A Better Cardio Day

Today I do another Cardio Day but play it smarter by avoiding machines that involve backward or lateral movements; two things that aggravate my sciatica and lower back. That leaves the cross-trainer, the Expresso bike, and the ClimbMill. I do all three in succession in decreasing time increments. 

Except for the bike, because with all the glare on the screen from the big plate glass windows behind me I forgot to set the amount of time I want to pedal. The default setting is 5 minutes and I'm surprised when 5 minutes is over and the Dragon Island game ends. I start the game up again and set it for 15 minutes. Alas, I don't have an account with Expresso and it doesn't save my data: those 5 minutes aren't included. But I'm satisfied that I've logged in over 5 miles today. It's a cardio workout day!

See the link for hip stretches

Unfortunately, I'm running late to pick my son up from his camp job, and have to skip a bunch of stretches and core movements. I only do crunches and bird dogs, a quick piriformis stretch and the most important movement of all: hip stretches. Some websites call it a double hip rotation. All I know is that my hips get looser and feel better when I do a few reps after a cardio warmup that's at least 20 minutes. Doing anything before cardio is asking for trouble.

You'd think I was an avowed Cardio Bunny with the amount of aerobic exercise I do, but let me repeat myself: I hate cardio and suck at it. With sciatica, old injuries, and glaucoma, it's wiser for me to do what promotes health and well-being, and not what I want to do just to prove to myself that I can still "do it." Because obviously, I can't.

6 Aug 2021
Cardio Friday

LF cross-trainer
20 min + 5 cool down
Program Manual 1
HR 139
Cal 197
Distance 2.63

Expresso bike
15 min {+5 uncounted}
Dragon Island
Distance 2.79
Cal 63
Points 113,710

Matrix StepMill
10 min
Speed 6 (52-57)
HR 127
Cal 79
Steps 541
Floors 33

Crunches 60
Piriformis Stretch
Bird Dogs 60s x 2