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Friday, March 4, 2022

Creating my "Right for Me Right Now" exercise program

Throughout my adult life I have started and stuck with for a time many exercise programs. There were several gyms for weight machine workouts, Pilates, yoga and swimming plus physical therapy and walking. I had trainers to help set up everything but the walking and that made figuring out the starting point and when to increase each exercise very easy which helped me stick with the program.

I'd do that again but I still don't want to go to a gym or Pilates studio until the pandemic isn't causing vaccinated people to be hospitalized in ICU or die. So, it is DIY time and dredging up memories of how the trainers created my programs. Then I will go up a step when these become easy or not effective.

I think I have landed on the right mix for me for the rest of March which is the first month I am seriously sticking with this. It has taken some trial and error the first week which showed me my current limits or starting point that sill enable progress but won't discourage me. 

Here is where I have landed for exercise. I'm trying for 3 Pilates and 3 stretching sessions per week. After each I will do a few shoulder PT exercises. Taking walks will be 2 or more times a week depending on weather, schedule and how I feel.

All of these are readily accessible for me and are at the right level for right now but this is a big increase over what I had been doing since my second foot surgery! 

  • Standing Pilates for Seniors | 25 Minutes of Exercise to Improve Strength, Mobility and Confidence by The Girl with the Pilates Mat who is in England. I'm paying her via PayPal using her Buy Me a Coffee link and buying one coffee per session. Paying for a trainer is motivating if I pay in advance. Trying to treat it like my Atlanta Pilates Studio arrangement.
  • My old DVD for 35 minutes of stretching (Gaiam a.m. & p. m stretch) which is also available online for payment I believe. For a while in Atlanta I did this almost every day. This won't change as I change my overall program.
  • An old PT exercise to try to finally get back my full range of internal rotation for my right shoulder. This is how much you can raise your had up your back from your waist. Long ago I had frozen shoulders (one at a time) and with the second one I stopped the exercises once everything but this was back to normal. We still had the equipment which fits over a door so I'm seeing if I can improve it now after all these years. It may be too late but we'll see. The picture explaining it is below.
  • Taking walks and tracking distance and speed using my phone.
I'm also tracking my weight and measurements to see what happens.



6 comments:

  1. Your exercise program sounds perfect and I am pretty sure you will know when you can increase or if you have to go back a level.

    I need to check out some exercise videos on Youtube as well. Thinking that should be a Sunday happening here.

    God bless.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There are so many to choose from that it has taken me a while to find the right instructor for me for right now. I don't like to do yoga so am sticking with Pilates. I do also like Bob and Brad for specific physical therapy type exercises.

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  2. I live the Girl with the Pilates Mat! It sounds like you found a good mix for you now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Me too including the range of videos she has and keeps creating and how well she provides instructions and demonstrations. I do have to say that having a Pilates trainer for 2+ years back in Atlanta has made it easier to follow the instructions quickly.

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  3. Have never really tried Pilates. But I like the idea of the stretching. Never took much stock in stretching but I am MUCH stiffer now than I was even a year ago. I am achy much more of the time these days, too. Ugh.
    Glad you have worked out a good regimen of exercise and stretching to keep you healthy. I think we are getting back on track finally. Having spring weather just around the corner helps.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think flexibility is so key to aging well. Of course strength and cardio are as well but lots of aches and pains come from not moving every joint and muscle. My history with physical therapy painfully taught me that!

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