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Thirty minutes of rowing and 599 strokes last night while watching "Justified." Did my calf stretches on the Foot Rocker. Rained all evening which has cooled things off. Down to 68 this morning. I usually leave the window fan on at night, but I didn't need to. The small dehumidifier filled up, faster than usual. Seven hours of solid sleep, followed by two hours of drowsing while listening to podcasts.
UPS had the Misfit Shine fitness and sleep tracker out for delivery, but it never arrived. Now it just shows as arriving at the carrier facility. I decided to give the SmartHealth pedometer and watch another shot after reading the instructions. There's a 40-step lag before measurements show up on the screen.
Had a surge of excitement when I discovered that Concept 2 has a log book for recording rowing workouts. Unfortunately, my machine just counts time, strokes, and calories, not distance. There's no formula for converting strokes into meters as far as I can tell, except one that says 10 meters per pull. Too many variables... I suppose I could shell out $900 for a Concept 2 D rowing machine, but that's a little rich for my little home gym - or blood. I might get there eventually, but there are a lot of smaller purchases I could make. Baby steps... I've decided to log my strokes on a Kindle Fire app.
Got an idea for a much less expensive addition to my home gym from eddie1261. I may try the Wii Fit to add more variety to my exercise routine. I thought about getting a Wii just for the games but backed off after they discontinued Internet service. They now have an Internet-less Wii Mini for only a $100.
Right now, I'm thinking about giving a stepper another shot. I have a Sunny mini stepper that's built like a tank, but it's too high off the ground to watch television with and too easy to fall off. I thought about getting the version with a handle, but decided I would start with something easier, with less resistance. The Sunny Air Walk Trainer is built lower to the ground and has handle bars for balance. It looks like it might easier to ease back into walking than a stepper and less expensive than a treadmill. Stepper might be the wrong word for the Sunny Air Walk. It might be better to compare it to its better known sibling, the Gazelle. I just have to accept that sometimes I make mistakes like buying the wrong equipment like the Sunny mini stepper, learn from them, and move on.
Ten minutes of stretches lying in bed, 45 minutes of the first day of the third month of my whole body dumbbell conditioning program from "Complete Guide to Dumbbell Training." This month is devoted to stripping away fat - ouch. Four sets of ten reps each with six pound weights of Turkish get-ups (can't do the whole exercise so I'm approximating, lifting the weight up first), ballistic press-ups on my knees (using the Iron Gym Push Up Rotating Push Up Grips), curl to press, bent-over flye, side lunge, and rollout (using the Ab Wheel) for 45 minutes. Thirty-one minutes of rowing, 625 strokes. 816 steps.
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1103 kcal
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Fat: 30.50g | Prot: 62.00g | Carbs: 144.87g.
Breakfast: Planters NUT-rition Heart Healthy Mix, Celestial Seasonings India Spice Chai Tea, Kroger Lactose Free Fat Free Half & Half, Sugar, Chobani Nonfat Blueberry Greek Yogurt, Fiber Choice Sugar Free Assorted Fruit. Lunch: Weight Watchers Smoked Flavor String Cheese. Dinner: Campbell's Healthy Request Bean with Bacon Soup. Snacks/Other: Ocean Spray 100% Juice Cranberry & Pomegranate. more...
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 Comments
Can you use something as handles say maybe chair backs or something else around your apartment on your mini stepper? that way you wouldn't need to spend $$$ on a new one. I would think about some improvised option first.
03 Aug 14 by member: wholefoodnut
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Thanks for your suggestion, wholefoodnut. It's hard enough for me to exercise; harder still with equipment I don't feel safe on or trust. The solid construction of the Sunny mini stepper actually works against it. I could even see a scenario where you could crack your skull on it. I tried placing it against a wall, but there's still the possibility of a sideways spill. Also, that eliminates watching tv and my ADD can't handle that boredom. If I were surrounded by one of those inflatable cushions that stuntmen use, maybe... It's just too easy for me with my not-so-great balance to take a tumble. There's a reason why some balance exercises recommend you use a spotter.
I could write about the possible hazards until I was proverbially blue in the face. You would have to actually see me using it and taking a dive to really understand my concerns. I just can't afford to break my face, leg, or arm to save a few bucks. If I lose my mobility, I'm up the creek without a paddle. I'm cheap, but I'm not that cheap. Inevitably, I'm going to make poor choices in building my home gym. That's why I keep my experiments small. I doubt I would be that sanguine if I had a $500-$1,000 treadmill or stationary bike sitting on a back porch or in a garage which I've seen frequently at peoples' home. I understand and have been guilty of that magical thinking myself. Buying a book on dieting isn't dieting.
So far there are two fitness purchases I regret: the Sunny mini stepper ($50) - particularly since I could have gotten one with handles for $12 more - and the Stamina stationary bike ($28). The Sunny has a lot of resistance and Stamina not enough resistance to get my heart rate up. The Sunny Air Walk may suffer from the same problem, lack of resistance, but people have hacked it and added resistance by using bungee cords. At least the Air Walk offers a full range of motion and uses the entire body. It's like the three bears' porridge: finding the porridge temperature that's just right.
I got a taker on Freecycle so the mini stepper should be gone this afternoon. I'm trying to adhere to a rule whereby new junk doesn't come in until old junk goes out. I got rid of my ten-year-old Dell Latitude laptop yesterday which was essentially sitting around taking up space.
03 Aug 14 by member: ChrisComedy
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The biggest thing about the Wii Step Aerobics vs a stepper is that the stepper is just climbing stairs to nowhere until you poop out. The Wii basic step gives you a set routine that is up and down as well as lateral movement. The routine is 3 minutes long and it takes some getting used to before you get the timing and balance down to where you do the whole 164 steps in perfect rhythm. I now do it perfectly about 12-13 out of 15 times that I do every night. There is much in the Wii that I can't do because I can't stand on my right knee. Everything is made to work both sides (obviously) and while I could do the "left leg" stuff, the right I can't do. I have probably touched on only 10% of what the Wii offers, but that 10% has done me well.
There is advanced step that adds a kick but again, the knee.....
I also do 5 of the yoga poses. It is a very nice tool to have as an option.
03 Aug 14 by member: eddie1261
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Thanks for all the info on the Wii, Eddie. That ten percent of what it offers sounds encouraging. It is definitely on my shopping list. I'm looking for anything that will make exercise more enjoyable, fun, etc. Gamification is what it's called in the tech industry. That was my downfall with Pilates: doing an hour a day of the same exercises over and over got to be a chore, like doing the laundry.
03 Aug 14 by member: ChrisComedy
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wholefood nut, one consolation for me is that the $78 I blew on the wrong choices in exercise equipment is less than what a lot of people spend every month on gym memberships, cable tv, or cell phone bills.
03 Aug 14 by member: ChrisComedy
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Hey, it was just a suggestion not knowing anything about the stepper. I sometimes have balance issues due to different strengths in my legs due to and accident. I have the Wii fit balance board etc. It doesn't work well for me due to that. I should try it aging, it's been a couple years. I understand the boxing is a good workout.
03 Aug 14 by member: wholefoodnut
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Wholefoodnut, I have a similar problem with my right knee being so bad that the thigh bone has worn it's way into the shin bone. The x-rays make it look like a right fist pushed into a cupped left palm. After 40 years of that my right leg is a shade shorter than my left. I wear a copper compression sleeve, then my workout compression pants, then a lateral support brace over the workout pants. I still have some twinges and have to very consciously focus on staying as vertical as possible for balance, but I get it done. And it when it does hurt, well, life can suck, wear a helmet. Portions of 45 cumulative minutes of knee discomfort every day is a good trade-off for me for a healthier heart and a longer life. There is MUCH that I can't do on the Wii because of my knee, but I found what I can and I do a lot of it daily. Like I can't do the ski slalom balance exercise because I can shift weight that way on my knee. Much of the yoga is done on one leg. I could stand on my left, but exactly half of it would be a no go when I had to stand on my right leg. It does stink, but it is what it is and it's just my cross to bear. Everybody has one, right?
03 Aug 14 by member: eddie1261
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No biggie, wholefoodnut, I was just thinking aloud. I'm taking it easy today so I've got time on my hands. The Sunny mini stepper got picked up this afternoon. I told the woman who got it she should get a lot of use out of it because it's sturdy. Her response was, "As long as I don't fall off ;)." I told her there is that and she should be careful because it puts you surprisingly high above the floor.
03 Aug 14 by member: ChrisComedy
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Chris, wasn't upset, sort of put it in there weird, has been a long day trying to get grandkids to round up their stuff and 2 hours in the car home. They love staying t their aunt's and uncles house and wanted to stay longer. Hey, cool that you sold it.
03 Aug 14 by member: wholefoodnut
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Eddie, wow!! You have done a lot to get your knee/ balance better.
I need to try my Wii fit again since with all the exercise and weight lose has resulted in so much less pain. Maybe I stand better now. Thanks.
03 Aug 14 by member: wholefoodnut
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Actually, I gave it away on a website called Freecycle, wholefoodnut. Since I had three people who wanted it, maybe I could have sold it. However, given that I wasn't "sold" on it myself, I might not have felt right doing so.
03 Aug 14 by member: ChrisComedy
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Well that's cool. Not sure if we have that here in KC. Especially if you weren't happy with it.
03 Aug 14 by member: wholefoodnut
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Freecycles are everywhere, wholefoodnut. I'm sure there's one in KC. The stuff I'm giving away isn't valuable - not much of a market for ten-year-old laptops - but someone can use it.
03 Aug 14 by member: ChrisComedy
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ChrisComedy's Weight History
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