I’ll count today as Day 1: Wednesday, December 19.
45 minutes on the treadmill in my apt. complex’s little fitness room
—first 15 with 2lb soft wrist-weights velcro’d on
—varying speeds and slopes, 3.0 to 3.8 mph, 5-12% pitch
—forgot the darn heart rate monitor
—wow, was it warm in there! the windows were already fogged when I entered
15 minutes on weight machine, alternating reps of arms/upper back and quads
--my quads were pinging like a hot tailpipe on the last set
10 minutes of stretching, gentle lunges
--no, really, I don’t need to hold onto the wall for balance, I’m worried the wall might fall down
Thanks to the nice young woman who came into the fitness room after me, for giving me quiet incentive to keep going. After my treadmill walk, she asked, “Are you leaving?” I thought she wanted the treadmill, but she didn’t want to stay alone. I’d have bugged out, using my ‘cold’ as an excuse, but did light-ish weights with lots of reps. She just kept going on the elliptical, so I just kept doing something. My only issue with her is that she glows like a lady, while I sweat like a plow animal. That’s just not fair.
*No back pain today
*I totally feel better after sweating the toxins out of myself
That’s why I chose to start this 100 days today. Was going to wait for 2008 but this was a good day to remember.
Thanks! I still remember my first day of exercise in the current era, which was New Year’s Eve 2006. I hit the same treadmill for maybe 20 minutes, but much slower and with no incline. It’s nice to realize that almost a full year later I’m still moving, though for a lot of that I had quit the treadmill (bored) and concentrated on Jazzercise classes 4-6 times per week.
Well MTM is going to make an award for the “Champion Sweat-er” and you have been nominated!!!! Way to go on starting up this routine, that is awesome-what a great way to bring in the New Year.
Day Two was Thursday, Dec. 20: 1-hour Jazzercise class. I was a bit more sore than I thought in my upper arms, so facial expressions were “colorful.” Small class, down to us die-hards. I’m a bit disappointed that they nixed the 7pm classes all next week, and I think that instructor was a bit disappointed too. I know I can and will work out without the structure of the class, though.
For those who don’t know, Jazzercise (which has been around for almost 40 years) is a workout which involves aerobic dance (to various pop, rock, R&B;, country, and classic tunes) for about 30 minutes, followed by strength training, toning, and stretching. I’ve been doing it since mid-January. I think it’s helped me keep on track, because of course the class format has a social component.
I was exhausted after class, which was after a long, stressful day at work, so I went to bed right after a hot shower. I still sort of have “the cold,” and it woke me a few times, but most notably, I have a touch of laryngitis this morning, so I get to whisper.
Way to go, Ann! I’m a sweater too. We had a sweaty t-shirt contest a while back, we may have to do another towards the beginning of next year! It’s really fun to see how wet you can make a shirt. I figure if I’m not projectile sweating, it didn’t count.
I figure if I’m not projectile sweating, it didn’t count.
I love this. Thanks, Bree.
I ended up counting this as one of my “rest” days (which are usually Wednesdays or Fridays, plus some Sundays) due to continued congestion and a pounding head. Better to take it easy at this point, I think. Tomorrow, I plan an active day. Better to bike my errands and shopping tomorrow than try to park a car, days before Christmas!
Saturday morning, I made the 8am Jazzercise class, which was kind of small. Then a bunch of people I knew were arriving for the 915a class, so I thought, oh, I’ll just do the aerobic portion of this one. I stayed for the whole hour. I was coughing and still laryngitic, but it was a good workout. My first “double.”
Sunday, I did a little shopping and casual walking, but my head was pounding, still fighting the cold, and I took it easy. Today (Monday), I did the 9:15a Jazzercise class, because I had off from work. When I finally kick this cold, I look forward to hitting it a bit harder again.
I love Jazzercise! I love the social aspect, too. I have only been doing it since April. The classes sizes have been pretty much normal though I think we are the die hards since faded out since Thanksgiving.
You’re lucky, all the classes here during this week are canceled, only the Saturday class is still on.
MB, I think Jazzercise taps into both my social side and my competitive side (I can keep up with the others, so there) which was good in getting me over the initial hump of adjusting to regular routine workouts. Often I would go there straight from the office, knowing that I had time to go home first, but if I sat down and took my shoes off, I’d never go.
Catching up with the past few days. Tuesday, Christmas, I had hoped to get some treadmill time in, but was still feeling very congested, so I rested up. Wednesday, last night, I hit the treadmill for 40 minutes, a pretty good 40 minutes, with most of that time in the target heart rate. I can’t find my wrist weights. Will have to dig in the car.
I guess yesterday was Day 8. Tonight, still no classes, so back to the treadmill. I’d like to try a spinning class, but so far I don’t see one that isn’t inside a club or something that I’d have to join first. I’ll have to investigate further.
The cold is slowly dissipating, though once again I awoke coughing and couldn’t get back to sleep. The back feels fine. Little soreness in my legs, which the chiro addressed yesterday. He’s begun working on my upper spine, above the fusion, and I felt a definite sore spot which is feeling better. Then again I’ve been neglecting my arms/upper back workout a bit lately.
Thursday, Dec. 27 (Day 9): ended up being a rest day. Long day at work, followed by chiro visit, some errands, dinner, and arrived home to find a surprise fun holiday package which I proceeded to examine and play with. Lots of fun odds and ends from an artsy whiz friend, who made a smaller version of her own vacation scrapbook from our New York/Long Island trip this summer. It’s remarkable. I found myself too tired to work out late, so went to bed. On the positive side, the cold was rapidly dissipating.
Friday, Dec. 28 (Day 10): After work and chiro visit, popped a big pan of root veggies (carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, a few cut up Yukon Gold potatoes, with onions, peppers and mushrooms) doused with a bit of beefy sauce from my Christmas pot roast, and some seasoning, in to roast in the oven while I hit the treadmill. (The veggies were the best part of the meal anyway; now I’ll have that “cooked with the roast” flavor with the fat skimmed off. Mmm. Freezing them in little bags for winter lunches.) I got to 30 minutes on the treadmill, worked up a sweat and was workin’ the target heart rate pretty well. Then I used the arm pull and quad lift parts of the weight machine. I’d also grabbed my backpack, so I pulled out my 8lb dumbbells and did some of the moves from class—biceps, tricep kickbacks, pec presses, lifts for the upper back and shoulders. Felt great and not a bit sore.
Saturday, Dec. 29 (Day 11): 9:15a Jazzercise class. A nice full class, as there was only one instead of the usual two this morning. I’m getting more familiar with some of the “new” routines introduced in the past few weeks, which generally means I can throw myself into them harder.
I’m grateful for: no back pain at all. My hips seem much better aligned. A little twinge of something in my lower legs, but once I was warmed up it was better. More leg stretching needed. My cold is nearly 100% gone, still a slight raspiness to my voice but I sound almost like me again. No dull headache. AND: I got on the scale when I got home, and I’m at my lowest weight yet on this journey… which may mean I’m at my lightest in 10-15 years at least. Such a pleasant surprise to see the number drop from the mid 160’s, where it popped back up at the onset of the cold, to 158.8. Now THAT’s motivation not to do any food damage on Monday, which is New Year’s Eve and a dear friend’s birthday, and to keep stepping up the workouts, especially now that I feel well again.
Thanks to anyone who’s read this far for allowing me to blither on. It’s hard not to ooze enthusiam and details to anyone who will listen, and I’m trying not to be a complete bore with it, but I know I am. At least here it’s “allowed.”
Ann, welcome to the forum. Here is one place where no one will think it strange when you “blather” about your workouts and your enthusiasm. In fact, it won’t be considered blathering!
Someone in your welcome thread suggested links to the Health Report podcast from the Australian Broadcasting Company. I’d agree that they’re very interesting and very well researched. I’ve been trying to avoid high fructose corn syrup after listening to one of the reports.
I used to love Jazzercise. I don’t think it’s been offered around here for decades. As a somewhat rural, small town/city area, there’s not a huge variety in the offerings. But you bring back good memories.
I disagree that exercise can’t trigger weight loss (despite my 5 month plateau); it just has to be coupled with sensible eating. Also, fitness is probably more important than a specific number on the scale (at least after you get into the “healthy” zone.
Congratulations on exercising through your cold. That isn’t easy to do.
I’m in Orlando visiting one of my best friends, whose birthday is today. There’s a lot of eating out involved. Fortunately, I haven’t been super-indulgent. I split an omelette this morning with another friend rather than eating a complete breakfast myself. And, even though I didn’t take the time to do an hour of cardio or anything, I did exercise on Cyndi’s balance ball, plus some crunches, lunges, and dragging my dumbbells from the car in order to work my upper body while we sat and watched a multitude of cable TV. (I don’t have cable, so when I’m here, it’s a plethora to me. We flipped from FitTV to a show called “Buff Brides” to the Food Network… everything dealing with both food and fat. My friend didn’t exercise with me, but I didn’t care.) I feel like I did burn some calories yesterday, if not 500, at least the fabulous dinner roll I had at lunch, and will likely do the same today. It has helped me not to totally overorder or carb-overload.
As for my enthusiasm, I must admit it wanes. Writing here is like an internal/external “pep talk” which helps. I still tend to get really discouraged when I plateau, or look at the fat on my body that hasn’t disappeared yet. If my attitude here is sometimes a tad “fake it till you make it,” at least it’s better than nothing, I guess.
I’m off to the dumbbells. Day 13! Might even get in some jumpin’ around time with my iPod.
As for your enthusiasm, well we all have days like that!!! But hey lookie, you are here right!?! That says A LOT! I notice that if I watch fitness/health programs (LOVE BUFF BRIDES!) and read up in my fitness magazines, my interest in my own health and fitness grows. And great job on your NSV, your non-scale victory (Splitting an omelet)--when your mind is on your well being, your body can’t do anything but follow its example right!? Awesome job.
Day 13: New Year’s Eve 12/31: Stretching, some crunches and repeating the arm exercises. Not as much as I would have liked, but it was my friend’s birthday. I did do some enthusiastic dusting and vacuuming to help get ready for her company.
Day 14: New Year’s Day 1/1: rest day.
Day 15: Wed 1/2: chiropractic evaluation. No more back pain, good; rotation and flexibility improved, though with nine fused vertebrae I’m never going to be a gymnast or a ballerina. Doc wants to continue to see me, mostly for tight muscles and tendons, but less frequently.
Worked out 30 minutes of treadmill, middle of which was pretty intense. Then arm pulls and quad lifts for about 20 minutes, and about 10 minutes more of aerobic. Nice to ease back in. I’m ready to step it back up. Tonight, back to Jazzercise class. Woohoo!
Talked with my friend both while visiting and by phone yesterday. She’s concerned she’s helping to sabotage my progress. I did eat some rich foods, and there was little time to exercise fully, but I think on future visits we will remedy that. Also she has signed up for a 5K in February and wants to get in better shape for that. If I can, I’ll go down and do that with her. I think we’re talking power-walk rather than run, right?
Thu 1/3 (Day 16): Jazzercise class, with plenty of arm work last night. Even though I’d used the dumbbells and the weight machine a little over the past two weeks, it was tough. Good. Went home, and since I was already sweaty, decided to hit the treadmill (workout room completely empty), and ended up doing a full hour, 3.5 miles. It helped that at the 30 minute mark I was into a good set of uptempo music that kept me going on the incline. I’d like to do more of that doubling, if for no other reason than convenience. I’m already motivated, I’m already sweaty, and it’s one less set of workout togs to launder and one fewer shower.
I haven’t yet started the stretching exercises the chiropractor gave me Wednesday. I’d better do a set of them at lunchtime so that I can show up saying I’ve at least done them.
Fri 1/4 (Day 17): a much needed evening of rest, or so it felt. Thursday I worked hard. I wasn’t so much sore as wiped out, and made it an early night.
Sat 1/5 (Day 18): 915a Jazzercise class. She seemed to go crazy on the inner and outer thigh exercises this morning. Not that I don’t need ‘em. My jeans from late April are finally really too big to wear, even with a belt. They’ve been a bit baggy for a while. The ones from July are loose too, but wearable. I’m trying to skip buying the next size down and wait for the 10, just ‘cause I’ve already been through two phases of needing new clothes. Skirts and dresses go the distance better, but I’ve got some dresses which now gap too much in front without a little creative fixing. A slightly flared skirt also seems to hide the fact that I’m in better shape above the waist than below, at this point.
Sun 1/6 (Day 19): really tired today. Pretty much tired all weekend. I think it’s the low iron thing. Hopefully that will get corrected with the multivitamins.
I seemed to be doing all sorts of things to avoid it, but finally made myself do 30 minutes on the treadmill and a little weight work. Didn’t super push it, but at least I did work up a little sweat. This coming week I’ll have four or more Jazzercise classes, and hope to continue to be able to ‘double up’ with a little treadmill afterwards to burn some extra calories.
I’m doing the stretches I was given to do. The chiropractor wants to work on my tight muscles now that my back is better. I guess I thought muscles were supposed to be that tight. I’ve never used them this much before.
