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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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@retiredteacher you claim to not be computer proficient, but you made an excel chart? I’m impressed!
JK
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1 Reaction@contentandwell, the chart on the Mayo page was already printed with the other info. I didn't make it. I am not proficient on the computer with all the operations that are complicated to me, and I still have no idea about filters and other basics that are used on the Connect site. However, from teaching. I know Microsoft Office, which I used in the classroom. I used Excel for spread sheets to grade and evaluate or whatever I needed them for. I made my own Excel spreadsheet for the walking plan. Each person can do his/her own and put on it what they wish. I just like to have a chart for the beginning and ending of the 12 weeks. I can count off the days, and I can check off my progress. I use Word all the time because I write, sometimes for myself and sometimes different forms of letters or documents, depending on the need.
However, the Mayo Chart works for keeping track of the weeks.
@retiredteacher
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1 Reaction@retiredteacher I use excel for a number of things. I used it when I was dieting to track my weight daily, along with formulas to show how much I had lost. I will always have problems with formulas though, it’s tricky I think.
JK
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1 Reaction@bb729
Have you been able to do any walking yet? I know you have challenges, but I wondered if you could do any of the 5-5-5. Those numbers are not written in stone. You can adjust it to 2-2-2, and get a start. I have just been thinking about you and hope you could do a little walk to lighten your limbs. If there is anything I can do, please let me know. Can I help you adjust the times or whatever you need to give you a goal to attempt some walking?
@retiredteacher
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2 Reactions@retiredteacher Hi Carol,
I am planning on starting this week and I will probably make adjustments to the schedule. As I live in the midwest and we are beginning to have colder weather I may look for an inside walking path and because of heart valve problems, Parkinson's and a rare form of cancer, I many cut the time down to 3/3/3 for the first five days and perhaps substitute a bike at the gym for one of those days. I'll keep you posted on my progress!
I will get started, though, I'm just getting off to a slower start!
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1 Reaction@bb729. I think the hardest part is getting started. I have to get it fully in my head and then convince myself. Those first steps aren't easy. Absolutely adjust the time. You could do just the slow walking for a week or more. There is no magic in 5-5-5. The magic is in walking to feel stronger and healthier. Maybe you could do 1-2-1. Can you try that?
@retiredteacher
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1 Reaction@susu2. That's the only place I've seen it, but I get most of what I need from Mayo, so when this was in the newsletter, I didn't look for anything else. I'm sure there are other similar programs. Did you get the link I sent? That is what was on the page. The email Mayo Newsletter is short and has three, maybe four topics that are suggested in brief. I assume they do this so that the inbox isn't overrun.
Do you need more information?
@retiredtecher
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1 Reaction@hopeful33250, That's another plus for this Plan---you can go at your own speed and start when you want to. I think of the story of the tortoise and the hare. The turtle took his time and still won! Whenever you begin and whatever speed works for you makes you a winner!
Let me know when you start and if this works for you.
@retiredteacher
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3 Reactions@retiredteacher
Thanks for your encouraging words, Carol. I will let you know how I'm doing and what is working best for me!
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1 ReactionMy first report for Lightening my Limbs makes me feel good. I did the suggested minutes and the last wo days I was able to walk longer than 5-5-5. I did not skip any days because I was afraid I wouldn't continue. Tomorrow the times for Week 2 are 5, 7, 5. I am getting in the groove. I hope others are too.
How did everyone rlse do?
@retiredteacher
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