Here's To Our Health!

Many of us in the group are facing health challenges, whether the challenge it to lose weight, get healthy in general, control diabetes, whatever. This thread is a place to share our stories, challenges, and progress.

Good luck to everyone in achieving our goals, no matter what the challenge!

In early 2023, my Best Long Distance Book Reading Friend died in New York City from COVID.

This mention is to encourage everyone to get All the COVID vaccinations and to round up the masks yet again.

>1 alcottacre: I’ll be participating next year as well. The new years good intentions have been set, but it’s still holiday season now;-)

>2 m.belljackson: I’m very sorry to hear that! One of my friends had a stroke right after Covid. Seconding the need for being careful and masking up again.

Thanks for posting the new thread, Stasia!

>2 m.belljackson: I'm so sorry to hear about your friend.
I got the latest Covid shot and the flu shot two weeks ago.

Beware, very long post. Feel free to skip.

I did mention earlier that my theme for 2024 would be a nerdy one.

In 2022 and 2023 my fitness plan has revolved around getting enough steps in every day to reach a specific long-term target (Umeå-Venice in 2022 and the original route of the Orient Express, Istanbul-Paris in 2023), combined with daily yoga practices and, lately, physiotherapy exercises.

In 2024 I want to expand this and involve more types of exercise. I am bound by my circumstances as I’m still commuting to and from work (3,5-4 hours each day) which means I have very little time to squeeze in exercise and I can’t easily get to a gym or other facility even if I was interested in setting my foot there. So, at least for the time being, there will still be a lot of walking, but I try to intersperse it with other types of exercise. I’m planning on doing at least my post-dinner with walking sticks to get more parts of the body engaged and burning a few more calories. And if I manage to find a flat to live in (in the same town where I work), my ability to exercise with more variety will greatly increase.

My fitness theme for 2024 will be Lord of the Rings, a series of books that I adore but haven’t read in a long time – this will be remedied in 2024 – and a series of films I was obsessed with when they came out when I was a teenager. My walking goal for the year will be to follow in the footsteps of Frodo and Sam as they set out to destroy the One Ring – from Hobbiton to Mount Doom. According to clever people on the internet, this is a distance of 2847 km. This is about 200 km longer than my target for 2023 and so should not pose a problem. Besides counting steps I will also allow for other types of exercise to replace the walking, including swimming (if I do move house this year I’ll be able to swim regularly) and biking.

Since it will be a long and tiring journey, I have to build up my strength and so I will add some more strength building exercises to my regime. I am doing some already as part of my physiotherapy but need to add some more to build proper strength, and also to have some variety or I’ll get bored.

To keep my spirits up for the long journey I will incorporate a form of exercise I actually love, namely dancing. A long time ago I took ballet classes, and I was planning on doing barre exercises at home, combined with more energetic types of dancing, such as dance aerobics and Zumba (again, at home).

Oh, and I have plans for a Lord of the Rings-themed yoga routine, so keep an eye out for that in the new year.

So, here’s to Frodo and Sam (and the rest of the Fellowship of the Ring) and let’s hope the journey goes somewhat smoothly!

The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can.
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And wither then? I cannot say.

I am basically a very healthy person for being near 70 years of age. I have noticed in the past year that I am becoming "weak", as in opening jars, lifting things, and grasping things, etc. In January I'm going to start doing some hand/arm strengthening exercises. I'm also following a guy on FB that does "inner core" strengthening--like exercises that help one get up and down from the floor, etc. Today is 3 sets of 20 "almost squats." With a straight chair, pretend you are going to sit, then about 2-3 inches before you finally sit, just hold it for 20 seconds. Women--this is also good for your pelvic floor. I felt this pull in my hamstrings, so I bet tomorrow will be sore! I walk 10,000 steps 5 days a week.

Well, I plan to lose 30 lbs this year. This Christmas week I managed to drop 1.6 lbs, and I'll take that as victory over the Christmas holidays. I think I am doing fine as far as exercise goes since I do 4 or more brisk walks each week, about 45 minutes each, sometimes with my dog, sometimes by myself. I have osteoporosis, so curl ups or sit up etc are out for me.

If I can get to it, I should try some hand/ arm strengthening exercises. Like you, Tess, I notice that my arm strength is decreasing. I was trying to cut a cake with layers of hard pastry in addition to the cake and I had trouble with that. My sister remarked " I didn't know you were so weak". I took no offense to that of course, as we are good friends, but she had a good point.

>2 m.belljackson: My condolences on your loss.

Here's to a happy and healthful new year!

>2 m.belljackson: I'm so sorry to hear that.

Ah yes, my usual resolution to get fit and lose weight. Right now I'm still struggling with sciatic pain, so January will be devoted to various modalities of care for that. It really gets in the way of my walking, which is a big problem. Also sitting. So I'm thinking of finding a sit-stand desk thingy to get myself of my butt.

Also, it would be lovely to lose the 5 lbs I gained back in 2023, and another 5 or 10 over the year. When I was visiting a friend in Idaho, we ate much more appropriate meals, and I have to remember that.

It will be interesting to see how the cruise goes with my weight loss goals. I do not want to gain a ton of weight - I have worked hard to lose those first 30+ pounds! I will report in when I get back to say how it went and do my monthly weight update on the 28th as I have been doing the past several months.

I continue to work on my walking although I am not sure I am quite as ambitious as Paws! Like Tess, I would like to add some strengh training to my fitness regime (although I do not really think it fits those qualifications!)

So my first week is done! It's been a bit tough as the temperatures have been fairly brutal and I have barely set foot outside the door (working from home during the in-between-days).

My daily target for 2024 is 15 600 steps, which I can replace with other forms of exercise if I can and want to. Since my step length means that 2000 steps = 1 km, I can replace each kilometer of cycling, swimming, skiing, etc. for 2000 steps (dancing is of course counted as steps). And I have! I have been using my parents' exercise bike almost every day. While I'm not a great fan of exercise bikes they do have the upside of letting you watch TV while pedalling.
So, last week I walked a bit over 84 000 steps, which is a smidge over 42 km. I also biked 16 km, taking my total up to 58 km. This means I've already had to hide from a Black Rider and 'll reach Buckleberry Ferry sometime next week!

I'm still in holiday mode, especially as my younger son doesn't go back to school until 22nd January. I haven't done any exercise to speak of this year (I was going to say I did one boxing class but that was at the end of last month) for various reasons. I did see that barre classes start up again this week but I haven't signed up yet. I had my first saxophone class today, after the break. I don't know if you count it as exercise but it certainly feels like a workout.

Riding for the Disabled doesn't start until next week but I did volunteer to help with training this week. The exercise I get from that will depend on the horse, especially if I'm leading it. If it's Tapadita or one of the taller horses, I'll have to walk fast to keep up. If it's Jimmy, I'll get lots of arm exercise - especially for my right shoulder because he's reluctant to move and you kind of have to haul him around if you haven't the knack of coaxing him to walk. Rhino is a big guy and moves at a stately pace - but he'll make a break if he thinks there's the slightest chance he can eat something and since he's huge I can't stop him. I think I kept the entire stables entertained for a term because he'd drag me off to the bushes at the slightest opportunity for a munch. (And since my skin condition was acting up on my fingers and palms, it made it harder to drag him back to business.)

I really ought to start walking with Jasper again. My excuse is that if the boys find out I've been walking our dog, they'll shirk their daily responsibility so I usually only walk him when they're not around. He's an active breed (golden retriever) so he does need to be walked at least once a day and when we go out together we walk briskly and get in several kilometres. All the rain we've been having hasn't helped, though. I tried to tempt my husband out for a walk tonight but failed at the first attempt. Not the most encouraging report, I'm afraid.

>14 humouress: Well, still in holiday mode. Forgive yourself.

Those horses sound like a handful.

>13 PawsforThought: Paws, I never thought of equivalents to steps. If I can find something that doesn't abuse my hip, I'll add that in to my steps.

>15 ffortsa: I was getting bored of just walking so needed something to mix it up.

Here (https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/publications/p4/p40109.pdf) is a list of activities and approximate calories burned. Could be useful to figure out activities to swap the walking for if you need some change. Don’t get fixated on the numbers though, they’re never accurate anyway.

My health challenge is to keep doing the exercises assigned by my physical therapist, progressing to more difficult ones when appropriate.

Walking more and cooking more would be nice, but are somewhat dependent on having fewer backaches and fewer problems with my right arm, i.e. dependent on continuing physical therapy. And I don't care at all about my weight; I prioritize keeping my cranky digestive system happy ahead of any consideration of calories. (Cooking more would certainly help with that.)

I don't have an explicit goal, but basically to do all the exercises as often as possible. I've divided them into 5 groups. It takes about an hour to do the lot, except that I simply can't do them all at once - I need to insert big rest periods between groups.

Some days, I manage all 5 groups; others I manage none at all. I change the order I do them from day to day, so that no particular group gets short changed more than others. An achievable goal might be for all groups to get done 4-5 times a week. (Last week weighed in at about 3.)

>14 humouress: I got Maoh, who was a gentleman - though he did test us by being slow to pick his hooves up for cleaning.

I did do a boxing class this week. I was hoping to do a trial yoga class too (unfortunately the teacher for the previous class was unable to continue but I really liked her style) but they had posted the wrong time on the website so I missed it. Next week, hopefully.

I've been planning to play squash with my younger son for his past two school holidays but something always comes up (I even had the racquets in the boot so we could pop by the courts any time). This time he's broken his collarbone, which seems a bit excessive to me. He could have just politely said, 'No thanks mum'.

>17 ArlieS: I'm also struggling to get my PT in often enough, and complete enough. Some days I just can't face the whole range of exercises and leave one or two behind. But at least they don't take me as long as yours do. I can fit them into half an hour.

Now my PCP has me taking prescription anti-inflamatory medication in addition to the PT exercises and the acupuncture. I must say since I've been on the med, my leg feels better, so maybe this will be the right combination and I can get back to my park walks soon. That housebound feeling is creeping in.

And I haven't been sleeping well, so that's the next thing to address.

Week 2 of my walk to Mordor.

I walked a bit over 74 000 steps, and biked 27 km. That makes for a total of ca 64 km, taking my total for the year up to 122 km.
This means I have crossed the Brandywine River and am about to walk into the Old Forest.

So my doctor says my tests are perfect and I'll live forever. But I gained another pound yesterday, even though I ate half an absolutely delicious vegetable bowl for dinner. Grump. And I inadvertently walked 10,000 steps even though I am still nursing this hamstring thing.

Oh well. I took half the bowl home (cauliflower, carrots, sweet potatoes, black beans, lentils, brown rice, avocado, lettuce at the bottom) and hope to eat it for a late breakfast. And it's going to snow tomorrow in NYC! Yay!

>21 ffortsa: That bowl sounds wonderful!! Perhaps the pound is water...one can hope :) Hope your hamstring is better soon. Enjoy your snow. I loved ours for the first three days or so...ready for it (actually the ice) to be gone so we can get out. Hubby is feeling especially housebound and is starting to be annoying about it :)

>22 RebaRelishesReading: Hubby is feeling especially housebound and is starting to be annoying about it :)

Hm. Get him some Yaktraks ice grippers and push - I mean invite - him out the door. I wonder where I put mine?

Update on last week:

I walked just over 72 000 steps, equalling 36 km. Adding to this, I biked 30 km for a total of 66 km. This takes my total up to 188 km.
That means I have passed Bree (and met Aragorn at the Prancing Pony) and am now trying to get across the Midgewater Marshes towards Weathertop.

>24 PawsforThought: I’m just loving your walking/biking framework. So clever and so fun to follow along.

Karen O

I saw the endocrinologist's NP on Friday. Up 10 lbs in 3 months so a new, higher dose of my injection and a warning to not eat just because I am hungry. A1C is in a good place, though, and thyroid is looking stable. No comment given on my cholesterol but I will get lab results next week or later this week. All in all a good visit even though they changed the appointment time the day before.

>26 elorin: Interesting. I'm trying to remind myself to eat only when I AM hungry, instead of when I'm in the kitchen or avoiding chores or bored or....

>25 klobrien2: It’s fun for me too (that’s a must, or I wouldn’t do it at all). I’m really enjoying the partial switch to biking as it allows me to exercise while watching TV or doing Duolingo.

>27 ffortsa: I have been basically intermittent fasting (light lunch, reasonable dinner, very light bedtime snack, then nothing else until lunch again) for about a year, and I lost about 50 lbs. But when my diabetes gets out of whack it affects my appetite, telling me I am hungry all the time. Or so I understood. So my takeaway was to stick to the meal plan that works rather than having a big lunch, big dinner, and hefty snack because my body suddenly wants me to believe I'm starving when I know I'm not.

>29 elorin: Aha! Interesting. Yeah, I was just eating whatever was around this afternoon, and finally admitted to myself that I wanted some sugar. I don't think a handful of blueberry Chex will do me irrevocable damage. I think tonight will be a fish night. Too much beef these last few weeks, and it adds up.

It is the 28th so time for my monthly report.

Well, I gained weight on the cruise despite all of the walking all over the ship and the various stops that we made. I was very pleased that the ship offered vegetarian fare, but unfortunately the vegetables offered were covered in grease, oil, and/or butter - things I do not normally cook with at all at home. I only gained 2 pounds, but still.

I have set a goal for myself to lose 50 pounds by the time that the annual Joplin meet up happens in October. I think it is a reasonable goal and one that can be accomplished.

I am also sticking with my walking but trying to incorporate some strength training at leasr 3 days a week. We will see how that goes!

Keep up the great work, everybody!

I made my step count goal every hour on Friday (250 step) and I am considering increasing the goal if I can make it every day for a week.
My shoulder doesn't hurt as badly. Two more sessions of physical therapy and then the referral to the shoulder doctor.

>31 alcottacre: Good for you, Stasia! I would like to lose 30 lbs, no set time line, but sooner than later .

Update on last week:

I walked just under 75 000 steps, equalling a little over 37 km. In addition to this, I biked 29 km, making for a total of 66 km for the week. This takes my total for the year so far up to 254 km.
This means I have gone up to Weathertop and been attacked by the Nazgul. I'm a little over halfway to Rivendell.

>32 elorin: I made my step count goal every hour on Friday (250 step) Congratulations!

>33 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deborah.

>34 PawsforThought: Oo, Rivendell. My favorite place in Middle Earth :) Congratulations, Paws!

I mentioned above that I would like to begin incorporating some strength training 3 days a week, but I am really at a loss as to how to start. Does anyone know of a book that might be helpful - something like 'Strength Training for Beginners' or 'Strength Training for Dummies'?

I have degenerative joint disease (I was diagnosed when I was 12, so it is nothing new) and ulnar neuropathy (this one is fairly new and my right arm is pretty well useless) so I have to take these conditions into account.

Any help would be appreciated!

>36 alcottacre: Miriam Nelson has some books. Josh Kozak has Stay Fit for Life which, being from DK, has great pictures. Kathy Smith has a strength training video. Or just check here:
https://www.librarything.com/tag/strength%20training%2C%20women

>36 alcottacre: I don’t have any book recommendations but would suggest that you talk to a physiotherapist or a PT (the good kind who doesn’t bully people) to get some help. Provided that it’s something that’s available to you.

I have very bad mental health and i believe music and books helps me stay sane during my days

>39 Owltherian: This is one reason why I read so much!

>37 ReneeMarie: >38 PawsforThought: Thank you both for the suggestions!

>36 alcottacre: There's a book I have titled Seven Minutes in the Morning that is about building muscle, slow and steady. There are other sections, but the step by step daily exercises are very useful.

>40 reconditereader: Its so helpful! I even space out while doing so and people don't understand how i read like 3 books in an hour

Oops, I made a mistake in my update last week as I confused my own numbers (in km) with the Mordor map list (in miles). I've not reached Weathertop yet after all!

Here are the stats for last week:

I walked over 72 00 steps, which is a little over 36 km. I also biked 29 km, which makes for a total of 65 km.
This takes my total for the year up to 319 km. I have reached the eastern edge of the Marshes and can see Weather Hills ahead. During the night, I can see flashes of light in the east - Gandalf is on Weathertop.

I had been hoping to get some skiing in this winter, but it's looking unlikely as I've not been able to find a pair of skis. Oh, well. Both my long walks on the weekend were with walking poles.

Well, the MRI results are in, and although some of the language is a bit to technical for me, I seem to have two partial tears in my hamstring. Nice to know. Now maybe we can tailor the PT more effectively. That said, I did go on my Central Park walk today, completed it, and got in my 10,000 steps. I know it's an arbitrary number, but I do well when I get there.

>45 ffortsa: Yikes, that sounds painful! Hoping the PT helps in recovery. (And I'm the same way with 10k steps - it's my personal "magic number")

"partial tears" to your hamstring -- hope there's a way to get them to heal!!

Okay, an exercise update from the frozen tundra of the north.

We've had some very cold days in the past week and I've not been particularly keen on being outdoors. But I've still reached my goals, even on Tuesday - despite the combination of low temperatures and a dinner and night at the opera with my co-workers.

I walked a smidge under 80 000 steps, which is a smidge under 40 km. Adding to this, I biked 25 km for a total of 65 km travelled. This takes my total up to 384 km for the year.
This means that I have now actually reached Weathertop and been attacked by the Nazgul (I miscalculated a few weeks ago because I forgot about km vs miles).

>42 ffortsa: Thank you for that recommendation, Judy.

I have done well at my walking for the past couple of weeks, with the exception of last Friday when my left hip said "No!", and my weight has started to come down again.

>45 ffortsa: Ouch! I hope that they get your hamstring taken care of, Judy. You did not say anything about needing surgery on it, so that is all to the good. Congrats on the 10K steps!

>48 PawsforThought: Congratulations on getting attacked by the Nazgul, Paws!

I am doing 2 different walking challenges currently, one long, one short. In the long-term, I am walking the Appalachian Trail (I already did the Pacific Crest), and in the short-term, I am walking around Chichen Itza.

>51 alcottacre: Those sound like interesting hikes!

>50 alcottacre: Oh, I doubt it. They are definitely not through and through tears, so the question is what exercises are useful and what are not. for instance, stretching might not be in the cards until a little later!

I have promised myself to check this thread every day and I hope that will nudge me enough that I will start walking again...I need to stop being a slug even though I really enjoy sitting around reading and knitting :)

I'm always slow to get back into the swing of things in the new year, after the long school break. I volunteered at RDA twice yesterday (I do Wednesday mornings anyway but they needed help in the afternoon too as people are away) which is quite energetic walking, even if it's around the arena. And then I went out with my son (who wanted to run) and took Jasper out for a walk too - maybe our first of the year! Unfortunately I didn't have a pocket large enough to put my phone in at RDA but my evening walk covered 3.1km (maybe to the end of Bilbo's drive?) and - because Jasper loves to gallop - I managed a sprint, too. I don't know how long it was; I was estimating 100m but given the total length of my walk it was probably more like 50m :0)

I actually got into bed around midnight - extremely early for me; but since I usually weigh myself before going to bed, my weight had gone up. I think usually by the time I weigh, I've burned off my dinner. That's another thing I have to work on - a decent bedtime.

Slightly late update on last week:

I walked over 75 000 steps, which equals just under 38 km. I also biked 28 km, taking my total for the week up to 66 km and means that my total for the year is 450 km.
This means I'm on the way from Weathertop (Frodo is injured) and trying to get to Rivendell. I've crossed the Great East Road and am camping.

Quite a few of my steps on Friday were from shovelling snow - I'm getting quite tired of the snow now.
And I had an appointment with the optician on Thursday. No change in strength or astigmatism and no cuts or small injures to the retina - best result I've had in years. I actually think it might be because I'm outside so much more now (and thus focusing on longer distances) that my vision hasn't got any worse.

>56 PawsforThought: That's a good result from the optician's :0)

this is long my apologies, but I have a question sorta related to weight loss;I am 67 years old have been active al of my adult life ,walked three miles a day, folk danced twice a wee despite having osteroporsis , scolios and degenerated disc disease. But Ive fallen a couple of times and n january started having pain that felt like sciatica. Tylnol, celebrex, cortison, exercises my usual go tos were not working. My ortho put me on predosone which did nothing . got a MRI I have been diagnosed with bursa of the hip which extrememly painful (we are talking pain level 5 and higher) Im walking with a walker that helps some but its very slow.whats worse is that Im unable to dance, which is killing me. My pain dr gave me a shot and told me not to do any cardio or anything that will causes the trochanter muscle or bursa to become irritated for 4-6 weeks. So Im depressed, it still hurts to move and I know I will gain weight if I cant do anything. I am doing glute muscle exercises but I am feeling like a sloth. I dont have access to a pool so thats out. as far as eating recs I pretty much know what to do and what to stay away from, but i fear Im going to get bored and medicate with food..so my question is what can I do to keep fit and healthy? Also does anyone have any experince Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections use ultrasound guidance ? would appreciate any information. thanks!

the upside to this is I will have lots of time to read....

>36 alcottacre: read more of this thread and missed yours' Hopefully any help I get here will help you! and wishing anyone here on the journey to good health have great success this year!

Well, I was doing well about getting back on track until this week. My left hip has decided that it does not want to work and do nothing but hurt. . .

>58 cindydavid4: Wish I could help, Cindy, but I have no experience with PRP injections. Sorry!

>58 cindydavid4: The only thing I know of is yoga which can keep you mobile although I don't know how much help it will be to weight management with your issues.

>60 alcottacre: >61 elorin: Speaking of yoga & mobility & hips (oh my) reminded me of a yoga DVD series that's worth taking a look at. Search out yoga and "Rx", or "Jill Miller." Peggy Cappy (yoga) and Miranda Esmonde-White (range of motion) are also often on PBS specials.

And while looking for those again, I stumbled across an interesting looking book: Rethink Your Position by Katy Bowman. I plan to check it out.

My blood sugar is dropping low enough to trigger the alarm on my glucose monitor. I am checking sugar manually to see if it is a bad glucose sensor or something to be concerned about. Piercing noises are headache inducing.

Has anyone found good streaming (YouTube?) Tai chi exercises/training sessions? Since I'm working at home and usually don't end the day until 6 or later, I can't do what I used to do when I was still in my 40s and last working as a staff person full time in an office, which was to go to a gym as a pause in my routine between work and home. Indeed, here in Providence, there ARE no gyms anywhere nearby.

I'm finding walking more of a trial than ever before in my life. (And I used to walk A LOT -- my favorite holidays involved hiking the coastal cliff path in Cornwall in the UK -- up and down for miles and miles...) For more than a decade I've struggled with increasing arthritis pain in my ankles, then my big toes. Now my right hip has decided to join the party. Reuters does offer some employee health benefits, although most seem to be geared to younger/more flexible people trying to maintain a high level of fitness rather than someone like me trying to reverse a bit of the loss in mobility/strength. Any weight loss would be lovely, but at this point I pretty much have zero vanity. I just want to retain mobility/independence and to limit pain/discomfort as much as possible.

A weird complicating factor surfaced in the early days of Covid, right after my bad ankle (which turns into a brick and stops flexing after a certain number of steps each day) contributed to a trip and fall in which I broke my elbow and wrist. It was summer, and I started breaking out in really severe hives all over my torso/arms/legs. My dermatologist is flummoxed -- idiopathic dermatitis? or summat like that. Stuff that worsens it is any friction and heat, which is a problem with some kinds of exercise. And with the hives and stuff, I don't want to go swimming and have fellow swimmers start panicking that I have some weird communicable disease.

So -- home-based exercise routines that don't require me to be outside and risk another trip/fall? (Although I did fall in the house last week -- slipped in my socks, gashed my elbow and required some stitches). And I hear good things about tai chi?

The good news is that I love the work I'm doing, my colleagues/team, and I've still got books, cats and music. Minka is asleep on my lap right now and I'm listening to some Mozart.

>62 ReneeMarie: Thank you, ReneeMarie!

>64 Chatterbox: I would be interested in the Tai Chi exercises too if anyone knows of some.

I am so glad to hear that you are liking your new job, Suzanne!

>64 Chatterbox: >65 alcottacre: I can't personally recommend any. I tried tai chi once & was bored to tears. But there is a DVD label, Acacia, that puts out a lot of fitness titles including tai chi. And it looks like they have a YouTube channel "AcaciaFitness".

>64 Chatterbox: I’ve never tried Tai Chi so nave no recommendations there, but I highly recommend trying yoga via YouTube. You do not have to be flexible to do yoga, and there’s tons of practices that have a slower pace (no sweating). My favourite is Adrienne but there are SO MANY out there. Yoga rescued me from near-constant wry neck and is helping my mum with her scoliosis back.

>67 PawsforThought: I don't stream, but you inspired me to go see if my favorites were online.

Looks like you can find Jill Miller via "Tune Up Fitness." And Ashley Turner, who has yoga DVDs in the Element series, can be found via "Yoga on Gaia." (And it turns out Jill Miller & Katy Bowman, whose book I stumbled across earlier, are connected.)

Update from last week:

I walked just under 76 000 steps, equalling a smidge below 38 km, and I biked 29 km. That takes my total up to 67 km, which means my total for the year is 517 km.
Nothing interesting happening in my Mordor walk right now, just walking through a valley towards Rivendell. This is one of the most boring stretches of the journey and it'll continue to be boring for at least a couple of weeks, but I have covered 70% of the distance between Bag End and Rivendell, so there's that.

I'm feeling rather meh and low-energy, which I'm guessing is the beginning of a cold. What I should do is sleep more, but of course I don't do that. That would be sensible, and we can't have that.

In the past few days (almost a week now) the temperatures have gone up to the freezing point or a little above, leading to my least favourite weather-related thing: slush. On my way home from work on Friday I had to jump over a meter wide, decimeter deep puddle. And then it goes below freezing during the night so everything turns to ice. I hate this.

>58 cindydavid4: Oh, sorry to hear about the bursitis. Any recommendations for physical therapy? I am doing PT for what seems to be a hamstring issue, but we thought it was bursitis until the scans came back negative for that. I do have a couple of tears, however, and have resorted to ice and heating pads and skipping certain exercises. Since bursitis is an 'itis' - inflammation - ice might help.

I did try acupuncture a few times, and while I felt temporarily better, it didn't last or I didn't stick with it for long enough. Thinking about Suzanne's post - maybe Tai Chi? It's slow and you can always back off a pose if it hurts. It is supposed to help your balance and general strength.

Sorry the walker is clumsy. I hope you won't need it for long.

>58 cindydavid4: How about seated exercises, at least to start with?

>64 Chatterbox: >64 Chatterbox: >70 ffortsa: My mum holds tai chi classes (I think she still does some online) but she's based in Australia, so there'll probably be a time difference to contend with but I can ask her if you're interested.

>70 ffortsa: I have tried tai chi before for balance. Now sure I could do it sinc I cant put any pressure on this him, Thinking about acupucture

Last week's update:

I walked a bit over 81 000 steps, which is just under 41 km. In addition to this, I biked 27 km for a total of 68 km. That takes my total for the year up to 585 km. This means I'm officially past the 20% mark.
In my trek across Middle Earth, I've finally made if through the valleys and have crossed The Last Bridge over the River Hoarwell/Mitheithel. This means I've entered the land of the Trollshaws! Only about 100 miles/160 km to Rivendell!

Weatherwise, the thawing is continuing which means drab, grey, depressing and irritating. I'm just hoping this means we'll get a longer than normal spring, but I wouldn't be surprised if winter made a sudden return and everything's covered in ice.

Nothing much to report. I get lazy over the December holidays, it being birthday season as well as Christmas and New Year plus end of the school year and pretty much all my (exercise etc) classes take a break (especially since a lot of them are on expat schedules and the teachers might go back home). So I've been very lazy over the last couple of months.

Diet-wise, I saw my dermatologist last week and he's given me a couple of months to continue with the modified carnivore diet (which is better than the previous time I saw him when he suggested I continue for the rest of my life!) which is doable. I had planned to do a GBBO project and try and make at least one type of item from each episode of the last season in my new kitchen but, since flour is off my diet list, that rather scuppers that for the time being. But I did make two cakes from the first episode using my husband's birthday as an excuse. As for my skin issues, they're sort of up and down. And, because I've been cheating on the diet a bit, my weight has been fluctuating a bit with an upward trend.

>73 PawsforThought: Can't wait until you get to Rivendell!

>74 humouress: I’m impressed that you’re managing to stay on a carnivore diet at all. I’ve never been the biggest fan of meat and absolutely love all carbs so that sounds like a nightmare to me.
Sorry you won’t be able to go though with your baking plans just yet.

I am looking forward to getting to Rivendell - feels like that will be the “proper” start of it all, as that was when the fellowship was formed.

>75 PawsforThought: His first question, when he introduced the topic, was 'Are you vegetarian?' so I thought he was going to go in the opposite direction :0)

The diet was really hard to start with but got easier as I got used to it and he started re-introducing some things; it's supposed to be an exclusion diet to let my skin settle down and slowly revert to normal. But I miss carbs, too. My sister says she'd never be able to do this diet as carbs are what she survives on. I did manage to convince my dad to give it a go and I'm told he's lost over 6kg in a month. Mind you, I found I didn't eat much because it's quite dense and also didn't want to eat much because it was a bit boring and my mum says my dad isn't eating much.

Of course - Rivendell was where the Fellowship was formed. That hadn't occurred to me before. It's always been the home of the elves to me and a bit magical.

Update:

Last week I walked a just under 71 000 steps, equalling just over 35 km. I also biked 29 km for a total of 64 km. This takes my total for the year up to 649 km.
In my walk to Mordor I have now just seen the Stone Trolls (that Bilbo and the dwarves met in The Hobbit).

This week I'm going to be travelling for work today and tomorrow - will be interesting to see how much I'll be able to walk. Today should be fine as there is a gym at the hotel that I can use, but tomorrow might be trickier as I'll be in a meeting almost all day and then travelling home late. Might make an early morning visit to the gym for some biking.

>76 humouress: In my youth on the Atkins diet and other high-protien, low-carb diets, I got bored as well. It is a very dense diet. When I was really young, I was on a classic elimination diet for allergies, and ended up eating mainly lambchops and rice ( can't recall what I ate for breakfast) Now I'm heading toward a Mediterranean style diet, which is considerably more varied but still low on processed stuff.

>78 ffortsa: And every doctor I've had in recent memory strongly recommends a Mediterranean diet. I try to lean that way but have yet to go full on.

I really love this thread!!

I have a lot of health-related issues (sucks, as I'm only 30!).

I have a chronic pain condition called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (which makes life very difficult at times!)

I have gastrointestinal issues that are being explored - it looks as if my stomach takes longer than usual to empty, which causes a lot of issues in bloating and other yukky issues. As a result, though, I've given up dairy. BIG for me - I loved and adored cheese and milk!! But I am now dairy free and I eat a mainly plants based diet. I eat meat and fish every now and then, but not that often.

>78 ffortsa: >79 RebaRelishesReading: Hmm, the Mediterranean diet could work for me, if I leave out the veg.

>80 KB23: My mum has similar sounding gastrointestinal issues; hers turned out to be a vagus nerve problem.

>81 humouress: wow! I might do some digging! Thanks! ☺️

Update on last week:

I was travelling for work on Monday and Tuesday, which meant that I couldn't do my now regular biking, so had to sneak in extra walking instead. The hotel did have a gym, but it strangely enough didn't have any exercise bikes. I'm so glad I won't have to travel for work again until the end of May.
The weather is a little colder again so less slush and more ice. However, the days are now so long that the sun is up when I go to work (sunrise while I'm eating breakfast!) and when I come back home. It makes such a difference on the psyche.

Last week I walked nearly 88 000 steps, which is a smidge below 44 km. I also biked 23 km, for a total of 67 km. This takes my total for the year up to 716 km.
In my journey to Mordor I have now met Glorfindel (who in the movies is replaced by Arwen) and Frodo is on his horse. I'm just eight km from being attacked by the Nazgul, and another eight km from Rivendell. After that, it's time to head towards Lothlorien. That stretch is almost exactly as long as this one has been so should take about the same amount of time to reach. This means that I should reach Lothlorien around the middle of June.

My FitBit tracks my activity during the day and for every hour from 9 AM to 5 PM if I take 250 steps I get a checkmark. If I get all eight check marks in one day I get a badge. I try for the badge daily but I am at a computer all day and it's hard to realize how much time has passed sometimes. I know some people aim for 10,000 steps a day and I don't come anywhere close to that amount, but striving for the badge each day has helped me move more often and increased my activity level even if it's not by much. Today I got 5 out of 8 check marks.

6 out of 8 check marks today, 2 missed while sitting at the orthopedist's office. Diagnosis: I have developed a spontaneous "frozen" shoulder. Treating: corticosteroid shot in the shoulder and a referral for more physical therapy. Come back in 6 weeks for evaluation and another shot if indicated.

Exercise update for last week:

I walked a little over 68 000 steps, which is just over 34 km. I also biked 30 km for a total of 64 km. This takes my total for the year to 780 km.

In my journey through Mordor I have now taked part in the Council of Elrond at Rivendell and the Fellowship of the Ring has set off towards Mordor. We are now making our way through rough and barren land. The next major stop will be in Lothlórien, but to ge tthere we will have to pass over the Redhorn pass or through the Mines of Moria.

Healthwise I'm okay. Had a bout of vertigo on Sunday and Monday (no worries, it's a benign thing I've had before which goes away quickly enough). I think I have a cold coming on so the upcoming days off work for Easter will likely do me good.

Grr. I am having trouble getting back on my intermittent fasting regimen. Today I had coffee and a grapefruit for breakfast, and will have lunch out with a friend. Hovering just below 140lb, having gained back 10 lb this winter. I need to be more rigorous to jump start the new effort.

Not walking quite so much because of my hamstring, which is healing or strengthening very slowly with PT. Last week I racked up 22,000 steps overall. Of course, I was also doing the PT exercises - they are strengthening and stretching. A couple of the sessions at the PT last week left me weak and wobbly, which is probably a good thing, pushing those muscles a bit more.

>87 ffortsa: To be expected. Don't stress about it too much.

I actually made the effort to do a barre class today; my first for the year. I have done them before but they're in the mornings and I'm not a morning person. Hopefully this will help me get back into it.

I finally got good news about my hip. Been too several drs before I got to a sport dr who told me its tendonitis. Im going to PT for modality treatment then if that doesnt work he will do Ten X procdure that removes scar tissue from tendon. After a few months I will probably be able to enjoy all my activites again Been asking for a diagnoses and prognosis for 4 monts now. So glad we have a plan and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel (sorry confusing idioms)

>89 cindydavid4: Yay for a diagnosis, an answer and a solution.

Update for last week:

I walked just over 64 000 steps, which is 32 km, and biked 29 km. This makes for a total of 61 km, taking my total for the year up to 841 km. That means that after 25% into the year, I have made it 29% of the way to Mordor - I'm doing well!
Speaking of Mordor, nothing interesting happening right now on my journey from Rivendell to Lothlórien. Have gone over a hill and crossed a small stream. In a couple of weeks I should be able to see the Mountains of Moria.

Seeing as it was Easter week (short day on Thursday, day off on Friday and LOTS of time in front of the TV eating sweets) I think of my achievements last week as a victory. And the weather was awful - rain and snow and just over freezing.

>88 humouress: I've been thinking of taking some beginner barre classes. In my experience of many years ago, barre exercises are really good for strengthening and limbering leg muscles. Thanks for the comment.

>89 cindydavid4: Interesting comment about scar tissue. What is the Ten X procedure?

Latest update:

Last week I walked a bit over 65 000 steps, equalling just under 33 km. In addition, I biked 31 km for a total of 64 km. This takes my total for the year up to 905 km.
In my walk to Mordor I'm still in rather uninteresting terrain - lots of small streams and low mountains. There are a couple of boring weeks ahead still before anything exciting happens.

Update on last week:

I walked a bit over 76 000 steps, which is just over 38 km. I also biked 30 km, taking my total for the week up to 68 km. This means that my total for the year is 973 km.
In my journey through Middle Earth I'm still just walking between Rivendell and the Mountains of Moria. I should be able to see the mountains in a couple of weeks' time.

>93 PawsforThought: I'm curious; do you have something that gives you visual terrain? Unless, of course, you're actually walking to Mordor, in which case I advise against it - or, at least, the last bit of it.

>95 humouress: I'm not actually walking to Mordor, no.

I have help from guides made by people even nerdier than myself. There is a thing called "the Mordor Challenge", I've borrowed their logo and put on my thread.
On this page, there are breakdowns of each of the stages of the walks by Frodo and Sam and their friends (Shire to Rivendell, Rivendell to Lothlorien, etc.) This is what I'm primarily using, though I do have to remember to switch from km to miles.
Nerdfitness also had a Mordor walking challenge last year.
LOTR project has nice maps if you want to get a visual of where you're going (they also have Bilbo's walk to the Lonely Mountain from The Hobbit).

Update on last week:

I walked just over 69 000 steps, which is a bit over 34 km. I also biked 29 km, taking my total for the week up to 63 km.
This takes my total for the year up to 1036 km!
In my journey through Middle Earth to Mordor I am still just walking through rather boring lands with not much change from one day to the next. But next week (well, this week) things will start happening.

I had a meltdown in PT today, partly because I'm still in pain with this hamstring, partly because of all the news of people behaving like idiots, partly because my endocrinologist wants to see me because of a) my bone scan and b) because I have a cyst on my thyroid. Glad she's on top of it, but I feel like I'm coming apart. As is the world.

Treated myself to a bourbon after I paid the rent today. Just because.

I am so far behind on this thread it is not even funny. . .

>98 ffortsa: Treated myself to a bourbon after I paid the rent today. Just because. Honestly, Judy, we all need to treat ourselves 'just because' every now and again, don't we? I am sorry that things were so bad for you today and hope that tomorrow will be much better.

>99 alcottacre: Thanks, Stasia. I seem to have recovered my equilibrium, mostly. Got a little teary at my violin lesson when I just couldn't connect with my teacher's metaphors. But I stayed home tonight, disposed of some old plastic containers clogging my storage, read some threads, and will return to my audio of Moonglow in about 10 minutes. Tomorrow we see what I hope will be a very interesting take on Macbeth, focusing on the story we don't get to see about Lady Macbeth. I hope my mood continues to recover over the weekend.

A very late update on last week's exercise:

I managed to walk just over 71 000 steps, making for a bit over 35 km. I also biked 30 km, for a total of 65 km.
This takes my total for the year up to 1101 km. This means I've now walked far enogh that I can see the Mountains of Moria in the distance and I am right at the foot of Hollin Ridge. Getting closer now - in about two weeks I'll reach Moria.

The warmth of spring has finally arrived! Waiting for the last of the snow to melt which will hopefully be soon - it's been a very cold spring. Still ice on the lakes and the sea, though mostly gone from the rivers.

>100 ffortsa: I hope it does too, Judy. If not, continue to treat yourself with kid gloves.

>101 PawsforThought: I am walking along with you, Paws. I am currently walking in Vietnam (my shorter challenge) and the Appalachian Trail (which I figure will take me about 2 years, lol). Sounds like you are making wonderful progress in Middle Earth!

>100 ffortsa: So sorry to hear you've been having a tough time. You're doing the right thing treating yourself a little bit - we need to be kind to ourselves.

>102 alcottacre: Those sound like interesting walks, Stasia!

I've decided to have a month-and-a-bit long ban of cookies/desserts/etc. I love carbs and sugar but have always been pretty good about not eating in abundance. But the past year or so it's become more and more because people at work often treat the colleagues and my mum has started having baked goods every day and buys for me too. And I've started eating as a sort of cure for boredom, which is not good. It's not bad enough that it's affecting my health but I have gained a little bit of weight so I thought it best to do something before it gets bad. So last Saturday I decided to not have any biscuits/cookies, cakes, sweets and similar for what was left of April and the whole month of May. There will be exemption for dinner out with work in a few weeks and Mother's Day at the end of the month. The first couple of days were tough but it feels better now. I went to the cinema on Wednesday and it felt wrong not to eat either popcorn or sweets or drink something sweetened while watching the movie so I brought a home-made bar (sweetened with raisins). I'm not making any other changes to my diet.

>104 PawsforThought: Oh wow, am I in the same place. Adding to my frustration, I haven't been able to maintain even my recent high weight this week. I think it's back to low carbs for me too, at least low sugar/refined carbs etc.

I managed to walk about 5 miles yesterday, which surprised me as I started out very achy, but I'm ok today, at least so far. My PCP referred me to an orthopedist at my request - I will see how long I need to wait before getting his opinion on this hamstring saga. I wish these things healed in a straight line so I could celebrate the progress.

>105 ffortsa: Sorry to hear about your frustrations and continued hamstring pain. My feet were troubling me last week and the week before but it seems to have gone away now. It fel similar to a sprain but in the “wrong place” (top of the foot). I’m assuming some form of pulled tendon.

And I feel I need to make it clear I’m not cutting carbs out (the horror! I’d never survive, and wouldn’t want to either, what would be the point of living then?) but just the sweet stuff.

I've been slowly losing weight this year. Managed to even lose 3 pounds on a cruise with delicious food :). I hope to up the speed of loss a bit soon and exercise again.

>98 ffortsa: Have a very belated virtual hug.

Double update from last week and the week before as I managed to miss doing that due to a short work week (Thursday and Friday off).

The week before last I walked a bit under 80 000 steps, equalling a smidge under 40 km. I also biked 27 km, taking my total for the week up to 67 km. That means my total for the year at the end of the week was 1168 km.
On the walk to Mordor we have reached Holling Ridge and are moving towards the mountain pass to go over Redhorn.

Last week I walked 61 000 steps, which equals 30 km. I also biked 32 km, which means my total for the week was 62 km. This takes my total for the year up to 1230 km.
Walking through Middle Earth we have now reached the Redhorn pass but the snow is too heavy and the wind too strong to continue and we have turned back around.

We finally have warm weather! On Tuesday and Wednesday week before last we had some nice spring weather (10-15 degrees C), coinciding with a short day on Tuesday (Walpurgis Night) and a day off on Wednesday (International Workers' Day). And this past weekend Long weekend since Thursday was Ascension Day) it's also been warm. Yesterday it was 19 degrees C! Warmest day of the year, but today is supposed to be 20. It's apparently going to be warmish and sunny the whole week, so I'm looking forward to that, even though I have to work through it and can't enjoy it as much.

I dont usually read self help books, but Ive been dealing with chronic pain for several months, which has turned into depression and anger. tried lots of different things but nothing seemed to help. A friend went to a reading at our bookstore given by a 103 year old doctor for her book the well lived life. She is local to the valley and Ifound the book really spoke to me in many ways, there were a few moments of self recognition where I stopped and shed few tears

she is the cofounder of the American Holistic Medical Association, began her medical practice at a time when women couldn't even own their own bank accounts. Over the past sixty years, she has pioneered a new way of thinking about disease and health that has transformed the way we imagine health care and self-care around the world. her life story is good reading, remarkable compassionate wise woman

Dr. McGarey shares her six " secrets" to enjoying lives that are long, happy, and purpose-driven:

-Spend your energy wildly: How to embrace your life fully and feel motivated every day.

-All life needs to move: How to move spiritually, mentally, and physicall to help let go of trauma and other roadblocks.

-You are here for a reason: How to find the everyday "juice" that helps you stay oriented in your life's purpose.

-You are never alone: How to build a community that's meaningful to you.

-Everything is your teacher: Discover the deep learnings that come from pain and setbacks.

-Love is the most powerful medicine: Learn to love yourself and others to healing.

Like I say this book called for me, and I intend to put some of her ideas in action

>110 cindydavid4: I scrolled back to see what the pain was from. Bursitis of the hip. Not nice. 4 to 6 weeks without your usual exercise must be very frustrating, and I certainly empathize with your food comments. I hope the pain recedes soon; if not, can you push your medical team a bit?

So my osteopinea is a little worse than last time, last time being about 5 years ago (as my MD said, i was 70 then, now I'm 75 - no surprise). I had restarted my calcium supplements but she discouraged me from handling it that way - she is concerned that supplements will end up in my arteries rather than in my bones. An interesting perspective. So now i'm researching exactly which foods would be best. Did you know that kale is a great source of calcium, but spinach is not because it also has oxalic acid, which makes the calcium less available? Phooey. Still, lots of options. I just have to make sure to include them on a regular basis, and not fall down!

Ive been Taking calcium supplements for decades since I was diagnosed with osteroperosis. Never heard there was a problem with my arteries Milk is good of course. yeah you have lots of options. Im gonna check about those supplements for me

Edit yeh research is showing that issue. I take enough calcium in dairy products so maybe I dont need a supplement. Will have to check with my dr

>113 cindydavid4: Thanks for checking into that!

Late update on last weeks exercising:

I walked just under 67 000 steps, which is 33 km. I also biked 36 km for a total of 69 km. This takes my total for the year up to 1299 km.
In my walk to Mordor I have reached the Doors of Moria, been attacked by the Watcher of the Water, managed to figure out the password and entered into the mines. It's been eventful!

In other news I started having some pain in my nee so have started doing a few exercises that a physiotherapist gave me ages ago when I was having issues. I'm not being very diligent but am trying. Am also thinking of ways to get more strength-building in general into my routine, and I've printed out a couch to 5K regiment - unlikely that I'll actually do it (my previous attempts at running have not ended well) but we'll see what happens (I'll definitely need to build up strength in my knees if I'm going to attempt running).

>115 PawsforThought: I've printed out a couch

Sounds like where I generally end up!

>116 ffortsa: Haha! I’ve spent far to much time on couches in my life and am now paying for it.

>117 PawsforThought: Desk chairs in my case, but the effects are similar to couches.

Didn't manage to update last week so here's a double update.

Week before last I walked nearly 82 000 steps, which is just under 41 km. I also biked 27 km which makes for a total of 68 km. That takes my total for the year up to 1367 km.
In my journey through Middle Earth it's been very eventful and sad. We have walked through the mines of Moria, found Balin's Tomb, been attacked by orcs and a cave troll, and as we ran across the bridge over Durin's Deep Gandalf fell while battling a balrog. We had too flee out of the mines and are now grieving.

Last week I walked 80 000 steps, equalling 40 km. I also biked 28 km for a total of 68 km. That take my total for the year up to 1435 km.
In the Walk to Mordor we have now entered Lothlórien and crossed the Nimrodel. We have met some elves (including Haldir) and are blindfolded as we walk further into the woods.

It's still bizarrely warm here and I'm trying not to melt away. Last night I took the bike down to the river and had the first dip of the year. It's not super warm (maybe 18 C), but okay and extremely warm for the time of year.
I've now finished my month-and-a-bit long ban on sweets, cakes, biscuits, desserts, crisps and similar. Ate normally otherwise and had one exception to the rule (dinner out with work last Monday). Zero difference on the scale, which is a little bit disappointing but not wholly surprising.

>119 PawsforThought: Perhaps you could send a little of your warmth westwards.

Has anyone on this thread taken or know of someone who has taken Fosamax (or its generic)? My endocrinologist prescribed it as a once-a-week pill and I started it, but after reading the warnings, and after some unusual symptoms that may or may not be related, I may decline. Others' experiences welcome.

>121 ffortsa: Sorry to hear your being worried and are having scary symptoms.

I've not taken that medication and I don't think I know anyone who has (it's not on the market here anymore). But warnings on medications are usually very scary - even the things we consider to be very mild medications have terrifying possible side effects (ibuprofen has stroke, heart failure, Crohn's disease, bleeding ulcers and meningitis listed), but most of the time it's absolutely fine, and even if you do have side effects they tend to be quite mild (I get heart palpitations from my asthma spray, but it usually passes quite quickly.
If you're having symptoms that you think might be related, talk to your doctor about it! Maybe there's an alternative that could work instead, or a different dose that might be more suitable for you.
I tried several types of birth control pills when I was young(er) and had awful side effects from them all and swore off them for life. But when I got diagnosed with endometriosis my doctor convinced me to try another type and it worked so well I've started calling it my miracle pills. I hope you can find a path that works for you.

I have been sidelined with the walking since the first full day at my mother's, a couple of weeks ago. I have tweeked my knee and it does not seem to want to leave me alone making it difficult to get any kind of mileage in on it.

An update on last week.

I walked 70 700 steps, which is just over 35 km. I also biked 37 km for a total of 72 km. This takes my total for the year up to 1439 km.
In my walk to Mordor I am still walking blindfolded through Lothlórien. Next week I will meet Celeborn and Galadriel.

We kept having a heatwave despite the weather reports promising rain almost every day. On Sunday it finally did rain, and lots! I was giddy with excitement as I'd finally planted everything out in the veggie garden and was worried about my zucchini squashes.

>122 PawsforThought: Interesting that this drug is not available where you are. I've put in calls to my PCP and dentists for their opinions.

>125 ffortsa: I think it’s for lack of people needing it rather than anything else.

heres an interesting article from NPR about how you breath when you are scrolling and how to stop

screen apnea why screens cause shallow breathing

>127 cindydavid4: Very interesting! I'll have to monitor myself, just in case.