Here's my goal -- to do some exercise every day and keep my diet in check. But with a different outlook.
I went through my old routines, read up on some new stuff (Mike Heatlie) that suggests focusing on weight training instead of cardio and put together a new schedule.
I have about 30 different exercises, nearly all working several different parts of the body at once with weights.
My plan is to spend between 20-30 minutes a couple of times a day on the exercises and throw some cardio in for good measure. I pick out say 4-8 exercises at a time and I can do them in my livingroom. That's the key. No gym.
I went grocery shopping and am set on food. Today went well.
At least that's a start.
3 comments:
I enjoyed the article you linked to earlier but I think you're wise to keep cardio in the mix -- the goal of cardio is not so much fat burning as it is heart health! You need to get your heart rate up and sustain it in order to strengthen it. I notice a huge difference in my resting heart rate and my heart rate recovery time when I've been doing regular cardio.
He linked to a video of squats when someone said her back and knees hurt -- my knees ache just watching his video. I am not convinced it's just a matter of form -- if I go that deep down, the spot in my knee that has hurt since 1989 hurts like hell. Some of us just have bad knees.
I do like using hand weights at home but I've never been confident enough to use them at the gym. I should probably get some help.
I don't think I could manage a full 25 days but I'll try to get more than 12 in this month! Good for you!
Hi Emily,
My knees are horrible and I have to be careful with squats and lunges. I don't have an ACL in my right knee and I think my meniscus is torn in my left. Fun. I did stationary lunges last night where I support myself behind a sofa and I tried to do the deep squats. It felt OK. But there's no point in causing pain. I'm trying to strengthen my hamstrings (biking) and my quads to make those exercises easier. Heatlie suggests avoiding most of the machines at the gym because they work a singular muscle group.
I also did dead lifts last night -- I took 2 10lb dumbbells and bent over and picked them up with my arms straight. With the right form it strengthens your lower back and core. I could feel it in my core and was surprised at how much. That's the thing -- there are simple exercises. I've got dumbbells up to 25 pounds so that should serve me well.
My arms are actually sore from doing basic bicep/tricep work. If you have a stability ball use that b/c it makes you use your core. I do several easier exercises -- bicep curl, bench press -- with dumbbells on the ball. When I first started with the ball I couldn't even keep it from rolling around. Now I have good control over it.
I think cardio is important -- Heatlie runs and bikes -- too. My joints and muscles feel better and, like you said, it definitely improves heart health.
I have a trainer for my bike so that helps a lot, too.
I also enjoyed the article, and meant to comment on it before. I LOVE doing weight training exercises, but am with Emily on the heart health bit of cardio. However, I think a nice combo of both is what is called for. I hate cardio with an unbridled passion - but I don't mind walking, on a tread mill or in real life. What I don't like is the time it takes. I feel like I accomplish so much more in 30 minutes of weight work than in 30 minutes of cardio. It has only been recently that I have felt the need to DO cardio for heart (or lung in my case) health. Being so out of breath is a big motivating factor however.
Katie told me recenly that she read somewhere that if your run the stairs for 2 minutes it is the equivalent benefit of a 20 minute jog. I told her I believe it, because the one time I did it last 12 days of fitness it took me a good half hour to get my breathing and heart rate BACK to normal. Talk about hard on your knees.
I actually used to like squats. My glutes and hamstrings are actually pretty strong (comes from hauling around the rest of me!) I was very sorry when my knees got to the point that I couldn't do them anymore. I think if you knees are hurting from the weight you are putting on them, then squats COULD help improve that, but (as all three of us know) not all knee pain is a result of big butts. My knees have been "grinding" for more than a dozen years - and a dozen years ago I was in pretty good shape and barely overweight. My trainer at Merritt was amazed that I wasn't already feeling pain from them. He used to sit by my knees while I was doing squats listening to them. Sigh. They make fake meniscus now, don't they? I wonder if that would help...
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