No--I Haven't Fallen Off the Face of the Earth!!!

Greetings Everyone :) All is well here--been busier than a one-armed paper hanger, though. I'm still keeping up my regular exercise regimen--gymming 3 mornings a week, swimming two evenings a week and walking at noon most days. Biking and Yoga have proven to be a little difficult for me at this time, however. My hip is not behaving itself at all today. In fact, I really over did things this past weekend, due to being on my feet for several hours at a time. The meds I'm taking just don'g seem to be doing the trick, unfortuantely. I am, however, a glutton for punishment. I forced myself to get up to go to the gym and to walk today. Tomorrow night will be my swimming night and I'm definitely looking forward to that. Once I'm in the water, I feel a tremendous sense of freedom. That type of exercise really burns calories and does not impact my hip at all. Definitely looking forward to my Tuesdays and Thursdays in the water. Oh--I'm now 140 pounds, having lost a total of 60 pounds since January of 2007. Yes--it's been nice and slow, but isn't that a good thing???

New Updated Workout Schedule

Tonight--yes tonight, we set our clocks ahead. My mom always said, "Spring forward, fall back"--a great way to remember which way to turn the knob (smiles).

With the new time change--OK, so we lose an hour, but worth the sacrafice, cuz we will have more daylight at the end of our work day. Yea!!! That said, Here's my new workout schedule. All the in-between stuff is 'work'.

Monday am Gym
Monday early pm Yoga
Monday pm Lolly's (Mary Kay Administration)

Tuesday early pm Walk
Tuesday pm Bike

Wednesday am Gym
Wednesday early pm Walk
Wednesday pm Errands

Thursday early pm Walk
Thursday pm Swim

Friday am Gym
Friday early pm Yoga
Friday pm Errands

Saturday am Sleep in--YES!!!
Saturday am-pm Whatever Needs Doing “My Day”

Sunday am Bike
Sunday mid am Church
Sunday pm Laundry & Get Ready for Work/Swim

Gonna Stick With It...

Time for an update to the ol' blog.

Well--I'm never gonna see 55 again. Had a great birthday week with friends and family, exercising when I could. I pretty much stuck to my usual regimen, except for all the cake and wonderful meals out. I'm grateful for the love of family and friends.

I've decided that I'm going to stick with the Kundalini Yoga--that I'm not going to give up so easily. I've gone three times now and am really liking it. I just have to remember that I can't do "pretzel" cuz of my left hip. The stretching is coming along, though, and the relaxation is terrific. I think it's good to change things up with exercise, because it helps to work different muscles and to break through plateaus on the scale. This should help. Michelle, our volunteer instructor, is doing a terrific job.

Last weigh in was 142. Still down 8 pounds since the holidays. Yea!!! But for all the eating out this past week, I pledge to not weigh in for a couple of weeks. I don't want to get depressed. I'm going to enjoy life like that from time to time and not feel guilty (I tell myself). It's all good.

So all the exercise that I'm doing on a regular basis is as follows: gymming, walking, swimming, yoga-ing and biking (when I can). That about sums things up.

Kundalini Yoga Class This Week

In addition to my regular exercise regimen, I decided to try Yoga this week. My place of employment is offering the class three times a week (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays) at noon time. A yoga-experienced employee has graciously volunteered her time to teach the class. This particular Yoga is called Kundalini. The description is below:

What to Expect in a Kundalini Class
The Kundalini classes will usually consist of a warm-up to stretch the spine and improve flexibility, a sequence of poses (a kriya) that focus on a specific area of the body, and end with a guided meditation.

Is Kundalini for You?
Kundalini is one of the more mental/spiritual types of yoga. It goes beyond the physical performance of poses with its emphasis on breathing and meditation. However, the Kundalini sequences are physically intense and focus on strengthening the core muscle groups. This type of yoga appeals to those who are up for both mental and physical challenges.

So what's the verdict for me? I felt major pain in some of the poses--due to my hip issues and my limited range of motion. The relaxation portion of the class, however, was very restful. I'm not sure that it is for me at this time. There is little that can improve 'bone on bone' and that's where I am with regard to my left hip. I still continue to do my regular routine of walking, gymming and swimming and occasional biking. These activities are manageable for me right now, and I'm achieving good results. I may try to go back occasionally. We'll see.

Saturday at Home

Greetings Readers. I slept in late this morning and it felt great. I really needed the "catch up" (that's not catsup what ya put on hotdogs--hee hee). I rode my bikey with my sissy-doin' 12 laps around the neighborhood, then walked for about 30-45 minutes to loosen up the hip. All-in all, I exercised for about an hour and half. Felt great. That's it for today. Absolutely gorgeous sunny day here in San Diego--75 degrees :)

Saturday in the Park...

...I think it was the 4th of July. Hey, that sounds like Chicago. :) OK--today was Saturday, but it was not the 4th of July, actually, January 10, 2009. Esther and I had a great bike ride all along Lake Murray today. The weather was "textbook"--a real Chamber of Commerce day here in San Diego!!! The trail is 3.5 miles from one end to the other, so we rode up and back, for a total of 7 miles! Pretty cool. The trail is pretty flat, with a few little hills--not too challenging--just enough to provide a little workout and very good for the legs. We stopped along the way for a little snack pic nic and enjoyed the scenery and sounds of nature. Afterwards, as long as we had the bikes on board, we stopped at a local bike shop to ask a few questions, then treated ourselves to a chocolate yogurt. What a nice way to spend a Saturday after working so hard all week. Pats on the back to both Es and me :)