I need to reduce the gravitational force between myself and the Earth and I don't have the luxury of leaving the planet (or just going into orbit momentarily). I'm trying to incorporate healthy eating habits and exercise, so I just walked/ran for 20 minutes on our gifted treadmill.
Are you trying to get 'in shape', or just continue to maintain a healthy lifestyle? What do you do?
I have pumped iron five days a week for nearly twenty years now. The goal, of course, is to be large.
The pandemic has made things harder, as has apartment-living (since I can't set up a proper home gym). Still, the home setup has allowed me to mostly maintain. I have started tentatively returning to the gym a few days a week, very early when nobody else is around. Hopefully I'll be back to where I was pre-pandemic in a few months, although I'll be happy enough with six.
Walking for an hour as many mornings as time, weather, and my teaching schedule allow.
Walking 300 paces every time I put the teakettle on (that's how long it takes to boil); I do psoas contractions, arm movements, and so on at the same time.
Folk dance once a week, for about an hour, most weeks (sometimes I fall asleep, it's after an energetic ADHD music student...)
I w-a-a-a-s going to do more ballet, but somehow fell off the wagon on that; I have a small barre-like setup and tapes to work from.
Very recently, I started giving myself brief modern assignments in lieu of the ballet barre....that might go somewhere.
Not a fan of gyms, weights, running, etc., as you might guess.
M.
I try to go for a run a couple of times a week, but haven't been making it more than once a week recently. I walked too far in work shoes on Thursday and am still recovering from the blisters.
I must work on my health with regard to decreasing stress, reducing mindless snacking, and increasing exercise. As my modal amount of exercise is 0 minutes per day (if you do not count walking to the building from the parking lot or minor household chores), I'm starting with a short walk each day (~20 minutes) if the weather holds and plan to add in some pilates/yoga videos on the weekend. Hubby has gotten really into inline skating, but this will not be an activity I plan to join, as not only is my fitness low, but my balance skills are non-existent.
Thanks for starting the thread; I saw the title and took a break from grading to go for a walk.
My annual farm share starts in a couple weeks. I'm hoping to experiment with more recipes to avoid drifting to frozen prepackaged meals and snack food.
I guess to answer the question, I would like my shape to change somewhat, but more than that I just feel like I'm at an age where it gets harder and harder to stay fit and healthy, and I want us to be able to enjoy our lives together as empty nesters now that the youngest is headed off to college. Better get on top of things as much as possible now.
I've been doing workouts on YouTube pretty much exclusively the past few months. There are so many free workouts available, and so many good ones! I log them along with my other fitness and health data every day. My daughter pointed me toward YouTube as a source for workouts by recommending a yoga practitioner she enjoyed, but I am just not a big yoga fan. However, I found lots of workouts that suited me. I had to work my way back from basically doing nothing for 5 years after probably 20 years of intense daily exercise, but there are so many options. Now I typically do cardio interval workouts a few days a week, upper and lower weights (dumbbell) workouts a couple times a week, and dance every afternoon (mostly Latin dancing). I find that the end-of-day dance workouts let me get some stress from the day out and loosen up a bit from sitting so I can stretch more. Anyway, I have always been a fan of home workouts on DVD more than the gym. If anyone is looking for particular types of workouts on YouTube (or DVD) and would like recommendations, please let me know! I try new workouts and trainers all the time. Or, if anyone has recommendations of their own, I would love to hear them.
My husband needs to get in shape per doctor's orders and just bought a something or other from Dick's. Looks like it could be a rack or a cage? I am not sure if there is a difference, but the terms seem to be used interchangeably at times on their website. He has a weight bench and barbells and weights and all of that. I'm looking forward to making use of it as well. He also has an old school-looking rowing machine and rows several times a day. And, now that he has to be back on site at work 5 days/week, he tries to walk around the parking lot a few times, but we are about in the 100s at this point, so I'm not sure how long that will last.
At his suggestion, I also picked up a couple ballroom dancing DVDs, and we have tried out the waltz so far, but that's it. Dancing by myself is one thing, but dancing together is definitely a bit challenging for me!
We have also been trying to get better sleep, and we have drastically overhauled our diets. Again, that's mostly due to his doctor's orders, but it was a good wake up call. We each log food and/or exercise on various apps and websites, and have added or changed some vitamins or supplements (not weight loss supplements, but other nutritional supplements). Sadly, none of the aforementioned has made the scale move much for me! It would be nice to have a little progress in that direction, though I certainly feel a lot more fit than I felt a few months ago.
Thanks for starting this thread and getting the discussion going again!
Yes, and I like the title better than the old "Fluffy Faculty Thread," by the way!!!!
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M.
Quote from: ab_grp on May 28, 2022, 01:52:24 PM
I find that the end-of-day dance workouts let me get some stress from the day out and loosen up a bit from sitting so I can stretch more.
I've noticed this too. I feel like the stereotype of People Who Go For Runs is that they go in the mornings, but the mornings are for lounging in my jammies drinking coffee. It's really in the afternoon, when I'm irritated and restless from sitting at my desk and just want to build a break into the day between work and evening that a run is most welcome.
I live 1.5 miles from campus and walk to and from. I don't allow myself any other option, no matter the weather, which means I get my 3 miles in when I otherwise would be tempted to stay inside. My colleagues are rather incredulous about this, but with proper clothing I'm never sorry to have walked, even on the occasional day I feel a bit sorry for myself while walking.
On days I work from home and on the weekends, I usually go for a walk or a run in the early evening, along the river path near my house. I used to run more regularly x3 a week, and want to get back to that. I think I need to just start the couch to 10k app over from the beginning and make myself work the program again.
Working in the garden is also good exercise, as my aching back and arms are currently reminding me after a day of weeding and pruning.
Quote from: Puget on May 28, 2022, 04:24:34 PM
I live 1.5 miles from campus and walk to and from. I don't allow myself any other option, no matter the weather, which means I get my 3 miles in when I otherwise would be tempted to stay inside. My colleagues are rather incredulous about this, but with proper clothing I'm never sorry to have walked, even on the occasional day I feel a bit sorry for myself while walking.
Yeah, I did the same as a PhD student. It was a 10km round trip, but I really enjoyed it. Ever since moving here, however, everything is too far (it's a 50km round trip now, was about 28km when I was a postdoc), and the streets aren't very pedestrian-friendly. I really miss it. I go for a short walk or hike most days, but it's really not at all the same.
After a knee injury from over a month ago seems to have healed, I am attempting a yoga class tomorrow morning.
Luckily the instructor also had a knee injury recently so hope he'll have some good tips.
I wish I were close enough to work so I could walk, but I ain't walkin' 50 miles a day. I just did another 20 minutes on the treadmill. Yay!
I've been pretty consistent with yoga videos on YouTube - meaning, 2 or 3 times a week - since September or so. And then in March or April I realized I should be doing more strength training (since the type of yoga I like doesn't require involve strength), so I found a video on YT I like. All that's missing, I think, is cardio. (I don't understand how people fit in all of the different "types" of exercise you need. I mean, I know I'm lazy, so there's that.)
A well-structured ballet or modern class will include them all in cycles.
Plie's are slow, steady, and encourage fluidity.
Tendu's are staccato, energetic and involve more dynamic movement.
Rond de jambes include the fluidity of plie's with the extensions and more percussive movements of tendus.
Grand battements use more extension and energy, etc.
Stylistically, a ballet class uses one kind of movement vocabulary; a modern class might use one of several different 'languages': Graham, Taylor, etc.
But you could also construct a sequence for yourself using the concepts described above while speaking 'yoga.'
A friend of mine teaches like that, in fact--or used to.
M.
I walk/ hike and try to get in about 20+ miles a week. I belong to a club with 15-20 events each week and I enjoy the friendships I've made there. What I still need to do is eat less; I just saw some quite unflattering pictures of myself.
I run a couple of times a week (weather permitting) and work out with medicine ball and free weights a couple of days a week as well. I've been doing some variation on that routine for years. I also do hiking or bicycling sometimes, but just randomly for fun, not as part of a workout routine.
I also eat well all week - salmon, yogurt/parfaits, oatmeal, lots of fruits and veggies. We cheat on Friday or Saturday nights and sometimes for another weekend meal as well.
I'm not trying to achieve any muscle gains or weight loss, just to maintain fitness and health.
Bumping.
I just walked for 20 minutes on the treadmill. I'm trying to make a habit of walking once a day. How about you?
I've been using Strava according to which I walked 3.2 miles yesterday and took 9,130 steps during a period of 1:27 hours. Needless to say, I don't do this every day!
You can share your profile with others.
In other news, I thought this was the dumbest article on walking:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/09/well/move/walk-talk-social-connections-conversation.html?searchResultPosition=3
I can't think of anyone I know/have walked with want to discuss any of the following:
QuoteThere's no pressure to come up with thought-provoking questions — simply spending time together on a ramble, away from screens and obligations, builds bonds. But prompts can make a walk more fun. Perel, a master of getting people to open up, offered a few reliable ones (some from the upcoming version of her card game, "Where Should We Begin: A Game of Stories") to engage people in more thought-provoking discussions:
What's a promise you wish you hadn't broken?
The trip that changed my life was ...
The thing that's keeping me up at night is ...
If my younger self could see me today, they would say ...
My most unexpected friendship is with ...
One of Parker's favorite ways to begin a dialogue is to ask: "Have you ever had a nemesis? Why do you think they got so under your skin?"
"This often leads to passionate, quite hilarious conversation," Parker said, adding that "it's slightly transgressive, slightly naughty."
Quote from: ciao_yall on May 28, 2022, 08:38:03 PMAfter a knee injury from over a month ago seems to have healed, I am attempting a yoga class tomorrow morning.
Luckily the instructor also had a knee injury recently so hope he'll have some good tips.
Knee is healed so back to my regular yoga and hiking routines, but being a bit more mindful these days.
I've been hobbled by distal bicep tendonitis for a few weeks. It's been much improved for a few days, but I weirdly have more crepitus than usual from my rotator cuff, which I injured years ago.
I've found some workout programs I really enjoy and have stuck with them (Sydney Cummings Houdyshell's Summertime Fine 2.0 and 3.0... they are from previous years). They're each about 3 months. I just completed 2.0 a few weeks ago and started week 3 of 3.0 today. She was an athlete in college and has some fitness training, and I like the structure. The first month is stabilization and endurance, more foundational work for longer periods. The second's focus is muscle building, and the third is a "lean out" focus with more cardio mixed in and some power moves. They are all free and on YouTube in convenient playlists and use the equipment I have at home and are easily modified. She is a very positive person, which can be a bit much at times, but I appreciate the work she puts in to building these workouts and programs and her desire to share them freely. She does sell merchandise in her store and has a Sydney Squad that costs $, but I am not a member. If I continue with her for a while longer, I will probably send some support her way, because I do think I have benefited a lot in terms of fitness, strength, and even finally getting some weight loss going. (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVQJZE_on7It_pEv6tn-jdA This is her channel) I swear I am not a shill for her.
In addition, my husband and I are still trying to walk twice a day together for 15 minutes. He started doing this after heart surgery, and then I figured I'd better keep an eye on him so joined him. Now he just started a new job that requires him to be on site every day for the first couple weeks, so we walk before he goes in and also after lunch while talking on the phone. The temps are crossing into the 100s next week and for the foreseeable future, so we'll see how this works out. I bought a couple more sun jackets, since they seem to be a cooler option.
Langue_doc, I can't imagine wanting to discuss any of that while out on a walk, either.
Quote from: evil_physics_witchcraft on June 12, 2023, 01:26:26 PMBumping.
I just walked for 20 minutes on the treadmill. I'm trying to make a habit of walking once a day. How about you?
Good for you, keep it up!
Still walking to and from campus, 3 miles round trip (2-3 days a week in the summer, 4 days a week during the semester usually), plus trying to run 2-3 times a week (working back up toward 10k, currently at about 4.5 miles). I have a goal of at least 25 total walking + running miles per week and almost always meet it.
I've really stepped up my exercise routine over the last year. I'm working out five days a week and taking a very systematic approach that includes weight training, calisthenics, and some cardio. I was already in good shape, but this has taken me to a new level of fitness. I'm also trying to get in 10,000 steps a day to take off a little more of the stubborn fat that has always been with me and I'm feeling great.
The biggest shift for me was to educate myself on the science of diet and exercise. I never really understood how muscle growth actually occurs, the ways that strength training supports fat loss, or how different kinds of foods contribute to these processes. Learning about these things have made me much more efficient.
My plan is to do three things each day, up from two during the academic year. Today was stationary bike, neighborhood walk, and disk golf.
I am considering adding [X] pushups a day to build core strength.
Thanks for bumping.
Some things, though, strike out of the blue.
I wasnt really aware that this was being bumped and didnt carefully read the date, and some of the initial posts were Mamselle so I was reminded of our collective loss.
Anyway, I need to get back into the habit (and not the nun's clothes). It is really a matter of fighting through the first parts to get that habit formed. I used to walk A LOT! I admit to having an endorphin thing going on, and first thing in the morning, I needed the fix, so off I went!
It is hard to start, but once the habit takes hold, it is hard to break!
It is easy to find excuses not to do it. It is hard to get started, but it CAN be done, and I hope that we all get back to healthy activities!!
And if you like take a moment to review the words of Mamselle in this thread and remember her.
Quote from: ohnoes on June 14, 2023, 03:28:02 PMMy plan is to do three things each day, up from two during the academic year. Today was stationary bike, neighborhood walk, and disk golf.
I am considering adding [X] pushups a day to build core strength.
Add the pushups. It will give you more strength and endurance and make you better at the cardio activities you are doing. You could do some number per day, as you suggest, but if you're new to it then you'd be better off doing them every other day so that your muscles have time to recover. I've been doing 150 twice a week in sets of ten, with three different types of pushups mixed in (I used to do more, but after realizing how important good form is I decided to prioritize quality over quantity).
In case it is helpful, I recently came across a push-up challenge that is supposed to help no matter what level you're at. I haven't done it myself, but I think it makes progressive sense and targets a lot of the auxiliary muscles and movements that help with push ups, and sometimes it's nice to have a program to follow that builds in rest. https://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/arm-workouts/30-day-push-up-challenge One caveat is that I have read that modifying push ups by moving to the knees may not be as helpful for progression to regular push ups as is doing inclined push ups (elevating the hands, preferably staying on the toes). At one point, I was able to do a solid number of push ups. Now I am working my way back up to it after taking too much time off, and after a lot of foundational work I am back to being able to do a couple on my toes at a time. Maybe I'll aim for this guy's world record of 3200 in one hour! https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/14/asia/australia-pushup-world-record-intl-hnk/index.html
Quote from: clean on June 19, 2023, 05:59:20 PMThanks for bumping.
Some things, though, strike out of the blue.
I wasnt really aware that this was being bumped and didnt carefully read the date, and some of the initial posts were Mamselle so I was reminded of our collective loss.
Anyway, I need to get back into the habit (and not the nun's clothes). It is really a matter of fighting through the first parts to get that habit formed. I used to walk A LOT! I admit to having an endorphin thing going on, and first thing in the morning, I needed the fix, so off I went!
It is hard to start, but once the habit takes hold, it is hard to break!
It is easy to find excuses not to do it. It is hard to get started, but it CAN be done, and I hope that we all get back to healthy activities!!
And if you like take a moment to review the words of Mamselle in this thread and remember her.
One thing you might do, if your having trouble making time for that morning walk, is to try spanning your walking across the day. For example, if you are looking over messages and news feeds that arrived in your inbox overnight, do so while walking around the house instead of sitting on the couch. If you are on the phone in the afternoon or evening, walk around while chatting. If you go to the store, park on the far end of the parking log so that you get a few extra minutes of walking in. Etc.