Halfway through 2015 - how goes your year in fitness?

[donnamp]

Hi,

I think this has been a good year so far for me - at least in terms of consistency. Since I don't do killer hard workouts these day, I rarely take a full rest day so that keeps me more active overall. I also have been pretty good about adding in extra activity whenever I can w/in reason (I do have a desk job and long commute so some days are just limited in how much extra I can do - but I aim for a 15-20 min walk on the days I work in the office and on the days I work at home I aim for a 30 min walk w/ my dogs as my "lunch break"). I have focused a lot on "therapy" type work (Jill Miller, Classical Stretch/Essentrics, etc.) and haven't seen my chiropractor since early Feb - so this approach seems to be working!

What needs work - is basically the dreaded d*et. Not so much for weight loss but for health. It isn't terrible, but it could be better and it wouldn't hurt for me to cut caffeine and replace it w/ water more often! (Same for wine!)

Jenny - I'm glad to hear you are on the mend! I started doing more outdoor walking since the weather allows for it more in the summer - and I have noticed that my back and hips are feeling a lot better.

Sabine and Pat - sorry to hear about your "challenges".

And, Pat, I'm glad you like MR - she is a lifesaver for me when I want to lift weights but don't want to risk injury. My lower back/hips are very finicky and some of the newer "extreme" programs are a recipe for disaster for me. But between walking, CS/Essentrics, Pilates, and Yoga I'm able to manage it!

Donna

[BunnyHop]

I've learned that I'm better off just 'doing something every day I can manage it' but not keeping track of it very closely. (no journals, calendars or checkins, just keeping a group of workouts in a loose rotation.)

Mostly this means doing some KCM workouts (usually with weights), yoga, CS and stretching.

Some days I do both a KCM 30 minute workout and a CS, other days I don't do a thing because life gets in the way.

There's no particular pattern and somehow I'm learning to live with that.

I've also got issues with my left foot (old stress fracture or something flared up, wearing the right shoes makes the pain stop completely.) so have stuck to lower impact workouts that let me focus on form, and don't have too many moves that require me to flex my foot in certain ways. (A little bit is okay, lots of reps is not.)

Haven't gotten on the rebounder in a while because of the foot issues, but after having done so well this past month or two, I'm thinking I'll be able to ease back into it (shoes on) after a while.

I'm focusing on good nutrition, avoiding junky snacks, going to bed a little hungry (a la James Fell) and making sure I do SOMETHING fitness-wise as often as I can to keep myself feeling strong and more limber.

So far, so good.

[Fitmama]

Hi Everyone
I am having a fitness rebirth. After a very stressful past year (divorce, moving cross country, carreer change, single parenting, my Moms declining health and on and on) I am finally finding my focus and workout habit again. It was by far the longest exercise slump I have been in since my daughter was born 14 years ago and since I am now 49 it caught up with me fast.

I have been exercising consistently for the last 7 weeks even through my Moms last hospitalization. I have lost about 5 pounds and still have a few more to go. I am thrilled with how much better I feel. My back is less painful, my PMS is under control, my mood is lifted, and I am able to relax even when there is stress in my life. I just feel younger and more like my old self.

I have been revisiting some of my old favorite DVDs and have used a bit of my divorce settlement to buy some new workouts (thanks Vickie!) and new shoes (with help from a very nice looking young man in the running store whom I enjoyed talking to very much ).

I have been SO glad for this chance to reclaim my health and feeling of well being. VF has been very helpful in this journey. It is always so informative to read the different points of view and experiences people have. You are all so inspiring. I am grateful to have some outlet for this passion for working out at home since everyone in my life gives me the vacant stare when I talk about it. So I also became a VF supporter. I am so glad it's here!

[luvexercisedvds]

Wow!

I'm happy to read you've all had some very successful goals!....and completed them as well, keep'er going.

I feel that with menopause in full swing, I'm just lucky enough to have a notion of a plan for working out. And all the wonderful accomplishments I've made in the past, seems to evade me, my body is dictating things and it really does not want to exercise at all, I'm still trying to fight the fight....here's to hoping, I'm gonna try to hang in.

[Joni O]

Mine has been excellent! I got on a Firm kick on March 16 and have been working out 5-6 times a week in addition to doing a 3-mile walk with DH 4-5 days a week. I choose my Firm the night before and can't wait to do it the next morning. I don't remember the last time I've been this motivated! I even work out on weekends and holidays now!

I don't know if I saw results in 10 workouts or less 😉 but I do see more tone in my upper and lower body. I used to avoid lower body work like the plague! Now my day isn't complete until I've done a ton of leg presses on the Fanny Lifter. I stopped doing plyo moves years ago because, you know, my age, my knees, my back, whatever. Well, I'm doing them now. Getting that old bone density taken care of.

Yup, excellent so far for me. 😄

[Tanja]

My main goal for this year was to workout mornings and evenings for at least 30 minutes each. I started out slowly, doing mainly Harmony, Yoga and walking workouts until I got used to the twice a day routine. Now I do mainly low impact workouts - somehow I do not like high impact right after getting up in the morning or after a long work day. I completed my FitPrime/KickButt collection and those are really good for an evening workout.

I care now more about being active/moving for at least an hour a day than about the level of my workouts. I average about 27 workout days a month and due to the active recovery days where I do a walking workout for 30 minutes in the morning and a 60+ Yoga routine in the evenings I do not feel I am over training or harming my body in any way.

I still do a Cathe advanced routine twice a month on the weekends but gone are the days where the intensity level of the Terminator routines were just my normal workout days.

Life is good.

[Taramisu]

Originally Posted by cmarsh4

I have to say this has been my best health year in a long time. I have lost 40 lbs. I have finally got out of my head that food is a stress reliever and have started thinking about nutrition vs diet. I workout consistently even getting up at 4:30 in the morning to make sure I get it in. I have run 3 5 K's this year and have more planned and keep improving my time. My Dr. took me off of my blood pressure medicine.

I had my stress level under control but unfortunately work issues has brought that way up lately but hopefully I can work through those and get that back down.

Everyone says you fall apart when you turn 50 but I am doing everything in my power to not let this happen!!!!

Way to go Chris! It is good to see you on the boards again, sounds like you are doing great!

My year has been so-so, I have kept my weight off for almost two years which is good even though I go up and down a couple pounds. School has kept me very busy so I have not been as consistent as much as I would like to be.

I have pretty much gone back to basics and just do the workouts that I want now, I find that I am more consistent that way. My DVD collection has shrunk quite a bit as I pretty much just do my favorites. I don't buy DVDs as much anymore, and will probably use You Tube workouts more, specifically Jessica Smith and Jenny Ford.

I am trying to do more yoga and pilates these days, and walking whether it's with Leslie or outside. I still do some strength training but I pretty much stick with my standby Firm and Margaret Richard DVDs, along with a few other favorites. My go to instructor circle seems to get smaller each year.

[OSusanna]

I don't post on the forum very often because I don't have too much to say normally, but this is a very interesting question so I thought I'd share about my year so far. I read this forum every day for inspiration and your answers are very interesting to me.

I started out the year with Benign Positional Vertigo and I was only able to work out with Leslie Sansone videos. So I bought 10 and that's what I did 3 - 4 times a week until I started to feel better. I couldn't do anything laying down or tilting my head in any way so I left off the weight videos for awhile and just worked with Leslie. She really helped me expand my cardio capability. I felt pretty bad everyday but it got better and I felt good about what I was doing. I didn't push it.

When I started feeling better in March, I started to add in some step videos and then a little of the Horizontal Conditioning Getting Started workout #1. Still only working out 3 days a week mostly. Just maintaining.

In April I started weights again and I have been solid 2x a week on weights since with some harder cardio thrown in. I discovered Kelley Coffey Meyer and I have done the Muscle Definition workout the most of all my weight workouts. I like her much better than the Firm workouts I was doing. I also started to do some longer step videos (1 hour) and some jump rope intervals. I tried Michael Olajiide AeroJump but I only can do about 60% of workout one.

May and June have been my hardest working months yet, with averages of 4x working out per week and with both harder cardio and weights. I am starting to see definition in my arms and my legs are feeling tighter.

Thanks for listening.

[dutchgirl]

Originally Posted by OSusanna

I don't post on the forum very often because I don't have too much to say normally, but this is a very interesting question so I thought I'd share about my year so far. I read this forum every day for inspiration and your answers are very interesting to me.

I started out the year with Benign Positional Vertigo and I was only able to work out with Leslie Sansone videos. So I bought 10 and that's what I did 3 - 4 times a week until I started to feel better. I couldn't do anything laying down or tilting my head in any way so I left off the weight videos for awhile and just worked with Leslie. She really helped me expand my cardio capability. I felt pretty bad everyday but it got better and I felt good about what I was doing. I didn't push it.

When I started feeling better in March, I started to add in some step videos and then a little of the Horizontal Conditioning Getting Started workout #1. Still only working out 3 days a week mostly. Just maintaining.

In April I started weights again and I have been solid 2x a week on weights since with some harder cardio thrown in. I discovered Kelley Coffey Meyer and I have done the Muscle Definition workout the most of all my weight workouts. I like her much better than the Firm workouts I was doing. I also started to do some longer step videos (1 hour) and some jump rope intervals. I tried Michael Olajiide AeroJump but I only can do about 60% of workout one.

May and June have been my hardest working months yet, with averages of 4x working out per week and with both harder cardio and weights. I am starting to see definition in my arms and my legs are feeling tighter.

Thanks for listening.

Congratulations! I had BPV 3 years ago and it was horrible. It's so unsettling to feel so disoriented in your own body.

[momof10]

I am into my best fitness year ever and I am so enjoying it. I started a YouTube rebounding workout channel on 4/29 of this year. I came upon doing these without ever even thinking about it before. I became an admin of a good sized Facebook FitBit group and I was asked about starting a sister group for rebounders. So, I thought what the heck, then I thought that I could make some rebounding videos for our group. Wow, all I can say is I have found my niche in my life and my workouts. I will be 60 this year and my baby will be starting high school in the fall and this will be my hobby for me now that my kids are getting older.

I have so far produced 37 videos and my creativity just keeps getting better. I have shed 10 pounds I gained after I had a total hip replacement last October and have found my workouts have given me nice muscle definition. All I can say is things keep getting better for me fitness wise and the best thing is I don't have to wait for other instructors to come out with new videos, because I am doing all the things I like to do with my own.

Here is my YouTube link if interested in seeing what I have done.

https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCJpvpFeEaI0LVTvcwmMTBng

Cheryl