Getting No Where Really Really Fast

February 4, 2010

I’ve been chomping at the bits to get back into my regular exercise routine but between recovering from my surgeries and then having everything put on hold due to a suspected hernia it’s been more than six months of being limited to walking and pouting. The first burns calories, the second does not.

After two recent CAT scans, a hernia was finally ruled out in favor of a weakened patch of stomach muscles just above my right hip bone. This may or may not be related to increased strain on that area due to having my stomach muscles tightened in another area but that’s all neither here or there. The end result is that I am now the proud owner of a plum size bulge four inches to the left of my belly button and just as many down that while visually not the look I was going for, at least doesn’t require any surgery or restrictions on my activity level.

So after all this time I’m back to three 50 minutes sessions a week at the gym with my own little version of Jillian (just as gorgeous and nearly as cruel) which feels both achingly sore and wonderful at the same time. During personal training we primarily focus on (re) strengthening my core through work with weights, pilates, and balance work on the Bosu. There’s circuit work on the gym equipment and a whole lot of plain calisthenics including planks, lunges, and groan, squats.

With my personal training back up and rolling I’m now trying to put together a regular cardio routine at home and in the gym to get my heart pumping and up the sweat factor for a solid calorie burn. My goal is to get back to doing an hour or more of cardio 4-5 times a week. Once spring arrives I’ll return to cycling, walking, and hiking but until then I’m getting involved in some of the classes offered at the gym and to that end I’ve been trying out a few. The first up was the currently popular Zumba which proved to be a total exercise in humiliation for the simple reason it requires something I don’t possess, that being rhythm. After 20 minutes of stumbling over my feet I screamed “Uncle!” and ran from the room. I’ve also tried a few classes of Camp 24 that combines step, weights and cardio and for the most part I enjoyed it with the exception of the jumping jacks which I can’t do if there’s so much as a teaspoon of fluid in my bladder but then again neither can I walk and sneeze at the same time. You probably didn’t want to know that, did you?

Aaaaaanyway, over the past few years I’ve noticed how there’s a whole lot of people waiting in line at the counter to sign up and reserve their spot for the next spin class. As a kid who grew up in a house with a stationary bike that was always covered in my dad’s pants, teeshirts, and other assorted laundry, I’ve never been too intrigued by the whole idea of hunkering down onto a bike seat, spinning like crazy, and going nowhere. Whether it was the flashbacks to my childhood or the whole human hamster wheel thing, who can say. I only know I’ve never been all that interested in giving it a try. That was until I noticed the sweat factor. I couldn’t help but notice that at the end of their spinning session all the little human hamsters were dripping in sweat and nothing says calorie burn like a whole lot of sweat. Well, as it turns out I LOVE spin class. To be completely accurate I didn’t love it the second and third time when my derrière felt like it had been polished with coarse grain sandpaper but now that my backside has warmed up to the idea I’m loving it.

And loving it is important. Sure. There are times you just go to the gym or head out on a walk or run because it’s the thing you know you need to do rather than the thing you want to do, but the chances of being able to keep motivated to do it day in and day out is made easier a world easier if it’s something you enjoy and that provides you with a sense of satisfaction. Here are a couple things I’ve cranked up the fun-0-meter around physical activity.

• I love taking digital photos and so when I’m hiking I’ve always got my camera with me.
• The only time I allow myself to listen to my favorite podcasts (Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me, and Splendid Table) are when I’m out walking.
• I bought a couple favorite workout tops and pants that are reserved just for the gym.
• I’ve measured the mileage for a variety of routes that all begin and end at our front door so that I never walk or ride my bike on the same route two days in a row, and most of the loops have a Starbucks at mid-point so I have a rest break to look forward to just down the road.
• I set attainable goals for myself (walking to a particular destination a little farther than the day before, walking at a steeper incline on the treadmill than I did the last time, estimating a specific time it will take me to go a particular distance that requires I push myself a little to achieve it) because every time I meet my goal I gain a sense of satisfaction that makes me feel good.
• When I spend time on my Wii FitPlus I intentionally think of it as play instead of exercise and focus on the enjoyment factor rather than about getting my exercise in that day.
• I keep a few inexpensive workout DVD’s (The Biggest Loser has some awesome ones!) and a couple pieces of equipment (exercise bands, a step, and a fitness ball) on hand at home so I have a variety of choices of ways to be physical whether for an hour or for a 15-minute fitness break.

And that leads me to always remembering that doing something is better than doing nothing. Five minutes of walking is better than zero minutes. Walk to the end of your block and back. Every time you need to get something upstairs at home go up and down the stairs two times first. Park as far from the entrance to the store entrance as you can. Walk in place every time a TV commercial comes on. Pace back and forth whenever you talk on the phone. Set a goal of going on a walking exploration of every city park in your local area.

Begin just by being mindful of the 3 S’s.
Sit. Stand. Step.
Standing burns more calories than sitting. Stepping burns more calories than standing.

Studies have shown that one of the differences between obese people and thin people is that thin people are more physically active. That doesn’t necessarily mean they exercise more, it simply means they move more during the course of an average day. They stand more and step more and that overall increased activity level ends up burning more calories than a sedentary day spent sitting all day long.

That is of course unless you’re sitting on a stationary bike.

Posted in Fitness and Exercise