Ideas, Insights,& Intuitions

This is probably the longest I have ever stuck with any exercise program in my entire life! So far, nothing has happened to make me have to skip a day, which proves 3 things, at least: 1) I have pretty darned good general health (don’t get sick often). 2) The weather has not been too bad for me to go outside and pedal. 3) I have not gone on vacation at all, even for a weekend.

Summary of this week:

Time: 30:00-31:00/|\Speed: 7.3-10 mph/|\Miles: 4.0-4.3/|\

Calories: 360-390

This adds up to 3 hours of pedaling for 25.27 miles, burning 2,276 calories per week!

A mystery: The surface numbness of my feet and lower legs has returned, after disappearing almost completely about 2 weeks into this exercise program. Again, I have to put on compression stockings (knee-hi) to relieve the symptoms, but it goes away immediately once the stockings are on. This suggests that the problem is circulation-related. But I don’t understand why it is back.

I’ve had this condition long enough that my regular fasting blood tests should have shown an abnormal glucose level, if I do have diabetes, but it has never been abnormal, so I don’t think it’s caused by diabetes. I just haven’t heard of it occurring alone before.

I dare ya to watch this short video without getting emotional! (It will make you happy!)

Christian the Lion

Posted using ShareThis

Still at it! A brief report will do this week. I have maintained 30 minutes total time, with a program of 7/18/5. I’ll give some stats reflecting the lowest and highest amounts reached.

Time: 30:00–32:00. Speed did not vary enough to mention. Distance: 3.8–4.3 mi. Calories: 342–386.

I experimented with turning the tension on the bike up and down a bit, which varied my speed and calorie use slightly. I continued to do the prone hip extensions and hamstring curls for a few days, and it has gotten rid of the lower back stiffness. I discovered that punching my fists into the air above my head while pedaling is the only thing that increases my respiratory rate.

The radio still keeps me distracted, with my attention drawn to the daily rants of Glenn and Rush. Eleven a.m. is really too late to start any kind of exercise outdoors, but I hate to get up early. So, if there is no breeze blowing, I sweat. I’ve taken to tying a folded kerchief around my head and a damp folded washcloth around my neck.

My knees are feeling fine, though the hot weather (and indulging my craving for salt) has brought back some swelling to my ankles, so it’s back to the compression sox.

Week 12 coming up! At the end of that time, I will have stuck with the program for 3 months! (Do I get a medal or something?)

Here’s another amazing video! Mouse over link for details:

Dog, cat & rat

Posted using ShareThis

I made it!! This week I set a goal of gradually increasing the length of the hi-sp segment from 14 to 18 minutes, so that with a warmup of 7 minutes and a cool-down of 5 minutes, I would be pedaling for a total time of 30 minutes a day, 6 days a week. I reached that goal on Day 5, Friday, June 13th.

That day, I performed hamstring curls and hip extensions before I got out of bed, which got rid of the morning low back stiffness. I put on a tank top and shorts, took my baby aspirin and thyroid pill with a small glass of orange juice, unplugged my radio so it would run on its 6 D-cell batteries, and took it outside. It was 82F with a light breeze, and I knew I would be sweating, but not breathing hard at all by the time I finished the bike ride.

I fed the birds first, and filled up the birdbath. Then I turned up the volume on the radio and removed the plastic tarp from the bike….At the end of my ride, I had pedaled 30:30 min., “traveled” for 4.02 miles at 7-10 mph, and burned 372 calories. I did almost that well on the following day, Saturday, 14th.

At this rate, which I believe I can maintain, I am pedaling 3 hours, for 24 miles, and burning 2,232 calories per week! That really sounds terrific. I should be noticing some positive effects on my body pretty soon, although the wear and tear of 70 years, stage III spinal degeneration, levoscoliosis, osteoarthritis of the knee joints, fingers, toes, and neck, and about 60 excess lbs. on my 5 ft. 8 in. frame, all pose their limitations. If I respect them, I believe I can improve my condition without doing harm.

The body’s ability to heal and remodel itself, even with the physical insults of old age, is truly amazing! Oh, did I mention that I have not needed medication for pain since Autumn of 2006–about 4 months after I left the hospital following spinal surgery?

For those who have never seen (or think they haven’t) the milk glass coffee mugs that were common in the 60s and 70s, and are now collectors’ items, here is a picture of the three that I just found on eBay. They are now in my kitchen!:-)

Well, I was going to back it down to 10  min. in the hi-sp seg this week, so that I could give my knees and leg muscles a chance to recover. But Monday, with the tension knob cranked down to ø, I started off at 7 mph, sped up after 6 min., and after I had gone the 10 min. that I intended to pedal at hi-sp before starting the cool-down, I found that I could keep on going for another 5 min, without any pain, and without really feeling tired.

It was my longest, hardest trip this week, though I did almost this well all six days. Monday Stats: Time: 27:10 min./Sp: 7-10 mph/Dist: 3.8 mi./Cal: 343

Why the improvement? I recalled what I used to tell my elderly patients who complained of stiffness and pain when they tried to stand from a chair: “Kick your legs and move your feet in circles about 10 times before you try to stand up, and you will feel a lot stronger.” They always agreed that this helped, and now that I am doing it, I am surprised to find how MUCH it helps!

 I have stayed at 26 min. all week, doing 14 minutes in the hi-sp seg, pedaling at least 3.4 mi. and burning at least 305 calories. Some mornings I turn onto my stomach in bed and perform 10 hip extensions and 10 hamstring curls before I get up. This is getting easier, though my posterior back muscles are still weak. When I do this exercise, I am able to stand straight without the lower back stiffness I used to have. I can walk easily to the kitchen for my orange juice and coffee, instead of creeping along, bent over because of tight hip flexors!

Oh, and this morning, before breakfast, and without shoes, I weighed 220! It is just not coming off the way it ought to, though…and I am NOT eating ice cream at bedtime, even though I said I was going to in the poem preceding this post! I did have a glass of milk with vanilla extract and a spoonful of sugar in it the other night–a pretty good substitute, sipped from a soup spoon.

O, there’s grey hair on my head,

I barely make it out of bed,

But I greet the day with cheer;

I may be old, but I’m still here!

Well, I do my exercise,

And to a diet I am wed,

But I’m not losing any weight!

And I feel I’ve been misled.

So, I’ll put butter on my bread,

And I’ll eat ice cream before bed,

And I won’t walk, ‘cause I can steer;

And so I’m old, but I’m still here!

My old friend called me up and said,

“Let’s go paint the town bright red!”

But when I’m showered, dressed, and fed,

I’d rather take a nap, instead!

O, there’s grey hair on my head,

And my body feels like lead.

Some parts of me are missing

And my mem’ry’s just a shred.

Yes, my years on earth are numbered,

And I know my youth has fled,

But it’s no time for fear—-

I’m old, but I‘m still here!

But when I face a challenge,

And my heart is filled with dread,

I may ask where God has gone,

As I lie there in my bed.

But if I turn my thoughts off,

God’s voice is calm and clear,

“My child, I go before you,

And I’m old—-

But I’m still here!!!”

It beats me why, but last week after steadily increasing the hi-sp segment to 15 minutes, I started having serious stiffness and pain in my leg muscles and pain and weakness in my knees when standing after I had sat, reclined, or lain in bed for any length of time. Once I was standing and moving, the condition improved rather quickly, but the muscles around my knee joints still feel sore. There is no swelling, however.

So I did two things this week to try to reverse the damage. I knocked back the hi-sp seg to 10 min. and increased the warmup and cooldown to 6 min. each, for a total time of 22 min. The other thing I did was to buy two 2-in. thick foam mattress toppers and put both of them on top of my expensive memory foam mattress. (I don’t care how good your mattress is–if you weigh 220 or more, there’s gonna be pressure on your hipbones when you sleep on your side.)

Both strategies seem to have helped me somewhat.

It’s been 78º here even at 9 am, but fortunately, there is almost always a breeze. With my radio keeping me company, my average stats ran like this:

Time: 22:30 min./Speed: 7->10 mph/Distance: 2.8-3.1 mi./Calories: 253-280.

Friday I turned the tension knob back to neutral. I have done everything I can think of to lighten the load on my aching muscles. I do NOT think it would help to quit! The muscles need to move and to work, but they don’t need to be loaded beyond their ability to clear the lactic acid out.

So I’ll stick with my 22 minute program next week and see how it goes….