<p>yeah…I have one of those balls and I have NO idea what to do with it. It’s currently staring at me from the corner of my office.</p>
<p>toneranger - replace your office chair with that ball. Just sit on the ball while typing, surfing, etc.</p>
<p>I should get one since my exercise ball-hater cat is no longer with us (snifff!). After she successfully ‘killed’ a couple of these ‘creatures’, I just gave up on getting more.</p>
<p>well, I would have to get a bigger one to use it as a chair (I’m tall and have long legs!).
Maybe I should get a bigger one in any case and donate this one to one of my 5 foot tall friends. It took so long to pump up though!</p>
Momofwildchild - Re: Post 766: Did you mean to type DREADmill instead of TREADmill? Cracked me up.
<p>A note for those of you who take their dogs when they run: </p>
<p>Now, I know no one on CC would be guilty of this, of course, but we have a couple of runners-with-dogs in our neighborhood who do not let the dog stop and do his business during the run, resulting in a trail of poops about half a block long, right in the middle of the sidewalk. I feel sorry for the poor dogs having to go while on the move.</p>
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<p>Dreadmill: yes, I believe MOWC did intentionally type that, because I have seen it before. I don’t dread my treadmill. It is wearing out though, so I guess it will soon be a deadmill.</p>
<p>I would bet Youtube has lots of videos on how to use the resistance ball. I get many of my Pilates lessons there.</p>
<p>To start out with ab crunches slowly, you will sit on the ball (buy medium size) facing a wall with your knees against the wall. With hands behind your head you go back, contracting you abs, as far as you’re comfortable and come up squeezing your abs. As you get stronger, you no longer use the wall for support. You will have abs of steel.</p>
<p>For squats, you put the ball behind your lower back against a wall with your legs out as far as you’re comfortable, hands on your hips, and come down as if to sit on a chair.</p>
<p>Do look at some videos for form. Both of those, once you’re into the routine, will take you a total of about fifteen minutes to do three sets of 15. You can add from there. Abs are fine to do daily but some find their legs get more muscular than they want doing squats every day.</p>
<p>For a really easy home work out tool, this is, IMO, amazing. Does pretty much everything you do with free weights (I use both), killer for abs, tones legs like nothing else.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Stamina-Pilates-Premier-XP-Reformer/dp/B000AMRN1C/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1263860552&sr=8-8[/url]”>http://www.amazon.com/Stamina-Pilates-Premier-XP-Reformer/dp/B000AMRN1C/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1263860552&sr=8-8</a></p>
<p>I already do the squats but I also use a weighted bar and do curls while squatting. Squat down, curl up. One of my favorite exercises- kills two birds with one stone, so to speak. </p>
<p>I never think of looking on youtube. Thanks for that tip.</p>
<p>midmo:
That’s a ‘pet’ peeve of mine - owners who walk/run with their dogs, especially on an established walking path, who don’t clean up after their dogs. You really have to watch where you’re going! I always carry a bag when out with my dog but he’s fairly predictable on our set path and I make sure he goes where no one else walks (some densely brushed wild areas).</p>
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<p>Yep- that’s what we call it in my running circles.</p>
<p>The mexican bakery that opened on my bike route is actually owned and run by an Arabic. He has baklava. Yet to try one but nearly ready.</p>
<p>Well, we have some terrific walking/running/biking trails around here…right on a river or creek. Almost all the dog owners clean up or at least go off path and in the woods with their pets. But the problem is horse poop. Wow…why is there so much disdain for those who don’t clean up after their dogs…yet it’s OK to drop what looks like 20 lbs of poop right in the middle of the trail? No penalties posted for that! I think they should make them wear horsie diapers like they do in Old Town Philly. End of rant…</p>
<p>LOL - horsepoop. Some neighbors ride their horses on our street, and occasionaly a horse would leave a load right in the middle of the road. I do not enjoy stepping in it, but at least it is wa-a-a-y less stinky than dog poop and is ‘certified organic’. Horse manure is what organic farmers use as fertilizer - plants crave it, since it almost like rich compost, and I gather that elephant doo is even better for your veggies. Sorry for TMI, but I’m happy no one on my street owns an elephant :)</p>
<p>Actually, I didn’t bring up the dog poop subject because of concern about the stuff not getting picked up. I have two dogs that I walk for many miles each day, and if they go in the bushes and well out of people range, I sometimes leave it. I was commenting on the fact that some runners do not give their dogs a chance to stand still and do the job; they just keep dragging them along by the neck while they are attempting to squat, and that is why there is a long trail of little turds, spread out over a half block. I feel sorrier for the dogs than the people who get to step in it (like me).</p>
<p>Horse manure is great for worm composting but it’s not great fertilizer.</p>
<p>midmo, My dog actually “poop-walks” on her own. Drives me nuts. I have to follow her with my plastic bag so I don’t lose the trail.</p>
<p>Hope no one skips to read the last page first on this thread.</p>
<p>Running on a “dreadmill” does have certain advantages, worknprogress!</p>
<p>I tweaked my back this morning while making the bed! Am I that out of shape??? I may not be able to go to step class tomorrow!! I can’t believe this!</p>
<p>Sorry lilmom! Do some light back stretching and it may be OK in a couple of days.
I saw Dana Carvey do his stand-up routine a few weeks ago. He did a piece on how us us “old folks” get injured doing the stupidest little things. He pretended he was running to get the phone…and…doh…there goes the back! You had to be there but it was hysterical. </p>
<p>My dog “poop walks” too…just started about a year ago…we thought it had something to do with his increasing “loopiness” as he ages. Kind of like a preview for us…lol.</p>
<p>Well, that is true. No poop on the old dreadmill. </p>
<p>Yesterday, was a great day for walking. I picked up my pace for a tempo walk and felt pretty good. Met up with DH for last mile of walk, he jogged slowly and kept me informed of our pace with his Garmin - kept it close to 10/mile for the last stretch. Today it is sunny again - so I think I will do a long one. It is amazing how good you feel when the sun it out!!</p>