Knitting Zeal

Fitness Friday

This week started with a school holiday, so I missed going to the Y on Monday.  I did make up for missing Friday by going on Saturday last weekend.  I had intentions of making it to exercise classes this week, but they started before I had a chance to get from school to the Y, so I just did cardio, mainly the eliptical, both visits this week.  I really had planned to try out a step class today, but got snagged in the school parking lot chatting with another mom, so I was too late to start a new class.  

My son found my pedometer this morning and asked if he could play with it.  I had forgotten about it completely, but stuck it in my pocket so I could keep track of my steps today.  I surprised myself that just before I started dinner I checked it to find I hit over 9000 steps today!  That was about an hour at the Y on the eliptical and treadmill, plus a trip to Target, and walking the mall with the kiddo after school.  I think I read somewhere a while back that a good target to hit daily was about 10000 steps, so I came close today!

We've been incredibly lucky this winter with being spared the brutal cold temperatures.  This past week, except for today, was just beautiful.  We went to a playground to run around and play on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, taking advantage of the little taste of spring. We visited a different playground each day, and despite one small injury on Sunday on a slide, I managed to get the kiddo to use the slide at the other playgrounds to get over his trauma.  (Of course school photo day was today, so he had a great yellowish bruise on the center of his forehead as a result of his slide injury!)  It was fun visiting the playground that I used to play at as a child, as it was next to my elementary school.  Of course 35 plus years later all the equipment is completely different, you know, more safe!  But it was fun to check it out again, even if the neighborhood has changed a bit! 

 

My son is interested in exercise and knows that both of his parents go to the Y to exercise.  He talks about and mimics what he would look like if he were running on a treadmill.  We talk about why we exercise and how it helps us feel healthy.  We also talk a lot about healthy foods.  We picked up a new book this week on a visit to the Please Touch Museum called the Bearenstain Bears and Too Much Junk Food.  My son does not each as much junk food as the book shows, but I thought it would be a good reminder for why we don't eat unhealthy food all day.  His idea of a snack lately is candy or cookies, and I'm working on getting him to eat fruit instead.   

I'm linking up to Sherry's Fitness Friday linky again this week!

Fitness Friday

My friend Sherry, over at Superexhausted, has started blogging on Fridays about fitness along with a link up, so it inspired me to write about my latest attempt at fitness.  Since the kiddo returned to school this year, after the long holiday break and lots of illness, I committed myself to go to the Y's gym every time he was in school.  For the most part, I've been successful.  I have no excuse to not go, really.  The Y is directly across the street from the kiddo's school, the school day is only 2.5 hours long from drop off to pick up, not leaving that much time to get much done.  

I began this year with the intention to focus on getting back into a cardio workout schedule.  I slacked off big time in December, between illness and trying to get ready for the holidays.  I started in January walking on the treadmill each time, eventually working my way into adding the eliptical machine.  I actually really like the eliptical better than just walking, but after a while I found my feet would go numb.  I purchased new sneakers and have found they really help.  

About two weeks ago a friend and fellow mom from the kiddo's class encouraged me to try a strength training class at the Y with her, so now we've gone to body pump twice with a goal of going at least once per week.  The first class left me aching for two days, but after the second class I was just tired and not achy!  I need to increase the weight I lift in the class each week, since I started on the lightest weights.  I really like the class!  Not only do I feel stronger, but I feel like I can actually keep up with it.  

The people at the Y are really nice and encouraging.  It is so not like the sterotypical gyms I think of when it comes to working out.  Since I tend to go there in the mornings, it is usually filled with other moms and lots of retired folks!  Another thing that has been very helpful to me is my Ipad.  I use to to either catch up on blog reading or to read a book on the Kindle app while on the treadmill or eliptical, or I just use one of the high energy genious mixes to get moving.  Once I get into reading I lose track of time and am not bored!

This week's challenge was that I missed two days of working out.  On Wednesday I helped out at the kiddo's school and today (and Monday) the school is closed for President's day/weekend (since when did that become a weekend event??)  The kiddo will not stay in the kid-care at the Y, so I'm going to try to get to the Y this weekend to make up for at least one of those missed sessions.  I just do not have the energy to go at night to work out!

Check out all of the linked fitness posts over on Superexhausted!  Thanks Sherry for the inspiration to post on this topic!