Stay Safe Saturday

[taurusmoon]

Andrea got me concerned with her Video Marathon.

So, I'm dedicating today to healthful activities in moderation.

We all want to be healthier and more physically fit. But, we do need to remember to go at it at a safe, natural pace.

Overdoing it in the quest for faster results can hurt. I know this. First hand. My zeal has sidetracked me many times over the years. Too many.

Have fun getting fit. But remember to listen to your body. It often knows better than you what's better for it.

Let's be safe out there.




This has been a public service message from
The Nag

[lynnzop[$]]

Hey Sara, we all need to be pulled back in once in a while.

I was walking last nite, had over 8000 in just from work and decided after walking another 4000 that I just had to make 15k.

I hit 13k and realized my thighs felt like someone had taken a hammer to them and my calves were starting to feel a little crampy.

STUPID.

I need to remember that this 20 year old mind is trapped in a 41 year old body.

Today's another day. I am going to my daughter's campus for Family Day - they have a carnival (which my son will enjoy), and hopefully we will be able to go to a football game. Bree's main concern is that I bring her long sleeve shirts and jeans...all she has is one sweatshirt, tank tops and shorts!

Should be lots of easy-stepping.

Lynn

[cyndilouwhoo]

"Moderation"

Hmmmm....

I can do that!

Today there is a big yard sale at the school down at the end of the street. Hopefully I will walk down there (1.5 mi.)--and the sale will be as big as I think it will be and I will get in lots of steps (won't be like your flea market Sara--but it will do)

There's nothing like a slew of junk from here to there to help you get your steps in painlessly

However, when it comes to the best place to get the best stuff at the best prices (i.e., free) it would have to be Brattle Street in Cambridge...on "trash day".

Too bad I didn't have a pedometer back then!!!

Cyndi

Who would invite you up to show you her (free) etchings (and watercolors and designer dresses and vacuum cleaners and bureaus and plants and lamps and, etc.) but I am probably too far away for most of you to come and visit!

There is no "trash day" in Hingham

[taurusmoon]

When's the next trash day? I can probably make it up there in about 4-5 hours or so.

Sara
Who drools at the mention of trash... um, I mean a workout opportunity



P.S. Next Stormville Flea Market is October 6

[hypotenuse]

I've a few relatives that sell stuff at the State Fair Flea Market. Held on the fair grounds the first weekend of every month. Haven't been in a while, but I used to pick up a lot of my pattern of depression glass down there.

This month my SIL is selling the coolest tie-dyed t-shirts and the kids have both claimed one. Guess I could pick them up at the fair grounds instead of dropping by her condo. But her condo is only a couple of miles away!!

Jeez.

Wearing a pedometer puts you under a lot of pressure....



Lynne

[taurusmoon]

You could walk to pick the up from her at her condo.

Sara
Always helpful

[pluckyduck]

Oh, Sara! I posted my defense of my three videos in yesterday's thread.

I will say that I was clearly reaching a bit far in thinking I was going to be able to follow them. You don't change from the last kid picked for teams in gym class into Jane Fonda by strapping a pedometer on, do you? I still maintain I look the coolest when I'm sitting on my porch drinking wine

I completely agree with the whole safety thing. It doesn't do any of us a bit of good to push so far that we end up hurting ourselves. That either turns into an injury which keeps you sidelined for awhile, or in my case, it would turn into proof that I really didn't belong doing physical things after all.



The single most damaging factor in my physical life was gym class. All of those years, I never understood why they didn't have gym classes in different "levels" the same way they had reading groups in different levels. They wouldn't have dreamed of taking a slow, dyslexic reader and throwing him next to me. I have always been as geniuinely confused about how my body works as the dyslexic reader is about what the durn letters mean. There was never any help for me, or any of the other people like me, just embarrassment when we couldn't follow what was going on or keep up with the other kids.



Now, what do you do when you have an embarassing disability? Cover it up as best you can. The easiest way to cover up this kind of disability is to just avoid physical activity completely and figure out other ways to look cool and in control. Drink red wine on your front porch and discuss literature.

When I'm thin, I barely even care. Give me back my BMI of 19 (had that for over a year!) and I'll think abstractly about how it would be nice if I were toned or whatever, but thinking would be as far as it would go. In a weird way, the extra weight that I gained, putting me up to a BMI of 23, is an opportunity. Although my BMI is considered acceptable, I'll tell you right now, my body is nowhere close to acceptable to me. I'm not happy. (I'm a happy person, really, I'm just not happy about my body).

So, this silly little stepping thing comes along and dammit, I can do it. Not only can I do it, but, I'm good at it.

I never took a Dale Carnegie class, but a Dale Carnegie group came in to make a presentation to our company to try to get us to buy their services for our people. I remember, vividly, one example they used. The guy drew a bunch of circles, one inside of the other inside of the other and so on. He talked about the innermost circle being our comfort zone. If we experience a success inside our comfort zone, we are encouraged and empowered to reach one ring out, slightly outside our zone. If we experience a success there, then we're empowered and encouraged to reach to the next ring, and so on. Hit a failure, and we shrink back in.

Sorry so long winded, the bottom line is, my success at stepping has me reaching out beyond my 40 year old comfort zone. I bought three exercise videos. And you know what, I can do one of them.

Andrea
still on a success run, and grateful for it

[taurusmoon]

Andrea,

You can do all three of them! At least you will be able to given slow steady progression.

Just not all in a row.


Sara
Who can never figure out any exercise until having tried it at least a dozen times. And maybe not even then.

[murasaki]

I did get in some modified weightlifting yesterday evening (I had to go to the fitness room and use the universal since the weight room was closed). I also got in some walking downtown in between engagements.

This morning I went for a 30-minute run, though I felt kind of sleepy afterwards, but I think that's more an effect caused by all the literary theory I'm trying to absorb. :o

--naomi

[AmyLEnsor]

Originally posted by pluckyduck
I will say that I was clearly reaching a bit far in thinking I was going to be able to follow them. You don't change from the last kid picked for teams in gym class into Jane Fonda by strapping a pedometer on, do you? I still maintain I look the coolest when I'm sitting on my porch drinking wine

You'd fit into my neighborhood quite nicely, Andrea. Well, except for the discussing literature part. But the sitting on the porch drinking wine, I see that a lot.

I can't say that I was the last kid chosen for teams in school. That's because I was never chosen, but when the other team leader realized that he had his last choice and I was the only one remaining, he would taunt the other leader with, "Ha Ha, you got Amy, you got Amy." That in itself was enough to make me doubt whatever ability I might have had.

When I got to 9th grade, I had a really good gym teacher who made every one feel good about themselves, and I found myself participating a lot more than I ever had, but I can't say I was ever really good at any sport. I agree with you about the different levels, like reading or math groups. Honestly, it was kind of ridiculous for the gym teachers to think that I would be able to do the same gymastic moves as some of the other kids.

[murasaki]

Yes, that was me too. The last kid picked for teams in gym class, much rather be reading a book or doing my homework, was pissed that the boys wouldn't pass me the ball even once in awhile, but wouldn't have known what to do with it if I'd gotten it.

"Getting picked last syndrome" was not only a result of my bookish inclinations, but also because I was shorter and smaller than everyone else in the class (and I was with the same group of morons from kindergarten through high school graduation).

I did track for two years because I wanted my college applications to look well-rounded. I would only run the 1600m and the 800m races and I was the second alternate for the 1600m relay team (for which I was utilized one time, but I do have a gold medal for it).

In college I got involved in ROTC and that meant getting up at 5:30 three days a week to do calisthenics and run 2+ miles each time. I also started weight-lifting because I had a huge crush on my partner.

When I was an exchange student to Japan, I joined the shorinji kempo club so I could make friends and learn the language better. I ended up getting a 2d degree brown belt.

Then I was in the Army and getting up four days a week to do physical training with my soldiers. Of course, I like to beat them which has been a great motivator. And I've been doing that, more or less regularly, for seven years.

I took ballet because I'd always wanted to learn. I started dancing because it was fun. I took up yoga because it was relaxing.

Somehow, when I wasn't looking, I turned into an athlete.

I don't do team sports except for the occasional game of volleyball (where the ball is large enough for me to see it coming). I won't play baseball or softball (can't see the ball) or basketball (ball is too big for my hands). I'm not coordinated enough for aerobics and all that choreography. I'm basically unfit for team sports or anything that requires instantaneous hand-eye coordination. So I politely decline those kinds of sports and stick to the individual things that I'm good at.

--naomi
who's still an athlete (but hasn't been 98 pounds for a really long time)

[pluckyduck]

You guys are stinkin' inspiring , especially you Naomi. I never would have pegged a military gal who does push ups as one who had ever gone through the "last kid" syndrome.

Maybe there is hope for me.

Well, I gave official notice at the Club that today was an off day for me. I wasn't kidding. It's 9:30 and I have 7655 steps. Wonder if I'm going to make my 16K that I got yesterday?

Got a decent chunk of those steps during a marathon grocery store trip. I was shocked to only get 1000 steps the last time I went (still think there was something wrong with my pedometer that trip), so I made sure I got more this time. Closer to 2500. I left my cart in all kinds of weird places and kept walking through aisles to put my groceries in.

As I was balancing a huge stack of Lean Cusines (sale! sale!), a man stopped me and asked how I did it. Hey, there were only 15 boxes or so in my arms. If I was really serious about stepping, I guess I would have walked them to the cart one at a time.

Well, I'm not going to get my any remaining steps while I'm online, am I?

Andrea
who hopes the stepping gods will be kind tonight, just a few more thousand

[AmyLEnsor]

--naomi
who's still an athlete (but hasn't been 98 pounds for a really long time)

It's been about 25 years since I've weighed 98 pounds. I think I broked the 100 lb mark sometime in my 10th year.

[AmyLEnsor]

Well, I did everything in moderation today other than eating. We went out to dinner.

I walked for 40 minutes on the treadmill, which put me up 2.6 miles for the day. I haven't been as diligent in checking my pedometer today to make sure it is registering correctly. I've counted my steps numerous times on the treadmill and 2000 steps in a mile is about right for me. The last few times I counted, it was taking me 203 steps to go a tenth of a mile. After I was done walking my 2.6 miles, my pedometer was only up by 3000 steps It was in my pocket this time, because I was getting accurate readings there earlier in the day. But it flipped over and was upside down since these shorts are a little looser, and I think it just didn't perform as well. Oh well, I'm in it for the exercise

[AmyLEnsor]

Originally posted by pluckyduck
Closer to 2500. I left my cart in all kinds of weird places and kept walking through aisles to put my groceries in.
[/b]

What a funny image, Andrea. I have to admit that not on purpose I am a very inefficient shopper. I always forget that there is something I need on the other side of the store, and I find myself walking back and forth several times. I am really bad about making lists, so half the time I don't even bother anymore.

Lately I mostly shop at Trader Joe's or Mother's Market, and both of those stores are pretty small. I "allow" my daughter to walk around on her own, so at least I get to chase her and bring her back enough that I get in extra steps.

In the past I've made up for the smallness of the store by walking to and from and carrying the groceries in the stroller and in canvas shopping bags which I carry over my shoulder.

Oh well, should I get up and do some stair runs, or should I stay on EA and try and get my message count up? Decisions, decisions...

[pluckyduck]

Oh well, should I get up and do some stair runs, or should I stay on EA and try and get my message count up?

ROFL!

The mod/admin gang here will tell you that since the inception of the board I've been trying to get my message count down. I've always been the leader in number of messages, like, since the beginning. There was a brief period,when I took a month off, that someone else took the lead...but I'm the official EA Chatterbox.

I know. You're all shocked.

Andrea

[quasar]

I'm shocked beyond all belief. I would have never guessed it. Why you're so quiet I turn up the music so I don't feel lonely when you're around

Janice