Catch up and caught up

Did do all fitness goals yesterday.

Did all major heavy household cleaning.

Got in a 7 min. walk with a few HITs.

Did a floor quad workout (a no joint load quad exer.)
Inner thigh workout and
bum bun workout by doing rear leg lifts (or arabesques for any ballet buffs) these rear lifts were fit in throughout the houseworking day. Was not using ankle weights so did some holds and pulses at the top of the movement - this is also a light joint load exer. on your knees - as long as you don't lock your standing leg knee joint.

THEN today did a long (30 min.) walk with no HITs or high intensity. Just a steady pace covering a long distance.

Why?

YOUR BODY ADJUSTS TO THE SAME WORKOUT - YOU NEED TO VARY IT

That includes the way you are working out. You need a couple of good exercises that you like for each body part. A couple of cardios you like doing. Then...

YOU CAN VARY THE PACE, SPEED, AMOUNT AND (FOR RESISTANCE WORKOUT) ADD ON PULSES AND HOLDS
AND INTENSITY

Now that I am caught up with all fitness goals for now, I am going to do a short
yoga workout under 7 minutes.

Ya gotta stay flexible in your attitude toward exercise!

A Sonic Run

I had modest goals yesterday but knew they would be 100% excuse proof.

Then whoa, people show up, a bunch of stuff starts happening, you help someone else out at their home - and you get off schedule and super busy.

I did not end up doing the housework on my home after all.

I did end up with free time after 8 pm. before a 'Sonic run' as we call them here.

First off, I quickly got in a 20 minute walk/run to get in some HIT cardio = a run before a Sonic run. One of my dogs came with me and I combined quality time with them - doing a multitask which saves time.

Then the actual run (we actually do drive there) to Sonic.

Now here is where some people (and how I really do admire their stoicism) would have ordered iced water.

Or a diet drink (not an option for me - I dislike fake sweetners), or nothing and groussled on about how unfair dieting is OR they would have ordered a large candied blast (this last option is what I used to do) and determined out loud to start the diet later.

My best option: order a small plain milkshake (I stay away from any added candies since that just has way too much sugar) and then slowly eat only half of it. I know, 'ouch!'. But you really do get used to and really end up preferring this. Sonic fun AND no guilt. Just toss out the rest of it.

YOUR BODY IS NOT A LANDFILL AND EATING SOMETHING TO SAVE THROWING IT OUT MAKES YOUR BODY A LANDFULL.

This is the most reasonable compromise. I still get the going to Sonic having some ice cream in the summer fun-but don't gain weight.

Quite frankly, this was almost painful at first as I used to be a big eater and would order a large Blast with crushed candy and eat the whole thing and still be wanting more. Those days are long over. That was my obesity eating habit.


Exercise:

Later I just did a straight through upper body workout in about 10 mins - I do not pause between sets but just do another exercise so I constantly work the full 10 mins, with only seconds in any pauses between sets. Another time saver.

But by doing my little fitting in exercise I had already done a couple of sets very early in the day. Literally just walking to the weights picking up the 3 lb. dumbbells and doing 10 side lateral raises.

Goals accomplished: A 20 minute HIT cardio
Upper body weight workout: at least 10 min.

I am going to aim for a bum day and light cardio. Priority today is cleaning the house - I cannot stand a not spotless home - shudder.

GOALS: Bum day (don't get behind on this!)
ab pull ins (easy to do when cleaning)

Fit ins: heel raises; side leg lifts (these are the best 'hidden' exercises)

might do but not stressing to have to do: some quad work

Gotta get working!

Moving right along...PRE

Goals met yesterday: Did 70 ab pull ins (different counts for pull in part)
Pilates ab floor work (6 mins. worth)
Did one set of side lat raises to get going on

Today's goal:

Upper body work. I will fit in sets while doing housework (because my body will
be warmed up) or I will do a few segments later in the day depending how busy the day gets - totally 100% excuse proof.

QUICK UPPER BODY WARM UP:

Super easy quick warm up for upper body: stretch arms straight overhead for a few seconds, then do 20 small arm circles, 20 large arm circles. Do a warm up or be warmed up from other activity before you do any weight training.

Will be doing major heavy duty household cleaning (vacuuming, mopping, yardwork) for a few hours.

Will fit a few minutes of some cardio since did not do yesterday.



Perceived Rate of Exertion

I use the PRE method of calculating my cardio rate. Perceived Rate of Exertion. This is much easier and you learn to listen to your body. My humble but well researched opinion: your heart rate base can change - if you have had a lot of caffeine, some insomnia, not exercised in a while, are excited (you are trying out those new workout pants that finally arrived) - that heart rate will go up quicker and by using PRE you are able to spot this and adjust as you cardio by
slowing down.

PRE is much more easier, without hassle...

Getting out that stopwatch, your pencil to do the math, counting - just another exercise bother.

Hassle free, easy to do, convenient exercise is the key to avoiding exercise stress.

I will state this: If your healthcare provider has told you you need to exercise and use the standard heartrate method of counts - then do so.

What your Doctor tells you to do is the rule.

Happy exercising!

Easy as Pie

Yesterday I did go on to do 20 - 25 mins. (I don't exactly time it) of cardio with hits in there (high intensity interval training) then pacing or marching in place to get heart rate down then I did some weight lifting for the upper body = a circuit hit routine.

I am using lighter weights now and doing the move with super concentrated squeezing (not just flapping the weight losely up there). For middle aged women I think the lighter weights work just fine using that technique.

I am using hits another way as in movie soundtrack hits.

Most movies have some snappy tunes so I DVR some songs. I flip on the tv and just go down the list of whatever songs I want to work out with.

My current list of DVR'd songs:
I am Legend
Hairspray
Tropic Thunder (that hilarious dance Tom Cruise does at the end)
Theme song from True Blood
And yes, even a Jonas Brothers song

and a lot of others.

Point is: I don't have to find a workout dvd, or cd of music or anything and get it out and put it in. I am ready to workout at a seconds notice that it takes to just turn on the tv.

Of course you gotta have full cable to get all these movies so that you can choose enough songs to keep your interest. And the time just flies by.

Cardio becomes easy and fun. It is not a chore.
If I do just 10 mins. that is fine, if I go on for 25 or 30 that is great.

But there are other fitness requirements.

You should be on (with healthcare providers clearance) some sort of resistance training (no, resisting exercise completely does not apply).

But be careful - you have to have good form when you do these. If you do bad form and use a weight you can easily do some joint straining.

That doesn't get as much publicity as does the younger crowd just hoisting away at heavy weights all over the place.

Don't do body weight exercises if you are at all overweight: duh, but that is so commonly done.

I do not do push ups (too much strain on elbows) and I do not do tricep dips either.
But I do squats...that is another post the exercises I do for middle aged women.

ANYWAY: I still needed to do some stretching so I did my super quick 7 min. yoga stretch routine (can be as short as 4 mins). I also had incorporated cardio moves that are stretchy in my cardio segment.

Then I had a few minutes later and did a few heel raises. While in the kitchen cleaning up I stopped and did a 25 rep set of squats (careful to not let my knees go over my toes) and really squeezed on the uptake. Work it!

While I thought of it I did ab pull ins. Holding for 3 counts did 3 reps for about 4sets. I also did some pelvic floor exer. while relaxing watching the telly (that is pelvic floor exer. not to be confused with just kegels).

So here I almost effortlessly, and certainly easily did exercise and I started fitting it in later in the day. I can get more in when I start earlier in the day but sometimes I just don't - AND I don't stress if I don't. Exercise stress = any negative thought about exercise you have.

YOU GOTTA GET OVER THE NEGATIVE ASSOCIATIONS WITH EXERCISE.

I felt great doing the exercise and felt good about doing some healthy movement later and all this did was pour out some of those great endorphins (you can get endorphins from not only the exercise but the positive good thoughts you have about it). POSITIVE THOUGHTS ABOUT MOVEMENT OR EXERCISE = ENDORPHIN RELEASE - really just the thoughts can do it. You literally lighten up just thinking of the exercise word.

I really enjoyed being on exercise forums - we would post our goals there. This fitness blog is great in that I can put on here my goal for the day and put results on quickly. Today it is a bum day! Not to worry though I can fit those in effortlessly. And I need to aim for 100 ab pull ins - maybe even get down and do some pilates ab work. (I cannot stand floor work and try to do as little as possible).

Don't forget ladies: crunches can weaken your pelvic floor.

Fitting Fitness in Creatively

These are things I have discovered for me. I am busy and have to create ways to fit in fitness (hence the name).

I do not belong to a gym yet I work out with weights.

I do not work out a set time each day - but I do work out most days.

I do not force exercise on myself.

But:

I exercise everything.

I can exercise at any time.

I can even exercise in public.

I create ways to get in some exercise.


I have made exercise easy to fit in as I hated that whole "When am I going to do some some exercise today and it is already 7:00 pm and I still have a lot to do?" or "Really I should be doing my 45 min. cardio routine DVD I just bought - what a waste of money" or "Some article stated I should be doing 30 minutes of exercise a day at a targeted heart rate". "I need to join a gym but those people are intimidating and are they really interested in me or my money". or worse "I joined the gym and paid hundreds of dollars and don't use it". Or "I worked all day and am just really tired".

ALL of the above comments to yourself does nothing but create what I call exercise stress.

You make exercise an odious chore to be carved out of a busy day. You start to associate it with guilt, negativity and something you should be doing but really just don't feel like it at the time.

It is easy to get 'exercise stress' and most respond by always resolving to start an exercise program or they just flat out stop any attempt at exercise.

Here is one rule: THE LESS YOU EXERCISE OR MOVE THE LESS YOU WANT TO EXERCISE OR MOVE.

You then really become inactive. And it is not good to be inactive at any age and most certainly at middle age/menopausal age.

Now I know there are those who love to exercise, do it with joy and work out an hour a day straight. That is fantastic.

I will state you really should always consult your healthcare provider before you start an exercise or movement program. Why is that always recommended? You may have hidden high blood pressure and not be aware of it or you might have diabetes and not be aware of it, you may have some cardiac risk factors (yes, even women) - these are some conditions among others that you would want to be aware of when exercising. So that standard advice is really for your safety.

Well thats it for today - I have been at the computer and am going to go enjoy some movment! It'll be fun - I DVR'd the latest Jonas Brother's show and hope they have some new tunes so I can try out some moves.

And did I finally get going a creatively fitter blog...

Yes I did and was much easier than I thought setting up another blog.

And, wow, do I need to get back in the accounting of my exercise.

I have always been a member of a fitness forum
but not since last year.