<p>1 hr hot yoga sculpt (w weights) and 1 hr deep water running class. Feel more in control after being on the road the last few weeks.</p>
<p>Pizzagirl, I know how you feel. 
There is no place like home! Especially if there is a nice Precor treadmill in that home.</p>
<p>3.5 miles - yay. The health club passes at the hotel… never happened. The front desk was never staffed when I was there. But I walked a lot all over the city and almost got convinced to sign up for the Stockholm marathon. Mr B told me that he would hide my passport - he thinks it is too early to run it after Boston. 2015, maybe? My friend ran it and she was raving about it.</p>
<p>Here are some terrific video links:</p>
<p>[Catalyst</a> - Special Edition - Heart of the Matter](<a href=“Catalyst : ABC iview”>Catalyst : ABC iview)</p>
<p>This is the Austraiian TV network with links to the two very controversial shows I linked to earlier in the week, one on saturated fat, one on statins. But there are also links to uncut interviews with the experts on the show. I’ve only watched a couple of them.</p>
<p>The one with Dr. John Abramson. He’s the Massachusetts primary care physician, Harvard lecturer who wrote the excellent book I’m reading. This interview lays out the argument in the book in a concise, articulate way. This guy is no quack. He spells out the problem with our health care system (and its unsustainable costs) in compelling fashion. This interview will change the way you think about health care. For example, when drug companies pay for research, they control the data and often don’t even make it all available to the researchers writing the paper or the journals publishing it or to the FDA.</p>
<p>The other one I’ve watched is one of my favorites, Dr. Michael Eades. He is part of a husband/wife MD team, orginally from Alabama, who wrote a NY Times bestselling diet book in the 1990s, [Protein</a> Power](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Protein-Power-High-Protein-Carbohydrate-Health/dp/0553574752]Protein”>http://www.amazon.com/Protein-Power-High-Protein-Carbohydrate-Health/dp/0553574752). I found a dusty copy on the back reaches of a bookcase when I was losing weight and it’s probably the best diet book I’ve read. Breezy style, sensible approach. Eades is always terrific and this interview is no exception.</p>
<p>I want to watch the Gary Taubes interview next and also the one with Cardiologist Rita Redberg from UC San Francisco med school.</p>
<p>The Rita Redberg interview above is excellent.</p>
<p>Does anyone have any suggestions for the most effective ways to lower blood pressure? Mine is fine but dh’s is creeping up. He exercises for 1.5 hours at the gym three times a week, takes the stairs at work, eats lower carbs than me. He doesn’t drown his food in salt. We eat almost no processed food.</p>
<p>Sometimes I wonder if I would enjoy/use a treadmill more at home if we had it. But ugh, seems ridiculous to pay gym costs AND have a unit at home - and we don’t want to give up the gym. Plus the suckers (treadmills) are so big - do I want to take up all that space with a piece of machinery!!?</p>
<p>I go back and forth about a home treadmill. We also would not want to give up the gym membership. My company’s new HQ building, due to open in August, will have a nice fitness center, which will give me another option. Not as good as going downstairs in my own house, though.</p>
<p>My real problem is that I would only be happy with a very high end treadmill, and they are expensive for as seldom as I would use it.</p>
<p>This morning I was outside in 40 degree light sleet and winds for 2.6 miles. There was a terrible traffic problem (fatality accident) on my way to the airport for an important trip with my CEO and CFO. I was freaking out and barely made the flight. I think I set a new 800 meter record running through the airport. I got hung up at security, too, due to the running headlamp in my suitcase. I couldn’t check the bag like I always do because the other guys don’t and I didn’t want to be the one that held us all up when we get to Chicago. Light snow in Nashville and it’s going to be really cold in Michigan where I am going. Very little chance to do much running on this trip other than to try to keep the streak alive.</p>
<p>My sympathies for your morning MOWC - sounds quite stressful! </p>
<p>Not sure how far north you’ll be in Michigan but southern Michigan is probably going to have a good “dusting” on the ground.</p>
<p>Love home treadmill. We waited to get it until the kids were old enough to stay away from it and to entertain themselves. I use it more for for extreme heat than snow. We have super hot summers, so hot that if you aren’t done by nine o clock, it is in the nineties. The treadmill let me sleep in. </p>
<p>About high Bp: your husband sounds on track. More frequent exercise? Is he under a lot of stress? Would yoga or swimming or just more time to chill help him? Mine had a period of climbing Bp and started swimming more. </p>
<p>Speaking of, three mile run and an IM workout for me. A front is blowing in, so the air was chilly and the water was warm.</p>
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<p>Increasing exercise and cutting body fat are the usual means of lowering blood pressure. Yes, people with genetic tendency to high blood pressure may have to exercise more than he is doing already. Also, he should watch out for the creeping waistline.</p>
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<p>Would you consider indoor rowing for cardio? A Concept 2 indoor rowing machine may cost less than a high quality treadmill, gives you full body (instead of just lower body) cardio exercise, takes up less space, does not use large amounts of electricity, and is easier to move around the house. Also, for running, you can do that outside instead of on a treadmill.</p>
<p>Rowing machine is about the top piece of home exercise equipment that DOESN’T get sustained use and gets abandoned. </p>
<p>Heading to Grand Rapids area and then back across the state and eventually to Detroit.</p>
<p>I don’t mind a rower but would never spend $$ on one - would not suit my entertainment needs and probably would not get as much family use. I DO prefer running outside - however safety first for me and once the sidewalks and/roads are snow/ice covered I won’t risk it.</p>
<p>mathmom:</p>
<p>If hubby is concerned about blood pressure, my advice would be to get one of the good upper arm blood pressure monitors like this one:</p>
<p>[Amazon.com:</a> Omron BP785 10 Series Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor, Black/white: Health & Personal Care](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Omron-BP785-Series-Pressure-Monitor/dp/B004H4B3W4]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Omron-BP785-Series-Pressure-Monitor/dp/B004H4B3W4)</p>
<p>Omron makes several good models that are functionally the same, with different bells and whistles. If you scroll way down that Amazon page, there’s a comparison chart. The top three models have a better/easier upper arm cuff. The top two models (the 10 series) have a switch for two users so a husband and wife could store their readings separately. Both of those will also upload stored readings to a computer.</p>
<p>If I went by the two readings a year at the doctor’s office, I’d think I had serious blood pressure problems. But, if I go a couple week doing several readings a day (at different times), I get a very different result. Personally, I don’t think I can accurately judge my blood pressure without one of these. </p>
<p>Based on a stretch of readings every few months at home, I would say that my blood pressure has been very stable over time, slow to change. It’s dropped a bit as I’ve gotten more fit, but the change has been gradual and slow. </p>
<p>Sugar probably increases blood pressure. Salt appears to not be the culprit it would seem from the popular media.</p>
<p>He has a home machine. Last week he got measured at the lab (he does medical research) and was surprised that it had gone up from where it had been. So he got out the home machine from the last time his doctor made him worry about it. His main sources of sugar are a handful of chocolate chips after dinner and wine on the weekends. Well, he’ll experiment with some different things and see what happens.</p>
<p>My blood pressure is much less now than when I was in my 20s and 30s.</p>
<p>The best thing about having my own treadmill. I know that if I don’t get outside I will be forced to use the darn thing lol! It’s a great motivator! </p>
<p>Ran in the snow today. 27 degrees. I am getting out there and doing it. Dressed in my bright pink jacket, don’t want any hunters mistaking me for a deer. But gun season starts Friday and I won’t feel comfortable on my usual paths. Will be forced to either run on the treadmill or in my neighborhood. Which is ok but not my favorite. After gun season I won’t be able to use my usual paths either because they will be snowmobile trails. I’m whining again. Sorry. </p>
<p>TJ Maxx has been a treasure trove of bargains lately. Found a great marmot running jacket that I think I will get a lot of use out of. Found a patagonia retool hoody for $60 and am finding quite a bit north face and marmot and great things to run and XC ski in this winter. </p>
<p>On map my run, my weekly update was great. 6 workouts! Whoo hoo! Trying to step it up and get out everyday.</p>
<p>mathmom:</p>
<p>Low carb docs like Michael Eades say they have to monitor new patients on the diet and adjust their blood pressure meds quickly as their blood pressure falls. But, I think that kind of response is probably limited to people who are seriously overweight, diabetic, not exercising, and changing from a horrible diet. Doesn’t sound like your hubby!</p>
<p>Mine has slowly drifted down. It started around 130/80 when I had lost 50 pounds and now seems to be down around 120/70 two years later, although I haven’t checked it for a couple of months.</p>
<p>deb:</p>
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<p>Ooooh. Sounds like TJ is doing better in the women’s dept than mens. Men’s has a few North Face and Marmot jackets, but not a lot. Marmot makes some awesome lightweight fitness jackets – stuff that doesn’t seem heavy enough to be warm, but ends up being just right for jogging or uphill hiking or snow shoeing.</p>
<p>Workout today with trainer–TRX, stair climbing, squats with Smith Machine–push ups between squats, big ropes doing waves with stair climbing after each set of waves, planks, lat pulldown followed by stair climbing. Did each set of movies 3x. I was definitely tired by the end of the workout. Did a 2.5 mile walk on the thread mill. Also walked the dog before I went to the gym–1.2 miles round trip. There was a light snow (ugh) when I walked with the dog at 6 am.</p>
<p>Idad: I bought an Omron blood pressure monitor last week. I’m amazed that my bp is quite a bit lower at home than it was in the doctor’s office. Not sure if lower pressure is due to the diuretic she prescribed (been taking it for 5 days) or because I get nervous in the doctor’s office.</p>
<p>Mathmom–does your husband drink coffee? Caffeine definitely spikes blood pressure. I noticed that after taking my pressure first thing in the morning (before I had anything to eat or drink) and then taking my pressure after drinking a large cup of coffee. My pressure was a good 20 pt. higher (top number) after drinking coffee.</p>
<p>Hey, MOMWC, you’ll be trekking across Deb922 and my stomping grounds 
Hope you have fun.</p>
<p>GR is a little frosty today, but nice and sunny. Don’t know how long you’re around, but if you’re going for a run, seriously, STAY OUT OF THE WOODS ON FRIDAY (season opener ;)</p>
<p>Deb922…I will be making my hill farewell trek tomorrow a.m. to be safe, then hunkering down on the treadmill for the following two weeks, I suspect My normal route goes RIGHT by a neighbors tree stand/blind with cammo fabric sides and a shooting slit in the front…it would be stupid to tempt him :)</p>