Month: January 2013

Categories
New York

Completed 2nd Week of Couch to 5K

OK, I only got to do 2 of the three iterations of Week 2 of the Couch to 5K in 8 week podcast this week but I also went into the gym for two conditioning/strength training sessions.  My sister had a  problem downloading the podcast from the site so my recommendation is to go to the iTunes Store and do a search for “Couch to 5K” and download the podcast from there.  Next week is full of travel for me again so I will try to do more at-home exercises with the SPRI Xering   I think I need to strengthen my legs so I can help my knees ….

Categories
Exercise Fitness Home

Lots of Ab Exercises This Morning

I met with my trainer at Crunch today and we focused on abdominal exercises.

Categories
New York

Doing a Baseline

Today was another rest day so I thought I would take some Home Fitness Tests for sit ups, push ups, and stretching.  I skipped the step and vertical jump tests in consideration of my bad knees.  Overall, I’m feeling fairly satisfied.  Now all I need to focus on is getting my weight down.

  • I did 32 push ups for the Top End Sports Push Up Test at Home [with one 10 second break after the first 20] so that also was excellent for a woman my age.  Yes, I cheated and saw how many I needed to complete and didn’t bother doing more than that. LOL  According to the Sparkpeople.com site, I’m only average but they allow for modified push ups for women.
  • I did 54 sit ups in 60 seconds, which according to The Top End Sports Fitness Test, is excellent for a woman 46 – 55 years old.  I’m excellent according to the Sparkpeople.com site as well.  Woo Hoo!
  • I did 30 squats for the Top End Sports Squat Test at Home [yes, I did the minimum needed to get an ‘excellent’ because I am inherently lazy]
  • I was only average for the Top End Sports Sit & Reach Flexibility at Home test. This simple test is designed to measure the flexibility of your hamstrings and lower back. The sit and reach test has long been used as a test to represent a person’s flexibility, though actual flexibility may differ around the body.  I didn’t have a step so my results may not be accurate but close enough.

 

 

 

Categories
New York

Taking A Day of Rest But Looking At Knee Exercises

Today was a day of rest and although my knee is behaving so far, I thought I would explore some possible knee strengthening exercises.  I found the following on the WebMd.com site:

 

 

These are exercises geared to address osteoarthritis but will generally strengthen your knee muscles.  I liked these exercise particularly because they are pretty simple and I might even manage to remember them every once in a while!

Categories
Exercise Fitness New York

Week 2 of the Couch to 5K Begun!

Woo hoo!  I completed the first of three iterations of Week 2 of the Couch to 5K in 8 week podcast!!!  It took me a couple of minutes longer to do the 3.5 mile loop of Prospect Park but, in my defense, my body is one big soreness.  My arms aren’t really functioning after two personal training/kickboxing sessions. My knee is also occasionally buckling as I walk [just to keep it interesting LOL].  I am hoping that I’ll get over the hump by next week.  Of course, now that I look at the website, I should have waited a couple of days before I began Week 2.  Here is the link to download an excel spreadsheet that lays out the program. 🙂

Week 2 comprises a 5 minute walk followed by 5 intervals of a 2.5 minute easy jog and a 2.5 minute walk.  The podcast finishes with a 5 minute walk.  The added 30 seconds on the easy jog weren’t  problem but it could have been that my jogs aren’t very fast…. I am PSYCHED that I could finish it despite my fatigue from the week.  Woo Hoo!

I need to focus on stretching my quads a bit more.  I like the site’s suggestion although I don’t see myself doing this on the streets of New York in winter…

Quadriceps Stretch

Kneel on your knees (without resting back on your heels). Lean back with your body erect and your arms to the side. Hold for 15 seconds.

 

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Categories
Calories Fitness New York

Setting Goals and Moving Forward

I listened to the Fat 2 Fit Radio 5th Annual Goals Show [Pod cast #136].  [The show itself is trying to reboot itself so there haven’t been any new pod casts recently but I have high hopes.]  The host talks about why so many New Year Resolutions fail to last past March. As I struggle to get into better shape and fight the weight I continue to pick up during my travels, I am embracing their advice.

The pod cast noted that success in getting healthy and trim requires:

  • defined reasons for wanting to be healthier and slimmer
  • defined goals
  • a plan for measuring and reaching those goals
  • a reasonable time-frame

Here is a link to the Fat 2 Fit Radio Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Okay, so here are my goals:

  • Lose 1-2 pounds a week for the next 28 weeks.  That should bring me to the end of June.
  • I’m going to eat healthier by cooking dinners with fewer starches and eating fewer unhealthy snacks– eating 1900 – 2100 calories a day and tracking my nutrition and exercise on Sparkpeople.com
  • I will work out more and actually do cardio by completing the Couch to 5K program.

The Fat 2 Fit Radio calculator generated the following chart that shows the number of calories that I should eat on a daily basis to reach my goal weight. Fat 2 Fit Radio advocates eating like the thin, healthy person that you want to become. The calorie levels provided in the chart create the caloric deficit required to get you to your goal weight in a safe manner. Once you reach your goal weight, you are supposed to eat the same number of calories for the rest of your life to maintain that weight.

Based on how much activity you do on an average day, the calories in the right column will be the number of calories that you will be able to eat at your goal weight. If you start eating those calories right now (eating like the thinner you), you will eventually become that thinner person. As you get closer to your goal weight, your weight loss will start to slow down. It is OK to eat a few hundred calories less per day (200-300) to speed up your weight loss at this point.

Activity Level Daily Calories
Sedentary (little or no exercise, desk job) 1664
Lightly Active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk) 1907
Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk) 2150
Very Active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk) 2393
Extremely Active (hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2X day training, i.e marathon, contest etc.)
Categories
Fitness

Finished Week 1 of the Couch to 5K in 8 Weeks Podcast!

Congratulations to me!  I managed to do the Week 1 of the Couch to 5K in 8 week podcast  three times this week!  I have my fingers crossed that my family will join me in doing the 8 week training– it would be nice to have company.

My time for the complete 3.5 mile loop in Prospect Park was 44 minutes and 51 seconds.  Yes, it’s not very impressive at first glance but it includes an improvement from each previous effort.  Baby steps, we say…. LOL

Click on this link for a runner’s map of Prospect Park:.

If I complete the 8 week cycle in time [not guaranteed as I tend to travel a bit]  I should be able to jog the entire loop without stopping by the beginning of March!  That’s my goal! I’m not sure I’ve done that in about 6 years!