Yes, well I love shoes, too. I’m new to running, though, so I’m still trying to figure this all out. I do like to vary my shoes – especially when I travel and I’m walking a lot, I don’t like to wear the same pair two days in a row. I usually run just once, maybe twice a week, and right now I have a designated pair of running shoes and other sneakers that I walk in. There is a pair of Hokas in my future …
It’s caused by little calcium crystals forming in the inner ear fluid and getting lodged in the wrong place. Aging related thing, I think. I seem to get it for a week or so about once a year, although I think it’s been more than a year. I’ve never really paid attention for clues that it could be seasonal.
I should probably do the contortion exercises with my head hanging over the side of the bed and rolling quickly to dislodge them, but this has been such a mild bout that it’s barely more than an annoyance.
Did the quick exercise and identified the bad ear as the room started spinning (mildly). Second time I did it, the room did not spin, so I might be cured. I’ll know tomorrow morning when I sit up in bed. During a bad bout, the exercise to “cure it” causes the room to spin violently, like the old spinning with your head on a baseball bat backyard game. Brutal.
I was wondering if it could be an allergy type symptom iDad…
I don’t think it’s allergy related, or even seasonal. Just random when one of these little crystals forms or breaks loose and drifts to the wrong place in the inner ear.
Ouch, idad! Be safe while swinging metal around.
Walked 2 miles to the restaurant. Used the calories burned on a glass of Chardonnay. Mmmm… Good stuff. Earlier today I had to use my imaginary dominatrix’s whip to pry the @&$я bag of taro chips out of Mr. B’s hands. He was genuinely surprised that the amount of calories packed in that bag was enough to annihilate a small town.
Did my running outside along my “Beach Route” first thing this morning, before my brain could talk me into not going – so 4.4 miles. Lovely morning – sunny and cool with not much humidity.
I have 1 pair of running shoes, but since I only run every other day, they do get a “rest.” I also have a pair of the “Nike Free” shoes that I take on trips since they pack a little easier/take up a little less space than my other shoes.
More weeding today. (My back and knees hurt just typing this …) 
It’s not really debilitating. It only lasts for 10 to 30 seconds after a big position change. I think the crystals get moving in the inner ear canal with the fluid but then keep moving producing extraneous motion in the fluid that signals the brain I’m moving my head when I’m not. Once the crystal stops moving, no more dizziness. So it’s just a matter of letting it settle. The only think I can’t do is continuous motion exercises in trigger positions, like Turkish get ups.
Anyway, I think I cured it. No dizziness this morning sitting up in bed.
MichaelNKat, or anyone else, do you know anything about biodensity machines? I’m looking into this as a possible way to help build bone density.
Here’s a video of the BioDensity machine:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qd9gibrCNlo
It’s looks like four exercises done on a mediocre exercise machine with a fancy computer.
The chest press is good exercise, but a push up would be a better version, easily done at home.
The leg press is a pretty worthless leg exercise. Get a dumbbell or kettlebell and do goblet squats.
I have no idea what they are doing with the pull up exercise locked down with a seatbelt.
The fourth exercise is a lame version of a deadlift. Carrying a box of kitty litter in each hand from the grocery store to the car would be a FAR better version of this exercise to build bone density
Here’s the crazy thing. To build bone density, gain fitness, and preserve flexibility as we age, there is nothing better than bodyweight exercises and movement. Use muscles to pull, lift, and move your bodyweight. Use movement to maintain range of motion in joints. This machine takes the body weight out of the exercise by having you do it sitting down and take all movement out of the exercise – nothing is moving. I guess there might be some benefit in that for a generiatric patient confined to a wheelchair, but doesn’t seem like a very good way to build one density or strength or fitness or flexibility.
The same four exercises (or similar variations) done with dumbbells or kettlebells would be way better. Even the exercise machines in a commercial gym would be better. Even though you are sitting down in most of those, at least you are moving something.
If some poor doc or PT wanted to test you on that machine, I guess there wouldn’t be any harm. I sure wouldn’t pay money to exercise on it. I wouldn’t exercise on it for free. Almost any exercise program I could imagine, including going for a walk in a hilly neighborhood, would be better for building bone density.
yeah, I’ve been doing all that bodyweight & movement idad, including the kitty litter carry, and it’s not helping my bone density numbers. The biodensity machine supposedly allows a higher level of stress on the bones than you can do with regular weights, and that is supposed to stimulate some bone density response.
I don’t see anything in those four static exercises that would actually do that. Maybe the fact that you are generating a number as you press would encourage you to press harder, but with no motion, there’s very little actual work involved.
Hot hilly walk for me this afternoon. We went from winter to summer overnight. I had the heat on for a bit last weekend. Today was 91 degrees. Sweaty walk!
Two-mile walk on beach today. Trying to set up a routine for myself at vacation place–there’s a gym and trainer (she’s the one who convinced me I could do box jumps–I figured with an ankle that’s got pins, I didn’t have the flexibility to do it.) All I need is a pilates place. I found a few places that do mat classes. The one place that has reformers also has machines I’ve never used–Cadillac, high and low chairs, and Barrel. Anyone ever use them? Is it a good workout?
Bromfield, I have used all of those - the Wunda chair and the ladder barrel with my old trainer and all three along with the reformer at my new studio. Hoping @Pizzagirl will chime in as well, but adding those pieces of equipment to your routine will definitely give you a workout. I have just started with the Cadillac, but it offers great opportunities for stretching, footwork, ab and hip work as well.
blankmind, I took a look at the video IDad posted. The bioDensity machine is an old concept cloaked with modern technology and scientific lingo to make it appear to be something new and completely different. It’s not. All it is is a machine that enables you to do 4 static isometric exercises. Yes, it has software, displays, memory systems and performance measures but at the end of the day, all you are doing is a static isometric exercise that could be easily replicated without a machine using a couple of broom sticks and a piece of rope. Not bad in of itself, but hardly a “break through” in exercise science. And keep in mind that it does nothing for range of motion, mobility, or functional movement training, all of which are critical as we age.
blankmind, I’m curious. Can you provide more details about the exercise program you’ve been doing that has not impacted on your bone density numbers? What would your typical workout be? Exercises, sets, reps, type of resistance and amount?
“The one place that has reformers also has machines I’ve never used–Cadillac, high and low chairs, and Barrel. Anyone ever use them? Is it a good workout?”
Yes- I use them all. I use the Cadillac for multiple exercises - the hundreds, roll ups and roll downs, leg circles similar to the reformer with springs - it’s very versatile. I do side bends and step- ups on the chairs - a step-up without holding on is surprisingly challenging for balance. The barrel is my least favorite - I do side bends over the barrel holding a weighted bar for obliques. This is all under the supervision of a Pilates trainer, though. I would say in a typical session we use the Reforner and Cadillac the most. Have fun!
Forgot to add - we don’t really do “Pilates mat” - I think of those as just what they do in group classes for safety. Most mat exercises you can do on a Cadillac anyway and add some challenge with weights/ springs.
MichaelNKat, here’s my usual workout, which I do 2-3 times per week:
I divide my workout into 3 parts, first I do core, then lower body, then upper body. For each part, I do one set of each exercise and repeat the series 3 times, then move on to the next part.
Core
10 side planks with rotation
10 Stability mountain climbers
10 I don’t know what these are called, but you put your legs on the ball, hands on the ground in push up position, and alternate touching the ground with your toe on each side.
10 Feet on ball, and pull in to chest
Upper body
12 Dumbell rows w/20lb weight
10 Push ups
12 one arm overhead press, with 15lb
I used to do chest presses, but switched to overhead, hoping to put more stress on the spine
Sometimes I add bicep or tricep stuff
Lower body, all with 20lb weight
10 Reverse lunge
10 Single Leg Romanian Deadlift
10 squat
I change the core up sometimes but this is a good idea of what I do.
I also run 3 times per week, with one long run and one speed workout.