Holiday Motivation- Pump It Up!

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  • BMcC9
    BMcC9 Posts: 4,364 Member
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  • MoStacy
    MoStacy Posts: 98 Member
    AK! The holidays are tough. So many commitments, so little time. Sometimes it’s a walk around the neighborhood or mall, but trying to keep up. I think, next year, I will sign up for a 5k in December- it will help me push myself.

    Done to date:
    Nov 23: Yes, walk 5k
    Nov 24: Yes, walk 5k
    Nov 25: Yes, 40min cardio, 30 min strength training
    Nov 26: Off
    Nov 27: Off
    Nov 28: 40 min cardio (treadmill, elliptical), 30 min strength training
    Nov 29: 40 min cardio (biking, elliptical), 30 min strength training
    Nov 30: 90 min walk, 5 miles

    Dec 01:60 min walk, 4 miles, strength training (arms, abs)
    Dec 02: Walk 6 miles (Holiday House Tour)
    Dec 03: off
    Dec 04: 40 min cardio (bike, 14 mph), strength training
    Dec 05: 3.5 mile hike, moderate
    Dec 06: strength training (30 min), 2 mile walk
    Dec 07: 3.5 mile walk
    Dec 08: 4mile walk
    Dec 09: Does baking for 9 hours count??? Cookie Day - oh my! Strength training 30 min.
    Dec 10:
    Dec 11:
    Dec 12:
    Dec 13:
    Dec 14:
    Dec 15:
  • rainykatie
    rainykatie Posts: 91 Member
    Hi everybody! I'm back, sorry I haven't been very active. I showed up late and then vanished.... lame I know. ANyway! I had a bunch of work travel combined with crazy home life, so no time to post. I have been exercising, just not as much as I had hoped. There have been a lot of "offs". :( So I've revised my goal to 20 days, that seems more doable for me right now.

    Done to date: 10/20 days

    Nov 23: Off (food coma!)
    Nov 24: Yes, horseback riding 90 mins and hiking (I walk up all the steep hills)
    Nov 25: Yes, yoga 30 min
    Nov 26: Yes, gym- treadmill 30 min and strength training 20 min
    Nov 27: Off
    Nov 28: Yes, gym - treadmill 30 min
    Nov 29: Off
    Nov 30: Yes, gym - treadmill 30 min and strength training 15 min

    Dec 01: Off
    Dec 02: Yes, hiking 40 min
    Dec 03: Yes, elliptical 40 min, strength training 10 min
    Dec 04: Off
    Dec 05: Yes, treadmill 35 min
    Dec 06: Off
    Dec 07: Off
    Dec 08: Yes, horseback riding 60 mins with walking up steep hills off the horse
    Dec 09: Off
    Dec 10: Yes, run 30 min outside
  • allison8668
    allison8668 Posts: 885 Member
    I'm just walking as much as I can - either outside or in the Mall. If the weather was warmer I'd be doing some runs, too. Just taking each day at a time.
  • MoStacy
    MoStacy Posts: 98 Member
    Done to date:
    Nov 23: Yes, walk 5k
    Nov 24: Yes, walk 5k
    Nov 25: Yes, 40min cardio, 30 min strength training
    Nov 26: Off
    Nov 27: Off
    Nov 28: 40 min cardio (treadmill, elliptical), 30 min strength training
    Nov 29: 40 min cardio (biking, elliptical), 30 min strength training
    Nov 30: 90 min walk, 5 miles

    Dec 01:60 min walk, 4 miles, strength training (arms, abs)
    Dec 02: Walk 6 miles (Holiday House Tour)
    Dec 03: off
    Dec 04: 40 min cardio (bike, 14 mph), strength training
    Dec 05: 3.5 mile hike, moderate
    Dec 06: strength training (30 min), 2 mile walk
    Dec 07: 3.5 mile walk
    Dec 08: 4mile walk
    Dec 09: Does baking for 9 hours count??? Cookie Day - oh my! Strength training 30 min.
    Dec 10: Really bad, stressful day - No workout today. Wine day 😢
    Dec 11:
    Dec 12:
    Dec 13:
    Dec 14:
    Dec 15:
  • BMcC9
    BMcC9 Posts: 4,364 Member
    @rainykatie at 10 days out of 20, you are already half-way there! Keep at it!

    @allison8668 , walking inside is what I mostly do. If you can't make it to the mall, walking-while-watching (tv show, youtube, holiday DVD etc) is another way to get those steps in ... if you want the illusion of outdoor scenery, there are Youtube first-person virtual jogging trails. I also "virtual hang glided in the French Alps" for thirty minutes once.

    The most important thing is to Do What You Can ... and don't forget that informal NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenics) calorie burns count too! Like power walking through the mall as you get your shopping done, heavy cleaning before company comes over, dancing to the oldies while you dust etc etc. Maybe harder to log than EAT ("formal traditional exercise" like hitting the gym) but anything laps the couch potatoes who do nothing at all!
  • BMcC9
    BMcC9 Posts: 4,364 Member
    Love the dragon by the way, and also envy the horseback riding!
  • BMcC9
    BMcC9 Posts: 4,364 Member
    BMcC9 wrote: »
    Goal: 25 days (or more) out of 31 with some exercise

    Count to date: 16 out of 25
    =============
    Done to date: Nov - 8 for 8

    Dec 01: 1hr15 minutes jogging on my mini-trampoline, plus [10 push-ups & 6 tricep dips] X2 (am and pm) + Advent Exercise calendar entries (AECs)
    Dec 02: 43 minutes jogging on my mini-trampoline, plus [10 push-ups & 6 tricep dips] X2 (am and pm) + AECs
    Dec 03: 48 minutes jogging on my mini-trampoline, plus [10 push-ups & 6 tricep dips] X2 (am and pm) + AECs
    Dec 04: 49 minutes jogging on my mini-trampoline, plus usual push-ups and tricep dips (am & pm) + AECs x 2 (rolled a a "4", so 4 tuck jumps (gotta look those up) and 4 x 30-second planks any style added to the push-ups and tricep dips and today's AECs)
    Dec 05: 54 minutes jogging on my mini-trampoline, plus other misc. stuff including walk outside at lunch to fulfill Dice Roll Obligation.
    Dec 06: 39 minutes jogging on my mini-trampoline
    Dec 07: off

    Dec 08: 1 hr jogging on my mini-trampoline
    Dec 09: 1 hr5 minutes jogging on my mini-trampoline (burning off 200+ calories ahead of tonight's Social Event Of The Year (for us) ... we don't go out much. Drinking the water I rolled yesterday, and doing the Advent Calendar requirements for today.
    Dec 10: 31 minutes jogging on my mini-trampoline (unfortunately, been letting the push-ups and tricep dips slide - gotta get back at those ... cardio has always been SOOO much more my thing .... )
  • BMcC9
    BMcC9 Posts: 4,364 Member
    This hyperlinked thread is from a different challenge I am in ... someone posed the question "How are you going to negotiate staying on track (food AND exercise ..... at least maintain if not actually manage to lose a few pounds) and here are all the wonderful suggestions. There is a link on page two that leads to the MFP blog article I referenced here on a previous page "5 trainer tips for negotiating the holidays" (wording might not be 100% correct, but close.

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10708043/december-9-sign-in/p1

    What do you find in there that YOU could apply?
  • BMcC9
    BMcC9 Posts: 4,364 Member
    My mental EAT barrier / challenge to batter through is going to be "Do those at-home strength things!!!! (push-ups, tricep dips, dead bugs) and sufficient cardio burns / macro rearranging to compensate for my remaining food-related events. They really bunched up between last Sunday - tomorrow - next Sunday - Monday - Sunday - Christmas Day-Tuesday.

    I'll be back later this evening with my own game-plan. Looking forward to hearing yours! KEEEEEEEP MOVIN' ! If you can't get to the gym, think "commando sneak-attack / guerilla ambush" NEAT tactics and squash a few of those food calories. Be inventive!
  • rainykatie
    rainykatie Posts: 91 Member
    @BMcC9 thanks for all the insightful posts! Jogging on a mini trampoline sounds like so much fun.

    I need a game plan too- my mental barrier is definitely the shorter and darker days. It makes me want to rush right home at the first chance I get and once there, I usually don't do any exercise. I kind of have to rush right home as I do have a small horse farm and the horses want to come in to the barn once it's dark. I can push it if it's nice weather, but if they are getting slammed with wind/rain I don't like to do so. How to fix this? Well- I can get workouts in at home, too! But for some reason, I don't like to. I need to figure out ways to make that happen.
  • BMcC9
    BMcC9 Posts: 4,364 Member
    @rainykatie .... When YOU say "workout" what do you think you mean? I default-think cardio-esque.

    Start with what you LIKE to do and extrapolate from there ..... and that's for "exercise activity" burns

    You seem to think "somewhere else" (like a gym or a class) or "outside" (hike or run) judging by your list-to-date. Youtube has lots of those kinds of grab-a-class or unrolling virtual scenery videos. Plenty of variety. Picture virtual jogging two miles down a beach on the French Riviera at high noon .... (seen that, "bounced through" there, and New Zealand, and the Grand Cannyon, and an English Meadow trail, and a French Fall Forest trail, and .... )

    Do you have room in front of the tv to march or jog (mostly) on the spot? That's all you need for basic "part of my 10K steppin' "! Putting a "walk-while-you-watch" policy into effect can help those steps mount up - and you don't even have to miss your fave show ....

    If there is room for a kitchen or dining room chair (no arms and can't swivel) and you can access Youtube on the tv screen .... there are all kinds of chair exercise videos for all kinds of intensities and durations. Some of them are very high-sweat workouts that just don't take much space.

    A mini-trampoline takes a bit more space than a chair (maybe a 36" circle plus room to step off and on) Call it ~18 inches deep when stored on edge. Decent ones (new) aren't expensive, and there may be some used ones on Kijiji / Craig's list / Freecycle / whatever your on-line local ads are called .... and Christmas is coming ..... is there wiggle room on your wish-list? (Takes LOTS less room than an at-home stationary bike or treadmill.)

    Then there's whatever appeals to you in the NEAT list thread ....
  • rainykatie
    rainykatie Posts: 91 Member
    @BMcC9, thanks for the suggestions! Mostly, it's hard for me to get in a workout at home because I have two small kids (age 6 and 3) and they are needing of my attention. Since I work full time I feel bad coming home and not paying attention to them. Also... kids notwithstanding, I just strongly prefer to exercise outside of the home- even if it's in a gym. I find I work out harder and longer when I have somewhere specific to go that is intended solely for a workout. I also am not a fan of staring at a screen (TV or otherwise while I exercise). I know, I'm weird! I'm super outdoorsy, so really I like to be looking at the sky or nature. But, that's not always possible. I usually fit in my workouts on my lunch break, walking over to the community center if the weather is bad to use a treadmill or the indoor walking track. But when my workday makes that not possible, it can sometimes be days of missed workouts.

    I use an Audio app for workouts, and there are so many great workouts. Basically it's an app with a trainer set to a playlist, and you pick from the trainers you like and the music genres. I love the strength training workouts on there and the kids will sometimes do them with me... that's really what I need to make a commitment to doing.

    Thanks so much for your enthusiasm and the motivation to think this through!
  • rainykatie
    rainykatie Posts: 91 Member
    Today is soooo rainy and stormy here. I went to the gym at lunch and killed it on the treadmill with a 55 minute workout! It was a combined endurance/speed/strength workout. The trainer had you step off the treadmill to do squats and planks periodically. Those are my favorite kinds of workouts, I don't care who is looking at me strange in the gym. ;)

    Done to date: 11/20 days

    Nov 23: Off (food coma!)
    Nov 24: Yes, horseback riding 90 mins and hiking (I walk up all the steep hills)
    Nov 25: Yes, yoga 30 min
    Nov 26: Yes, gym- treadmill 30 min and strength training 20 min
    Nov 27: Off
    Nov 28: Yes, gym - treadmill 30 min
    Nov 29: Off
    Nov 30: Yes, gym - treadmill 30 min and strength training 15 min

    Dec 01: Off
    Dec 02: Yes, hiking 40 min
    Dec 03: Yes, elliptical 40 min, strength training 10 min
    Dec 04: Off
    Dec 05: Yes, treadmill 35 min
    Dec 06: Off
    Dec 07: Off
    Dec 08: Yes, horseback riding 60 mins with walking up steep hills off the horse
    Dec 09: Off
    Dec 10: Yes, run 30 min outside
    Dec 11: Yes, 55 min treadmill workout + strength
  • BMcC9
    BMcC9 Posts: 4,364 Member
    rainykatie wrote: »
    @BMcC9, thanks for the suggestions! Mostly, it's hard for me to get in a workout at home because I have two small kids (age 6 and 3) and they are needing of my attention. Since I work full time I feel bad coming home and not paying attention to them. Also... kids notwithstanding, I just strongly prefer to exercise outside of the home- even if it's in a gym. I find I work out harder and longer when I have somewhere specific to go that is intended solely for a workout. I also am not a fan of staring at a screen (TV or otherwise while I exercise). I know, I'm weird! I'm super outdoorsy, so really I like to be looking at the sky or nature. But, that's not always possible. I usually fit in my workouts on my lunch break, walking over to the community center if the weather is bad to use a treadmill or the indoor walking track. But when my workday makes that not possible, it can sometimes be days of missed workouts.

    I use an Audio app for workouts, and there are so many great workouts. Basically it's an app with a trainer set to a playlist, and you pick from the trainers you like and the music genres. I love the strength training workouts on there and the kids will sometimes do them with me... that's really what I need to make a commitment to doing.

    Thanks so much for your enthusiasm and the motivation to think this through!

    Wanting to either be truly outside or "elsewhere than home" isn't weird at all - it's just you. I didn't know about the kids, so of course that will make a difference .... maybe "komitting to gettingh kids working out with you" as a way to encourage / ingrain good habits in THEM would be a way to go - think of it as being "selfishly selfLESS"

    Sounds like you already have a great channel to varied workouts in this app you mention. Is it Apple or Android? Could it be run off a stand-alone tablet or does does it require being "linked live" (via smartphone account, or maybe on a laptop?) in order to work?
  • BMcC9
    BMcC9 Posts: 4,364 Member
    Goal: 25 days (or more) out of 31 with some exercise

    Count to date: 17 out of 25
    =============
    Done to date: Nov - 8 for 8

    Dec 01: 1hr15 minutes jogging on my mini-trampoline, plus [10 push-ups & 6 tricep dips] X2 (am and pm) + Advent Exercise calendar entries (AECs)
    Dec 02: 43 minutes jogging on my mini-trampoline, plus [10 push-ups & 6 tricep dips] X2 (am and pm) + AECs
    Dec 03: 48 minutes jogging on my mini-trampoline, plus [10 push-ups & 6 tricep dips] X2 (am and pm) + AECs
    Dec 04: 49 minutes jogging on my mini-trampoline, plus usual push-ups and tricep dips (am & pm) + AECs x 2 (rolled a a "4", so 4 tuck jumps (gotta look those up) and 4 x 30-second planks any style added to the push-ups and tricep dips and today's AECs)
    Dec 05: 54 minutes jogging on my mini-trampoline, plus other misc. stuff including walk outside at lunch to fulfill Dice Roll Obligation.
    Dec 06: 39 minutes jogging on my mini-trampoline
    Dec 07: off

    Dec 08: 1 hr jogging on my mini-trampoline
    Dec 09: 1 hr5 minutes jogging on my mini-trampoline (burning off 200+ calories ahead of tonight's Social Event Of The Year (for us) ... we don't go out much. Drinking the water I rolled yesterday, and doing the Advent Calendar requirements for today.
    Dec 10: 31 minutes jogging on my mini-trampoline (unfortunately, been letting the push-ups and tricep dips slide - gotta get back at those ... cardio has always been SOOO much more my thing .... )
    Dec 11: 48 minutes jogging on my mini-trampoline

    And in case you missed or overlooked from my intro WAAAAY back on page 1 - everywhere you see "jogging on mini-trampoline" above, I am not just jogging .... I am playing a Wii exergame called Walk It Out. If it ain't (a) disguised as play; or (b) dancing or (c) some kind of "rhythmic movement to music" it's a harder mental challenge to regularly get "it" done. That's MY kinda weird ... and why my push-up commitment has been flagging as the month progresses.
  • rainykatie
    rainykatie Posts: 91 Member
    @BMcC9- yes we all have our kinds of weird! Hahaha. I did miss that from your intro- that sounds super fun! I'll have to check it out- my MIL just gifted me her old Wii which she doesn't use. I might find that fun- I love dancing/playful stuff even if it involves screens. ;)

    I know what you mean- cardio is my thing too. I love getting my heart rate up, it feels so good. Strength is always more of a challenge for me to fit in.

    My legs are super sore today so I know my workout yesterday was effective. I need to think of something to do today- I want to jog outside, but really I need to do some strength training and stretching so I might hit the gym again.

    The app I use is called "Aaptiv", it's a subscription app and it's on both Android and Apple. It isn't free, but it really works for me since I don't have to watch a video and I love having great workout music already set up without me having to construct playlists. Having the trainers coach me in my ear through different workouts is motivating for me. I use the app pretty much with every workout- you search workouts by type- (outdoor running, treadmill, elliptical, rowing machine, cycling, stair climber, yoga, stretching, strength training, boxing, etc), difficulty (beginner, intermediate, or advanced), duration, trainer, and music genre. There are like 25 different trainers to get to know.

    Have a great day! I'll be back to update my workout chart.
  • BMcC9
    BMcC9 Posts: 4,364 Member
    If you already have a wii .... look for Walk It Out (by Konami - the Dance Dance Revolution Mat people. The kids could likie playing this too, and two players can "walk together" Then there are plenty of second hand Wii Zumba, Dance, Exerbeat, Gold's Gym, etc games you could order, and reviews of what are good wii exergames for various purposes.
  • rainykatie
    rainykatie Posts: 91 Member
    My legs have been getting progressively more sore today from my workout yesterday, so when lunchtime rolled around I was feeling less than inspired. I opted to walk to and from the gym (10 min total), do a short and gentle beginner treadmill workout (20 min), and then do an upper body and core strength workout (25 min). I survived!

    Done to date: 12/20 days

    Nov 23: Off (food coma!)
    Nov 24: Yes, horseback riding 90 mins and hiking (I walk up all the steep hills)
    Nov 25: Yes, yoga 30 min
    Nov 26: Yes, gym- treadmill 30 min and strength training 20 min
    Nov 27: Off
    Nov 28: Yes, gym - treadmill 30 min
    Nov 29: Off
    Nov 30: Yes, gym - treadmill 30 min and strength training 15 min

    Dec 01: Off
    Dec 02: Yes, hiking 40 min
    Dec 03: Yes, elliptical 40 min, strength training 10 min
    Dec 04: Off
    Dec 05: Yes, treadmill 35 min
    Dec 06: Off
    Dec 07: Off
    Dec 08: Yes, horseback riding 60 mins with walking up steep hills off the horse
    Dec 09: Off
    Dec 10: Yes, run 30 min outside
    Dec 11: Yes, 55 min treadmill workout + strength combo (lower body)
    Dec 12: Yes, 20 min treadmill + 25 min strength (upper body and core)
  • BMcC9
    BMcC9 Posts: 4,364 Member
    That's the way to do it! Do what you can on the day, so long as you do something-or-other! It's called "active rest day". Rotating which part gets the harder workout (legs one day, upper body the next) is always recommended.

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