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Lighten Your Limbs With Friends
Hello all. I have Diabetes 2 and have avoided exercise for over 2 1/2 years. I am overweight and know that I need to get moving and lose weight. I have always had excuses not to do anything much before. I have a treadmill, and I look at it, but I never use it. A few weeks ago, I decided that it is time to lighten my limbs. I received my Mayo newsletter. and it included a twelve-week Exercise Plan. It was like fate that I had decided to exercise and Mayo dropped the perfect routine in my lap. Because it's 12 weeks and not years and years, as some plans are, the Mayo is doable. They're not asking me to run a marathon!
It's a way to get stronger and healthier. However, one part was missing: I need to be accountable to somebody else. I would love for other Connects to join me so that we could celebrate our success each week. I don't want to wait to January when all we hear is "New Year, New You." So I thought it would be good to start before the bombardment of ads for gym equipment and promises to lose many pounds too fast (and gain it back even faster). I needed a plan that will work for me and anybody else, and Mayo has given it to us.
Let's get a jump on 2019 by finishing strong in 2018. If we start the first week on Friday, November 2, 2018 (only four days from now), it will propel us through the weekend and keep us going. Just think: By January 25th, we will have completed the 12 weeks. Just when other people are trying to keep their exercise resolutions, we'll have finished 12 weeks. We'll be lighter, heathier, and stronger. We also will have gotten into the habit of exercising and hopefully, do another 12 weeks. Doesn't that sound good? To be able to say, "I'm healthier and feel so much better and have lighter limbs." For the first time I am excited to exercise, but I need others to come along with me. I need the accountability.
Please join me and give it a try. Come along with me so we can say it's not just my 12 weeks, but it's our 12 weeks. The first week asks us to do 5 minutes of warm up, five minutes of brisk walking, and five minutes of cool down. That's only 15 minutes. I can do that! The walking is the speed that you are comfortable with. The warm up and cool down are just slower walking. It can be outside, in your house, at a gym---wherever you feel comfortable and whatever time of day is convenient. Nothing required except determination and desire to make it 12 weeks.
I'll post the exercise times for each week once we get started. Let's give this gift to ourselves and improve throughout the holidays. If you have any questions, send me a note, and I'll answer what I have from Mayo.
Everybody's walking! Sounds great to me.
@retiredteacher
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I hope you were able to start to Lighten Your Limbs with the small group. I look forward to hearing from you if you gave it a try. If not, that's not a problem. You have to do what's right for you.
retiredteacher
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@retiredteacher thanks for the encouragement.
What criteria are you considering reporting? Weight loss, or how well you fared on keeping up with the program?
I had planned to go to my club today to do my regular gym exercises but it’s pouring out so I may just do the bike, unless the rain lets up a bit. What I really feel like doing is taking a nap!
JK
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1 ReactionAmen to the nap idea, @contentandwell !
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1 ReactionI think for people who aren't fans of exercise or haven't been active in some time, like me, it's important to say what I did week one. I posted the link to Mayo's Plan when I first started Lighten Your Limbs, and on Nov. 8th, I will report that I did what Mayo suggested. If I don't meet the criteria of 5-5-5 for five days of seven, I will tell that. I do not make up things and would never say I did it all, if I don't. So, I will give a report of completing the 5-5-5 first week and will be ready for week two.
I have some weight to lose, but my goal is, as Mayo says, to be healthier and stronger. If I lose a few pounds, then that's a bonus. But I am not doing this to lose weight. As a diabetic 2, I have to be aware of the foods that are allowable. Some are not for weight loss. As a teacher and as a person, I don't cheat the system; I never have and never will. I am a straight arrow and have to be true to myself and others.
@retiredteacher
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3 ReactionsThose who posted had success, and I am excited that @marieb is going to integrate her 5-5-5 with a bike and do her 15 minutes three times a day. Then the second week, I hope she will add more time, as the Mayo plan calls for, but she has to do what's right for her.
It makes me happy that if we can just get started, we can modify the plan to fit each person's need. I think Mayo probably intended that. Some people may not be able to start with 15 minutes; some may do more. But just getting started is the key. If one person feels excited about exercising, then it's worth it. I didn't answer you immediately because I didn't know and waited to see if anyone would post. Now you can read their posts and mine and see what you think. I believe it's a good addition.
retiredteacher
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2 ReactionsI started on Monday using my treadmill. I overdid it the first couple of days, but I found a pace that works for me. Successfully completed 5 days!
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2 Reactions@marvinjsturing I am so proud of you for sticking with this. I tried to find your post earlier and was called away from my computer. Now that I am back on, I am so happy to see this post from you. That's the way to do it. If it's too much, find your own pace that's comfortable for you. I'm impressed; you've already done five days. I'm just going one day at a time so I'll have to catch up, or you may lead the pack all the time. I hope you already feel better. I know I do. Be proud of yourself; all of us who are not exercise people should be. I am proud of myself. I made an Excel chart for each day of the 12 weeks and when I could check off a day, it was with a great deal of flourish!
Did you go to the link I posted to go to the Mayo chart so that you can increase in increments when you are ready? If you didn't see that, let me know, and I'll send it to you.
Today, four of us are participating. I think we are a special group that we'd be willing to give this a try. If you need to chat or tell me of more successes and how you feel, just send me a post.
As a professor I had always said, "Keep on keeping on." That's what I'm going to do.
I'm so glad your are with me.
retiredteacher
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2 Reactions@colleenyoung
I am so glad that Marvin joined us too. Only two others who wanted to exercise haven't posted, but they may not have been ready. I am delighted that Marvin posted. I am so proud of everyone who got on the road to better health and being stronger.
I hope I said the right things to keep the group moving.
@retiredteacher
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2 ReactionsI like the idea of a check off on a calendar or Excel sheet and to do it with a flouish! I did go to the link and copied the weekly times to a note on my tablet so I can find the information quickly. I will "Keep on keeping on" or as Willie sings, "On the road again..."
@retiredteacher as I mentioned before I did the treadmill on Thursday, using the 5 minutes slower, then 5 minutes faster, for 25 minutes. Yesterday I was in the pool so my “walking” was pool jogging. I went to the gym today and was tight for time so I did the prescribed 15 minutes. During my treadmill session my L shin got really sore. I wonder if that’s a sign that I need new sneakers. It has not happened before with those sneakers. Interestingly I bought expensive sneakers ($130) and they bother my shins a lot. The ones I love are sketchers that I bought in marshall’s for about $30! They have been great but maybe the cushioning has broken down, I’ve had them for quite a while.
JK