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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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How is everybody doing? I'm walking as much as i can. Trying to keep my weight the same over the holidays. It's tough when you bake a lot. Giving lots away. Blessings to you all!!
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4 Reactions@kateia Good for you to keep on keeping on during the holidays. I have not been able to do much as along with my feet, my lower back is now a problem. I do what I can, but at this time it's not exercise; it's just trying to get from Point A to Point B. I never dreamed I'd go downhill so fast, but it seems that I'm doomed. I keep looking for things I can do. Keep up the good work.
Happy Holidays.
Carol
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2 Reactions@retiredteacher I think you and I are in similar positions. I too can’t believe how much I have gone downhill since my fracture. Today both knees are killing me, my lower back hurts all of the time, and my hip is very painful. I am thinking the exercises the physical therapist gave me for bursitis in my hip is causing my back to hurt so I think I will not do them for a few days and see if that helps. When I stand up it takes me a while to straighten my back, and it hurts a lot to fo that. I never had that problem before.
JK
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2 ReactionsI understand where you are with your therapy problem. If you can talk to the therapist, you need to tell the therapist so the exercises can be changed. Also you might try a serious massage therapist who knows what to do. Our family therapist is also a registered nurse so she is very good and has worked on some of us for a number of years. We are very fortunate, but it can be expensive. Also try acupuncture because that can relieve pain. Your are correct to back off on the exercise that is not producing the desired results. Some people use heat and others use ice for pain. Try both to see what gives some relief. Heat is used before exercise and ice is used after exercise if there is still pain. We are on quite a journey with our old bodies but we can get some relief if we stay at it. Dorisena
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2 ReactionsI am still not walking far but with this big house I found some of the cleaning moves match the therapy moves I learned for my shoulders. So right now I am wiping down the creases in my cherry woodwork to get the dust out and then I am using Old English which was recommended by the custom builders which has to be wiped down again after it dries. I don't do much at a time and can't reach to the top of the doors, but I plan to get help for that when I can. I am pleased with my positive mood and my grandchildren praise me. Granddaughter is home from college so she will be visiting soon and often. It takes a team, as we are learning. Dorisena
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1 ReactionHave you tried ice as a therapy for your bursitis? I was to the point where I could not even drive the pain was so bad. For some reason the bursitis in my hip really bothered my knee. I actually had pain from hip to ankle. I even tried a brace for awhile because my husband was laid up and I had to mow the lawn. My chiropractor told me the only thing to help the swelling in my hip was to ice it. Every evening and when I can during the day I sat on an ice pack. It took 2-3 weeks of doing this before I really felt better. I limp when I walk and it hurts but nothing like it was. When it gets bad I sit on an ice pack off and on for a couple of days and that takes care of it. I'm never pain free and occasionally take Excedrin Back and Body for the pain. I pray that you can find a solution that can help some of your issues.
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1 ReactionI like your way of work/exercising!!! I have a lot of Christmas decorations to put up and that's what I'm going to do. Clean as I go. Like you said many of the stretches/exercises we need to do are just the same as physical therapy. FYI Who looks at the top of the doors anyway?? I'm 5'3 and can no way clean the top of the doors unless I use a chair. My husband won't let me climb a chair so I have a dust brush that I use to clean them off. My grandkids are coming right after New Years for a couple of days!! Cleaning and polishing sounds like a great idea for them. They can even earn a little $$$$ for doing so. Have a very Blessed Christmas!!!
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2 ReactionsThanks, @kateia I know that ice would be good for it but I never remember to do it. I can’t take or any NSAIDs, they apparently conflict with my immunosuppressants. I can only take acetaminophen which is not a big help.
My pain does sometimes run down my leg also. I have read that is not uncommon with hip bursitis.
JK
JK, The ice made it so much more manageable for me. I had let the pain go for too long and it took awhile for the ice to work. Now I use it as soon as I really start limping. It keeps the swelling/inflamation down and eliminates the total leg pain.
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1 Reaction@dorisena @contentandwell @retiredteacher What's the difference between a therapist and a terrorist?
You can at least negotiate with a terrorist, (was told this by my wife's physical therapist]
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