Exercise Anyone?????????????

[MountainBiker]

I was reading some back posts and was just wondering if both you guys are mainly just into biking?

I remember Glenn from when I used to post here before but, Mountainbiker, I think you may have come in after I took a leave of absense from the forum.

I have started some yoga and some walking. Nothing to write home about but just trying to make the transition from the couch to moving without killing myself. I have alot of weight to lose so I am trying to work up to some aerobics.

I have been very inactive for the last 8 years due to health issues. I am in pain most of the time and take 2 different narcotic pain meds everyday. I would really like to be able to cut those out. I also use narcotic meds to sleep at night. I don't see me ever getting off of those since I've been an insomniac dating back to very early childhood....but you never know. It has been said excercise does amazing things for the body and mind.

I have lupus, asthma, arthitis, herniated discs, and both knees need replaced. I can deal with all of that but what really kicks my but is my sciaticia. After 8 years of off an on flare ups that last for months at a time I have realized there is nothing the medical community can do for me. I have had nerve blocks, cortisone injections in my hip, coutless rounds of steroids, and everyday anti inflamatory meds.

I have made the decision to do what I can do to try to help myself. It's the only real choice I have other than lay here until I die. My first goal is to strengthen my lower back to try get my discs up off the nerve.

I know you guys are in a way different place with way differnt experience so it's okay if you don't have anything to add. I'm just going to post here my progress and hopefully some other beginners will join in.

Try to set yourself some goals, and makes sure they are not big goals to start with. Everyone sets the goal of "by the end of the year, I want to yada yada yada. Set a goal of, "today, I am going to...". Everything starts with baby steps.
Glampergirl (my wife) has some exercise issues as well. Maybe the two of you can start posting to encourage each other. She gets mad at me when I nag her

[Fenlason]

I was reading some back posts and was just wondering if both you guys are mainly just into biking?

I remember Glenn from when I used to post here before but, Mountainbiker, I think you may have come in after I took a leave of absense from the forum.

I have started some yoga and some walking. Nothing to write home about but just trying to make the transition from the couch to moving without killing myself. I have alot of weight to lose so I am trying to work up to some aerobics.

I have been very inactive for the last 8 years due to health issues. I am in pain most of the time and take 2 different narcotic pain meds everyday. I would really like to be able to cut those out. I also use narcotic meds to sleep at night. I don't see me ever getting off of those since I've been an insomniac dating back to very early childhood....but you never know. It has been said excercise does amazing things for the body and mind.

I have lupus, asthma, arthitis, herniated discs, and both knees need replaced. I can deal with all of that but what really kicks my but is my sciaticia. After 8 years of off an on flare ups that last for months at a time I have realized there is nothing the medical community can do for me. I have had nerve blocks, cortisone injections in my hip, coutless rounds of steroids, and everyday anti inflamatory meds.

I have made the decision to do what I can do to try to help myself. It's the only real choice I have other than lay here until I die. My first goal is to strengthen my lower back to try get my discs up off the nerve.

I know you guys are in a way different place with way differnt experience so it's okay if you don't have anything to add. I'm just going to post here my progress and hopefully some other beginners will join in.

Yes Roberta I have been here a little while.. and I do remember you.

I am sorry for your problems.

I used to have much for medical issues. After much disillusionment from alopathic medicine, I have been fortunate to find some great alternative "healers".

At the moment I am mostly biking.. but if you look back. I have posted other activities. I walk, run, hike, snowshoe, Nordic ski, kayak. Also a variety of strength training. I do stretch and do yoga.. and foam roll

[robertaw]

I haven't read that far back but now that you mention it, Glenn, I think you were snowshoe-ing (sp?) about the time I too my leave of absence from the forum.

Mountainbiker, it would be great if your wife would post here too. You guys are the beast and I need some company closer to my own level here. It is great advice to set small goals ... like daily. I hadn't thought of setting goals quite that short term, but, you know, that is a really great way to do things for me. I'm absolutely going to go with that for now.

[Fenlason]

I do also use some aerobic equipment inside. I have 2 exercise bikes.. an upright and a recumbent, a water rower and an elliptical machine.

[Fenlason]

We had our club bbq ride today. Although instead of it being ad Dave's house.. and just doing road rides. we at a local hospital.. where one of our trail heads were. So the mountain bike club was there.. and we got new people to try the road.. and got some newbies on the trail.

I chose to do all trail rides today.

3/4's of a mile into it.. I rolled a tubeless tire..and burped most of the air.. by the time I got to the car.. it was flat.. and I could not reseat it with my floor pump. I had brought my Enduro also.. [more of a downhilly bike] It will climb.. but not very efficiently... so I got more of a workout.

I did get to compare this bike with the 26" wheels.. vs the 29er I have been riding. It was still work... and actually I seemed to be having more wheel side slip.. with this.

I also had a young co-worker there with his 29er.. and he seemed to go pretty good. I would liked to have seen him against Brian.. on his bike...

[MountainBiker]

I haven't read that far back but now that you mention it, Glenn, I think you were snowshoe-ing (sp?) about the time I too my leave of absence from the forum.

Mountainbiker, it would be great if your wife would post here too. You guys are the beast and I need some company closer to my own level here. It is great advice to set small goals ... like daily. I hadn't thought of setting goals quite that short term, but, you know, that is a really great way to do things for me. I'm absolutely going to go with that for now.

Years ago I used to run but had to quit because it hurt my back too much. We took up inline skating around 2004, and that slowly progressed to cycling. Inline skating is good, low impact workout, providing you have good smooth trails to skate on. If you would like some info about some good inline skates to look for, if it appeals to you, let me know, and I can send you some info.

[MountainBiker]

We were supposed to do 100km yesterday, but it started to rain hard at about the 30km mark. Being the ride leader, I thought we better head back home so we ended up doing only 60km
We are heading out on vacation till after Labour day, so you might not here from me next week. Still, should get in a couple of rides this week though.

[Fenlason]

We were supposed to do 100km yesterday, but it started to rain hard at about the 30km mark. Being the ride leader, I thought we better head back home so we ended up doing only 60km
We are heading out on vacation till after Labour day, so you might not here from me next week. Still, should get in a couple of rides this week though.

sorry about the shortened ride...have a good one..

[Fenlason]

My running is only off road.. I am not fond of pounding the pavement.

I myself don't skate.. I never really learned. [roller, inline, or ice] I would like to. I did try a friends touring skates last winter I did like that. Our lake ice.. is spotty at best.. you can never count on having it.. for not long after it freezes it becomes snow covered... but some years it is good. I am thinking of buying some touring skates and trying it more often.

[Fenlason]

I was feeling pretty tired tonight.. and I was not sure about tonights ride.. but then a nice heavy shower came through.. so it was easy to bail...

I did do a kettlebell work out.. along with some other exercises.. and some time on the indo board.

I do have various balance devices.. that I play with also.

I lost a bit of balance in one of my head injuries.. and a year or so ago.. I made an effort to improve it... and I would say in general I am probably better than I ever was..

[GlamperGirl]

Mountainbiker, it would be great if your wife would post here too. You guys are the beast and I need some company closer to my own level here. It is great advice to set small goals ... like daily. I hadn't thought of setting goals quite that short term, but, you know, that is a really great way to do things for me. I'm absolutely going to go with that for now.

Hey Robertaw,
It's like the Nike ads say - Just do it - 'It' being anything that gets you moving and that you enjoy doing.
Contrary to MountainBiker (husband), I am very much non-competitive and most of the things he does are way too much for me. That being said, I have found that simpler things work for me. I walk my dog twice a day, once around the neighbourhood for half an hour in the morning, and after work we usually drive somewhere and find a trail so she can be off leash. Gardening can be a great workout plus you benefit from the fresh veggies and flowers it produces. And one year I dug a 30 foot drainage system to fix up some flooding problems and that was a real workout! (MountainBiker was away cycling through most of it, clever man )
I love yoga and in the fall will go back to a fitness class that combines yoga, pilates and Tai-Chi. I have a very inexpensive, limited fitness membership and find it helps through the winter months. I also started working with weights and need to get back to them as they are great for building stomach muscles and core which help make our backs stronger. I took Tai-Chi for 5 years many years ago and I would recommend it to anyone. The movements are slow but the movements teach balance, strength and form. You can get up a good heart rate and the blood circulation can be phenomenal. And if you take the traditional form of Tai-Chi there are 108 moves to the set, so it helps your brain, too!
Last summer, I decided I would find out once and for all if I could learn to run. My family has a history of bad knee issues and I stopped inline skating for the most part because of that). Anyway, I am not that fit and have a bit of asthma. I signed up for a beginner, learn to run class. When I began, I was lucky to make it from street light post to street light post before gasping for air and needing to stop. My puffer helped out (I took it just before we set out on the night's run). In the morning when I walked the dog I would run to a street light and walk for three and then repeat it. Eventually between the walk/run system and the classes, I could jog almost 6 minutes at a leisurely pace without having to stop. I took a second set of beginner classes and eventually got to the point where I could run 5 km by running for 8 minutes and walking for 1 minute. Its not marathon level but who cares! I know I'm improving and I'm that much healthier than I was before.
I think I will likely have to go back to the beginning again for running as I haven't been out in months, but at least I know that I can do it and I enjoyed it so I will do it again ... maybe once we return from our camping trip
So, get up and get out ... just try it a bit at a time. You are your own master. Forget what others are doing so well and learn to find what drives you. Even sitting on the couch - do some leg raises, some arm curls, get out the exercise ball ... there iare a million ways to exercise and every little bit helps to change our body and mind.

[Fenlason]

another good bike ride tonight. I decided not to go to the front with the racerboys.. I was not feeling great.. and decided to take it easy.. I also had other friends on slower tandems.. and thought I would ride with them.

At times we waited a bit for others.. and road quite slowly.. Part way through the fast guys.. went a different way.. about 3 miles further...

where our loops joined back together.. they got there first.. yet I did not know that. There was one of our group.. up ahead of us.. and he saw the fast guys as they went by.. and he was able to hook on. By the time we came out.. I could see he was way up ahead. I stayed with the others until about 6 miles to go.. and put the hammer down. I knew Camille was up ahead.. and at least someone else.. but I was not sure who it would be.

We were steadily reeling them in.. but did not quite make it... before they were stopped by a traffic light.

[Fenlason]

Welcome Glampergirl..

good job on the running..

not that all of it isn't great.. but it sounds like you really work on that.

I have a lady I mountain bike with.. she has an issue with her lungs.. and really has a hard time. I will at times go back and ride with her.. she really works at it... she's quite mentally strong.. to do what she does. even though she is often near the back.. she is working harder than most in the group.

[Fenlason]

we had a pretty good rain storm going on last night.. so the mountain bike ride was cancelled. It seemed like a good time to start running again. We went out for a semi hilly [I have no other option] trail run. Just under 15min.

I did some Kettlebell work first.. some halo's and Turkish getups.

Last week I had picked up some used tractor tires from my neighbor.. and after the run, it felt like trying some tire flipping. It really felt great!! It will be a nice addition.

[MountainBiker]

Went over my riding log the other night and realised that I have done 400km in two weeks. That is way too much for me and my current state I guess that is what happens when you suddenly get people that have time to ride with you The most frustrating thing this summer is Doctors orders not to ride by myself Anyway, I have decided to shut it down for a bit. I'm taking the Mountainbike camping next week and will keep the rides down to just around the campground