ElderExercise

Hi, everybody, let’s walk walk walk!  (that was Leslie Sansone talking, not me…  )

But I HAVE been walking.  Haven’t made my 6000 goal every day this week though.  Also no outstanding 10,000+ days…but at least, keeping on keeping on.  I’m trying to be more diligent at work and procrastinate less…truly I would rather exercise than work…but I won’t get a raise that way!

Mon. Feb 1 – 7855 steps (3659 aerobic)

Tues. Feb. 2 – 4175 steps.  This is my youth choir day & there’s always a lot to do.

Wed. Feb. 3 – 9230 steps (4772 aerobic).  Wed. should be a day off but I worked part of this day, it’s time to do schedules again, groan.

Thurs. Feb. 4 – 3544 steps.  Adult choir day.

Fri. Feb. 5 – ooooh, I should have done more.  2287 steps.  Nothing really.  BUT I finished editing photos for my relatives in the UK and here, and began writing a report on the family part of my trip.  So a lot got done, but not exercise…

Sat. Feb. 6 – it snowed the night before & most of the day!  However, 7157 steps (2017 aerobic), thanks to Leslie & some walking in the snow later in the day.

13-14 inches of snow!

My front sidewalk is under there somewhere – and you can see how short the lamppost and street sign pole look!   This was taken early in the morning.  Later on, our snow guys dug us out and now we have little canyons where the sidewalks are.  I did go out & take some photos later with my Stabilicers on…

Sun. Feb. 7 – 6677 steps, walking around church & downtown – I had an 8-hour day yesterday – whew!

It is so nice that the days are getting longer.  Countdown for me now is, one month until spring break, two months until Easter – and then we will be seeing spring!  It has been known to snow here in April but I am just not going to think about that.

Take care and walk on!  :-)  Sara

Good afternoon, all. It’s been chilly here in New England but, unlike Lia, we have no snow. Sara, did you get hit by the recent snowstorm?

I appreciate the clear sidewalks and roads.

Sunday 1/31–Leslie Sansone 2 mile high intensity walk

Monday 2/1–20 min aerobic dance

Thursday 2/4–20 min walk outdoors plus some floor exercises (stretch/strength)

Friday 2/5–approx 20 aerobic dance

Sunday 2/7–30 minute brisk walk outdoors

I have several reasons for exercising–I feel better when I’m moving regularly, it improves heart health, helps keep weight under control, etc. Another reason for exercise is to slow down any age-related bone loss. I’d always thought that walking would help with hip bone density but things I’ve read recently indicate that walking is really only helpful as a preventive measure if started at a very young age–doesn’t do much for improving bone health in 50+ year olds. However, moving in a way that varies the stresses on the bones–both intensity of the stress and the direction of the stress– can improve bone density. The Leslie Sansone routines, along with aerobic dance routines, seem to fill that need. So, I think I’ll keep some dance moves in my exercise repertoire even when the weather improves and I”m back to walking outside for my primary exercise.

We’ve been hit by one snow storm after another. Thaws in between. Enough to build up a think ice sheet under the snow. Lots and lots of tails of accidents. Everyone is blaming everyone. People here don’t tend to know the reality of “sh*t happens”. Still managing to go for a walk with my husband most days:

Wednesday: 1 hour walk

Thursday: 1 hour 5 minutes walk

Friday: 40 minute walk

Saturday: 40 minute walk

Sunday: sofa slumming

Monday: 1 hour and 20 minute walk

I am back to listening to an audio book or podcast while walking. I think this will be just a phase, but it is fun to listen while walking along the canal.

Hi, girlfriends, checking in here before the day and week get away from me…

It’s been a pretty good week, better at the end than the beginning.

Steps from Mon. Jan. 25 through Sun. Jan. 31 -

Mon. 4391 (1414 aerobic)

Tues. 6099 (1464 aerobic) – Leslie Sansone, 1 mile workout

Wed. 6995 (4104 aerobic) – LS, I think 2 miles plus some jumping

Thurs. 2409 – slug day

Fri. 7945 (3941 aerobic) – did 3 miles LS, in sequence yet!

Sat. 7045 (4241 aerobic) – 3 miles LS again, this time in 1-mile chunks

Sun. 7471 (1486 aerobic) – only 1 mi. LS, most of this was walking about at church as usual

Weather has been very cold this week so I was so glad to have the DVD.  It’s wonderful to be into February at last – I have heard a few birds tweeting despite the cold (NOT on Twitter, Claude!  LOL) and by now much of our snow has gone.

Ok, over and out, I will go read reports and comment!  Have a lovely week, everybody!

I’ve emerged from my blahs of last week. Thank you all for your encouraging comments. We’ve had extremes of weather here, from warm and stormy at the beginning of the week to very cold but sunny this weekend (15 F, -9 C were the daytime highs yesterday). Tucked in the middle were some relatively mild days.

Since my last post:

Tuesday–never made it out for a walk but did spend morning doing housework

Wednesday–20 minute walk at noon

Thursday–10 minutes clearing some light fluffy snow from the driveway (swept it w/ a push broom), 20 minutes aerobic dance

Friday–v. cold and v. windy–take-your-breath-away weather–went to late afternoon concert and had to walk 8 or 9 blocks from parking spot to concert hall–that’s it for exercise.

Saturday–again v. cold but no wind–spent long day at gospel singing workshop (fun!). I read somewhere that singing burns calories and we did move around a fair amount while we sang

Cold again today–but I will try to get out for a walk.

Sorry, that was my son’s favourite song long long ago. It does do well to sum up the last ten days. Drum roll…

Sunday: 1 hour of walking through a snow storm.

Monday: 1 hour and 40 minutes walking

Tuesday: 1 hour and 40 minutes walking

Wednesday: 1 hour 20 minutes walking

Thursday: 1 hour 20 minutes walking

Friday: 1 hour 50 minutes walking

Saturday: 20 minutes walking

Sunday: 1 hour walking

Monday: 1 hour walking

Tuesday: 1 hour 20 minutes walking

Think this was my best step count ever. Not saying it will continue, but I am patting myself on the back for having faced the icy, cold conditions (-16 degrees C today).

Hello all–I’m still here. I was gone all day Sunday, my usual posting day and busy at work yesterday.

In general, I’ve been dealing with a case of the blahs–somewhat buried under lack of light, icy conditions, grey skies, depressing political situation here in US, fighting off some sort of virus.

But on the positive side–the sky is blue today, sun is shining, headache is gone, days are getting longer. I took the morning off work and plan to get out for a walk later.

Last week, I was low energy and headachey off and on all week–and very busy with after work events 2 nights and a day long workshop Sunday. I only managed 2 days of exercise–aerobic dance one day for about 1/2 hour and then another day when I went for a short walk and then did some stretching and strength training work.

Realistically, this will also be a low exercise week as my busy schedule continues but things will slow down a bit next week.

ElderExcercise has been a wonderful experience in a couple of ways.  Personally, I’ve had the unusual opportunity to have and idea somewhat outside-the-box that worked.  Of course, that was only possible because Claude thought it was doable–and did the heavy lifting to make it so.

On the physical side, it has been a great gift to have the support of all the participants who encouraged me to hang in with my efforts.  I know that this is the reason that I can now approach something I’d never have thought possible:  water aerobics!  Three times a week in my retirement community an “active aerobic” class meets.  After working up from gentle aerobics to two times a week, I begin a three-time schedule this week.

Just now I’ve ordered two new swim suits online from Eddie Bauer.  Was told that I was just in time since there were shown on the Oprah show and will be sold out soon.  Well, yours truly does not get air-brushed, so my look will only be moderately glamorous.  Though I have two suits from the past (barely used), this purchase came about because I wanted suits minus skirts–something more serious.

I’m even thinking of really learning how to swim after all those years at summer camp in the beginners’ groups.

Though we are still too carbound here in Portland, Oregon, another woman and joins me for a weekly walk.  Even with the light rain that’s a part of winter here, we pace around a running track used by the nearby college.  And we have plans for the better weather.

Moving here has proved to be an excellent decision.  In addition to being very busy with our young family, we chose a place filled with lively people who have a similar attitude toward aging and a great interest in the world around us.  That helps us stay balanced in these very difficult times.

So, thank you again.  I’ll continue to check out Claude’s remarkable photos and Sara’s blog.  If you want to know what life is like for a newcomer in the northwest in a CCRC (continuing care retirement community), visit my blog a little red hen one day.  And keep making those moves.  yours, naomi