What a great thread @Ckni27!! Hope it’s not too late to join?
I need to be intentional about moving. I take public transportation and walk a lot for my daily commute So I average 7k steps a day; but I recently was on vacation and realized that I’m sedentary. Also my back has been hurting and I want to do something about it.
This week is a typical example of my ‘opportunistic’ exercise:
Mon: walked to train station and at the 3 stops on my commute. Walked to and from a nearby mall where I also had lunch . So averaged 7.3K steps
Tue: Same commute. Walked to and from a nearby restaurant for lunch. So averaged 7.1K steps
Today: WFH. Dropped the kids off at daycare and day camp (no school for them today). It took around 20 minutes and I haven’t done anything else. Average 3.3K steps
I need to do some cardio and core exercises. No idea where to start though.
All are welcome at any time! For cardio & core is there any exercise that you’ve enjoyed in the past? I think my success (so far at least) with yoga and spinning when I was into that were because of how much I enjoyed them. So it was easy to make them more of a habit because I look forward to it instead of dreading them
Personal anecdote - My back was really really hurting (100% of the time, especially the middle back and upper back and neck, and not a small amount of pain), so much so that I though I was going to have to go see a doctor because of it. Even certain stretches that in theory should have felt good/better actually made it hurt a lot. I started doing the daily practice yoga at the beginning of the month, and I wasn’t sure if it was going to make any change at all. I still don’t know if it is the primary reason (or even any reason). But my back and neck have been gradually feeling better over the last 2 weeks. Even if it is only helping a little it seems positive. But it seems to me more than a small change. (Plus, I don’t think the other things I have changed would have helped 100%.) I will probably add more core and stretching (maybe pilates) in February.
Catching up here:
Sunday a few mile hike + few miles on bike joyriding + physical therapy exercises.
Monday rode bike to my appointments & yoga.
Tuesday dog walks + workout + physical therapy exercises.
Wednesday dog walks + workout + physical therapy
That’s the issue here . I have never done any ‘real’ exercise. I like walking and I tried running for 2 years. I like the idea of swimming but I haven’t really done it. I think I’ll like cycling because I used to love it when I was a teenager. So I just have to start something and see how it goes. We have a gymmembership sponsored by work, I will look into it and see if there are facilities next to the office.
That’s very interesting. Thanks for sharing @Calbal. I tried YWA when I was pregnant but I never did the whole 30 days. Maybe I’ll start again. I don’t know if I won’t hurt myself though as I have never done Yoga formally. Are you doing the daily practice by yourself or in a gym?
FWIW, walking is very much real exercise - weight bearing exercise with cardiovascular benefits - and is one of the most long term sustainable types of exercise out there. So if you find that you like walking but not other types of exercise, then walk! It’s great for you.
I’m doing the daily practice by myself. I’m very aware of how things feel in my body (like posture and position) but it is from dance training, but I have not had any yoga training before. I think if you take it slow and don’t try to push yourself to do things you can’t, you won’t hurt yourself. I don’t know how she is in the other series’ (I have not done them), but in this one (“Home”), she says frequently to acknowledge where you are right now. Also in some of the harder moves she usually mentions modifying them if you can’t do them yet (like boat, warrior, plank, etc.). Some things I can do but some things I have to modify because I am not strong enough right now. The sessions are really short (to me) too, usually 20-25 minutes.The biggest benefit I think to me has been being more mindful of my breathing and paying attention to what my spine is doing. I think that being mindful of the spine and stretches with the back are what is helping.
Did my YWA day 15 today and y’all…I did side planks! And I didn’t need to go down to my forearms! I have never felt like I had much strength in my arms so anytime I tried to do them my core would be ok but my wrists would hurt and my elbows would buckle. I’m so proud of this!
They’re short, it’s not bad at all. In her dedicate series when I tried to do the side planks my arms would instantly buckle so being able to hold it at all is huge for me haha. I really enjoyed today’s practice!
Honestly the fear is that I’ve never done a side plank - that sounds HARRRRDDDDD. I can usually do regular planks, unless there are too many of them, lol. That’s true of most of the hard things (I can do them for a bit, but not the full set).
Oh she guides you into them really slowly, move your feet first, turn your chest, then lift your arm. It sounds confusing but when you are in the pose and slowly change one thing at a time it is much easier than it sounds. Even when I couldn’t do it on my hands it was easy enough to get into it modified. I think that’s what I love about her as a teacher and yoga specifically vs. some other fitness stuff I’ve tried. You’re always sort of blooming into a position never just dropping into it so there’s less of a barrier to entry. Even experienced people don’t just pop down into crow or whatever, they have to work into it which feels so much more accessible to me.
Ugh, I’ve been a bit lazy lately outside of work (which I’m on my feet most of the day, so I guess there’s that). I went for a walk on Monday and Wednesday but I’ve had some calf tightness and neck pain lately so don’t wan’t to push anything too far. I’m looking into starting some gentle yoga at a studio near me in the next month or so to replace the full-contact sport I played last year but can’t right now.
. I have never done any ‘real’ exercise. I like walking and I tried running for 2 years. I like the idea of swimming but I haven’t really done it. I think I’ll like cycling because I used to love it when I was a teenager. So I just have to start something and see how it goes. We have a gymmembership sponsored by work, I will look into it and see if there are facilities next to the office.