Trying to Log Exercise

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cownancy
cownancy Posts: 291
in Fitness and Exercise
I am Homer Simpson.....except for the beer, but I live on the couch and, until last year, my diet existed of donuts and potato chips and submarine sandwiches. Exercise was walking from the bed to the bathroom or kitchen. So, now that I am doing SOME physical activity at the physical therapist, the tiniest iota of movement counts as exercise right now. However, the things I am doing are either not on the exercise log, or I don't know what to call them and I certainly don't know what values to assign to them.

Perhaps some of you educated fitness types can assist me? I would like to log it today and it's too late to call my physical therapist. So, here are descriptions of the stuff I can't identify:

1. I use those colorful thin, wide rubber strips and do several different sets of exercises to strengthen my back and (I think) my shoulders. The first one is simply pulling the band in front of my chest in a horizontal pull. The second one is pulling the band down to a point in front of my hips at approx. a 45 degree angle and the third one is actually similar to the second one. but I pull down lower to beside my hips. Then on each side, I put a towel under the arm to be exercised and pull the band from the opposite should to a point where the arm is at a 90 degree angle to my body with the elbow up against my body.

2. There is a machine that is like an arm rower, or a bicycle pedal where you go 30 seconds in each direction for however many minutes they set up for you. You just "row" in a circular motion. It actually gets my heart rate going because it is sort of like exercise. Much moreso than flipping the remote control for the TV!!!!!

Thanks for any guidance you can give me. If I am sounding like a dumb *kitten* who should have been able to look this up, I tried all kind of key words before I posted this, honestly. Just shows how little I know about working out. LOL.

Replies

  • Debbie0517
    Debbie0517 Posts: 12 Member
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    Get a heart rate monitor and use it to tell you how many calories you've burned in a session. Then you just "add an exercise" such as PT session, how long it was i.e. 60 minutes, and the calories form the HRM. The next time you will be able to just check the box for the exercise adjusting your time and calories.
  • MrsCon40
    MrsCon40 Posts: 2,351 Member
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    your PT may even have a HRM that you can use.
  • Ifican
    Ifican Posts: 47 Member
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    first off congratulations on starting, now dont get discouraged and keep it up. As a general rule HRM's are good general measures, however most people know or get a sense of how hard they are working. If you can carry on a conversation quite easily while doing anything you are doing very light, if you cant talk at all only breath then you are working extremely hard. There are lots of places in the middle. For someone like yourself if you want a general idea since what you are doing gets your heart rate up and you can readily feel it i would recommend "aerobics - light" under cardio. Granted you are doing some strength training but if you log the arm cycle with the true active minutes you are using the bands that will give you a general number to work from. I like to error on the conservative side so if i miscalculate it is in my favor. Good luck keep it up and look for motivation where ever you can find it.

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