I've been active all my adult life (I'm 48 years old) but in the past couple of years I've been busy jogging, swimming, and bicycling (don't worry, there's no danger of my becoming a triathlete or anything LOL!). But lately since the WTC attack in New York City I've not been wanting to exercise much aerobically, so I've turned to yoga as an alternate tool for fitness. Lately I've been doing 60-minute sessions at home, four or five days a week, and one or two 90-minute classes a week. I love it. I really sweat and I feel it does so much for me. This weekend, however, I'm going to push myself a little to do a 3-mile jogging workout up and down the hills where I live in Los Angeles. I also have an exercise bench and free weights at home, but I find weight training so dreadfully boring-- I have all but given up on it. When the weather turns inclement in winter I'll hitch my bike up to my indoor trainer and cycle while I watch TV. I feel that I have so many options for training, and I just let the spirit be my guide in deciding what to do during any given week. In the long run this attitude keeps me active and happy.

Variety is the Spice of Life
 

Like the sound of that. Different forms of exercise ...{I just let the spirit be my guide in deciding what to do during any given week. } ummmm
Yoga is great for focussing and concentration of all your senses.

It is quite good to see the little changes (for the positive, I feel) that are taking place on an individual, community and national sphere since WTC. :rheart:

Take care.
Love Light Healing Harmony Hope

Well, I got out this morning for a good 2-mile jog. It's still totally dark here until 7:00 AM and I have to start my workouts by 6:00 AM or I don't make it to work on time. That means I work out in total darkness. This morning I drove to the track at UCLA at 6:00 but it was locked and pitch black there. On my way back home, driving through Westwood Village, I realized I was in the middle of a well-lit neighborhood (businesses and highrises are mostly still closed, but the street lights are blazing). I thought to myself, why not just jog all around these streets for a couple of miles or so, and that's what I did. As I said, most businesses were closed and as always there were a few homeless folks sleeping in doorways, but I think I've found my solution to the problem of winter darkness. If the city wants to light up that area like a football stadium all night long I might as well put that electricity to good use!

I've also been well into yoga in the past couple of weeks, doing 60-minute sessions. I'm working harder at it now and getting more benefit. Some of those poses really challenge my muscles (lower body, mostly) so that yesterday I had a bit of a hard time even walking for a while afterward. But I love it, and I'm looking forward to a transformation, as one of my yoga teachers calls it.

Hi Missydog,

I've spent time this morning reading gym logs, due to myself just starting to work out.

I notice you take Yoga. I noticed at my gym that yoga is taught there too, Mondays and Fridays I think. I'm thinking of going. I have never done yoga and don't know much about it. Do you find it helps with stress at all?

Hi Wendy,

Yes, I find yoga definitely helps with stress! (Actually, almost ANY physical activity helps with stress, but yoga is particularly good). Yoga can be done at many different levels. If you've never done it before, be sure to start at a gentle level or you could get prematurely discouraged. With yoga, you should never try too hard to do more than you're able to do at the present time. And it's always *practice*, never a performance. Have fun with it-- it's a journey and a discovery.

Missydog

Well, I managed to do a 60-minute yoga session this morning. Good for me. My goal is to do three aerobic workouts and two hour-long yoga sessions per week (have I said this before?). As far as I'm concerned, aerobic exercise is king and always has priority, even though I go through long periods of really enjoying yoga more. Yesterday (Sunday) I got over to the track at a local community college and did a good 2-mile solid jog. I can really feel some loss of fitness from not doing my aerobic exercise for six weeks after September 11. But I have no doubt I'll get it back in a couple of weeks of these jogging workouts.

Now that it's no longer Daylight Saving Time it's now actually light at 6:00 AM, although even this won't last. But it gives me a good chance to get outdoors before work and jog. This morning I drove to the local college track and did another 2-mile solid jog. It's getting easier, which is good. I aim to jog longer and faster, eventually. I consider these workouts to be such an incredibly important thing to do. At my age (48) it would be easy to quit and then it would be even more difficult to get back into it than if I were younger. As I jog every morning I give some thought to the fact that with each stride I'm staving off osteoporosis and insulin resistance! :)

Well, I managed to do my fourth jogging workout of this week. I've noticed something interesting-- when I was in the middle of ketosis it was definitely more difficult to do my workout than it was the day after I'd gone off my regime and eaten more food/carbs. I don't know for sure if there's a connection-- I could have just been having a down day for other reasons, but I did note this difference. It's not enough of a problem to cause me not to work out, but I'm going to make sure I take my potassium (nu-salt) which I've not been doing, and the lack of which could have caused the problem, I guess.

Hi Missydog

Interesting Log. I’ve had little bouts of doing Yoga here and there. Works on the mind, body and soul – quite effective. Must dig out my yoga exercise instructions: got them somewhere. For such a gentle controlled exercise it surprised me how much I was sweating!

{At my age (48) it would be easy to quit and then it would be even more difficult to get back into it than if I were younger. }
Never too late – and yes it is a challenge to go for it whatever your age and to remember age is NOT a barrier – not helped by some of the ageism around – some chatrooms I visit start a chat and cut me off as soon as I give my age: makes me mad!! I didn’t go brain dead at 35. We’ve got a new member in UK who is 70 : he’s great.

Glad you worked out a way of making use of those lights. Amazing how just focussing on exercise helps our brains to figure out a Our clocks went back this weekend and I am waking up in the LIGHT too – helps with getting out of bed.

{….it was definitely more difficult to do my workout than it was the day after I'd gone off my regime and eaten more food/carbs… }
Interesting observation. Hope Dann/Fern comments on it!! I can’t figure out why some days I can really do a lot of exercise and other days I’m just whacked.

Thanks for sharing. Keep it up.

Fiona,

I'm so glad you've found my postings worthwhile. Makes me feel like I'm not just posting in a vacuum! Anyway, here's what I've been up to exercise-wise lately:

Did a 2-mile jog over hilly terrain this morning. I tried really hard not to stop and walk, but due to stomach cramps I just couldn't avoid walking for half a block. Nevertheless, I was thrilled to find that at the end, even though I had walked some yards, I still finished 30 seconds *faster* than the last time I did that route (when I ran solidly with no walking).

I'm due for a good yoga session (60 minutes at least) but I'm having trouble fitting it in with all the aerobics I've been doing. I try to do aerobics on both Saturday and Sunday so that during the work week I don't have to squeeze in so many workouts when I'm pressed for time, as we all are. One of my goals now is to increase my jogging speed by little bits, and one way to do this is through wind sprints. On my last quarter mile I will start alternating sprinting and regular-level jogging. Or at least I keep saying that's what I'm going to do! Maybe talking about it is the first step? :rolleyes:

It rained this morning when I did my morning workout. At first I didn't want to do it at all-- I was down and cranky. But I decided I'd force myself anyway in the hope that it would clear up my mood. I jogged slowly around the track, kind of meditating and allowing myself to get in touch with whatever was bothering me. For the first few laps I had chills and discomfort as if I might be coming down with something, but I was pretty sure it was psychological issues that were causing my distress. Anyway, I guess I managed to do some good mental work inside because by the time I came to the end of my 2-mile jog I was feeling light enough to continue on with it. I didn't continue because I didn't want to "punish" myself for having done a good job with myself, if that makes any sense. Don't want to turn compulsive. Two miles was plenty for today. :)

I got out this morning very early (before 6:00 AM, before the sun's even up) to my local college's track. Met another woman going in-- we were the only ones there at that hour, although soon some other people would arrive. So I did my 2-mile jog, nice and slow, and on the last lap I pushed myself a little to go just a bit faster. I like to jog the first half of my workout in a counterclockwise manner, then I change and jog the last half in a clockwise direction. This breaks up the workout psychologically and makes me think in "phases" of effort. I'm still going pretty slow. I figure by not being overly ambitious I'll have a better chance of continuing my exercise regimen over time.

Wow! Do I rock, or what? I got out this morning and did my 2-mile jog and my time was a whole minute faster than yesterday! I pushed harder in general and then on the last half mile I did wind sprints. I was really huffing and puffing. That makes six aerobic workouts in the last seven days.

You do rock girl....keep it going...bet it makes you feel good for the rest of the day too ;)

This morning was a yoga morning. My goal is to do two yoga sessions per week. So today I did a 45-minute session. I feel well worked out.

I started reading "Protein Power" yesterday and was surprised to find they rank resistance training as the most important exercise you can do for your health. I had always thought it was pretty much universally agreed that *aerobic* fitness was the most important kind of fitness you could have, if you had to choose. I just absolutely despise weight training, even though I own a workout bench and some free weights, and I know it's very good for you-- but does it really take priority over aerobic fitness? Comments, anyone?

Missydog

Well, this morning I did my fifth aerobic workout of this week. That's a 2-mile solid jog, with wind sprints on the last half mile. I'm really pleased with myself. Unfortunately, I know that jogging won't always be as easy as it's been this week-- there are bound to be down days-- but I'm grateful for whatever I can get. I've also done two yoga sessions this week, which is my goal for yoga. Now I'm debating whether or not to re-start weight training-- I have all the equipment I need at home. In fact, I used to be somewhat experienced at weight training, but found it so dreadfully boring and on top of that, I wasn't convinced it was doing all that much for me. But I'm reading and hearing on this board that it's just such a good thing to do. I wonder, is it? It takes a lot of extra time on top of my aerobic training, and a lot of the time I'm not sure the benefits are all THAT great. Especially since I'm not in it for any vanity reasons, meaning I frankly don't CARE if I'm buff. I'm still mulling it over....

do both
 

Cardiovascular trainining does burn calories, and it obviuosly improves your cardiovascular system which does make it important, but I think the distinction that is being made more and more by science is this ...

Resistance (weight) training holds the ability to INCREASE you metabolism in a way that aerobic training can't ... by adding lean muscle mass, which is metabolically active tissue. That means, by adding muscle to your body, your body will burn more calories even when it is doing nothing (yes, teh more muscle mass you have the higher base metabolic rate you will have.)

BUT, to really do it right, you need to do BOTH. Weight training 2 days per week, 4 to 5 cardio workouts per week, and 2 yoga workouts per week will do it all for you.

Yes, this means that on some days you may be doing 2 exercise sessions. Fun, right? :smile:

Just because you lift weights doesnt mean you have to get BUFFED...it just means your helping to build lean muscle mass :D

Trainerdan,

Thanks for your succinct reply about aerobics versus weight lifting. Ironically, it's basically the answer I would have given myself, only I was so confused by the varying attitudes and emphases I've been reading here. I know both aerobics and weight training are important, and I know that weight lifting adds muscle mass (good for your metabolic rate) while aerobics does little to increase that mass. Now if I could just find the shortest and most effecient way to do it.. Guess I'll try to get busy soon with the weights...

Missydog

Have been getting on with it, I guess. Yesterday I varied my workout a bit and did a good 2.8-mile jogging workout over hilly terrain, and yoga this morning. I'm gradually getting myself used to the idea of adding weight training to my regimen. We'll see. :rolleyes:

Got up this morning and it was raining out so instead of a jogging workout it seemed like a good morning to re-start my weight training sessions (after months and months away from it). I did a 30-minute upper-body workout and my muscles are really shaking (well, what did I expect after all this time, right?). I'm wondering if two workouts like that per week are enough (in addition to everything else I do)? Does anybody know? :)

Missydog

Haven't had the psychic energy to really work out as there are some stressful things going on in my personal life and I'm exhausted. This is not laziness. I feel like I've been juggling an armload of overstuffed boxes and I slipped on a banana peel. A lot of things are strewn all over the place. Oh well, so I'm human. Maybe tomorrow I'll be able to get back into it.

Missydog

Missydog, I hear you about the not liking weight lifting and trying to get into it. A few years ago, I got really buff doing it and lost all kinds of wt. Did aerobics too, cause --I don't know-- everbody did. Really hated the lifting. Kept running though, and the weight came on -40#. Stopped running and it got worse.

Finally, after much anguish and beating myself up for not getting back into the 'hard stuff'-running and lifting-- and getting quite taken with yoga.... I realized I've got the second half of my life ahead of me (approx,) and what did I wanna do withit . I also 'don't care about getting buff. I DO want tone and I 'm hoping the more intene yoga will do that, and I do like my walks (at my present weight--for my height-- It just KILLS my feet to run ) I hike at an old 'War of 1812' Fort near me with lots of hills and take 'maniac dog' with me , so it's more than a stroll.

Final decision wwas to do exercise I LIKE. Quality of life is important, too, although I confess I hope my walks and yoga get me in decent shape for my age. I don't feel at all old, just more reflective. ;)

Hope you find your personal exercise combo. It's a tough one. I vaccilate back and forth.

yb

YogaBuff,

I'm with you about doing exercise you like. You're much more likely to stay with it that way, and it's probably better for your mind. I would love to do daily hikes instead of daily jogs but I don't live near the right terrain, being city-bound. I'm curious-- when you lifted weights, how serious did you get about it? I mean, how often and for how long?

Missydog

HI, again. I did weight tapes called the Firm. Most are combo-weight and cardio, some are one or the other. They are about the toughest thing I've ever done. Did them (45 min. to 60 min. ), 4-5 days per wk. Also ran about 3 days/wk.

Got my weights up pretty heavy for freeweights. The heavier I lifted, the smaller I got. Just wish I didn't hate it so much! :p STILL trying to talk myself back into it. It IS effective if you can take it.


Yb

Whoa, Yogabuff! That's a lot of lifting and running. No wonder you got into such good shape. You're starting to inspire me a bit more to include at least SOME weight lifting in my regimen. They say it really staves off a lot of the problems of old age (you may not be thinking about this but I sure am). I figure now's the time to get serious about helping myself through menopause with a minimum of damage to my bones. The problem is there just are not enough days in the week (or hours in the day) to do everything. Something's going to have to give here and there. Maybe I can make that work-- one week doing less running, then the following week less yoga, then less lifting, and just keep going on in that manner, getting a pretty good workout overall as the weeks pile up. :)

Missydog

Oh, yeah, I'm right behind you on the age thing (47). BUT, talking to you about this weight thing has me vacillating again-- now I'm feeling lazy, like I should get back to it. Maybe I will.

yb

Well, I've started up with the weight lifting, such as it is. I'm so atrophied from months of not lifting that I have to use lighter weights. I did a 35-minute workout last night and this morning I had some trouble getting out of bed, believe me. This morning I read the CKD posts on this website, all about intense cardio and weights and the cyclic ketogenic diet, and it exhausted me just thinking about it. I don't think I'll be doing it anytime soon! I'll be glad just to do two weight sessions a week and keep up with my aerobic exercise, and hopefully a little yoga in there somewhere. That's good enough for me right now.

Missydog :)

Sounds like a weekfull for a hard working person! My hats off to you. and thanks for the comments about my boy! He's a great kid, A+ student, never any trouble, and makes us laugh. :D His brother's cool too-- I've been blessed. Do you have kids?
yb

YogaBuff,

No, I have no kids. And it's a good thing, too, because I'm not married! It just blows me away that people my age now have kids in college!

Anyway, I did another weight workout this morning (after a 48 hour rest period, as recommended by the experts). It sure is boring, but if it's as good for me as I've been reading, well, I'll try to find a way to slog through it. Actually, while the technical pumping of the iron is a bore, the results I get from it just might be worth it. Tomorrow I'm going to try to do a jogging workout, just because it will be time.

And horror of horrors, I've GAINED two pound since last week when I binged for a couple of days in a row. This is just stupidity, and I've now been back into my "Way of Life" this week and I'm not giving it up this holiday season except for two days: Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Missydog