Barefoot & On the Mat: September 2020 Check-In Thread!

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Paine, early a.m. workouts are their own issue!

If anyone is looking for a nice little no-weights leg strength routine with lots of balance and mobility thrown in, try this!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFjq...-&index=3&t=0s

[JustSandra]

Hello!

Today's Workout: Kind of a bust. I started with WHFN Kickbutt Strong Bear, on loan courtesy of my local VF buddy. I've never done or even seen Strong Bear before. Unfortunately (perhaps because it is from the Kickbutt and not the gentler Fitprime group) it was on the intense side for me and I was modifying too much. So I Joni O.'d it. Next, thinking I'd get a head start on September's barre/fusion theme, I put in the 30-minute Yoga For Strength + Flexibility routine from Jessica Smith's Yoga Fusion Fix. Just didn't care for it, and again bailed out early. Kind of disappointing that of the three routines on this DVD I only really liked one of them. Oh well!

The only fun part of today's workout was my hair. I've mentioned I'm growing out my haircut. I decided to see if I could fashion a ponytail to get my hair off my neck -- and I did it! It is only about a stubby inch long, but it is a ponytail.

Cyana: The firefighters are doing an amazing job and have both of the large fire complexes over halfway contained. However, they are still huge fires, and we are still getting a lot of smoke. Forecasters are hoping that air quality will improve by the end of the week -- of course that is when we are supposed to kick off another heat wave!

Paine: Sorry your workout mojo deserted you today, but I'm sure it will be back soon.

Waving to all!

[cyana]

Today:
Nordic Track cardio/weight intervals - back and chest
50 stability ball crunches
20 back extensions on the ball

I tried doing some Stealth fitness intervals throughout the day. In the perfect world, I would've done something every hour, but I don't live in the perfect world.
9AM - Essentrics hip cleaners (10 each side)
10AM - 50 step-ups on low step platform
12 Noon - 20 squats
2PM - fire walkers - 25 steps with left foot leading, 25 steps w/right foot leading

Beth - Interesting-looking link.

Paine - I had to have a pep talk with myself while I was lying in bed this AM, trying to pretend like it wasn't time to get up!!

Sandra - I'm jealous of your pony tail - I can't even begin to count the years since I've had a pony tail. Since I'm growing out my color, maybe I should let my hair grow out, too.

Waves to ALL - hoping to get in some yoga or qi gong before bed.

[toaster]

Sandra I have had pretty stubby ponytails at times! My hair is a bit longer now.

[YogaGal]

I did a couple of Sarah Beth practices toward the end of last week: 15-Minute Anxiety & Stress Relief on Thursday and 10-Minute Mobility Yoga for Neck & Shoulders on Saturday. I also did Jessica Smith's 1-Mile Power Walk Saturday night. On Sunday DH and I did a 2-mile walk around 8 am to survey any storm damage from a the previous night. We had some really strong winds, but didn't see much during our walk other than a lot of leaves and a few small branches blown off trees. But Sunday afternoon we took a little drive a couple miles south of us and a few isolated streets had some major damage with large trees toppled over from their roots!

No workout on Monday. This week will be as busy as last week as I had an eye exam today (scheduled almost a month ago) and a dental appt. on Wednesday which was supposed to happen next week, but they needed to reschedule and I figured I’d rather go sooner rather than later. This is to get an impression/mold for the replacement tooth after I had to have an implant near the end of May. Then I need to have time to sit at home and work! My eyeglass scrip didn’t change too much and I ended up finding the same frame as I have now and I decided to go with it again as I have received so many compliments on it over the past couple of years.

Sandra: Thanks for starting us off this month. Bummer about not finding a workout you liked for Monday, but Congratulations on being able to wear a short ponytail! I forgot to tell everyone that DH finally cut my hair on August 10 and it took a long time, which I understood as it was his first time cutting a woman’s hair, but he ended up cutting it shorter than I intended. I cut off a sample chunk as a guide so that it was just hitting my shoulders, but as he worked on it trying to get everything even and slightly tapered at the ends (per my instructions), it ended up being a bit below chin length. Do keep in mind that I have a short neck, so it is almost hitting my shoulders now. But I also have a very short stubby ponytail that is good for working out or when I get too hot having hair on my neck.

cyana: How sweet that you got to hold a baby dachshund and then LOL at your kitty wondering what you’d been up too! I’m with you on still figuring out a September focus. I think I want to do something with strength workouts, but that isn’t specific enough. I may look at a version of Jessica’s Calm & Strong schedule for some inspiration.

Paine: I’ve never heard of that movie, but an inspirational film sounds good about now. I am with you on the workout motivation, but I do have issues with work, appointments, etc. Struggling a bit trying to fit everything in and getting used to the rhythm and schedule of being back to work.

Beth: You asked a couple of weeks ago about my working remotely and the answer is YES, all of my work this semester will be remote. I do need to schedule a trip to campus sometime this month to pick up some books for a class I’m working with this semester, so that will be strange. I haven’t been on campus since March 17! I learned that 86% of all classes will be online; I imagine the other 14% are hybrids and require some hands-on activity in a classroom and know that specific safety procedures will be followed.

Anny: Continuing to think of you and your family. I hope some relaxing yoga practices are helpful now.

[Anny]

Sandra your pony tail sounds so cute! And thanks for the start. I think your September focus will prove interesting.

Thanks for the thoughts for my brother, everyone. I spoke to him tonight; he is still in hospital and gets confused but sounds so much stronger. We are still unsure of when he will be out of hospital. My nephew’s funeral is on next wee Sept 8 and it is unclear if my brother will be able to attend his son’s funeral.

Paine I hope your mojo returns.

cyana I understand not having a September plan ready. It’s hard to choose and then, for me, to follow the plan.

Beth can your workout or yoga be a transition for you between work and home?

Carolyn I’ve done some yoga by Sara Beth and have quite liked her practices.

Sunday I did Joyce Vedral’s Fat burning upper body (DVD); Monday evening was Joyce’s Definition lower body (paper workout). Today after work I did the purple mile, warm up and the stretch segment from Leslie’s Five Day Walk Plan.

[toaster]

Anny, working out is usually my transition after I get home from work, but now that work is in my exercise room, I need a transition between those two things! Maybe I could try to meditate then...

Carolyn, when I was back in the office last week, it was the first day for me since March 19th. The campus is gradually trying to bring staff back. Counselors will be 1 day/week through 10/2, and then we will re-evaluate. I really like SarahBeth yoga; I should do more by her! My glasses prescription didn't change much either, so I can still wear my current ones and my new ones (which I pick up tomorrow).

Happy first day of September!!!

[Izzy]

Hello, I would like to join you guys this month. I will probably post on a weekly bases. I don't chat that much so please don't be offended if I don't say much. But I do ask a lot of questions and chime in when I have something to offer. I have "barefooted" for almost 18 years. Even cardio or weights in my old basement I barefooted. I never felt comfortable doing inside workouts with shoes on. I mostly walk outside (with shoes), bike, CS/Essentrics and yoga. I live in northern Illinois about 60 miles west of Chicago and work in administration at my local library.

[toaster]

Mary, so nice to have you join us! Definitely no obligation to chat - I think that in making the checkin monthly, we were hoping to "see" a few new people, but you can certainly be an non-chatty participant. We have several others who work at libraries here!

[JustSandra]

Welcome Mary! Sounds like you will fit right in. Some of us do post daily or almost daily, but others, like you, pop in once a week or so -- or just whenever their lives permit. I used to always wear shoes for indoor cardio and weights. However, I'm now strictly barefoot with weights, and since I got a good mat for my workout area I can do low impact cardio (including walking style workouts) just fine without shoes as well. My favorite cardio is actually outdoor walking, but I haven't done much lately due to summer heat and wildfire smoke. However, I'm looking forward to getting back into it as the weather turns to fall.

I work part time as a library assistant. Needless to say, my job has undergone some radical changes since we closed to the public back in March. We transitioned to curbside pickup, and I understand library management is hard at work on a plan for gradual reopening (when our Covid stats permit it).

Good to see you!