Beta Blocker and Cardio Exercise

Whenever I start a new medication, I take care not to endanger myself if side effects might include dizziness, numbness, shortness of breath or the potential for fainting. The Timolol maleate was ready yesterday so I skipped the gym but did a bunch of errands in the dreary, rainy weather. I felt fine and assumed that side effects would be mild. Today, I went to the gym and the parking lot was packed. Forgot it was Good Friday and lots of people have the day off. I'm on another eye drop for my glaucoma, bringing the total to four, three of them twice a day, and one only once a day, preferably at bedtime.

I felt okay, but cardio surprised me with how hard it was. Seriously. I could only sing through a smattering of songs, could barely keep my pace above 150 SPMs (strides per minute), and didn't even make it to 2.8. Normally, I can coast along at 170 and hit 200 for several minutes. Today I'm struggling like a non-swimmer at the deep end. My thighs felt thick and leaden; toes and fingers went numb intermittently. Cardio was so much harder than it should've been. (Orally, timolol is used to lower BP and treat migraines.)

Later, when I've synced my FitBit, I find that my HR has barely touched 108, not for lack of trying. Conventional formula for max heart rate is 220 minus age (64) which gives me 156. That's roughly where my HR had been for weeks. Online articles suggest that this is an not uncommon occurrence with beta blockers, but doesn't state that patients will ever resume their previous cardiac rates. That's frustrating. I'll have to adjust my goals again if it works to lower my IOPs.

This new reality made me worry about the rest of my workout. Beta blockers, because they slow the heart rate and widen blood vessels, can lower blood pressure as well as IOPs. Some people experience more serious symptoms such as fainting. The last thing I want to think about when hoisting a pair of DBs overhead is whether I need to worry about smashing my face. I'm reassured by the pull-ups that I can do, so I'm confident I can handle the low-weight, high-rep sets. 

The first set at 20 lbs makes my left anterior delt twinge and I regret forgetting to rub Penetrex into it. But it hadn't made a peep, not a twinge or wince since Wednesday, until I push the 20s overhead. I adjust the angle and how far down I drop my elbow and the problem is solved. Not a completely full range of motion, but close enough to consider the movement fulfilled. Resting between sets, I look around to see a good mix of seniors, regular folks and kids in the free weight area, male and female. 

No one in the Aerobics Room when I get there so I'm happy. Everything is good, except push-ups, because the left shoulder isn't happy about them. Knock them out quick and never look back. Again, Walking Lunges are the worst: I almost fall over halfway across the room. Even Wall Squats don't hurt as bad as the lunges, and that's shocking. 

The mild headache I've been babying has finally dissipated but that's probably more because the clouds and rain have finally given way to dry, cold sunny skies. At least hives from the annual cold rash never materialized this year. Hurrah for tiny blessings. I glance at the FitBit readings for today and see that my sleeping HR has dropped from 44 to 39. I wonder if that's going to be a problem? Right now it means that I get really cold when I fall asleep, probably because I've fallen into a type of "hibernation". Okay, I'm kidding. Or am I? I guess I'd have to check my temperature and metabolic functions as well. Which I'm not doing.

29 March 2024 11:17-1:19

Sunny Good Friday

Precor elliptical #1

Program 3

Time: 30+5 (5376)

Distance: 2.77

Cal: 304

Avg Hr: 143, 182-75 (this HR monitor is always completely inaccurate)

Fitbit: 58-108!!!!

HGPU 16

Incl DB Press s/s Lateral Raises s/s Rev Incline Flys

10 lbs x 25/15/25 warm up

15 lbs x 25/15/25

20/15/20 x 25/15/25 x 3 sets

20 Hip Bridges

Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg

Quick Child’s Pose

Cat stretch 12

Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose

Fire Hydrants 20 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Push-Ups 25

Air Squats 25

Arm rotations 20

Walking lunges 35 steps total

Neck stretch / Eye yoga

Wall Squat 90s (!!!)

Something Old But New

I had my glaucoma doc appointment yesterday and the IOPs have risen slightly. Not horrible but higher than last time. I already have vision loss in the upper crescent of my right eye, and I don't need to accelerate the damage. The doc, her med tech, and I reviewed my past medications and take a chance that my previous allergic reactions might be due to the preservatives. (Being allergic to eye drops usually results in itchy eyes with tiny white bumps inside the upper eyelids.) 

We also needed to find meds my insurance will cover. Luckily, their system is automated and flags with a happy or frowny face when a med is entered into a patient's file and cross-referenced with the patient's specific health insurance. The doc informs me that this one med is also a beta blocker, which might also help me with my hypertension. I'm on the lowest dose of Losartan and I'm resisting doubling the dose. Maybe if I can tolerate this "new" med, Timolol PF, it'll stabilize my blood pressure as well. Timolol is an old medication and has been around for decades and is presumed safe and effective. 

It's not exactly raining, but the weather is damp, grey, cold and it takes me a while to get to the gym and to warm up. Actually, it takes me almost 20 minutes to warm up so I'm more than two thirds through my cardio before I actually feel "normal" and not sluggishly tired. At least I made it to 2.9 today. Didn't quite make 18 HGPU reps though. 

I feel good enough to do Seated Cable Rows even though I'm skeptical that I can get all my reps (15). Resting enough between sets helps a lot! Whew! The "influencer" taking weird selfies is back in the Aerobics Room but today she's actually doing squats with a DB in her hands. My routine is routine, except the left shoulder complains when I do push-ups. Ugh. I'm surprised it's still sore and I hope it won't be a problem tomorrow when I do the DB Shoulder exercises. It's supposed to rain all day and be generally miserable outside. Oh joy. The dogs will be so happy. Well, one of them won't care and the other one will be upset that water is getting inside his ears.

27 March 2024 11:38-1:19

Dreary Cold Rainy Wednesday

Precor elliptical #1

Program 2

Time: 30+5 (5778)

Distance: 2.90

Cal: 324

Avg Hr: 163, 195-83

Fitbit: 58-160

HGPU 16

Seated Cable Rows

50 lbs x 15

60 x 15

70 x 15, 15, 15

20 Hip Bridges

Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg

Quick Child’s Pose

Cat stretch 12

Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose

Fire Hydrants 20 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Push-Ups 25

Air Squats 25

Arm rotations 20

Walking lunges 35 steps total

Neck stretch / Eye yoga

Wall Squat 90s (!!!)

Start Again

It rained all day Saturday but dogs and I still went to the park, albeit for only 20 minutes because one pup looked utterly miserable. Sunday saw dry sunny skies but the temps dropped below freezing which wouldn't have been an issue except that that froze the lock to the dog park. Which meant I had to scale the chain link fence once again to let my pups in so they could run around like loonies. My first attempt was unsuccessful because I was trying to push myself up against the fence and my Boggs boots had no traction. On my second try, I realized I'd have better luck pulling myself up and over, which is how I probably did it a few weeks ago. Oddly, I don't really remember how I scaled the fence back then. But I'm really happy that, in my 60s, I'm able to do this. Yaaay me!

I woke up this morning exhausted, as if I'd done a full-body workout yesterday, which is weird, because all I did yesterday was plant some seeds, move a little dirt, stack a bit of firewood, walked dogs. Nothing horribly taxing. But my left shoulder is really sore -- immediately I know I'm not doing the DB workout today. However, I can do cardio, core, and seated cable rowing. So that's what I do.

Cardio wasn't great but still serviceable and I had my pick of elliptical machines. There were a lot of bodies in the free-weight area, regulars but not HS kids. Some colleges are on Spring Break now so that might explain the smattering of unfamiliar young faces. I'm happy to get a few more pull-up reps today; my right forearm wasn't bothering me. Everything is good for pulling weights, and even core. Except for push-ups. My left shoulder aches with each rep but I get my 25. I'm glad I didn't attempt the DB shoulder routine. 

There's a girl in a sports bra and sweatpants taking selfies in the Aerobics Room. I'm not quite sure what she's going for as she duck-faces over her shoulder, arching her back and sticking her butt out. I don't think she's actually done anything vaguely exercise-related except don sports clothes. She's tall, slender, and pretty, the way teenage girls can be. I wonder if she's tossing a filter on her images wherever she's posting. 'Cuz she's definitely posting somewhere. 

Tomorrow I have an appointment with my glaucoma doc. I'm hoping my IOPs are good but I have no way of checking since home tonometry machines are a bit pricey and it's questionable whether my health insurance will cover any of it. Meanwhile, I watched a webinar presented by the Glaucoma Research Foundation that suggested low blood pressure could be a factor in glaucoma, that glaucoma was in fact a circulatory disease because it can be associated with people with circulatory issues, like Raynaud's. Which I probably have, but in an atypical way.  

Hands and toes go numb, get icy cold, don't necessarily turn blue or white though. My erratic blood pressure registers mildly high for a few days, then high, then dips down to almost normal. Yesterday it registered high after several days of mildly high. I suspect it was the salty seasoning on the pre-marinated pork loin my husband bought for dinner. I'm sodium sensitive, but it's impossible to reduce my intake enough to drop my BP into the normal range. Exercise helps a lot. Except when I miss a few days. I am happy that I seem to be otherwise healthy though. I'm good with that.

25 March 2024 11:34-1:17
Brisk Monday feeling extreme fatigue

Precor elliptical #1
Program 1
Time: 30+5 (5698)
Distance: 2.86
Cal: 319
Avg Hr: 155, 196-78
Fitbit: 57-154

HGPU 17.5

Seated Cable Rows
50 lbs x 15
60 x 15
70 x 15, 15, 15

20 Hip Bridges
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5
20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Fire Hydrants 20 x 2
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Arm rotations 20
Walking lunges 36 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 90s (!!!)

Just One Day So Do Everything

I've been remiss in exercising for the past 7 days. While my kid is home for break, I've scheduled appointments for the orthodontist, ophthamologist, and the dermatologist. He's taking the train back to school with friends, but the train leaves at 11 AM so I'm not making the gym tomorrow either. Today is the only day, and it's surprisingly cold and windy. Seems like March came in like a lamb and is leaving like a roaring feral big cat. A wintry mix is forecast for the weekend and I'm glad the kids will already be on campus by then.

Because I haven't exercised and we've eaten out a lot this past week, my hypertension readings have risen. Alarming as it should be! I'm also returning to my previous schedule of taking the 100 mg of B3 separate from my other vitamins (taken right after exercise, washed down with a 30 mg protein beverage). I'm not seeing any bad side effects so far. 

The gym is relatively empty when I arrive and I haven't formalized exactly what I'm doing today other than cardio and a set of pull-ups. Cardio is fairly routine considering I haven't done anything even remotely aerobic in a week. Except, my left forearm starts to twinge and ache as I'm pedaling, which is weird because my hands are grasping the side handles in a relatively neutral position. That's the same spot that bothers me while doing pull-ups, and I stop at rep 15 because although I should be totally healed after a whole week, apparently this joint & tendon are not. I'll have to remember to rub some Penetrex into it before bed tonight.

The Seated Cable Row stations are empty so I immediately claim one. Realizing that today is the only day I'll be exercising, I decided that I can also do DB Shoulders immediately afterward. Because why not? It takes a lot for me to bail out of a workout due to fatigue. Yeah, I'll be exhausted tomorrow morning and not want to get out of bed, but today I'm good. I guess that's why that woman told me that she's so impressed with the fact that I just keep going. I tell her I get tired later. What I don't tell her is that I do a lot of sets and reps to make up for the heavier weights I could be pushing, but don't due to my glaucoma. 

I have a follow-up glaucoma appointment next week and I hope my pressures have remained in the low teens. My brother had his check-up and reported much lower IOPs than he's ever had, due to, he claims, a new supplement he found online. Otherwise, he'd be scheduled for SLTs. My brother believes that zebra fish (which only live 3 years) never suffer from eye diseases. I believe that they don't live long enough to develop them. He thinks they have some sort of magic eye biology. Ugh. The supplements are pricey and online reviews seem skeptical. There's nothing in the listed active ingredients except standard vitamins like A, B, C, zinc... He's convinced it's the other ingredients like spirulina, blueberry extract and lutein that's making all the difference. I remain skeptical. 

After pushing and pulling weights, I go to the Aerobics Room, which is freezing cold. There are a few people already there doing their own routines. I get all my "chores" done and am glad to shower and leave. The locker room has a flyer up announcing a new class for seniors that will begin next month, 3x a week starting at 11:30. It promises to incorporate cardio, stretching and strengthening (all the things I already do without needing to pay $50/mos in addition to the monthly fee). I wonder how popular it'll be because now I'm busy calculating how to avoid this new crowd of old people.

21 March 2024 11:20-1:31
Arctic Thursday after a week away

Precor elliptical #2
Program 3
Time: 30+5 (5824
Distance: 2.91
Cal: 327
Wildly Inaccurate Avg Hr: 168, 207 maximum
Fitbit: 56-158

HGPU 15 (left forearm)

Seated Cable Rows
50 lbs x 15
60 x 15
70 x 15 x 3

Incl DB Press s/s Lateral Raises s/s Rev Incline Flys
10 lbs x 25/15/25 warm up
15 lbs x 25/15/25
20/15/20 x 25/15/25 x 3 sets

20 Hip Bridges
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5
20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Fire Hydrants 20 x 2
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Arm rotations 20
Walking lunges 38 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 90s (!!!)

Sore from Scrubbing

Yesterday was sunny and warm and I felt extremely productive. Although I had to wait for a package to be delivered (it needed a signature so no gym time), I managed to cut and remove wayward vines (most likely Oriental Bittersweet and wild rose) and branches, and scrub the bathroom before my birthday lunch with a friend. It was time well spent and afterwards, I went to the Job Lot to buy a new bathtub mat. When I got home, I spent another hour scrubbing until I was satisfied. 

A few hours later, my right hip stiffens and I'm surprised at how painfully sore it is. Well, not actually the hip but the muscles above and around it: lower external oblique and maybe gluteus medius. All from scrubbing the bathtub. Ugh. I scrubbed the tub a few months ago and didn't suffer like this? This is just because I turned 64, isn't it?

I developed such soreness that I resorted to rubbing Penetrex cream into the area before bed. And I was still stiff and sore when I got up this morning. Still, pups have to go to the park and trudging up and down the hillside helps loosen up the joints. My left forearm is sore from lopping branches and vines, but I don't notice that discomfort until I'm doing pull-ups. I get to the gym later than I want but at least I made it. 

Cardio is a struggle and I don't even get close to 2.9. Although the elliptical seems to think I've hit 190 bpm, the FitBit tells me otherwise. I suppose 154 is good since lower is better, right? Either I'm too tired and sore to hit my maximum, or my cardio endurance has improved and the heart rate is consequently lower. I think it's that I'm tired and sore and just not able to pedal as fast as usual. However, that being tired and sore doesn't keep me from pushing DBs around.

Breaker benches in yellow

The gym is crowded and both inclined breaker benches are occupied. There's no bench in the Smith machine spot. I don't know where the smaller inclined bench is so I'm stuck with the oversized adjustable inclined bench. It's too big, too high, too thick. The breaker benches empty when I'm halfway done but I don't want to stop everything just to switch to another bench, granted the breaker bench would be so much more comfortable to straddle for Reverse Inclined Flys. Finally, I get all my sets done and proceed to the Aerobics Room. I think about skipping Walking Lunges, or push-ups, or Wall Squats. But I do them all anyway. Because I can. 

Tomorrow is a reception for a members' show of the local arts council. My watercolor teacher encouraged us to enter and some of us did. I'm the only one who didn't enter a painting; instead, I had an iPhone print made at the CVS because my photo printer isn't working. It died during the pandemic and there was no way to service it. Now that we're mostly back to normal, I'll have to see about getting this behemoth with archival inks actually in working condition. 

The arts council called me this evening to confirm that my print is a vertical and should be hung the way I arranged the hanging wire. I'm a bit annoyed that they're second-guessing me, especially since not only did I sign the bottom of the matte, I also affixed a label to the back of the frame. Those two items alone tell you which way the image should be oriented. But it also confirms my belief that I have set the image in a purposely "unnatural" and tension-filled orientation. Yes, I did it on purpose to make you stop and look at it and wonder what it is that's mildly disturbing. This isn't my first art show.

15 March 2024 11:40-1:38
Friday the Ides of March

Precor elliptical #1
Program 2
Time: 30+5 (5688)
Distance: 2.87
Cal: 320
Avg Hr: 161, 190-82
Fitbit: 55-154

HGPU 15 (left forearm)

Incl DB Press s/s Lateral Raises s/s Rev Incline Flys
10 lbs x 25/15/25 warm up
15 lbs x 25/15/25
20/15/20 x 25/15/25 x 3 sets

20 Hip Bridges
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5
20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Fire Hydrants 20 x 2
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Arm rotations 20
Walking lunges 36 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 90s (!!!)

Exhausted from All the Non-Exercise

I didn't want to get out of bed this morning, not just because I'm not a morning person (and I went to bed at 1 AM), but because I woke up feeling exhausted. I didn't even go to the gym yesterday! Instead, I had my last class (gonna sign up again as soon as the website allows), did a bit of garden shopping so I could enjoy the unseasonably warm, sunny weather (put in some cheap low fencing to keep the lawn mower guy from running roughshod over any baby milkweeds that might sprout behind my house (where they've never sprouted before), and then pulled out an assortment of sawing implements. 

There were two thick woody stalks a few feet from my kitchen window. Most of the time I'm able to prune and trim the errant weeds and shrubs with my trusty parrot-beak loppers, but in this case, the stems were as thick as my wrist. Granted, I have very small wrists for a full-grown human, but 3" diameter is too big for a lopper. That needs sawing. I removed a lot of branches and thick stems over an hour and a half, but I was unable to clear the mess that has attached itself to the wire leading from the post to the house. I'm not a fan of heights, and this is going to require a tall ladder and a pair of snippers. 

My legs are sore and there's a chain of purple bruises forming inside my thigh when I climbed over the chainlink fence at the dog park. I wanted to see if I could do it after another dog owner said he'd scaled the fence to let himself and his dogs in over the weekend. Never mind that he's 20 years younger and maybe a foot taller than me. There's a terrace shelf holding shrubs and a dog statue outside one section that makes the 6' fence only 5' high at that spot. I wasn't optimally dressed for the adventure, wearing a hoodie, heavy winter parka, and thick Bogs boots, but I still got myself over the fence. I'm happy about that, but disappointed that I'm bruising so easily these days. Ugh.

I'm tired and sore: didn't make it to 2.9 and only hit 15 reps. My left forearm is sore from wrestling the lopper close every time I cut a thick branch. It's mid-week but the gym isn't crowded. I suspect that everyone is outside because it's sunny and nearly 60F: perfect weather for an outdoor run. I'm glad I'm able to do a complete set of Seated Cable Rows, but I make a point of taking adequate rest breaks between sets, browsing online for a new pair of neoprene grips because my current ones are old and starting to crack. 

Eventually, I make it to the Aerobics Room, which is freezing. It's pleasant at first, but by the time I get to Wall Squats, I'm happy to zip my hoodie back up. Tomorrow is my birthday and I'm having lunch with a friend. I'm planning to do an abbreviated workout in the morning, but we'll see. Nothing is set in stone. I might just scrub the bathroom instead because nothing is harder than housework. 

13 March 2024 11:51-1:29
Sunny Wednesday
& I’m exhausted from scaling a fence and wrestling with weedy vines

Precor elliptical #1
Program 1
Time: 30+5 (5752)
Distance: 2.88
Cal: 322
Avg Hr: 145, 182-84
Fitbit: 55-156

HGPU 15 (left forearm)

Seated Cable Rows
50 lbs x 15
60 x 15
70 x 15, 15, 15

20 Hip Bridges
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5
20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Fire Hydrants 20 x 2
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Arm rotations 20
Walking lunges 36 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 90s (!!!)

Sorting Out Effects

While reading about the different flavors of Sleepy Time tea that Celestial Seasonings offers, I discovered that a potential side effect of the super Sleepy Time with chamomile and valerian root might include mild headache and upset stomach. Hmmm. That sounds familiar. That dip in my blood pressure last week might've been due to the few days I took daily 100 mg doses of B3 (niacinamide). No doubt that 500 mg is too much, but I'm not having any ill effects from resuming this lower dosage. And my blood pressure has resumed its slow drop. 

It finally stopped raining and the sun came out, along with 50 mph winds, but my head/ears feel much better. The gym is crowded with more new faces. Ugh. I see a lot of pre-pandemic regulars too. Well, at least I can pedal the elliptical and get a set of pull-ups done. I have a fleeting thought about doing Seated Cable Rows but both stations are occupied with people I've never seen before. I guess Spring is the incentive to get into shape? 

I do my Core routine and either I'm so tired from losing an hour of sleep from "daylight savings" that I have no decent perception of time, or else this is getting too easy. Even Walking Lunges don't suck too bad but maybe that's because I got distracted by another regular who entered the Aerobics Room just to do Walking Lunges as well... Wall Squats still suck but not as bad as I remember. Maybe I need to graduate to 105 seconds? 

I'm excited that temps might hit 60F on my birthday on Thursday, but of course, I'm not at all looking forward to the biting insects that follow heavy rain and moderate temperatures. It's cold enough at night to warrant a fire so I did haul more firewood into the house. I saw a cool t-shirt online and it'd be wearable if it came in a V-neck, but alas, it does not. It describes exactly how I feel! 

Google is acting weird again and made me open this blog site in Chrome for me to upload my own damn photos. Because it wanted to install cookies on Firefox and I wouldn't let it. (Just the same way that Stop & Shop supermarkets offered me a chance to be on their customer advisory board, but insisted that I accept tracking cookies on my browser. Uh, that's a firm negative.) I guess Google's annoyed I'm using Firefox and Duck Duck Go. This happens every few months, and then, just as mysteriously, it all resolves and I can post as if nothing has happened or changed.

11 March 2024 11:51-1:08
Gale Winds Monday

Precor elliptical #1
Program 3
Time: 30+5 (5868)
Distance: 2.92
Cal: 329
Avg Hr: 160, 186-76
Fitbit: 55-156

HGPU 18 (last 3 are halfway)

20 Hip Bridges
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5
20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Fire Hydrants 20 x 2
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Arm rotations 20
Walking lunges 38 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 90s (!!!)

Maintenance is Hard Work

It finally stopped raining but of course, temps dropped down into the 30s. At least today the sun came out and eventually warmed us into the high 40s. Frogs have filled the wetlands and ponds: I can hear them croaking and peeping. Baby skunk cabbages pop their little purple heads up like cobras unfurling their hoods. Turkeys call their signature gobble while the Canadian geese tie up traffic crossing the road from the lake to a grassy front yard. I brought in more firewood yesterday because it's still cold at night. Today, I opened a few windows in the house. It's Spring!

The gym is crowded and the first two ellipticals are occupied. I start to wipe down the handles of #3 when I realize that the cup holder is broken and has no bottom. There's no other place to put my water bottle so I move over to #4. It has an intact cup holder but neither the TV nor the heart monitor inside the handles works. That's fine with me. I don't need either to have a good "run." 

I don't do cardio because I love it. I do it because it's good for me, it provides a great warmup, and if I didn't do it first, I'd never get around to doing it because at the end of my time, I'm tired and just want to shower and leave. For heart health, cardio is what's recommended. For overall aging health, both cardio and weight training, or whatever gets you moving off your butt. Seriously. The best exercise is the one you'll actually do. Just like the best "diet" is the one you can actually follow.

My left forearm is a little sore close to the elbow and that cuts my pull-up reps down by one. I'm able to do Seated Cable Rows afterward, pulling the handle right up to my chest. Now my elbow feels fine. I focus on keeping my back straight and lowering the plates slowly and quietly. Today the goal is 15 reps for each set. Taking decent rest breaks between sets helps. Then off to the Aerobics Room for a cool down remainder of the exercises.

The Core exercises are routine. Walking Lunges cause me to pause a few times so I don't fall over. Wall Squats suck but aren't the worst they've ever been. I'm hoping my BP drops down now that my head isn't reacting to the high air pressure. But there are two back-to-back storms on the radar: Saturday night into Sunday; and Sunday night into Monday. Lately, the high humidity and low air pressure have made me feel unwell. 

Antihistamines and decongestants are contraindicated for people with narrow-angle glaucoma. Ibuprofen and other NSAIDs shouldn't be taken when using losartan 50 mg. I have a cup of chamomile tea in the evening and am pleased to discover a variety of flavored Sleepy Time: vanilla, mint, peach, honey. So far, peach has been my favorite. There's a lavender flavor but I can't imagine drinking something that smells like it belongs in a drawer. 

Staying active is recommended for "healthy aging" but that in itself takes a lot of hard work. Or at least, a lot of energy. It takes energy to focus on activities, meal planning, vitamins and other supplements, and energy to direct your own care with medical professionals. Hypertension is mostly without obvious symptoms. I happen to be unusually sensitive (I can feel my heartbeat in my ears when my BP is high), and totally aware of my family history which is why I had scheduled an appointment instead of waiting for this to come up during my annual exam. 

Blood tests suggest I may already have minor kidney damage. Ugh. It might be hereditary, or it might be from hypertension. But this is all maintenance. It's not like I'm working toward a fitness goal (although I'd like to fit into my old clothes a wee bit better). I just want to age really well and live a long time without having serious health issues. Can you tell I have a birthday coming up?

8 March 2024 11:41-1:17
Sunny Friday

Precor elliptical #4 !!!
Program 2
Time: 30+5 (5858)
Distance: 2.92
Cal: 328
Avg Hr: NA
Fitbit: 55-156 (?)

HGPU 17 (sore left forearm)

Seated Cable Rows
50 lbs x 15
60 x 15
70 x 15, 15, 15

20 Hip Bridges
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5
20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Fire Hydrants 20 x 2
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Arm rotations 20
Walking lunges 34 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 90s (!!!)

Like a Damn Pinball Machine

I've had a vague headache and upset stomach for several days now. At first, I blamed the niacin (B3) vitamin I've been experimenting with, but after a few days without taking it, and my headache actually worse, I've decided it's my sensitivity to the crazy weather. Or, maybe I have a super mild case of Covid. No fever, but I'm tired and reacting badly to the humidity. My eardrums hurt sometimes when I'm driving so sinuses are def affected. But I don't have the classic sinus infection symptoms: congestion, nasty colored snot, painful spots over and under the eye sockets.

I skipped the gym yesterday and did 3 full sets (2 minutes) of Wall Squats at home, with just 2 minutes rest between. My blood pressure has been crazy, dropping down to normal for the first time in over a year and then boomeranging up into category hypertension 1 and 2. Ugh. It's behaving like a damn pinball machine and I seem to have no control even though I'm dutifully taking the daily Losartan 50 mg, beetroot juice, and low-sodium vegetable juice. It's all good for blood pressure, and cholesterol, and all that blood stuff... Now I've added 100 mg of niacinamide to the mix. I don't think it'll hurt.

Today I get to the gym a tad earlier than usual, and since it's Thursday and the day is windy and overcast, there are not a lot of people inside. Yesterday we got a lot of rain. The house smelled like wet dogs for hours after I walked them last night when the rain was especially heavy. I just make 2.9 on the elliptical so that's good. There are just a few members in the free weight area and I can do my DB Shoulder routine without dodging bodies. Temps have warmed up enough that this workout keeps me sweaty. Of course, as soon as I enter the Aerobics Room, I cool down quickly, and eventually, I put my hoodie back on. 

I get everything done that needs doing. Walking Lunges are difficult but not as bad as past sessions. Even Wall Squats aren't horrible today. Maybe because I did 3 sets of them yesterday for longer? 

Next week is my last class and I'm contemplating signing up again, but I don't know if I should sign up with the same instructor (I really like her work), or a new instructor who has a different approach and techniques... Meanwhile, I am pleased with the slow and painful progress I'm making. I find that I need to enroll in an in-person class for this since I've looked at YouTube video tutorials and have books and tons of supplies that I've collected for the past few years. And yet never actually put any paint to paper until this class. Yep, never catch me in a gym class, but for something like watercolor? Sign me up.

7 March 2024 11:16-1:05
Dreary Weary Thursday & my BP has been crazy

Precor elliptical #1
Program 1
Time: 30+5 (5802)
Distance: 2.90
Cal: 325
Avg Hr: NA 161, 200-88
Fitbit: 55-158

Incl DB Press s/s Lateral Raises s/s Rev Incline Flys
10 lbs x 25/15/25 warm up
15 lbs x 25/15/25
20/15/20 x 25/15/25 x 3 sets

20 Hip Bridges
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5
20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Fire Hydrants 20 x 2
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Arm rotations 20
Walking lunges 36 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 90s (!!!)

After Effects

My husband and I went to dinner last night after watching a few silent films accompanied by live orchestral music. The show was a benefit for the Danbury Music Center and was held in the historic Palace Theater in Danbury, CT. While we were there, we saw posters for a William Shatner documentary and we marked that date in our calendar. 

My husband seems to have stopped drinking for the past two months and I am ever hopeful of repairing our relationship. Last year, my brother gave us several gift cards for fast casual dining, something we rarely do. But since we were in Connecticut last night, we decided to eat at Longhorn Steakhouse, only one of two restaurants out of five that I recognized. The other one was Olive Garden, and I'm not really a fan. Still, better than AppleBees. 

Granted, I know that there's a bucket of salt in fast food and maybe just as much in any restaurant meal. I ordered steak tips with mushrooms, a side of Brussels sprouts, and a mixed greens salad. There was soft warm bread on the table that definitely tasted like supermarket pop-in-the-oven rolls: distinct baking powder aftertaste. Bread has an enormous amount of sodium in it, but non-salt bread is disgusting and not worth eating. The steak tips arrive smothered in a wine gravy with submerged button mushrooms. 

The first bites were good, but the meat got chewier and overcooked as time went on. The gravy was so salty I started blotting the meat on a slab of bread. The Brussels sprouts had a bitter char on the outer leaves but were tasty enough once peeled. My husband fared so much better with a perfectly cooked rare ribeye steak, steamed broccoli, and asparagus. One gift card covered the bulk of it (we didn't order any beverages or dessert) so we were fairly happy (my brother gave us three).

I wake up this morning feeling like I've been run over by a train, and there are bags under my eyes. My sleeping habits haven't changed so I'm wondering if it was all the salt in last night's dinner. I'm also playing with the vitamin B3 since taking even the lesser 100 mg tablet has side effects: mild headache but a worse stomachache. I liken it to doing that weight-loss drug since nothing kills your appetite more than feeling a bit queasy. However, after several hours of not eating, the only thing that makes my stomach actually feel better is to eat a little something. I didn't take the B3 yesterday and my BP reading is higher than it's been for the past two days. My husband says it could be the salt. Yes, it could be. 

Or it could be both. I'm skipping the B3 today and taking my reading later tonight. Tomorrow I'll take the B3. It's a matter of eliminating all the variables, right? I have a glaucoma doc appointment on Wednesday and I'll ask her about what I've read about B3 and optic nerve repair. It's better to ask in person than over the phone since I never know if the message gets relayed, and I never get a callback. 

The gym is surprisingly quiet when I get there, but more crowded and noisy when the HS lets out. I feel really tired and it shows: I can't even make it to 2.9 today. Pull-ups are okay for the first dozen, and then they are hard. There are two many people in the free weight area and both Seated Cable Stations are occupied, so I skip that and move directly to the Aerobics Room. I get cold really fast (another symptom of fatigue) and put my hoodie back on by the time I get to push-ups. Walking Lunges and Wall Squats both suck today.

When I exit the Aerobics Room, one of the cable stations is free. Now's my chance to do a few rows since tomorrow I have a class, and on Wednesday I have the doc appointment. Best to get stuff out of the way. Seated across from me is a big, muscular dude. He's wearing a tank and all I can see are his arms and shoulders. Like me, he's very quiet controlling the weights and there's no slamming of plates. There's no noise at all and he's in and out like a ghost. I appreciate that and also always aim to do the same. Like I've said before, if you're slamming the weights, they're too heavy for you. 

I have noticed my biceps lately. Not that I've never had them since I have unusually big upper arms for a small woman. But adding the rows has definitely perked them up -- just a few pull-ups a week hasn't done anything for arms that I can see... Or maybe it's just me. 

At the front desk, there are little postcards advertising the Tri-State 100% natural bodybuilding competition. Oooh, I'd love to check that out. But of course, that's the same day as the William Shatner documentary. And as it turns out, we're not even going to be in the area because we'll be driving to Buffalo to see the total eclipse. Buffalo is directly in the viewing path, which starts in Texas and ends in Maine. My husband is eager to witness this since the next one won't be for another 20 years or so... I'm game. 

4 March 2024 11:45-1:15

Dreary Weary Monday & I woke up with bags under my eyes

Precor elliptical #1

Program 3

Time: 30+5 (5736)

Distance: 2.88

Cal: 322

Avg Hr: NA 146, 183-85?

Fitbit: 55-162

HGPU 17

Both Seated Cable stations occupied. Ugh

20 Hip Bridges

Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg

Quick Child’s Pose

Cat stretch 12

Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose

Fire Hydrants 20 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Push-Ups 25

Air Squats 25

Arm rotations 20

Walking lunges 36 steps total

Neck stretch / Eye yoga

Wall Squat 90s (!!!)

Seated Cable Rows

50 lbs x 15

60 x 12

70 x 12, 12, 15

Spring is Coming

Soooo bored...

Spring will arrive on the 19th of this month, earlier than I remember in past years. Normally it's around the 21st or 22nd of March. Never mind the Leap Year. Temps were in the 20s at the Bark Park, but gradually warm up. I had an extended text conversation with my kid this morning about how he's getting home for Spring Break, so I'm later than usual to the gym. The parking lot is full but the gym is not. However, elliptical #1 is occupied so I clamber onto #2 and select program #2. It's harder than the other two because of the steep peaks and valleys but I like to choose a different program each time I pedal.

The bottom of my lungs hurt when I first start, but eventually, my body acclimatizes and I can pedal faster for longer by the end of the session. It's probably because it takes me at least 20-25 minutes to "warm up." But it doesn't take long for me to cool down. By the time I've done pull-ups and Seated Cable Rows, I'm chilly enough to put my hoodie back on to tolerate the chill in the Aerobics Room. 

Two HS boys come in and do ab work: leg lifts, crunches, V-sits. But they're not dressed in gym clothes, just regular street wear. I see the skinnier boy with jeans having to thread his belt back through his pants because you can't do abs with a belt on. The other kid is wearing sloppy sport pants but I think it's just the way he dresses. I'm so distracted that I forget to do Bird Dogs until after Walking Lunges. I almost talk myself out of Wall Squats and regret that I don't, because 50 seconds in and I'm shrieking to myself. In my head. Whew.

Ugh. Once again, Google is being a big PITA by telling me I have to enable cookies, and to sign in (yet again) just to access my own photos. For apparently no reason other than it's now March 1st. Grrrr... This happened back in November, lasted about two weeks and then resolved itself. Because honestly, I try to avoid using Chrome when possible. 

1 March 2024 12:11-1:47
Arctic Friday

Precor elliptical #2
Program 2
Time: 30+5 (5852)
Distance: 2.92
Cal: 329
Avg Hr: NA 167, 217?! Max?
Fitbit: 56-154

HGPU 18 (last 5 iffy)

Seated Cable Rows
50 lbs x 15
60 x 12
70 x 12, 15, 15

20 Hip Bridges
Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch
DeadBugs 20 x 5
20 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg
Quick Child’s Pose
Cat stretch 12
Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose
Fire Hydrants 20 x 2
Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
Arm rotations 20
Walking lunges 34 steps total
Neck stretch / Eye yoga
Wall Squat 90s (!!!)