Pentagenarians & Beyond: 12/15/2024

Sunday was our family Christmas. I did not workout. Saturday, I did LMR yoga.

Yesterday I did LMR yoga scrambled mix and Pilates premix foam roller, 59 minutes, 144 calories.

Today I did CDorner Cardio 31 minutes, 163 calories, 3,484 steps, heart rate 133/153. I then did Lift Move Restore Upper Body skipping and adjusting some moves, 44 minutes, 135 calories, heart rate 102/139. Total time 75 minutes, 298 calories. I also did some back pod and extra stretching. Then my husband and I went for a bike ride. I was struggling to get up some of the hills after a while. FInally stopped and my husband messed with it and turned it on. Much better for the hills I was starting to think it was going to be tough getting back to our truck. It was nice outside and, in the 60's. This was probably our only ride till spring. It will be cold tomorrow.
 
Good morning, ladies. I got my shopping done and over with yesterday. Yay. Walmart wasn’t quite a zoo, but almost. Kroger wasn’t bad. I generally avoid WM, but sometimes it’s the best place to get what I need. We had a whopper thunderstorm early this morning. It jerked me out of sleep and made me jump twice. It’s supposed to be cold enough in December that we don’t have thunderstorms, dang it.

Carolyn – Good job on LMR upper body. Yes, this is a really good series.

Judy – Great workouts, girl! You’re rocking it!

Cathy – Wow, 4DS is an old one. Talk about a blast from the past, LOL. I’m glad you and your dad had a chance to talk. Does your mom have dementia? For some reason, I’m thinking that. Not an easy thing to deal with. ☹

Diane – I hope you and your family had a good Christmas gathering. Do you think you’ll use the bike a lot next spring?

Valerie – How’s the kitty doing? How are you and DH doing?
 
This morning I did Live 30 Minute Kickbox Express, Live Weight Plate Abs and P30 Extended Stretch. Last I heard from Derek he was at the Indiana Welcome Center and heading for the Brookfield Zoo. Decided to hold off on legs till Friday. I have this weird soreness in my upper calf (?) right under my knee to the inside. Very weird spot, but I didn't want to aggravate it. So, I'll move it to Friday.

Shannon, yes, my Mom has dementia. Unfortunately, the rest of us saw it years before my Dad did, or at least before he would acknowledge it. Her Mother also had it, and although Grandma lived to be 98, she was living on her own until somewhere around 95. My Mom's dementia is accelerating much faster. But, it's likely not helped by the fact that she had chemo years ago with her colon cancer, and that can accelerate dementia and then she had COVID this last summer which can also do that, and it seems to have really accelerated since the COVID though the EMT's at that time noted it and mentioned it to my Dad which was the first time any official person had labeled her as such. Unfortunately, she still is in control of her decisions because he doesn't have that power. She was supposed to have physical therapy to help with her movement, but after liking them the first visit, yesterday she got mad 20 minutes in and canceled the rest of her appointments. Not the first time she's ditched PT as she did it after her cancer, too. Then her doctor's office called her the other day to tell her they wanted her to see a psychiatrist, after her appointment with a social worker last week, and she flipped out on them about it and refused. Dad said the woman wasn't tactful at all. One her chart would say she has dementia and two, people over 80 have a very different view of that type of therapy than younger people. I've always loved the non destructive thunderstorms, but they are quite rare here after about mid-October.

Diane Sue that great that you got to go for a bike ride, and that you are figuring out how the bike works best for you. Are you riding on bike trails?

Carolyn I'm glad you are enjoying the new workouts. I'm planning on doing them once I finish STS which will be the end of next week.

Judy unlike you, I find that if I'm not following a rotation or at least close to following it, I tend to lean towards doing the things I like rather than the things that I might actually most benefit from. LOL
 
This morning I did KCM’s Cardio Quick Fix, workout one. That was 26 minutes, 165 calories burned, average heart rate 130, and maximum heart rate 164.

Judy, great job with 20 minute walk, 30 minute full body strength, PT, and Peloton ride.

Cathy, great job with STS Meso 3 Shoulders, Biceps, and Triceps and 4 DS High Intensity Step only, Live Kickbox Express, Live Weight Plates and Abs, and P 30 Extended Stretch.

Diane Sue, great job with LMR Yoga and Pilates, CDorner Cardio, and LMR Upper Body. I’m glad that you got to ride your bike.

Valerie, good luck with the young kitten.

Shannon, great job getting your shopping done in such an efficient way.
 
cathy I had ordered one of those circular ball- in- the- track- toys with scratch pad in the center. its comign tomorrow. I got a little ball with a cord attached that charges. it rolls around like a roomba and bounces and flips the cord around at different intervals like a real mouse. it really is a cute thing and kept him busy for quite a while. it rolls from room to room and activates when he touches it or if it bounces off something. . it was only something like $7 so i was surprised its so complex. he used his litter box as he should. still meowing a lot. I stopped at a Petco store yesterday but their kitty section was pretty sold out and what they had was pretty costly. there are other stores here so Ill try again.

that must be tough with your mother being so uncooperative. dementia sure does mess with all kinds of things. does she need to be diagnosed by a psychiatrist to qualify for some kind of assistance or benefits?

we did a park walk this morning for 1 hr 20 min. had a rain and windstorm yesterday and all night that finished about 8 this morning. suddenly cleared off. the park was fine and we got about 10 min of warm sunshine! then clouds returned. everything was very wet and puddled with multiple trees and branches down but that was ok. went around or over.
diane sue what kind of bike did you end up getting?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BVHDJPP8?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1 the interactive toy. there are videos that show it working. it was $20 I was wrong abput the price. I guess Im easily amused!.
 
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Today I did LMR Lower Body 59 minutes, 195 calories, heart rate 111/159, 1,220 steps. I LMR Anytime Mobility 16 minutes, 36 calories, and finished with LMR Foam Roll Lower Body bonus which has a mini workout on it like the upper foam roll does, 16 minutes, 29 calories. I was surprised how much I felt the hamstrings doing the bridge walk with feet on the foam roller. Total time 91 minutes, 260 calories.
I am pleased that the upper body LMR workout did not cause me any pain. I did skip and change a few things though.

Shannon, great that you got your shopping done. I have mine delivered and shop online most of the time. Walmart is always packed close to me. There is Kroger delivery around here. No facility near me though. I order from Whole Foods and Sprouts, or sometimes when I go across town for doctor appointments, I hit Sprouts. I pay for Walmart plus though, so I use them quite a bit. Even if a storm didn't wake me up, my dog would. She heads straight for my side of the bed and lets me know she is there. Funny, she whines, but when she comes in our bedroom she lies down and is calm. I think we will use the bikes quite a bit. My husband wanted something that we could do together.

Cathy, good job on Live 30 Minute Kickbox Express, Live Weight Plate Abs, and P30 Extended Stretch today. There is a recreation facility about a couple of miles from our house that has paths for bicycles and people that are walking and jogging. It has some hills and bridges over water areas. There were a few people walking and running when we were there. It was a good start for me. I am hoping we can go to one of the lakes that has bike paths when weather warms back up. Sorry your mother is hard for everyone to deal with. It is probably hard for her as well.

Carolyn, nice work on KCM Cardio Quick Fix today. I liked all of the LMR workouts. I think I have hit all of them now except the upper body bonus which I think would set off the rib pain right now with the planks and discs. I am finding it depends on how long I am holding the plank moves and feeling it in my ribs. I was happy that upper body didn't set anything off. I did skip the planks and chest work though.

Valerie, I think it takes a cat some time to adjust. Ours were never allowed to climb on the table and kitchen counters. Although one time we were out on vacation and friends stayed at our house and they said the cat was getting on top of the refrigerator and counters while we were gone. Is this a kitten? We had one cat that we took back once. It was a Persian as I had always wanted one. It was a mean anti-social cat. It would sit on my daughter's be and she was the only one it did not hiss at and bite. It was very unpleasant. We replaced it with a half Siamese cat that was pleasant and fun to play with. We never let our cats outside. Now when I was still living at home my mom always sent the cat outside. I have a ball like that that rolls around and jumps and lights up. I bought it thinking my dog might like it and it would get her up and moving, but she pays not attention to it. It is about the size of a tennis ball and has a remote control and also reacts to movement. I think my youngest grandson had the most fun playing with it. Nice that you were able to get a walk in. I was amazed when I saw an elderly woman that walked very slowly with a cane in one hand and her little dog walking with her on the walking and bike paths.

Judy, good job on Monday's 20-minute walk, 30 minute full body strength and PT work, and Tuesday's 45 minute Peloton ride. I really liked the LMR pilates workout too.
 
Hi, everyone. I hope you all had a good evening. Yesterday I did STS 2: Giant Sets Total Body and Core + Floor abs. For some reason Giant Sets always seems long to me. Maybe because there’s not a lot of variety in the exercises and they’re repeated three times. I do like the unilateral part though.

Cathy – How is your calf today? I hope it’s okay. I understand about the challenges of dementia, and I’m really sorry your family has to deal with it. My grandmother has it. I went to California this summer to help her, and it was really hard. We got her moved into an assisted living facility – against her will – and I left on bad terms. She hates me now. She insisted she was fine living on her own. But her doctor said no way. And the only reason she was able to still be at home is because she had a group of very good friends who took care of her. She simply couldn’t realize how much help they actually gave her. I’m really glad your dad is able to take care of your mom. I hope he’s doing okay, because being a caretaker can be so stressful. LOL, when I typed your name, I spelled it with an e, Cathe. I have our favorite fitness instructor on the brain.

Carolyn – Great job with KCM’s Cardio Quick Fix.

Valerie – I hope the kitty likes his fancy new toy. The park walk sounds nice. I love walking after a storm. Everything is so fresh and clean.

Diane – I remember feeling my hamstrings on the foam roller bridge work too. We have a Whole Foods in Little Rock, but that’s an hour away. We don’t have Sprouts. My dog panics and hides during storms. I was surprised she didn’t wake me up with loud panting. When I got up that morning, she was sitting up in her bed in the closet, trembling. I’ve tried meds, but I really don’t like how they affect her, and she’s still terrified.

Hello to Judy!
 
I 100 % agree on the bike. whatever is needed, its way better (and safer) to ride with someone else. things can go wrong, break, tires go flat and its tough if you're by yourself. plus we have a lot of fun riding together. way better if someone can ride back and get the car. its easy to forget distance when riding. 5 miles is nothing on a bike but a long walk pushing a broken one. most of the trails here have road junctions but many times they're quite a walk. when DH had a series of flat tires

he likes the toy but I dont think its enough. DH is really burning out on this and I am too. he is a sweet little guy but needs other pets or a lot of children to keep him busy. our other cats all went in/out doors and didnt need this much attention. its over a week now and not getting much better.

now that the grocery merger is a dead issue, I am feeling more relaxed. shopping is convenient right now and that would have been a major disruption. I could expand to TJ's or sprouts or whole foods but much bigger drive and significant traffic might be involved. a wreck or being too late or too early can destroy your entire day. makes it not worth the hassle except for rare events.

we were going to ride this morning but it was raining lightly. they keep flipping back and forth on the forecast so it might be ok later. its too soon after the windstorm to ride our regular trail. way too much small debris down. fine on a mt bike but not on a road bike. skinny tires let you go fast without a lot of effort but they puncture or can cause crashes because there is so little surface area to them.
 
Today I did Stacked Sets Lower Body, timesaver 4. My time was 36 hours and 157 calories burned. My average heart rate was 116 and maximum heart rate was 160. I had to go to the new Costco this morning to get some things not available at the Costco Business Center where I usually go. It’s not far away distance wise, but the traffic is always terrible in that area.

Valerie, nice job walking the park walk.

Diane Sue, great job with LMR Lower Body, Anytime Mobility, and lower body foam rolling.

Shannon, great job with STS 2 Giant Sets Total Body and Core + Floor.

Hello to Cathy and Judy.
 
Today I did CDorner cardio aerobics hi or low, 41 minutes, 217 calories, heart rate 133/166, 5,043 steps. I then did LMR Core Fusion 33 minutes, 94 calories, heart rate 89/125. This is all done with a stability ball. I finished with LMR Pilates mix #1 foam rolling 22 minutes, 39 calories, heart rate 82/102. Total time was 96 minutes, 350 calories, 5,581 steps.

Shannon, great job on STS 2: Giant Sets Total Body and Core + Floor abs. I like the Super Sets Total Body the best when doing STS 2. I think there is a premix for unilateral work. I like it too. I order from Whole Foods and they deliver, but I won't drive there as it would take me 40 minutes to reach the store. They have the best produce.

Valerie, we still have the original e bike my husband bought for me. I am not riding it. He picked out another for me that was way less costly and folds up. I am not sure the brand on it. The other was an eAhora Romeo. It may have been better if he had chosen the Juliet. I was apprehensive when he was putting it together. We had it up on ebay and a buyer, but he was from out of country and my husband has specifically said no out of country and they pay and figure out the shipping. So, he cancelled it and it is still sitting in the garage. The company that sells them is in California. At least I know I can still ride a bike. Getting his up the ramp is a two-person thing because I hold it balanced while he straps it down once we get it up. Mine fit in the back seat. I am glad the handles are up where I am not leaning over while riding. I think it would cause me back pain.
I want to go to the large lake by my daughter's house. She says the trails are good and they have places to air up tires if needed. My husband got a small device that airs up tires to take along.

Carolyn, good job on Stacked Sets Lower Body timesaver #4. Traffic is why I don't drive to the closest Sprouts which is 13 miles from me.
 
we rode our neighborhood today on the mt bikes after missing the dry weather window this morning when we could have gone somewhere. was dry after lunch today so 45 minutes. we have one big hill to go up. I cant make it longer or steeper but I try to increase my speed. I can go up it at 4 mph now. its pretty steep.
the only folding bike I can think of is Brompton. Cousin and wife have them. mainly for show. they talk a good show but never actually ride them.
we differ on our thoughts about riding position. I want to be leaned over somewhat to ease pressure on the sit bones and crotch. sitting vertically upright is butt torture. too leaned over is not good either. we have ridden for a long time and long distances. body parts get toughened up and others dont. people here sell things thru Next door a lot. and Craigs list. we carry a small hand pump to air up tires and also CO2 cylinders. neither work very well. the pump straps to the bike frame. there are several kinds of valves on bike tires that the pump or air supply need to fit. try it at home in the garage to be sure you know how to make it work. my bike has tube tires. I carry an extra tube. DH's does not. its good to know how to fix a flat on whatever system your bike uses. I need little tire "irons" to wrangle the tube out of the rim and to wedge it back in. whatever yours needs, carry the tools with you and a tube if needed. its hard to walk/roll a bike back to your car on a flat tire and might be impossible to ride. the heavier the bike, the harder. Ive had 2 flats in 20 years but DH has had at least 20 flats.
 
Good morning, ladies. I did Cardio Super Sets yesterday. I haven’t done it in ages, and it was a nice change. We are having our family Christmas gathering this evening, so I probably won’t get to exercise. After I put in my eight hours today, I’m on vacation for two weeks! I have some projects planned, so I may not be around much.

Valerie – Have you decided to return the kitty to the shelter? Pretty sure outdoor biking will never be my thing, LOL. The way you describe it sounds very complex.

Carolyn – Great job on Stacked Sets Lower Body. Bummer about the traffic. I’m sure it’s even worse than usual during the holiday season.

Diane – Yes, I think you’re right that there’s a unilateral premix. I’ll have to take a look. Your husband’s bike sounds huge! I’ll have to google it to see what it looks like.

Hi to Cathy and Judy.
 
Wednesday I did a 30 minute walk and my PT work. Yesterday I worked 6 hours, my first shift in over 2 weeks. I felt pretty good and got quite a bit of exercise. I don’t work again until Jan 5th. Today I plan on doing a Peloton ride and/or a full body strength workout along with my PT work.

Cathy-Great job with STS Meso 3 Shoulders, Biceps, and Triceps, 4 DS High Intensity Step, Live Kickbox Express, Live Weight Plates and Abs, and P 30 Extended Stretch. I hope your calf is ok. What you describe sounds a little like how mine feels. We’ve gotten about an inch of snow since last night, so not as much as predicted.

Diane Sue-Great job with LMR Yoga and Pilates, CDorner Cardio, your bike ride, LMR Upper and Lower Body, Anytime Mobility, and the foam rolling. I’m glad you found a bike that works for you.

Carolyn-Great job with KCM’s Cardio Quick Fix, workout one and Stacked Sets Lower Body, timesaver 4. The traffic has been insane here too. It’s hard to get anywhere right now.

Shannon-Great job with STS 2: Giant Sets Total Body and Core + Floor abs and Cardio Super Sets. I hope you have a wonderful vacation.

Valerie-Great job with your park walk and ride.
 
shannon biking is not complicated! really! the more often you do it the more likely you will have something stop working. look at your bike before something breaks and carry what you need along. it weighs total maybe 2 pounds and fits on a tiny pack on the bike. its like a car and what to do if you get a flat. lots of options. a full size tire, a mini spare, some run-flat spray, the number for AAA, call your husband, whatever. we tried the spray and it did not work at all so depends on what caused the flat. if on a bike trail, another rider will probably stop to see if youre ok and might help you fix whatever is wrong. sorry, this is the old mountaineer training that kicks in. I traveled a lot for work installing equipment so I think ahead. and then I love to talk about it!.

we have not decided on the kitty. he seems to be settling in more each day. this is a very nice responsible shelter and we could take him back after any length of time if we needed to. shannon enjoy your time off.

agree with both of you on the insane traffic. we are long ago done with shopping etc. this will be a quiet holiday for us.
 
Today I did Low Impact Sweat, workout one, 28 minutes,168 calories burned, average heart rate 127, and maximum heart rate 159. Then I did LMR Anytime Mobility bonus.

Diane Sue, great job with CDorner Cardio Aerobics, LMR Core Fusion, and LMR Pilates mix #1.

Valerie, nice work riding in your neighborhood.

Shannon, great job with Cardio Super Sets. I like that one too.

Judy, nice job with the 30 minute walk and PT work.

Hello to Cathy.
 
No workout yesterday as I shopped. This morning I did STS Disk 39 Meso 3 Week 3 Legs. This is the heaviest week and I have am happy that I can still squat the same weight as I could back in 2009. I don't remember the heaviest weights for all exercises but a few stuck in my head. It's a huge plus for me that I'm short enough to use the top spot on the tower to put my bar on. I can just back under it and put the weight on my shoulders. I would really struggle getting 40 lbs over my head, but I can add another 30+ for squats.
Derek is just about to Bismarck and is supposed to be getting into his apartment this afternoon. He did NOT have a fun drive yesterday, but not only did he make it, he made it to the zoo just south of St. Paul in time to have a 3 1/2 hour visit. Priorities. LOL

Valerie it's great you can take the cat back if needed. Around here shelters have 6 month waiting lists to accept new animals so it would be hard for them to take one back. Also interesting that they would be okay with a cat potentially going outside, as here you have to sign a statement that they won't go out. Dogs can't be outside 24/7 and some other things. Some cats are just much higher energy. If the other cats had a vote, Tux would have been tossed out long ago. No my Mom doesn't need a specific diagnosis right now. I think it's more beneficial for my Dad to know what's coming.

Judy my calf is fine, just a weird feeling for a day or so. We got about 2" overnight, but my brother who is about 20 minutes away said they got at least 5". I don't think we've had more than 3" at once so far.

Carolyn sorry you had to deal with traffic to get to the other Costco. My sister tells me tales of her journeys in FL and it's crazy. Places are taking an extra hour to get through compared to just a couple years ago.

Shannon I'm sorry to hear about your Grandma. When mine had to go into memory care it was my cousin that took the brunt of her displeasure. But she was the only one that had even the tiniest bit of power, but even then it took the hospital, after a fall, refusing to let her return home before it happened. Enjoy your family Christmas.

Diane Sue it's great that you have a place like that near enough to ride.
 
Today I did CDorner Step #439 non fast advanced(meaning slower with choreography) 51 minutes, 229 calories, heart rate 122/147, 4,727 steps. I also did LMR yoga skipping the balance and stopping at superman because of time restraints, 31 minutes, 46 calories. Total time 82 minutes, 275 calories.

Shannon, great job on Cardio Supersets yesterday. I have projects that are going slowly. I want to finish the painting I am doing for my husband. It is going slow as I chose to paint a waterfall that was at Turner Falls Ok where we went on our anniversary and got a cabin. This was my choice for a painting. Then I need to clean out some closets and cabinets.

Judy, nice work on Wednesday's 30 minute walk and PT work. Enjoy your Peloton ride and/or strength workout.

Valerie, I bet the cat settles down more and more. It is probably a lot different for it than it was in the shelter so a big change.

Carolyn, nice work on Low Impact Sweat and Anytime Mobility bonus.

Cathy, good job on STS disk 39 meso 3 week 3 legs. Nice work on the heavy weights. I have learned not to try to push heavy weight overhead. One time I picked up an 80# barbell overhead and got it on my shoulders. I did not have my Fit Tower then. The big problem was getting it back off safely without a spotter. I ended up working down into a squat and letting it move down side ways on end to the floor. Rather a crazy thing for me to do. I decided dumbbells held to my sides is much better. I have not lifted that heavy in years. I am glad Derrick made it through the bad travel. LOL on priority Zoo visit.
 
Today I did a 45 minute Peloton ride and 10 minutes of upper body strength. This evening I did LMR Upper & Lower Body Foam Rolling.

Carolyn-Great job with Low Impact Sweat, workout one and LMR Anytime Mobility bonus.

Cathy-Great job with STS Disk 39 Meso 3 Week 3 Legs. That’s really good that you can still squat what you did in 2009.

Diane Sue-Great job with CDorner Step #439 and LMR Yoga.

Valerie-I’m glad the kitty is settling in better now.

Hi to Shannon
 
Just finished STS Disk 34 the last Chest and Back workout. Getting lots of messages from Derek. LOL Last night he was shopping at Walmart to get things like a bed, lamp, etc. And I got where are the light bulbs? One, I never shop at Walmart, so I haven't even a general idea. Then he found them, but they didn't have the wattage the box said it needed. So, I started looking at conversion charts LED to regular and had him get the next brightness down. He did get it put together by himself, though I knew from the pic he stood on a folding chair at one point. At least it's a sturdy chair and I may have been known to stand on them myself. This morning he's shopping for groceries and literally going up and down every aisle. LOL

Diane Sue that's always been my fear that even if I got it over my head I wouldn't be able to get it back off again. I love waterfalls!
 
I lost use of the barbells because DH keeps them loaded with plates. too much work to unload them and then load with what I need, and then repeat the next day. as soon as I unload, he reloads. ugh. at this point I don't want to buy another bar and more plates. I like dumbbells better. yesterday I did a 20 min spin and then 2/3 of Stacked upper body. I went thru all 3 sets once but increased the rep count by half. saw time getting short and I needed to get therapy work in there too. that's such a good workout for me, and nothing I have to modify or be careful of.
this morning we timed it right and went to the park for our walk and did it in 1 hr 7 minutes instead of 1 hr 20. skipped the bathroom stop, and didn't look for birds on the water. windy and choppy. hard to see anyway. the wind came up and it was clear rain was coming. we got done without getting soaked and did groceries on the way back.

cathy this shelter doesn't say anything about" outdoors. a lot of people here live on acreage so its not like city traffic and houses right next to each other. we will have no issues keeping this cat indoors but it seems DH doesn't like having a cat underfoot all the time. not too sure this will work. its good to know he will get another chance if it doesn't.
 

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