Claire
Master Chef
What do you do? What is your daily routine? Do you even have a daily routine?
What do you do? What is your daily routine? Do you even have a daily routine?
I, for one, have not gotten caught up in the exercise fad. When the idea of exercise comes to mind, I take a nap until it passes.
The mall opens @ 6:30 in the morning for walkers, well lit and music overhead, temperature controlled. I walk there for at least 30 minutes when the weather is icky. Otherwise, I walk outside for 30 minutes/4 days a week. The other 3 days I do cardio with weights, basically the weight stretches and toning I learned in Cardiac Rehab. I do it to fast paced music and try to keep up. I keep the weights light and just increase the reps.
I do 20 - 30 minutes on the treadmill every morning using wrist weights for upper body exercises. Then I alternate days between 15 minutes of weight lifting using dumbbells or 15 minutes working the reflex bag. I call it progress by ounces.
PF I was contacted after my last heart attack by the Cardio Rehab folks. They just let me know they were there. They never followed up and I didn't know if I was supposed to. I know I need to excercise, but with my hip and spine problems, anything that requires me standing or walking for any time is out of the question. And it is not feasible for the "work it out, and it will work out for you." There is just too much damage to my hip and spine. And it is also a circulation problem that they can't do anything about. Five trips to the Cath Lab was of no help in that department. So my question is;
Would they have a program that would of benefit to me? I get out of breath easily. And that is my other problem. I am also afraid of having another heart attack. Three of them is enough for me. Not a good feeling.
I do 20 - 30 minutes on the treadmill every morning using wrist weights for upper body exercises. Then I alternate days between 15 minutes of weight lifting using dumbbells or 15 minutes working the reflex bag. I call it progress by ounces.
I never thought of exercise as being a fad. I was so, so very un-athletic as a kid. But then President Kennedy (yes, I'm that old) started a fitness test in the school system, and I was determined to pass the sit-ups portion. When I enlisted, the physical test for women was a joke, it really was. I did one hitch, then went to work as a civilian at the Pentagon, and got sponsored for the Pentagon Officers' Athletic Club. There I was, doing girly aerobics classes, and a man approached me. "Have you ever lifted weights? You just have the body type for weight lifting." Oh, dearie me. But .. what the heck. I went into the (remember now, women had only recently been allowed membership in this facility) male, testosterone-filled weight room and he showed me how to lift weights. Long before any women would dream of it.
I'm here to tell you, I'm not a competition quality weight lifter. I just have 5 lb and 8 lb dumbells, and 5 lb leg weights. I do have gym membership since the hip break.
But that's the thing. You may think weight lifting isn't for girls. Well, get a new look on life. When my leg wouldn't work, I can lift my body with my arms. My doctors, my physical therapists, and heaven help me, all of my friends commented that I recovered from the break more quickly than most because I was fit. And this was at 210 lbs (now I'm at 170, stress)(this is an ideal weight. I'm large boned and muscled, it's kind of a family joke. All of us girls are).
I do a little typing.
I walk every day with the dog, whatever the weather, we do between 30 - 60 minutes depending how much time I have . He gets a shorter walk in the evening . I do my Wii Fit twice a week .
From what I understand about weight lifting, if I can lift a 10 pound weight once...I've lifted 10 lbs. In the other hand, if I lift a 2 pound weight 5 times, I've still lifted 10 lbs. It's not the weight that helps tone, it's the number of times you can lift that weight.
Unless you are going Mr. or Mrs. Universe you really don't need to buy all the weights, a 2 pound and a 5 pound are enough to be fit.