Exercise and fitness: Winter is coming but don't hibernate

[Inigima]

The video covered it, I just didn't know what hammer curls were. Thanks.

[Biter]

After a month-long break, I'm starting to run again tomorrow!!! I'm excited.

Also signing up for swim lessons. I need to do something new.

Sounds like fun. :)

I've signed up for a 10 km run/jog this afternoon (it starts in six hours). As the sun will have set on this part of Sweden by then, all participants will wear headlamps. I'm really excited!

[Stego]

Also signing up for swim lessons. I need to do something new.

Cross.... training, Emilie?

[alguien]

After a month-long break, I'm starting to run again tomorrow!!! I'm excited.

Also signing up for swim lessons. I need to do something new.

Me too! (the running, not the swimming part)

Finding lots of good trails in Seattle now that I'm looking for them. Hilly as hell though.

[Lany Freelove Cassandra]

Skipping weights for the next few days and just doing the kick box warm up. Alex and I have a karate tournament on Saturday and I don't want to risk being sore. Back to the weights on Sunday.

[Er Rn]

I took the advice given in this thread and bought a pair of New Balance running shoes. I looked for motion control but couldn't find any, I was shopping in a dept store and they didn't have a very big selection. But so far, so good. I haven't really pushed myself in them yet (I was a lazy bum over the holiday weekend), but I'm back into it now and no problems yet. I've gotta get my stamina back up, I'm doing another 5k next Sunday.

I'm also working on my form, and it sucks when I'm tired. I want to come down hard on my heels and I sound like a horse stomping down the street. So for now I've opted to just walk or do some yoga when I'm feeling like that. I know it'll improve as my strength and stamina improve, but I don't wanna risk hurting myself.

[Lany Freelove Cassandra]

The aerobic kickboxing is paying off in my karate class with improved performance during free sparring...largely in the area of not getting as winded as quickly and increasing the speed of the attacks.

[Muttering Bill]

So after a 6 week break, I'm back on target. I'm at a new work location, where we have a gym in the building (free for the next couple of months). So I've been working out every day on my lunch break - 25 minutes weights/25 minutes cardio. I made it through the entire week. I really didn't want to go today, but did it anyway. I hurt everywhere, but not the bad kind of pain.

I tried a rowing maching for the first time. Not as intense a workout as running, but I could really feel it in my back. I started getting sore after about 10 minutes.

[baxus]

I tried a rowing maching for the first time. Not as intense a workout as running, but I could really feel it in my back. I started getting sore after about 10 minutes.

don't take this the wrong way, but if that's the case i'm fairly certain that you've done it wrong ;)

[deleted01]

I'm going on a walk today. I am I am I am. I've seriously slacked off due to uni work and my inbuilt laziness, but I'm getting back into it.

I struggle to lose weight as the load I put on a few years ago was hormonal, so I tend to pretty much stay the same size. But I really want to tone up and stop being so miserable with the way I look. Is walking enough for this? Or should I keep walking for a while to get my fitness level up (which is like below zero) before I try anything else? As I said before, anything that requires hard impact with the ground is out due to my hip, but jogging might be able to be done eventually. I'm definitely worried that I'll go to do something - even walking on a bad day - my hip will go and I'll be stuck. Oh you'd never know I was 21 :laugh:

[Inigima]

Walking is actually possibly better for that than running. It's complicated but has to do with heart rate. You'd need to walk fairly fast. You could invest in a heart rate monitor of you want to be sure you're keeping yours in the right zone.

You talked about toning but you mention "size" -- are you looking to lose weight? If so, diet is substantially more important, though exercise is great for you and you should definitely do it.

[deleted01]

That's good news to me! :laugh: Well I suppose losing weight would be an added bonus, my size doesn't particularly bother me, I'd just rather get into shape a bit more. My diet isn't awful, but I can't say I particularly watch what I eat. My meals are generally good, but I definitely eat pretty much what I like. As I don't put any weight on, I can't say my diet has particularly bothered me before. I have made some small changes though - changing from full-fat to semi-skimmed milk being the most recent one.

My walk today was a success. Didn't take me very long, and I was barely out of breath or tired, though my hips felt a bit stiff. I will go for another one tomorrow, I will. Need to stop being so damn lazy :P

[Lany Freelove Cassandra]

Alex and I had our karate tournament yesterday. He once again got a trophy, 3rd place, for one-step sparring. I didn't embarrass myself ;)

(what I said the first time still holds true, he is GOOD and I try hard :lol: )

Back to weights today and I felt pretty weak, but I know it will get better. Before I started this last month, it has been years since I last even tried weights.

[Inigima]

Congrats to you both Lany. Third place is no slouch. Do you guys do free sparring or just one-step?

[Lany Freelove Cassandra]

Congrats to you both Lany. Third place is no slouch. Do you guys do free sparring or just one-step?

Thanks! :)

They do point sparring and not free sparring so neither of us participate in it. It is very aggressive and we really aren't. We both like free sparring in class though. We both did katas and one-step. There were about 60 green belt kids there, so Alex did really amazing. I just got promoted to blue belt last month, so I feel just being there was a victory ;)

The school feels that anytime you might really need your karate it will be a high pressure situation, and they think the best way they can create one is with the tournaments, we so have to participate in 3, two intramural* and one open regional before brown belt. (one intramural for green---which why there are so many there---2 for blue and all three for brown)

Good news I am done (until I get 1st brown---that is not official, but they like to see you out there before your black belt test)

I will encourage Alex to still participate though as it does so much for his self-confidence! (and he really needs that boost)

*there are about 2,000 students total in the school (mostly kids)

[Inigima]

Nice. I meant in class, I know tournaments are often point sparring. I get wary of schools that do no continuous sparring. :) 2000 people? That's incredible, must be a huge school.

[Lany Freelove Cassandra]

Nice. I meant in class, I know tournaments are often point sparring. I get wary of schools that do no continuous sparring. :) 2000 people? That's incredible, must be a huge school.

It is a big school, but they use the community centers in Howard, Montgomery and Prince George's counties, so they are able to keep the prices down. Tompkins Karate Association

I like their approach to teaching, much more casual than traditional, no long term contracts and no guaranteed belt promotions. (they are tough on the promotion standards though---which is why Alex didn't get blue belt last month when most of his friends did ;) )

[Inigima]

So it's actually Tang Soo Do, not karate? I hate it when people conflate karate and other systems, but it sounds like the school is doing things right. I have an old friend whose background is Tang Soo Do and BJJ and he's quite capable, much more so than me.

Edit: never mind! I read the lineage page. That makes more sense.

[peterbound]

I took the advice given in this thread and bought a pair of New Balance running shoes. I looked for motion control but couldn't find any, I was shopping in a dept store and they didn't have a very big selection. But so far, so good. I haven't really pushed myself in them yet (I was a lazy bum over the holiday weekend), but I'm back into it now and no problems yet. I've gotta get my stamina back up, I'm doing another 5k next Sunday.

I'm also working on my form, and it sucks when I'm tired. I want to come down hard on my heels and I sound like a horse stomping down the street. So for now I've opted to just walk or do some yoga when I'm feeling like that. I know it'll improve as my strength and stamina improve, but I don't wanna risk hurting myself.

But, you're going to actually start running, right? You've got to at least take that first 'step'. I'm not a small fella. 100 kg and 73". I still try to run about 2.5 miles every other day. The only way your going to get better, or used, to running is to actually do it. Even if it's for 1/4 mile trots.

[Er Rn]

Yep, I've been doing a combination run/walk with at least half run 10-15 miles a week for the last 8 or 9 months. I've ran two 5ks this fall. I just have flat feet and difficulty finding decent shoes and my feet hurt still on occasion.