The Work Out Thread

[Harlow2]

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.

[Sun_Worshiper]

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.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

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?

[Langue_doc]

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:

There'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."

[ciao_yall]

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.

Knee is healed so back to my regular yoga and hiking routines, but being a bit more mindful these days.

[Parasaurolophus]

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.

[ab_grp]

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. 

[Puget]

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?

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.

[Sun_Worshiper]

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.

[ohnoes]

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.

[clean]

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.   

[Sun_Worshiper]

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.

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).

[ab_grp]

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

[Sun_Worshiper]

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. 

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.