More workout difficulties

Quote: Wizard

I don't understand why you are disparaging the comment?

Because after mentioning a regular workout, this person says taking the stairs twice a day is "good exercise." That's like calling a firecracker a "powerful explosive" after setting off a pound of C4.

Besides, the "good exercise" excuse for short physical exertions is what people use to justify not working out.

Quote:

When I worked on the fifth floor of the Social Security building I almost never* took the stairs in the interests of getting exercise climbing the stairs. I'm not saying that was only exercise I did, but every little bit helps.

I think you meant to say you almost always took the stairs, rather than almost never.

Quote: rxwine

Try a session doing shorter stride lengths and see if that helps. (quicker steps if you need to compensate for speed).

You can go back to longer stride lengths, but it may help to vary and do sessions with shorter step length.

Thanks for the suggestion. But actually things got better when I tried longer strides. I think my problem was the speed, not the stride length. Tomorrow I'll try the elliptical as well.

Quote: Nareed

Thanks for the suggestion. But actually things got better when I tried longer strides. I think my problem was the speed, not the stride length. Tomorrow I'll try the elliptical as well.

Okay, great!

(reasoning behind my suggestion, is the best benefit from walking is from large muscle groups. But smaller muscle groups are involved and can sometimes get in the way. Kinda like how when I've hurt my wrist doing curls; it doesn't matter how strong your biceps have gotten, it can set you back if you do, or you have to make adjustments. And you can do that in different ways. Different movements or support wraps, or something else, etc., But it enables you to focus on the big groups without being stymied by something. That said, small muscle groups can't be neglected, so it's all good)

Quote: rxwine

Okay, great!

Not for my shin muscles ;)

Seriously, I do appreciate any comments. I had to think back to what I did during the workout first. Then I realized what helped and what didn't. You can be sure I'll pay close attention when I start posting about using weights (if I ever get around to it).

Quote: Nareed

Because after mentioning a regular workout, this person says taking the stairs twice a day is "good exercise." That's like calling a firecracker a "powerful explosive" after setting off a pound of C4.

Besides, the "good exercise" excuse for short physical exertions is what people use to justify not working out.

I agree with her, climbing stairs is good exercise. I hope you didn't bite her head off for trying to be helpful.

Quote:

I think you meant to say you almost always took the stairs, rather than almost never.

Yup. +5 push ups.

Quote: Wizard

I agree with her, climbing stairs is good exercise.

No, it isn't. You get people who feel all virtuous for climbing a few flights of stairs every day, then they sit around the rest of the day engaging in no activity, thinking they get plenty of exercise. Likewise people who walk 50 meters from the parking lot to the office.

And don't get me started on diets ;)

Quote:

I hope you didn't bite her head off for trying to be helpful.

I only bite heads off online.

Quote: Nareed

[..] I did not watch what I ate much, either.

I need to qualify this.

Usually I ate two meals a day. Lunch at around 2-4 pm and dinner at around 8-10 pm. A few times I ate only one meal. For instance when we met the Wizard and others at the Cromwell. I couldn't eat lunch at my regular time, then dinner at around 7. So I would just have a snack instead of lunch, like a cup of yogurt.

Why not breakfast? No time! I spent most mornings lazily getting ready to be seen in public. Lazily means I took 2 or 3 hours to do so (normally I take much less). Given a wake-up time of between 7-8 am, that put breakfast way too late. It made more sense to skip it.

I also found out when I am deeply engaged in something I don't pay much attention to how hungry I am. One time I spent five hours at the outlet mall, and didn't even realize how late it was or how much time I'd been there until I got back to the GN and was feeling ravenous.

The following workouts have been rather disagreeable to my shins again, but not as much. I've managed a full 30 minutes by now. Only five more minutes to add.

May I suggest climbing the stairs to the top of the Pemex building, five times, every day.

Quote: Wizard

May I suggest climbing the stairs to the top of the Pemex building, five times, every day.

Well, the Pemex building is an a closed-off area of the city (I kid you not; access is regulated), and you have to pass multiple security checks just to get in. If you do anything suspicious, such as climbing stairs to the top of the building, you'll attract attention from the rent-a-cops. I know this because I've been there, twice.

Besides, that's too much of a workout.

But in the first place, I thought going to the gym and returning to the apartment via the one flight of stairs was "good exercise." The 30-minute workout is nothing in comparison ;)

And now I'm off to make an omelet in my new ceramic pan.