Happy March Everyone!

Time for a new exercise challenge thread. This thread is open to anyone -- you don't have to be an August 07 bandster to join us. Last month we had several new people join us and we look forward to having more!

Have a happy and healthy month!

0/30 Exercise Sessions

Crazy Ates March Exercise Challenge

Banded 8/07/07 Dr. Miguel Zapata, Monterrey Mexico

i got 5 min at 3.8 walk to warm up and then 5.0- 5.6mph tops. and im collapsing after 45 mins of that.

I'm still not able to run for the entire time--I'm doing intervals: 2 min walking, 3 min running. I'm working my way up there, though. I'm almost to where the slow jog is easier that the brisk walk. I make sure I swing my arms, no leaning on the treadmill, but I'm not ready to run on any kind of incline just yet. Small steps...

Hi everyone!

Took the Yoga class today to stretch and do something calm. I still have a long way to go to be able to do all those moves!

Thanks for all the thoughts. We are moving along with the insurance companies now. What an ordeal!

Hi Frangi, looks like you're kicking butt this month. Can you tell me about your yoga class? How long have you been doing it and had you done it before? I took a class years ago and loved it but the "beginner" dvd I bought is just too hard for me. Any ideas on how to start from the very beginning? I really need to practice the basics.

Hi Becky,

Thanks :drool:! I'm trying, because I still have a whole lot more butt that needs to be kicked :sneaky:!

I have been doing Yoga on and off for many years, but I have never been very good at it. Still I enjoy it, so I keep at it. Maybe one of these days I will be able to take my practice to the next level.

The best way to get started is to take classes with a good instructor. A good instructor will show (or explain how to do) one or more modifications of each pose, so that you can adjust your practice to your own strength, flexibility, and skill level. As you become stronger and more flexible you can slowly move into the more challenging versions of each pose. A good instructor will also often give you a few moments of one-on-one time during a class if they see that your are struggling with a pose (or poses).

Yoga has become so popular nowadays I would bet that there are several excellent Yoga studios -- especially in a major urban area like DFW.

Hope this helps a little.

Namaste

Crazy Ates March Exercise Challenge

10/30 Exercise Sessions

(6 Cardio, 2 Core Strength & flexibility, 2 Weight training)

Banded 8/07/07 Dr. Miguel Zapata, Monterrey Mexico

Go Valstar!!!!!!!!!!!and your going to have a fit dog too.....Yes i was tempted to write a fit B**tch

OK, I'm in...

I'm built for style, not speed, baybeeeee!:sneaky:

You both had me ROFL !:drool:

Ahhhh....I am back! So I did get two workouts this weekend for a total of 2 hours. And I got my fill. AND I have good news. I did not think that I was a candidate for plastic surgery because I just thought that I had a lot of flab that I just needed to work off from exercise, but my doc said that no matter how much I work out this excess skin and "flab" (my words not his!) was not going to go away. So I decided to just see if I could get financed for the PS and I did. My consult is scheduled for April 4 and then tenatively scheduled surgery for my birthday (July 1). My dad helped me with my financial planning and we found out that I could indeed afford it without putting my retirement too far out of whack. I am only 28 so I have some wiggle room. On another good note my doc wants me to come in for a photo shoot to put my pictures on his website's before and after pictures as well as on the poster/pictures he has hanging around the office. I was in awe. Also, he upped my calories to 1500 because he is concerned that I will actually lose to much weight prior to having surgery. According to his projections he thinks that I should lose 15-20 pounds after PS. I have a fairly muscular build and he doesn't want me to risk losing muscle tone just to reach a certain weight. He doesn't want me to lose more than 10 pounds before surgery. He said after surgery we can reevaluate and see if I need to lose any more, but both him and I think that once this "flab" is gone that I won't need to lose any more. I really think that I can attribute this quick weightloss to exercise, so more than ever I have a renewed committment to it. Too bad I can't go to the gym today...but I didn't work so I probably should go to the gym...both of my bosses workout there!

Big post coming - you get a prize if you make it through all this!

I have a few suggestions on the yoga, if you're having problems.

- As Frangi suggested, find a good teacher. I find that the yoga classes at most fitness centers are too "fitness focused" and get into pushing stretches, which actually goes against the philosophy of yoga. It should NEVER hurt, and you should never feel pressured to go into postures in a way that hurts or makes you feel uncomfortable. It should be challenging but never painful (in fact, it's supposed to be spiritual). A good teacher knows this and will help you make modifications or give you alternatives when postures aren't working.

There are also a lot of flavors of yoga out there. Make sure you find a good Gentle Hatha or restorative yoga class. Hatha is the oldest form and actually is about resting and being gentle on yourself. Forms like Ashtanga Vinyasa, flow and Bikram will probably be too challenging for you. This is just my bias, mind you, but "Fitness yoga" "power yoga" and the other newer forms have lost the point of yoga and go against the tenets and traditions.

My teacher put me onto a great video from the Yogananda center that is very gentle and healing. It deals with opening the chakras, which is a tad spiritual, but also really gets into very slow, gentle movements with great instructions. This site has it at a pretty low price too.

Yoga to Awaken the Chakras, by Gyandev Rich McCord, PhD – Crystal Clarity: Resources to Relax, Uplift and Inspire.

WOW Salsa...that was a great post...

Very intersting. Im so glad you have the oppurtunity to get this done too!!!! IM super excited for you.. keep me posted.

OH today was 45min weight lifting and 45mins spin class.

Good job, gang! I'm not doing the gym membership (trying to get the rest of my life nailed right now, but I've made a new commitment to get walking at the dog park every night after work and every morning on the weekends (my pooch appreciates it). Now that it's daylight till 7pm or so, we can go every night! It's a nice walk out in the country and we both feel great afterwards. :-)

Another day of walking done, along with some more time on the Trikke. I am slowly getting used to riding this thing so maybe by the end of the week, I can get some real miles in.

I'll take 4 miles with my 3 lb hand weights. What a difference in my arms. No more big swinging of flab! :thumbup:

Enjoy your evening everyone!

Got in another hour of cardio and weights. I still had about a half hour to go with the weights but I forgot I had an eye doctor appointment and had to run out abruptly!

No gym today but I did get in an hour walking the dog!

Val

I took my 4 mile walk this morning. Have a great day everyone!!

There has got to be some REALLY fit dogs out there now!

I registered for my first run/race ever since high school!

I did 5k run this morning and 25 min swim ...(ok i sneaked in 5 mins in the hot tub too...)