Fickle Weather

Temps hovered near 70F today. Just as well, before the plunge into the low 30s tomorrow night. Dogs were bummed that they had the whole dog park to themselves with no one else to play with. Still, it's good for them to run around and get their zoomies out because then they're happy to sleep all afternoon. 

I get to the gym and see a few more regulars, but the place is nowhere near even a quarter-way full. Good for me though. I'm happy to do cardio, which I still hate, and then core and a few stretches in the Aerobics Room. An article I read last night suggests that docs have it wrong: exercising a mere 2.5 hrs a week is not enough to prolong life. That's only 30 min 5 days a week of moderate exercise and most will interpret that as taking a walk. 

The new study has determined that an hour a day of exercise will lead to lower blood pressure, and blood pressure appears to be the only health marker measured. The study, while fairly large, only distinguished between men and women, white and black. What about the not-white, not-black folks? I do feel vindicated though: I tend to workout intensely because the bare minimum never seemed enough. 

It's Tuesday so I'm not surprised that the free weight area isn't too crowded. I can use the Smith machine for Inclined Presses in spite of the discomfort in my right ear. The congestion is recurring but I can't entirely rule out the fact that the fit of the AirPods inside my ear canals might be responsible. I finish three sets and move on to Rip Skulls. I'd almost renounced this exercise due to the unexpected stress it places on my lower back and hence, my sciatica issues. Even at the lighter 30 lb weight, there's still stress on the right glute. I'd been enjoying a mostly pain-free workout until this exercise. The Rip Skulls make me limp a little. 

Tomorrow I'll do another round of cardio and then core. And then shoulders. Hopefully, I'll be able to take the pups to the park in the morning although rain is in the forecast. Temps are supposed to drop and winds will pick up. I don't care as long as the drive on Thursday is dry because it's a long drive to get my second vaccination shot. And I'm not expecting any side effects since I had none the first time. Just as well as I'm going to a Scout event this weekend where I'll be camping outside and learning all sorts of adult leader Scout skills. Rah rah.

20 April 2021
Gorgeous Tuesday

Precor elliptical
30 min + 5 cool down
Program 2
HR 82, 180-144
Cal 315
Distance 2.84

Crunches x 60 x 2
Piriformis Stretch
Happy Baby stretch
40 Dead Bugs x 2
Plank 60s
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Mat stretch w Seated Twist

Smith Inclined Press
Bar (30 lbs) x 20
+20 x 20
+40 x 20
+50 x 16, 15 (hot rt ear), 15

Rip Skulls solid BB
30 lbs x 12 reps x 3