Diet/Exercise/Health/Wellness Support Thread

Parent Cafe
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<p>The Cosgrove’s have that same Polar software package and HR display on the wall at their gym so people in the group classes can see if they are working hard enough on the circuits. I have no idea what the workouts at OrangeTheory are like, but the concept of working to a target heart rate is a fantastic idea.</p>

<p>Looks like the “orange zone” is between 84% and 91% of max heart rate (I’m sure they use an age adjusted predicted max to start with). That’s a reasonable range for cardio intervals. Should be pretty safe as the age-predicted max is usually going to be low.</p>

<p>An hour of that kind of interval cardio is a LOT, so I’m curious how they structure the workouts.</p>

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<p>No workout for me. One day! </p>

<p>Concert tonight at the local music hall. Another ol’ geezer show. This one a guy who recorded a bit with Dylan back in the 60s and 70s.</p>

<p>[David</a> Bromberg](<a href=“David Bromberg - "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry" (Live at WFUV) - YouTube”>David Bromberg - "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry" (Live at WFUV) - YouTube)</p>

<p>Should be a nice mellow show in a 200 seat joint. Second row middle aisle seats…</p>

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<p>Actually this is the question I’ve been dying to get your opinions on while my trials and travails with logging onto CC were sorted out.</p>

<p>I’ll be retiring (god willing) in about a year, and I really have as a goal to become quite fit (and let’s be clear, this is about vanity - my health is pretty much fine). I don’t necessarily have a performance goal in mind (such as run a marathon).</p>

<p>I have learned enough about myself to know that I do best with classes / schedules (which is hard to commit to while I’m still working) – and with a lot of variety so I don’t get bored. I really like strength and flexibility; cardio is where I have to trick myself.</p>

<p>So as I think about the things I like to do, the classes in my area, etc.,
I divide them up into 3 modules:</p>

<p>Module A: Cardio
Running
Fluid running (running in deep water)
Spin class
*Possibly OrangeTheory and / or CrossFit</p>

<p>Module B: Strength
Strength / Weight Training (either self, or with trainer)
Yoga Sculpt (hot yoga, but use weights)</p>

<p>Module C: Flexibility
Corepower yoga (hot vinyasa flow yoga)
Pilates (with a trainer)
*Possibly a group pilates</p>

<p>Call each an hour long. Let’s assume I would do 3 modules a day for the sake of argument. (Is that too much? I do that on weekends currently, but don’t have time during the week.) </p>

<p>How would you structure this? The obvious solution is do one from each module every day, but is that right?
Thoughts? </p>

<p>I might also want to bake in some fun but more occasional things, like an aerial hammocks class or pole fitness, or bike rides with my husband.</p>

<p>How do those of you who are retired structure your exercise? Do you do all in the morning and get it over with – or some in the morning, some in the afternoon?<br>
Appreciate any and all thoughts.</p>

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<p>I guess I’m retired, and I do exercise a lot. I don’t do classes, though. I usually work out in the middle of the day, to avoid the before- and after-work rushes at the health club. Assuming I don’t have any plans for the day, then I go when I feel like it. In the winter, I go before it gets dark but after it’s warmed up a bit, so usually early afternoon. In the heat of the summer, I’ll go for walks/runs early morning and early evening. </p>

<p>That’s the beauty of being retired. You can structure your day the way you want, whatever works for you.</p>

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<p>Rest day for me today as well. Enjoy your concert, iDad. </p>

<p>Some of these “fitness activities” sound interesting…</p>

<p><a href=“Most Popular Fitness Trends”>http://www.theonion.com/articles/most-popular-fitness-trends,36374/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>pizzagirl- 3 of those modules a day sounds like WAY too much. Professional athletes don’t exercise 3 hours a day that often! I would say 3 times a week of the strength module is plenty- and maybe not a full hour each time. In fact, 3 times a week of any of them would be plenty. When I was running over 40 miles a week it was only about 7 hours a week. </p>

<p>My CEO came to my office to tell me not to “overdo it” now that I’m off the crutches. Wonder why he would think such a thing? :)</p>

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<p>Ha, MoWC, I can’t IMAGINE! LOL!!!</p>

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<p>Lol, MOfWC!</p>

<p>Pizzagirl, good to see you back! MOfWC said it - unless you are a Michael Phelps of some sort, 3 1-hr activities a day is too much. You can probably rotate them and exercise 1 hr daily.</p>

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<p>Weight starts creeping on, though, if I just do 1 hour a day.</p>

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<p>It sounds as if you need to curtail your caloric intake, then.</p>

<p>I am exercising about one hour, six days a week, but I am still cutting way down on my calories since I’m trying to lose weight.</p>

<p>I am running MWF and doing CrossFit TTHSat.</p>

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<p>You people are buzzkill :-)</p>

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<p>The exercise needs to have some degree of intensity. HR needs to be up there- not every day, but maybe more of the time. If you can do 3 hours a day on a regular basis, you might not be working hard enough at any one thing.</p>

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<p>Gym day with DD again. Temp was supposedly 97 degrees (according to car) and it felt like 97 degrees. I did a stretch at the gym, a walking warm-up on the treadmill, and then a strength workout from Drop 2 Sizes. Sushi and salad for dinner, and a lite beer. </p>

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<p>PG, I like to plan on a walk every day, often in the evening with my husband. Five to six days of each week I try to do some other kind of workout. I usually do weights or strength training 2 or 3 times a week, often with a jogging or a walking warm-up, and then running or more walking on the other non-weight days. Maybe once every other week I’ll have a complete rest day, usually when something else has come up (travel, kids, etc.). Tomorrow I suspect will be one of those rest days since I’m driving across the state to an art museum and to see some Frank Lloyd Wright architecture. </p>

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<p>Pizza girl, if you are trying to tone up and/or lose weight, you have to start with your food (and the quality of it). You don’t want to have to commit to that level of exercise just to get your body looking a certain way, as it is just not sustainable. Re-look at your water intake, carbs and protein, and make sure you are getting 8 hours of good sleep a night. If those are in check, then exercising 4-5 days a week should bring your weight down and/or firm you up, but your total exercise time really doesn’t need to be more than 7-hours a week assuming you are doing other movement things (yard work, laundry, nice walks with the dog or a friend, etc) throughout the day.</p>

<p>While exercising can be fun, you don’t necessarily want it to be your main “job” once you are retired. In addition, if you over-exercise, you could end up lean but injured, and that’s no fun.</p>

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<p>This is all very helpful! And MOWC, you’re probably right - I find it hard to push myself on my own cardio-wise (which is why something like Orange Fitness might be a gimmick that works, just like how a Color Run was a gimmick that got me to run). I have no shame in admitting that! I’ve had a rough couple of months with international business travel (since Feb, I’ve been to China, Japan, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Russia, Brazil, and India, with another 2 week trip scheduled at the end of the month) and it’s just so hard to manage the whole thing when you’re in a hotel, your time clock is off, and you just want to sleep versus work out. Not whining or excusing, but just how it’s been recently!</p>

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<p>Holy Molly, Pizzagirl, that kind of travel schedule would leave me bloated for months, not just with creeping up weight. :slight_smile: You are such a trooper! Give the orange thing a try. No one is going to drag you back in if you discover it is not your cup of tea. </p>

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<p>Thanks. The real problem, I think, is that I personally do better if I eat smaller more frequent protein-heavy meals through the day, and when I am traveling, I am either sitting behind a focus group mirror asking them to take sweets away, or leading people in workshops where I wind up eating a big breakfast because when we break for lunch, I still have set-up work to do and have to gulp a lunch down. I need to figure out some way to eat while I’m presenting to 40+ people, ha ha!</p>

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<p>I would think exercising 3 hours a day most days of the week would also require a nutritional trainer - to balance the calories needed (a lot!) and other nutritional needs.</p>

<p>I vote for less exercise (than 3 hours/day) and more retirement activities!! </p>

<p>I’ve been thinking about getting involved with our local “Girls On The Run” - a non profit that encourages young girls (like middle school) to get fit and active - it culminates in a 5k race once a year as a fundraiser - many of the girls team up a partner (like me!) to run or cheer them on during their race and training. Many will not be fit enough too run it all, but it sounds like lots of fun “coaching”!!!</p>

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<p>Abasket, that would be the perfect volunteer activity for you! I love that organization.</p>