<p>Teri, wishing you improved health this new year (and improved weather soon, too).</p>
<p>Good morning.
So the hill was really something yesterday. First I had to shovel out the side gate to get to my normal gate which also had to be shoveled out to open. Then I had to break the entire trail for a few miles because it would appear no one is nuts enough to go out on the public portion at the moment. Then I got adventurous and took a new series of hill trails that I normally avoid on my short morning jaunts due to time. Got turned around and ended up against someone’s forest fence off-trail, so I had to follow deer prints to get back out :)</p>
<p>On top of all that, I went to dig out the sweatlodge and despite the added supports, the entire west side has caved in under snow load. Can’t rebuild it until spring because there’s no bending willows in these temps! I am debating investing in a large (eg 20 ft) yurt and modifying it to be lower, because we were supposed to have guests at this month’s sweat…but I guess I’d better see first if the gang is up for or able to fully dig out the broken lodge as we’d have to reuse the stone pit.</p>
<p>Despite the windchill warnings, I feel like I want to do the hill again this morning because we’ve had another several inches overnight and I need to keep Er broken in 
hi ho.</p>
<p>Kmcmom, you can come shovel me out this morning 
I have a two foot snow drift that stands between me and my truck which is only about 15 feet from the front door… It will certainly be an adventure getting to work today!</p>
<p>Yay, Teri. Welcome back!</p>
<p>Welcome, Teri! Stay warm! (Haven’t yet ventured out of the house … Husband is already at fitness center doing cardio … He’s nuts)</p>
<p>Welcome back Teri - we are here for the Long haul- no matter how long it is!</p>
<p>Snowed in in Snoledo (Toledo) . :)</p>
<p>A foot yesterday, winds are gusting 30-40mph, temps dropping - currently 0 and wind chills of -30 to -40 expected for next 48 hours, city snow emergency so you can get ticketed if on the road - BUT the sun is currently out!!! (Glass half full…)</p>
<p>1/2 hour of shoveling this morning. Kudos to the mailman who somehow already made it here. Maybe a Zumba YouTube later. I’ll post a link when I find it- one of my favorites!!</p>
<p>Strangely not as cold here, not as snowy here in Northern Michigan. Currently 5, windchill -14, light snow. </p>
<p>Did the treadmill. Doing 2minutes walk, 8 minutes run, repeat, repeat. </p>
<p>Now trying to decide if I will venture out and get my flu shot. All the schools are closed, tomorrow is suppose to be worse though.</p>
<p>7 degrees this morning with ice on the roads, so no outside running for me. Will get worse through tomorrow. I hope the gym isn’t too much of a zoo after work so I can get a few treadmill miles in!</p>
<p>kmc- you sound like a true pioneer woman! Good workout on The Hill!</p>
<p>Home workout</p>
<p>side leg lift variations (4 mins worth)
side lying clam (15 each side)
side leg adduction (4 x 20 each side)
hip lifts (3 x 20)
pushups (12)
stability ball deadbug (2 x 8 each side)
stability ball hamstring curl (2 x 10)
stability ball pass (12 passes)
stability ball stir the pot (2 x 20 turns – 10 to the right, 10 to the left)
stability ball toe touches (2 x 8 each side)
stability ball jackknife (2 x 10)
side plank rows (15 pulls then let go of bands and hold regular side plank for the rest of 60 count, each side)
pallof press (six 10 count held forward and six 10 count held up, each side)
leg swings (6 each side)
quads stretch
reverse lunges w/rotation or arms up (6 each side)
goblet squats (8, 8# db)
pushup position t-rotations (6 each side, stable hand gripping db while rotating with 6# db in other hand)
SLDL (8 each side, both 6# dbs (12#))
heel raises (6 center, 3 toes pointed outward, 3 pointed inward)
bicep curls (3 x 8 each side, 8# db)
military press (3 x 8 both 8# dbs (16#))
benchless bench press w/dbs (2 x 8, using both 15# dbs (30#))
seated rows with Bodylastics (12)
tricep kickbacks (3 x 8 each side, 8# db)
3 pt rows (3 x 8 each side, 15# db)</p>
<p>1 hour with weights & core. Took it easy on the legs, they’re kind of tired from yesterday.</p>
<p>The cold weather worked well in my favor today. Only half of my PT’s patients showed up, so she had more than an hour to work with me and come up with a plan. </p>
<p>My biggest hindrance at this point is I developed bursitis in my left hip back at the beginning of October after some yard work (where I sat cross-legged on the ground for extended periods) and a longer than usual bike ride (I wasn’t in my best shape physically, either). Kept babying it, and hoping it would resolve itself, but didn’t. So I finally saw an orthopedist before T-Day who basically gave me options of a cortisone shot, or high dosages of anti-inflammatories. I do NOT do well with steroids in my system (although it was explained to me, only a small portion of it becomes systemic after an injection), and I have had GERD for many years, so I was unwilling to try the anti-inflammatories. Due to my inactivity, weight gain, and poor eating habits over many months now, I also developed a tendency toward high blood pressure and was monitoring it daily so my internist could discern whether he wanted to put me on BP medication. But this orthopedist never offered PT… just said there were ‘some stretches’ I could do, but didn’t give me any guidance. I told him I would think about the options he gave me. A couple of weeks later, I decided to go for a second opinion, and the new orthopedist gave me a script for PT, but did recommend I give Celebrex a try along with it (would only recommend the cortisone injection as a last ditch effort). (Oh, the first ortho guy told me I could do whatever activity I wanted to as long as it didn’t hurt - bad advice - I kept doing things with my trainer that I now know I shouldn’t have been doing). Celebrex is supposed to be easier on the stomach. However, after looking over my BP monitoring I’d done for about a month, my internist decided I needed a low dose BP med (oh, my resting heart rate is high, too), so I started one after Thanksgiving. So in just a short amount of time, I added two new medications to my routine, both of which I know I can eventually get rid of if I could just get back to my healthier lifestyle of eating better and working out, including cardio. But then I started PT and was told to avoid the elliptical and stationery bike as well as some other movements I’d been doing with my trainer; that’s when I decided water aerobics was going to be about the only thing I could do. But today when I saw the PT and she had extra time, we went over all this and she gave me some other ideas for cardio. She said walking on the track at the rec center would be OK, and preferable over a treadmill. She also said a recumbent bike or stepper would be OK, but I need to see if they have those at my gym; it’s been a long time since I’ve been upstairs where the equipment is at (I’ve only been in the pool), so I can’t remember what they have. While she was consolidating some of my exercises today on her computer, she had me work on a recumbent stepper they have at the clinic, and I did about 20 minutes. I can’t tell you how much I appreciated being given a challenge that I can do, without causing more damage or aggravating what I’m trying to resolve. She also did some strength testing/mobility testing, and my numbers have improved since starting PT, but she says I still have a long way to go and still need to be careful.</p>
<p>I also asked her about the plank challenge, and she said it was OK, and agreed with my trainer that there’s really no additional benefit to doing it longer than 60 seconds anyway. Anyway, tomorrow, I’m finally looking forward to going back to the gym and doing some track walking and whatever recumbent machines they have. Like I said, I so much appreciated her taking the extra time to spend with me today, but that only happened because she had so many cancellations due to the weather. Fingers crossed that tomorrow will be the first step in getting moving again and working toward getting the BP down (as well as the resting heart rate).</p>
<p>The first step is being able to move a step forward - sounds like you finally were able to do that today with a plan! </p>
<p>Happy to hear someone said that there is no additional benefit for planking for than 60 secs at a time - it always seemed ridiculous to hear of planks for mulitple minutes. It would seem better to do four separate planks for a minute than one plank for four minutes!</p>
<p>Abasket, you are a great motivator. Thank you for all your positive comments to encourage so many to take steps toward better health.</p>
<p>Teri, sent you a PM.</p>
<p>Abasket- I agree with everything SnowflakeVT says.</p>
<p>I walked 3 miles today. Day 6. Four more days to go and then I will add something else to my routine.</p>
<p>I’m definitely going to take a pass on the plank challenge. Mathmom, thanks for the refresher on the 2013 Hops challenge. I think I might just challenge myself to pushups and see if I can work up to 10. Because right now I don’t think I can do even one. </p>
<p>5 miles on the treadmill - 10 minute miles which felt pretty good. Gym was packed. I’ve never been there when someone was actually waiting for a treadmill.</p>
<p>Someone needs to find a special light up accessory for abasket!</p>
<p>To the basement for me. Nice solid punch the clock workout. My version of plank challenge was plank rows and side plank rows with the cable pulley. The front plank rows /pull downs are still incredibly hard. I also did a little farmers walk with two 50lb DBs, to round out the CORE stuff.</p>
<p>POWER was KB swings with the big boy (50lb) and med ball slams.</p>
<p>STRENGTH was three sets of single leg squats, TRX inverted rows, hex bar deadlifts, and alternating DB overhead press.</p>
<p>Probably Airdyne again tomorrow as the forecast is for single digits. All of NH got rain today, which probably ruined the hiking…</p>
<p>(blushing!)</p>
<p>Eating better (not perfect, but BETTER) and making exercise truly a priority has finally made me feel in a place I want to be in my life. I love how I feel. I’m liking how I look. I know it’s GOOD for me. I like the image - looking and living the life of someone who takes care of themselves. And, I LOVE SHOPPING FOR ACTIVEWEAR - seriously! Makes me SO happy! </p>
<p>Because of all these things, I want to “coach” people along and give them not only the knowledge but the motivation and WORTH to do it for themselves. Happy to be the glass half-full person!!! :)</p>
<p>Ahh, today was the start of something great!</p>
<p>Cycling went well. I’ve never gone the max on the bike before! Managed to hit 135 RPMs on a Level 3 resistance for about 10-15 seconds. Definitely the peak of my workout. Came back to the dorm, did some yoga, plank challenge, and 25 push-ups, and I can finally say my workout for the day is done!</p>
<p>I am EXHAUSTED. </p>
<p>With this cold weather, I’ve experienced something I never have before. The frigid ice cold feeling of a soaked shirt to 43 degree weather! I cooked down in about 10 seconds and I quickly through on my jacket! </p>
<p>To be honest, what got me through my workout was the thought of food I get to eat after I’m done and the new body wash I get to try. Whatever that gets your through your workout, I guess!I ate relatively healthy today! Balanced breakfast. Fresh greens. Salads. Snacked on nuts. And tried to drink more water. </p>
<p>Now to get showered and food from the dining hall in time for the bachelor! He’s a hot Spanish stud. ;)</p>
<p>abasket, that is really great. I hope to get to the feeling of where you are. Every day isn’t easy but I definitely look up to those who feel great about what they’re doing AND themselves. (I love shopping for activewear as well. A little too much…)</p>
<p>Deborah T:</p>
<p>Really nice workout! How about you? I’m starting to actually like the stability ball side toe touches. It’s night and day compared to when I first did them and had to rush to just hang on. My core stability has improved to the point where I can do them slowly and tough the floor way out to the side.</p>
<p>I am constantly amazed at how these core exercises evolve over time.</p>
<p>Still trying to figure out who some of the players are here… some have come and gone since I was last active on this thread. I went back a few pages to see if any regulars here incorporate anything in a pool in their workouts. I’m not really a swimmer, but know pool work is good for people with issues like mine. I have a pool at my disposal, but other than the water aerobics class that’s only three days a week (when it’s NOT cancelled for weather), I haven’t the slightest clue what to do. They have noodles, float boards, and styrofoam dumbbells available, but I really don’t know what to do. If it were left to my imagination, I’d just take a float board and kick from one end of the pool to the other until I was tired.</p>