Wall Squats are No Joke

I didn't go to the gym yesterday so I braced myself to do an actual four sets of 2-minute Wall Squats with just 2 minutes of rest between. The sets get progressively harder. By the third set my hands are feeling cold. I give myself an extra minute of rest before the fourth set, but I still need to straighten for a split second during the last 30 seconds of the last set. Actually, I needed to straighten up several times before the 2-minute buzzer sounded. By then, my hands and forearms had become so cold they were numb.

Today, I make it to the gym and my favorite elliptical. My quads, however, feel like lead. I'm surprised because they're not sore from yesterday. I am tired though from a lack of adequate sleep hours. I went to bed at 12:20 which should provide plenty of rest when the alarm sounds at 7:30, but the husband stumbled into bed at 2:20 and knocked things off his night table. Which is not a pleasant way to wake up in the middle of the night. Interrupted sleep sucks and although I had a wonderfully pleasant Christmas, I cannot wait until he goes back to work and is gone for the entire week. Then, only weekends become sleepless. Even though his drunken screaming and yelling are directed at whatever show or movies he's watching, I find it extremely stressful. As does everyone else in the house. The dogs hide. My son puts his headphones on and retreats to his bedroom.

I just manage to hit 2.9 miles on the elliptical. The Fitbit registers steps and calculates calories, but thinks I've only done 31 minutes instead of 35 on the machine. But at least it seems to keep count of my steps. Tuesday totaled over 12,750 because I went shopping after the gym. Since I don't always carry my phone with me, the phone's health app is less accurate with tracking my movements. With a wearable, I don't have to manually input the step tally from the elliptical. It's very convenient.

Today, my step tally is less (10,700) and my blood pressure seems to be holding steady. It's still too high, and I'm fixated on taking readings every day just to keep check. (It's the only way I can calm myself about impending hypertensive doom.) Something about hitting my 60s has really decimated my metabolism, cholesterol and blood pressure. I'm still 10 lbs heavier than I'd like to be, but now I'm reading justifications for being a bit fatter than optimal, especially as a "senior" person. Gosh, I don't feel like I should be calling myself a senior citizen, and technically, I've got another year and a quarter before I hit the dreaded 65. Of course AARP will call you a senior once you hit 50 (because they're all about the marketing revenue) and my town gives you discounts at age 60. Some museums consider 62 old enough and I've taken advantage of that.

The gym fills up with teenagers by early afternoon. I get my two sets of pull-ups, and all my core exercises. Except I skip the Wall Squats. And Walking Lunges have me drenched in sweat after traversing the Aerobics Room. I'm really tired by the time I get home. I should go to the gym tomorrow, but I'm not sure I can do 35 minutes of cardio on the elliptical. I should do another round of Wall Squats (every other day) because I'm compelled to do everything I can to bring my BP down before next Wednesday's appointment. 

Slicing the Christmas steak

My husband seems enamored of highly seasoned, high-fat foods. Like wings. Pork buns. Soup dumplings. Rib steaks. I have a recipe for a wine-braised brisket for the New Year so I went grocery shopping after the gym today. Got everything except fresh thyme, which I seriously didn't think was going to be a problem. I do have a lot of the dried herb though so I'm not that worried.

28 December 2023 11:43-1:10 pm
Balmy Rainy Thursday & I have a vague headache

Precor elliptical #1
Program 1
Time: 30+5 (5816)
Distance: 2.90
Cal: 325
Avg Hr: NA
Fitbit: 162 max

HGPU 17

20 Hip Bridges
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5 alt/ss = 100
20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg bridges
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Fire Hydrants 30 x 2
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Upper stretch w side bends & twists
Walking lunges 41 steps total (made me sweaty!)
Neck stretch / Eye yoga 

HGPU 15

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27 December 2023 10:57 AM
Wednesday

(I can feel my BP is too high: right ear congested, throat, not quite a headache)

Recommended: 4 sets of 2-min WS with 2 min rest between sets.
I’ll have to work up to that!

10:59 Wall Squats 120s
11:03 WS 120s
11:08 WS 120s lightheaded 3 m rest
11:12 WS 120 w 4 split sec breaks and hands are cold and numb