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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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@marvinjsturing Thank you Marvin for walking along on this program. I am praying that you get the call for your transplant as soon as you are ready. I hope you will keep in touch and let me know. I started the second three months last Thursday (1/25) so will finish the first week of Part II tomorrow. I've tried to walk faster, but that has been hard. I think I'll get used to it as I did with adding time the first three months. Keep in touch and keep walking.
Carol
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2 Reactions@marvinjsturing although my primary activity is not land walking, @retiredteacher has spurred me on too. I was getting really burned out on exercising and she helped me to get motivated again. Thanks, Carol.
JK
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2 Reactions@jk Thanks for giving me credit, but you deserve the credit. I knew if you could do multiple exercises, I could at least do my one. So, we helped each other. That's the way to work it, and that's what I needed to be accountable. Maybe some others will see that we exercised the 12 week program and will start too. It takes that extra incentive to get folks moving; at least it did me. My blood has been lower; I have slept better, and I have had more energy during the day. It's just a win-win. Thanks to you and Marvin and others who turned Willie on and got moving down the road!
Carol
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2 Reactions@retiredteacher I had been doing the treadmill at the beginning of my gym exercising but have switched to the elliptical for less impact - my shins were hurting. I had all I could do to make it to 20 minutes doing three mph but I am definitely seeing improvement. I managed to do 25 minutes yesterday, so I gave myself a pat on the back. The improvements creep up on you if you stay with it.
JK
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1 Reaction@jk You do deserve a pat on the back for getting out and going to the gym. Wow! In this cold weather that's dedication. I want to add Leslie Sansone's Walking Tapes and that will give variety to the walk. Her tapes are moving and strength training too. I did them years ago and really liked the dancelike element. When I get to a point, I'm going to add those. You have different ways to exercise, and I know that helps. With the treadmill and my stairs, the walking tapes will add a different element. One thing with multiples, it lets the exercise continue and keeps us from getting bored.
Carol
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1 Reaction@retiredteacher I vaguely remember Leslie Sansone. That’s a great idea to walk to her tapes. I have a number of playlists on my phone so I exercise to them. If anyone was watching me closely when I’m pool jogging or doing the treadmill or elliptical they would see my rhythm change with changes in the music. I particularly like Latin music for exercising, anything with a good beat.
JK
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1 ReactionThey say "Dance like no one is watching." I tried that once. Someone was watching. They thought I was having a seizure and called 911! (Just kidding)
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2 Reactions@marvinjsturing Okay. I just laughed hysterically! That is funny. The Leslie tapes aren't dancing tapes, but there is more movement because the walking and moving is done in front of the TV. It has side-to-side, using arms to strengthen and starts slow and then goes faster and ends with cool down. The music is just for the beat, not songs to recognize. It's for men too. The tape is of a class and there are men and women. It's all done on the floor, not a treadmill, so moving around uses more muscles than walking on a treadmill.
Ha! Ha!
Carol
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2 ReactionsI know we have one of Leslie's DVDs someplace. My wife and I used to use it. Might have to try to find it and use it again.
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1 ReactionOK - new goal...on the treadmill this week, I was walking 2 miles a day. Today, instead of walking with Willie, I tried walking with Leslie. With her DVD you move in different ways. I made it half way through, then had to rest. I jumped back in during the cool down. I will have to keep working until I can complete the whole program. The really good part is that my wife joined me in the walk.
FYI: I now have 2 people that are looking into being a kidney donor for me. Both have completed the health questionnaire on Mayo's website. Both were "rejected" by Mayo, but were told what they need to do to be approved. Both of them are actively working on getting approved. I have to wait for my PET scan in June before anything can happen, so that gives them some time to correct the issues.