Talk about your exercise experience today

[nycfem]

On Monday I did 30 min. stair master, and then 30 min. lifting weights, ab exercises, and stretching.

Today I did 30 min. stair master, 1 hour Free Motion machine, and then 1 hour of leg weights, yoga, and back strengthening.

For calves, how about wearing wrap around weights? I love those. I have some at home where you can insert weights into them so that they can each vary between 1-5 pounds

[cinnamongrrl]

Originally Posted by nycfem

On Monday I did 30 min. stair master, and then 30 min. lifting weights, ab exercises, and stretching.

Today I did 30 min. stair master, 1 hour Free Motion machine, and then 1 hour of leg weights, yoga, and back strengthening.

For calves, how about wearing wrap around weights? I love those. I have some at home where you can insert weights into them so that they can each vary between 1-5 pounds

I had some. They were lost in my wrecked car before I moved. I have to get another set. I did feel the difference walking with them; strangely, it was in my inner thighs though...? I really just need to get back to where there is good hiking and let that suffice

ALSO: I now have yoga callouses. I thought that yoga gloves were just a bunch of hooey. Now I get it....

Today I did my step/weights. Thanks to Kelt, I found some exercises recommended by backpackers for backpackers and incorporated them into my routine. I'm grateful that I'm doing the ab challenge since core strength is important in most things but especially if you're going to carry a heavy load.

Oh I did both my challenges too. No outside exercise though; it has rained for I think going on 5 days straight.

[Kelt]

Originally Posted by nycfem

On Monday I did 30 min. stair master, and then 30 min. lifting weights, ab exercises, and stretching.

Today I did 30 min. stair master, 1 hour Free Motion machine, and then 1 hour of leg weights, yoga, and back strengthening.

For calves, how about wearing wrap around weights? I love those. I have some at home where you can insert weights into them so that they can each vary between 1-5 pounds

What's a Free Motion machine?

[Gemme]

I found these but there are still a LOT of options.

I vote for an elliptical type thing.

[nycfem]

Your link didn't work for me.

Originally Posted by Gemme

I found these but there are still a LOT of options.

I vote for an elliptical type thing.

[nycfem]

Re: Free Motion

It's like a treadmill where you set a speed and then a range of inclines. Like yesterday I did a slow speed (3 mph) but with inclines ranging from 3 to 18.5. 18.5 feels like I am running up a very steep hill, and there are bars to grab onto if one panics. Last night I woke up in the middle of the night for a little while with my calves saying, "What were you thinking? We are used to the stair master."

[nycfem]

Today, Christmas work-out before going to see the movie Top Five:

30 min. stair master

[Gemme]

Originally Posted by nycfem

Your link didn't work for me.

Sorry. I just googled it and then clicked the images link.

Your description is pretty much what most of them were, except there's actually a company called FreeMotion too and they have all kinds of exercise equipment.

No structured workout today. Short walk.

[cinnamongrrl]

Gemme and I had a similar day. I walked about 2 miles with Jacques. Took the day off from my challenges etal...

Cycled to one mates in high wind...double exercise the ole spongey lungs didn't like
Then, later, after changing into m'new camo onesie, scooted [I need to sell my bigger wheel unicycle to buy an adult scooter/kick-bike] round to another mates for the early evening.

[cinnamongrrl]

MUST.....do......yoga......

I think I gained ten pounds just looking at cheesecake recipes....

Back to my challenges today also....

Looks like it may be nice enough for a walk with Sir Jacques I'm debating taking Princess Lola with, but she is still quite small...

[Gemme]

T33, random program, level 8
Stats: 282 cal, 2.40 mi, 45:00 min
Intervals: 2 @ 90 sec @ 5.4 mph

Decent workout but I felt really heavy during the first interval. I felt heavy during parts of the last gym workout too. Hormones and extra padding weighing me down plus I over ate yesterday.

My neck is still bothering me. I'm off next Tuesday and my chiro's open since she's off Wednesday through Sunday so I'll go then. I was adjusted already this week so I want to wait and maybe get an X-ray done.

yay

[Kelt]

Originally Posted by Daktari

Cycled to one mates in high wind...double exercise the ole spongey lungs didn't like
Then, later, after changing into m'new camo onesie, scooted [I need to sell my bigger wheel unicycle to buy an adult scooter/kick-bike] round to another mates for the early evening.

Quite certain that all cycling and exercise type activities would be improved with the wearing of a camo onesie.

Great visual for the rest of the day.

Originally Posted by Kelt

Quite certain that all cycling and exercise type activities would be improved with the wearing of a camo onesie.

Great visual for the rest of the day.

A camo onesie and a Clarence the floppy antlered, red-nosed reindeer hat no less. [Clarence is Rudolph's twin brother, the one the story misses out ]

[nycfem]

I finally sprung for new gym shoes which makes such a difference in how my feet and body feel after working out. My old ones were so worn down.

Today I did 45 minutes on the stair master and 15 minutes of stretching. All the stretching after that villainous stair master was quite delicious.

[SmoothButch]

Ran 10k on the treadmill and did a ten minute walk.

[Gemme]

A topic in which I can actually add something helpful.

It's best to have more than one pair of shoes and rotate them regularly. That way, your feet won't get the chance to settle and have the same pressure points thus increasing the chance of injury. Take your insert out and look at it. If you've been in those shoes for any length of time, you'll see that it's likely worn and completely formed to your feet.

If you have one or two pair of shoes but cannot afford another, invest in good performance insoles. Mine cost $19 a pair and that's from a small chain. I think that Walmart has them for less and they are Dr. Scholl's, which is good. Walmart stores typically have a Dr. Scholl's machine that you stand on and it will tell you which insole is best suited for your feet.

Make sure you are not choosing a shoe because of it's looks (I have to keep an eye on this because the 'pretty' shoes are never the ones suited to my particular issues and I'm totally Jonesing for a shoe with purple in it, but alas...it's not meant to be for now). For example, if you over pronate like I do, you need additional support at the sides and arches. A good way to tell if the shoe has enough support for this issue is to take the shoe in your hands, sideways, and push with your thumb on the side of the heel. Then push, with your thumb, on the middle/arch of the shoe. The middle support should be denser and firmer than the heel. If it's not, it doesn't have enough support for that issue.

If you don't know if you over or under pronate or are neutral, go to a runner's store. They will have you walk and run in front of them and can assess your style and what shoes would work best for you. Even if you don't buy your shoes there, most are an excellent source of information.

THIS is a good link for information and lists of good shoe matches and there is a visual of what under and over pronation look like as well as neutral. There's not any part of my body that ever falls into a 'neutral' category, unfortunately.



I currently have 5 pairs of shoes, including the new ones I just bought and haven't broken in yet. That pair was referred to as 'the Cadillac' of shoes for over pronators like myself. I got them at 40% off, which is great because I would not have paid the original price for them. I've only paid over a hundred for one pair and I've had those for almost 2 years and have already disposed of the insert and moved on to performance insoles.

One thing to keep in mind is that you should, ideally, have a thumb's width between your toe and the edge of the shoe. If you, like me, fit shoes strangely and never quite exactly, go for the one with a little more space. That way, you will have enough room when you switch to insoles, as they lift the foot up and take up more room than the factory insoles, which are very, very thin even when brand new.

If you have wide feet or even feet like me (duck feet...wide at the toe and narrow at the heel), New Balance and Saucony have some really good options. If you don't, the Hell with you.

[cinnamongrrl]

My living room is actually a mess since I'm preparing to move, so my exercise for the next few days is going to be packing boxes, lifting them, and carrying them downstairs!

At least I will be doing more stairs though...and with a heavy load!

Soon I will be back in the land of mountains and be hiking the hills...my butt really was feeling gooder when I was doing that nearly daily.

And the weighted pack was an excellent idea that I am going to employ. Thanks again Traumaqueen!

[Gemme]

I welcomed the sun this morning during my half hour walk.

[Medusa]

According to my Fitbit, I've walked 7000 steps just cleaning house today