The 2018 Exercise Motivation Thread

[jtbo]

Aww, thanks guys

I think a lot of it is missing the old, pre-fibro me...or even where I was at before my health got even worse

Ok. Today I have done 5 mins of yoga, a couple of chores, and (finally) built the kitties their Xmas present tree. I'm now curled up on my bed, totally physically drained I miss functioning better

That is about 5 minutes more yoga I have managed to do

Never underestimate building a Xmas present tree, that and many other common tasks can burn surprisingly many calories.

40km bike ride yesterday, weather was like this:

Also, always remember to look twice, sometimes there is a white car without lights behind the snow:

So last week was like this:
Tuesday 28km bike ride
Wednesday 26km bike ride
Thursday 26km bike ride
Friday 41km bike ride
Sunday 40km bike ride

Not that much, but conditions have been quite heavy, so legs feel quite stiff.

Today I did 1 hour easy ride and I hope to make late evening / night right now, because I need to burn off some calories.

Forecast is that feels like temperature will be -20C cold ride again, I guess.

 

[Columbine]

Thanks jtbo

Yestady I did a few chores and 10 mins of yoga. Today was 25mins cat-assisted yoga.

I'm totally exhausted from a day of jewellery making. I have to crack on and get it done though. I just wish my body was coopeating- jewellery making is hard when you're shaking...plus a reynauds attack, sore, stiff hands, dizziness and nausesa. Yoga is hard under those conditions too, but it's at least less hard on my hands and bum (tmi maybe, but it's so sore from the hardness of the chair I've been using all day). Tomorrow will be more jewellery and an x-ray on my shoulder I just feel dead right now

 

[rubysmama]

No walks for me since Friday. My knee is still achey and a bit swollen. Been keeping it elevated and putting an ice pack on it several times a day.
jtbo your videos are frightening! When does spring arrive in Finland ?!!!

Columbine cat-assisted yoga sounds like fun!

 

[Norachan]

I've been doing a lot of cat-assisted yoga too. They also decide to come over and give me head butts when I'm doing a headstand, which is there way of helping me improve my balance, I guess.



Sorry to hear about your knee rubysmama Hope it's better soon.

My hand is just about back to normal now, so I can do some more challenging yoga. 90 minutes yesterday and today.

 

[jtbo]

jtbo your videos are frightening! When does spring arrive in Finland ?!!!

I don't understand what do you mean, that IS our spring

Snowstorm and cloudless sky alternates at this time of year, most sunshine usually during this and next month, then it is more of usual grayness, except some years when we get somewhat sunny end of summer.

Our spring just throws bit of snow, rarely after mid summer festival though, but night can bring almost 1ft of snow at the week of midsummer festival.

Then again midsummer festival is at late June, when July and August are warmer months, sometimes even September, so I don't understand the point of such festival, however it is more of celebrating sun that does not set.

Or in case of Finns, yet another excuse of staying up whole night while getting intoxicated, these people are just so

In one month or so there might be dry pavement to ride on instead of ice and snow or wet pavement, but night temps are still really cold, which delays the melting, early morning one can ride on top of snow with bicycle though as sun melts snow during the day which freezes over during the night making it concrete like.


Remember one thing guys, it is not hard to push hard, what is hard is to allow yourself to take enough easy so body can recover and it is recovery time where you actually improve.

 

[rubysmama]

I've been doing a lot of cat-assisted yoga too. They also decide to come over and give me head butts when I'm doing a headstand, which is there way of helping me improve my balance, I guess.



Sorry to hear about your knee rubysmama Hope it's better soon.

My hand is just about back to normal now, so I can do some more challenging yoga. 90 minutes yesterday and today.

Glad your hand is better. My knee feels better this morning, so I might even go for a, shorter than usual, walk today.

I'm planning to start yoga soon. Actually using the Youtube links you provided Norachan and I think it may cat-assisted yoga, as last week I dug out my yoga mat just to look at it, and Ruby immediately started scratching at it. Then laying on it. Yoga should be fun!

I don't understand what do you mean, that IS our spring

LOL. Your part of Finland makes my part of Canada sound like the tropics.

 

[Columbine]

Norachan do you have any tips for headstands and arm balances? In headstand my head always seems to roll as I move even towards getting so much as one foot off the ground. Arm balances and inversions are my nemesis

I need to try and do and actual yoga video today - I'm caught up in jewellery making and neglecting my yoga as a result. I'm just too unfocused right now to do my own thing. POTS (which I've just realised I have) makes yoga flows very...uh...interesting...as I go very dizzy every time I come to standing upright. I'm working on improving my hanumanasana at the moment (or trying to), and on improving my backbends. Pre fibro I could do them, but severe back spasms and spinal/SI joint shifting have really got me tightened up. Some days, though, all I can do is a seated or floor restorative practise. I have tons of fave YouTube yoga teachers/channels.

Sorry, I'm rambling. So far I've walked round town a bit - maybe 20 mins in total, and had my x-ray (and half my hair cut off...not that that's exercise ). Jewellery this afternoon, then hopefully 30mins yoga this evening.

 

[Norachan]

Columbine I find it much easier to do a tripod headstand than a more traditional headstand where your clasped hands cradle the back of your head. I can do a cradle style headstand, but I have to do it against a wall and then move my feet away once I've found my balance.

A good way to start is with a pose known as Egg Handstand. Kneel on the yoga mat, place your head on the mat and have your hands flat on the floor so your head and hands form the three points of the tripod. Put first one knee and then the other onto the back of your arms. You can stay in this pose while you build up strength and slowly work towards straightening your legs. You're much more stable this way and even if you lose your balance you'll just do a forward roll, so it's not as scary as doing a straight legged handstand.

 

[Columbine]

Thanks Norachan . I'll try that for sure. It looks closer to crow (which I can do for a few seconds on a good day) so it may well be more managable for me...especially as I don't have any handy walls to practice on.

 

[foxxycat]

Columbine I find it much easier to do a tripod headstand than a more traditional headstand where your clasped hands cradle the back of your head. I can do a cradle style headstand, but I have to do it against a wall and then move my feet away once I've found my balance.

A good way to start is with a pose known as Egg Handstand. Kneel on the yoga mat, place your head on the mat and have your hands flat on the floor so your head and hands form the three points of the tripod. Put first one knee and then the other onto the back of your arms. You can stay in this pose while you build up strength and slowly work towards straightening your legs. You're much more stable this way and even if you lose your balance you'll just do a forward roll, so it's not as scary as doing a straight legged handstand.

Tripod is the way I did it as a kid and young adult. I used to rest my knees on back of arms then raise one leg with other bent to practice strengthening the neck muscles. Once I got one leg up I would do both. Best thing is to do a tripod against a wall-then raise your legs up and lean on wall-back facing wall.

Ok I did the gym last night- 30 min on bike. 6 miles but it doesn't count-road riding is so different than the gym even with it set at level 11.

Today broke out the bike- got to the firestation and back in 30 min. I think that was 5 miles- 2.5 or 2.6? I can't remember...two hills accomplished.

Columbine darling never ever compare to others-I envy the yoga people-I don't have patience for it-it just a different form of exercise. I just prefer to be in motion and with foot injuries I am limited to cycling-so I embraced it. Now take a deeep breathe=raise your arms over your head-while inhaling-bend your head back as you look at the ceiling-when arms at top=exhale...slowly...using your stomach to breath....that is one form of Yoga-it's beginners breathing exercises=even that will help unknot your back and neck. You can do it sitting or standing. Or even laying in bed. This is one of my favorite exercises=it really focuses on mindfulness when things hurt and one doesn't feel well. I tried to get the guys at work to practice this when they are stressed..well...guys...what can I say? They said they rather watch me exercise for them.

 

[Columbine]

Thank you foxxycat

I love your stretching breath (best way I can think to describe it) - so calming and grounding. My body is in desperate need of some yoga tonight, but I'm not sure if I can find the energy (a sleeping, snoring Asha on my lap does nothing for motivation
either ). I guess it's a case of whether motivation can win out over pain and exhaustion

 

[jtbo]

LOL. Your part of Finland makes my part of Canada sound like the tropics.

Well, you got palm trees for example...

Palm Trees In Vancouver Are Real, And They're Spectacular


Some people can't overtake, there were several today that overtook me way too close for comfort:


1 hour 40 minutes and 27.6km of bike riding today, 1294 calories did say bye bye.

 

[rubysmama]

Well, you got palm trees for example...

No palm trees. But I do have crocus's blooming.

 

[Norachan]

Thanks Norachan . I'll try that for sure. It looks closer to crow (which I can do for a few seconds on a good day) so it may well be more managable for me...especially as I don't have any handy walls to practice on.

Yes, it's pretty close to a crow pose. I sometimes incorporate both poses into a vinyassa.

So I go from Mountain pose into Chair pose, forward fold, Crow pose, tuck my head and then drop into an Egg handstand, then Tripod handstand with straight legs. Hold for a few breaths then lower my straight legs until I can drop into a chaturanga/low plank. Then up dog and down dog.

Fun fun fun!

OK, got to go and clean the house so I can start today's yoga practice.

 

[jtbo]

No palm trees. But I do have crocus's blooming.

Here is view to lake, it is dark even that was a day time


I took a little video clip from yesterday's ride, bit of sunshine, scenic countryside and lots of this:

 

[Norachan]

How did your cat assisted yoga go rubysmama ? I had to buy the cats there own yoga mat because they wouldn't leave mine alone. They still have a go at which ever one I'm using, but at least I have something I can redirect them to now.



jtbo I hear Finns are the happiest people in the world, is that true?

Finland is the happiest country in the world, says UN report

 

[jtbo]

jtbo I hear Finns are the happiest people in the world, is that true?

Finland is the happiest country in the world, says UN report

I would say it is more of that Finns are too polite to admit they are unhappy. Jeremy Clarkson had few good points on that report, actually I find quite difficult to disagree with him on anything on that and it is rare as usually I dislike that person a lot, but on this he really nails it well:
Jeremy Clarkson just gave Finland – the ‘World’s Happiest country' – a brutal dress-down containing a ‘Stanley knife’, ‘sleeping pills’ and people waving their genitals

It really comes down to how you measure things, definition of happiness can vary a lot too.

We have group of happy people living in some densely populated areas, while big areas of country are rather unhappy, struggling to pay bills etc. Depression and suicide are high per capita and we have worse weather than UK.

Alaska and Finland have similar issues in Alcohol use and in last 10 years drug usage has increased a lot, I guess it is something to do with dark winters.

Then again, maybe this is most happy what in whole world can be, but if that is the case, then I'm quite sad about state of humanity.

However many things, especially those that were examined for the report, are done well in here, but so many other countries could be so much better if those examined aspects would be done better in there.

I guess that humanity still has lot to do until true happiness can be achieved, too much staring to own belly is still happening in this world. Giving is what leads to happiness, not taking.

 

[rubysmama]

How did your cat assisted yoga go rubysmama ? I had to buy the cats there own yoga mat because they wouldn't leave mine alone. They still have a go at which ever one I'm using, but at least I have something I can redirect them to now

We (Ruby and I) haven't had a yoga session yet. But I know she's more than ready to test out the mat again with her claws! Just having it out the first time resulted in my having to vacuum up all kinds of tiny plastic specks.

 

[jtbo]

Today's bike ride was in three parts:


Here is one part, weather was quite fast today:

 

[Columbine]

Well, yoga didn't happen last night or today. I'm just not good at the moment, and all my energy is going on the jewellery. Plus, I had an emergency doctors appointment this morning (new meds side effecs meaning I need to switch to something else) and an eye test this afternoon, which just wore me out further. My exercise today was walking round town - maybe 15 minutes total. Not very good really, but I feel like lead right now