Home exercise enthusiasts week of sept 29

[Valerie226]

Ok everyone, I'm back from vacation and ready to go. I didn't read the two weeks of threads I missed but I did see Michelle's new thread. Not good news on any front.
We did a great backpack in Wyoming, wind river range, about 35 miles or so. It is just gorgeous country and the trails ( our first trip there) are pretty easy compared to the northwest. then proceeded to get rained out of everything in glacier NP! we wanted to break into some easy touristy things but after 2 days that got old. came home early and did a great hike here and our regular 35 mile bike ride. But I sure got sore. must have been easier on myself than I remember!

Today I need to do something to get limbered up but it will have to wait til later. need to neg our screwed up mail fixed and a vet appt for the kitty.

[srahndennis]

Hi, Valerie! Welcome back. Even with the rain, it sounds like a great vacation. And you even got sore -- shows that you got in good workouts, too.

Still plugging along here. Very busy weekend but managed to do Supersets. Took off Sunday & Monday. Tuesday I did Muscle Endurance and Step Blast this morning. I'll do something tomorrow morning but then were off to New Orleans for a few days! Can't wait. I'll probably won't be back until next week.

Keep at it, everyone!

[Valerie226]

So getting sore is somehow a good thing?? Tee hee.... we did another hike yesterday and I'm OK this time. this one was somewhere around 10-11 miles RT and unseasonably warm. It was much warmer in the mountains than down low, 85 degrees. we were cooking! weather will be changing this weekend to more normal fall weather. I went to yoga this week for the first time in a month and did a limited workout monday 15 minutes each on bike, treadmill and elliptical plus coremax 1. my mid section got sore but not bad. just goes to show that sitting in a car and driving for the better part of 5 days, well forget it. I might as well be on bedrest. I lose my fitness level with *lightning*speed.

Michelle, have you considered road biking? It is a really good leg workout and if you don't ride steep hills (IMO) it is not hard on knees. It really toughens up the quads. It is a somewhat seasonal activity though. I know people who use it as their whole exercise program but where I live winters are mild and wet. It can be a great calorie burn, long steady activity burns more than short/intense. it's kind of like hiking, cross country skiing, snowshoeing. seasonal but effective. the older I get the more I try to mix it up to keep my balky metabolism "confused" and so that a problem with one activity does not mean the end of all activities. I don't do the same thing all year.
For the 3-4 month rehab after knee surgery, no running. physical therapy used the stationary bike floor, exercises. I even lost a couple pounds, somewhat because I was more careful about eating since I knew I couldn't go run several miles to burn it off.
You can focus on the rest of the muscles.... core and upper body. I'm trying to remember, I think someone suggested recumbent bicycling. You'd have to go to a store & check one , it's a very different position and motion. I haven't ridden one enough to comment on how stressful it is on knees. And I'll mention Weight Watchers again. It works and it's not expensive, it's available almost everywhere. people who don't exercise AT ALL lose weight on their program.