Greetings! Looking for a fitness partner?

Raghild
Raghild Posts: 5 Member
edited December 24 in Introduce Yourself
So! I'm new and what not :)

Mostly just here with the aim of revving up some motivation and maybe finding some people to help keep each other on track.

For me my biggest hurdle is going to be more active, and it can very difficult going it solo. I have a lot of physical limitations caused by ongoing muscle weakness from nerve root deterioration. And it's far too easy to opt out of even a short walk in favor of something less strenuous.

For the most part I already tend towards healthy eating, but I have been making a few changes there after my latest bloodwork came back pre-diabetic. PCOS and family history of diabetes has me wanting to get ahead of that. And I'm making a more conscientious effort to be more mindful of serving sizes, since with my decline of physical activity, I never really adjusted my eating habits. So even though I may be eating the right things for the most part, I've slowly crept up in weight over the past several years, and shedding about 20lbs would do my legs wonders with the muscle weakness.

Other than the aforementioned diet adjustments, my first step is going to be to try and implement a 3 or 4 day yoga routine into my week. I figure it's low impact and I can take it as slow as I need and it will be good to help build up more flexibility and muscle strength in my biggest problem areas.

I've never done yoga though, and I know I have some coordination and balance problems, so we'll see how it goes :D

If anyone else is looking to pick up yoga and wants a fitness partner to chat with and share our follies and our successes, feel free to hit me up. I know just having another person alongside to keep you motivated can make a world of difference between 'I'll do it later...' and 'Okay let's do it!'

Replies

  • vgwilliams2003
    vgwilliams2003 Posts: 5 Member
    I would like a partner - also pre-diabetic///, but haven't tried yoga. I love HIIT workouts under 20 mins...so much fun, especially Shaun T, but know that i am older now and i have to take it easy starting back up. I was doing pool exercises and then the summer ended (pool not heated). So maybe we can coordinate something or just start keeping each other accountable...hehe. Let me know. I'll keep checking in.
  • valvolfson
    valvolfson Posts: 19 Member
    First welcome to your wellness journey! I know how tough it can be to make the choice to make a change, but the fact that you are here means that its important to you and you seem to be very well aware of yourself and you have a goal, 20lbs, already ahead of the game! My girlfriend also has an injury to her wrist and she finds it difficult to find workouts that do not hurt, but she recently found a gym that has an in house physiotherapist and together they are working on a whole new workout plan that both benefits and challenges her and is easy on the wrist. This is also completely covered by our health insurance, so it's free to boot! Maybe you can look into something like this to make your transition into a more active lifestyle easier. Yoga is a great way to get active, but if you haven't done it before don't feel like you have to jump into a 3-4 day a week program right away. Take small steps and maybe try once a week for the first few weeks, and then slowly add a day (it feels great to add more intensity to your workouts and slowly see progress) active and healthy living, from what I have learned after failing MANY times, is not a race. Its a slow and steady walk that turns into a jog that turns into a full-on sprint, and every step of the way is both challenging and fun. I wish you success on your new journey and I hope you keep us posted! Cheers!
  • Raghild
    Raghild Posts: 5 Member
    vgwilliams2003 wrote: »
    I would like a partner - also pre-diabetic///, but haven't tried yoga. I love HIIT workouts under 20 mins...so much fun, especially Shaun T, but know that i am older now and i have to take it easy starting back up. I was doing pool exercises and then the summer ended (pool not heated). So maybe we can coordinate something or just start keeping each other accountable...hehe. Let me know. I'll keep checking in.

    I'm looking forward to the summer so I can try swimming again myself. Last time I tried I overdid it on accident. In the water I felt great, because of the illusion of weightlessness. But the workout my muscles where getting was much more intense than normal. I wound up unable to get out of the pool because my legs couldn't hold my weight and I was so sore I couldn't barely move for several days >.< I admittedly threw in the towel then and there. But I also know I rushed into it blindly and want to try again, but more careful this time and taking it slower. And maybe by this summer the yoga will have helped get me ready to try swimming again.

    HIIT are no good for me right now either unfortunately. The muscle weakness means my joints take a lot more strain than they should because the muscles aren't pulling their weight so to speak. So I need to avoid anything too high impact. My knees are prone to crumpling out from under me without warning too because the reflex to brace doesn't kick in fast enough to account for unexpected shifts or impacts, so jumping around is a huge no no for me.

    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFKE7WVJfvaHW5q283SxchA

    I was looking at maybe following this a bit, only at a much slower pace. It looks pretty beginner friendly.
  • Raghild
    Raghild Posts: 5 Member
    valvolfson wrote: »
    First welcome to your wellness journey! I know how tough it can be to make the choice to make a change, but the fact that you are here means that its important to you and you seem to be very well aware of yourself and you have a goal, 20lbs, already ahead of the game! My girlfriend also has an injury to her wrist and she finds it difficult to find workouts that do not hurt, but she recently found a gym that has an in house physiotherapist and together they are working on a whole new workout plan that both benefits and challenges her and is easy on the wrist. This is also completely covered by our health insurance, so it's free to boot! Maybe you can look into something like this to make your transition into a more active lifestyle easier. Yoga is a great way to get active, but if you haven't done it before don't feel like you have to jump into a 3-4 day a week program right away. Take small steps and maybe try once a week for the first few weeks, and then slowly add a day (it feels great to add more intensity to your workouts and slowly see progress) active and healthy living, from what I have learned after failing MANY times, is not a race. Its a slow and steady walk that turns into a jog that turns into a full-on sprint, and every step of the way is both challenging and fun. I wish you success on your new journey and I hope you keep us posted! Cheers!

    Yeah, I've definitely dove in and overdone it in the past with stuff! The youtube channel I was looking at had daily yoga routines, without a rest day until day 8 :o So I was thinking 3-4 was pretty tame, but maybe I should aim for 1-2 days and fill in the remaining days with just some good wellness meditation or relaxation stuff without all the physical workout, so I can still set the routine, and slowly convert those days to yoga workouts too.

    As for the physiotherapist stuff... sadly we're in a bit of a situation here at the moment. My nuerologist wanted to get me back into physical therapy, but we couldn't afford to get too and from sessions weekly. Got to the point where we couldn't afford to see the neurologist anymore either. We're saving up to move this fall somewhere where we'll have a little more family support, and we'll have more options after that. Until then I'm looking to focus on something I can do from home myself. But something like that is definitely on my post-move plans!
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