Friday, February 24, 2017

Finally Friday

  • early am: 30 minutes exercise DVD, arms and abs
  • am: Get up from the desk and clean something
  • noon:Get up from the desk and prune something
  • pm: 30 minutes gardening, 30 minutes walking
  • late pm:30 minutes yoga

Thursday, February 23, 2017

Almost-there Thursday

  • early am: 30 minutes exercise DVD, legs, butt, hips
  • am: Get up from the desk and clean something
  • noon:Get up from the desk and prune something
  • pm: 30 minutes gardening, 30 minutes cycling
  • late pm:30 minutes yoga

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Wonderful Wednesday

More evidence that breaking up exercise throughout the day, even if it's just getting up, is helpful:
In a 2012 study by Dr. Gaesser, three 10-minute walks spread throughout the day were better at preventing subsequent spikes in blood pressure — which can indicate worsening blood pressure control — than one 30-minute walk. And if even a 10-minute walk sounds daunting, try standing more often. In another study led by Dr. Gaesser and published in August, overweight volunteers with blood pressure problems were asked to sit continuously during an eight-hour workday while their blood pressure was monitored. The readings were, as expected, unhealthy. But when, during another workday, those volunteers stood up every hour for at least 10 minutes, their blood pressure readings improved substantially.

  • early am: 30 minutes exercise DVD, arms and abs
  • am: Get up from the desk and clean something
  • noon:Get up from the desk and prune something
  • pm: 30 minutes gardening, 30 minutes walking
  • late pm:30 minutes yoga

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Trying Tuesday

Another try today. I'm going to try cycling. Ever heard of rollers? I wrote a post about them for Cranky Fitness.
Again, I don't know if I can do this. I might end up looking like a fool, or falling over. But life is supposed to be an adventure, right? (Or something like that.
  • early am: 30 minutes exercise DVD, legs, butt, hips
  • am: Get up from the desk and clean something
  • noon:Get up from the desk and prune something
  • pm: 30 minutes gardening, 30 minutes cycling
  • late pm:30 minutes yoga

Monday, February 20, 2017

And now for something completely different. Well, at least a little different

Okay, I managed to exercise for the last three days without logging it here. I got up from my desk twice over the course of an 8-hour day, and then I exercised aerobically at the end of the day.
Does this mean I can exercise without posting it first and shamelessly using you (yes, you sitting there) to make myself feel guilty enough to follow through? Too soon to tell.
But I want to see if I can take it up a notch. So I'm adding an additional exercise session first thing in the morning.
Now, this is not something I am positive that I can do. I like to sleep, but I have a hard time falling asleep. Once I managed to shut my eyes, though, I like to keep sleeping until the sun has risen. So getting up early in February is going against nature. But I tried it on Sunday and felt unbelievably smug throughout the rest of the day. I felt as if I'd gotten ahead of the To Do list, and that was a nice change. I want to see if I can continue.
To see if it helps me fall asleep, I'm trying an evening yoga session as well.
  • early am: 30 minutes exercise DVD, arms and abs -done
  • am: Get up from the desk and clean something -done
  • noon:Get up from the desk and prune something-done
  • pm: 30 minutes gardening, 30 minutes walking-done
  • late pm:30 minutes yoga-fail. On the other hand, failed because I fell asleep, which is kinda a win

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Whatever happened to Wednesday?

Argh!
Worked 13+ hours yesterday. Barely managed a 15 minute workout. "Wednesday will be better," I said, foolishly jinxing myself.
Even so, with people coming at me from all angles, I managed to take a couple of 15 minute breaks. I resisted the urge to "be nice" and "show I'm a team player by working without a break." I can play on the team without sacrificing my health. Or that's my story, anyway.
Maybe I am making this schedule a habit after all.
  • AM - 15 minutes cleaning - done
  • Noon - 15 minutes organizing - done
  • PM 45 minutes exercising - well, here goes. -Done! That actually went by fairly quickly!

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Tuesday do-over

All right. Maybe I'm not going to get exercise done every day. But I am going to try every day. If nothing else, I will strengthen the muscle of habit. (It's an analogy. Pretend it works, 'k?) I will not get discouraged if I don't succeed. I will reinforce my determination to get up and try again.
Today.
  • AM: Get up, back away from the desk, clean things. It doesn't matter what, so long as I move for 15 minutes -- away from my desk -done. Hated to come back :(
  • Noon: Get up, back away from the desk. Organize things. Again, it doesn't matter what, so long as I'm up and moving and not staring at work -fail. All I've done for hours is stare at my computer screen or deal with phone calls from irate clients. Argh.
  • PM: Get up, back away from the desk. This is the tricky one. I feel guilty leaving work. But I want to spend an hour doing yardwork, attacking blackberries, pulling weeds. Then tonight I will try that exercise DVD again. This time I will get SOMEthing done exercise wise. -Well, I did get SOME exercise done. After a 13-hour work day, I got 15 minutes of exercise. I'm calling that a win.

Monday, February 13, 2017

Monday workout

“So your desire is to do nothing? Well, you shall not have a week, a day, an hour, free from oppression. You shall not be able to lift anything without agony. Every passing minute will make your muscles crack. What is feather to others will be a rock to you. The simplest things will become difficult. Life will become monstrous about you. To come, to go, to breathe, will be so many terrible tasks for you. Your lungs will feel like a hundred-pound weight.” ― Victor Hugo, Les Misérables

I put that quote up there to remind me not to slack off. Just try something different.
I finished the six week walking program. My usual pace is not noticeably faster, but when I put my mind to it I can move quickly, so I'm calling it a win. Last week, I tried an old DVD that I haven't looked at in a while, and found myself challenged by some of the floor exercises. So that's what I'm going to focus on this week: I am going to do this dang DVD three times this week. See what my body thinks of that.
  • AM: Get up, back away from the desk, clean things. It doesn't matter what, so long as I move for 15 minutes -- away from my desk-done
  • Noon: Get up, back away from the desk. Organize things. Again, it doesn't matter what, so long as I'm up and moving and not staring at work-done
  • PM: Get up, back away from the desk. This is the tricky one. I feel guilty leaving work. But I want to spend an hour doing yardwork, attacking blackberries, pulling weeds. Then tonight I will try that exercise DVD again.-fail. I had to choose between work and exercise. Argh!

Friday, February 10, 2017

One hour at a time

Christian in Pilgrim's Progress
Sometimes the idea of planning out a whole day's worth of exercise, even if the exercise consists of getting up from the desk and doing something useful like cleaning, sometimes the idea of planning all that out seems like a lot of effort. It's mental effort, but it's still effort. After all this time, I would have expected this to feel more like habit. Maybe it is just because I am typing this early in the morning while I'm still trying to wake up, but today exercise feels like a lot of work. Rather than taking it one day at a time, I'm going to take it one hour at a time.
  • a.m.: 15 minutes cleaning -done
  • noon: 15 minutes organizing. Planting indoor seeds in preparation for the spring garden
  • p.m.: Walking and strengthening exercises. Last day of this program.

Thursday, February 09, 2017

Soggy Thursday

It is a dark and stormy day. A good day to light a fire in the fireplace and curl up under a warm comforter.
Unfortunately, I have to sit at my desk and get work done. But at least I can exercise indoors, which is a win.
  • a.m.: 15 minutes cleaning -done
  • noon: 15 minutes organizing -done
  • p.m.: 45 minutes exercise DVD. -fail. I felt guilty and worked late. Now I feel guilty about not exercising. Can't win.

Wednesday, February 08, 2017

Walking Wednesday

Angels dancing sun Giovanni di Paolo Condé Chantilly
“All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking.” ― Friedrich Nietzsche, Twilight of the Idols
  • a.m.: 15 minutes cleaning -done
  • noon: 15 minutes organizing -done
  • p.m.: Walking and strengthening exercises. Last week of this program. -done! A bit soggy, thanks to the ever-present drizzle, but done

Tuesday, February 07, 2017

Testy Tuesday

Feeling cranky today for some reason. Taking life way too seriously. Maybe yoga will help with that.
  • a.m.: 15 minutes cleaning -done
  • noon: 15 minutes organizing -done
  • p.m.: 45 minutes exercise DVD, done 15 minutes yoga fail. Just went to bed early, which is sometimes the better option.

Monday, February 06, 2017

Slothful Monday

Spent way too much time over the weekend cleaning. Still have a long way to go, but there is a noticeable improvement. Feel like I've turned a corner, anyway.
Of course, I woke up still worn out. I'm going to pretend that I'm a person who exercises. Fake it until I make it, yada yada.
  • a.m.: 15 minutes cleaning -done
  • noon: 15 minutes organizing -done
  • p.m.: Walking and strengthening exercises. Last week of this program. -done

Friday, February 03, 2017

Doing is believing

Keeping physically fit; common-sense exercises for the whole family (1916) (14778508091)
You need to put what you learn into practice and do it over and over again until it's a habit. I always say, 'Seeing is not believing. Doing is believing.' There is a lot to learn about fitness, nutrition and emotions, but once you do, you can master them instead of them mastering you.
-Brett Hoebel
  • a.m.: 15 minutes cleaning -done
  • noon: 15 minutes organizing -done
  • p.m.: exercise DVD caught up on yesterday's walking, late in the day but even so -done

Thursday, February 02, 2017

Exercise is not always dignified... okay, I don't think it's ever dignified

Keeping physically fit; common-sense exercises for the whole family (1916) (14781628665)
Exercise is done against one's wishes and maintained only because the alternative is worse.
-George A. Sheehan

Part of the strengthening exercise I'm doing as part of this walking program involve using a broom handle with stretching exercises. It reminds me of this picture.
  • a.m.: 15 minutes cleaning -done
  • noon: 15 minutes organizing-done
  • p.m.: Walking and strengthening exercises -fail. It's been a while since I had to work a 12 hour day. I shouldn't complain when it happens occasionally.

Wednesday, February 01, 2017

Stretching my limits

Keeping physically fit; common-sense exercises for the whole family (1916) (14781288302)
Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity.
-John F. Kennedy

I'm doing a lot of stretching with these DVDs. I think it's helping.
  • a.m.: 15 minutes cleaning-done
  • noon: 15 minutes organizing-done
  • p.m.: exercise DVD -done. Tried a kickboxing video and visualized politicians