Welcome to the new Exercise thread!! Let's get some sweating going so we don't look so lumpy in those shorts! Of course the point is good health first and foremost, but if looking good in shorts and not sitting in the shade sweating in long pants is motivating to you.. Go for it!!

I'm walking 2.25 miles a day, six times a week. I fit into shorts from last year, but barely.. yikes.. I better get movin'

My plan for June exercise is to bike ride every day after work. Working my way up to 10 miles, by then I can bike ride to work (9.5 miles one way) in the morning every day and boy, oh, boy will my legs and butt look great! Today is the first day for a one mile ride!!!!!

I'm all about the sandals but the shorts are going to have to wait awhile!!
Did the gym today - 40 minutes of cardio. Also walked around town alot, maybe an hour or so. Not a bad start to the month

SHERRY - Thanks for setting me up with the fitness websites. The STUMPTUOUS one was useful and humorous. I did my first squat today without pain for the first time ever. So, thank you, thank you, thank you!

Angela

Hi.. Shorts and sandals, huh... well I think they are both going to have to wait quite awhile.

This is my second post on Sonoma's exercise thread. I pretty much follow a MediterrAsian plan but would also like to be a part of Sonoma's exercise support group. If it is ok.. Sherry invited us over in early May.

I need a lot of help getting a strenght training routine under way. I also plan on dusting off my bike. I just might find that I remember how.

Welcome, Jayde! Glad to see you here! I give this group of ladies much credit for my continued exercise. It's very motivating and inspiring to read what others are doing. I started weight training by following the routine in Pamela Peeke's Body for Life for Women. There is also a lot of great info on this website: http://www.stumptuous.com/cms/index.php.

Angela, great start to the month and congrats on doing squats with no pain! What a difference good form makes, huh? Doing proper squats has really strengthened my knees and I no longer have any problems with them. May be able to run some day!

Welcome, kristine! As you can see by my signature, I also am a bike rider and love it. It's something I do with hubby and sometimes it's our only "quality time" together.

Welcome, purplepansy! Doing all that walking, you'll be in those shorts soon.

As for me, I'm ready for sandals but not sure about shorts. Always keep my toes pedicured because in So. Cal. ya just never know when it will turn warm. Last summer's shorts are actually too big for me now (yay!!) but I am still having issues with my huge thighs. This last 15-20 pounds I want to dump must be all in my thighs ...

Today I did a lower-body weight workout. Like my upper-body workout, I did two exercises per body part, three sets per exercise, and with each set I decreased the reps but increased the weight. On many of these lower body exercises, the low weight/high rep set is my body weight only. I have to increase veerrry slowly or I can't walk for days after. Abs and lower back are solely body weight.

Hope the other regulars are exercising but haven't posted yet.

Well I dont do shorts!! But I do capris, and skirts, so its important, that I keep those calves toned! :-) Took the stairs again. Back in the running group Saturday!!

I'm ready for shorts (not that I'll ever get to wear them if the current weather here is any indication!) because I actually really like my legs. But the feet, well, crocodile skin comes to mind! My heels are awful. Time to break out the pumice stone! I have a whirlpool bath for my feet that I keep meaning to dig out of the closet for use after all my power walking. It should help soften my feet up as well as soothe them.

I can feel myself getting stronger, even with these new, heavier weights. I didn't know it was okay to drop the number of reps you do when you increase weight so I just kept up with the same 20 reps I had been doing with lighter dumbbells. Then, when I did find that out, I was already a few days into the new routine and felt that dropping down the reps would be a step backwards so I kept on. I'm kind of glad now but man, it does kick butt!

Today, I'm going to an Egyptian dance class put on by the local nursery. They were offering a range of classes for families while kids are out of school (it's half-term) so I signed me and my 2 year old up. She loves to bellydance with me at home so I thought she'd have a good time at a class, too. I dunno how serious it's gonna be, probably not very but I mostly wanted to go to see if I could find a class that was closer than the one I currently (sporadically) attend. Ah well, speaking of which, I need to go dust off the belly scarves.

The weights will have to wait until I get back because I just noticed the time! How do I lose track like that? Dumn Internet!

I'm back from the class. What a blast! Turns out, I was the only one there so I got 2 hours of one on one instruction! She helped me perfect a move I've always had trouble with as well as gave me some awesome pointers about some of my other moves. Plus, she taught me an entire (advanced!) dance! Granted, there's lots of repetition but still, a whole dance! Now I just have to find the music online somewhere so I can keep practicing it. I'm so pumped. Every time I get to bellydance, I always think I can't keep letting it fall by the way but I always do. My daughtr had a good time, as well. I tied one of my smaller hip scarves around her waist and she stood between us, mimicking the moves. How adorable!

Now, for the weights...

Sherry - I'm with you on the big thighs! That's me too! I really don't do shorts unless they're for exercise. I wear capri's instead -- nowadays all the shorts seem to be short shorts and with my 20 pound thighs that just doesn't look good! But I'm all about the sandals, flip-flops are the best!


I'm about to leave for my 2 mile jog & walk. We adopted a new dog and boy! does she pull when we take her for a walk. Yesterday I did my free weight/strength training. I am finally in the 130's this week. I'm going to try my hardest not to let it creep back up to 140!


Got to remember to drink lots of water! WATER, WATER, WATER!!!

Have a great day everyone!

Went swimming tonight. Was a short swim; only went 800 yards. But wanted to do that distance quickly and without stopping.

We're planning a bike ride tomorrow morning, but probably not another 27-miler.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

I have to admit to still having a difficult time getting my enthusiasm up for working out this week. I have been wondering what is going on with my body and lack of energy.

Well, this morning I woke up and was very congested and my neck hurt. It seems that I have done exactly what Sherry was doing in the beginning. I over trained and my body finally caught up with me.

Funny thing is that when I read all those posts about overdoing it, I didn't think it would happen to me.

Thursday and Friday both, were so difficult that I could barely do my three miles on the treadmill. However, I did them, but no weights. I dragged myself out of the gym both days.

This weekend I am going to lay low, however, I do want to take a walk in the forest for healing purposes, but I will go slow.

Hopefully, this cold or whatever I have will be gone, and my energy will be back.

Sherry thanks for the link on weight training. I just looked at it and it looks awesome.

Angela, great job on the squats. I hate them! But I do them.

Mummy Tummy~Would love to belly dance. It has always interested me. Have you heard of Tribal Dance? It is quite like belly dancing.

Have a great weekend and see you all on Monday.

~Cate

Yeah, tribal bellydance is awesome. I've gone to a couple of classes. It's like caberet bellydance's darker, goth sister!

Today is my day off, just resting and relaxing and trying to keep a lid on my eating. For some reason, I am wanting to toally pig out!

I hope you feel better soon, Cate. Whatever else you do, take that walk in the woods. You need the healing energies of Mother Earth right now more than anything else!

It's great to see everyone's still in the swing of things! Cate, a little rest can be just the cure for a worn out body. You've been working it hard so don't beat yourself up over a break! The trick is to stick with it

Sherry and Mummy Tummy - you both have sun FUN workouts! Dancing or getting to feel like part of nature both make excercise so much more enjoyable. I love anything that actually take place outside a gym. How I wish I had a pool sometimes, swimming is my favorite.....

Well, i had a 'light' day. The weather was so gorgeous I just couldn't drag myself into the gym. I went on a 1 hour walk instead and played some frisbee. It was PERFECT.

Have a great weekend!!

Ah Cate, I feel for you. Having been there, I would advise against rushing back into exercise next week, though gentle activities like walking and yoga would probably be perfect. Take care and give yourself time to heal.

Mummy_Tummy, your bellydancing class sounds like a lot of fun. And what a great way to exercise and spend time with your daughter simultaneously.

Angela, your light day sounds like a lot of fun!

Today we took a short bike ride, about 13 miles. Was so hot and sticky this morning that I'm glad we didn't go any farther. I thought I'd get my bronze award today but I'm 10 points away!!! It's a total of 20,000 so I'm sooo close. Much as I was tempted to "cheat" so I could get it today, will just have to wait till tomorrow; we are riding bikes along the beach.