Tag Archives: exercise ball

November 21, 2016 · 3:19 pm

Getting the Lard Off – Progress Report Nov. 21, 2016

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I’m happy to say that I am FINALLY back on the getting the lard off road! I lost my way for a bit, but – with the addition of yoga poses done daily – I’m starting to lose again.

My husband – who is a newly-diagnosed diabetic – and I are eating a low carb diet, substituting sugar-free candy, pudding, and tea for the things he’s missing the most.

 

Bored Panda

Bored Panda

The biggest change is that I’m doing two sections of my yoga DVD set daily. Today, for example, I’m doing “Joint Mobility” and “Overall Flow.”

Yesterday I ALMOST skipped the yoga because I had some sore muscles. I went ahead, grimly, and found that my soreness disappeared! Let this be an ongoing lesson for me!!!!!

I’ve been doing the two sections daily for a bit over a week now, and I decided to see whether my measuring tape was impressed or not.

It was! To date, I’ve lost 21.75 inches and 40 pounds. (Some of these pounds have been regained and now lost again. I’m looking forward to breaking into new territory soon.)

Yesterday I was doing the ‘fold-yourself-into-a-paper-airplane-and-twist’ pose. I end up with my leg bent and twisted over to the side across my body with my knee on the floor. The opposite arm is stretched up above my head. See what I mean about folding yourself into a paper airplane?

Anyway, you get into the pose, holding it while you breathe in deeply into the stretch, and then exhale several times. When I was doing the last deep breath, my fingers touched the floor! Just barely – but they did!!!!! Only on one side, and only for a second, but HOOORAAAAAY!

The only other exercise I’m doing right now is sitting on the exercise ball while watching TV.  This is supposed to be good for building up my ‘core’ muscles and strengthening my balance. Since I need both, I spend some time bouncing around each evening.

I’m going right now to do my yoga sessions.

Hope YOUR day is good, too.

 

 

 

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October 18, 2016 · 12:33 pm

Move it!

ellipticalmachine-yourellipticals-com

yourellipticals.com

Yesterday I did pretty well on getting my body moving.  I started with 15 minutes on the elliptical trainer in the garage. (I took it easy because I had sore muscles from helping my husband put up another raised bed planter in the garden the day before. ) This low impact exercise is good for me because it’s easy on my joints and encourages range of motion.

 

 

ex-askthetrainer-com

AskTheTrainer.com

I had my first session with my exercise ball. It was pretty pathetic. I kept trying – but failed – to quit picturing myself trying to use this new tool. I had as much or more trouble getting ON the ball in the right position without falling off as I did trying to do whatever the exercise was. I wallowed a lot, but persevered.  The biggest problem was when my husband came in, took one look at me and laughed. (GRRRR!) I then offered to share my workout with him and he left. :0)

I have a few sore muscles this morning, having used different ones that I apparently do doing ANYTHING else. I figure, though, that my TRYING to do each of the exercises will result – eventually – in improvement. To say I have a long way to go is a vast understatement, but I AM moving.

The combination of the elliptical and the exercise ball seems to be a good one. I’ll try to do this a couple of times per week. The alternate days I’ll try to concentrate on my strength exercises with weights and stretching.

I’m trying to take breaks from whatever else I’m doing and MOVE – either exercising or walking out to the garden, or….

Wish me luck. I’m lucky enough to continue to get older each day so far. I’d LIKE to think I’m getting better than I’ve been in a long time.

 

taolife.com

taolife.com

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October 12, 2016 · 11:51 am

Getting the Lard Off Progress (?) Report – 10/12/2016

On our vacation last week, we stopped at fast food places while we were on the road to get something to eat. We ate quickly, went to the bathroom, and got on the road again. While we were in Thibodaux, we ate well, and Murray and John were really good about showing my husband and me how he could stay away from sugar, and any carbs I ate were my own choice. After coming home, we decided to finish out the week eating things we had missed while we were being good; i.e., spaghetti casserole and Texas toast; KFC meal with mashed potatoes, cole slaw, and the glorious biscuit; etc.

The result is that my husband LOST weight while I gained. His sugar count was up and my scale yelled at me, pleading for mercy.

scale-reddit

Monday morning we got serious again about controlling our eating. We have agreed that our one-scoop-of-ice-cream-in-a-cup at Braum’s after bowling on Monday nights is the only dessert we will have, other than an occasional OUTSHINE fruit bar if we really need it. I’m trying to go back to the basics on my low carb lifestyle, concentrating on eating beef, poultry, fish and low carb veggies. I’m also trying to get back to my exercising, though so far, only my intentions have been good.

Today I’ve found the exercise instruction sheet that came with my new exercise ball. There are 9 different exercises listed:

  • abdominal crunches while lying on your back on the ball
  • oblique crunches, where you lie on your side on the ball, then use your core muscles (assuming you HAVE some) to straighten up, doing it 8 to 12 times on each side.
  • push ups, with your feet up on the ball and your hands on the floor
  • push ups, with your feet on the floor behind you and your elbows or hands on the ball
  • overhead squat with twist
  • Leg lunge – leg behind you on the ball, then bending the opposite knee and coming back up
  • bridge leg lifts – feet on ball while lying on your back. Lift body off the floor while extending one leg up toward the ceiling.
  • Leg raises – Standing up while holding the ball. Lean forward while lifting one leg as far up behind yourself as possible.
  • Fold yourself into a paper airplane and fly across the room
dumpaday.com

dumpaday.com

 

So far – I’m intimidated. I think I’ll go do my elliptical (hoping for 30 minutes) and then try ONE of the exercises with the ball.  I can tell I need these exercises, but I’ll work into them slowly so I don’t fall on my head.

SO –

I’m determined to get the weight off that I gained last week plus get started again with my exercises. Hopefully, I’ll can report good progress next week.

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September 21, 2016 · 11:02 am

Progress Report – Getting the Lard Off – 9/21/2016

taolife.com

taolife.com

I’m still on the ‘Plateau from Hell,’ as far as weight and inches go, (46 pounds and 23-1/2 inches off) but I freely admit that I’ve been eating more carbs than I should for the past week. My husband was really hungry for a few things, and I had put him off because they weren’t on my low-carb foods. I finally decided to indulge, since I didn’t want to prepare two separate meals for us. I think we’re now at the end of his really strong requests. He’s happy and so am I. :0)

He’s cutting WAAAAY back on sugar. This is a really good thing and I’m trying to encourage him every way I can. There are a lot of good recipes that are low carb AND low sugar, so we should be good for the near future.

 

I’ve been made newly aware, lately, of my age. This is mainly due to my trying to do two miles walking with annoying Leslie every day PLUS either upper or lower body strength exercises. I messed myself up, paying the price with several days where I felt 90+ years old. I decided to try a different approach.

I’m now doing the elliptical trainer for 30 minutes Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

yourellipticals.com

yourellipticals.com

 

On Tuesdays and Thursdays I’m doing both upper and lower body strength exercises with 5 lb. weights. (several different exercises, 3 sets of 8 reps each)

 

 

I also got an exercise ball that is now aired up and ready for me.

One of my good friends has one. She says she’s sitting on it while watching TV, bouncing. Isn’t that a wonderful mental picture? It makes me smile. She has to keep her balance in order to do this, so that involves lots of muscles.

The ball also comes with a chart of exercises I can add things as I want. I’m planning to do the ball stuff a little at a time on days I’m doing the strength exercises.  I can really use the emphasis on balance. This plan, along with just being aware that I need to keep moving (I carry a pedometer in my pocket),  hopefully will prove a good combination for me.

 

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