July 2011 exercise thread
 

we used to have these a while back and they stopped appearing. Exercise is amazing for our bodies, our minds and our MS. What did YOU do today? Sit in a chair and peddle your legs? or sit on a bike and peddle your legs? Even if you did 1 minute of something, tell us about it. HAve tips or tricks on how to get more exercise in while in a weakened state, WC or disabled condition, please share!

Me? Im a walker right now. I go blind when I walk, but I keep walking anyway. Its hard work, and many days I dont want to go. I make many excuses in my head, but its a routine now, and I rise, sit on the edge of the bed and swear for a minute. Pull on a bandana to hide my bed head, shift on my walking clothes (which I lay out the night before for less excuses in the AM) and I stand up and swear a few more minutes. Toilet myself, wash my face, brush my teeth, and drag myself into the living room where DH is saying "ready?" UGH! "yes, im ready. we step out and cover ourselves with our bug out brew and off we go. By the time I hit one mile I am awake. watching the sun come up over the lake. By the time I hit 1.5 miles im blind, and covered in sweat and dead bugs.

I didnt start out doing this much. I started out walking to the mailbox and back. That was a feat and a half! Then I walked to the neighbors and rested before I came back. Then I didnt rest, I just came back. and further and further it went. Even while on my awful DMD I tried to walk. Some days I made it, some days I puked on the side of the road and went home. Now I can do a 2 mile walk on flat roads, and a 1/2 mile up the dreaded rabbit hollow road and a 1/2 mile back down. im huffing, puffing, my lungs are burning and Im covered n sweat and blind, but I feel so proud of myself.

So, tell me. Want to restart this thread? or should we allow it to stay buried in the back stacks?

I normally work out of my apartment now, but today I had to commute to work for training in the center we have.

So I walked to the bus, then I walked around waiting on the bus to arrive for my connection, then walked more to another area of town to catch an earlier bus home than the one that arrives at our work center.

After dinner I walked nearly 5km. Beautiful night out, but getting really cold for us on the East Coast! Brrr!

I am considering a walk following dinner tomorrow night, as my walk Tuesday was cut a bit short due to an electrical storm (one of the types of weather I will not walk in... and I walk in most!). I still managed 4km yesterday, and my 30 minute walk before work in the morning. :)

Will definitely do my 30 min tomorrow morning before work. Love my morning walks!

Wow! Laura congrats on being so busy. Thats awesome!

I so did not want to get up this morn. I told DH to not bug me, I needed to sleep in. I slept till 7 and then wandered around a few mintues and had a very serious conversation wtih myself about how I needed to do this today, because tomorrow DH has his colonoscopy so I will have the day off from walking. I had to remind myself how much this is doing for me. I got dressed, and surprised DH with a "you ready" we walked around the lake, and then turned to Rabbit Hollow. he said "you sure?!" I said lets try. I got alot of quit in me today,but at least I can try. so, up we went, and I went one mailbox further than the day before. NExt up the road is a bad bend in the road and DH said it goes straight up from there, but we have hit the half way mark on the road itself. Sweaty, bug covered and puffing for air I declared "not today!" and turned for home.

All the way home I kept saying "when is home coming?" and as we rounded the bend DH said "not till after the football game" Grrr! So, I talked myself into it. grumbled all the way thru it, but I survived it. now I can get on with my day. DH is on a liquid only diet today and poopie pills so he will be fun to deal with.

I SO need to follow this thread and get my motivation back. There is a treadmill sitting in the back bedroom just waiting for me. :rolleyes: There is no good reason for me not to be on it.....right now.

Our gym is having a contest with the spinning classes mirrored on the Tour de France. It is called the "Tour de MAC". The instructors try to make their spin class profiles follow the ups and downs of the day's race stage (although we ride for 45-60 minutes, not 5-6 hours). The contest part is that if we do 15 spin classes over the 5 weeks of the contest and make a $15 livestrong donation, we win a dri-fit workout shirt.

So far in July, I have done 7 spin classes. I usually go Monday night, Tuesday night, Thursday night, and then either friday afternoon or saturday morning. I also have been going out to ride my bike outdoors on wednesday nights after work. Last night was a 15.6 mile ride in about 65 minutes. It was arounf 94F when we started and about 90F when we finished, but surprisingly it didn't feel all that bad for me.

I will probably go to spin class tonight and friday afternoon, then we have the "Katy Flatland Century" ride this Sunday. I am not going to ride the full century though. Currently undecided on whether to do the 45 or 55 mile option.

I have reached the point where I have made my spinning and riding a part of my life such that I miss it when I don't get to go spin or ride. I always hated endurance exercise growing up, and never imagined that I would reach the point of craving it at any point in my life, yet I find myself sitting at my desk and looking out the window, wishing I could be out riding. It makes me feel really good to know it is making a positive change in my life.

Even though I don't do the heavy exercising anymore, I do appreciate your starting this thread and keeping it going. It is a daily reminder to not be a lazybutt. Get it moving...keep it moving.:cool:

I'll do my stretches and stuff throughout the day so I dont get too stiff and immovable..:D

7/1/11 thru 7/14/11
Wide-Dip Simulator 90lbs - 40
Pool Laps (14'x28') - 185
Curls 15lbs cable - 120
Curls 10lbs free weight - 160
Hand Gripper (softer the last 1) - 300
In Bed Triceps 15lbs - 300
MagnaTrainer hand cycle calories - 120
Miles pushed in wheelchair - 2.6 (it's hot)

Completed Lap 815 today for 2011. I never would've made it this far from barely going up/down driveway early 2007 without keeping my testosterone to upper limit..1000 or so give/take. This is why I stress men & women get testosterone level checked & adjusted. Tell me your test results. I also keep my Vitamin D level mid 80's. On Tysabri 1.5 yrs I believe. Copaxone prior 3 yrs with great results. Photos of my exercises are in profile.

Today: 30 minutes walk before work, 30 minutes after dinner tonight. 20 minutes of toning exercises while cooking dinner. :)

I'm pleased to hear about everyone's success stories, it's great motivation for us all! :grouphug:

I joined the YMCA last week. I won't get there often with work and school but it keeps me motivated. This check in thread helps too. :hug:

Today I worked 12 hours since we were short staffed but I got in a 25 minute walk on the nature trail after our morning sales meeting. It was a beautiful day, about 65 degrees at 9am and perfect for a walk. :)

I need to work out at least three times a week to stay in shape. It isn't easy with my current job and school too but I need to keep moving.

And I made it to work on time the last two days. :lookaround:

I've been trying to go to the gym regularly. Lately it's been kind of hard, because the heat is sucking my energy out. I have been keeping track of the days that I go to the gym and how long and far I walked on the treadmill. Keep it on my ipod calendar, so I can look at it and see when the last time I exercised was.

Figure keeping track of it on my ipod is good, because then if my doctor wants to see what I've been doing, I can show him the calendar on my ipod.

It is kind of weird lately, even tho I've been going to the gym at least twice a week, and consistently gotten up to a half mile or nearly a half mile. I feel like my legs are getting weaker. Notice it more walking up and down the stairs. Takes a bit more effort to walk up the stairs than it does down the stairs, but sometimes I'm a bit worried that I'll end up going **s over teakettle down the stairs one of these days. When I sit down, or when I get up in the morning after sleeping, I have to stand up and kind of slowly unkink myself from the stiff unmoving ball of spasticity. That really sucks.

I'm going to a baseball game this weekend. Spending the weekend a couple of towns over, and I'm a bit worried about the 96 degree temperatures they're predicting. It's a night time game, starts at 7, so I'm hoping it'll be cooling off by then.

My dad told me when I went to a baseball game last year, when I got home, that it seemed like it took me a month to recover from that weekend. (same thing I'm doing this weekend, staying over a couple of nights) After he told me that, I went..."oh yeah...hope this doesnt suck when I get home!". Now that he reminded me of how crappy I felt last year, I'm a bit worried.

Kind of scared I'll go on my staycation with a drawer full of spoons and other assorted cutlery, and then end up coming home with a broken, dirty, plastic spork that doesnt even have a plastic cover on it. I hope I still have a few spoons left when I get home on sunday night.

I want to try to start going to the gym every day. Hopefully I'll be able to start doing that next week.

No walking for me today. DH is having his colonoscopy today, and I am not allowed to walk without him, and he doesnt feel well enough or strong enough to go with me today. I said Hurray! you get how I feel on some days! He said "ugh! go away!" lol.

I did however call the horse farm ontop of Rabbit Hollow Road (the dread rabbit hollow) I told her that once I can get to the top I want some work on horses (hippatherapy) to rebalance my MS riddled brain. She told me she works with several MS patients and it has done wonders for some, and nothing for others. I said "welcome to my world" so, next Tuesday I WILL get to her farm, and I have a 9:30 appointment to try. Expensive! I can afford to try it ONCE. and then I will have to make choices if I want to continue. She said we will know in one session if I can do it or not.

I am so proud of the rest of you. Its really not easy, and so many of you know the pain and mental anguish and then the celebration of just getting to the mail box on your porch somedays and then others days you take one step more. It will help get your blood pumping, your vitamins circulating and your self esteem flying. Come take a gentle walk with me.

I worked out Tuesday and Thursday...walked on the track at the fitness center for 30 min on Tuesday; was only able to work out on a stationary bike for 12 minutes on Thursday before leg spasms made pain too much to go on. Both days, I also weight trained for 25 minutes.

On Monday I cleaned my bathroom floor to ceiling; I was soaked from sweating afterwards! It took about 3 hours, but it sparkled. Only need to scrub the tile floor and clean out the drawers I forgot about:rolleyes:

On Wednesday, I decided to trim the bushes out front that I'd been waiting for DH to do for months. It took about an hour and a half; I cut through the extension cord with the trimmer, which I'd managed to avoid for the last 30 years:rolleyes: I was wiped out afterwards. But I felt as if I accomplished something!

Whew! anyone who says cleaning isnt hard work, hasnt done it in a long while. Cleaning will whup your heinie!

I am so proud of you Debbie for those 12 minutes. it may feel like 122 minutes, but it every little bit helps.

Anyone ever lay in bed and do those leg stretches up in the air while on your back? you know each time I try it the DH appears going "whatcha doing?" with that wolf hungry look on his face. CLOSE THE DOOR! I screach. Im trying to exercise. He says "diarrhea" and leaves. I use those bands like in PT. push hard against them or use them to provide resistance as I push my legs apart.

I saw my GI MD today because she was doing the DH colonoscopy (she is VERY pregnant) and she said WOW! look at you! that was the first time someone really noticed my hard work. Of course I gave her baby bump a rub and congratulated her. (she has been trying for 12 years!)

So, even laying flat on your back, you can do some stretches. Get that lactic acid moving out of your muscles.

30 min this morning, 20 minutes of toning, 30 minutes after dinner. It has been very cool out, which is great this time of the year for physical activity (right now it's just below 60F, to give you an idea of our 'summer' we're having on the East Coast of Canada).

Tomorrow is my lazy day. I'll still do my 30 min. in the morning before work, then 20 minutes toning at supper time, but no walk tomorrow night, phone time with Mom :).

Dear God,

Each day we go further and further up Rabbit Hollow Road (google it) and its STEEP! Made my mark, then dropped to my knees, puked, and turned into a snot dripping, eyes running, lungs burning, mouth gasping, unable to say the swear words on my mind kinda gal. DH dunked me with water (thank God!) and allowed me to get my breath. Blind I eventually found enough strength to get back up on my feet and spit at him! He came over and gave me a head noggie (knuckle rub to the head) and told me how Fing proud of me he was. took him a year to make it that far on that hill. I cursed at him, wobbled over to the weeds, puked again, and he said “look” I said “oh no! I aint falling for that!” and he said NO! LOOK! I look at right there was the crest of the hill. I wobbled like a new born deer to the edge and ...Saw forever! You can see for miles and miles and miles! its amazing! I turned and kicked him in the shin, and said we could both hobble home now. Stole his water and laid in the grass till my lungs didn’t feel like they were ripping outside of my body with each breath. Btw, the cooling collar worked, but I had to keep refilling it from the ice water bottle. so, it did help but the jury is still out. After a half hour I could breathe again, grabbed DH by the hand he was rubbing his shin with, and we wandered back home. I kept having to pep talk myself back home. telling myself stories like “its all downhill!” or “come on baby! you can do it!” but OMG! I don’t want to do that again for a long time.

What did the rest of you do? anyone else kick their DH?

I'm in a hotel right now. Going to a baseball game in a little bit (btw, it's 100 $:/&ing degrees out!!) just got done swimming with my boyfriend for an hour. First time I've been swimming in over a year. When I get home tomorrow night, if I'm not totally exhausted, I'm going to look into a swimming exercise class.

It was so nice to float in the water, and feel like I was walking normally in the water.

I'm just tired as heck now and looking for a couple of spoons to get me thru watching the baseball game in this stupid heat. I'm so gonna be paying for this weekend later this week. Worth it, but I'm expecting to feel like crap when I get home.

I walk outside when the weather permits, it is so hot here, this morning I bought a treadmill, so I'll be able to keep walking. This gives me incentive to report back to you. Thanks:):)

Great updates! :grouphug:

I did my 30 min walk and 20 min toning, and talked with Mom. Now I'm relaxing. Big day tomorrow running around doing grocery etc. I am on foot (or on a bus if it's too long a walk and I'm too loaded down with stuff to carry going home).

Supposed to be a scorcher tomorrow too. Hope I don't react horribly to this next weather change.

I walk when the weather permits, it is so hot here in Tx. I bought a treadmill this morning so I can still walk, going to try to walk everyday, maybe twice a day if the fatigue doesn't get me.

Slow day for me. I am really struggling today, so I did a short walk around the block and I am done. I must be headed towards something, cause I was covered in sweat, my back is aching, and my feet were screaming. I went blind much more quickly today, and I have a fat case of "i dont wanna" so we didnt climb Rabbit Hollow Road, and we didnt pick up the pace. I dragged along today. I did get out there tho!

I have lost over 10 pounds now on my diet. I dont feel deprived, and I dont feel like I am doing without. I even had a individual sized ice cream sundae the other day. I had hoped walking would kick it into high gear, but alas, my battered body is gonna do this the slow way. UGH.

I had a low pain day finally, and walked a lot. Went to 2 grocery stores looking for a specific tea (which I didn't find yet, boo!) and walked after dinner as well (had a delicious turkey burger on the Foreman Grill ... a BBQ would be nice, but apartment living doesn't allow me such a luxury unfortunately).

If I'm feeling well tomorrow I may venture further. Trying to track down "Marshmallow Root and Leaf" tea. I'm hoping a naturals store in town has it, or the other forms (capsule, liquid, etc). I don't imagine it'll be cheap, but I'll see what I can find!

So more walking for me tomorrow.. I find that Google is wonderful for mapping out walks and time/distance. It's a big help too after I've been out all day on foot doing errands to be able to sit down and Google map the distance approximately that I've walked for the day just doing routine stuff. :)

I'm a MT biker, Biker and marathon biker....I love to ride bicycles and is about the only thing I do for exercise.

Nuero told me to go for it and it's good to anyways so I am out most days doing at least a 4 mile power shot. So great for the mind, I'm around people and I like thinking that I am sweating MS out of me:D
I'm thankful I can do this and I have actually ran half way up in a field of MT bikers in a riding session a few weeks ago through the woods.

I still don't tell many I have MS...I don't feel that I actually have it, but sometimes I do....but I know it's there.

Tomorrow I am going to try and make a video....I'll upload it, but don't think yo uwill see me lol..I don't like seeing myself in videos...*is very camera shy*

OH MY GOD! its humid here! I walked 2 miles, and came home dripping in sweat, air hungry, and the MS hug smacked me hard today. I looked at Rabbit Hollow my old nemesis and said "NO!" we wobbled toward home. DH kept saying "atraversiamo!" or "cross the street" because I kept wanding into it. I normally go blind, and there is a groove of pavement on the side of the road that I follow, but I was so wibbly wobbly that I simply couldnt do it. Dragged up the driveway and was tempted to sit on the steps and rest, but decided to straggle in and turn on the AC. Need to go to the Target store today, but I can always lean on a buggy.

There is a storm approaching and OUCH! my back is so tight, and my bones ache, so it was all work today and no pleasure. Step by step by step and before you know it I was back home. The little voice in my head telling me to quit, and the other one telling me to keep going! we are almost there! I wanted to smack them both.

I have not been riding my bike because when I get over heated I go blind, and a blind rider isnt what you want in the middle of the street, no?

Rode 54 miles on Sunday. Started at 7:15am when it was around 80F and finished about 11:30 when it was nearly 100F. I stayed back with my wife for most of the ride and kept cool and relaxed. I did cut loose for a couple of 5-7 mile stretches and ramped it up to 18-20 mph. It felt great to ride that fast, and I stayed within my aerobic zone, but the heat my body generated was cooking me from the inside out no matter how much I drank. It was amazing how fast I started to overheat even though I was keeping my heart rate under control.

DH and I went to the pool yesterday afternoon, and I just did some low level laps...just to loosen myself up and enjoy the water...almost doesn't count, but I DID move :)

Dej it's blazing hot here today as well, wow!!! :o We're due for storms as well. I've been out and home x2 on foot, and both times came home and had to change shirts. Dripping with sweat, ew! :p

I found my tea though! I had to walk a far distance, but I did find it, and it's quite soothing so I'm pleased.

Now if only my headache would stay away.. I caught it earlier trying to creep up on me, took 1 tylenol with codeine and knocked it back, but I can feel it tapping at me lightly now...

We're definitely going to get some type of weather event today. Watches right now, but those may turn to warnings.

whew it took me a while to recover from that mess! the heat really does me in! I am still wobble legged, but doing better with rest and AC.

Whew! made it! I did 2 miles today, but MS rides with me. I am blind, I am fatigued, I am stressed, I am anxious and I had that negative nelly on my shoulder telling me how hard all of this is, the whole way! I kept stepping anyway. I didnt even look at Rabbit Hollow.

I was supposed to go horseback riding (hippatherapy) to rebalance me today, but its way too hot. I am going to hide at home.

Did my 30 min this morning, the humidity is coming back to haunt us again today. I'm hoping that my head pain doesn't kick up as a result.

I don't know what the weather this evening will be like, though it's a walk night, so I hope to be able to do my 4.5-5 km after dinner.

Of course if there's thunderstorms that could be a deterrent for me. I have my Wii to fall back on and do exercise routines if the weather is bad (or if I feel I have to stay near the A/C later on).

Did a 45 min spinning class last night. Took it easy to recover from Sunday's ride. Will be doing another class tonight and will go a bit harder.

I'm not an 'exercise' kinda person .. BUT, I did do a couple arm reps with weights ... and alot of standing, bending with painting and sewing ... that counts, right?:rolleyes:

I really, really need to participate in this thread! :o

shake your booty! shake your booty! nuh nuh nuh nuh nuh!

oh .. I forgot ... opening and closing the frige ... it's an old frige - so, I have to open the frige to get to the freezer - to get out the ice, to put in my glass ...

wah! now that's a workout! :ROTFLMAO:

Yes that counts! :) Housework/chores etc count as well!

YES! that counts alot! wahoo! go girl! :hug:

I have felt wiped out by the heat, and I woke at six this morn and said to DH..."nope, not today. Please go without me." so...he came over and we played 20 questions, like "you ok" or "do you feel sick" kinda stuff. I comforted him that I am just over tired from all the heat, and today is going to be a scorcher! I just dont have it in me. So, he went on a huge hike without me, as he cant with me, and I went back to sleep. I slept till 8:30! :eek: I needed that.

I will do some sit ups in a bit, and maybe work on the Wii, but im not going out.

400 pool laps (14'X28') complete for July so far. 1030 laps for 2011,

I do about 10 minutes of stretches recommended by a PT first thing in the morning, and I do about a minute more of them while I wait for my eye drops to take effect (with my eyes shut).

In the evening I get around to exercising along with an exercise DVD, usually about half an hour. I excuse myself from that if I've taken a half hour walk during the day. Today I walked but didn't quite last the half hour. More like 20 minutes.

Then I do the same exercises I did in the morning for about 10 minutes at bedtime.