Getting fit

Gesine · Post by **Gesine** » February 26th, 2006, 9:52 am

This morning I ran again before breakfast. It went well enough, so much so that I'm going to increase on Tuesday - intervals of 6 mins running and 1.5 mins walking (4x). It's going to be tough - walking time slashed by a minute. We'll see how it goes. Already I'm beginning to have a little more energy and I'm sleeping a little better.

pberinstein · Post by **pberinstein** » February 26th, 2006, 11:33 am

Hurray, Gesine! Such quick progress. You must have been in pretty good shape when you started.

RobertG · Post by **RobertG** » February 26th, 2006, 3:14 pm

Lookin' good, Gesine!

Gesine · Post by **Gesine** » February 28th, 2006, 4:55 pm

Thank you thank you! :) So this morning I increased the running intervals by one minute, and it wasn't really that much harder. More on Thursday!

Heather, how are you getting on with your intervals?

I might mention that Alessia is also doing the programme... :)

heatherausten · Post by **heatherausten** » February 28th, 2006, 10:37 pm

Gesine, sadly I was doing some strenuous activity this weekend and injured my back-- not anything too serious, but enough that my workout routine will have to wait a little.

Gesine · Post by **Gesine** » March 1st, 2006, 4:24 am

Oh, poor Heather... back pain is so awful. Hope you'll get better very soon! :)

pberinstein · Post by **pberinstein** » March 1st, 2006, 9:34 am

Sorry to hear that, Heather. Do feel better fast!

heatherausten · Post by **heatherausten** » March 1st, 2006, 5:02 pm

Thanks for the good wishes!

Yakumo · Post by **Yakumo** » March 1st, 2006, 11:03 pm

[quote=" It's a pity how fast you can loose your fitness by sitting around. Sitting must be bad bad bad for the health.

if I may, =) just can't resist adding this to a fitness thread.

The things I will rant about don't have to do with cardiovascular exercise, but they will make you feel better. These tips have worked miracles for me.

It is because most people spend a lot of time sitting, that sitting properly is so important.

The secret to sitting and standing properly is to have your ribcage as erect as possible.

place your behind solidly on the chair, with your feet flat on the floor and your ribcage errect.

to help reestablish the natural curve at the lower part of your back, use a lumbar roll (small roll of paper towels work just fine) and place it between the chair and your lower back while you sit with correct posture.

you can also help improve your posture by taking two small paper towel rolls and placing one behind your neck, and the other on your lower back while you lie down. do this twice a day for five or more minutes each time.

Improved posture will help eliminate aches and pains and your body will feel better.

according to wikipedia, errect posture as defined by the balance of the bodies distribution of weight, is a form of natural exercise.

these things should be done in adition to exercise and stretching.

see wikipedia articles on posture and backpain for links to simple streatching exercises that should be done in addition to exercise.

heatherausten · Post by **heatherausten** » March 7th, 2006, 10:27 am

My back is feeling fine (knock on wood!), so I'm going to start up again with my routine today. Wish me luck!

pberinstein · Post by **pberinstein** » March 7th, 2006, 10:36 am

Gpod luck, Heather! I'm knocking on wood for you. (Or is it plastic--looks like wood, anyway.)

Paula

Gesine · Post by **Gesine** » March 8th, 2006, 7:07 pm

Good luck, Heather!

I haven't posted because I haven't done much. I've been having the most infernal stomach pains for about a week now (probably psychosomatic - lots of stress at the moment) and the last two times I went out I had to stop running after only half the distance, and limp home because my stomach was cramping. So now I'm rowing instead, which is a little better. Should be back on track soon, I hope. In the meantime, I'll try and row for half an hour every other day.

Yakumo - you're so right about posture. I did a taster Alexander Technique course once and the 'semi supine' exercise sounds like your lying down with paper towels. Alexander advocates doing this twice a day for 10-15 minutes. It really is very good. I don't do it often enough but should do. Here's how I was taught how to do it, if someone wants to try it:

Sit on the floor. Draw your heels as close to your bottom as they will go. Keeping them in place, lower your upper body cautiously to the floor. Then you can push back your feet a little so your legs form an upside-down V, soles flat on the floor. Moving your heels close in the beginning will help stretch out your back, which really is a marvellous feeling. Then take a paperback book or two (total height about the size of your small finger, but experiment) - which you've laid on the floor next to you before you started all this ;) - and slide it under your head, lengthening your neck a little bit - but be very careful not to overstretch. Put your hands next to your body or on your stomach, whatever feels comfortable. Lie like this for 5 minutes (don't cheat). Keep your eyes open all the time, and move your eyes to look around the room. I cannot remember why but this was important, that you stay active with your sight. - After the 5 minutes, slowly tilt your head first on one side, leave a little, then on the other. This should feel great. Lie a bit longer, then slowly stretch out one leg, leave a little, pull it back up, repeat with other leg. - To get up, roll over to the side and get on your knees first, then slowly stand up.

Try it. It really feels quite wonderful, esp. if you've been sitting a lot.

RobertG · Post by **RobertG** » March 9th, 2006, 10:07 am

I haven't been contributing to this thread but have been staying on track. This is the first week that I've felt strong as in ready to put on a pack and hit the trail into the mountains strong.

In my four-by trail running of the bluff, I can now tag each step on the loop without pause. So now it's time to increase it to a six-by loop.

Yesterday, there were heavy winds and it was cold. I almost said, "the heck with it!" But then swithced into warm clothes, plugged my Zen Micro into my ears and let the Chemical Bros. guide the rhythm of the hour.

Currently, I'm averaging 4-5 days per week, one hour per day, 3-4 miles per exercise day. Average heart rate during exercise is around 145 bpm. This is a brisk walk and running stairs combo. I plan to start moving toward more pure running soon.

As for stress, I can sympathize. For me, fitness coupled with some sort of meditative relaxation is the key. But the real first step in conquering stress is to recognize the cause of it and eliminate it.

But you can get arrested for eliminating politicians and corporate officers!

Okay, you won't hear from me on this thread for another month!

NARRATOR · Post by **NARRATOR** » March 10th, 2006, 12:02 pm

I too are having plans of getting into better shape.

Major problem routines bore me or I should say I become extremely restless, main reason why I haven't joined a GYM.

Imagine - I at a desk, quite immobile for hours, so going to another box after work seems depressing, unless I can find a sort of circuit training.

I hoping to start my walks again and maybe a bit or rollerblading ( novice), but have to watch my old femur injury. But once the weather becomes more stable (& warmer) do a bit of biking.

Would rather find a small group than doing it solo. Helps with the motivation and performance but not many groups in my locale.

Gesine · Post by **Gesine** » March 14th, 2006, 1:12 am

Hi Narrator - you're in Montreal, right? *Lots* of LibriVoxers in Montreal - get a group together and you can walk or rollerblade first and then all quickly read a book together - do this every other day and your output will be *huge*!

I haven't been posting anything because I haven't *done* anything... my exercise these days consists of running around looking at tiles, basins, toilets, kitchens etc, interspersed with hours of standing on ladders scraping about 10 layers of plaster and paint off the walls (we bought a flat in a house dating back to 1650 and are bringing the walls back to the original limestone - it's a lot of work but it's going to look great! Very good for the old arm muscles, too...