Using It - August 20 - 26

[Shadow]

Here we go again :lol:. This week I'm going to focus on the "fun factor" - something that sometimes gets ignored ;). So I don't know what my week will entail - just that I will enjoy doing it :).

What about the rest of you?

[SherryJ]

This week I'm going to focus on the "fun factor"
What'd ja do with our Shadow, Mr. Alien?!?!?!? :peeved:

:D :D :D

Okay, GF... this I'm waitin' to hear about! ;)

Sherry

[Shadow]

Sherry - :lol:! Not to worry, I'm still working it ;). Just not pushing above and beyond. Consider it a direct result of being too darned hot to breathe, let alone push to my limits :p.

[SherryJ]

It IS hot, isn't it, GF?!?!?!?

Soooo... what DOES constitute FUN in a workout for you? :)

Sherry

[bigdawg_SLC]

Well it's back to the grind -- we're back from our lake trip. Now the sore muscles from skiing and boarding will get even more of a workout. I'll be back in the gym tomorrow morning. The thought of it just really, really makes my stomache churn. I know it's necessary but I've really never found a way to make it fun and entertaining.

But it is NICE to be back. :)

[Shadow]

Bigdawg - Welcome back :D! While you may be dreading the trip to the gym, just imagine how great you'll feel - mentally and physically - once you get it done :thumbsup:!

Sherry - Well, unfortunately "fun" and "great" are two different things :lol:! A workout is "fun" when I can play with some of my toys (like the stability ball, weights, etc) and feel like I got something accomplished, but not feel like a wrung-out dishrag at the end of it :tongue:. And while I am very thankful we got a break from the heat, it looks like it's to come back this week - sigh... Oh well, I have survived worse summers so I'm pretty sure I'll survive this one too :rolleyes:.

[banshee]

I'm still taking it easy 'cause of my back, so just some very basic stretching exercises for me this week, I think. The back is about 95% better than it was the first couple days after I twanged it, but is still giving me little twinges of pain when I try to get up out of a chair. Stretching also makes it twinge, but I don't want to let it get completely untoned, so I'm trying to carefully stretch a little every day.

It was actually kind of interesting - the day after when I weighed myself, I was up 4 pounds, despite no other changes. And as the pain has gotten less, so has the weight!This just magnifies to me that my body really loves to grab onto water when I injure/exercise my muscles. :rolleyes:

[Mitra]

I'm back from my week of yoga. It was fun to try some new postures, and although I was conscious of the need to maintain tone in the core muscles, I did everything that was suggested (which was quite a lot :eek:) and didn't have any problems. If anything, my back seem to have reached a point where it does better with more work and more movement.

While I was there I decided to do a (yoga) course that I'd been considering for a while, which will involve 5 weekends each year for the next two years (Friday lunch to Sunday lunch).

This week I need to settle back into my routine, and try to keep some of the extra motivation that you get from going away. We're going to London on Thursday, so that will be a "rest" day - though not exactly restful.

[Shadow]

Welcome back, Mitra :D! Sounds like a nice, active get-away! Congratulations on signing up for that course! Have a good trip to London! But don't push yourself to settle in too quickly - I think it always takes time to get re-settled after time away from home :).

[Mitra]

I think I'll focus on stabilising work for the next few days - because I've been doing much more variety than usual this week. Even a handstand at one point :rolleyes: not to mention a few whacky half-lotus twisty positions: http://ashtangayoga.info/asana-vinyasa/intermediate-series/13-Bharadvajasana.jpg (that's not me in the picture ;) )

One of the things I learned this week was that the outer shell of the thyroid gland produces corticosteroids, which have an anti-inflammatory effect, and exercise is one of the things that stimulates their release. Between allergies, and the inflammatory aspect of my back troubles, I think this is one of the reasons that I feel so much better when I exercise, and something that should help motivate me to maintain a moderately challenging level of work.

I'm looking forward to the new course (it starts in October, so not too long to wait). There will be about 14 people, and I know most of them, so it should be fun. It's taught by my yoga teacher, so I have a good idea what I'm letting myself in for :lol:.

[daisy]

HI

I'm new to the board and Mitra (thanks for your reply btw) suggested i come over and have a look here... not sure how this works yet lol

I'm low carbing and i'm basically happy with my weight but trying to get my fat % down and currently do 3 weight workouts a week, 1 or 2 classes (body combat, pump) and 1 or 2 cardio sessions, plus i walk my dog 2 or 3 times daily.... I'm looking to burn fat into lean muscle and build tone plus get rid of excess skin and i have found that i can cope with the intensity of my workouts when i'm following a high protein diet but when i started introducing lots more carbohydrates i was hungry and dizzy all the time and didn't want to go to the gym (i love the gym normally!!!)

daisy xxx

[banshee]

Mitra - sounds like you had a great getaway. Congrats on being able to do everything!

Welcome Daisy! I'm pretty much where you are with goals as well, and looking forward to hearing about your workouts.

For the last couple weeks I've been seriously considering getting a gym membership that includes twice weekly personal training. While I know the exercises and how to do them, I just don't seem to be making any progress, and whenever I think I am, I end up injuring myself in some way. :( I'm beginning to think that the only way I'll get to my goals is to have someone who will be there almost every workout and who will be able to get me to my goals without getting injured! It's not cheap, though, so I need to think about it some more.

The new gym I'll be trying out in September/October includes some group training sessions, and if I like the gym, I may stay on with them. This particular center not only does fitness, but also physical therapy, massage therapy, nutrition, cooking classes, and basically takes a "whole body wellness" approach to things, which appeals to me since I'm not just trying to get fit, but to get healthier. They also have free pilates as part of their membership, and that's something I've been interested in as well.

[daisy]

Banshee

I started going to the gym last year after losing a reasonable amount of weight, i'd be a member for 8 years and never used it regularly, i did ok on my own, however my whole attitude to working out and my knowledge of what i'm doing, PLUS my body shape and weight completely changed when i took the plunge and started working with a personal trainer.... I did it twice a week at first and now i usually see her once a week, i'm afraid i can't let go lol i love her to bits for what she makes me do cos there is no way i could have gotten anywhere near the point i am now in my strength and fitness without those sessions.... Now i find when i go to workout by myself i have a huge choice of different exercises to choose from and i can make a great individual workout each time.... Those lessons have been worth their weight in gold for me and my husband says a year on he's never seen me so committed to anything (well except for shopping which is also my new love :lol: )

Its money well spent and a great investment in your body for your health and your future.... Good luck!!!!!!!!! i really hope you take the plunge

love daisy xxxx

[Mitra]

Daisy - it's good to see you over here :). This is just a thread that someone starts each week, where we talk about what exercise we're doing. It can help with motivation when you flag a little, and is a good place to get advice when you need a change, want to try something different, or want to work on some particular effect.

There's another exercise thread, usually called "M & S" or some variant on that. It's nothing to do with shops (I don't think they have M&S in America ;) ). It stands for Movers and Shakers. Usually they are people who are just starting to introduce a little bit of exercise. This Using It thread is more for people who are already exercising reasonably regularly, and is about developing and maintaining the habit rather than just getting started. Not that we're all gym bunnies :lol:. We all do different things, at different levels of intensity.

[daisy]

Hey everyone, hope all is well, i guess alot of people are still in bed due to the time zone differences!!!!

I'm just off to gym, today its going to be 1 hour on crosstrainer (level 10 on the hills plus programme, its tough but i dont sweat as much as the stairmaster!) Then 30 minutes on the stairmaster at level 10 not an interval programme cos i'm going more for the fat burn than cardio at this point, then half an hour abdominal and hip work in the stretching area, for this i use a combination of free exercises my trainer showed me and others she showed me on a fit ball and with a medicine ball, i'm trying to up these a bit cos on my own i tend to just do some simple abs and skip the rest :eek:

See you later, i've opened a journal and i'm determined to write in it each day, good and especially if its a bad day cos my usual trick is to avoid facing when things have gone wrong and my new personal challenge is to not do that anymore.

daisy xxx

[hawk]

I like your signature line Daisy!:D

[daisy]

Thank you Hawk :D i like yours too and am also learning how to live this way rather than as a temporary measure :)

daisy xxx

[daisy]

Ok i'm taking 99mg potassium each day cos i get leg cramps, i drink 4 litres (140 ounces i think) of water each day as minimum cos i like it..... yet i'm still retaining water, i can't take a diuretic cos i'm taking potassium so it will upset my electrolyte balance any suggestions???

daisy xx

[Mitra]

Oh no :eek: Shadow's back and we didn't have a thread for this week :o . She's going to find out that we don't exercise when nobody checks up on us :( .

[Shadow]

How right you are, Mitra :eek:! I noticed no one moved it the whole time I was gone - what are all of you up to, anyway?????????

Don't make me get the whip in action :evil:!

[Mitra]

Well, I did actually do some exercise, but I think I got a bit carried away on my yoga week :rolleyes:, so I'm still in re-stabilising mode on my back. It's not a major bad spell, but a sort of sharpish feeling around the sacrum and intermittent referred pains down the front of my right leg are definite warning signs to avoid too many forward bends and twists for a bit longer :(.

[Shadow]

Oh, I'm so sorry that back is acting up again! But I am very happy to hear you're not ignoring all exercise - which would simply make it worse and delay your healing :thumbsup:!