Category: New York
I’ve attended a few more Anusara yoga classes and continued walking around the park. My knees are better but I’m still having issues with my knees. A long time ago, I was told that I had IT band issues but the pain in my knees disappeared and I haven’t thought about it in a long time. Because I’m still really having issues going up and down stairs, I am revisiting the IT Band as a possible culprit.
- Iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS or ITBFS, for iliotibial band friction syndrome) is one of the leading causes of lateral knee pain in runners according to Wikipedia. The iliotibial band is a superficial thickening of tissue on the outside of the knee, extending from the outside of the pelvis, over the hip and knee, and inserting just below the knee. The band is crucial to stabilizing the knee during running, moving from behind the femur to the front while walking.
- ITBS symptoms range from a stinging sensation just above the knee joint (on the outside of the knee or along the entire length of the iliotibial band) to swelling or thickening of the tissue at the point where the band moves over the femur. The pain may not occur immediately during activity, but may intensify over time, especially as the foot strikes the ground. Pain might persist after activity. Pain may also be present above and below the knee, where the ITB actually attaches to the tibia.
There is a YouTube video that gives an easy exercise that supposed to relieve chronic knee pain caused by the IT Band. He claims that it works faster and less painfully than rolling with a foam roller.
The (Knee Pain) Guru on ‘How To Treatment For IT Band Knee Pain’
I figure that it is worth a shot to try.
75 minutes of Anusara yoga this morning with Ursula before running all my errands! The Crunch gym description says:
Based on the teachings of John Friend. This class balances an opening to grace and the higher self with strong attention to alignment. The result is a strong synthesis between mind body and spirit. Taught in the Vinyasa style, Anusara Yoga is open to all levels. 
The class went really well so I expect to continue with the yoga classes at least twice a week. With two to three kickboxing classes a week and walks/runs in the park, I will have a full weekly workout schedule.
After dinner with two old friends, I now possess the name and address of an acupuncturist and a chiropractor. On my list of to-dos is to make an appointment to see them.
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Happy Chinese New Year
Yes, I’m a bit behind in terms of the Chinese holidays and I’m way behind in terms of this blog. I’ve done a bit of traveling but trouble with my knees continue to plague me. Happily, I am getting back to the gym. While I haven’t worked my way back to actual kickboxing, I’m getting some weight work and conditioning done.
I’m also being optimistic and have restarted the Couch to 5K in 8 week podcast program. Today I did my third run, or Day 1 of Week 2 of the program. I downloaded the iPod app that allows me to listen to my own music while still getting the benefit of the podcast coaching. Best of all, the app is free on iTunes.
Because my knees are so stiff [I’m having problems just sitting down and getting up without help], I’ve started yoga classes at my local Crunch gym. I attended my first class on Saturday morning…90 minutes! It went well and I think I should definitely focus on flexibility for a while.
Tomorrow I have an early morning yoga class to start the day right. wish me luck.
Hope springs eternal!
Categories
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 ….
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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.
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!
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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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.) |
We’re back from our cruise and Christmas dinners! We are also almost at our historic highs for weight and Body Fat%. Bad news….
Fortunately, we are looking forward to better eating habits and regular exercise next year. I have begun the Couch to 5K in 8 week pod casts at http://runningmate.podomatic.com/. You are supposed to do the Week One pod-cast 3 times in one week. It comprises a 27 minute podcast with a 5 minute walk followed by 4 intervals of two-minute jogs and three minute walks. I’ve done two of the three workouts for the week and have had to ice my ankle already. 🙁 I will need to work on it; wearing an ankle brace this morning helped. I am also rewarding myself and buying a new pair of sneakers.
