Diet/Exercise/Health/Wellness Support Thread

Parent Cafe
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<p>Your arms should at between a 45 - 90 degree angle with the hands coming about in the center of your body- breast bone. You want your arms to be fairly close to your chest - if your arms are too far in front, then your stride will be too long. It is counter-intuitive, but most people need to shorten their stride to go faster. </p>

<p>You are correct about the hips rotating - except it is opposite arm/hip forward. When you are walking, the other difference is that you are bringing your foot to the center line. Your hip is actually propelling your foot forward - I think of it as swinging the gate. </p>

<p>The best information about racewalking can be found at [Racewalk.com</a> - Home Page](<a href=“http://www.racewalk.com/defaultRW.asp]Racewalk.com”>http://www.racewalk.com/defaultRW.asp)</p>

<p>There is another source with a fellow named Dave McGovern, but I have found Jeff to extraordinarily helpful and generous. </p>

<p>Jeff has such a great collection of pictures of the best racewalkers in the world and it helps to just study them. His philosophy is if you study the very best, and take an average of what they do, then you have a template for form. </p>

<p>Whether you ever actually race or not - it is a total body workout, much like rowing.</p>

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<p>There’s a triathlon near my house today. The runners are going through my neighborhood. My trainer’s mom is competing in it. Apparently she’s pretty good. </p>

<p>I ran a mile, walked, ran a half mile, walked, and then did some elliptical. I don’t really know what it’s called, it’s like the elliptical but without the arm thing. But anyway, it really helps me with my form because it forces my feet and knees to stay where they are supposed to be. I can close my eyes and concentrate on how it feels when everything is lined up, and then I can use that feeling to stay in form while I run.</p>

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<p>I am not a fan of the arm parts of the elliptical. I usually don’t use the arm bars except to get my heart rate. It more closely mimics running for me to NOT use the arms. I don’t think it really does that much for your arms, and it slows your legs down when you use the arm thing. IDad’s torture bike is better work for the arms than elliptical. I really liked the Precor VMT elliptical which has pedals that also go up and down, but it bothers my knees. I don’t think it is really female sized. I used the LifeFitness elliptical, which does have moving arm bars. (an aside- one of my company’s directors is CEO of the company that makes the LifeFitness stuff. I work with him a lot and I’ve been angling for one for the office, but haven’t succeeded yet. That director is very fit, by the way.)</p>

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<p>You have infinitely variable possibilities for the effort contribution from the legs and the arms on the Airdyne. What I have found is that it’s the arms that drive higher intensity levels. When, I *“crank it up in 5… 4… 3… 2… 1…” *for a fast interval, I stiffen my core, lean forward a bit, and start with the arms. You can either push or pull with the arms (or both if you are a maniac), but it is really hard to keep the arms going for the longer intervals. </p>

<p>The ramped up weight lifting I’ve been doing is starting to show up on the Airdyne, which, of course, makes me go faster and still end up bent over panting like a dog, just like when I started as an old fat guy. The damn thing sucks the oxygen right out of your lungs.</p>

<p>It’s funny, though. It still works different muscles in different ways than either walking or riding a road bike outdoors. I think mixing it up is a good thing.</p>

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<p>I totally agree. We’re not trying to become tri-athletes; we’re just trying to get better and fitter and healthier than we are today. I don’t care if I ever run a 5K; I know where I started from And I know I’m way along the continuum of better health.</p>

<p>Here’s to being healthy.</p>

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Amen!</p>

<p>My relay race with my niece was a fun family affair, although the hills nearly killed me. idad, I never run in shorts, but thanks for the shout out. Took a quick spin in the kayak with H this afternoon. Absolutely gorgeous out!</p>

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<p>OK I decided to go for Spartacus again this week. Because I’m going off to hike in seaside park tomorrow, I moved up my Monday workout to this afternoon. My god, I had forgotten how brutal this Spartacus workout is. I did the usual: five minute Airdyne warmup, 2 full sets of all ten exercises, five minutes Airdyne cool down. Did 45 seconds of each exercise with 30 seconds of rest, except on one exerise (the side lunges) in the final set when I missed the call on the iPod and did 60 seconds, leaving 15 seconds of rest. </p>

<p>Took 42 minutes, I averaged 80% of max heart rate, with a max of 96%. It is really tough to start the next exercise when your heart rate is already above 90%, but that’s what makes this thing so challenging. The second set is pure autopilot – just hang on and do what the iPod says. I’m going to have nightmares with THAT voice: “Begin next exercise in 5… 4… 3… 2… 1”</p>

<p>I bumped up the weights a bit, using 15 pounders for the goblet squat, dumbell swings, dumbbell rows, and dumbell squat presses. I used 8 pounders for the lunge/twist and the pushup position row. And I used weights for the first time on the T-pushups (the 8 pounders). The thing about these timed exercises is that they never really get “easier”. As your fitness improves, you do the exercises harder and faster and end up just as gassed.</p>

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<p>I took a long nap today. Several hours. I either have a cold or the weightlifting yesterday took a toll on me. I was going to run and lift today and just bailed out with a long nap. I feel better with some food and will do a bit of weights at home but the body was telling me to rest. I did do the laundry though which is usually quite a workout. Carrying a laundry basket with forty pounds of wet clothes on your shoulder counts as exercise.</p>

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<p>Hi all:</p>

<p>I am joining the crowd here. I began reading this thread from the beginning, but that is taking way too long, so I am jumping ahead to join in. I had surgery this summer and once I recovered, I felt better than I have in ages, great energy level. For years Dh and I walk our 100# dog every single day. What I noticed post-surgery is that my energy level is allowing me to do 4-6 miles a day instead of 2-3 miles and I am speedier, too.</p>

<p>It feels great. I lost about 15-20# several years ago and then lost about 10# this summer by prepping for surgery with a no sugar, all protein diet and extra exercise. I use a plan sort of like idad. I lose some weight, usually 5#, then I own that new weight, I don’t stress a plateau, instead I look at that time as giving my body a new set point. I have to really eat small amounts to actually lose weight, I can maintain better.</p>

<p>I used to think I could go by how I looked or felt, but was totally wrong, even now, I predict my weight every day and can easily be wrong to the high or low. I can feel slim and weigh more or feel flubbery and weigh less! I weigh myself nearly every day and chart it, not obsess over it, just track it.</p>

<p>According to livestrong, my longest route is approx 5.89 mi, I say approximate because it is really tough for me to get the site to follow the exact contours of the logging roads on which we walk. I am doing it in about 80-90 minutes. How do you track your exact amounts of time & distance? Are you using gadgets you carry?</p>

<p>This week I felt energetic and ran 3/4 of it, not ‘ran’ like MOWC, ran like faster than a walk, barely.</p>

<p>I also do yoga a few times a week, some yin-the super stretchy, hold the pose forever type and some Ashtanga-Vinyasa- more difficult and more quickly moving through the poses. I was doing it a lot a few years ago when I lost weight and had to take a break due to an injury. It feels wonderful to be back in it, though I am being careful not to re-injure myself.</p>

<p>Congrats MOWC on actually walking!</p>

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<p>somemom - glad to have you with us. Isn’t it refreshing when something clicks and we can connect the dots?</p>

<p>Have you tried the google map pedometer?</p>

<p>[Google</a> Map Pedometer: Use This GMaps Pedometer to Draw Your Walking, Running, or Biking Route](<a href=“AllTrails: Trail Guides & Maps for Hiking, Camping, and Running | AllTrails”>AllTrails: Trail Guides & Maps for Hiking, Camping, and Running | AllTrails)</p>

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<p>teriwitt, your trainer sounds very wise! What he warns against is exactly what happened to me, and almost a year later, I am still feeling the effects of just one over-zealous day with the weight machines in my shoulder. What kind of rotator cuff exercises has he recommended?</p>

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<p>teriwitt, your trainer sounds very wise! What he warns against is exactly what happened to me, and almost a year later, I am still feeling the effects of just one over-zealous day with the weight machines in my shoulder. What kind of rotator cuff exercises has he recommended?</p>

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<p>^ I second the suggestion for the google map pedometer. It’s the only way I can track the hiking paths around our local lake. I do have a pedometer that is reasonably accurate though. </p>

<p>I find the arm things on the elliptical help raise my heart rate, but I don’t think I ever quite get to the 90th %ile interested Dad is suggesting. I think I got it up to 85% today and spent most of the time over 75%.</p>

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<p>If you can see the logging roads through the trees on Google Maps, you should be able to plot a pretty accurate distance with this:</p>

<p>[Gmaps</a> Pedometer](<a href=“http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/]Gmaps”>http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/)</p>

<p>You can have it join the points automatically, which will stick to public roads. Or, you can draw the route manually, point by point, which is what you might have to do for logging roads. It will also display elevation changes along the route.</p>

<p>I’ve just started using the NIKE + accessory for the iPod. It’s a sensor that goes on your shoe (Nike’s have a special pocket for it, for other brands, you velcro it to the shoe laces). Then, there’s a receiver that plugs into your iPod. It was pretty accurate for me right out of the box, but you can also go to a high school track and walk a known number of 400 meter laps and calibrate it more precisely. Push a button during your walk and it tells you time, distance, and pace over the headphones. When you synch your iPod, it uploads your walks or runs to the Nike running site. There are also third party websites that link to the Nike data:</p>

<p>[SlowGeek</a>! Runs for hwc1954](<a href=“http://slowgeek.com/ru/hwc1954/1035700741?unit=km]SlowGeek”>http://slowgeek.com/ru/hwc1954/1035700741?unit=km)</p>

<p>If you have a compatible iPod, it’s very inexpensive: $29.</p>

<p>Others here are using Garmin GPS watch systems that are more elaborate, more accurate, and much more expensive.</p>

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<p>^ I second the suggestion for the google map pedometer. It’s the only way I can track the hiking paths around our local lake. I do have a pedometer that is reasonably accurate though. </p>

<p>I find the arm things on the elliptical help raise my heart rate, but I don’t think I ever quite get to the 90th %ile interested Dad is suggesting. I think I got it up to 85% today and spent most of the time over 75%.</p>

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<p>Oh, I’m not suggesting that anyone exercise above 90% of the maximum heart rate. It’s really rather unpleasant! I would love to only hit only 85% of my max during some of these workouts or interval sessions. I’m heading in the right direction. I generally see peaks of under 85% on my walks these day, unless I push really hard up the hills. Walking 4k on a flat high school track, I saw a max of 80%.</p>

<p>The one acknowledged downside of interval workouts or high tempo exercise circuits is that, while they are short in duration, they are very intense and not a lot of “fun”. Two or three times a week, max. 30 to 45 minutes.</p>

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<p>mousegray - this is going to be difficult to describe, so bear with me. Lying on my stomach on a core bench, with 3 lb. weights in each hand with palms facing to the rear (as opposed to each other), slowly draw up your arms so that your elbow is at a right angle, and your upper arm is parallel to the ground. Hold for a couple of seconds, then keeping the elbow at a right angle, raise your hands up so that your entire arm is parallel to the ground with palms facing down. Hold for a couple of seconds, then lower the hands, hold, then straighten the arms back to the starting position.</p>

<p>To balance things out, do another set of the same exercise, except instead of raising your hands to the front of you, palms facing down, raise your hands behind you so that the palms are facing the ceiling (with the elbow still at a 90 degree angle)… then back down to the right angle in the elbow and straighten the arm to the starting position. </p>

<p>Another exercise on the core bench (lying on stomach again) also uses the light weights held in each hand. Start with arms hanging down at your sides, palms facing each other. In one move, do a depression with your shoulders while pinching your shoulders back (think of trying to get your shoulder blades closer together). With palms still facing each other, and with your arms straight, lift your arms out to your side parallel to the rest of your body to the 9 and 3 positions of a clock, until you look like a small ‘t’. Hold for a few seconds (and this is the tricky part), then lower the arms back down without releasing the shoulders, and once they’re hanging at your side, then you can round your shoulders back out as the arms hang. Another variation of that is instead of using the 9 and 3 clock positions, use the 11 and 1. </p>

<p>My trainer says when you really want to step up these exercises, do each step of the move on a count of 4, holding at the midway point (before you begin your steps to return to the starting position) for a count of 4 also. Many years ago he used to help with the training of the Chicago Bears and said he’s never seen any guy be able to sustain this exercise with anything more than 11 lbs. in each hand. </p>

<p>He also told me when he was looking to increase his bench weights, he actually took several weeks off from bench pressing (both incline and flat) when he hit a plateau, spent several weeks doing these exercises and when he returned to the bench, he was able to lift 25% more almost immediately.</p>

<p>Hope the description makes sense.</p>

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<p>I do agree that the arm elliptical thing raises your HR. What I’m trying to do is get my leg turnover to approach my running pace, and it’s harder to do that when I have to deal with the arms. I use a lower resistance than I would if I were just going for heart rate so that I can get the leg turnover. It’s sort of like spinning on a bike instead of just pushing a heavy gear. Nothing wrong with higher resistance or arms on elliptical- it just depends what you are trying to accomplish.</p>

<p>Welcome, somemom!</p>

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<p>W3D1 of Bridge to 10K today and I discovered I need a longer route. I’ll probably map it out on Livestrong, leaving some room for the longer runs in coming weeks. Keep up the good work, everyone!</p>

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<p>Hilly walk today…about 4 miles. Tried to do some version of race walking - pumping those arms. Small strides. Tough on the steep hills. Thinking of you WIP2! </p>

<p>New song on my ipod that I LOVE. “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield. Inspirational and gets you MOVING.</p>