I’m trying to keep up my New Year’s resolution of exercising, but I’m struggling! I can’t easily leave the house to participate in classes or go to the gym, and I don’t have anyone to encourage me or hold me accountable for exercising at home.
I know I’m not the only one feeling like this! Would anyone else like to become long-distance workout buddies on this website?
- What motivates you to exercise?
- What are your goals?
- What exercise activities do you enjoy or find work the best for you?
If you’re interested, let’s encourage each other and share our accomplishments. Maybe this will help motivate positive change in our lives.
Tonight my sister I share caregiving with took the reins after being away today, and I went for a nice long walk to a nearby park, where I could go on a little mini-hike and see some sun-tipped clouds at sunset.
Hiking/walking in nature is my favorite exercise. I've never tried barre, but I used to love yoga B.C.(Before Caregiving). I might go back to trying to go to a weekly class again, for the structure a class gives. Having a set time when you HAVE to stretch and breathe is great. The $$$ is a factor. I have had a wonderful yoga teacher for several years who has urged me to come back to her class without paying, but of course I feel weird about doing that.
JuliaRose, what exercise are you planning to do at home? Exercise tapes? YouTube exercise? Old-school calisthenics? Dancing to a favorite song?
No more excuses for me. That's why I started this thread. I have to exercise, but again I let today slip by without moving! (unless you count showering my hubby and commode transfers...)
Here are the reasons I want to exercise: I'm still in my 30s, but my muscles are very tight and my shoulder and hip joints are starting to hurt. I also have poor posture probably due to weak back muscles. Plus, a big eye opener has been watching over the last 5 years the toll of not exercising on the human body and mind. It is scary to see the muscles waste away. I don't want that to happen to me.
I OWE it to Myself to not let my life pass me by, but to treat my body and mind well. I'm great at making plans, but execution is the key...
Here are my ideas:
- 2 days a week, walk outside for 20 minutes (I do this already)
- One day a week, go to the gym. Ideally, Tuesdays (as if I can schedule anything)
- 2 days a week, do a Zumba video
- 2 days a week ... I'm not sure. If I had an elliptical at home, I'd do that. Any ideas?
I tried to start the mornings with a 10-minute stretching Pilates video each morning. I noticed improvement in my tight muscles and joints, but then I stopped for no reason. It's so easy to stop... ugh.
Monday goal: stretch in the AM, then do zumba when convenient. I'll let you know how it goes.
What's your goal for the day?
My goal is to exercise at least 5 minutes in the morning before I start my day and 5 minutes at night before bed. Once I start exercising, I usually keep going for about 10 minutes. I've been watching self defense/martial art for fitness videos on YouTube and follow along. It helps motivate me.
Each day, I'll post here to let others know if I did or didn't exercise. I plan to weigh myself at the end of this month, and I will report how much weigh loss (hopefully not gain) since the last time I got on the scale (end of November).
Lets get healthy!!!
This is great! Wish all caregivers really devoted some time to do something for THEM. And although I know exercising is not necessarily pleasurable ( ‘me’ time should ideally be enjoyable) it brings so many benefits to our physical and mental health.
So here is what I started doing about two weeks ago since I get up early anyway and after all my morning to-dos here in the house and for my mom are completed, I go to the gym and do cardio first (the elliptical), which I find is the most difficult part, so I like to get it done with first 😆. And I create imaginary competition, for example once I calculate I have been on the elliptical for about ten minutes I look for someone that is just starting and say to myself: I’ll keep doing it for ten minutes extra after he or she finishes; or I compete with the calories burned, since I can see others machines, I try to burn more calories than others doing it for the same amount of time I am.
Call me crazy but it motivates me and keeps me engaged..and entertained! Oh, and I watch TV so I’m not only focused on the exercise or on how tired I am, normally The Big Bang Theory or Friends...and I know that after one and a half shows I will be done! Lol I do it for about 35 minutes.
Then I work on my abs with two different machines, I think in total I do about five series of ten in one and three series of ten in the other. Then I do arms and legs. So I try to work on all areas.
Im also modifying how I eat, cutting down carbs and sugar almost to nothing, and having a very complete lunch -healthy but yummy, made by me- and no dinner. So far I have lost about 7 pounds, but my goal is to lose more, so I definitely appreciate this idea to motivate each other and to keep ourselves honest! Thank you Julia, and will keep in touch! Good luck with your exercising plan and let’s do it!!!
As for myself, I completed my morning pilates... It's a nice video by the seaside, not too rigorous like many of the videos. Cwillie, I agree that many are too intense. Maybe you'd like this video, too: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eZTnGRulqo
Hard to believe that 20 minutes of exercise a day can change your life and make you less likely to get diabetes, high blood pressure, etc!
So I have been eating healthy. Started riding my exercise bike for about 2 hours every night after Mom goes to bed.
Today I got good cardio and strength training in cutting, splitting and stacking wood. :)
I want to start my exercise Dvd next Monday, that is when I can begin to set aside the time. It is called power 90, it has cardio and strength training, and I have done it before and had great results. So I am desperate to get back in the shape I was bc.
Best wishes everyone, we can do this. YES WE CAN!! Right? :)
My A1C level is at borderline at last year's test. I intend to lower it this year and stay within the normal range,
I live in the Midwest. It was 20 below zero last week, then snowed, now an ice storm. Getting outside is hit and miss. I go to the Y and do the treadmill, and just enrolled in a 6-week Tai Chi class. Other than that, each morning I take a few minutes to stretch, breathe and do light weight lifts. Maybe it's my age or just stress, but about a year ago I woke up with aches and pains in my joints I've never felt before and knew I had to do something for myself.
I have a pretty good walking routine going already, so my current exercise goal is to get back into a bit of strength training to build muscle: squats, push-ups and using the pro-quality kettle bell from the kettle bell class I used to take a couple of years ago.
My problem is that I completely forget to do any strength training except for times when I can't do it (for example, right during or after a meal, about to go to bed when my body needs to wind down, etc.). I need to try to link it to a walk or some other activity. . .
If you like beginner zumba, I found the dancers very sweet and full of positivity that wasn’t fake on this video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRkNfdlm5Qs.
Ginger, that’s so true about keeping positive even if you miss a few days or run into difficulty. Just get back into it.
Snoopy, I do the same with bad timing!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSr7HPikHog
That video... 😄
I haven’t done anything yet today, but plan to after dinner. I have to keep it up and meet the 7 day challenge, right PolarBear?
The hard thing is now it’s 10:20, and I had no chance to exercise nor do my schoolwork today. (I teach) Should I pass today? I still have a few hours until my usual bedtime. I think I’ll look for a 15 minute stretch video. That’s the best I can do!
When I'm short on time, I do my exercise right before going to sleep, for about 5 minutes. I do 10 sit ups in bed, it gets my heart pumping, I rest, then do 10 more. Then I do the leg lifting, maybe 10 repetitions and 10 more, then call it the day. It usually takes less than 5 minute total, but it gets my heart rate up.
15 minutes is good if you can find the time. What I find is that I only want to commit to a minimum of 5 minutes, then if I want to I can continue, and I usually do. So, if I can't do more than 5, I don't feel so guilty.
I split more wood today for my cardio. Plus doing my 2 hour bike ride. Trying to get some time to do sit ups and pushups and weights. I really try and get a work out in whatever I have to do for the day.
Don't forget to be drinking your water. I probably drink over a gallon a day. But, I like water. People get dehydrated in winter as well as summer. Your muscles need that water.
I am way more boring than ya'll.
Keep up the good work.