Okay, this is a great idea! My name is Carol and I'm 46 years old. I'm an RN who worked 18 years in ICU's - mostly nights and weekends, but recently I began working for an insurance company doing medical chart reviews and teaching claim reps about medical issues. I love it!!
Some of you might recognize my user name. It's the same one I use on the Cathe forum, where I've been a member for a year now. I used to post under a different user name there, but changed it once I reached my WW goal. I know this is a diet-free zone, so I won't talk about that. Instead, I'll tell you about my fitness experiences.
I began running in college, and would run three miles a day, rain or shine. I was thin to begin with, and that kept me very thin, but back then it wasn't considered "mainstream" for women to lift weights. In fact, they were offering a class for weightlifting for women for the first time at Kent State (where I received my first degree) when I was a senior. I took it as a PE elective, and fell in love with lifting!
Then, I came home and went to nursing school, and barely had time to breathe let alone workout - LOL!! After I graduated and got married the following year, I discovered Volume I of the Firm, quite by accident. Susan Harris's long, long hair on the cover caught my eye in a video store! I was hooked!! Up until then, I ran and did mostly early Kathy Smith, Jane Fonda, and a few others like that. I was delighted to find they used REAL WEIGHTS in the Firm videos, and did them exclusively for years.
When the company was sold and Anna started FitPrime, I bought the first few, but for reasons which I won't go into here, decided they weren't for me. I actually discovered Cathe on the FitPrime forum. People were talking about her, so I went over to see what all the fuss was about. I bought my first two Cathe tapes and was hooked once more! I really love her workouts, especially the strength training ones!! Over the years, I've been up and down the scale, but the one thing that has kept me going was doing any type of strength training.
I no longer run (arthritis in both knees, which is hereditary, and a couple of old ligament tears), and over the years I've become less a fan of high impact cardio and more a fan of low impact or kickboxing where I stay grounded. I've noticed quite a few posts here where people are saying it's rough on the knees doing all that stepping, and I can relate! I still do them, but I modify quite a bit. Still, I know cardio is important!!
I also was into yoga for a while, but I find for my body type and my level of satisfaction, strength training does the most for me.
I would, however, love to hear from any of you who have found any Pilates-type tapes or yoga-style tapes which would still work my muscles, but give me the added benefits of the relaxation and stretching yoga provides, and the core work Pilates provides.
Also, has anyone tried Tracie Long's new DVD's? The ones filmed on the battleship? I have the first three on VHS, and I really like them, but I was wondering how the next two are? If there's another place on here where it's more appropriate to ask this, please just direct me. Thanks!
Looking forward to "meeting" all of you!
Carol