....or is it?

What's your most recent exercise story?

What kind of exercise do you do? How do you get yourself to exercise? What are your challenges about exercising? Do you keep track of your daily exercise? What helps-hurts?

Lynn

I had an aerobic program (using the Elliptical) built for me. The last 10 weeks, the program involved fairly strenous workout for about 55 minutes on 3 days/week. My machine would indicate about 450 calories burned in the 55 minutes.

I just got my new program & it is VERY strenous workout for 30 minutes on 3 days/week. According to my machine, I burned only 350 calories during this workout. More per minute, but less total.

So, now I need to add some more exercise to my Elliptical days. I'm thinking of taking advantage of the beautiful weather & adding some walking in a hilly park nearby.

Lynn

I have a back problem and it's very hard for me to exercise, even walk long distances. It seems to be better the last few weeks and I am starting back slowly. I'm still afraid to push it. I talked to our rehab doctor about it and he said you just have to work around your problems. Guess I knew that already but maybe needed to hear someone else say it. I do work out with my weights every other day. They make such a difference for me. Every little bit of muscle you gain helps.

So, I guess I'm trying to say, do what you can. You will feel better and look better. Toned arms in tops that show them off is it's own reward!

Exercise is not something I actually look forward to every day. I do the eliptical - usually about 45 minutes -, walk, and lately have been swimming. Just did a water aerobics class at the Y and did laps afterwards. Also try to do strength training, but it's not my favorite.
Lyn

Hi Lyn,

We are SOOOO on the same page. I do the eliptical every other day - really look forward to it. (I was doing about 55 minutes at around 130 heartbeats/minute - program just changed to about 30 minutes at around 145 heartbeats/minute). I use the wt machines every other day & really have to make myself get there - especially since I hurt my shoulder.

Lynn

Thought I'd join in ~ I am ashamed to say that my exercise is kind of haphazard because of my work schedule, tiredness and aches and pains. But I hope to try to be better at it. They say that the key to doing it is to find something that you enjoy doing. For me I think that would be swimming. There is a neighborhood pool, maybe I will get a pool pass and see if I can do that more often. I was reminded that you can also walk in the water for good resistence/easy on the joints exercise. I also sort of enjoy bike riding and have done that some.

I was sharing with my brother-in-law who is a Dr. that I was frustrated with myself ~ I want to exercise and know I need to do it and know I would feel better if I could get to doing it, but because of my tiredness and aches and pains, sometimes I am simply too tired to care if I do it or not. My brother-in-law said that he tells his patients that when they are faced with something overwhelming ~ to remember that the only way to eat an elephant is one bit at a time. That seemed encouraging to me. I sort feel a new hope.

Exercise is not one of those things I really look forward to each day but I started again the beginning of March. It really helps me lose weigh. I started jogging around my house and now, as of last week, I'm doing it outside every other day. And today I started a circuit workout similar to "Curves."

like the slim me said above, walking hurts me because of arthiritis in my feet, but I have just begun some pilates and will move on from there! I also looked up some excersizes to strenghen the feet so maybe this will help

Hi Gayle,

The trick for me (recommended by someone on this site) is to make it a routine. I semi-wake up, drive to gym, stop on the way to get a cup of coffee so I will totally wake up, do my exercise, drive home, shower, and start the rest of my day. If I don't do it first thing, it gets more and more difficult for me to make myself get going.

I'd REALLY like to find a way to get myself doing some more exercise at night. Any ideas?

Lynn

My daughter is losing weight and excercising and she says the same thing, you have to make a start and keep doing it no matter what

I definitely do so much better in the morning. If I leave it too late it becomes quite a chore trying to fit it in. I'm also too tired if I leave it too late.

Pixiesue, what kind of exercises did you find to strengthen your feet? I'm sure mine are arthritic. I can hardly stand on them some days.

Does anyone have ideas to help with will power to get up and walk in the am.
I have the time but I don't have the motivation I guess. I always enjoy my walk and I am always glad if I do walk but am really lazy about exercise.
If I wait til evening it is worse because I am tired.
I used to walk with my dog and now she has a knee injury and cannot go for the long walks.
Anybody want to be walking accountability partners. I need a mean partner
that is going to tell me I am being lazy and I need to get off my behind.

Reuters Health

Wednesday, April 23, 2008


NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Keeping the heart fit with aerobic exercise may also boost older adults' brainpower, a research review suggests.

In an analysis of pooled data from previous clinical trials, researchers in the Netherlands found that when healthy adults older than 55 improved their fitness through aerobic exercise, there was also often an improvement in memory, attention or other mental abilities.

The findings appear in the Cochrane Library, a publication of the Cochrane Collaboration, an international organization that evaluates medical research.

Aerobic exercise is any activity, such as brisk walking, that gets the heart rate up and improves endurance, over time. This type of exercise has proven benefits for the heart.

At the same time, research has linked regular exercise to better cognitive function in older adults -- but it has not been clear whether this is related specifically to aerobic exercise and gains in cardiovascular fitness.

To investigate, Dr. Maaike Angevaren and colleagues at the University of Applied Sciences in Utrecht reviewed 11 clinical trials conducted in the U.S., France and Sweden that involved a total of 670 adults older than 55.

Some studies tested the effects of aerobic exercise against no exercise only; others also included comparison activities, like flexibility or strength training, or social activities.

In eight of these studies, the researchers found, participants who engaged in aerobic exercise showed an average improvement in their fitness levels. That improvement coincided with gains in certain measures of mental acuity.

Still, it's not clear that the improved physical fitness bestowed the benefit, according to Angevaren and her colleagues. When the researchers excluded non-exercisers from the analysis, there was no consistent evidence that aerobic exercise was more beneficial than other forms of exercise.

"It needs to be established whether the same effects can be achieved with any type of physical exercise," Angevaren said in a statement.

However, she also pointed to reasons why aerobic exercise, or improved cardiovascular fitness in particular, would benefit the brain.

"Improvements in cognition as a result of improvements in cardiovascular fitness are being explained by improvements in cerebral blood flow, leading to increased brain metabolism which, in turn, stimulates the production of neurotransmitters and formation of new synapses," Angevaren explained.

Neurotransmitters are chemicals that carry messages between nerve cells, and synapses are the connections through which this communication takes place.

Improved cardiovascular fitness may also protect the brain by lowering the risks of heart disease and stroke, Angevaren said. Cardiovascular disease is known to contribute to problems with mental function.

SOURCE: Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, online April 16, 2008.

Hi Nancy,

I need a partner to get me walking also. Up in the sticky area, there is a thread titled, "Daily Accountability - April." The people posting on that thread update their original post every day & report on progress. How about you and I keep track of our walking on that thread? Just post a message on the thread with your walking goal & then everyday, edit that original message & report on your progress.

Lynn

Ladyinweighting ...that is a great idea...
I think I will just have a goal to do at least 15 minutes for now...that way if I am tempted to not walk I can at least do that much. Then I will up my goal.
My daughter will be here for 10 days and she is a great motivator. I over
analyze walking outside or at the YMCA and end up doing neither.