Category Exercise

Back Pain – Use Turtles for Massage

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My daughter suffers from ongoing back pain. So, she’s constantly looking for ways to ease the pain. Recently, I was visiting her and I saw these cute Mama and Baby turtles. I was just about to pick them up, when she yelled, “Mama, CAREFUL, they are spikey.”

What??? As I went to touch them, I yelled, “Yikes, you’re not kidding!”

You definitely don’t want to leave these on the floor for someone to step on – OUCH!

There is NO loving Mama and Baby turtle here, that’s for sure. I secretly thought, THAT explains our relationship sometimes. This would make a good gift for a break up with someone. The card would read, “WISH you WELL! A massage on me! (Hope they would get the joke.)”

They have a travel size pillow/mat. I thought about being on the plane, going to the rest room and my mat falls on the person’s empty seat next to mine. Can you imagine the scream when they are half asleep and sit on it! Hahaha

Of course, I wanted to know more about these cute turtles. They are acupressure for massaging the body. I decided to give it a try. You need to lay down on them – CAREFULLY – the spikes do hurt. Best to have a very light shirt on or use directly against your skin, depends on what pain level you can take. You will find after 10-15 minutes that your back is REALLY red. I only did it twice, so cannot give a review based on long term use. It’s different.

Pranamat ECO has been around 11 years. Product is made in Europe, very good quality. You can read more about it on their site. I’m not promoting their product, just sharing something NEW with you. If you suffer from pains and believe in acupuncture/acupressure, look into this.

Ok, I’m off to give it another try. I’ll be on the sofa, laying on the turtle, legs on the mat, while reading my book. Hopefully, you won’t hear too many YELPS along the way!

Glad we are heading into the weekend for acupressure RECOVERY!

Virtual walks… Italy – it’s FUN!

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When COVID hit last year, we were finding new ways to exercise. Suddenly, virtual walks became really popular. I just did a virtual walk in Ireland with Fleet Feet. I liked it, it motivated me to log my miles every day, not fall behind.

When that walk ended, I took a break for a month. I noticed that without the challenge, I lacked the same motivation for walking. I walked, but not with the determination. It does HELP to have a challenge. Add friends for accountability – perfect!

My friend told me about The Conqueror website. Being Italian, I had to sign up for the St Francis Way challenge. I’m enjoying the walk and looking up new cities on the way from Florence to the Vatican in Rome. Some of the towns are really small, not many people.

In case you are wondering, I am not affiliated with The Conqueror website. Just sharing. The Ireland Fleet Feet challenge was nice, but not easy to log the miles. So, helpful to share with each other. If we are going to spend $$, good to find the BEST virtual site out there.

Now, putting gym shoes on, heading to CONSUMA, ITALY. Looked it up, many things to see/do: wineries, vineyards, castles, zip line, religious sites, art galleries and more.

Of course, a GELATO at the end of the walk!

Exercise – don’t forget the headphones…

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I was heading out the door to exercise. I needed a pouch to put my headphones in. Look what I found. I knew one day I’d have a use for this crab pouch. My daughter gave me this pouch. I immediately liked it, but wondered when I would use it. TODAY was the day!

I’m on the hunt for good workout headphones. They are hard to find. The simple ear bud ones, don’t work for me. They keep falling out of my ear. So, I found these Powerbeats headphones. They stay in my ear, but they are a little too snug – like a suction cup once they are in. I worry about the volume with them being so snug.

For now, they do work, no question about that. Off to walk.

ENJOY the weekend!

Dreaming of Paddling — When I am not shoveling snow.

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We had a record 18 inches of snow. After shoveling for 2 hours, all I could think about was being out on the water. Spring is coming, isn’t it? I found these two great magazines.

Paddle World had spectacular photography featuring trips around the world for paddle boarding, kayaking and/or fly fishing in a kayak. Personally, I think fly fishing would be more relaxing standing in the water. However, we’ve got to try new things, right.

Paddling Magazine had interesting articles too. Their focus was more on latest equipment, etc. So, you need both magazines. One for dreaming of that International destination and the other for the basics.

I kept seeing the abbreviation of SUP in different articles. I was annoyed, what did it stand for?

GUESS WHAT – so easy, SUP stands for Stand Up Paddling. I could hear my brother saying, “Use your head, you ding-a-ling.” I laugh when he acts superior, secretly knowing that he probably didn’t know what SUP stood for either. Brothers have to irritate their sisters in some way, so they can laugh when they know it worked.

I haven’t tried SUP yet, but I did canoe on a Dragon Boat Racing team in Seattle. That was fun. About 12 people to a canoe. Great exercise. So, why kayaking and paddle boarding now. I like going out on my own timetable.

In case you were curious, here was an article from the Paddle World magazine. This article talked about paddle boarding in Hamburg. They suggested bringing your own blow up SUP. I looked up the cost. Paddle boards are expensive, prices range from $900 to $2,000, so you need to be serious about this sport.

I still have a lot to learn, but I do have my life vest already. That’s a start! LOL – and it’s not the orange ones we had as a kid, so at least I won’t stick out as a real beginner — there is hope for me!

Spring is almost here. What outdoor fitness challenge are YOU thinking about?

Fitness Virtual Challenge – IRELAND

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January 2021 – The start of a new year, it’s time for a fitness challenge.

My girlfriend was on Facebook and found this Run West Ireland – Cancer Fundraiser – Virtual Challenge. It was a no brainer to sign up. We love Ireland, happy to donate to cancer and need to exercise. A win/win all around.

Here’s how it works. Race Duration: January 18 – May 31. Miles: 502; however, you can sign up to do less. Doing the math, as I signed up for the 502 miles, it seems I need to walk about 5 miles a day. It’s hard to find 1.5 hours a day to devote to exercise, but that will be the challenge.

They have a Facebook group page, which is nice. So, there is some camaraderie and then other perks along the way. I clocked my 5.6 miles in today. Feeling good.

So the race begins!

Exercise… Chicago – 30°F, gotta walk and surfers have to surf!

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This morning, I was determined to get my walk done. I knew it was cold outside. I opened the door to see “how cold” it really was. About 30 degrees Fahrenheit, for sure, I needed a hat.

Walking at 7:15 AM, my hands were cold. Note to self, gloves not working. Scarf, hat, leggings – all good, but need to prepare for colder temps. Quite a few people walking or running, so I was not alone. Motivation for the next few days.

Imagine my surprise when I saw surfers out on Lake Michigan. I would have LOVED to ask them how they felt when they came out. How warm do wet suits keep them, but it was TOO COLD to wait around. Next time, I will ask.

I did get lovely photographs of the icicles — AMAZING!

Proud of myself, got my walk in. Got to walk rain, snow or shine, right! Otherwise, with COVID we will gain more than the estimated 15 lbs. Don’t want that!

I hope to go sledding this year. Stay tuned for that. I’d be happy if snow didn’t come until February. These temperatures are just right for walking — not tooooo cold.

Happy Exercising Everyone! (I hope I guilted you into walking today…)

Dogs have feelings too…

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I introduce you to Duke.

When my daughter says “no more treats.” Duke pouts.

By afternoon, he’ll smile again, because it will be “treat time.”

Poor Duke…

Fresh air and exercise will lift his spirits.

Have a great weekend!

Protein Powder — What size is enough?

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Look what happened, I asked my daughter to order some protein.

Mega size!

I had such a shock when I saw that HUGE tub. My first thought was, I like protein powder, but that big container was probably going to last 5+ years! I hope I liked the taste.

Chuckling…

At that point, she reminded me it was three of us splitting it. More economical to get the biggest container rather than three separate ones. My shock went to praise. Glad she was “thinking” about our pocket books.

So, we are like bears, winter is coming and we are all set for shakes and overnight oats during hibernation. It is getting cold in Chicago!

Wish I could talk longer, but it’s time to go walking.

Soon daylight will change… sigh.

Stay well everyone!

Fitness: Resistance Bands

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Staying at home, I have been learning new exercise techniques. I’ve never used resistance bands, but I heard how great they were. So, I bought some, see photo on the left. I gave them a try.

I was not impressed. I put the band on my legs. First off, the band was so tight, I thought it might cut my circulation off. Once in place, I found that the band would not stay in the wide format, instead it kept scrunching up and the elastic would pinch my legs. NOW, exercising is painful as it is, without being snapped by a rubber band every 10 seconds. You can see, they do look like large rubber bands.

My daughter was visiting. She said, “Hey Mama, I didn’t realize you were using resistance bands.”

I said, “Well, I am not anymore, those bands are way too painful.”

This is when she enlightened and told me I needed better resistance bands. I couldn’t imagine how they could get any better, but I put my trust in her.

WOW – was she right! She showed me her 4KOR resistance bands, pictured on the right and had me try them out. What a difference.

The 4KOR band is wider and made of a soft elastic type material. It’s still snug enough to offer resistance, but didn’t pinch the skin. Now, when I did a squat and walked to the left and to the right, I focused on the pain of the workout, not the pinching of my skin.

Hallelujah!

Having the “right” workout equipment is critical!