Fitness, Nutrition and Health- All Welcome (Hardcore and “Light”)

Parents Forum Parent Cafe
81

One more story and then I’ve got to get back to work! Upfront, this is NOT to crap on anyone wanting to lose weight. Seriously! Noooo judgement. BTDT.

One Barbell Logic episode that caused a paradigm shift for me was “Will Lifting Weights Make You Bulky?” . The hosts discussed the current cultural trend – for men and women – to push down the number on the scale & the quest for leanness.

They have barbell training clients who are very resistant to getting larger – yet the clients are also expressing frustration about failing reps & being unable to move more weight on the bar.

As I said upthread, this is/was all new to me! In the beginning, I kinda had this idea that you could determine the shape of your body as you added muscle mass. Eh, not so much. Pick your parents carefully! :wink: There are lots of super strong healthy people who will never be models & have some fluff.

I’d see some lifters on IG and frankly, I wasn’t very impressed. Most of them are not lean agile CFers or ready to stare in the next Marvel action film. Lots of them looked “huge” & “fat” to me. It took me awhile to “get it” – that big bodies were necessary to move big weights. I watched on IG yesterday AndrewBarBender power clean and jerk 330 lbs. Lots of people may not want to be as big as he is – but if you weren’t, you’re not gonna move that kind of weight. I am slowly getting around to appreciating this kind of athleticism.

I also listened to some podcasts where competitive female lifters discussed needing to go up a weight class in order to improve their performance, and how difficult that can be when we are so used to the goal of being smaller and weighing less.

Now, of course, no one HAS to do this (get big) in order to add some muscle and strength. People do and can get a lot stronger while also maintaining their weight class. I’m just trying to express how odd it all was to me – and still is. After all, I spent many many years looking in the mirror and one of the first thoughts was “I wish I had thinner thighs”. Ugh. What a waste of mental energy.

The other podcast I listened to recently was about a 52 yo man who had gotten pretty darn strong. He was squatting about 375# at a bodyweight of around 245#. He got a cancer dx (throat) and underwent radiation. It was nearly impossible for him to eat, and when he couldn’t get water down, he had to be hospitalized and given a feeding tube. He said he got down to 195#, so a 50# weight loss! It makes you wonder how his prognosis would have been if he didn’t have some muscle mass in the bank.

The treatment was successful! He said when he started to strength train again he was using the empty bar! He was that weak. He said his squat is now back up to 235# or so, and his bodyweight is back up to about 210#.

Anyways, this all helps me be a bit more accepting of my larger thighs and more “fluff” in my post-menopausal body. Can you imagine how we are going to feel about our naked bodies when we are 85? Gotta find a way to love our homes.

82

My perfect time to workout would be mid-morning. Not too early, not too late. Since I’m not able to function at 6:00 AM, and I work, I workout in the late afternoon/evening M-F.

As I mentioned in the old thread, I find it difficult to workout in anything less than 50 degrees. And I love to workout in the warm weather. During the past summer, I was in the gym, which lacks AC, working out doing my CF in 90-100 degree weather. I guess my old bones prefer warmer weather.

83

“…Now, a real test would be if there was conclusive evidence that a cup of coffee was bad for you…”

Shut. up. Don’t even speak of it.

Haha! I LOVE coffee. I’ll give up booze before I give up coffee.

84

I checked it out. Pauline is awesome. They also have a pic of several “masters athletes” doing a bench press simultaneously on those benches.

Now, I did spy something that I enjoy doing at the Fivex3 gym, though no one was using it. :wink:

85

I hope you welcome all opinions here! I realize what I post might not necessarily agree with other folks. But it works for me— here goes!

I’m a hardcore for 2 reasons. First reason is I’m a competitive masters track athlete. I run for the medals. If I’m going to succeed with this goal then I have to workout 2-3 hours daily. Otherwise someone else gets the medals!

Secondly, i want live a long time. I sit on my butt most of the day for work. I believe that if you don’t have a physical job, you need to prioritize exercise and diet. Work can’t be an excuse. Everyone is tired at the beginning or end of the work day.

86

I’m trying to get my eating reined back in after being on vacation. I exercised through the vacation and mostly stuck with fish at meal times but it’s still more than I usually eat. As a result, I’m super hungry today as I go back to “normal” eating. I’m trying to keep busy and not eat until mid afternoon when I can have my yogurt. Trying to remind myself that I won’t die of starvation until then.

Thank again for starting this thread so I can have a place to share. It always helps me to say it “publicly.”

87

After a terrible years long bout of plantar fasciitis caused by a barefoot NIA dance class… I have returned to yoga with a strategy that might for work for someone else. I found a dedicated yoga studio and tried their introductory package for a month. I started in summer, and the alignment (beginner) class started at 7AM!! Long story short, I got hooked and have been able to continue at 7AM through our rainy dark winter MWF and some weekend days. The side benefit has been joining a wonderful community of women mostly my age (62)–including a Friday morning poetry and coffee group after class. I am soooo much stronger and happier. I’m off running errands by 8AM and have seized the day. I never thought I’d be able to do this.

88

I get medals after my races too…but they always say “Finisher” on them for some reason. :lol: All are welcome here!

Recently I actually read about an 84-year old Vermont women, IIRC, who competed in the pole vault. Amazing!

Vacations are always tough to keep up with your normal routine, both diet and exercise. In my case, I always try to get accomodations close to a gym or a hotel with a gym and dumbbells. During the recent holidays, my family and I stayed at the beach in San Diego. Just so happens that there was a CF box nearby too. :smile: Unfortunately, the programming on the days that I dropped in was uninspiring, but what can you do. Well, in my case, I offered some suggestions. :grimace:

89

I’m 64, have osteoporosis, high blood pressure & high cholesterol (both of the latter treated with meds).

During perimenopause & early post-menopause, I had gradually put on more weight than I was comfortable with. For the sake of my health, I changed my eating habits - smaller portions, no more diet soda, fewer carbs - and was able to lose 20 lbs.

When the weight loss didn’t have the desired effect on my BP, I decided that being a couch potato had to change too. I enjoy walking, so I started walking at the mall - I could do it regardless of weather. I have since moved, and now do my walking outdoors (my preference) or on the treadmill when weather is an issue. My pace is around 15.5 min/mile. On the days I don’t walk for exercise, I still get walking in of some sort going to the grocery store, the library, etc. I now weigh within 1-2 poinds of what I weighed before I got pregnant with S1 34 years ago.

Stamina has always been an issue for me. I used to run during grad school (everybody was doing it then), but could never run more than 2 miles on totally flat surfaces. I’m not interested in running, but do need to do something other than walk. I always consider classes at the community center, but still haven’t done anything.

90

I’m not a morning person at all! I like to lay in bed in the mornings and check my incoming email so I know how the day will shape up. I work from home and serve an international clientele, so email flows in around the clock – so once I get up I want to take care of responding to whatever is my inbox. If I went to the gym then, my mind would be on my work the whole time So I go to the gym mid to late afternoon – ideally around 3pm or so, when I don’t feel any particular rush or to finish my workout and attend to work stuff.

91

Regarding osteopenia, was told after (my first?) dexa scan many years ago that I had it. I’ve been tested several times since then, and I don’t think there’s been much of a change. I’ve been told to “keep doing what you’re doing” (just about nothing, except in the last couple of years i have tried harder to take calcium). I wonder if I could just have small bones to begin with, and I’m really not at risk? Years ago my doc did prescribe Boniva (or whatever one Sally Fields used to appear in commercials for), but I didn’t do a good job taking it. I guess I should have a conversation with my doctor about this, but neither regular doc or GYN seems concerned at this point.

92

I have mild osteopenia but it has never worsened and I do want to do some weight bearing exercise to keep it that way. I’m actually slightly taller than I was—about an inch.

I did enjoy swimming and miss it but between the hives from cold water and needing to use oxygen to do it, it’s not a good exercise for me. :frowning:

93

For those P90x3 fans: The Challenge is great. Also love The Warrior (great total body workout that totally gasses me) and Isometrix. I can finally raise my top leg all the way up on the side planks. For pure cardio it’s hard to beat his MMA workout.

If you like Beach Body programs try the Insanity or Asylum circuits. Forget the guy’s name but he’s brutal.

Wish I did stuff like this when I was younger. Was always in to sports and lifting but at 55 I don’t want to do any heavy lifting. Dumbells is fine with me.

94

I like what @ohiooiho said about “every one is tired at the beginning of the day and end of the day”. It’s true! Sort of meaning, there is no perfect time except the time that you do it. I’ll bet it’s a rare occasion that people start an exercise session and just quit.

Another alternative if you work and are able is lunchtime fitness. I work on a large medical campus and find that a 20 minute walk at a good clip (maybe not as fast as at home, but not a stroll) is SO good for me mentally in the middle of the day. I will often walk 1-2 miles at lunch outside. And honestly, our campus is big enough that I have mastered an inside walk that also builds in several flights of stair climbing and I can get in 1.5 miles of inside movement.

I am also a slave to getting my Fitbit steps - I have mine set at 11K for a day. My daily average is more like 15K but a portion of that is likely to be a purposeful walk or run.

95

Well I will jump in to add more “light” ness, lol. I am 56, I’ve never been in great shape and I’m in the worst shape I’ve ever been in right now! I’m also about 30 pounds over what I think would be a good weight. I’m type B, have no impulse to compete in anything (even with myself) and the idea of getting medals for my efforts makes me giggle. I am, however, motivated to get “back” in shape because I’m annoyed that I’ve gotten so physically weak. I was always strong and I like do be able to do stuff - plant in the garden, move furniture, carry heavy things - and my ability to do so has really plummeted over the last decade so this year I joined a gym and I’m going to get back into weight lifting.

One of the ironic thing about going between being a physical slacker to moderate exerciser most of my life is I have no injuries. I had an ACL replaced in my 20s after a hiking injury but I’m otherwise whole and hearty. I’m planning on staying that way… so my weight lifting will be slow and steady.

I actually love to lift so the workouts aren’t a problem - getting into the gym will be and I’m trying to join the early bird crowd but a bout with the flu put me off that schedule as soon as I got on it. Starting up again this weekend so this thread is timely! My philosophy is - I haven’t been doing anything (other than walking, which I do with my dog) so anything else I do is an improvement and my goal is just to show up at the gym at least 3 times a week this year. Wish me luck! :slight_smile:

One thing I’ll mention for any other heavyweight lightweights out there is that I love the book “Aging Backwards”. It’s got a series of very simple Tai-Chi like movements based in ballet that you can do anywhere. The point of the exercises is to unstick stuck fascia and limber up slack muscles so you can move. It won’t substitute for other exercise and it’s totally not aerobic but it’s a great help for anyone feeling “creaky” and old before their time.

96

@1214mom – there is some question as to whether “osteopenia” has any diagnostic significance at all, other than being something to keep an eye on.

I’m noticing that a lot of us on this thread have bone density issues – not surprising given that bone loss is a NORMAL part of the aging process, and tends to be accelerated in women after menopause. So that’s why those of us who were thin or slightly built to begin with are at higher risk – we just don’t that much bone to lose.

I found this website particularly helpful for guidance with exercise – https://melioguide.com/ – there is a HUGE amount of free information. There is a free email course you can sign up for that will send you a series of short emails with video links to basically cover a lot of basics – and they will NOT spam you to death – I find all the emails I get to be helpful and informative, and the website and its videos are a goldmine of information if you are wondering what types of exercise are helpful and what to avoid.

There are some modifications I’ve made with yoga because of that information – basically I now avoid anything that involves rounding the spine forward. And yoga positions like “plow” are out of the question. One of my yoga instructors is close to my age and recently got diagnosed with osteoporosis herself – so she studied up and has started giving workshops based on the routine developed by Fishman - https://www.health.harvard.edu/womens-health/yoga-another-way-to-prevent-osteoporosis – I personally don’t like this routine, but it was certainly helpful for me to go to the workshop to figure it out.

97

I encourage anyone concerned with osteoporosis/osteopenia to do as much research as possible. Because less estrogen can lead to osteoporosis, the life cycle of a woman lends itself to osteoporosis. I look at it as something I have because I am a postmenopausal woman. I don’t think of it as a disease … it’s a condition. Like my Hashimoto’s, it is something I need to manage. Whether or not to treat it with drugs is a very personal decision. However, eating better & exercising more are things we can do to try to manage osteoporosis that don’t have potential bad side effects.

That said, even eating right is kind of a personal thing. For example, my body needs whole grains to function properly. Some people feel better when they avoid grain products. Some people can do impact-exercises, while others (like me) can’t. To me, the key is to research what is considered “good” & find a combination of foods and exercise that works for you. Every small change we make to help ourselves is a step in the right direction.

98

I had 3 hard falls in 2018 (2 on the same day in 2 different airports due to grippy shoes and a heavy backpack and 1 running fall) and I didn’t break anything- just severely bruised my ribs and sternum. While it wasn’t a good situation, it gave me a lot of encouragement as far as my osteoporosis. A lot of it is genetic- both my parents had bone density issues. I did do 2 total years (broken into 2 segments) of Forteo injections, but have refused any follow up meds.

I should also report that I did the unusual thing of falling on my treadmill a few months ago. I didn’t fall OFF of it- I caught my toe somehow and fell right on the belt, which is like sandpaper. I bloodied and bruised both knees and wiped out my shin. Who says running doesn’t leave you bruised and battered?

99

My former internist had several patients in a clinical trial which had them sometimes doing multiple Dexascans in a single day. He said the results for the patients would be quite inconsistent for the same patient on the same day, so he doesn’t have a great deal of faith in their high accuracy.

100

I’m not a treadmill fan because if there is a way to fall off, I probably will figure it out. I like the row machine – because once I have strapped myself in, I don’t have to think about it, and I’m supplying all the movement. I put on headsets and listen to music or podcasts, and sometimes I’ll close my eyes — I found myself doing that one day on the treadmill and found out that I had drifted back and was about to glide right off the back end.

I am very careful about not hurting myself, simply because the last thing I want is to create more excuses for myself not to exercise. I already found out on the weight machines that if I over-extend, I can easily pull a muscle or a tendon, and that sets me back while I have to wait for whatever bit I pulled to heal.

I keep track of all my weight/resistance stuff on an app and work my way up very gradually – basically either trying to match what I did in the previous session, or slightly increase the weight or number of reps. Also, at the gym I am only working with the machines, no free weights – also out of concerns of possible injury.

My gym did install a TRX system a few months ago and not many people seem to know how or what to do with it – so I will use it, because it’s usually free and I figured out that I pretty much can use it however I want (so, for stretching & balance as well as some strength work).