A "Participaction" blast from the past

A few days ago Eddy asked me if I remembered the old claymation Participaction commercials from the 1970s.  I sure do.  Here's one I found that parallels Dr. A.'s exercise wisdom. There's no magic.  Just eat less, move more and you'll turn fatness to fitness.  Do any of my Canadian friends remember this?

Great exercise advice from my trusted MD

On Friday I had a very good, long chat about exercise during an appointment with Dr. A., my trusted MD.  We talked about the generally good idea of adding extra steps to our day when we can, especially if our typical day is a very busy one.  As for an actual exercise routine for me, he suggests I start slow and do what I can, eventually working up to 60 minutes per day, every day.  (This is the same good advice that sweet Kare recently gave me here on the blog – thanks honey!)

Dr. A. recommends doing several, different activities for exercise and here’s why.  Many people pick one main thing they do for exercise.  Let’s use running as an example.  Running is great, but if you twist an ankle and don’t run for a couple of days you lose the momentum of regular exercise and can easily slip back into an inactive lifestyle.   The same thing can be said for a swimmer with a sore shoulder, or a walker with sore feet, or a tennis player with sore knees.  You see what he’s saying, right?

So, using Dr. A’s wisdom, I will mix up my cardio workout every day, thereby giving myself options so I have something to do no matter what hurts.   And let’s face it, once you’re over 40, as I am, stuff hurts more than it used to.  So every Sunday I’ll write seven daily activities on my calendar, never doing the same thing two days in a row.   I’ll start by doing what I can and soon I’ll be able to do a little bit more.  Eventually I’ll be walking Logan for one hour on a Monday, using the gym’s elliptical while watching GLEE on a Tuesday, taking a spin class on a Wednesday, swimming 1000m on a Thursday, “sweating to the oldies” on a Friday (I still have the series on VHS!), playing tennis on a Saturday and riding bikes with Eddy and Coby on a Sunday.  The idea of achieving a week like this motivates me.  It will feel so darn good.

I have a lot of love and support in my home and in my immediate family, but let me give a shout out to a few of my blogger friends who have also been especially supportive over the past few months.   KAGS, my dear friend since our early teens, this year I was inspired when you faced your own fear (the 5K.)  Your steadfast encouragement means the world to me and I’m forever grateful.  I think you know exactly how much I adore you.  Trish, who I know only via our blogs, you’ve been giving me new ways to look at food and eating and you’ve made a difference.  Thank you.  Kare, my sweet Ru-friend, your own success is such a motivation and I so appreciate the tips you give me.  I’m listening to you.  Melissa, another blog buddy, you have great advice, too (and your baby daughter is so adorable.)   Hank, my fellow Canadian, you’re doing great, keep it up!  Debbie, my newest blogger friend, thank you for your candid blog.  Sandy, sweetpotato goddess, I thank you for always filling me with positive energy here and in person.  To everyone who has ever left a comment and anyone else who pops by quietly, thanks for reading! 

Friday Confessional: Sore knees

My poor knees.  Some days they are so sore.  I can't blame them.  They've been supporting a great deal of bulk for over two decades.  I’ve damaged my knees, it’s my own damn fault and when I think about it too much I fell angry.  The damage started in high school when I played competitive volleyball, but most of the wear-and-tear is the result of two decades of obesity.  Obviously extra weight means extra stress on knees, but exactly how much more stress?  I did a big of googling and found that losing just 10 pounds reduces the force on knees by 30 to 60 pounds.  So every time I walk my knees are feeling 3 to 6 times my body weight.  Ouch!  No wonder they’re always complaining. 

This won't stop me from reaching my exercise goals.  I discussed exercise with Dr. A., my trusted MD, and he had some good advice.  I’ll share his wisdom with you on Monday.