Hey, I’m not usually one to make New Year’s resolutions but this year I want to try to make some improvements.
I want to get more exercise and eat better. I want to continue outdoor chores like cutting grass and cutting firewood and I want to increase my exercise program. I work out at home with a punching bag and some other equipment like sandbags and kettle bells. I’d like to start taking Ju Jit-su classes.
In terms of eating I need to eat better. I know what to eat and what not to eat, I just need to stick to it. I think I need to start cooking more often. It takes more effort to cook but when I do make the effort I take the time to make something that both tastes good and is healthy. Chicken and fish mainly and occasionally red meat. Healthy side dishes. But cooked well to taste good.
I started swimming about three months ago (2-3x per week) and I want to keep that up and increase the number of laps I’m doing. I started out doing 4 laps and have worked up to 12-14 laps. My goal was to increase my balance and flexibility (and to get my arthritic knees moving with minimum pain) and I’ve noticed some significant improvement since I started–I can put on pants while standing! I can walk up the stairs! I can actually do a full run of grocery shopping instead of getting the bare minimum!
I’ve been working with my physical therapist to add in strength exercises on the machines while at PT, but I’ll wait until all the “New Year’s Resolutions” gym folks forget about their gym memberships and it’s not as crowded at the gym to do them there. I’d also like to do some work on my arms to strengthen them. Every spring I struggle to get bags of rabbit poo and mulch hauled to the gardens, and to get the soil prepped for planting and I’d rather head that off before garden season arrives. If I can build my muscles, then I’ll be better prepared for that.
I have several gardens–herb, veggie, flowers and ornamental. My veggie garden is the largest (I can a lot and get most of my produce from my garden) and I’ll be expanding it this spring if my body can hold up!
Always tomatoes (several different types, usually heirloom), always yellow squash, ground cherries, potatoes, and green beans. Last year I did jalapenos and poblano peppers (I’ll do them again this coming season), corn (not worth the time, space or effort–I can buy it locally for less), and peanuts (they didn’t take, but it was 100% my fault). This coming year, I’ll add pumpkins, brussel sprouts, and different types of squash (acorn). I’ve done kohlrabi and kale in the past, both of which grew really well, so I’ll add them again, as well as swiss chard and eggplant. I have spinach, lettuces and peas which I do in the spring in the herb beds, before the herbs get going really well.
I also have several fruit trees–two types of cherries (which should produce this year), two types of apples, figs, a peach, and just bought an apricot and nectarine–as well as berry bushes (black raspberry and thornless blackberry) and a mulberry tree.
I’ve only been gardening for about four years (this will be my 5th year), and I’m gradually shifting my property from “more than a third of an acre to mow that damned grass” to “more than a third of an acre working for me.” It’s been a lot of work, and there’s still a lot to go, but I’m making progress. Last summer, I was out with feet/knee injuries and I didn’t make nearly the progress on it that I’d planned. Hence, the PT and swimming to get my body back in working order before spring gets here.
I know we don’t normally bump threads but I was going to try and make this an ongoing thread to help myself and others. So I’m going to give it one bump.
I go to my gym 5-6 days per week, but I do the same classes every week. I’m going to try yoga again, I’ve tried a couple of classes but I always feel like I’m not getting it. Maybe I’ll finally get in the pool there, though I can’t swim a stroke.
I’m also going to try eating better. I cook most days, so that’s not an issue, but I do like my oil, butter, cheese, meat and cream.
Don’t exercise. If you enjoyed exercise, you’d be doing it already. You are unlikely to stick at doing something that you don’t enjoy enough to do regularly now.
What you do is choose something that you love doing that*** also*** involves exercise - and do more of that. Maybe it’s playing golf. Maybe it’s bushwalking. Maybe it’s playing tennis. Maybe it’s gardening/landscaping. Choose something that you enjoy, and focus on that. Get those tennis lessons. Join the local hiking club. The exercise and fitness is a bonus.
The benefits are twofold:
Life is too short to waste on things you don’t want to do. Get out there and enjoy yourself.
It’s healthier.
Same with healthier eating. Make it interesting and fun. Learn to cook. Grow your own vegies. Maybe go hunting (if that’s your thing - who knows? Give it a try).
I need to get my eating under control. I eat a lot of rubbish (a lot.) I also need to move more. I sit here on the sofa, reading or faffing about on the 'net. I HATE exercise, especially gyms. I’d love to do some swimming but I have bugger all stamina and I get breathless after a few strokes.
Then do your few strokes and get out of the water. Seriously. Today you’ll do a few strokes. Tomorrow, you’ll do a few more, the day after that, a few more. The first time I went, I told myself I’d be there for no more than 10 minutes, and when the 10 minutes was up, I left. I didn’t stress out over how long I wasn’t there, or how much I didn’t do–it just was what it was. I committed to going twice a week minimum, and each time I don’t feel like going, I tell myself that I only have to go for 10 minutes, then I can leave. It always ends up being longer than 10 minutes, but it gets me there.
What do other swimmers do? Do you just go for a swim, go home and then shower/change? Or do you haul all your shower/hairwashing/moisturising stuff with you and shower at the pool? I don’t mean to sound lazier than I am but dragging all that gear around for a 10 minute swim seems like a pain.
Swimming can be challenging at first since you also have to incorporate breath control. A few ways to help with that:
Just use arms. Get a pull buoy float to put between your legs so they’ll float without kicking. The float is usually enough to keep you buoyant and it won’t take any effort to stay above water.
Just do kicking. Hold a paddle board with your arms and kick with your head above water.
Get a snorkel.
Do some other activity to bring up your stamina. Water aerobics might be a good choice.
I’m supposed to start a new job, permanent and spending most of my time at a fixed location.
I loathe most gyms, but years ago I attended one, part of a chain, which worked well for me. It is available in the new location, so one of the things I have to do when I get there is sign up. They don’t get paid extra if you take classes, so there is no pushing for classes; you check out the timetable and just attend whatever you want whenever you want so long as there is room. I used to go very early in the morning, or on saturday before going to the supermarket.
Then I have to join the local archery club, see if I can finally do something more with my poor bow than assemble it and take it apart
And, see about losing those kgs that have been creeping up… I know what to do, but it’s kind of complicated when every meal is from a restaurant and the “light” option is Cesar’s salad.
I agree. Boxing and other forms of martial arts I actually enjoy. It is not that hard to do them. Cutting firewood I actually like doing. Cutting grass is 50/50 on the like ding but it pays $$$ so that helps.
I rinse off in the shower, but don’t drag any more stuff than what I need. No shampoo, etc.
After I was swimming for awhile, I bought fins and that made a huge difference in how long I swim. I do a few warm up laps with just me, then I do several laps with the fins. Uses different muscles (I’d say more), and it keeps me going (cardio!) for longer. Plus, I feel like Aquaman wearing them. They’re just short ones, but dang, do I move.
Also, don’t worry about what stroke you’re doing, if you’re doing it “right”, etc. Because of my knee injuries and an old shoulder injury, I was doing a weird stoke at first that was a combination of many styles. But I was moving. Eventually, I go to where I could do traditional strokes, but I still like doing “my” stroke.
I spent 2015 promising myself I’d lose more weight and… I didn’t. I weighed in at the same weight on 1 January 2015 and 2016. Which is an achievement in a way!
But, this year I really want to lose 10kg by August. My parents are coming over to stay with us for five weeks, we’ve got some great holiday plans and I want to be a bit lighter and fitter in order to enjoy that time.
Exercise-wise, my focus will continue to be on using my Fitbit to get at least 10,000 steps a day. I haven’t worn it for a few weeks now, dark mornings and nights make for pretty miserable walking conditions but once it starts getting a bit lighter, I’ll put it back on.
