A Side Note on Exercise
Nov. 13th, 2007 12:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
neadodsI'm settling fairly well into an exercise program that I'm keeping up *most* of the time... enough to feel that it's sustainable and useful. And talk about to see if it works for anyone else. I manage to do at least 2 out of three mini-workouts every day, with the goal of doing all three at least 4 days a week.
The great thing is, most of this doesn't require special equipment. That's turning into a huge key for upkeep, not giving myself the excuse that I don't have some tchotckie I need.
Exercise Program for Fat 40-Year-Olds with Bad Knees:
Morning: 6-minute Yoga Stretches
1 - When the alarm goes off, roll to your back under the covers. Flex feet and roll ankles in each direction.
2 - Back Stretch: Bring one knee to chest, put your arms around it and pull in until you feel the small of your back and the back of your thigh stretch. Hold. Point that leg straight up for a moment. If you flex your toes back towards you, you'll get another really nice stretch down the back of your leg. Do the other leg. Now do both legs at once. This is how I get out from under the covers, one leg at a time.
3 - Neck Stretch: Sit crosslegged and roll your neck and shoulders.
4 - Heart Stretch: Put your arms behind you and arch your back, dropping your head backwards. The goal is to stretch out the spine, curving it concave.
5 - Twist: Put your right arm a little more behind you, your left hand on your right knee, twist as hard as you can to the right (turning your head too), then bring your right arm up and bend to the left. Do the other side.
6 - Butterfly Stretch: Bring the soles of your feet together and lean forward again, dropping your knees if you can. (Last picture on this page, although her posture is crap.)
7: Leg Stretch: Leaving one leg bent, straighten the other one. Fold over it, reaching for your toes. You'll feel the pull all down the back of the leg and up your back. Now switch feet.
8 - Morning Juicer: Check the "watch it now" bit on Yoga in Pajamas , because you really have to see it to grasp it. Sit crosslegged, with your hands on your knees. Start moving your ribs in a circle (your knees will come up to balance) unkinking your spine and waking yourself up.
9 - Cat/Cow: Stand up and put your hands on the side of the bed, so that your back is flat. Your legs should be straight down from your hips and your hands just barely on the bed, your arms straight down from your shoulders. Curve your head and tailbone under (cat), then flex your spine the other way (cow) a couple of times.
10 - Mutant Dog: Walk your hands a little forward and your feet a little back. Rock back on your heels so that you're salaaming against the edge of the bed, stretching your back. Now shift your weight from feet to hands, bringing your body forward but keeping your heels on the ground so the back of your legs stretches. This whole thing is a sort of mutant downward-facing dog pose, only instead of doing it all at once, you're isolating it so that you're doing the top half in one part of the exercise and then the bottom half in the other.
11 - Side Stretch: Interlace your fingers, palms toward your face. Now raise your hands over your head, palms facing the ceiling. Bend to one side, then the other, stretching all along the side of your hips and ribs.
12 - Quads: Bring one foot back to touch the buttcheek on that side. Hold your toes for a moment. This stretches the front of your leg. Do the same on the other side.
Depending on how tired I am or how many things I repeat, this runs about 6-8 minutes. The benefits are small but cumulative.
Morning/Evening/Whenever it fits in: 20+ minutes of walking. By preference, on a treadmill with headphones, although I have all the music on my iPod so I can go anywhere. I've started carrying 1-pound hand weights for part of it to raise my heart rate. I try to get in at least a mile when I'm on the treadmill, although if I'm tired or running late, I'll do what I can on the basis that's better than nothing.
Evening: 8-Minute Strength Training
I tried this with weights, but they made my joints hurt. I couldn't find a good time to do it, and finally took the suggestion to do it right before I go to bed. Boy, has THAT cured insomnia!
1 - Side/Side Jacks: A mutant, low-impact form of jumping jacks, my knees being shot to hell. Step to one side, raising your arms over your head. Step back, lowering them. Do 25 repeats as fast as you can.
2 - High Step: March in place, arms down, bringing your thigh up parallel with the floor. 25 repeats.
3 - Triceps Dip: Sit on the edge of the bed. Put your hands on the edge, scoot your butt forward and off, and basically do backwards pushups, raising and lowering your butt. Do 12.
4 - Toe Touch: Feet wide, arms out parallel to floor, touch one hand to the opposite foot, or as close as you can get. 25.
5 - Stretch & Pushups: Repeat a couple rounds of the morning cat/cow spine flex. Then walk your feet back and your hands forward and do 12 pushups off the side of the bed.
6 - Spine Stretch: Unexpected yoga! Lie on your back, hands stretched to each side. Put your knees up, feet on the mattress. Rock your knees together to one side, then the other. Rock back in the first direction, this time twisting your head in the opposite direction and extending the top leg parallel to your arms. Bring head back to start, knees back to pointing to the ceiling, then do the same stretch on the other side. This always cracks my spine.
7 - Abs: Keep your arms out to the side. With legs straight and toes pointed, lift your legs to about a 45-degree angle off the bed. Hold for a couple of moments. Put your legs down. Repeat x12. (I usually have to rest a bit between these to keep my lower back from tensing up.)
8 - Final Stretch: There's a yoga stretch called "the Goddess" - lie on your back, soles of the feet together, hands linked loosely over your head. Just relax.
9 - Shove the cats off the pillows and go to bed.
The great thing is, most of this doesn't require special equipment. That's turning into a huge key for upkeep, not giving myself the excuse that I don't have some tchotckie I need.
Exercise Program for Fat 40-Year-Olds with Bad Knees:
Morning: 6-minute Yoga Stretches
1 - When the alarm goes off, roll to your back under the covers. Flex feet and roll ankles in each direction.
2 - Back Stretch: Bring one knee to chest, put your arms around it and pull in until you feel the small of your back and the back of your thigh stretch. Hold. Point that leg straight up for a moment. If you flex your toes back towards you, you'll get another really nice stretch down the back of your leg. Do the other leg. Now do both legs at once. This is how I get out from under the covers, one leg at a time.
3 - Neck Stretch: Sit crosslegged and roll your neck and shoulders.
4 - Heart Stretch: Put your arms behind you and arch your back, dropping your head backwards. The goal is to stretch out the spine, curving it concave.
5 - Twist: Put your right arm a little more behind you, your left hand on your right knee, twist as hard as you can to the right (turning your head too), then bring your right arm up and bend to the left. Do the other side.
6 - Butterfly Stretch: Bring the soles of your feet together and lean forward again, dropping your knees if you can. (Last picture on this page, although her posture is crap.)
7: Leg Stretch: Leaving one leg bent, straighten the other one. Fold over it, reaching for your toes. You'll feel the pull all down the back of the leg and up your back. Now switch feet.
8 - Morning Juicer: Check the "watch it now" bit on Yoga in Pajamas , because you really have to see it to grasp it. Sit crosslegged, with your hands on your knees. Start moving your ribs in a circle (your knees will come up to balance) unkinking your spine and waking yourself up.
9 - Cat/Cow: Stand up and put your hands on the side of the bed, so that your back is flat. Your legs should be straight down from your hips and your hands just barely on the bed, your arms straight down from your shoulders. Curve your head and tailbone under (cat), then flex your spine the other way (cow) a couple of times.
10 - Mutant Dog: Walk your hands a little forward and your feet a little back. Rock back on your heels so that you're salaaming against the edge of the bed, stretching your back. Now shift your weight from feet to hands, bringing your body forward but keeping your heels on the ground so the back of your legs stretches. This whole thing is a sort of mutant downward-facing dog pose, only instead of doing it all at once, you're isolating it so that you're doing the top half in one part of the exercise and then the bottom half in the other.
11 - Side Stretch: Interlace your fingers, palms toward your face. Now raise your hands over your head, palms facing the ceiling. Bend to one side, then the other, stretching all along the side of your hips and ribs.
12 - Quads: Bring one foot back to touch the buttcheek on that side. Hold your toes for a moment. This stretches the front of your leg. Do the same on the other side.
Depending on how tired I am or how many things I repeat, this runs about 6-8 minutes. The benefits are small but cumulative.
Morning/Evening/Whenever it fits in: 20+ minutes of walking. By preference, on a treadmill with headphones, although I have all the music on my iPod so I can go anywhere. I've started carrying 1-pound hand weights for part of it to raise my heart rate. I try to get in at least a mile when I'm on the treadmill, although if I'm tired or running late, I'll do what I can on the basis that's better than nothing.
Evening: 8-Minute Strength Training
I tried this with weights, but they made my joints hurt. I couldn't find a good time to do it, and finally took the suggestion to do it right before I go to bed. Boy, has THAT cured insomnia!
1 - Side/Side Jacks: A mutant, low-impact form of jumping jacks, my knees being shot to hell. Step to one side, raising your arms over your head. Step back, lowering them. Do 25 repeats as fast as you can.
2 - High Step: March in place, arms down, bringing your thigh up parallel with the floor. 25 repeats.
3 - Triceps Dip: Sit on the edge of the bed. Put your hands on the edge, scoot your butt forward and off, and basically do backwards pushups, raising and lowering your butt. Do 12.
4 - Toe Touch: Feet wide, arms out parallel to floor, touch one hand to the opposite foot, or as close as you can get. 25.
5 - Stretch & Pushups: Repeat a couple rounds of the morning cat/cow spine flex. Then walk your feet back and your hands forward and do 12 pushups off the side of the bed.
6 - Spine Stretch: Unexpected yoga! Lie on your back, hands stretched to each side. Put your knees up, feet on the mattress. Rock your knees together to one side, then the other. Rock back in the first direction, this time twisting your head in the opposite direction and extending the top leg parallel to your arms. Bring head back to start, knees back to pointing to the ceiling, then do the same stretch on the other side. This always cracks my spine.
7 - Abs: Keep your arms out to the side. With legs straight and toes pointed, lift your legs to about a 45-degree angle off the bed. Hold for a couple of moments. Put your legs down. Repeat x12. (I usually have to rest a bit between these to keep my lower back from tensing up.)
8 - Final Stretch: There's a yoga stretch called "the Goddess" - lie on your back, soles of the feet together, hands linked loosely over your head. Just relax.
9 - Shove the cats off the pillows and go to bed.
