mile walk with my dog which included a one mile long steep hill. It's my go-to "I don't have time for a bike ride" workout and my dog loves it too. While on that walk a guy was on the bike path we were using on these... not roller blades but maybe roller skis? With poles like cross country ski uses. Anyway, he whipped up and down the hill three times while we were walking it. Unbelievable. And we keep a quick pace because my dog is a 100 lb pit/lab who wants to walk at a running pace. I'll either do the same today or go for a bike ride. I can't remember who is supposed to cook dinner tonight so if it's me I'll need to factor that in to my play time.

[Gemme]

Yesterday, it was an hour of manual labor, climbing up and down the ladder and scrubbing doors.

yay

[candy_coated_bitch]

Last night was my first Qigong class. Over an hour and it kicked my butt. I walked there and home, a little over ten mins each way. And then today I did a 15 min beginner's aerobic YouTube and OMG did that kick my ass too. But that's how it is in the beginning I guess.

I learned I am not strong enough yet to do a plank.

[Gemme]

Way to go, girlie! We all have to start somewhere or, in my case, start over somewhere.

[nycfem]

Today was loaded with gym gossip.

First, the exercise: 30 minutes on the stairmaster w/a six minute cooldown, and 30 minutes on the exercise floor (sit ups, weight lifting, stretching, etc.). I finished watching Hannah Gadsby: Nanette (a butch one woman show- watch it!- Netflix), then went back to Evil Genius.

I sat down on the couch in the locker room with Judith, who was blasting the the news on the T.V. as usual. She hogs the remote, and let's not forget she works remotely, so she lives at the gym. She was complaining to me about Agnes, an older British woman whom I adore. She said that Agnes was becoming increasing hostile to Judith because Agnes hates the T.V. She said that Agnes muttered, "Three hours, and so loud!" I didn't want to rain on Judith's bitch session, so I nodded along but thought to myself, "Go Agnes!"

Now here's where the gossip comes in! Judith said to me, "Jennifer, why are women and men expected to dress differently? I would never wear high heeled shoes. They are not functional. Just because someone's born a certain gender shouldn't mean they should have to look a certain way." I felt validated. I've ALWAYS sensed some gender or sexuality stuff vibing from Judith. But I doubted myself because she's frequently making annoying politically conservative comments, and she also spends a lot of time at church. I know these are stereotypes, yet still I told myself, "Get a clue, Jen. You are barking up the wrong tree." Finally she gave me a little of that edge that I'd sensed was percolating! It felt like a little victory.

The other gossip was about Taylor. I was walking to my favorite stairmaster, and suddenly I felt an arm jut out from an elliptical and grab my arm. "Jen!" It was Taylor, the petite, classically hot, straight house manager. She admonished me first: "I've been looking for you forever! I'd see your Minion backpack, your Hello Kitty shower shoes, your rainbow towel- you leave your shit everywhere! It was like a scavenger hunt! Then I finally heard you on the phone but you were in a bathroom stall having a loud phone conversation, and it went on forever so I gave up, and went to my elliptical!" Then, still using the elliptical but becoming more hushed, she shared, "Last night I had sex with a guy from the gym! And he's hot! I hope he calls me! I'm almost 35, I want a husband and kids! And the sex was great! I just was dying to tell you. I don't know why. Is this weird for me to be telling you?" Well, yeahhhhhh. I said, "It's cool, Taylor. We keep it real." Then I cringed inside because I sounded so stupid! Then she said, "Well, I don't want to keep you from your work-out, I just really wanted to tell you this happened." Oh my. No judgment.

Having this summer to work-out (and gossip) is feeling so good. I can feel myself getting stronger. I feel grateful for being a fat gym rat and also having the time to sleep in and let my muscles recover. I also feel grateful for friends in this thread. We are all in this together!

[Gemme]

Well, why wouldn't they want to confide in you? You are super approachable and are so kind. That stuff comes through!

[nycfem]

Friday night gym work-out tonight (the usual: 30 minute stairmaster and 30 minute weight floor). It was pleasantly empty. They played the song Raspberry Beret which was appreciated. I watched a show from a Netflix series called "Dark Tourist"- in this one the journalist visited Japan and spent time in radioactive areas, a forest where people commit suicide, and a ghost town. I'm planning to selectively watch more episodes based on topics. This one was good.

[Greco]

4mi walk with talkie friend...I found it
a bit of a challenge to focus on her
conversation because because I had
seascapes floating in my mind's "eye".

She is in fact a good conversationalist, and
her voice kept bringing me back...good walk
and good talk.

keep on keepin' on friends, Greco

[cinnamongrrl]

Got lost in the woods and did over 10000 steps.by 11am. Feels.good to be back in my element.

Also.did and will do.housework

[nycfem]

I did a Saturday night work-out. NYC was on the brink of a thunderstorm so that combination left me a nice and quiet gym! I did 30 min. stairmaster and 30 min weight floor. I watched more of the Dark Tourist on Netflix.

Judith was there and another gym regular named Miriam, an elderly, heavyset woman who is very opinionated. I like her! She started a petition in the locker room at one point that the locker room music was getting too loud and cool. Today she tortured Judith, and I loved it. The three of us were sitting in the couch/t.v. area of the locker room, and Miriam said to Judith, "You voted for Trump, didn't you?!" She said it in a very accusatory, angry tone. Judith looked nervous and said, "I didn't vote for anyone. I didn't vote." Needless to say that did not go over well with Miriam.

Miriam told me that Judith pestered her enough to get her to get off her exercise equipment and go to one of the gym parties one night earlier this week. Miriam said it was on the roof of the gym and was quite beautiful. It made me think, "Maybe I SHOULD accompany Judith to one of these gym parties."

[nycfem]

I went to a beach party today, so I ended up closing the gym at night. I only had time for cardio, no stretching. I did 35 minutes on the stairmaster.

It was only Judith, Miriam, and me there when I first went in the locker room. When I came back after working out, it was only Judith and me. She said, "It's good to have company." I said that I felt the same way. I had just been watching another Netflix episode of Dark Tourist, which had a segment on Jeffrey Dahmer, and I wondered, "Are Judith and I similar to Jeffrey Dahmer?" We just want... some company .

[candy_coated_bitch]

Yesterday I did my 15 minute cardio session on YouTube for beginners. I also did ten minutes practice of Qigong. Today was supposed to be a rest day because I'm sore but I've been cleaning for the past couple hours.

For those who don't know Qigong is a practice designed to release blocked chi through moving many different parts of the body at once. It's great for balance and for strength. It's similar to Tai Chi but not as martial arts based.

[nycfem]

Another late night work out tonight. I did 35 minutes on the stair master, with a 3 minute cool-down, and then 25 minutes on the gym floor (weight lifting, ab exercises, stretching). I watched "Bad Trips Abroad" (a doc series on Netflix) which is pretty good (It's about when tragedies happen on vacations.).

I ran into Max, the daughter of the "Perfect Mother-Daughter" set. She was super nice as always.

I spent tons of time (which I subtract from my work-out) watching people exercising on the weight floor. I love to see all the different ways we can move our body in healthy ways. It reminds me of the joy I had learning sign language. There are just an endless number of ways the body can move. It feels magical to me.

[cinnamongrrl]

Took the dogs for.a hike this morning. AND gave blood at the same time...to.the hungry varmints buzzing around lol

[Gemme]

I have a training session tomorrow so I did a mild workout as I could feel my back and hips tightening up and I need to be loose tomorrow.

Elliptical stats: 211 cal, 1.85 mi, 30:00 min

[nycfem]

I did my usual workout- 30 minutes stairmaster and 30 minutes on the weight floor. It felt really divine. I wish I could think of a way to maintain this when work starts. It's too early to go in the morning but if I did the evening that would mean leaving work on time. Hmm...

I have a Netflix watch list, and I forced myself to try out shows that had been lingering:

Baby Ballroom (delete- no drama)
Cheer Squad (See Above)
Jackass 3.5 (Did I really put this on my list- delete)
Living on One Dollar a Day (yawn, delete)

They'd been lingering for a reason.

I chatted with the perfect mother and daughter set who were having salads in the locker room with Judith in the couch area with the t.v.

I also chatted with Miriam. She is elderly and when I first met her I asked if she was retired. Hardly! She directs cabarets and teaches, and a documentary is being made about her. The documentary is about a musical theater class she teaches for elderly people with conditions such as Parkinson's Disease. She said they've been filming for a year and a half, and she just hopes she's still alive when it comes out. I assured her that she would be.

I got a lecture from my husbutch when I got home that couples' time is being cut into by my late night gym forays. I agreed. That means I'll have to stop procrastinating during the day so that I can get home earlier. Oh, boy!

[nycfem]

I did my usual at the gym today (30 stairmaster; 30 weight floor). My ability to go up in weight is increasing, and my stamina on the stairmaster. That is a good feeling. After watching about five seconds of various Netflix, I settled on the Trump documentary which seems good so far.

I saw the perfect mother and daughter today. The daughter was on a treadmill. I smiled and waved at her but she didn't see me. Good. Better on the work-out floor not to interact. Then I saw the mother in the locker room. She was telling another regular that she was looking for a studio apartment for herself because the perfect daughter was going off to school. The gym member with whom she was speaking about this said, "I know of a studio that's renting for 4,000." The perfect mother said, "I'm already interested in one I found that's 3,200." They talked about what a good deal that was. Only in NYC

On the weights floor, a trainer smiled at me and said, "You can do it," or something like that. Just imagine something you might see on a Nike advertisement. I didn't realize he was speaking to me. I was in a kind of zombie mode because I'd just finished an intense stairmaster workout and was getting ready to lift weights. He repeated it a second time. Again, I didn't realize he was speaking to me (He was with another client stretching them on a table, so why would I think he was speaking to me.). However, the third time he said it, I looked up at him and saw that smile and that he was speaking to me. "You can do it," he said, "I see it in your eyes." A little creepy . Possibly a little fatphobic . Or maybe just nice . I smiled back. I don't really care what it meant, as long as people are being friendly to me- whatever. I just appreciate it .

[candy_coated_bitch]

An hour and fifteen of Qigong. It's really getting my legs, back, and feet. I had to sit down a couple times for a few minutes just to rest and get feeling back in everything LOL. I'm not used to being on my feet for over an hour straight and I'm also fat and out of shape so even just the standing there is difficult and when you add in the movements it's very difficult for me. But the teacher is very chill and tells us to use the 70% principle and always do 70% of what we're capable of, not more, and not to push your boundaries too hard. So that's cool. I'm enjoying the class.

I got a ride to and from because it was raining so no extra walking today.