Pilates Cross-trainers JULY 2022

[donnamp]

Hi Everyone,

Just about done w/ Jessica's rotation - today was:

Steady Walk - This one does have a bit of a dread factor for me - it is long and there are no cues for breaks - I think mentally if she had a little timer that came up after each "mile" I could manage it better. But it is a nice steady state cardio routine.

Planning to do some stretching later.

This was a relatively easy rotation for me to follow - I enjoyed most of the workouts, I allowed myself to substitute if I wanted to, and I think having only 5 "scheduled" days made it easier to stick to.

Overall I enjoyed having a plan to follow - it kept me focused and avoided a lot of wasted time trying to figure out what to do - even when I substituted I at least had a category of workout I needed to fit in.

I do think I'm going to give her Summer of Strength a try next - and I know I'll have some interruptions once my contractor is over COVID.

How is your DS, Carol?

Waves,

Donna

[txhsmom]

Today's workout was

Silver & Fit - Your Favorites: Intermediate Cardio with Penny 7/4/22 - 30 minutes

Filmed in Puerto Vallarta Mexico. Just your basic low impact cardio - a few patterns but nothing too complicated.

Gosh - I can't believe that school starts four weeks from today. I feel no where ready for this. And the various construction projects that we have going on in the building, well it's hard to look at everything and believe that we will be ready for teachers to return on the 8th. Yikes, yikes, yikes!

Donna - I think the five day a week plan does make it easier to stick with it because there's some flexibility automatically built into the rotation. I loved Jessica's Calm & Strong Plan for that very reason. DS is okay - Monday and Tuesday were a little tough, but I tried to get him out of the house and busy, and that has helped. Thanks for asking.

Brenda - Good job on your stepping, weights and walking.

Dana - I bought Jessica's new set, but I don't like the workouts I've done very much. All that forward leaning work bothers my back. WS2 was my favorite of her Walk Strong sets. Neither of the others even came close for me.

Carol

[Usia]

Good morning!

CS S14E13 Glutes - 24min.
Ellen's Pilates Strong - 30min.

CS episode included the alphabet which I very much dislike, so I just did some hip cleaners and other hip/leg movements instead. I'm finding that nowadays I need the CS/Ess to start the day with to just make me feel better and my body feel loose.

I enjoyed Ellen's pilates workout but I thought it was a little shoulder intensive and at towards the end during mat part, there was a missed opportunity to do some pilates abs/core moves. We were already on the floor so why not include them? All-in-all I'm finding Ellen's workouts light on actual abs work so I'll be adding some from Lindsay Brin or other sources. I am enjoying Ellen's workouts though. All feel-good and no-dread.

I'm off today but I'm going to run some errands. Hope everyone has a great day!

[donnamp]

Hi Everyone,

I completed the Strong & Centered Rotation! It is a miracle, LOL!

I did substitute at times, and during the last half of the rotation where she sometimes scheduled 2 workouts I often did not do both - except if it were stretching or the floor fusion workout.

Overall, I enjoyed the set - obviously since i stuck with it! I found it very doable. The pace moves slow enough so that you can watch your form. You can modify (for instance, I did not lean as far forward as Jessica and I took breaks when needed, I did not always use the gliders, etc.). It is hard to measure "results" but I think overall my stamina improved and my back has been really good (knock wood!)

I think the back stuff may be a combo of things and not entirely attributable to this plan - although I think her focus on posture and upper back stuff may helped. I also think some of it has to do w/ being more consistent w/ CS, giving up Pahla's workouts (sadly) and generally just being more open to modifying and proceeding cautiously.

I'm glad I got it done! For now I plan to move on to her Summer of Strength and give that a try - I will have to see how it works w/ my remodel, I am assuming my contractor will be back next week.

Today's workout was:

Flow & Glow - Fusion Flow Sculpt & 13 Min Pilates Core Ball

Dana - I agree about Ellen's no dread...

Carol - I'm glad your DS is doing ok. How is his school work going?

Waves, everyone -

Donna

[donnamp]

Hi Everyone,

Last night I added on:

Essentrics Live Workout from 7/15 - w/ Alexa

Today, so far:

Jenny Ford - Step Across America # 5 - Maine

I plan to officially start Summer of Strength tomorrow - and my plan is to try to squeeze in a Step Across America and a March Across America into the rotation as extra cardio. We'll see how it goes - a lot depends on the contractor's schedule, my dog (my elderly dog wakes me up multiple times a night to go out), etc.

I have to run an errand at lunch and I think I'm going to wear my mask, I had eased up on mask wearing recently, but it seems this new variant is everywhere.

I suppose I could consider a 2nd booster, but just not sure I want to deal with it - knowing it is going to make me sick for 1 -2 days. I know getting it would probably be worse and I couldn't "schedule" it - but - it just seems like a hassle and I keep hearing about new shots coming in the fall - I mean, how many of these things can we get?

Anyway - rambling!

Happy Friday!!

Donna

[Usia]

Good morning!

S14E14 Hip Strengthening - 24min
Ellen's Cardio Core - 20min
Leslie's WAH - 1mile 15min

Donna, I think Covid and the new variants of it, Monkey pox and who knows what else is out there or coming out way - are here to stay. I'm taking normal precautions but I'm becoming desensitized to this whole Covid thing. My dh always wears a mask when he's out, but I don't, and the majority of people around here don't wear one either. We avoid crowds which comes easy because we're not very social people but that's about it.

Carol, enjoy your time before school starts again.

Waves to all!

[donnamp]

Dana - I agree! Yesterday I ran into the grocery store where my DD used to work - and knowing that they wanted her to come in while she was sick w/ a pending COVID test - made me want to wear a mask in there! Most people were not wearing one - some were - I was in the minority. we tend to avoid crowds as well, but not b/c of COVID - i was never a big fan of crowds - even before the pandemic.

But, yes, we do have to just get used to it!!

Donna

[donnamp]

Hi Everyone,

Yesterday was a bit of a bust for me workout-wise, I got up late, DD and I did our volunteering at the animal shelter, I wanted to give my dogs a bath, etc. I did end up doing:

Ellen - Cardio Core

Today, so far, I did:

Ellen - Barre Cardio
Ellen - Pilates Stong

Combining those was challenging, of course, it was also hot - we're in the heat wave as well.

I have not started Summer of Strength yet - I think I will see what the deal is w/ my contractor and what his schedule is!

Hope everyone has a good day!

Donna

[txhsmom]

I've been kind of blah lately - no workouts on Thursday or Friday - worked late on Thursday and then we had dinner with a friend on Friday.

Yesterday I got up and walked for 30 minutes fairly early before it got too hot, and then I was exhausted for the remainder of the day. Not sure what was going on, but it wasn't fun. It felt a bit like the aftermath of a CoVid booster.

This morning I walked again, and have felt better than yesterday. Tomorrow I start another week long genealogy institute via Zoom. This one is a little more advanced than the last one I took, so it should hold my interest. The primary instructor is a woman who was a professor at Rutgers Law School, and she's an excellent speaker.

It's hot here too - 94 at 7:40 tonight as I type this.

Carol

[donnamp]

Hi Everyone,

No workout yet for me today, I had to take my Lab to the vet this morning and my contractor started back to work on my bathroom, so too much going on for a morning workout.

I hope to squeeze something in this afternoon - I'm just going to be flexible on what I have time/energy for - with any luck the bathroom will be completed in 2 weeks or so.

Carol - do you think you are suffering from a post-fiscal-year-end close hangover? I get them. I find myself pretty wiped out in July and August!

Today I'm dragging for sure - the combo of not doing some sort of movement this morning coupled w/ it being Monday is not good!

Hope everyone has a good day!

Donna