<p>Still here checking in, still working out. Crazy busy so haven’t been here much. Walked 4 miles outside yesterday. Finally starting to warm up.
Congrats on the anniversary MOWC!!! Yay! H and I celebrate 35 in June. </p>
<p>Here’s the warm up/mobiity exercises I’ve been doing to start every workout. This stuff is the biggest bang for the buck of any exercise I do. Works all of my creaky ol’ (formerly) fat guy joints:</p>
<p>Just had my cardiologist appointment (still seems strange to write that). I really liked the guy and he was right on time! I was referred to him by a runner/MD friend here. He thought I was actually being very smart to come in- given my age and family history and general feeling of not feeling like myself. He didn’t tell me all my running/streaking is stupid (but I already know that). My EKG that they did right there was fine and my heart sounds fine. I am going to do a stress test (Bruce format) with partial echo (they do a short echo before and after). I am NOT to push to failure since that can give false positives. In fact, he wants them to hide the dial so I don’t get competitive with it. I’m supposed to exert to a level that I would in a race. Of course, to me that’s going to be 5K or end of a half and I’ll be pushing pretty hard. :)</p>
<p>I’ll have her look into yoga and the Zumba things some more. It looks like the pack I was looking at comes with “toning sticks”. There’s the weight bearing portion! </p>
<p>Thank you for the warm up, idad. It looks great. Is the cushion that you’re on just a regular foam mat…will a pillow suffice? Is too fluffy?</p>
<p>Hah. That’s why I said Zumba is cardio. Those Zumba “toning sticks” come in a 1 lb size and a 2.5 lb size. Unless you’re just started rehab from wrist surgery, there’s no reason to use those weights. A gallon jug of water from the grocery store weighs 8 pounds… A one-liter water bottle is over two pounds. Lord knows what an average purse weighs…</p>
<p>Waving 2 lb weights around isn’t really weight bearing! :)</p>
<p>They’re HOW light? What? That doesn’t tone squat! I thought they’d be at least five pounds. The weight of those sticks are comical to me! :)) </p>
<p>it’s marketing a false illusion of resistance strength training and it’s not doing the primary customer-base any good. Great cardio. I’m sure a Zumba class would have me bent over panting like a dog in about three minutes, but it’s not weight bearing in any beneficial way.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.zumba.com/en-US/store/US/equipment”>http://www.zumba.com/en-US/store/US/equipment</a></p>
<p>I can see maybe starting out with a 3 lb DB for something like lateral arm raises where the weight is at the end of a very long lever, but I’m not crazy about those exercises, anyway.</p>
<p>I think 5lb DBs is a good place to start with a range up to maybe 15 to 20 pounds. That would cover the range of weight encountered lifting boxes of kitty litter into the shopping cart… I think that resistance strength training should at least be as strenuous as grocery shopping… :)</p>
<p>5-6 lb to start, then progress to the weight that lets you do 8-10 reps at a time up to the point of muscle tiredness. A mini-circuit of 3 free weight exercises, 10 reps each repeated 4 times. That’s what I do with my 15-lb dumbbells. </p>
<p>MOfWC, sounds like the doc is a perfect match. Mine was great, too. She too tailored my stress test because of my running, but I do not remember the details. I know what you say about getting too competitive during the test. ;)</p>
<p>Those of us who routinely wear heart rate monitors during exercise would probably have a better idea of how to structure a stress test to peg the meter than any doctor just taking a wild guess, Speaking of which… time to saddle up the Airdyne…</p>
<p>Punched the clock on the dreaded 1 mile Airdyne intervals. Top heart rate of 92% of my max. Not too brutal. After watchng the video from the other day, I raised the seat a notch and I think that was a little better. Still getting used to a different watch for doing these custom workouts.</p>
<p>Bobby Flay Lime Scallion Vinaigrette on salad and sauteed shrimp for dinner. Yumm… It’s Bobby Flay week as I’ve been noshing on a grilled Bobby Flay flank steak recipe for a couple of days.</p>
<p>I’m at my lowest weight since Dec 2011 and my 7 day average is now just under the low end of my 5-pound window, down 7 pounds since New Years.</p>
<p>Glad you had a relatively good experience at the docs MOWC . Hope that the tests bring good results for your peace of mind.</p>
<p>Is the time of year to cross train - that is yard work with formal exercise!!! An hour and a half of yard work and a 2.35 mile run combo. Should sleep good tonight!!!</p>
<p>Wow, iDad. I thought you were through seeing the lowest weights! Way to go! I’m staying right about 4 pounds over where I want to be, but it will drop some as the weather warms up. Too much wine, travel and good food.</p>
<p>We had our company 5K at 4pm today. It’s not really a “race” and many people walk it. It’s part of our fitness week. It isn’t actually timed, but, of course, many of us had our Garmins. The course is accurate and starts right across from the office. It’s a nice little event. They were amazed that I jogged back out to cool down and get some more mileage!</p>
<p>Niquii, if your mom is on any meds that can cause dizziness, Zumba may not be the way to go. I am on a cocktail of sufficient cardiac meds that I get dizzy quite often, and so my cardiologist tells me to watch it.</p>
<p>Another 4 miles outside walking with the dog. She really pulls me so it is a little faster than just by myself. </p>
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<p>I thought I might be as the scale bounced back up off the bottom a couple of weeks ago, But, since then, it’s drifted down, consolidating those low days into a consistent number.</p>
<p>It’s uncharted waters. When I was this light before I had a lot less strength and a lot less muscle. I’m just an interested observer.</p>
<p>Worked out with my trainer–heavy weights today: chest press (75 lbs), ropes, leg press (300 lbs), dead lift (70 pounds), lat pull down, walking lunges. Finished up with an hour on the elliptical. I’m traveling to the West Coast tomorrow. I’m going to make an effort to meet my step goal while I’m away and do one workout–not sure if I’ll have time for more. Will be away for 5 days. It’s really a challenge to make time for a workout when you’re traveling but I find that if I don’t do it, I feel lousy when I get back.</p>
<p>That sounds like a killer workout, Bromfield.</p>
<p>Way to go, Bromfield!</p>
<p>So- IDad and other bio-numbers folks. Just had non-fasting finger prick screening at work health fair. Total Cholesterol was 250, which is high even for me (I’m always over 215) but HDL was 97, which they said they rarely see. Blood glucose 123, which given non-fasting, they weren’t that horrified by even though it’s high. I’ll have “real” lab work next month. Thoughts? </p>
<p>Walked about 3.5 miles outside, swam 1.5 miles and then walked in a evening for another 2.5 miles. Nobody can walk my speed, I have to considerably slow down when I walk with somebody. Did couple weight machines, not sure about effect of those, but they make me feel good and I pass them on my way from the pool and out the door. That was yesterday, today may be the same…and my weight is slowly going up, up, eating lots of goodies.
Read some comments about animal protein connection to cancer. This very very old “news” continue to be true. Be aware all of the high animal protein consuming crowd. They are saying now that the link to cancer as strong as smoking. I love some junk foods, but I am glad that I am not a big fan of any meats, eggs, milk. They say that 46 grams / day is plenty for female. I know that the rest is just an overburden for kidneys, body is not capable of absorbing more than it needs.</p>