Gym is Open (Thursday 1/3)

Hi, Kix.  Did you get your job applications done?  I'm hopeful that 2008 will be the year that Kix becomes gainfully employed once again!!!   I went to the gym at lunch time and did my new strength training routine for upper body.  It's not all that different than my old routine, except it includes more core work.  I'm doing funny things called supermans and planks (see plank picture below!!!).  My trainers version of a superman is different than what I found online, but it looks pretty funny.  To those of you looking at the plank picture below and thinking "that doesn't look so tough," give it a try; your abdominal muscles and back muscles will get a good workout!    I'm also doing ab crunches on the stability ball; I haven't fallen off the ball yet, but I'm sure it will happen eventually.  Luckily, I can laugh at myself when such things happen, and since the ball is so close to the ground, I probably won't get hurt!   Anyway, that's my story.  May do some cardio at home tonight after I get dinner in the oven (pork and sauerkraut).  We'll see whether that happens (the cardio, not the pork...). Kellie

Our trainer suggested ab crunches on the stability ball too - I showed him how I do them and he said it was good but a way to make it harder was to reach for something up above you with your arms stretched up - I would crunch up and touch his hands above me.  It was sooo much harder that way ugh, and it seemed to work a higher abdominal area.  We didn't go to the gym yet today (and probably won't) but we walked a bunch at the outdoor mall here and a few stores, and we walked a nature trail at the park here - it was a little rough on the ankles with uneven stream-bed kind of paths in places, so if I do it again I'll need more support in the ankles.  The uphill was better than coming back down, I just didn't feel very safe.  The trail was 2.5 miles and add in the walking while shopping I think I did pretty good for today. 

Dunny, that's a lot of walking!  Well done!  Do you walk at a brisk pace, or just sort of mosey along? My pedometer committed suicide today.  At the end of the day (and it was an active day, too), it told me I walked 1000 steps.  HAR! Kix

When I'm walking to exercise I try to walk as fast as possible - when I am shopping I'd say I probably mosey.  I also walk slower when the ground is not even because I have bad ankles.  When I walk with my husband anywhere its good though because I have to work to keep up - damn long legs of his.

I'm hoping to work up to doing crunches with a medicine ball!  I've seen people doing crunches while holding a medicine ball in their outstretched arms over their head.  Looks pretty hard, but I'm sure I'll be able to do it eventually.  Of course, I'm not sure I'll be able to get out of bed the next morning, but such is the price for (maybe) having abdominal muscles some day!!!   If you're interested in doing more outdoor hiking, you may want to invest in a decent pair of hiking boots.  They generally have good ankle support, which is helpful on rougher terrain. 

Sounds like you're really starting to move so much better - I'm super proud of you!  Keep up your efforts :-)

Kellie

Oh yeah, he suggested the medicine ball too but I didn't try it.  I used the medicine ball for some back exercises though, and he showed my husband some back exercises on the balance ball.  We have one at home and need to blow it back up - it just takes up a lot of space in our tiny apartment.  I wish the giant exercise bike was deflatable too! 

Wow, Kellie!  I'm not brave enough to get down on the floor, mostly because I'm not sure how my knees would do in terms of getting me up off the floor.  I think that exercise looks quite hard, and I'll bet you have tight abs in no time at all. I did get my applications in (online).  One went smoothly, the other I'm not so sure about.  Their online application system blew.  What I need to do is put my federal application together online and then print it out as needed.  Hard thing is, though, if KSAs are involved, that takes a lot of writing. I saw a job posting for a tour guide at the Denver Mint.  It doesn't pay a huge hunk of money, but it sounds like fun.  However, the job description says, "Prolonged standing."  I could do the walking and the stairs, but the prolonged standing would surely cripple me. How do you do crunches on a stability ball? Kix

I can get up a lot easier now than I could even 20 pounds ago, so it definitely gets better.  I have full compression of the cartilage in both my knees, but my exercise routine has strengthened the muscles around my knee joints and I can get up from the floor much easier than I used to.   Congrats on getting the job applications done; I know what a hassle they can be.  I'm hopeful about your finding a job you really like this year!  The tour guide job sounds like a lot of fun - I remember touring the Denver Mint in 1977!  I still have the 1977 proof set I bought in the gift shop...   Doing crunches on the stability ball is easier for me than doing them on the floor.  My trainer has me sit on the edge of the ball - so you're using your leg muscles and core muscles to balance yourself.  She has me sit with my toes up against the wall for now - makes it easier to balance, and I'm less likely to fall off the ball.  I cross my arms over my chest, lean bac****il I'm lying flat on the ball, then sit back up.  You want to use your abdominal muscles to raise and lower your body, so your arms should be "still" across your chest.  Here's a link to a website that shows how to do crunches on the ball - http://exercise.about.com/od/abs/ss/abexercises_3.htm. 

My gym also has a machine for working your abdominal muscles.  It looks like a torture device (see below), but it does a good job of isolating the ab muscles.  I've been using this machine for about 10 months now, and am sure it's part of why I'm having a pretty easy transition to more aggressive ab work.     Kellie

I recognize that machine!  I use it every other day.  I'm up to 50 lb (tried 70, and all I managed to do was lift my feet up off the floor and the arm bar didn't even budge ) I'll have to read up on the stability ball.  Thanks for the link! My sister has taken the tour of the Mint, but I have not.  She said it was interesting, so I should get my backside down there and do it.   Kix

Hi Kix, 30 minutes treadmill, 15 on the bike and sat in the sauna for 10 minutes. (((hugs))) Diana