<p>On running - if you run daily, whether 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc. miles, it gets easier and easier and easier and you can play around with speed, hills, etc. I’m sure it’s the same with weights, tennis, swimming and lots of other stuff too. My schedule improves considerably in three weeks though my work may pick up to consume that additional free time.</p>
<p>I could run more but the main constraint is how much contiguous time I take from work - it can’t be too long on a daily basis.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Too far for a day trip. Takes forever to get out to Williamstown on Route 2 and most of the hiking trails up Greylock are pretty long. I want to go out there this summer, but it’ll be an overnight – maybe staying at the lodge on Greylock.</p>
<p>And, the Berkshires are faced with essentially the same climate factors as Southern NH this time of year.</p>
<p>BCE, I agree on the running; it does feel like it gets easier. I’m sure MOWC et al will be able to tell us how wrong we are! Super windy here, big storms moving this way. Blech. </p>
<p>iDad, maintenance is my downfall. I’m afraid to stop tracking. I’m also not sure how much weight I want to lose. I thought I had gotten to a good weight before and now I’m not so sure. </p>
<p>Elliptical intervals and weights today. 2 sabadog walks.</p>
<p>Stretch/strength/core. A lot of core so I expect I’ll be feeling it tomorrow. Core exercises included hip raises, planks w/elastics, single leg circles, pallof press, and stability ball exercises. </p>
<p>Here are my counts for the stability ball exercises today:
dead bug (3 sets of 8 each side)
hamstring curl (3 sets of 8)
toe touches (2 sets of 6 each side - progress!)
jackknife (2 sets of 6 - progress!)</p>
<p>It definitely gets easier, but it’s sort of like spin class. In a way, it doesn’t always feel easier because you just push the same amount and you are just better at it! So- it’s still hard but you are faster! </p>
<p>Low HR folks- a couple of hints that I’m being reminded of. Dehydration (even a little bit) can make it hard to keep HR down. Wind is a killer. Hills are a killer. Sometimes it’s fun to ramp up the HR and see how quickly you can get it back down (sort of like iDad does on his torture bike).</p>
<p>Woot to sabaray! Sometimes I think you’re just “drafting” me to keep me going 
it’s working, so just eep on keeping it off!</p>
<p>Notrichenough, thanks for the info. I have the same narrow channel issue but I’ve got 5 problematic joints – all facet – and have a suspicion I’m developing a sixth between my shoulders. So the issue with surgery is that doing so many facet joints at once would be really really destabilizing. My l and s ones have been fine so far with the new exercising, but after doing some really simple Jorge cruise belly fat exercises yesterday I now have the twitch spasms in upper back and neck. Any time something triggers, it makes me afraid to do anything other than the airdyne and the Nordic walking.</p>
<p>I think when grad is over and everything calm down a bit I’ll go ahead and get my records transferred over here and maybe just go for a baseline comparison evaluation and get some physio guidance on the best course for weight-bearing exercises without the “twist issues.” </p>
<p>At any rate, thanks for sharing your positive experience…someday or another I may have o face it and its nice to know that some ave found relief!</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>That’s awesome progress!</p>
<p>You’ve got me beat on the deadbugs. I’m doing them in my current workout, but only did two sets – three on each side. But, in my defense, I’m holding each one for five seconds, long enough to breath in and out twice during each hold. My obliques are on fire by the end of six reps like that. I’m also doing ValSlide alligator walks, forward and back across the basement floor twice for each set.</p>
<p>Did the full basement workout today. I’m finally getting the hang of this one, so probably time to change it up next week. Did proper kettlebell cleans today, although I’ve got a ways to go before I can do them without the weight whacking the back of my arm.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>If a belly fat exercise involves crunches or rotating the lumbar spine or bending the lumbar spine (and most exercises described as belly fat exercises do), you want to run as far away from them as you can if you have any back troubles. Those exercises don’t do much for belly fat (you can’t spot reduce), but they are wear and tear on a part of the back that doesn’t need it.</p>
<p>Thoracic spine (upper back) is designed to twist, but the best exercises for that are done in a way that locks motion out of the lower back. The lower back should move under load as little as possible. That’s what strengthening the core is really all about – muscles that prevent the lower back from turning, twisting, bending, or rotating.</p>
<p>I haven’t bought it because it’s crazy expensive, but if I had those kinds of back problems, the first book I would buy is this one:</p>
<p>[Ultimate</a> Back Fitness and Performance (4th Edition)](<a href=“http://www.backfitpro.com/books.php]Ultimate”>Books: Lower back pain exercises & rehabilitation, Big 3 - BackFitPro.com)</p>
<p>I’d get the companion DVDs, too. They show McGill working with people with back problems to determine what they can and cannot do painfree and customizing exercise programs to strengthen their core within their tolerance for exercise.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Yeah, holding a pose is always a whole 'nother ball of wax. I think I was able to do better on the toe touches and jackknife this time in good part because I didn’t wait to do them until after three sets of planks and side planks, which is what I was doing before - ugh. Today I skipped side planks, bird dog, and superman. I figured dead bug does some of the same kind of thing as superman, in a way, and I like to keep the routine about 30 mins total.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I found that my ultimate weight target was largely out of my control. I just kept eating the same way, and kept losing weight, until I stopped losing weight. Now, I eat pretty much the same way and just stay the same weight. But, I never really stopped “dieting” per se. I’ve never gone back to snacking or desserts and when I start to get a little out of control (too many nuts, etc.), I try to catch it. </p>
<p>I’m up about 5 pounds from my absolute lowest weight, but my pants fit better now and I’m a lot stronger, so I assume that most of that is probably a little more muscle. If I cut out all snacks, I drop a couple of pounds (probably water weight) and then bounce back up even without eating more.</p>
<p>It was interesting this past week. Two days of sandwiches for lunch put an instant two pounds on the scale. Two days later, the two pounds were gone. Four slices of Pepperidge Farm rye bread don’t weigh 2 pounds, so I’m assuming that it triggered water retention.</p>
<p>I said way back when this thread started that I wanted to have an eating plan that I could maintain the rest of my life and I’d see where I ended up weight wise. It took me a year and a half to lose 20 pounds, and it looks like it will be a little over a year for the next 10, I am determined not to be in a hurry. I have lost weight in a very zig zag manner. I find it’s still surprisingly easy to gain five pounds with holiday eating or a weekend with a couple of restaurant meals or parties and it always takes two or three weeks to take it off again, but I’ve been slowly drifting downward, and I have definitely gotten stronger.</p>
<p>iDAd, thanks so much for the book recommendation! Buying it right now (am in pain today).
Am going to try the hill anyway as soon as its light, because I can often loosen up the “lock” after a hot tub and walk. Might skip the airdyne this am til I’m sure the spine is straight again.</p>
<p>I think the one that did it was an exercise holding the medicine ball and rotating. I had also added some kB cleans but I’m so careful with those I’m pretty sure that wasn’t it.</p>
<p>^just read some of mcgills online essays and i already know where I ran into trouble – one of his assessment exercises was exactly what i was doing I cannot thank you enough for tipping me off about this!</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Oh, yeah. That could do it for sure. Just about any exercise pitched as burning belly fat is a bad exercise for anyone concerned about lumbar spine problem (and probably a bad exercise, period!)</p>
<p>The good core exercises and ones that build muscles to prevent rotation of the lumbar spine.</p>
<p>KMC, I hope the back pain eases up soon.</p>
<p>~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~</p>
<p>This morning it occurs to me that one of these days I may need to figure out how to set the treadmill to go for more than an hour. I’ve already made sure to take the non-technical route of not using a treadmill that appears to be set for 30 mins in favor of the 60 min ones. It would be a bummer to have the machine shut off mid-workout. I guess I need to see what more of the buttons do.</p>
<p>ETA: Maybe they don’t go for more than an hour. Maybe it’s a safety feature or keeps the machine from overheating. Perhaps I can find instructions online. The search begins.</p>
<p>Five pound party! I should get a prize for world’s slowest loser - that’s since July 6, 2011. Down 30 from January 11, 2010.</p>
<p>Yay mathmom! One way to look at it is, in addition to the slow but steady loss, you are better off than most Americans who have GAINED weight in the same period. :)</p>
<p>Deborah- usually the gyms have the treadmill set to cut off so that people don’t hog them for too long. Not sure you can override that setting.</p>
<p>46 degrees and drizzle this morning after 83 and humid after work yesterday. My clothes are getting confused!</p>
<p>That would make sense. This gym has a rule about how long you can use one of the machines if there are others waiting. It could just be that I need to check out what options there are beyond “Quick Start” though, lol.</p>
<p>Five pounds is five pounds! Way to go, mathmom!</p>