Talk about your exercise experience today

[nycfem]

Title is self-explanatory. And it's fine for posts to be boring and about the whole experience, not just the exercise.

Here's my exercise experience today (1 hour):

After work I went to the gym. It was snowing and raining. I used an elliptical-like cardio machine called the Arc Trainer for 45 minutes. While on it, I watched a reality show called "LA Shrinks" (or something like that) about therapists' problems and their sessions with clients. It seems like an unethical show, and I had a hard time getting into it because I didn't find anyone on it very likable. After that I went to a mat and did stretching, yoga poses, and weight lifting for 15 minutes. During that I listened to a a really annoying, loud young female trainer and one of her older man-clients. They were spending most of the time talking about their personal lives. I was glad that she spoke loud and clearly because it gave me something to listen to, and they're conversation was so inappropriate (She was kind of giving him a paid "girlfriend experience" as they say) that it was like a reality show. It was a really nice time at the gym today.

[JustBeingMe]

My walking has not been able to do on my mom's treadmill. the motor on it won't run while I am on it, it keeps stopping. i think it's time to trash the thing because the motor is burned out. I don't live near any gyms nor could I afford a membership and it's just too freaking cold most days to go out and walk. I just do my stretching exercises for my back and legs to keep them moving and as pain free as I can get them til it's warm enough to go out and walk. My grandmother has a treadmill in her shed she doesn't use so I am going to ask her if I can use it when I visit her in June. I am limited on my ability to walk, I can barely handle 30 mins until the pain starts setting in. I have pushed myself for 45 mins walking and it really starts to hurt. I just have to keep pushing my pain level tolerance I guess. I have 3 bad discs in my back and permanent nerve damage in both legs to my toes starting at my lower back.
I am having trouble being motivated since the damn treadmill quit working right. I am not doing what I need to do walking wise right now. I know I am bad at being motivated, but being out in the cold damp weather is really painful for me, that's why i want it to warm up before I venture outdoors to walk. I have a route that I know is just over a mile and I plan on walking it when the weather is better.
I need the support here to be more motivated to do what I need to do to take better care of my strength in my muscles and walking helps me lose weight too.

Thanks for starting this thread, NY. I appreciate it. I am going to subscribe to it for support.

[jac]

I can see that this is going to be a rather inspiring thread. Starting tomorrow, I will play too!!

Keeping in mind I will be starting out slow and picking up thr pace as my legs begin to limber up more... Gotta work out those arthritis kinks for the spring/summer, right?

[JustBeingMe]

I live in a tiny HEE HAW type town in Texas, no malls to walk in or anything. There is Nothing here to do whatsoever. I live here because I have to help my mom when she needs to go to the doctor, issues with her house needing repairs, etc. So I am limited on what resources I have available. The towns in the surrounding areas don't have anything either as far as being able to have resources. Thanks for the effort Jac and the reps.
I appreciate everything. I wish I did have other resources available or the ability to afford a membership somewhere. I am on a fixed disability income and it sucks big ones.
It's getting colder by the weekend and rain in the forecast, so no walking this weekend for sure. Another cold front is heading inward from the West coast via Canada etc. Spring certainly isn't here yet. I wish it were warmer.

[Ginger]

I joined a really cheap gym in December. I used to pay literally 12 times as much for Crunch in my neighborhood. It's huge, with splashy purple and yellow decor, very decent new equipment, but no free weights, classes, trainers, or any of the high-end stuff—none of which I ever used.

Anyway, on the way home from work I get off the train, walk a block to my new gym, then use seven stationary weight machines (four sets, ten reps each at each machine).

Sometimes I change in the bathroom at work as I'm leaving at 5, so I can move in and out of the gym even more quickly. I always feel like I'm in a hurry to get home, which is where I want to be, 24/7, but alas it is not possible.

After I leave the gym I get back on the train, go a few more stops, and I'm home. I have some frozen grapes and relax for a few minutes, then I do 15 minutes on my exercycle, a beautiful, museum-quality (I saw one just like it at the Smithsonian, LOL!), Schwinn from the sixties that really kicks my ass.

I do that three times a week. Not as much as I used to do, but that's the pattern I'm in now.

[DapperButch]

Just started to get back on the exercise horse last week. Eliptical and free weights in my house.

Hiking several miles in the woods each weekend with the dog is standard year round, so I don't really count that.

[Gráinne]

Maybe if I write it here, I'll be accountable.

I've belonged to an inexpensive, no whistles and bells gym since November but got way off track . They have a program called Activetrax, in which you get a daily workout, alternating body parts-it's fun to increase strength and you get a neat little calendar of your progress. But I'm queen of excuses.

So, tomorrow, 1 April, I start over. Besides, with summer and Reunion coming up, I think I can do a lot of good over that time. Although just doing it for health and long-term counts more, I'm one of those who likes to have future events for motivation.

[Kenna]

does dancing in the kitchen while I did chores count?

[Ginger]

Yesterday I took that walk again at lunch where I go alongside the Hudson to where it opens into New York Harbor. The paved path winds past restaurants, little harbors with boats, mazes of tulips and benches; you get the picture. The water was choppy and slapping at the pilings. I stopped this time to walk through the memorial to the Irish Famine, which is built around an excavated stone house. The weather was spectacular. There's nothing like New York on a clear day. When you can see forever.

[MissItalianDiva]

Jillian Michaels 30 min shred level 3

My new elliptical just got here this am so I did 60 min on that...wow I love the Ifit workouts

Hoping before the day gets out to start the Insanity workout again...we will see

[girl_dee]

went for a brisk walk around the place this morning.. twice

this evening i stopped in at the Fitness Center and tried all the weight machines and the glider thingy.

felt great!

[always2late]

Today was the end of week 5 in my 10 week challenge. I am so amazed at the progress I've made! I'm still modifying some of the more extreme high impact exercise because of my back, but I'm able to do so much more than I was when I first started! I'm trying to talk a friend into doing the next challenge (it starts in June). She's hesitant because she had back surgery several years ago...I've invited her to come try out a class with me, so that she can see the modification exercises and decide if she's comfortable doing them. I hope she takes me up on it. My "tight" jeans are now loose, I have so much more energy, and I feel great!

[o222Good]

Loving my living room gym! Did bench presses, bent over rows, hyperextensions, biceps, triceps, and shoulders. About 40 minutes all together. I'm keeping it at sixty seconds between reps.

I've been reading an eBook called "Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle" by Tommy Venuto. I find it very motivating and sensible.

[Venus007]

I sat down and got up from a chair 15 times very slowly, as slowly as I could. It was much harder than I thought it would be.

[nycfem]

2 hrs at the gym

1st hour: Arc Trainer, level 25 intensity, watched the usual silly t.v., stuff I wouldn't watch if I wasn't half preoccupied with exercise: a man eats a giant omelette as part of a contest, and "the news."

2nd hour: abs, free weights, yoga, stretching

As I left the gym, right outside I saw Jill (the gym obsessive) standing with a trainer, whose name I forgot- an African American short haired muscular petite woman who Jill is friends with, and the woman trains her. It was fun to see them in their street clothes. I love to muse about these people I see all the time but barely talk to, especially lesbian looking powerful women

It was a great day at the gym, very empty, just the way I like it.

[Joness]

Morning hillwalk ended up as Breakfast in a lovely vegetarian cafe instead of a walk then had a lovely ACTUAL walk in Crombie Country Park with my favourite walking buddy :-) heard a Woodpecker, seen theeeee biggest Geese in Scotland and laughed so much my tummy hurt and teeth went dry. It rained like a Monsoon, so much so, even my Boxers got soaked. All in all an actual Brilliant day. POW!! Exercise for the day done!!

[Chancie]

I asked for a referral for physical therapy and I have seen a physical therapist twice.

The first time I saw her, she gave me two exercises, which I did eight times, instead of twenty times.

The second time I saw her, after I reported my perfidy, she assigned three additional exercises, which I have done several times since Wednesday, phew.

[cinnamongrrl]

Today... I laughed so hard my abs hurt!! Watched The Heat with Teddy.....lol

[Daktari]

Yesterday...hour and half walking with purpose and a long day doing stuff.

Today...an hour walking with purpose and a long day doing stuff



Kelt, might I venture that women in various states of undress might be uncomfortable just having someone they've never seen before and who is fully dressed in outdoor wear regardless of the sexuality and gender presentation of that person. Just a thought.

I've not used public facilities for any changing for a lot of years. Actually, not since the Space Cadet and me had an adventure staying with local friends and using a(public) hammam (bathhouse) in Marrakesh. We had to persuade the indomitable women on the door that I was indeed female bodied and qualified to use their side of the hammam...and all this in halting French. I've never been so closely scrutinised by a large group of women ever, before or since.

Ah wuz traumatised I tells ya!

[nycfem]

Originally Posted by Daktari

Kelt, might I venture that women in various states of undress might be uncomfortable just having someone they've never seen before and who is fully dressed in outdoor wear regardless of the sexuality and gender presentation of that person. Just a thought.

I was going to say this too. Sometimes in our locker room a man will accidentally walk in, and there is a big reaction or even a new woman who is not one of the regulars, and so everyone's curious (and, as Daktari said, sometimes especially defensive during tours when they are partially undressed and the person coming in is dressed). I think once you become a regular somewhere people will not give you as hard a time. I feel a sense of family/connection with all the regulars, even if we are different and/or don't care for each other. There's still the commonality of having all this time we spend next to each other at the gym! Speaking of which, I did an hour next to Jill on the Arc Trainer today. She did level 15 and held the sides instead of doing the arm motion. She was extremely quick (like a fox I tell you!) and was texting and watching Ellen Degeneres. I was doing a high intensity slower session and using my arms and legs while watching Judge Judy. Then I did 30 minutes of yoga, weight lifting, and abs next to the serious, older, petite, muscular Asian woman whose name I do not know, though I do know her whole exercise routine, and I'd venture to say she knows mine .