If you hate stretching, try yoga. I was shocked to find out how many of my salty, not at all hippie guy friends of all ages do yoga. Apparently they feel comfy sharing TMI to me because when I asked why they go to yoga, they explained that although they hate stretching, yoga class is awesome; it’s stretching but you don’t care because you have such a nice view. I’ve decided it would be best if I don’t explore that topic with them any further and have of course avoided going to any yoga classes with them, but felt it might be a helpful observation from one guy to another.
@milee30 lol! And yes, yoga is how I got hooked on stretching. I wish I had started in my 20s vs 40s. I’m sure my body would be much better off.
@bluebayou yoga is nice because it’s not just stretching. Strength is important too. And you can you full things like arm balances! I call it gymnastics for old people. Not true, but I always wished I could be a gymnast, but I’m a foot too tall with no flexibility/coordination.
And re: the view. Back when we had a studio in town, I’d go Saturday mornings. One morning, our city manager (my boss’s boss with whom I worked with closely enough from time to time) was plopped right behind me and got to watch my rear end for 90 minutes. No, no awkward at all…
Wow… I was busy this week and had 63 posts to catch up on. Good work exercising, light and hardcore folks!
“So where are the downhill skiers around here??” - ME!! I was so sad last ski season to not get one day of skiing in. In the prior 50 or so years (except with pregnancy/babies) I had been out every season… in peak years, a dozen ski days. This season I had a wonderful day with daughter at Eldora, our local slope (bigger than many east coast places, during my first 20+ years of skiing). Yesterday we got email from Financial Planner for free ski day in Winter Park - and DARN, it’s the last day of an audit at work, can’t go. But I’ll retire in a few months, so next year I hope to ski more.
Anybody over 65 doing Silver Sneakers? My husband is 7 years older, starting medicare in May. His supplemental plan with AARP will have Silver Sneakers, and our friends say there are a few places in town he can exercise for free in town (and ok to sign up for more than one). Hopefully we’ll find a close fitness center we both like, affordable for me to join/pay.
I also wish I had started yoga earlier, but then I tell myself at least I’m practicing now!
One of the things I love about the studio where I practice is the diversity of people. I have practiced with people of all ages (middle schoolers to 70 yo+), races/ethnicites, genders, people of all shapes/body types and all walks of life. I have met folks there and found you can’t stereotype people who practice yoga. And everyone’s practice is different, which is part of the beauty of it.
A male friend of mine, mid 's 60’s, avid golfer recently started a yoga practice and was surprised at how vigorous it can be. So many folks think you just do a few stretches and chants - haha.
Like @MomofWildChild my glutes don’t fire and over the years I’ve had a lot of hip and upper leg pain. I started a glute strengthening program and I ended up really feeling some of the exercises in my knee. I didn’t realize I had the torn meniscus at the time. Step ups really bothered my knee as did squats. I recently added step ups back in but at a very low step. Key for me is to focus on using my glute muscle not my quads. My PT has really pushed the bridges as the best glute strength exercise for me. With squats I recently noticed that my new instructor since January for my strength training class does Squats much later in the class, about 3/4 of the way through. I find my knees don’t hurt like they did when squats were at the beginning of the class. I hate stretching since I’m the least flexible person. Tight hamstrings, tight everything.
@colorado_mom several gyms in my community take Silver Sneakers. They only offer a limited amount of free memberships so a lot of people I know first go on a waiting list and at my gym it can easily be a year wait.
@bajamm have you considered joining a gym? My daughter lives in a hot summer climate and she finds that belonging to a fitness studio to be the best place to get some exercise in the warmer months. If you’re old enough for Medicare check if your supplement provides the Silver Sneaker benefit. Exercising with other people can be encouragement to get your workout in and you might find something else you enjoy that is fun not just healthy. Or look into Zumba or Jazzersize. I have friends who find Jazzersize to be fun and affordable.
I wish I had learned to ski when I was young. I tried it as an adult but I couldn’t let go of the feeling of not being in control. I now enjoy my home along time when my husband goes snowboarding.
Galen Rupp wins the US marathon trails. And some 43-year old dude made the US team for the marathon. Oldest guy to do that.
A while back, @Midwest67 provided a great Westminster Strength IG account for the young and old weight lifters. About 18-20 posts down, on 2/21, is a post about “Charles.” Of course this is just one opinion and not a medical one.
Watching the women finish the marathon now.
The 43 year old is Abdi. This will be his 5th Olympics! Amazing. I have mixed feelings about Galen. The whole shoe issue and his coach being banned for doping violations… I want to think Galen is clean, but there’s a lot of baggage.
@Midwest67 Oy, the deltoid. That’s a major one. I hope recovery is quick for you. That muscle would be a “killer” for me. Not that the intercostal is “easy street.” If it were me, I think cardio would get the blood flowing to the affected area and hopefully aid recovery.
@MomofWildChild I don’t follow marathon running that closely. I didn’t know that about Rupp. The US Oly trials is the 1st marathon for the 2nd place finisher in the women’s race? Seidel. Wow.
Sad that Michigan’s own Des Linden came in 4th. Has to be the toughest spot
I was sort of surprised that only the top 3 get a spot. Des seemed very gracious in her barely post run interview.
Des has been planning to run Boston after the Olympics anyway, so while I’m sure she is disappointed, the commentators ahead of the race said she might not have been really counting on a spot.
yeah, “first loser” really sux.
Meanwhile, another beautiful day in Paradise – 72 with a slight breeze, so a gambled and completed my first 5-miler in over a year and a half. Woo-hoo.
4 mile walk in the cold, crisp sunny Ohio weather.
I’ve been adding a couple of items to my rotating breakfast menu. I picked up a bag of Bob’s Red Mill muesli - I make it hot and will add either dried and fresh fruit and nuts (and some milk) or dried fruit, banana and PB. Or banana, PB and a few milk or dark chocolate chips. It’s good!
The other thing are yogurt bowls. All the rage on Instagram and hip breakfast places. Each item gets a section of the bowl separately and then mix them up. Today’s was whole milk plain yogurt, 1/2 nectarine, 1/4 cup strawberries, 1/4 c. homemade granola, some sliced almonds and a drizzle of maple syrup. Amazing and filling!
Yay @colorado_mom ! Another downhiller! Sorry you missed a season when injured, and that stinks that you can’t use the free pass. Maybe they’ll extend the date if you ask?
We have only missed one season in many decades. We’ve had the kids on skis since they were 3. I skied when I was 5 mos pregnant with DS #1. Cross country and downhill. We can’t wait til next year when GD will be on skis for the first time. Also hoping our other (DS#2’s) wife will not give up. She has not been a big fan of skiing but has been a trooper and tried. She tried snowboarding this year. Not sure if she liked it. Our family are skiers. Fortunately DS#1’s wife is a skier.
Today was another glorious day on the slopes. Not a cloud in the sky, temperature was perfectly comfortable. Got 25,500 vertical feet in today, so we are enjoying our free margaritas (they are excellent!) with guacamole.
It’s early. Considered hitting the gym but the hot tub sounds better. My watch claims I’ve already logged in over 1000 calories today.
Impressive, you go girl! (if I can still say that today…)
@mom60- - one of the guys we rode up on the chairlift with moved to this area from Texas. He didn’t start skiing until after age 60. He is now a major ski bum. The equipment these days makes it so easy to ski.
Another couple we rode up with were chatting about all the places they’d lived. She mentioned she grew up in South America but went to college in Saratoga, NY. I said “Skidmore is a great school”. She then said she met her husband in South America but didn’t want to live in Pittsburgh where he went to school. I asked “Carnegie- Mellon?” Yep. That was the school. She didn’t seem at all surprised that I knew these off the top of my head, but my DH was impressed 
Oh, and last post for now. I decided to get a new ski jacket a few weeks ago as after the Xmas trip. I noticed that my 7 year old “black-with -fur trimmed-collar” was getting worn at the neck. I bought a blue jacket. DH also decided to bring his blue and grey jacket instead of his old yellow one.
Geez, apparently everyone this season is wearing blue jackets with black ski pants. Hard to find each other on the slopes (the neon green skis helped though). I also have a backup pair of mittens that are dark magenta. Used them today too. Even the ski instructors here are wearing the same blue! One ride up on the chair all 4 of us were in blue coats and black pants. We looked like a ski team.
Another day without relapse. But I haven’t tried to put the muscle to a real test yet.
I spent a couple hours in the gym doing cleans, thrusters and toes to bar, bench press, OH lunges, GHD sit-ups and glute ham raises. And finished off with 15 minutes running on the treadmill.
No gym tomorrow, but hopefully a decent run.
@jym626 - The ski slopes are a place it pay to NOT be in fashion. When our son was about 7, at a spit in the trail he followed the wrong bue Columbia ski jacket instead of my husband. Luckily I ski at the back of the pack in our family - originally due to mama bear tendencies, but then because the kids got so darned good/fast.
I didn’t miss last ski season due to injury. Or money. Dang it was just schedule complications and weariness from working. My husband usually just drives us and does not ski, so skiing does not always make it to the top of our lift. Next year when retired and able to ski weekdays / avoid traffic, it will be great.
OOh, so glad you weren’t injured last year @colorado_mom. My mistake trying to read on the phone. Have never been to Eldora. The closest we’ve come to a “locals” place in Colorado is Loveland.
That’s a riot about your DS! Glad you found and redirected him! I didn’t know blue was the “in” color this year, nor did DH who pulled a very old jacket from the closet. It was a pure fluke.
Double check with AARP and silver sneakers. I thought I read that AARP discontinued it’s relationship with silver sneakers. https://community.aarp.org/t5/Benefits-Discounts/Silver-Sneakers-No-Longer-an-AARP-Benefit/td-p/2063242. Reading what I just linked, it looks like they reversed their decision to stop it and have reinstated the silver sneakers.
BTW you are exactly right— the slopes were much emptier Thurs and Friday, but ore crowded today, and likely tomorrow. It figures that they are expecting fresh powder tomorrow (Sunday) night and we leave Monday.