Summer's Arrival

For many, summer begins with the Memorial Day weekend at the end of May.

For those with children, summer arrives on the the last day of school.

Others will count the July 4th celebration as their start even though the calendar tells us it is June 21st.

In our house this year, summer arrived today, on June 11th.

It usually arrives for us much earlier - sometime in May, but it got off to a later start this season.

Perhaps it was the extra cold winter that lingered longer in the bones, or perhaps just another year older all together.

We thought maybe yesterday would be the day, but I'm glad we waited for today.

It was perfect.

We had the sun, the wind a little stronger than we would have liked, and just a few other people around.

But we got right in with no problems and had our first swim at the lake for this season.

Let the Summer Begin!

A Different Yoga Routine

My yoga routine has not changed much in the the last three years.

And it is too easy to get comfortable with one's favorite workout.

Not to mention that with fifty quickly approaching, I am not going to try something too difficult that would easily throw a shoulder, hip, or knee out of commission.

As I was browsing the apps that were available on my new laptop, I came across one I thought looked interesting.

After checking it out and reading the reviews, I downloaded it.

There are several routines, each aimed at different areas, and it includes three levels within each one for difficulty.

I have tried quite a few of them, finding my limitations as well as the ones that are too easy.

The flows are great, and much to my dismay at first, I find I like the animated lady as well.

The instructions are clear and precise as are the movements of the animated instructor.

I am really enjoying my new yoga routine.

But I must remember to switch it up sometimes - its's good all the way around!

Back to the Lake

We are back to our daily swims at the lake.

It has been over a month now, and the water has warmed up considerably since we first began swimming this season.

Even though it has been quite a rainy summer so far, it hasn't slowed us down.

The fog and raindrops that seem to "fall up" from dropping in the water make the swims a great experience still.

We just make sure to keep an ear tuned for thunder and an eye for the lightening - getting fried while swimming is not in the plan.

It didn't take long for us to get back into going along the lines - keeping our "old fogies" pace helps a lot.

It feels so good to be back to our swimming -and we intend to enjoy every minute of it too!

From Swimming to Walking

We knew it had to end.

Our daily swims at the lake have been over for about three weeks now.

Last year we made it into October, but this year it just wasn't possible - the weather didn't cooperate at all.

Last year I picked up yoga to replace the swimming, and I have stuck with it right through the whole year.

I miss the swimming, but joining the Y or a fitness club is just out of our reach at this time.

So, my husband tells me, "I would like to do something to replace the swimming"

Knowing that Yoga was not for him, I began to think.

We needed something we could do that didn't cost us anything.

Something close to home would be great too.

And nothing too hard - I didn't want him to quit before he began.

Walking was the just the ticket.

We figure a good 40 minute walk a couple of times a week would get us started.

Of course, the weather has been cooperating perfectly so far.

But I know it will get colder - New England can be counted on for that.

But hopefully by then it will have become such a desired thing that we won't let it bother us.

Fingers are crossed!

Yoga in the Morning

We have been very busy lately, and my yoga routine has been taking a back seat.


With the heat, swimming was naturally to choice to go with for exercising.


When it was cooler, I would go through a small yoga routine right after the swim, but that hasn't been the case for the past couple of weeks.


I have been lucky to eek out about one routine each week.


So, I decided to try doing a routine this morning instead of the weights and lifts that I usually do before breakfast.


It felt really good to do them, but I will say, it was a bit rougher getting through the routine.


By late afternoon, all the muscles are well stretched out from the day's activities - especially after swimming.


No so in the morning.


But I think I will stick with them off and on in the AM, alternating them with the weights just so I can keep the routine up.


Then once the swimming is over for the season - which hopefully won't be for a couple of months - I will get back to doing them in the afternoons like before.

Yoga is Breathing Too

It is not just all exercise.


Yoga combines exercise with meditation, relaxation, and breathing.


It all works together to deliver a well rounded regimen.


It is all very progressive.


It isn't something that you notice right off in your daily life either.


It sneaks up on you over time, then you begin to notice the benefits in some of your daily activities.


And then there are times when it really hits you how far you have come.


Much of the breathing has become quite routine with the yoga positions and exercises.


Without thinking about it, you pretty much know how to breathe when new exercises are introduced.


The deep breathing when stretching really expands the lungs.


This breathing helps to build stamina that you can feel.


It makes many of the internal organs function with more ease as they are supplied with rich oxygenated blood.


It struck me how far I have come with the breathing when I took my first swim this year.


No out of breath for me.


And something else that I could be imagining, but I swear I noticed - I floated better.


Perhaps the lungs have expanded to hold more air that makes me more buoyant.


Probably crazy, I don't know, but I do know I certainly feel a lot better because of my yoga breathing!

Adjusting the Weights

There has been an increase in the weights that I lift in the mornings.


Previously, the sets were done with 5, 8, and 10 pound weights.


The fives were way too easy and the tens were doable without overdoing it.


I have some adjustable ones, and I fixed them up with what I had available.


The sets are now done with 8, 11, and 14 pounders.


The first two are not much of a change and I can handle the whole sets of reps.


But the last set of reps with the 14 pounders are going to take some building up too.


Some of the lifts I can do the whole set of eight.


But some of them, especially the ones extended from the body, I am lucky to get even five or six reps before I have to move on to different lifts.


From what I have been reading though, if it is too easy to do them, then they need to be increased.


Well, it should burn more calories when I use those heavy one, bu it is going to take some time to get to where i need to bee.


But that is a good thing - it's making the muscles work and I haven't felt any soreness from the increase.

Strengthen the Core

My son will soon have a college degree in Exercise Science.


He has learned so much these past two years about health and fitness, and he passes on some of what he has learned to us.


His main exercise mantra is to "Strengthen the Core".


When the muscles around the pelvis and trunk are in shape, they work together to get the most out of the rest of the exercises we do including walking and daily activities.


The back and spine also benefit as does one's posture.


And the best part about doing these exercises, it doesn't take any special equipment or gym memberships.


Several different ones can be found online, and they can be done right at home - no expenses required.


They will help to avoid back pain and muscle injuries.


And as one ages, these things happen much easier.


So when he walks by me exercising - I get the advice:


"Strengthen the core, Ma" - it is one of the best things you can do.


And, he is right - it does feel so much better with a sense of well being as I stretch and perform those "other" exercises.

Being Accountable

It is paying off.


Being accountable for all that I eat is working.


I have lost two pounds over the last couple of weeks by using my calorie and exercise counter in my smartphone.


The first week or so I put everything in with no regard to what I was eating.


I was learning the servings and seeing how everything added up.


Then I started to pay attention to what I ate.


And pay attention to all the food contents - the fats, sugars, and carbs as well as the calories.


And when you are honestly accountable for everything that you eat - quantity and serving size, you begin to see results.


I like that if you want something with a bit more calories than usual, then you just do more exercise to offset it.


The calories burned while working out are taken into account in the calculations the program makes.


It makes you accountable for the food you eat as well as gets you motivating to do some exercise.


It a very positive thing, and it really works!

iPhone Apps

I have a new toy that I have become quite enthralled by


I have a new iPhone.


This is the first smartphone I have owned, and I am very impressed with what it does - although it is a bit scary that it knows so much.


I have downloaded an app called My Fitness Pal.


Man, is that thing good.


It tracks all I eat and adds up the calories, fats, sugars, fibers, carbs, proteins, and fats just by reading the bar codes with the camera on the products I eat.


All my exercise can be put in it too.


After getting a few specifics regarding weight, age, and lifestyle, it calculates the correct calories I need each day in order to loose weight.


And as I put the food in, it also gets added to the website online so I can keep track of it there too.


It really is amazing how it all works.


I will be posting more as I go along and see what I need to change in my diet and lifestyle to get those pounds off.


I can see where this little app is going to be a big help.


And to top it off - it is a free app.


It really can't get any better than that in this weight loss battle!

Yoga Update

It has been almost two months now, and I am still enjoying the Yoga exercises.


The flexibility has increased quite a bit.


And the ease of movement in doing everyday activities is an added benefit.


Many of the poses were just about impossible to attain, forget about holding them for any length of time in the beginning.


Some of them are still difficult to do, but I can see progress, and someday I hope to be able to do them.


It really does take concentration to keep one's balance at times, but I can feel the strength building in many areas - the ankles, knees, and arms.


I have been using one particular VHS tape that runs for almost 45 minutes.


And I just about have it down pat now so I can do it without the tape.


I will keep looking for another one that uses some different poses, but is beyond the beginner ones that I have now.


Yoga is definitely a positive choice for a healthy lifestyle.


I recommend it!

Upped the Weights

The four pounder has been retired, and the ten pounder has taken it's place.

The reps are now done with the five, eight, and ten pound weights.

Though they are hard, they are not as bad as I thought they would be.

I did feel them the next morning.

I am glad to be back up to them, it has been a couple of years.

I will keep up with them this time, and hopefully can advance to next ones in due time!

Adding Yoga

We probably have about a month before we have to give up our swimming as our New England lake will just be too cold.

I still do my morning exercise routine, but giving up the swimming will be quite a bummer.

We love this weightless form of exercise as we glide through the water.

So I have been giving some thought to doing some Yoga when the swimming has ended.

I picked up a couple of beginner VHS tapes at the second hand store, and I will watch them before I give it a try.

I did some many years ago in high school - but the body and bones were quite a bit more limber back then.

My exercises certainly made the swimming easier this season, and I am thinking the slow, smooth movements of the Yoga will be a good thing for the winter.

I will post more as I read and learn more about it.

Hoping it is a good choice!

 

Swimming Strong

It has been quite a summer for swimming.

 

And we have only missed a couple of days so far this season.

 

We even go in the rain - just not the thunder and lightening kind of rain.

 

The weights I have been using with my arms in my morning routines has made such a difference in the swim strokes.

 

No tiring or pain in the shoulders as previous summers have brought.

 

I have been using a pair of flippers every other day now to build my legs up in the water.

 

We now swim the entire lines in the swim area at the lake - all the way down and back.

 

I would never have even dreamed of doing this years ago when I was much younger.

 

Can't believe it is such an easy task now.

 

At some point we are going to measure, on land, the distance between the beginning and end of the lines.

 

Of course, the way it is wrapped around the park, it is much more distance further out than closer to shore.

 

We'll figure it out somehow - there must be some type of mathematical equation that can come up with an answer.

 

Off for our daily swim!

 

Taking it Slow and Easy

In a previous post, I wrote about my experience the first time we went swimming this season.

Getting winded was a first for me while swimming, and it made me think about what I should be doing to build up my endurance.

Since that time, over two weeks ago, I have taken a new approach.

One can't just rush into it as one did when they were younger.

I wasn't getting tired, so that was a good thing.

My arms and legs are in better shape than they had been in any previous season - the weights I have been using have done wonders.

So, I wasn't short on strength either.

My new plan, take it slow and easy once I was totally in the water.

Swim steady with long slow strokes - no short fast ones - there is no race to get to.

And what a world of difference that has made.

I can swim a much farther distance than I ever have this early in the season - all without getting winded or tired.

Looking forward to a long summer with long swims!

 
 

No Pussy Footing Around

Our first day for swimming at the lake was on Tuesday.

We made it by the skin of our teeth to claim May for swimming.

We thought the water was going to be cold - it always is at the beginning of the season.

We made a pact on our walk down to the water's edge.

Our motto for this year:  No Pussy Footing Around.

No taking forever to get wet as we tiptoe in - just keep walking and dunk under.

That's a tall order for me - I'm one of those really slow ones, especially when it's cold.

But to our surprise - the water was absolutely gorgeous - I beat my husband in.

And by being so gung-ho, I headed for the lines per usual.

I made it and started swimming along them, but for the first time ever, I lost my breath.

I headed back so I could touch bottom and get myself back to normal.

I was so pleased with the strength in my arms and legs, I wasn't paying attention to my endurance.

I need to really work on that .

I know the swimming will help build it up, but that was a scary moment that I will not let happen again.

The exercises I have been doing all along are great, but they don't do much for stamina and endurance.

Swimming will work for the summer, but I will have to find something for the rest of the year.

 
 

Adding the Ankle Weights

You wouldn't think that adding 2 1/2 pounds per leg would be a big deal.

It certainly doesn't sound like much - my heavy winter boots have got to weigh at least that.

But when you are trying to lift those legs off the floor from a prone position, those extra five pounds are a lot.

The standing kicks and exercises are not as hard as the laying down ones.

The abs can certainly feel it too.

It's only been one day since I have used them, and I think I will put them on every other day for a couple of weeks.

Build up the muscles a bit before I slam them with everyday.

 
 

Adding in the Eight Pounder

Today was the day that the eight pound weights were added to the exercise routine. Already using the three and five pounders, that eight was quite an increase ,and I am sure I will notice it tomorrow. The hand weights are used every other day, and the legs and lower body exercises are done on the one in between. The abdominal exercises are done everyday - I read that they don't need the rest in between that the other muscles need. The crunches have increased to 80. The goal with them is 120. The goal with the weights is to eventually use the five, eight and ten pound ones. It will be a few weeks before those tens are added though - the eights are more than enough for now.  
 
 

Counts and Reps

Starting to get the count and repititions up on the exercises and weights.

For the first few weeks, the sets were only done once.

Now that the stamina has increased, doing two reps of each set is becoming easier.

I won't be able to add the third reps for another 2-3 weeks though.

I have been keeping it slow and steady over these past weeks, and that has been the secret to not getting overly sore muscles or stressed out joints.

Once I get the third set into the routine, adding weights to the ankles will be the next step.

I know that two pounds on each leg doesn't sound like much - but man they are hard to maneuver around in.

I am actually looking forward to using them though - that's a first!

Exercise Feels Good

It is always such a chore to begin them. Even thinking about them sometimes makes one come up with excuses and reasons for not doing them. Sometimes they don't even seem to be working - especially when the scale works against you too. But afterwards, after the routine has been completed - it feels really good. And when you move around during the day - the limbs don't feel quite as "heavy" or "sluggish" as they used to. You find yourself sitting straighter - not slouching. And bending over is even easier. For all these positives, that really make you feel so good, why does is seem like such a chore to begin them?