The Perpetual People Exercise Post

[ut0pia]

Originally Posted by Snake_Lady

Hi Mariya, I hope you are able to start again today like you mentioned....

I have another question for you, if you don't mind..... How tall are you? I'm just asking because obviously height afters your stride and speed..... still trying to rate out how I am faring. 3mph is a "brisk" walk for me...I'm 5'3.5

I am 5'7- for me too though jogging starts at around 4 mph. At 4 mph though it's sort of weird for me, because it's like if I tried walking super fast at that speed, I could, but it would be more uncomfortable than just jogging. I do 5 mph for my jog and faster than that I consider it running. I try to make sure my walk time is at a very brisk pace though, because I read somewhere that it's important to keep your heart rate up and not let it drop too much during your walking times.

This thread being updated again is helping me find some of that motivation I've been missing. I didn't go to the gym today, but, I hope I have something better to report tomorrow

BTW even experienced runners do interval running in order to improve, I think it's the best way to approach running, because it also makes time go faster....I get info about running from the site runnersworld.com

 

[dave t]

Originally Posted by Snake_Lady

Dave, since you did the start to finish type deal, maybe you could make up a tip post so we can throw them all together...( or I can do it if a bunch of ppl want to post their tips on running/jogging.. it would give me something to do LOL, and I have a bunch of links )....

Ppl always underestimate the shoes. I did..... till I suffered a back injury, now I have no choice but to be overly picky.

Another on the shoes, I've read, people think walking shoes are good for running. FALSE..... walking shoes are for walking....running shoes are for jogging and running, made to absorb the shock as you hit the surface.



Dave: you didn't mention how running outside compared to inside? Was there much of a difference? If you were running in front of the Wii, odds are the floor would be similiar hardness to the ground yes? When I jogged in front of my Wii, the floor, well, we have heavy duty underpadding + thick carpet there......

This is one of my only concerns about running outside (once I reach that point) is how my body is going to react to the solid ground...... which is part reason for me getting a treadmill.

If you want to fire up a post like that, please do so! I'll be happy to chime in once I see what you are after. No pressure of course.

Running inside versus outside? NO IDEA! But I hope to find out tomorrow. Here is entry I made in my online fitness journal:

I did a trial run in the ol' basement this morning, all decked out in my iPod and official running gear. I am taking tomorrow off, so weather permitting I will finally hitting the open road. Yee haw!

I still need to scout out a route, though. I can't believe I keep forgetting that. LOL

I'll report back if I don't drop dead. If I drop dead, it was nice knowing you all.

---
As far as running conditions in my basement, I run around like a lunatic in short, pseudo-shag carpet that was popular a handful of years ago. Or maybe it still is; I don't see eye-to-eye with popular very often.

On that note, very important tip: When you are starting out, concrete is murder on your knees! If the internet is to be trusted, concrete is 8 times harder on your knees than asphalt. So if you can run on asphalt, or ideally on grass or something softer, please make an effort to do so. I'll be hitting ashpalt road in our subdivision tomorrow, but most of my time will be spent cruising along the grass near one of the roads to our house. Hopefully I'll be able to elude the random doggy land mines that are likely there.

Good luck out there! Keep at it!

Dave

P.S. Since everyone else is telling how tall they are, I'll join in as well. I am 6 feet tall, so I can cover quite a bit of ground at a moderate pace. At a fast pace...I collapse in a heap.

 

[snake_lady]

Welllllllll.

So Monday is the end of my first week using the treadmill and I must say that I'm happy with my progress.

I have NOT overdone it. (which is a big thing for me as I usually do, then end up being unable to anything for the next couple days)

I set a little goal for this week, and that was 10miles.....which I have met.

I have been playing with speeds, inclines, etc. while focusing on my heartrate...

Which brings up an important point....

Monitor Your Heartrate!!!!!! There are many calculators online that give you your recommended max heartrate.

My physiotherapist gave me a lecture on this one, as well as explained a lot to me.... ( he's ran 1/2 marathons n' such ).

And I did have a small incident where I did too much in the sense that my heartrate was well above what it should be and make me not feel well at all.

I can notice a difference in myself already.... in that on Monday, doing 2.2mph was a good workout for me.... upped it on Tues. then again.

I'm currently working on 3mph ( fast walk vs the jog it was at first ) and varying inclines depending on heartrate.

I'm taking my PTs advice and not doing the jogging bursts for a couple weeks. Since I am overweight and not used to cardio, I need to watch my heartrate. But if this past week was any idea, I should be able to do short jogs after this upcoming week

I have way more energy than I did, and feel so much better about myself now.

 

[ut0pia]

Wow, Chris, I never knew that. What happens if your heartrate is above what it should be?? My heartrate is sometimes like 180 to 190 which is bad but I didn't think it mattered too much....

 

[snake_lady]

Originally Posted by ut0pia

Wow, Chris, I never knew that. What happens if your heartrate is above what it should be?? My heartrate is sometimes like 180 to 190 which is bad but I didn't think it mattered too much....

Depending on your age/fitness level/resting heart rate, that may not be bad for you.

For me, the time I got up there ( I was doing a 30sec sprint at 5mph 5% incline and hit 180) I became very dizzy, all I could hear was my heart beating, vision blurred and just felt like I was going to pass out. I didn't stop but slowed down substantially and got my HR back down, but it was not a nice feeling.

I'm trying to google an answer for you, aside from my own experience and putting into my own words what my PT said which was: When your heartrate gets too high it can do a number of things....

- put strain on your heart itself ( I found one link on that, but it adds in that if you are not in shape.... http://www.heartdiseaseattack.com/he...k_exercise.php )

- if you are doing the exercise for weight loss and are pushing your heartrate too high it can actually HINDER weight loss because of the release of lactic acid ( my PT did a study on this one, group of overweight patients were monitored, their heartrates and blood drawn to see the level of lactic acid released, etc. I googled it and found this: http://www.brianmac.co.uk/hrm1.htm )

The above is my main concern

- another good link defining the 3 different categories of heartrate training:

http://www.twrc.rowing.org.uk/coach/heartrate.htm

Personally, I've been trying to keep my heartrate in the 150-160 range tops..... When I find it slowing, I increase the incline a bit.

I seem to be having a hard time finding out all the "why's" that it can be bad for you aside from what I posted above.

In my non-medical mind I would say that it all depends on your fitness level and WHY you are exercising.

For me, I'm exercising to lose weight, and improve my cardio..... which means I should keep my heart rate between 60-75% of my MHR. So that would be around 147- 164 (min and max). Above that, the fat burning lessens and right now my focus is on burning off some fat

( my resting heart rate was around 80

to compare, my husbands is around 60......... tho I need to remember to check it again because I imagine its changed some from last week )

I will continue to look for info, but hopefully you find the above helpful

 

[ut0pia]

Thanks for all the info, Chris.. I've actually experienced what you described, getting nausea and feeling dizzy after working out. I was at the gym and i had to stop, and i went to the bathroom thinking I'm about to throw up...So I felt nausea for like 10 minutes then I was better, but seriously I thought I was going to die, lol..
This was when I was working out for the first time in like 5 years and I was embarassed to admit how terrible my fitness level is

so I pushed mysef really hard...but I think what happens is, as your fitness level improves, you are able to do more without having your heart rate climb that high...this is what happened to me when I was working out more regularly...my heart rate eventually was 160 when before doing the same thing it would be 180.

 

[snake_lady]

Originally Posted by ut0pia

Thanks for all the info, Chris.. I've actually experienced what you described, getting nausea and feeling dizzy after working out. I was at the gym and i had to stop, and i went to the bathroom thinking I'm about to throw up...So I felt nausea for like 10 minutes then I was better, but seriously I thought I was going to die, lol..
This was when I was working out for the first time in like 5 years and I was embarassed to admit how terrible my fitness level is

so I pushed mysef really hard...but I think what happens is, as your fitness level improves, you are able to do more without having your heart rate climb that high...this is what happened to me when I was working out more regularly...my heart rate eventually was 160 when before doing the same thing it would be 180.

Yup, you are exactly right.....and thats what happened to me, I pushed a little too hard for being in poor shape.

And yes, your heart muscle strengthens and in turns beats less when you get into better shape.... I know even over only a week, I've watched mine improve...... It takes more for me to hit the 150's that I'm aiming for, whereas on the first day it left me gasping LOL.

 

[ldg]

Well, I'm READING the thread - so that's a start!

Chris - thanks for the good links on the heartrate training....

 

[snake_lady]

k, I'm baffled here.

I have been using the tread for ummm, a week and a half now.....

In the first few tries, I varied things, played with inclines n' such...... jogged, etc. At the end of last week I talked with my PT, and took jogging out and focused on heartrate.

Anyways, so I've used it for about 10 times and never once felt any soreness.....till today

I did not change anything yesterday...... gradually worked myself up to target heartrate at normal speed ( 3.0mph), same workout, etc... but today, my calves are sore.....

does anyone have any ideas at all as to why that would be?????

appreciate any input.... thx.

 

[snake_lady]

ok, so in addition to my above post....

I paid attention this morning and.....

the only differences I see are that my posture has improved, and I'm not steadying myself with the rails..... so perhaps thats why I'm sore today? The lack of using the rails..... not that I put any weight on em before but just rested my hands there because my balance wasn't all that good.

Maybe the posture.... I really dunno.

I imagine I'll be sore tomorrow, even tho I did take it easy today...... so I think tomorrow will be my day off

 

[snake_lady]

I actually wasn't sore today but at first thought about keeping today as a day off......

yah, ummm, no.

I missed it..... but by the time I could get to it, it was 8:30....so I figured I'd go for 40mins or so....

Lesson learned: after the day is pretty much over, Chris is not suited for exercise....

I'll be sticking with the mornings I think from now on....

 

[snake_lady]

hmmmm, where'd everyone go in this thread LOL.

I had planned on changing my routine up a bit, slightly faster speed but my heartrate is still fairly high, so I'm sticking with the 3mph. The only change was I upped the time to 70mins as I spend 5mins easing into it, then 5mins cool down....so this allows 60mins exercise.

What I did do today was add some slight resistance training into things.

We have an elliptical/stepper as well, which I stopped being able to use due to my hand issues, and weight as well. But I found that my posture has improved enough that I can stand straight up without holding onto the handles and do steps (which was the problem before that I had to hold onto the handles to keep balanced and that really affects my arms).

So I added 5mins of stepping at 4 resistance, and plan on doing that every other day in hopes of building some lean muscle mass.

I plan on changing the resistance weekly I think.... I will wait and see how my legs feel tomorrow and judge from there.

I will admit that I am pleasantly surprised at how much I am enjoying this

I feel great afterwards, and miss it when I don't do it LOL.

 

[snake_lady]

Originally Posted by Snake_Lady

I had planned on changing my routine up a bit, slightly faster speed but my heartrate is still fairly high, so I'm sticking with the 3mph. The only change was I upped the time to 70mins as I spend 5mins easing into it, then 5mins cool down....so this allows 60mins exercise.

Yah ummmm. LOL... I don't listen to myself, aside from the time. I was able to up the speed to 3.1 today, did 30mins at that speed. I found it rose my heartrate into the 160 range but only for 2-3mins then I was back at 150 which is what I am sticking with for target right now.

So I added 5mins of stepping at 4 resistance, and plan on doing that every other day in hopes of building some lean muscle mass.

I plan on changing the resistance weekly I think.... I will wait and see how my legs feel tomorrow and judge from there.

Didn't feel a thing today ( muscle soreness) so I did 10mins..... I'm not going any higher tho because even going quite slow, I get my heartrate up to 150 easily...... I'll see tomorrow and go from there. Next step will be upping the resistance.

 

[trouts mom]

We went for an hour long bikeride today!

 

[snake_lady]

Originally Posted by Trouts mom

We went for an hour long bikeride today!

Thats awesome Nat.... you guys must not have had the rainy crappy humid stuff we do/did......

I can't wait till it dries up and I can go for walks in the conservation area here.

 

[trouts mom]

Originally Posted by Snake_Lady

Thats awesome Nat.... you guys must not have had the rainy crappy humid stuff we do/did......

I can't wait till it dries up and I can go for walks in the conservation area here.

We had alot of humidity, but no rain yet...it's supposed to come soon.

 

[-_aj_-]

i havent really done much excerise but i have started walking to work it take about 20 minutes but im goin to put my pedometer on to see how many steps im taking and then im goin to see if i can add more steps each day by going for other little walks throughout the day also

 

[snake_lady]

Originally Posted by -_aj_-

i havent really done much excerise but i have started walking to work it take about 20 minutes but im goin to put my pedometer on to see how many steps im taking and then im goin to see if i can add more steps each day by going for other little walks throughout the day also

Great idea AJ.... I did that when I was working...and even little things like taking an indirect route to where I was going (at work) helped me out..... every step counts

 

[-_aj_-]

my only problem is my knees i cant walk for to long or to far at the minute till i get back to the docs about it, it looks like i have a family trait of cartalidge problems with them but fingers crossed all the extra pain is just because im moving more and not worsening them im going to try for 10 situps on a morning before i shower then on a night before bed to
i can tell the difference a couple weeks of walking more in my stamina so to speak i can run up the 2 flights (long flights lol) at work and not be out of breathe where as before i could only just walk. im lucky in the sense that i can regulate my breathing for when running, jogging, and swimming thanks to the years i spent swimming were as BF cant he cant get his breathing right for running and jogging so we are goin to start swimming so i can help him learn

 

[snake_lady]

AJ: sounds great, the swimming that is..... very very good exercise for you especially with knee problems. I'm hoping there is something to be done for yours. You are way too young to be having so much problems with them.



I skipped yesterdays workout..... just could not do it on no sleep.

I didn't set an alarm this morning so I wasn't up at my normal time..... very tired still, got 3hrs straight sleep last night + 45mins.

So I am going to go workout shortly, but, I will be taking it easy today.

But again, as I went to bed last night, I realised I missed it. I am very much enjoying it and feel great when I am able to do it.

Tho I am well aware of the fact that there will be days that I cannot do it like yesterday, and I'm ok with that.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was able to do my "normal" for 45mins (down from 70) but somehow got some motivation and dropped the speed, upped the incline and did another 30mins keeping my heartrate at the lower end of my target range rather than the higher end I do normally..... So I did reach my 3mile goal and am happy bout that considerring how tired I am.