Do you work out? Post your routine and thoughts about fitness!

[Triton]

No, I'm not a nurse, and I think you are correct about muscle mass. I use various movement techniques to improve the quality and efficiency of my movement, e.g., Alexander Technique, Feldenkreis (Alexander's student), and a couple of others.
These schools of thought put as much or more importance on the means by which you do something than what you do--by inhibiting wrong forms of movement and replacing them with better ones. I believe the IDF uses these techniques.

I started a new fascia stretch and strengthening routine in the last 6 months and I was pleased to find that my walking was improved despite staying indoors for a couple of months. It felt like nothing walking up that hill and my stride was longer and easier--more power. So my thoughts on muscle mass would be that good use of self (lengthening and widening with 360 deg rib cage movement) with elongated fascia and moving from center (core) make the exercise more beneficial and prevent stress on joints and muscles. Win-win.

Weird I don't know where I got that RN thing from then. At any rate I am glad to hear that you found a system that works well for you!

 

[acaptainnn]

Imma try the floor sitting, my floor is Terrazzo so I'm going to look for a pad of some type.

 

[annr]

Weird I don't know where I got that RN thing from then. At any rate I am glad to hear that you found a system that works well for you!

I’ll take it as a compliment. I think these things work b/c they use the body’s inherent pathways to drive movement, get to effortless effort, and basically improve whatever you have going for yourself. I’m still a work in progress!

My other sign it worked was I shoveled heavy snow for about 20 minutes a couple of times. Hadn’t shoveled in a few years. Piece of cake. No soreness later. I would have gone longer but too cold—frostbite cold.

Does anyone know of an indoor or outdoor exercise that replicates shoveling show? I would probably do that year round.

 

[annr]

Imma try the floor sitting, my floor is Terrazzo so I'm going to look for a pad of some type.

As an experienced floor-sitter, there are a couple of options.

I would probably get a thick blanket and/or area rug so you are comfortable and don’t bruise yourself on the tile when you sit and move around in the floor.

Then I would get a thick cushion or pillow to sit on. Put the pillow on the rug, and get the pillow (plus additional blanket) high enough so you might be able to cross your legs. I don’t know if that is possible with your surgery.

They also make “chairs” that don’t have legs for sitting on floor. I never used that, but my teacher who had carpeted floor use to conduct all his business sitting in one of those.

 

[acaptainnn]

I have a Wedge Pillow.

 

[annr]

I searched for “yoga meditation pillows” and found lots of options if your wedge doesn’t feel comfortable. Good luck.

 

[acaptainnn]

I bought this mat at a discount Medical Warehouse near me. It's made to put beside a bed in case someone rolls or falls out of bed, it's not thick 2" maybe but densely padded like a Gym mat. About 3' x6'.
That's my wedge pillow against the wall. Actually it is quite comfortable and I love that I now am using Muscles that my exercises do Not. By getting up and down too and from the floor.

Thanks for the idea Annr !

 

[annr]

I bought this mat at a discount Medical Warehouse near me. It's made to put beside a bed in case someone rolls or falls out of bed, it's not thick 2" maybe but densely padded like a Gym mat. About 3' x6'.
That's my wedge pillow against the wall. Actually it is quite comfortable and I love that I now am using Muscles that my exercises do Not. By getting up and down too and from the floor.

Thanks for the idea Annr !View attachment 3166490

That looks great! A variation would be to sit on top of cushion without back support. This probably requires other muscles (core) for balance and support.

Doctors are always looking for quick easy ways to size up a patient, and one of them is how well a person can get out of a chair or how easily they can get up and down from the floor.

In Alexander technique one of the things they teach is standing and sitting with no effort from a stool. So I do things like this too: rise from chair with no arm assist and get off floor with as few “touches” as possible. I can’t get off the floor hands-free like some people, but I’m working toward it. (Need loose clothing for this.)

I agree about value of using different muscles! Last fall and winter our upstairs was closed off, and I noticed my legs got weaker from lack of going up and downstairs many times a day.

 

[RHINOKNIVES]

I’ll take it as a compliment. I think these things work b/c they use the body’s inherent pathways to drive movement, get to effortless effort, and basically improve whatever you have going for yourself. I’m still a work in progress!

My other sign it worked was I shoveled heavy snow for about 20 minutes a couple of times. Hadn’t shoveled in a few years. Piece of cake. No soreness later. I would have gone longer but too cold—frostbite cold.

Does anyone know of an indoor or outdoor exercise that replicates shoveling show? I would probably do that year round.

Get yourself a 1/2 yard or however they sell it of Sand or Gravel in your yard/driveway & start shoveling! years ago I mixed cement for hours a day which means lots of shoveling of sand & gravel! Very strong exercise!

Arms, legs & core

 

[annr]

Get yourself a 1/2 yard or however they sell it of Sand or Gravel in your yard/driveway & start shoveling! years ago I mixed cement for hours a day which means lots of shoveling of sand & gravel! Very strong exercise!

Arms, legs & core

That’s a good idea, and I agree I feel great after shoveling.

Out here we get massive rain storms, flood-like. I live on a hill below another house (significant decline). I’m concerned the sand and gravel would wash away either onto our lawn or down the sloped driveway.

 

[RHINOKNIVES]

That’s a good idea, and I agree I feel great after shoveling.

Out here we get massive rain storms, flood-like. I live on a hill below another house (significant decline). I’m concerned the sand and gravel would wash away either onto our lawn or down the sloped driveway.

It has become a project now! Build a steel/wood retaining box of sorts to kept the gravel from washing down the driveway. Do you have a link to these exercises you were referring to? I’m sure you’ve taken a bit from a few but just some general knowledge?

 

[RHINOKNIVES]

That’s a good idea, and I agree I feel great after shoveling.

Out here we get massive rain storms, flood-like. I live on a hill below another house (significant decline). I’m concerned the sand and gravel would wash away either onto our lawn or down the sloped driveway.

Or if you have a local beach, sandbar or park you could drive up to shovel for about an hour without getting taken away to the funny farm or arrested?

I an a workout friend use to do it at the beach by the rings & bars!

 

[annr]

It has become a project now! Build a steel/wood retaining box of sorts to kept the gravel from washing down the driveway. Do you have a link to these exercises you were referring to? I’m sure you’ve taken a bit from a few but just some general knowledge?

The types of movements I’ve been talking about? Alexander, feldenkreis, etc?

 

[RHINOKNIVES]

The types of movements I’ve been talking about? Alexander, feldenkreis, etc?

Yes please

 

[annr]

Yes please

I’d be happy to. Give me a little time to find good sources.

I studied Alexander twice a week for 2 years. People could wonder what might be so complicated about walking, standing, sitting. The thinking is that starting from the time we are trapped behind desks/writing in school as children, our instinctive behaviors get destroyed and forgotten.

If you see actors and actresses floating out of a seated position, they are probably trained in this.

 

[RHINOKNIVES]

I’d be happy to. Give me a little time to find good sources.

I studied Alexander twice a week for 2 years. People could wonder what might be so complicated about walking, standing, sitting. The thinking is that starting from the time we are trapped behind desks/writing in school as children, our instinctive behaviors get destroyed and forgotten.

If you see actors and actresses floating out of a seated position, they are probably trained in this.

Thanks & appreciated, don’t spend too much time on it! It’s probably too late for me!

 

[annr]

Thanks & appreciated, don’t spend too much time on it! It’s probably too late for me!

Never too late and I absolutely don’t mind. I think you will find Feldenkreis interesting. I think one of his students has videos that would be nice to share, just need to locate. For the uninitiated it can be a little unfamiliar.

Moshé Feldenkrais - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Moshe Feldenkreis was an engineer and physicist …

In 1951, he returned to Israel. In 1954, after directing the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Department of Electronics for several years, he settled in Tel Aviv and began to teach his method full-time.

He also became the personal trainer of David Ben-Gurion, the Prime Minister of Israel, whom he taught to stand on his head in a yoga pose.

 

[annr]

DellaGrotte was a student of Feldenkreis. He is a world champion race walker. Here is one of his videos and an old story on him.

telegram.com

Walk the Walk​

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Updated Oct. 7, 2009, 2:20 p.m. ET

Walking is healthier than running and can diminish and sometimes reverse the symptoms of degenerative joint diseases, diabetes, Parkinson's disease, heart conditions and more, according to Josef DellaGrotte, a proponent of walking for health and fitness.

But walking properly is key.

“Walking is basic for practical reasons. It is the most available and universal way to exercise in a functional way. It is also primary food for the brain and organs — a whole body exercise that stimulates your entire system,” said Mr. DellaGrotte.

He demonstrates and teaches “how” to walk to a growing number of students in walking clinics in Barre, Worcester, Acton, Maynard and Watertown.

“Everyone knows ‘how' to walk — the difference is how to walk with less strain on your joints, which will encourage you to do more,” Mr. DellaGrotte said, gliding across the floor in a walking clinic demonstration last week.

Walking is a cumulative exercise, according to Mr. DellaGrotte, who has a doctorate in psychology/cultural history, is a licensed rehabilitation counselor, a member of the New England Walkers Club and holds standing in the USA Track and Field organization for race walking.

“At minimum we need to have 10,000 steps of movements per day: That's about three miles. Paleolithic man walked 12 kilometers a day hunting and gathering, about 8 miles, and ate less. Now we eat more and move less, and as a result have disorders like wearing of the joints, what is called arthrosis,” Mr. DellaGrotte said.

He maintains there is no scientific correlation between arthrosis, the wearing of the material in the joints — hips and knees — and pain.

He says he's living proof of this and cites medical journal studies that validate his beliefs.

In the 1960s he ran and took up long-distance hiking for exercise. At the start of a 500-mile trek in the Himalayas in 1981, Mr. DellaGrotte was experiencing pain in his joints.

During the trek, he taught himself to walk in a different way, practicing and retraining his brain in the Feldenkrais method, and by the end of his journey was pain-free.

“It opened up a whole new world for me,” said Mr. DellaGrotte. He proceeded to trade in his tenured position at Syracuse University to delve into the world of therapy movement educator training.

He worked on running workshops with Tufts University track coach John Pistone and entered the world of competitive running in 1987.

“That lasted for five or six years, when I had a tear in my meniscus, the layer between the two bones in my knees, and had to have surgery to repair it — a common injury for runners and tennis players. I saw the handwriting on the wall, knew it was suicide to continue running,” Mr. DellaGrotte said.

He took up race walking, learned the form, and using it, felt better and better.

“I had no more pain! My doctors told me that in 10 years I would have to have knee replacement surgery, and 15 years later, here I am, still race walking every other week, no pain, no aftereffects, no sign of any surgery needed. Every so many years I have the knee X-rayed, and I still have arthritis of the knee … but no pain,” said the 72-year-old.

He believes doctors at the turn of the century had it right: Most of their standard medical advice was to ‘take a constitutional,' a walk around the block.

Americans are competitive, and running is a quick, easy way to get rid of stress. It is instant gratification and fits the modern lifestyle. Although running has its value, there is a price to pay in the end if not done properly, according to Mr. DellaGrotte.

“In Africa, nobody runs. They walk everywhere, for miles and miles. They look at you like you're crazy if you ask them if they run. Yes, there are a few tribes that are runners, but there are geographical reasons why. Science tells us that our ancestors walked, not ran, out of Africa to populate the world,” said Mr. DellaGrotte, with a twinkle in his eye.

 

[annr]

Kimi is Dellagrotte’s student and she presents the concepts a little better IMO—esp if you don’t know his videos and work.

 

[acaptainnn]

This Floor Is Sitting IS so different than the norm of using Chairs.
In my mind it is a Workout/Exercise. As a beginner I have to keep in mind I may not be comfy, but it is good for my body.
A Doctor I follow on YouTube says.Being Comfortable is what got Society into the Unhealthy state so many are in. I believe that to be true.
Annr sitting w/o back support is such a change,
Thanks for the suggestion!