I got a Varidesk at work (www.varidesk.com) and it’s terrific! I think every employee should be offered this option. It easily adjusts at any level from sitting to standing and costs about $300 (my company paid). You aren’t stuck with standing up all day. It sits on the desk top, so doesn’t involve elevating the whole tabletop. Since sitting is the new smoking, and since I have bone issues, my doctor wrote me a note. The note is needed for ADAAA compliance, but the company doesn’t balk at all about getting someone the Varidesk.
I run every day, as many of you know, and my step goal is to get 6000-8000 steps in addition to my runs. When I run long, I don’t get as many other steps. At work I frequently go between floors and also have a trek to and from my car and to the lunchroom. I sometimes loop the halls if my Vivofit red bar is telling me to get off my a$$.
Missypie, this whole fitness thing started for me when I had a conversation with my brother about the many hurdles I had that kept me from exercising (one of which was that same dislike of leaving the house once I’m home). In the course of that conversation, I realized that one of the biggest hurdles was inertia – I simply couldn’t get myself to start something. My brother challenged me thus: Every evening for a week, I was to put on my workout clothes/shoes, and go outside and hang out in the front yard for a few minutes. The following week, I was to walk to the end of the block and back, and so on. Baby steps. I actually walked around the block that first evening; and within a week I was doing 45 minutes. He basically got me to play a trick on myself to overcome the resistance to getting started.
I hear you all on the habit thing. When I started yoga last fall, I went 1 evening a week than started going twice. I added in an early AM class on Saturday and it’s now a habit (me being me now it bothers me if I miss). I am trying to establish the walking habit now so that when it is cold and dark I will continue even if it’s on my basement treadmill.
Good for you LasMa. Sounds like you DO do lots of other things that don’t equate the steps. Steps are just one thing to reach for, not the only thing! If you don’t walk, but swim or strength train or whatever - the point is breaking a sweat a few times a week and SOME kind of movement everyday.
I make it my goal to help others find time, not excuses for exercising - only because I did the same in the past - the time I spent making excuses for not being to exercise, I could have BEEN exercising! I fully admit, that I am annoyed when I hear people saying “there’s no time” to exercise. Most of us are quite busy people. Can’t judge every situation for sure, but as I say, if you have time to watch tv or be on CC outside of work, you have time to exercise.
I found time to go to yoga when I decided to. For me it meant giving up reading time( I read rather than watch TV). The AM walking time is a combination of getting up earlier and spending less time on computer.
Years ago, when my kids were little, I had an awful commute: One hour and 45 minutes each way, one hour of which was sitting on my butt on a train and another 20 minutes standing on the subway. I’d leave the house at 6:00 AM and get home at 7:00 PM. Of course, when I got home, the kids needed me, and I wanted to spend all my free time with them. I started getting up at 4:45 AM and going for a jog outside. It sucked, but at least I got some running in.
@VeryHappy That was another option that I considered and discarded. I’d have to get up by 4:00 am to put in a full workout at the gym and still be at work on time. As I have pronounced night-owl tendencies, that wasn’t attractive. If I were the early-bird type, that would definitely be the way to go. Everything is so much cooler and less crowded that early than it is after work.
Yesterday my husband brought his bike to work and went to the trail right from his office. He was home by 7. We went to the driving range after dinner, in the summer when it’s light out we can be doing things till 9. We are usually in bed by 10 so not a lot of time to be home but summer is so short we try to make the most out of it.
LasMa, I know you mentioned making supper and cleaning up the dishes. Would your husband commit to doing that 2 or 3 times per week and you can dedicate that time to exercise. If you can free up some of your other responsibilities, then that time can be allocated to exercise.
My H is lucky that I don’t work full time and can free him up.
This is what he did this past week
Last Thursday: golf
Friday: rest
Saturday: golf, yard work, he also went into work in the morning
Sunday, mountain bike 9 miles, mow grass, 9 holes golf walking 26,000 steps, he was tired lol
Monday: 1 hour golf lesson, 9 holes golf walking
Tuesday: 9 miles mountain biking
Wednesday: 9 miles mountain biking, driving range
Thursday (tonight): golf 9 holes
That is a very typical week for him and shows what he likes to do. His brother is a successful physician and my H’s exercise schedule pales in comparison to his. It is truely a marvel what he does in a week.
I’ve mentioned this before but my H had a heart attack at 48. He has lost 47 pounds since then, it has been more than 50 but he goes up and down. He and I make a priority that he is active and that we make time for him to exercise. Even when other things go by the wayside.
I do want to say that we do many of these things together. I’m not sitting at home while he’s out exercising.
I golfed with him except on Thursday, he’s on a league
When he goes mountain biking, I will go out to the trails and walk while he’s biking.
We try to do things together when possible, before the heart attack I didn’t golf so that’s something I’ve done to do things with him.
@LasMa, for me at that time of my life, it was literally the only option. I used to wish they had an “exercise car” on the train, because otherwise that time was totally wasted. (Well, others read or worked, but I slept.)
So, new idea. They need to put treadmills on subway trains!!! All that available time people have!!!
LaMas, if you are a nightowl, how about a later night workout. Gives you time to make dinner and such , exercise and then still have relaxing time. My favorite time to run is dusk!!! (especially in the warm weather) Run, shower, relax a bit, bed!
Ok people it’s Friday and the weekend is upon us! What are you going to do this weekend to make a mark on your nutritional/fitness status??? Pick one small goal for the weekend???
I have a date with my D to visit a relatives pool for some relaxation and sunbathing. I will do a minimum of 25 laps in the pool to counteract my lounging. Major weeding, planting and mulching planned for tomorrow in the yard.
Hi all, I’m joining you late, but have been following since the thread started.
I started Bikram yoga in December, but only managed to go on weekends. Now that it’s summer and I’m off (I know, very lucky!) I try to go most days. I’m feeling great and hoping that once I return to work in the fall, I will continue because I will want to feel like this.
For strength I have Les Mills Bodypump DVDs, which I like, but I haven’t been very consistent lately.
And cardio…I need that. Used to run, but I have hip trouble now. I’m considering a rowing machine.
And I’m tracking food and exercise in myfitnesspal.
So, while I know I need to do the strength and cardio, I am trying to focus on my success at consistently going to yoga. For me, success breeds success. If I’m feeling successful and proud, the other pieces are more likely to come.
I’m planning a 2.5 mile run tomorrow with D - we’ve worked up to that over the past 6 weeks, starting her from scratch. I have a 6 month plan worked out to build up to a 10K, then a 10 miler, then a HM, but I can feel my hip/groin tendon flaring up a bit this week & I’m afraid that is going to limit me. Oh well, I’ll just take it a week at a time. I’m pretty happy just to be back to running 2-3 miles at a time.
Later tomorrow we are going to ride Segways around Balboa Park. We did this in Philly on a past trip & it was just a ton of fun.
GCMom- I believe Bikram yoga gives you strength and cardio! When I’m injured and can’t run, hot yoga is the one thing that I feel gives me what I need in terms of feeling like I’ve gotten an equivalent workout. My heart rate is quite elevated in Bikram classes and there is definitely a strength component.
MOWC-thanks, yes, I definitely feel like my heart rate is elevated, and I notice muscle definition that wasn’t there before. So, maybe I don’t need to feel too bad about that being my sole exercise for now.
