Weekly Exercise update

 I have been doing more serious exercise in the last month than I have for ages. The last time I remember doing sustained exercise over a long period was before Wally was born over 30 years ago. I am sharing my progress here with you, and hopefully, I will be able to look back over these posts and see the progress I have made-- meaning, this is more for me than for you. However, if you have a new habit that you are trying to establish and want to share, I'd love for you to join me. 

So, the main goal is to move more. To put a fine point on that, I want to have 3 days of aerobic exercise and 2 days of strength training/week. This is a lofty goal for someone who has never been into formal exercise, but I'm gonna try. I belong to a gym that has a wide variety of classes that I'm trying out. Also, I take a ballroom and line dance class each week with Ward.

So here is how the last week went:

2/28 Friday: I did a one-hour Zumba class. I am continuing to catch on little by little and don't feel so out of place. The class wasn't full, and I got a good view of the instructor. I am learning her hand signals, which helps. This hour wears me out, but I am making it to 25 instead of 20 minutes before I want the class to be over. 

3/1 Saturday: Free day

3/2 Sunday: This was a 45-minute class of low-intensity interval training with weights. Luckily, I found where they keep the 2 lb weights, so that was what I was using. However, I used them for the entire time which was new for me. I was exhausted after this class.

3/3 Monday: Ward and I went to a one-hour ballroom dance class (at the rec center, not the gym), which went better than last week. Ward videoed another couple who were getting all the steps, and we used that for practice. The practice paid off, so I didn't want to hide behind a door like last week because I was so lost. This class makes me sweat, but it is easy exercise-wise. This class is definitely a mental challenge for me.

3/4 Tuesday: Ward and I went to a one-hour line dance class at a local dance studio. This class gave me a good workout, and I was more tired at the end than I had been before. I think that might be because I am getting more of the steps and am moving more of the time. This class is fun and my favorite of the week.

3/5 Wednesday: I took a 30-minute Mat Pilates class this day. It was hard, but it gave me a good upper body and core workout. I'm still sore from it.

3/6 Thursday: Free day to recover from Pilates class on Wednesday.

I am seeing a little progress, physically, but it's harder to get myself up and out to the classes. Maybe being accountable here each week will be the extra encouragement I need to keep me going.

Until next time...

Seeds

I have been dabbling in vegetable and flower gardening throughout the years but have never been very successful with starting seeds. Years ago, I tried it a few times but couldn't keep the cats out of them, no matter what kind of barrier we put up. After a while, I just gave up. A few years ago, I tried some cold starts of cruciferous veggies outside in milk jugs. However, they never quite flourished in the garden.

One of my goals this year was to try my hand again at seed starting. One, because I like to watch the growing process, and two, I hope to save a little money on the plants we usually buy in the spring. I consider this a learning year and am not trying to do everything perfectly. However, I've read some and talked to Master Gardners from the extension service. I expect it to take a couple of years to figure out what works for me. Here is what I've done so far.

In February, I went to a seed exchange at the town hall. It was more like a seed giveaway than an exchange. I also got to talk with some master gardeners. I have way more seeds than I can use, including the seeds I've been saving over the years. I plan to share some of my bounty.

I started a combination of flowers and vegetables outside, including some tomatoes. Although tomatoes are not recommended for a cold start, one person said she does it every year, so I'm giving them a try. 

Inside, I have started 14 different vegetables and flowers. Most of the seeds I used were old, so I sowed liberally, and we'll see what happens. I purchased two heating mats off eBay for a good price and bought two grow lights to aid the process. Ward made stands for the lights and cleverly made them so they will break down and be stored easily. I wasn't sure where to set things up, but I decided on the living room. Since it is easily accessible, I check on the trays and move things around several times a day. I do not have enough lights or heating pads to leave everything in one place.

The basil was the first to sprout, but more are joining it every day. At least half of what I planted has sprouted. 

I know a lot has to happen between sowing a seed and getting a plant to grow outside, but I feel like I have a good start. My hope is that I will be successful and can share with others. And if not this year, maybe next. At the very least, this is a fun experiment.

Until next time...

Spring is Here?

There is much hopeful talk of spring these days. We are all longing for relief from the cold of winter and looking forward to the warmth of spring. 

But according to meteorologists, spring is already here. Meteorologic spring, that is. To make weather data easier to compare, meteorologists use the dates of March 1 to May 30 every year to define spring. Astronomical spring is the day of the year when the spring equinox occurs. That varies because of slight variations in the earth's orbit. Astronomical spring is the one that shows up on our calendars and occurs sometime in the middle of March. This year, spring starts on March 20 and ends on June 21.

Spring is a transition season, and it often struggles to decide whether to cling to winter or race forward to summer. Our weather has certainly had its ups and downs recently. Last week, temperatures reached the low 60s before plunging back down into the teens a few days later. Today, temperatures are in the 50s, with howling winds and rain. However, slowly but surely, spring is starting to show itself. 

Here's what spring looks like at my house this week. The showy spring flowers are yet to come, but a few things are peeking up from the dirt.

Daffodils. These are in a warm spot. Other beds show no signs of their daffodils yet.

Daylilies. These are along the same warm wall as the daffodils above.

Iris

The birds have been singing for a few weeks now. This box has a bluebird nest, or possibly two nests, with one on top of the other.

Surprise lily. The leaves come up in the spring, and flowers come up in early August.

Swelling lilac buds.

We have snowdrops in this corner bed, but there are no signs of them yet. However, there's a limb that came down from the winds.

As you may have noticed, we have a lot of cleanup to do in the beds. That and a bunch of pruning. And lawn seeding. And planting. And ... It's about to get busy here outside. As soon as spring comes. :)

Until next time...

Gotta Keep Moving Musings

In my last post, I discussed the exercise classes I have been taking to achieve one of my retirement goals. If I do say so myself, I am proud of my efforts. But it's not all peaches and cream. 

Here are some random thoughts about my new experiences.

--Tai Chi is a very gentle class with many slow motions. However, my shoulders are getting tired even in there. The class uses no weights, but my shoulders get fatigued from holding my arms up a lot. It seems a little embarrassing to say that just 30 minutes of Tai Chi gives me a workout, but it does

--Speaking of shoulders, how can my right shoulder make so many cracks and pops with just one shoulder roll?

--Sometimes, like last Monday night, I just want the ballroom dance class to be over. Several people were absent, so I got individual attention from the instructor, but I still wasn't getting it. I found it uncomfortable and couldn't wait for the class to end. I learn academic things well, but not things that require coordination. There seems to be some nerve that is not completely connected from my brain to my legs. But I will keep going because I can only get better, right?

--I'm not sure that I have a clear image of what my body looks like. I've been getting more chances to see it because most of the classes have mirrors across the front. When I look in the mirror at home, I think I look rather squat with short legs. However, I think I look tall and thin in some of the classes. Others, not so much. (For the record, the charts put me at average height, weight, and BMI.) I think the class makeup is part of the reason for the different perceptions. The less intense classes have larger people in them. The more intense classes have, the more fit and thinner people in them.

--My perceptions of my feet have the same discordance as my body images. They don't look so big when I look down at them. But they look like big boats when I see them moving in the mirror. :)

--I have been very enthusiastic about getting focused and regular exercise for almost three weeks now, but today, I was wavering. I started telling myself excuses for why I didn't need to go to Tai Chi, but I went.

--I am shy in new situations, but I am starting to chat a bit with others in class. Maybe slowly but surely, I will make some new friends -especially since I don't have regular contact with my work friends anymore. 

--I wish I had the discipline to do regular, comprehensive exercise at home, but in the past, that eluded me. So, the gym and outside classes seem to be the best things for me now. 

I think maybe I'll give weekly reports here to keep myself honest.

So, until next time...

Gotta Keep Moving

 I like to move, but I've never been one who's been drawn to formal exercise, more like one who is always tapping her foot or getting up to walk around. My job was great for that. But I don't have that job anymore, so I could greatly benefit from better aerobic and strength fitness -especially at my age. You may be as young as you feel, but your body doesn't always cooperate with your feelings. Anyway, exercise pretty much helps with everything from head to toe, and I'd like some of that help. :)

At this time of year, when it's cold outside, I spend a lot of time inside under a blanket. To counteract that, I have been trying out various exercise classes. I have been a gym member for a couple of years but only visited it every few months—never enough to get comfortable with anything. Now that I'm retired, I have more time and class options, so here are the classes I've tried recently.

Ballroom dance: This is through the rec department, and Ward and I have been going on and off for a year. It's a one-hour weekly class, and we focus on two dances per session. Now we're working on the samba and tango. This class makes me sweat, but it's not exhausting. It's also a good mental challenge as I try to learn the steps. 

Line Dancing: This class meets for an hour once a week at a dance studio. It is advertised for seniors, and the dances are simple. However, it's another one that definitely makes me sweat. The instructor is playful, and the class is a lot of fun. It's just about my speed.

The classes below are at the gym.

Zumba: This is an hour of continuous dancing. I'm better than I was, but I still struggle to keep up with the moves. I find the class challenging and am ready to quit after about 20 minutes. However, I have been sticking it out to the end, but with less vigorous movements than most of the class is doing. I hope I will improve on all counts if as I keep going.

Pilates and toning: I am new to Pilates and found the class good for stretching and toning. This particular one incorporated weights. Even using the lightest ones they had, I was challenged and was sore for a couple of days afterward. 

LIIT (Low-Intensity Interval Training): This class does 30 seconds of an exercise and 10 seconds of rest for 45 minutes. Different from HIIT (High-Intensity- Ward goes to this), LIIT does not do a lot of jumping. There were a fair amount of weight exercises during which I used no or light weights. I found it challenging but doable.

Strong and Balanced: This class was advertised for the over-50 crowd and focused on strength and balance. The class used weights and a chair. I especially appreciated that it concentrated on the entire body from head to toe. It was just about right for me at this point.

Tai Chi: I had never done tai chi before and was told there were many different kinds. We did a meditative type. It was 30 minutes of slow, continuous movement. In fact, the hardest part of the class was going slowly. The lights were dimmed, and gentle music played in the background. It provided good stretching with a focus on slowing down your thoughts. This is an important class that I hope to do more often.

Yoga: Ward and I did couples yoga for Valentine's Day. It was fun but not something I would want to do every day. I have to be careful not to hyper-extend my loose joints in yoga classes.

I would go back to any of these here. There is enough variety in time and activities that I should be able to reach my goal of 3 days of aerobic activity each week and at least 2 days of strength training. When the weather warms up, there will be more outdoor opportunities to be active. 

Wish me luck. Follow through with regular exercise has never been my strong point, but I feel hopeful this time will be different.

Until next time...