<p>CountingDown- wow. Be tough (I know you are)! Glad you have such good docs.</p>
<p>That’s definitely something to celebrate CountingDown - you really are amazing - your attitude surely is on your side!!!</p>
<p>4.4 on the treadmill IS a fast walk! Heck I usually start out my warm up run at 4.8 - don’t stay there long and start creeping up but to walk 4.4 isn’t easy! Plus the incline! </p>
<p>Counting Down…We are not worthy! Just awesome!</p>
CD, goodness! So glad to hear the heart is doing better than expected. Fingers crossed! You are one tough lady. Keep on fighting!
Ohio - what I learned is that knees are really tricky things. Ramping up the mileage or speed quickly can do a number on them (that, or jumping off objects!). I still do some of exercises that my Ortho doc suggested to keep the muscles involved in running somewhat balanced (so the knees do not do all the work). Good luck! That CEP brace is definitely designed for running. It might feel stiff in the beginning, but it gets more comfy with wear without losing its functionality.
<p>I walk really fast – I have long legs, and that helps. 4.5 mph on a treadmill, plus an incline ranging from 2-5%. That’s about my speed when I walk outside, too. And even that doesn’t get my heart rate going. I need to run to elevate my heart rate. Does that mean my heart is in good shape?</p>
<p>I prefer older trainers, too. The one I have now is young – although she did the most extensive interview in the beginning than all of them. She always gets so concerned when my back twinges – I try to explain to her that everyone 50+ has aches and pains, but she doesn’t get it. Just wait 20 years, and she’ll get it.</p>
<p>Dreaded Airdyne intervals – after filming a warmup. Sometime the Airdyne gets me. And, sometimes I get the Airdyne. I got the Airdyne today… well, relatively. Felt good on quarter mile intervals. Saw a heart rate of 91% of my max.</p>
<p>Workout video is uploading to the YouTubes, with a cameo appearance by Miss Scaredy Cat.</p>
<p>Like that Fireandrain - In 20 years she’ll get it!</p>
<p>Ok, here’s the warm up/mobility/corrective/stretching video:</p>
<p>[YouTube:</a> Geezer Warm Up](<a href=“- YouTube”>- YouTube)</p>
<p>I try to do this three times a week and have been doing some variation on this for 3+ years. The idea is to work all the joints of the body and these are my favorite exercises for each – the ones that give me the best feel for each movement. I’ve cut back on the number of reps and try to focus on slow quality, rather than quantity. Not perfect form, by any means, but I try. I have seen major improvements, but they come over time (months, years). This stuff has to become a routine. If I couldn’t do any other exercise, I would do these. Huge for quality of life and injury prevention.</p>
<p>The first seven exercises are Michael Boyle’s FMS corrective warmups. Each of the seven exercises is specifically intended to improve movement on one of the seven Functional Movement Screen tests, as well as warming up the joints:</p>
<p>Quadruped hip extension</p>
<p>The goal on this one is to keep the torso still and just move at the hip. Hold for a count of five. If you are like me, the first time you try this one will feel like a massive hamstring cramp. It is deceptively hard, but the BEST exercise I’ve found for feeling “glute activation”.</p>
<p>Band assisted leg lowering</p>
<p>The goal is to keep both legs as straight as possible. Perfect would be straight legs completely vertical. I can’t keep my legs perfectly straight. You’ll feel it in the hamstrings. You can use a belt or rope instead of a resistance band. This is another big time hip exercise.</p>
<p>Quadruped thoracic rotation</p>
<p>The goal on this one is to keep the hips and lower back completely still and rotate the upper spine. By rocking back as far as you can (ideally with butt to heels), you lock the lower back out. This is the one if you are finding it increasingly creaky to turn and look behind you backing up the car.</p>
<p>Push up</p>
<p>The goal of this one is really a plank position and braced abs. You could do a plank. You could hold a push up in the bottom position. Whatever. I actually don’t do this one in the warm up because I always have some kind of plank in the core section of my workout. Although I may add it, just because a few quick push ups is a great warmup. </p>
<p>ValSlide Hip flexion</p>
<p>Another awesome hip exercise. Again the goal is to keep the butt and torso still and level and just flex the hip forward. You can used towels on a wood floor instead of the ValSlides. Or, feet in a TRX. Or just do mountain climbers.</p>
<p>Squat to Stand</p>
<p>If I could only do one exercise, it would be this one. In fact, I did some the other evening when I was standing up for five hours at the Ryan Adams concert. It stretches and warms up everything.</p>
<p>Split squat</p>
<p>These are kind of ugly in the video. I haven’t been doing these, because I do a walking lunges at the end of my warm up. But, after seeing these, I’m going to add them.</p>
<hr>
<p>These are the additional exercises I do in my warm up. Most of them are from Boyle, with a couple of variations that I really like from Alwyn or Rachel Cosgrove:</p>
<p>Lateral lunges</p>
<p>Toes pointed straight ahead. Try to push the butt back. You’ll fee this big time on the inside of the thighs. You see every football player do these in warmups.</p>
<p>Kneeling Hip flexor stretch</p>
<p>The idea is to slowly stretch the hip/thigh/glutes. Another one that is in every football warm up.</p>
<p>Single leg hip lift</p>
<p>The king of glute exercises. It is supposed be a driven by the glute. The cheat is to use the hamstring (and it will feel like a hamstring cramp). Start with the two leg version (both heels on the ground). iPod nazi’s great tip is to think: SQUEEZE > LIFT > ONE > TWO > DOWN.</p>
<p>Ankle mobility</p>
<p>A Cosgrove special and the best ankle warm up I’ve found. The idea is to slowly rock back, trying to press the heel to the ground. Keep the butt down. You’ll feel a big stretch in the calf and achilles. Gains come over months.</p>
<p>Big X walk</p>
<p>A Mike Boyle special. I do it with a mini band around my ankles and resistance band from one foot to the opposite hand. Extend the arms Da Vinci style. This works the hips like crazy.</p>
<p>Wall Slides</p>
<p>The ultimate shoulder warm up. Butt, shoulders, and head against the wall. Elbows and the back of the hands against the wall. A lot of guys with messed up shoulders cannot do this.</p>
<p>Runners with knee pain should hammer away all of the hip exercises in this list as they address hip tightness that causes back and knee pain, countering the repetitive running pattern. Not just runners. All of us need this bad from sitting so much.</p>
<p>Miss Scaredy Cat says “hi”. :)</p>
<p>Whoa! A plus!! </p>
<p>My goodness iDad, you are amazing. </p>
<p>Tonight I ran for the first time since Saturday and I felt great. Nice and slow on the trails with good hills. </p>
<p>Go CD … So impressed. Your heart likes what you are doing.</p>
<p>I got introduced to this kind of warm up when I did New Rules of Lifting for Abs. It quickly sunk in how much I needed it and how beneficial it would be over over time. I’ve got it down to 12 - 15 minutes at the start of the workout, but this would be a really good workout by itself for someone getting started. This sort of stuff gets glossed over in most fitness articles, but it’s really the most important stuff and the importance is even bigger as we age.</p>
<p>It was the hardest thing to do at Planet Fitness, but I figured out how to go find a corner of the gym, out of the way, where I could go through my list.</p>
<p>I used to change it up from time to time, but lately, I’ve just stuck to the same exercises and tried to get better at them.</p>
<p>Bunsen knee braces ordered. 18 mile bike ride @ 19 mph avg. Idad exercise routine (with gray and gray striped cat). Needed after server from hell issues at work today.</p>
<p>Sabaray, I hadn’t posted about it. Very frustrating for me and DH was none too patient about it, either (which is a whole 'nuther kettle of fish).</p>
<p>Glad you are doing well, CD, and heading the right direction. Now enjoy your summer ;)</p>
<p>Nice warm up idad. Won’t be able to remember that many of them so I should write it out if I give it a try.</p>
<p>Hope the knee behaves, Ohio. Mine’s been tricking out a bit lately. All i did was up my speed and time in the aquajogging a little. Guess that was enough to make It cranky. It’s not too bad, but it just seems funny that a bit more aquajogging – the lowest impact activity on earth - would have that effect. Imagine if I REALLY ran ;)</p>
<p>On the bright side, my BFF from hs days was over for a visit recently and asked me “how the hell (I) got my legs to look like a teenager’s”. I asked her if she REALLY wanted to know or was just idly commenting on my legs. She said she did, but then pooh-poohed the whole hill-walking, stick walking, snow shoeing and aquajogging thing ;)</p>
<p>Which is why her legs don’t look “like a teenagers.”</p>
<p>She doesn’t have a hill but she has a pool, so I tried to convince her to try aquajogging and a little routine i do of Ethel merman style flutter kicks from my youngun days in synchronized swimming (very good for toning the legs). It might have been the margaritas but she wasn’t having any of it.</p>
<p>Come to think of it, she teased me way back then too when I was on the synchronized swim team 
But who knows, maybe its the muscle memory from adolescent flutter kicks that have helped preserve the legs!</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I have it printed out and pinned to the DB rack with a magnet. It’s geezer fitness, after all. Heck I probably wouldn’t remember to tie my shoes if I didn’t make a note to myself. :)</p>
<p>Here ya go. Easy cut n’ paste format:</p>
<p>Quadruped hip extension
Band assisted leg lowering
Quadruped thoracic rotation
Push up
ValSlide Hip flexion
Squat to Stand
Split squat</p>
<p>Lateral lunges
Kneeling Hip flexor stretch
Single leg hip lift
Ankle mobility
Wall Slides
Big X walk</p>
<p>You can just substitute plain mini band walks for the Big X walk.</p>
<p>H is pretty excited about the video, iDad. Your story is both inspirational and motivational! Thanks for taking the time to do that. Hope you’re able to enjoy a hike today.</p>
<p>I just signed up for a TRX core class. I hate core work with a passion, but this will make me do it. The whole accountability thing. </p>
<p>kncmom13–people want a quick and magical answer, don’t they? “Yeah, I take these mail-order pills to make my body look so great.” LOL</p>
<p>We had a good workout evening with the Trikke. Took it up to the rec center which has a few parking lots and many paths around the soccer field, the playground, etc. DH, S, and I took turns working the Trikke. The area is mostly flat, but even a small rise is noticeable on this thing. We let S do most of the hills. 
He actually rode the thing home (about 1/2 mile to our house.) </p>
<p>I was glad to see DH having fun and getting exercise at the same time.</p>
<p>CD, best wishes for a full recovery.</p>
<p>iDad, thanks very much for posting the video. i can’t do most of them, but there are a couple i think will work for me. </p>
<p>KCM, I was a synchro swimmer too in high schools. Can still do a stellar ballet leg among other things. :)</p>
<p>Sabaray, a couple of ladies at work do TRX twice a week at work. They come back moaning everytime! But neither is in very good shape. </p>
<p>Someone asked me how I’d lost weight and were disappointed to hear - uh, diet and exercise. And then when you tell them the diet drastically reduces carbs they are even more disappointed.</p>