Discussion Board

hahahaha!

Well, because my ankle is giving me grief, my favorite activity of walking and hiking is out. But I still wanted to keep my body active without the impact to my ankle. So the core challenge called out my name. It is a 30 day challenge, and I will do my very best to do it EVERY single day until Dec. 30...however, Christmas is in there...we'll see what we shall see.

Workout One: Day 1: November 30

I completed today's workout in ten minutes. One adaptation I made was to do the warmup exercise sitting instead of standing. Also, i found that I can only do the hover with knees touching the ground (part ankle, part weak core) and can hold it really firm and parallel to the ground for 10 seconds. That will improve.

I also noticed that I need to sweep and vacuum the front room.

Now that it's over, I feel terrific. Already I feel stronger. *buff icon*

Hey Buns, interesting poll.

I am not too ambitious about exercise at this point, apart from walking my three dogs and cleaning the house (which, with 8 pets, is aerobic). In the past when I decided to change the way I eat AND run every day, it was too much change and effort for me to handle. At that time, I was also trying to change the way the whole family ate, and was encountering a lot of resistance. I give myself a lot of credit for carrying extra weight for 24 hours per day, every day for the last 17 + years. I find that as I continually lose weight and feel more lithe, I am naturally picking up the pace and being more active. That is thrilling actually. I refuse to accept self-criticism for not "working out" more, instead sometimes amuse myself imagining these thin, critical people lugging around a 60 lb bag of potatoes every day. So for now, walking my dogs and cleaning the house is enough exercise for me.

Hi yomom
thanks for taking the survey. I wonder if we should put it in the Lounge...get more people taking it

And I totally 100% agree with you: You are burning more calories, simply hauling extra poundage around. Lots of the intense exercises on The Biggest Loser have them hauling buckets full of water or sand or what have you. I always figured my leg muscles are so strong, because I have thick ankles, calves, and thighs.

and my boobies are weak, because they are so teeny hahahaha! I don't believe I just now said that! hee hee

Debbie, I like how you have your workout listed. I'll do that tomorrow for sure. Are we going to enter measurements? Or the tight jeans test? my problem with the tight jeans test is that core exercises don't make your butt smaller. If I can fit jeans over my thighs and hips, they WILL fit my waist FOR SURE. Mrs Pear, that's me.

kay! this is pretty cool.

Day Two. I did it again! yay!

1) knee to elbow: one minute, seated
2) criss cross: oops, forgot that one...
3) bird dog: 15 repeats each side
4) Hover: on knees, one minute. Able to hold for 20-25 seconds
5) superman: 20 reps
6) side hover: 15 slow reps
7) Hover: same as above
8 ) airplane: held it for one minute, no prob
9) left side hover: 15 slow reps

Didn't measure. I will do it tomorrow first thing. Now I'm going to watch the little videos that go with this week's workout. edited: waist=34" sucked in; 36" not sucked in.

Glad to see you doing the core challenge. The real key to being successful is to be consistent. Doing a little something everyday adds up. If you have any questions let me know. Keep up the great work!

P.S. Nice job modifying the exercises to your own fitness level. It is better to modify and do it than give up because you couldn't do the exercise as shown.

hey, thanks for dropping by. I've always adapted. It's my nature to adapt. seriously, when I was at my most fit a couple of years ago (still obese, but at 200 lbs, very close to being "just overweight" and in terrific shape) I was in a boot camp at the local athletic club...I took the advanced course, and simply did what I could. Found out: I could do 100 side hover/hip lifts. In a row. Without stopping. But I could only run for about 45 seconds without having to stop and fast-walk...and it changed. i got to where I could run a mile without stopping...but never could get to where I was sprinting up the stairs with a 40 lb back pack, as some of the buff-bods in the boot camp were doing. I still did the class with the advanced people, though: They challenged me way beyond what I would have done on my own.

and btw, this morning, I did full on plank, for 10 sec, with trembling arms. ha!

So, speaking of this morning's routine:

1) knee to elbow: one minute, seated
2) criss cross: one minute, standing (it hurts my back to sit and twist)
3) bird dog: 15 repeats each side
4) Hover: full-on for 10 sec, then to knees for 20; then 10 full-on+20 knees
5) superman: 20 reps
6) side hover: 15 slow reps
7) Hover: for the second round of hover, I did 10 sec full on and then laid me down to rest. IOW, didn't finish a full minute
8 ) airplane: held it for one minute, no prob got laughed at by my 15 yr old girl
9) left side hover: 15 slow reps

today, i remembered nearly every time, to hold in my tummy while waiting at a red light. I want to go out and walk SO BAD but ankle is hurting.

I voted for "yes, but whenever the craving hits, I lie down until it passes."

At least I used to be that way. I am enjoying walking and running. Oh, but the core workout. I want to just go back to bed. Monday I did the plank. Oh man it is hard! I also did push-ups (felt like Bill Murray in Stripes), squats and leg raises.

On one of his videos, the Vibrant Vegan talks about "taking a deep breath and drawing your bellybutton in toward your spine". I did quite a few of these last night while we were watching a movie. Oh, man are my abs sore!


Hopefully Friday I will get back on track core wise.

Connie

Day Four Routine

Yay I did it again! Almost didn't happen due to a late start on my morning, but when i got home from work, I just did it. Proud of myself! I feel really good. Did some weight lifting afterwards, for a total of 20-25 min of working my muscles.

1) knee to elbow: one minute, seated
2) criss cross: I did some regular leg lifts, got my heart rate up
3) bird dog: 15 repeats each side
4) Hover: full on for like 5 secs. But knee-supported is a LOT easier!
5) superman: 20 reps
6) side hover: 15 slow reps
7) Hover: 45 sec on knees without stopping, then 15 sec on knees again
8 ) airplane: held it for one minute
9) left side hover: 15 slow reps

the full on hover...for some reason, that was hurting my lower back, so I kept in on my knees. HOWEVER! this comes a lot easier today than it has. I'm going to go for 60 sec on knees in the hover. see if I can do it.

You ladies are doing great! Go, go, go!

I ran today, but I'm really struggling with the core workout.

Connie

good for you all. I broke my toe a couple months ago and stopped my core exercises. My core is telling me about it too. I think it's some time well spent.

I've got to get the decorations up and vacuum and maybe I'll see if the toe allows me to plank or not. I did get back into some shoes.

ouch! which toe? I broke a pinky toe one summer and it hurt for a LONG time to walk at all.

DE-EH-EH-E-BIE! Don't you go bail on me now, wummun! I mean it.

Day Five

1) warmed up w/a cardio workout
2) ditto
3) bird dog: 15 repeats each side (shaky arms, after the cardio!)
4) Hover: knee supported, 25 sec at a time
5) superman: 20 reps
6) side hover: 15 slow reps
7) Hover: did not do the second hover...too shaky
8 ) airplane: held it for one minute
9) left side hover: 15 slow reps

I deeed eeet! (as my little grandson used to say) yayayaaay! *buff icon*

argh! take care of your back!

I'm glad to have helped, and now I feel so STUPID saying I didn't do the core challenge today. My feet hit the floor running and I haven't slowed down until just now (9:00 pm, my bedtime...)

forgive me?

I got a LOT of activity, though. From house cleaning, to working w/client as he did HIS chores, to grocery shopping, to cooking, taxiing my kids all over the known universe.

Tomorrow I'm back on it, though. I can't go another day without working it hard. I can totally tell the difference.

we'll do this together, right? Knowing you're plugging along, believing in me...that'll keep me at it every day.

Day 7

yay! I did it! before getting on any other thing (and after sleeping in, sipping a cup of tea, reading my newspaper and a Lovecraft story in my nightygown) I got up and did the core challenge this morning! yay!

1) warmups: seated for 1 min
2) twists: standing for 90 sec (I really got into it!)
3) bird dog: 15 repeats on each side
4) hover: 10 sec full on; 30 sec on knees (kicked my BUTT); 20 sec on knees
5) side plank lifts: 20 fast repeats*
6) superman: 20 slow reps
7) hover: 3 sec full on ha!; 30 sec on knees; 30 sec on knees
side plank: 20 fast repeats other side*
9) airplane: hold for one min


*I did my side planks differently, by not lowering my hips fully to the floor, and going a lot faster. It was simpler to do, and I could really feel it. I want to up the reps for this one. I know I can do 100 without stopping, when I am at a more fit place in my body. How many can I do, mostly out of shape?

it feels good! and then I did my low impact cardio, and then 10 min of weight lifting. yah!

aw, of course I forgive you. "what's to forgive?"


your Sunday sounds like my Saturday! and I don't like the sound of that back trouble. I think the superman or the airplane could be the culprit. They both just seem like lower-back-straining kinds of things to do. I wonder if you should try tweaking some of the exercises to accommodate the tenderness in your back.

Like my warm ups, sitting down. My ankle won't bear full weight, so I can't do those in a standing position. And the cross-over/twists...I don't lift my knees up, instead bending myself down and across, elbow towards the opposite knee.

and you should see how I change half of the exercises in the low impact cardio!

a thought just occurred: Go to vibrant vegan and get some advice from them. I mean to say, he came here and said "Let me know if I can help" and I betcha he'll reply with some good ideas. Listen to your body, though. Let's not get hurt, while getting fit.