45 minute spirited walk with the pooch.

Tell us more about how to use the Fitbit if you don't mind. Curious to hear.

My participation in basketball today was sketchy at best because the school gym felt like a sauna today, and I just wasn't into working up a sweat in an already stuffy environment. High fives to my visiting friend from Ohio, Lisa, who not only played basketball but also played a mean game of dodgeball with the kids. While I did play basketball, I spent most of my time blocking Lisa which I think annoyed the crap out of her. Sorry, but I felt it was the best way I could help my team.

Afterwards, Lisa went to see some relatives, and I went to the gym. I did an hour on the Arc Trainer and then 30 minutes of weight lifting and yoga. I left feeling very much at peace.

I've missed your tennis posts, glad you checked in. I struggle with the same thing. On the weekends I can do my preferred long work-out but on work days it's just too much. I try to get myself to try shorter work-outs during the work week which occasionally works, but most times it just doesn't feel fun enough to be worth it to me. Let us know how splitting things up goes for you, and good luck.

I don't do 3 hours of aerobic when I work out; my 3 hours include stretching and weights as well. I have never really enjoyed going to the gym - I prefer sports any day. But the gym is necessary for me to continue to play sports, so I accept I have to go and do what I have to twice a week.

Yeah, I'm still adjusting to my new job and everything else, just the thought of spending just about the entire evening working out is just too daunting at this point. As much as I don't particularly going to the gym, I do enjoy laying it all out and my sweat-soaked tee after. I will check back for sure. Thanks!

Today we're having a snowstorm wintery mix rain snowstorm. BAHH!

I walked 7500 steps, which comes to a little over 3 miles.
I climbed 25 flights of stairs.
But... I only slept 4 and a half hours.

Well, Jennifer, I use the Fitbit 1, which I carry in my pants pocket. Sharon has one and she uses a clip it comes with to clip it inside her bra, as she usually hasn't got pockets. You can track any or many things. I will just list them.
The tracker will automatically record:
steps
miles
flights of stairs (13 steps)
active minutes
sleep (including quality)

You can log the following:
weight
calories
fat
fiber
carbs
sodium
protein
heart rate
blood pressure
glucose
water consumption

I had been tracking all of my food and water consumption, and all of the automatic data. But I've taken a break from tracking food, because I've done it for years and sort of can do it now without even thinking! I think this is a really great device. My present goals, since New Years, are to sleep more and to drink more water. It's pretty funny that I am failing miserably!

I hope I've answered your questions Jenn!

Yogaaaaaa... It was lovely!

Tomorrow's plans: run on the 'mill in the AM and Body Pump in the PM. One of these two for sure!

V-Day is tomorrow... I haven't been on this site in months... and am happy to see this thread! This single lady loves an athletic person (and is working to be athletic herself)! :-)

Shoveling my driveway. 14 or so inches of dense snow!

I managed to drag my dimpled arse to the gym today, which is a major triumph because I so didn't want to. As usual, I feel heaps better after going. I THINK maybe I turned a corner this week and will resume progress with my weight loss. I am setting very small daily goals for myself and only focusing on each day as it comes and it seems to be keeping me on track. Have been hula hooping up a storm with the surprised and unintentional side effect of being able to throw some tricks now I always had trouble with when I hooped a few years ago. Weird, I find, but fascinating how the body stores memory so long... I have noticed this with a few things... even if you couldn't do something in the past but trained towards doing it... then didn't do it for a long while... when you go back to it, the body seems to just take that leap forward from where you left off. So cool!

Feel like the weather and new responsibilities at work have interfered with gym. Since my main thing is swimming I have been trying to go to gym at night to swim after 8 pm when lessons and families leave the lanes clear. I wanted to doc weights in the AM before work on the days I don't swim but I have to rethink times. Not giving up. Was off yesterday and swam for 1.5 hours but then went and bought a pie for snow storm comfort, lol. Will try to get to gym tomorrow if roads are clear.

i lost few weight from long walking it doesnt matter how far u go

I had to lol.....my fellow north easterners know...as well as I do...shoveling is great cardio....
walking in snow is also good exercise...as i found out yesterday...while trying to obtain food of the breakfast variety a mere .25 mile from home...
I did yoga yesterday....and will likely do so again today....its a good burn :)

Ok, here goes... off to gym. Do I have stamina for cardio, machines and some swimming. We will see... if snow comes aging tomorrow probably won't be going to gym... so get it in while ya can, right? Yup

had stamina yesterday and today for some cardio, machines and swimming. yay. Added plus of doing cardio and machines: swimming is becoming easier, actually no effort to swim an hour at all, only get out when I think someone wants the lane

I am just starting my winter break and looking forward to finally getting some good gym time in. Today I did two hours on the Arc Trainer, Level 10 (1st hour- strength, 2nd hour, hill interval), then 30 min. on the Stair Master (Interval, 40/50), and then 1 hour of weight lifting, abs, and yoga.

Winter breaks are great for rejuvenating. Have fun

Glad you are enjoying swimming! I feel the same way with swimming, nothing like it. I also feel like I could go on forever.

Here's one of my heroes (a lesbian no less):

" In 2013, on her fifth attempt and at age 64, she became the first person confirmed to swim from Cuba to Florida without the aid of a shark cage, swimming from Havana to Key West (110 mi or 180 km)."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diana_Nyad

my hero, as well. In the gym, when I am doing machines and stretching, I look directly at an ad made by Dara Torres (swoon). Her body is my ego ideal. So much stress at work that swimming is better than Bellevue, haha

Word, lol :)

My workout today was ...

loaded and unloaded 3 truck loads of heavy lumber today. My dog, Kevin, was with me all day. He was the supervisor. On the way home, he insisted on stopping at McDonald's for a bag of burgers. He said supervising is a tough job and made him really hungry. LOL! Actually, he only had 3 plain hamburgers without the bread - vet said he must reduce his size by 30 pounds. My shoulder and arm muscles are tight and a little sore but in a good way. Guaranteed to sleep well tonight.

Talking about swimming I see ... I think it is probably about the best workout, not much stress on joints (forget the extreme pounding and pulling involved in some other forms of exercise. Good cardio too, I imagine.

Today I did 2 hours and 40 minutes on the Arc Trainer (Level 10, Strength program), then 30 minutes on the StairMaster (45/55), and than an hour of weight lifting and stretching. I snacked in between each activity (apple, banana, bar, and popcorn).

The first night I got to my parents' house, I did yoga on a mat in front of the TV.

The next five nights, I slept on a sofa in my dad's ICU room.

I think I burned calories jumping up to intervene each time he tried to pull the oxygen prongs or NG tube out of his nose—but in the end, that wasn't enough of a workout and now my muscles feel sleepy. I'm a little stiff and sore in the wrong way.

My sister flew in and took over nights at the hospital and will stay through our mom's surgery next week. I'll be back after that, and meanwhile, I vow to exercise. It keeps me alert and resilient.

Exercise and sleep will keep me strong and focused. Exercise releases sadness, somehow. When I feel strong physically I feel strong mentally, emotionally.

I flew down here with such good intentions to eat right and work out and stay strong and instead I binge ate (one day only, but still) on sweets and didn't exercise except for that one time.

Tomorrow I fly back to NYC. As soon as I'm home, I'll work out on my exercycle and catch up with True Detective, listening with headphones.

I so value my good heart rate, my healthy blood pressure, my high-functioning lungs. Most of all I am thankful for my brain, which only asks for enough time to recharge. IE, sleep. I can't squander those gifts.

going to gym...haven't decided whether I will just swim or work out. It all depends on how crowded pool is when I get there. If it is empty...I do pool

nycfem: how do you concentrate on exercising and lifting and all you do for two hours. when I do machines, weights or cardio if I last combined 30-40 minutes it is victory. I rationalize it by saying...but I can swim for 1-1.5 hours. Doesn't feel as taxing.

cudos to you.

I don't know, I think I'm just made that way. I don't usually get sore or tired or even sweat, and I get bored if it's a short work-out. I never purposely do anything that hurts my body because that's not fun for me, and everything feels good physically and mentally, almost like meditation. If I skip a period of time and then return to working out I don't require much building back up. BB has a longtime joke that the gym is my mistress :D.

Day 1 of my week off school!:

40 min. Stair Master (Intervals 45/50) and 50 min. weightlifting and stretching

I admire your ability to do that. Everyone is different. Am I the only born and breed NY'er who doesn't love walking aimlessly. But lucky for me, I do love swimming, so I swam today for an hour. However, it was a holiday and kids were swimming across the lanes and I got distracted (trying to be Zen and not say pissed but was pissed).

I do the other stuff to enhance my swimming but never feel as relaxed. Have a great week with your mistress, haha

I seem to be shifting a bit from the Arc Trainer to the Stair Master. Today: Stair Master, 1 hour, intervals 45/50; then, 1 hour weight lifting and yoga. Now maybe: hot bath!

Last night I worked out for an hour on the exercycle while I watched True Detective.

I have one more episode to catch up on, so I'll do another hour on the bike tonight.

When I get off, I'm relaxed and exhausted in a good, deep way. The endorphin high, I guess. It makes me feel like I can handle what's coming.

A massage would be good too but I don't have time right now—I'm flying back down to see my dad on Saturday. Plus sometimes massages just make people cry and I don't need another trigger. Maybe when it's all over I'll do that. That might feel good. And a steam room. I could get into that.

Does your exercycle have settings?

Yes there is a big atomic-age looking dial and I control the resistance to get my heart rate up, then let it rest, as I've always read and heard that it's the intermittent heart rate that is most effective.

The bike is my dad's from the sixties. I have his exercycle, his mounted swordfish, the pulley he made me when my shoulder went out, the cat on tracks he brought me from Germany when I was small, so many reminders of how generous he was with me, how much he cared about my quality of life and how I was doing. I hope he didn't worry about me. I realize I'm writing about him in the past tense. I told you already but to put it here, I'm leaving tomorrow morning very early to fly back, instead of waiting. He is starting to move faster to the end of his time.

I can't work out tonight.

I'm still on my school vacation and went to the gym today mid-day. I did 70 minutes on the Stair Master (45/50 intervals) and then 50 minutes of weight lifting and yoga.

Gemme, is the shoveling part of your job and do you shovel where you live or somewhere else? Do you listen to music while you shovel or just shovel?

Daktari, how does the diminished lung capacity affect your biking?

This is keeping me honest, ha ha. So I go to the gym and think to myself: I'll do cardio, machines, etc. I pass by the pool and it is empty and it calls my name. Seduces me into the liquid gold. I did 50 minutes swimming with resistance gloves, decided to do 20 minutes of swimming with weights as like a kick board and other weight exercises, swam 20 more minutes with swim paddles. And, done. Felt great, went to work and stress slides off my back

I suppose that even though we can strengthen our lungs through exercise, there is a maximum output where it just can't get any better. Is this the correct thinking to use when discussing lung capacity? Are you at your max, do you know?