Showing posts with label exercise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label exercise. Show all posts

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Pilates Day 3

Yes, we seem to have gained a day in the space-time continuum ...

Squidette joined me for the third morning in a row as we went in search of stronger abs and such. We were, briefly, watched by Little Squid who, deciding that this was not as amusing as he'd been led to believe, retreated into his lair for the duration.

Lessons learned thus far:

1. My legs really needed a shave
2. As did other body parts
3. Rolling back and forth on ones spine can cause "rug" burn.
4. My daughter and I are equally inflexible. And neither of us can touch our toes.
5. It is much more fun to exercise with a partner.

That is all.

We are on a pilates hiatus until next Saturday or Sunday due to a completely mad schedule this week for Squidette and only a little less so for me.

Knitting? You came here for knitting? Ha!

Actually, there has been quite a bit of knitting, ripping, reknitting, reripping, rereknitting on Squidettes new sweater ... you'll see it if it is ever actually finished.

There has also been some weaving and spinning. Maybe I'll put the weaving up later if I get a chance to wash it and press it.

*** And for Dee ... NO pilates pictures! ;-)

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Exercise. Blah!

I hate to exercise.

What! you say? The woman who crabs when she can't ride her bike to work -- she hates to exercise?

You bet. It's boring.

That said, I do it because, as with many things that I do, it's the right thing to do.

Yesterday, however, the fates were out to have fun with me.

After downing my morning tea, I donned bike gear and got ready to put in some time on the trainer.

But I couldn't find my bike shoes.

This is a Big Deal as the trainer (and my bike) is equipped with special pedals which require special shoes.

I search, half-heartedly, knowing that I'll have to find them eventually if only to ride to work next week (something that already seems destined not to happen).

I think about throwing in the towel (figuratively, I hadn't taken it out yet) when suddenly yoga seems like a good idea.

This leads to the tossing of the DVD / games cabinet. And the discovery that the DVD I want is missing from its case.

Stuck down on the floor, I continue tossing the cabinet in search of something, anything. Game pieces fly, Trivial Pursuit card sets get ejected and the children cringe in fright. (O.k., they were actually laughing at me.)

Aha! I proclaim, holding aloft a DVD. Pilates! Want to join me?

Squidette is game but Little Squid decides that a haircut will be more fun and hustles out of the apartment.

The games are scooped back into the cabinet, accompanied by mild cussing as I realized that the huge set of Mozart CDs still has to go back.

Everything back in its place (with the exception of those Trivial Pursuit cards ... I have plans for them) I start moving the coffee table off to the side to make room.

Uggh! Our coffee table rests too low to the rug to vacuum under -- use your imagination.

Out comes the vacuum and then, finally, down go the yoga mats.

Half an hour or so of hilarity ensues as Squidette and I try to get our bodies to perform as those on the screen.

We finish up and vow to do it again. Then I go in search of my bike shoes. (I found them)

Today, we did it again. We might even get good at this if we keep it up.

*No Squid were seriously harmed in the writing of this post though a couple of us have some aching muscles.

Thursday, January 03, 2008

Working Out

By now, most readers know that I am an avid bicyclist. I do not get to indulge my passion as much as I would like due to family obligations, but I do it when I can. One of the reasons I like to cycle is because, when using it to commute, it doesn't feel like exercise. Instead, it is a means of getting from here to there and hence frees up time instead of using time.

Before Squidette was born, I rode my bike to work almost every day. I was doing about 7 miles a day and enjoyed it immensely. After she was born, I took public transportation with her to my mother-in-law's place and then rode my bike the remaining two miles to work. This continued until I conceived Little Squid. That was it. For the first few months after I returned to work, the weather was too cold and snowy to ride. Then I got a car.

Fast forward to today. I have ridden my bike to work less then a dozen times since. These rare rides are usually in August or June, before and after the kids have school. I'd love to go back to those days but as long I am serving as child-transport, it won't happen.

Instead, I get my exercise by riding the trainer bike on the weekends and during school breaks. This past break I rode the trainer every day and did weights for a few days.

Mike is pushing me to work out more after work. He thinks it will be good for me for a number of reasons that I will not go into now. Up until now, I have preferred to use my precious evening time knitting but I had to acknowledge that his reasoning was sound. So last night I did it. I didn't ride, but I did do my arm weights and hope to do my leg weights tonight. How long do you think I can keep this up?

I like the way I look when my arms are toned. Actually, I love the way I look when my arms are toned and muscular. Yeah, I think I'll keep this up. And as for the knitting? I did get the heel flap and turn done on Lil' Sis's second sock last night ...