Zebras, Not Horses

I woke up this morning with my right thigh bicep on the verge of cramping but managed to stall it by jutting my heel out. It's the same technique to prevent calf cramps. The right side of my body seems prone to these indignities. The right foot has three hammer toes and lately they've been spasming at inopportune times, usually while I'm walking. Today on the elliptical I feel the toes start to curl and lock but I'm able to press my foot down flat to squelch the contraction. My lower back aches a little but it's not full-fledged sciatica. 

I haven't used elliptical #3 in a very long time. It also registers my rather erratic and eccentric heart rates but doesn't clunk as badly as #4 which has a broken HR monitor. Program 2 is what I call the twin peaks and I find it the hardest of all the programs. But today I score the best stats of the entire week even though I'm tired and a bit spacey. I even manage to beat my best rep count for hammer grip pull-ups and surprise myself. If I hadn't been running late then I might've finished with the step machine. But I want to make sure the dogs get enough play time at the park today...

When I get home, I do an online search for hammer toes, their causes and treatments. Not everything online is helpful. A lot of websites echo basic information, and some are so horribly written that they imply the opposite of what they're trying to convey. Most suggestions are sensible and completely not applicable in my case: wear comfortable shoes, stay hydrated, stretch, blah blah blah... Some websites have toe exercises that seem reasonable although I might've lost the dexterity I used to have to wrangle a towel with my toes. Aging is a bitch.

The fact that only my right foot has this issue means that it's trauma that's caused the nerve and ligament imbalance that is the root of the bunion and hammer toes. There might be a genetic component but that would mean both my feet would be affected. Not the case. It's nerve trauma from the removal of a schwannoma, a rare but benign nerve cell tumor on the inside ankle of my right foot over 30 years ago. I remember thinking it looked like a blob of chicken fat when it was sent out to the biopsy lab. My ankle and foot was never quite the same even though the surgery was a complete success with just the hint of a scar to mark the event. Sometimes when you hear hoof beats, it really is zebras, not horses.

29 April 2021
Frigid Friday Morn

Precor elliptical #3
Program 2
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5966)
Distance: 2.96
Cal: 334
Avg Hr 166, 201-81

HGPU 24 WTF!

Crunches 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
60 Dead Bugs
Elbow Plank 60s
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12x
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Child’s Pose
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Mild Mat stretch w 3 Eye Yoga
Band pull-aparts single strand 25

HGPU 22.5

Coccydynia?

Apparently there's an official word for tailbone pain: coccydynia. Since resuming the glaucoma-friendly sleep position on my back, my lower back has become very sensitive. Yesterday something was slightly amiss when the seam to the back of my sport pants kept annoying me while I was on the floor doing crunches, lower torso side twists and Dead Bugs. Okay, more than annoying. It was painful. My tailbone throbbed as I walked or pedaled. Luckily, my lower spine seems to have settled back into position overnight, and today my lower back is merely slightly stiff. (It's very disturbing when walking echos through your lower spine with the hard shock of non-cushioned footfalls.) 

Cardio has been really good this week (shocked that I broke 2.9 miles on Program 1 today), and I'm not sure if it's because I've been consistently coming every morning, or if it's the astaxanthin (purported to aid endurance) I started taking last Friday, or if it's because I've cut down on my alcohol consumption (less than half a shot of Campari in 6 oz of orange juice after supper). Or maybe all three. It's certainly not because I'm going to be earlier and getting enough sleep...

I make time for shoulder work after doing warm up pull-aparts in the Aerobics Room. The free weight area is a bit crowded with regulars and some new faces. The younger ones might be high schoolers who don't have morning classes. GrayBeard is on one of the adjustable inclined benches, and someone else is using the only other adjustable at the Smith machine. Which leaves me with one of two Breaker Inclined Benches. It's not my favorite option but at least it allows me to do what I planned. Since it's been a few weeks, I start from scratch with just a warm up set, and then three moderate sets: high reps and low weights. Done!

28 April 2021
Cold Thursday Morn

Precor elliptical #4
Program 1
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5846)
Distance: 2.91
Cal: 326
Avg Hr n/a

Crunches 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
60 Dead Bugs
Elbow Plank 60s
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12x
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Child’s Pose
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Mild Mat stretch w 3 Eye Yoga
Band pull-aparts single strand 25

DB Laterals s/s Rev Inc Flys
  10 lbs x 15/25 reps warm up
  15 x 15/25 reps x 3 sets

Dessert for Lunch

I get bored with my food no matter how much I like it, no matter how good for me it is. So, after reading another fluff piece promoting the health benefits of cinnamon, I consider ways to incorporate this common spice into my meals. The most obvious is to sprinkle a bit on day-old reheated coffee. Fresh coffee doesn't need any help but older coffee benefits from a dusting of ground cardamon (reminds me of my grandma's baking) or a decadent half teaspoon of Hershey's cocoa powder (turning coffee into a fancy mocha). 

Lately, I've been sprinkling it on my oatmeal and ditching the dried tart cherries for dried apples (we have a jar my husband processed in his dehydrator last fall). I also add a little ginger powder and some maple syrup because I like sweets. Today I add a few crushed walnuts. It's like eating a mushy apple pie (maybe not quite as sweet), especially if I pull out the container of raisins I have in the cupboard. It feels luxurious to eat right now.

I have my pick of ellipticals this morning. Although the sun is out, there's a lot of wind and temps don't rise past 51F so it feels chilly, even for April. The treadmills start to fill up as I pedal furiously, working up a drenching sweat. I get my pull-ups done and am thankful to cool down in the Aerobics Room. There's a chubby tattooed girl taking selfies in the corner I normally use, and I'm wondering what filters she's going to apply before posting, because I can't really think of what she'd be posting. But she's taking a lot of selfies of her duck-face pout gazing over her shoulder (I can see the flash go off on her phone a zillion times). It's not like she's really working out although I did see her briefly on the treadmill. I'm sure she posted "Getting healthy!" or something equally dull and inane... 

I talk myself into doing 10 minutes on the step machine. Haven't seen Chief today or Lazy Pedals, although there are other regulars. At home, I started watching "Homeland" with Claire Danes. So far it's pretty good. I've watched a lot of series that began and ended before I ever knew they existed, like "Saving Hope" (not to be confused with "Saving Grace") about a doc who communicates with the spirits of unconscious (sometimes comatose) and/or deceased folks in the hospital where he works. A combo of supernatural and medical/detective shows that I favor! I was really surprised at how good the props and special effects are with depicting injuries and surgical procedures. When did this happen?! I'm so used to shows where the camera purposely cuts away and you don't see anything, everything is implied because audiences are squeamish. Except that we're not. Anymore.

27 April 2021
Chilly Wednesday Morn

Precor elliptical #1
Program 3
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5908)
Distance: 2.94
Cal: 330
Avg Hr 151, 202-93

HGPU 22

Crunches 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
60 Dead Bugs
Elbow Plank 60s
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12x
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Child’s Pose
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Mild Mat stretch w 3 Eye Yoga
Band pull-aparts single strand 25

HGPU 22.5

Matrix StepMill (L)
Manual 10 min
Speed 6 (52-57)
Step 548
Floors 34
Calories 80
Heart Rate 148

Not Mentioned

Lately, I've noticed that articles stand out to me for what they don't mention as much or more than the info they purport to impart. Much like the tomato juice incident where its laxative effects aren't forewarned anywhere unless you actually do a search for it. 

I just read yet another article extolling the benefits of supplemental vitamin B12, especially for older folks. But, of course, no where is the Norwegian study mentioned about a potentially higher risk of lung cancer. (Better not scare your readers with possible hazards!) However, if you do a search for "B12 and cancer" you'll get a variety of articles (as long as you're not using Yahoo).

I read online about pull-ups vs. chin-ups and since I do that one in-between variation, the hammer grip, I'm curious to see if it's mentioned. It is not. Do a search for "hammer grip pull-ups" though and a slew of articles and discussions pop up... which means you have to know about it in order to read about it. Which is a shame. Hammer grips appear to be the best of both worlds and works all the muscles I'm targeting (lats, biceps, forearms), so I'm happy.

I did hammer grip pull-ups yesterday so I don't do them today. Too much stress on my tiny delicate forearms. I'm not being facetious. Like my undersized hands, my forearms are small and bony and don't respond to exercise with thickening muscles. Nope. The hands develop callouses and the forearms grow inflamed tendons. I've got two callouses at the base of my right hand's two central fingers that I'll have to file down (again!) in spite of wearing gloves when I exercise. Probably the IV skin condition (ichthyosis vulgaris) causing that...

It's very humid today so I'm drenched when cardio is done. I see a lot of "new" regulars, like Punisher (TV series) doing walking lunges down the aisle between the treadmills and all the other cardio machines. There's also Chief, who reminds me of every squinty-eyed retired cop/firefighter Irish bartender I've ever watched on TV, and yes, I'm thinking specifically of Rescue Me, the Denis Leary show. That guy bounces between the cross-trainer and the step machine most days... Lazy Pedals and Middle-Age Guy are also present, as is The Tank and Gray Beard, Floppy Girl, and more...

After "core and more," I add a few single-strand pull-aparts just to warm the shoulders up before entering the free weight area. Doubling the band makes the motion harder than I'm comfortable with, and also clogs up my right ear, suggesting too much shoulder/neck engagement. Skull Crushers and Rip Skulls only bother my left elbow with an annoying clicking sound and mild irritation. Yep, it's the joints that are the weakest link...

26 April 2021
Drizzly Tuesday Morn

Precor elliptical #1
Program 2
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5788)
Distance: 2.90
Cal: 325
Avg Hr 142, 202-83 max-min


Crunches 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
60 Dead Bugs
Elbow Plank 60s
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12x
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Child’s Pose
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Mild Mat stretch w 3 Eye Yoga
Band pull-aparts single strand 25

Skull Crushers / Rip Skulls
30 lbs x 12 reps each x 6 sets total

Positions Count

It has occurred to me that side-sleeping, while more comfortable for my sciatica, might be raising my IOPs. A rise of three points for both eyes is very alarming considering there's been no actual change in my meds or exercise. But I have been side-sleeping. And I should be sleeping on my back. Propping my head and upper body up while I sleep makes glaucoma sense but puts a lot of pressure on my lower back and glutes. I make a conscious effort to keep my position prone over the weekend so my head feels better, but I wake up with my glutes aching. 

I feel tired and bloated. Too much fat and salt in my food! It also doesn't help that my husband was in charge of meals for the past few days so we've been eating "junk food" like wings, Popeye's chicken & biscuits, and more wings (leftovers) and carrot sticks.

I had time for the stair machine today for the first time in two weeks. I left the speed at 6, which of course, never hit 60 steps per minute. But it was a good way to end the routine. Tomorrow I might try more Band Pull-Aparts before hitting triceps, but maybe without doubling the band itself...

25 April 2021
Mild Monday Morn

Precor elliptical #4
Program 1
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5592)
Distance: 2.83
Cal: 314
Avg Hr n/a

HGPU 22.5

Crunches 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
60 Dead Bugs
Elbow Plank 60s
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12x
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Child’s Pose
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Mild Mat stretch w 3 Eye Yoga

HGPU 22.5

Matrix Step Mill (R)
Manual 10 min
Speed 6 (52-57)
Step 539
Floors 33
Calories 79
Heart Rate 135

Two Steps Back

I made it to my doctor's appointment on time, but only by skipping hand-feeding the pups their breakfast. They did get eggs and dog biscuits before I left. And they got fed when I got home. I've had better appointments: my IOPs were high at 17, and the Visual Field 10-2 for my right eye is the worst I've ever seen, with very dark areas representing "blind spots." And this area is bigger and darker than I've ever seen it. All this signifies glaucoma progression if it's accurate. 

I mentioned the astanxanthin my brother's been taking, and the glaucoma doc thought it was worth trying. I see her again in a month when I'll take another VF and have my pressures checked. Hopefully they'll be lower. I really hope it's not the tomato juice (or V-8 juice) I've been taking to lower my triglycerides. I wash down a capsule of astanxanthin with V-8 when I get home.

I did make it to the gym and had another decent although abbreviated workout. Pull-ups and core feel fine. I add sets of band pull-aparts at the end. I'm glad I still have my stretchy bands from physical therapy but since they're old, I double them to prevent any mishaps, like them suddenly ripping apart. I wonder if I'll be sore tomorrow.

21 April 2021
Abbreviated Thursday Morn

Precor elliptical #4
Program 3
Time: 20 min + 5 min cd (4154)
Distance: 2.07
Cal: 233
Avg Hr n/a

HGPU 23

Crunches 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
60 Dead Bugs
Elbow Plank 60s
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12x
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Child’s Pose
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Band pull-aparts 12 x 3
Mild Mat stretch w 3 Eye Yoga

HGPU 22.5
 

Last Night I Learned...

While I had always heard (or read) that the sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the human body, I had no idea as to how large. I certainly didn't think it'd be the thickness of a human thumb! Since I'm still trying to understand my own propensity towards having sciatic issues, albeit sporadically, I did another internet search for just how the sciatic nerve originates from the spinal column. But this time, instead of using Google or Firefox's frustratingly useless default search engine Yahoo (literally nothing for ads that may or may not have anything to do with what you're searching for on the first and second pages), I took my husband's advice and installed Duck Duck Go. The search results are actually intelligible now.

I never realized that several different nerve fibers emanate from the lower spine to form the sciatic nerve. I did know, from viewing anatomy diagrams, that this nerve does bifurcate and split down different pathways behind the knee, around the calf and down into the foot and toes. The fact that my sciatica changes from excruciating on the right side to excruciating on the left side says to me that I don't have anything remotely like a herniated disc. Rather, I think it's spinal instability and sensitivity. I also learned a new word: paresthesia. It explains the burning sensation I sometimes have on patches of my arm. Because it comes and goes without any treatment, it can be classified as "transient paresthesia." And it requires no intervention or treatment, unless it becomes persistent.

Filthy! You should always
wipe the mat down before use!

So far, I haven't had any major sciatic relapses, but I've been cautious by only doing the exercises I absolutely know will not aggravate these nerves. And only exercises that help: bird dogs, lower body rotation, cardio to loosen everything up, fire hydrants to help with stiff lateral movements... Today, I cut my cardio down to 25 minutes (from 35) and work up a good sweat with enough time to do core and stretches. Then a rush to the dog park so that pups will be calmer when I take them to meet a prospective dog sitter. 

The meet and greet went well, and now the pups are exhausted. I really need to take them to new places more often. Like maybe the dog wash next week. But one at a time because walking with both of them is akin to managing untrained sled dogs. I'm glad I'm stronger than I look!

21 April 2021
Abbreviated Thursday Morn

Precor elliptical #1
Program 2
Time: 20 min + 5 min cd (4114)
Distance: 2.06
Cal: 231
Avg Hr 160, 198-94

Crunches 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
60 Dead Bugs
Elbow Plank 60s
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12x
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Child’s Pose
Push-Ups 30
Air Squats 25
Mild Mat stretch w 3 Eye Yoga

Fatigue is All in Your Head

I really wanted to roll over and go back to sleep when the alarm sounded this morning. But I got my son up and we drove to the school bus stop, and then I went to the gym. I surprised myself with decent mileage and pull-ups. I've noticed this before, that being sleep-deprived doesn't seem to impact my workouts. Yaaay for me.

However, fatigue does mess with my immune system and the roof of my mouth seems raw and tender, especially around my teeth. Ugh. It happens when I eat red pepper flakes on my pizza, or something too spicy. Or when I'm feeling run-down from overwork or lack of sleep. Drinking acidic tomato juice doesn't really help me here so maybe I should eat a banana. Bananas are soothing to the gastric mucous membrane due to their high pectin content. 

There are a lot of online articles about the mental aspects of physical fatigue. Everything else feels routine. I skip the Step machine because I want to do some grocery shopping before going home and taking the pups to the park. Tomorrow will be a super short workout because I need to take the pups to the park and feed them before taking them to a potential dog sitting arrangement. It'll be an assessment meet & greet to see how they'll behave at someone else's house. I have to plan for the summer when at some point my son will want to visit colleges, and we can't limit that to just places within a day's drive...

20 April 2021
Chilly Wednesday Morn

Precor elliptical #1
Program 1
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5708)
Distance: 2.87
Cal: 320
Avg Hr 148, max 188

HGPU 23

Crunches 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
60 Dead Bugs
Elbow Plank 60s
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12x
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Child’s Pose
Push-Ups 30
Air Squats 25
Mild Mat stretch w 3 Eye Yoga

HGPU 22.5?

Fog Inside My Head

A Nor'easter blew through here last night with the cold drizzly remnants hanging over the day. I got to the gym on time but my head felt as cloudy as the overcast sky. It might be the weather since storms and low barometric pressure go hand-in-hand. And low pressure is not only associated with joint pain and headaches, but fatigue. I had a momentary thought to crawl back into bed after the school bus came, but I'll have to shorten my workouts on Thursday and Friday due to late morning appointments. While I'll exercise, I won't get to everything in the routine. Today I'm just going to pretend I'm not tired, because after the gym, I usually feel much better.

My glaucoma eye drops probably also contribute to my feelings of fatigue. Since I'm on 3 different drops and each has their own list of side effects, it's hard to know what is actually causative. More annoying than having perpetual "dry eyes" which literally impacts visual acuity, is the eyelid droop as the day wears on. Prostaglandin analogs (PGAs) have been implicated in this uncommon side-effect. Drooping lids significantly lessen the amount of light that enters the pupils and aging eyes in general need more light to see clearly. (Just ask any middle-aged adult about reading the restaurant menu in ambient lighting.) I find myself raising my brows in a feigned look of surprise when I'm reading later in the day. 

Unfortunately, I think it's the travaprost as it's a PGA, and I've had to argue with my health insurance company for weeks now just to get it covered again as the corporate bean counters decided that latanoprost could be a perfectly good but cheaper substitute. (But not for me as I've already been on that one.) Sometimes using eye moisturizers helps.

Cardio worked out better than anticipated today in spite of my fogginess. Core and stretching was routine. And instead of pull-ups (did those yesterday) I do triceps, alternating Skull Crushers with Rip Skulls to get my 6 sets done. The gym is crowded again with faces I don't recognize because they're too old for HS but too young for the regular crowd. College kids? If so, they'll only be here for a week...  

Not sure I'll get to any DB shoulder work but I've been thinking about a comment I read in response to an article about growing rear delts: do sets of pull-aparts with a band every day. It's simple and easy enough to do, if only I can remember to do it. I still even have stretchy bands from my time with physical therapy due to a labral shoulder tear some years ago. As long as they haven't disintegrated from age...

19 April 2021
Nor’easter Tuesday Morn

Precor elliptical #3
Program 3
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5840)
Distance: 2.92
Cal: 328
Avg Hr 154, 91-203

Crunches 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
60 Dead Bugs
Elbow Plank 60s
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12x
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Child’s Pose
Push-Ups 30
Air Squats 25
Mild Mat stretch w 3 Eye Yoga

Skull Crushers/Rip Skulls alternating
30 lbs x 12 reps x 6 sets

Frosty Morning

When the thermometer reads 28F there's going to be frost on the windshield, even if it'd been 60 the day before. I haven't gotten up this early in over a week and the chill didn't help, but I had the foresight to pack my gym gear the night before, and the school bus actually came on time for once. Which meant I had more than enough time to do my regular routine.

Lazy Pedals was draped over elliptical number 2 so I got on number 4. Today was a pull-up day and of course, I'm always worried about how many I can muster, and whether weekend inactivity has impacted whatever fitness I've accrued. Last Friday, we took drove down to South Orange, NJ to look at a college. It was closed for the Easter holiday, but the guard let us in to drive around their gated campus. 

The surrounding neighborhood is scary and poor so even though this school has already offered merit money (base on GPA and PSAT), I don't think we can give it a serious look. We stopped for lunch at a place my husband likes to visit when he's at work. Personally, I was testing out my ability to ride in a car for more than an hour at a time without my sciatica causing me issues. The last time was back in December for an office holiday party, and my sciatica complained for weeks afterward. This time I'm okay.

I did a little yard work over the weekend but not enough to totally clear the debris of past years overgrowth of weeds, vines, shrubs. I'm looking at electric chippers to help with this, but they aren't as useful as a full-sized gas one. And not nearly as expensive or complicated. An electric tiller is another machine I'm considering but only if it'll rip up the tangle of roots hidden under the dirt. If you don't rip out the roots, the jungle just grows right back.

The gym is crowded this morning with new young faces although the high schools are back in session. Oddly, Easter marks the beginning of Spring Break for the NYC schools. Both stair machines are occupied and I'm looking for something other than the elliptical to do for 10 minutes. It's a choice between the treadmill (big nope), a variety of exercise bikes (again nope), cross-trainers, octanes, or one of the Expresso bikes. I choose the cross-trainer but skip the 3-minute "cool down." Next time I might do the Expresso bike since it's been a while since I played Dragons Island.

18 April 2021
Frosty Monday Morn

Precor elliptical #4
Program 2
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5860)
Distance: 2.88
Cal: 392
Avg Hr n/a

HGPU 23

Crunches 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
60 Dead Bugs
Elbow Plank 60s
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12x
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Child’s Pose
Push-Ups 30
Air Squats 25
Mild Mat stretch w 3 Eye Yoga

HGPU 21

Life Fitness Cross-trainer
10 min
Manual 1
Cal: 82
Dist: 1.18
Avg Hr 145

End of the Week

There's nothing quite like waking up to 44F when it'd been 80 the day before. I got to the gym at a reasonable hour and had time for the bare minimums today: cardio, core, stretches, pull-ups, push-ups, and air squats. Next week I'll be back to my regular schedule, but I did enjoy sleeping in yesterday as I actually remembered dreaming, something that usually gets interrupted by the too-early alarm during school days.

The gym is moderately crowded and I have to wait for one of the fat old regulars to finish some weird stretching in the Cage before I can do my first set of pull-ups. I'm happy to get two sets of pull-ups every other day and I can't say that I miss the StepMill, but I'll get back to that next week, as well as the DB shoulder workout and/or triceps.

My brother sent me a text the other day about how he managed to lower his IOP from 14 to 8. Eight is awesome as my glaucoma doctors have always wanted my pressures 10 or under. He credits taking astaxanthin daily and sends me an Amazon link to the product he's been using. It's considered an algae-based pigment as well as an anti-oxidant.

I bought a bottle but haven't opened it yet as I'm curious to see whether drinking tomato juice has had any effect on IOPs. I'll have my pressures checked at my appointment next week so I should have an answer fairly quickly. If my pressures are still the same, I'll give the astaxanthin a try.

15 April 2021
Friday Morn Temp Drop

Precor elliptical #2
Program 1
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5804)
Distance: 2.90
Cal: 325
Avg Hr 149, 192-93

Fat guy in cage. Waiting…
HGPU 23

Crunches 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
60 Dead Bugs
Elbow Plank 60s
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12x
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Child’s Pose
Push-Ups 30
Air Squats 25
Mild Mat stretch w 3 Eye Yoga

HGPU 21

About Inflammation

I read a lot and the latest article I've ingested suggests that eating prunes can lower inflammation which is a theoretical cause of osteoporosis in post-menopausal women. It's kind of a reach, considering that the researchers didn't actually measure whether bone density benefited from prune consumption. I eat prunes because they've been shown to lower blood cholesterol due to their fiber content. If prunes lower inflammatory markers, then that's a bonus! As you know, I also starting drinking 8 oz of tomato (or tomato-based juice like V-8) to lower triglycerides and blood pressure. 

Football marvel Tom Brady advocates an anti-inflammatory diet that eschews nightshade plants (tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, etc.) because they are believed to cause inflammation due to the presence of solanine. Research suggests this isn't true, although people may have food sensitivities. I'm not allergic to sunflower seeds or hazelnuts but I don't eat them because they give me the worst stomach ache. Food intolerances and allergies I understand. Luckily, I'm able to tolerate a daily cup of tomato juice, prunes and oatmeal. Let's just say such foods make one's bowels extremely regular.

It's mid-week, temps might hit the high 70s later today, lots of biting insects have emerged, but I've managed to get myself to the gym with enough time, at least, to do cardio, some pull-ups, core and stretching. The weather's changeable in the extreme this month. Snow and hail has reportedly hit the Midwest, and rain is in the forecast again for us. Meanwhile, I still have a lot of yard work to do... 

13 April 2021
Wednesday Morn

Precor elliptical #1
Program 3
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5602)
Distance: 2.85
Cal: 315
Avg Hr 142, 184-87, 90

HGPU 24

Crunches 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
60 Dead Bugs
Elbow Plank 60s
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12x
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Child’s Pose
Push-Ups 30
Air Squats 25
Mild Mat stretch w 3 Eye Yoga

HGPU 21

Abbreviated for Sleep

I slept in until the sun came up and was still dismayed to find that I had to defrost the car windshield because it was 30F. I didn't make it to the gym until nearly 8, which left just enough time for the essentials: cardio, pull-ups, core & stretching, shower.

Got to the dog park late but the normally placid Monday was replaced with a raucous pup party and my dogs enjoyed lots of zoomies and wrestling. Tomorrow I may forgo the extra half hour of sleep just to get to the gym when it's less crowded. A lot of schools are on break this week so the gym filled up quickly.

Temps are supposed to hit 70F tomorrow. That might be a good day to take one of the dogs to the dog wash: there's a new DIY place that opened last year and I've been meaning to take the pups for their (ahem) annual bath. Dirt doesn't really stick to this breed and they don't smell either, but an annual bath wouldn't hurt... I'm sure they'll hate it and I'll have to do them solo. That in itself will be quite traumatic for them. Oh boy... 

The New York Times has an interesting article about pull-ups with some handy tips for doing them if you don't already. I'm bummed that the hammer grip position isn't mentioned, nor the potential for tendonitis in the elbows and forearms, but those are my own personal gripes... Click here to read it. (Don't worry. You don't need a subscription to view it.)

11 April 2021
Frosty Monday Morn

Precor elliptical #1
Program 2
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5722)
Distance: 2.88
Cal: 321
Avg Hr 156, 192-86

HGPU 23

Crunches 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
60 Dead Bugs
Elbow Plank 60s
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12x
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Child’s Pose
Push-Ups 30
Air Squats 25
Mild Mat stretch w 3 Eye Yoga

HGPU 23

Finally Friday

I finally got around to doing some DB shoulder work today after a sufficient but not great cardio warm up and decent core and stretches. The free weight area is crowded with mostly regulars but a few new faces. But no one gets in my way so that's good.

It's rainy at first but the sun comes out later and temps rise to 60F. I'm happy to hear peepers (more than one) at night when dogs go for their evening walk. There's flooding everywhere because of last night's downpour. Thunder and lightning as well. There will be more rain tomorrow too, but I might get some yard work done in the afternoon.

7 April 2021
Friday Morn

Precor elliptical #2
Program 1
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5588)
Distance: 2.84
Cal: 315
Avg Hr 148, 84-194 low-max

Crunches 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
60 Dead Bugs
Elbow Plank 60s
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12x
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Child’s Pose
Push-Ups 30
Air Squats 25
Mild Mat stretch w 3 Eye Yoga

DB Lateral Raises s/s Rev Inc Flys
10 lbs warm up x 15/25
15 x 15/25 reps
15/20 lbs x 15/20 reps x 3 sets

Foggy Inside and Out

It might be the impending storm but I've felt foggy inside while it's been foggy outside. I thought I'd get more yard work done yesterday but I wasn't up for the perpetual wet air and chill. It's worse today because there's actual rain. No yard work today, but I did go to the gym. Although cardio was a chore, everything else felt good.

The first set of pull-ups was off by a rep so I made it up with the second set. I have readily admitted that my elbows and tendons can't handle full-extension pull-ups, but that doesn't stop me from doing what my body can handle. I still pull my nose past the bar until I get to the last rep and then I make 3 attempts before calling it done. Oddly, it's not the biceps but the lats that I feel when I focus. Still, I'm not sure what body part actually fails at the end.

The same Step Mill that has been stuck at 62 steps per minute at Speeds 7 and sometimes 8, suddenly registered mostly 67 SPM at Speed 7. Which means I did all 10 minutes at Speed 7 and was glad when it was over.

7 April 2021
Brain Foggy Thursday Morn

Precor elliptical
Program 3
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5644)
Distance: 2.85
Cal: 317
Avg Hr n/a

HGPU 21

Crunches 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
60 Dead Bugs
Elbow Plank 60s
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12x
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Child’s Pose
Push-Ups 30
Air Squats 25
Mild Mat stretch w 3 Eye Yoga

HGPU 23?

Matrix StepMill (L)
Manual 10 min
Speed 7 (64-67)
Step 658
Floors 41
Calories 93
Heart Rate 143

Flossing Isn't Just For Teeth

It's been a few blissful weeks where my sciatica hasn't bothered me. Even that low backache is gone. I'm going to credit a routine consisting of regular non-impact cardio, a few basic core movements (planks, bird dogs, dead bugs, push-ups) and some lower body stretches (piriformis stretch, lower body rotation, knee to chest stretch). That, and finally identifying what exercises and stretches to avoid because they actually make everything worse! Some movements are okay at lighter weights but a mere 5 lb increase can tip it into an unpleasant aftermath. Like Rip Skulls. Or Seated Cable Rows (I haven't been brave enough to try those again).

Some of what I've been doing might be considered "nerve flossing" and that's a term I've never heard before looking into exercises to alleviate sciatic pain. However, there's a lot of online sites that advocate a few simple movements. Some of these exercises don't work for me. It's a matter of trial and error, and having a lot of patience and persistence.

I get my cardio warm-up done and the humidity makes up for the chill in the air. It's gonna rain soon. After doing core and stretching, I do Skull Crushers and Rip Skulls. Thirty pounds is good. Thirty-five inflames my sciatica...

5 April 2021
Frosty Tuesday Morn

Precor elliptical
Program 2
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5812)
Distance: 2.90
Cal: 325
Avg Hr n/a

Crunches 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
60 Dead Bugs
Elbow Plank 60s
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12x
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Child’s Pose
Push-Ups 30
Air Squats 25
Mild Mat stretch w 3 Eye Yoga

Skull Crushers / Rip Skulls
30 lbs x 12 reps each set x 6

Weekend Exercise

I spent several hours on Saturday lopping my driveway hedges down to a third of their height with the hopes that all this Spring rain and warming temps will cause the privets to leaf out and not up. The persistently invasive Oriental Bittersweet vines are already leafing but luckily, their striped stems are readily identifiable this early in the season. By mid-summer those vines will have become a solid brown with ladders of protruding stems entwined in everything they come across.

I could use the branch loppers for most of the hedge trunks but at least half a dozen needed sawing. (Luckily, my husband found a reciprocating saw in the garage and tackled those.) Some of the shrubs could be managed if I braced one handle arm against my chest and used both hands to pull the opposing arm to me. Sort of like a bizarre DB fly with a great deal of constant squeezing. 

I'm surprised that I'm not sore. More surprising is that my phone's health app has recorded that my bout with the hedges generated thousands of steps more than my usual weekend endeavors. As a matter of fact, the health app says I've taken more steps this week than most weeks in the past several months. And I don't recall doing anything different, except maybe I've been to the store a lot, and a bit of spring cleaning. Shopping and cleaning as exercise?

My lower back and sciatica aren't bothering me although my hammertoes did spasm and stop me in my tracks for a few minutes. I'm all spacey this morning but I attribute that to the changeable weather and pressure systems. And getting up in the dark when all I want to do is rollover and go back to sleep. I'm not good with napping. Not only is it hard to sleep when morning peaks into your windows, but apparently, it's not good for you either! (Click here for that article.) And I'm the type of person that not only needs the lights out, but no sounds either. My husband went to sleep with a phone app that played the sound of heavy rain falling. Except it gave me anxious insomnia until I put earplugs in. Because all my mind registered was that somewhere it was going to flood inside the house. 

While cardio was a struggle today, I surprised myself with pull-ups. Core routine was again very routine. The Step Mill freaked out a bit when I hit the Stop button after 10 minutes and lost all the rest of the data I normally collect... Oh well. I did 5 minutes at Speed 8 and then 5 at 7 because today the machine was hovering around 67 most of the time when it didn't drop to 60. Such a finicky device!

4 April 2021
Frosty Monday Morn

Precor elliptical
Program 1
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5584)
Distance: 2.83
Cal: 314
Avg Hr 84-141, 196 max

HGPU 22

Crunches 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
60 Dead Bugs
Elbow Plank 60s
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12x
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Child’s Pose
Push-Ups 30
Air Squats 25
Mild Mat stretch w 3 Eye Yoga

HGPU 21

Matrix StepMill (L)
Manual 10 min
Speed 8, 7 at 5 min each (60-67)
Step 634
Floors
Calories
Heart Rate

April Fools but not really

I've always thought of some vitamins as being benign because that's how they've always been presented. Like, for instance, most of the B vitamins, excluding niacin. But who hasn't thought of B12 as that boost when fatigue sets in? Sublingual B12 tabs were very popular once, and can still be found on the shelf. I've recently upped my intake of B12 because I still feel tired a lot of the time. After all, these are water soluble vitamins, and they'll just wash out in your urine if you take too much, right? I haven't experienced any vitamin-colored pee so I figure I might actually need it. It's also been said that older folks tend not to absorb essential vitamins and minerals from food as efficiently as younger people. 

Then I came across an article yesterday about how vitamin B12 has been linked to an increased cancer risk. That got my attention. Of course, it's lung cancer and the risk appears to be selective toward men. And of course, smokers have the highest risk. But I'll have to do further research... my bottle of B12 has 500 mcg per tiny pink pill, ten times the amount the article suggests increases adenocarcinoma risks. Ugh.

I got a lot of yard work done yesterday and I'll probably do more tomorrow, the one day that promises not to actually rain. Of course, the town has closed the dog park tomorrow for their annual Easter Egg hunt, and that makes us dog park folks very annoyed. It's not like the wee ones will be hunting for eggs in that section of the park! We think it's because they want to cannibalize our parking area. It's also the only completely fenced area out of the entire 7 park town system that we dog owners pay extra to use.

Today's gym routine eventually felt good, once I warmed up. Felt good enough to increase the speed on the Step Mill to 7 and then 8, all just to get an actual speed somewhere in the 60s, as in 60 steps per minute. Level 6 kept dropping down to 52. Level 7 never got past 58. Level 8 danced from 60 to 67 but mostly stayed at 62, which makes sense of 639 steps in 10 minutes. Back on Monday!

1 April 2021
Friday Morning

Precor elliptical
Program 3
Time: 30 min + 5 min cd (5790)
Distance: 2.90
Cal: 325
Avg Hr 144, 88-188

HGPU 21

Crunches 60
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
60 Dead Bugs
Elbow Plank 60s
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12x
Fire Hydrants 25 x 2
Bird Dogs 60s x 2
Child’s Pose
Push-Ups 30
Air Squats 25
Mild Mat stretch w 3 Eye Yoga

HGPU 20

Matrix StepMill (L)
Manual 10 min
Speed 8 (60-67)
Step 639
Floors 39
Calories 91
Heart Rate 156