Today was another just not feeling it day. I didn't get a good night's sleep - I had just taken the foam cover off my bed so I went from a cushy bed-top to a much firmer one (with the goal of eliminating that bruised feeling on my spine). I also spent a good two hours sleeping in my youngest daughter's bed with her - that's a slatted bed frame with a firm mattress on it - so no give there. And another hour on my eldest daughter's bed with her - same format. You can also read between the lines that this meant I kept being awoken in the night, by my husband turning and snoring too. Very good night's sleep. Needless to say, I woke up very stiff this morning. Add in the cramps which were fairly uncomfortable, even painful, this morning and I wasn't feeling too great. I nearly threw up taking my seizure medication with some Advil (not a normal reaction). I strongly debated trying to do Yoga from home, or going to the gym and sitting in the steam room and sauna doing my own thing - as long as I stay active I can totally justify doing that right? And if it's in the steam room or sauna I'm still "at the gym"... No?
I opted for the hot yoga, feeling the warm environment would help with my cramps, but feeling a little intimidated by the prospect of hot Yoga when I'm feeling under the weather - last class it had been a bit more demanding than the stretching Yoga classes I had been to.
It was OK. Nothing super special, but it suited my needs. I sweat out a lot of whatever bad stuff you want to call it. I didn't go full throttle on any of the stretches, just enough to feel the workout and not stress out or aggravate my body. My cramps were mostly gone in the nice heat, but they're back this evening.
This class had far less mumbo jumbo that the previous one. She talked continuously, but it was more about different options on how to reduce or increase the stretch in the different poses, and reminding us to time our movements with our breath. For the first twenty minutes I kept checking my watch and wishing it was done, not because I didn't like it, but because I wanted to get in my 75 minutes and say I was done. This was definitely a "I'd rather curl up in a ball in the shower" kind of day. After that, I kind of got lost in the class and didn't really check my watch until the last 15 minutes as I started to realize we were winding down. I was definitely loving the heat. I even went and sat in the sauna for another twenty minutes after the class. I loved that we must have spent a good ten minutes just lying on our back stretching out the muscles and not really moving. I got my heat and my less-aggressive movements. It was a perfect choice for today.
* * *
I have convinced my mother (at 71) to sign up for a trial membership to see how she likes it, with the intention of dragging her to a few Aqua-fit and Yoga Tune-Up classes. I'm dragging her to a Tune-Up class in the morning that focuses on your hips. I wasn't horribly interested in doing that one, but my husband wants to leave early for the cottage, and if it motivates her to get some physical activity in while loosening her hip tension, it certainly won't hurt me to try it out.
Her health is not great, and the doctors have been telling her for years she needs to be more active (she hardly moves some days). With a recent health scare she is actually trying to get active now, so it's the perfect time. Aqua-fit classes are very low impact which are often good for the elderly, the water helps lend buoyancy to your body so there is less stress on the joints when you are doing the movements, and it adds a level of resistance so even doing small things like pumping your arms back and forth under the water can hep give you a decent workout when you're not horribly in shape to start with. It works well for people with limited mobility or reduced range of motion. I once took a course to become an instructor but never completed it. So I've got a lot of the principles, without the certification to actually teach it. Surprisingly, I don't think I have ever gone to Aqua-fit as a workout for myself. I love the water, it's fun, set to music, and relatively low-impact. It helps with arthritis and promotes joint mobility. I don't really have a good reason for never going. It's another one where it is a lot of older people doing the class; at least at the public pools. The one at the gym might be a bit better.
Even if my mom doesn't stick with going to the gym, I was encouraging her and my dad to do those two classes, and it gives them a rather inexpensive way to try them out and see if they want to find them somewhere else. My mom was impressed with the tour, and if she likes the classes I think she may join up as a full member. Our tour guide made a very good point; some people comment that the gym is expensive - and you know what, if all you want is the machines to lift weights and build muscles, then it is - but when you factor in all the classes (with lots of variety), the pool, the gymnasium, and the access to different services, it's not a bad price. Like I said, I initially signed up over a year ago because my local pool was closing for maintenance and it was cheaper (and had better hours) for me to go do lap swimming at the gym, as long as I went 3-4 times a week. I did, for a while. Then that also dwindled to nothing and I was paying for a gym membership I never used (which brought me to my current state of getting good use out of it for the summer).
I was ruminating today that I got my gym membership to use the pool, and I have not set foot in the pool once since my journey began on August 1st. It came across my mind as I went to take a shower and remembered how much I hate the showers there (they are too short, so I end up bending my back awkwardly - and usually hurting myself - to get my head under the water). I had been leaving still sweaty every day to shower at home. I live close by, the weather's been nice, I have nothing to do, why not? That's not going to work in the fall, or with the imminent cold weather. So I braved the shower today, and remembered I hadn't been in the pool. I should go back into doing that, or add it on after a workout, especially once I plan on showering there. It wouldn't be a stretch to throw on a bathing suit and do laps for 15-20 minutes...
It was OK. Nothing super special, but it suited my needs. I sweat out a lot of whatever bad stuff you want to call it. I didn't go full throttle on any of the stretches, just enough to feel the workout and not stress out or aggravate my body. My cramps were mostly gone in the nice heat, but they're back this evening.
This class had far less mumbo jumbo that the previous one. She talked continuously, but it was more about different options on how to reduce or increase the stretch in the different poses, and reminding us to time our movements with our breath. For the first twenty minutes I kept checking my watch and wishing it was done, not because I didn't like it, but because I wanted to get in my 75 minutes and say I was done. This was definitely a "I'd rather curl up in a ball in the shower" kind of day. After that, I kind of got lost in the class and didn't really check my watch until the last 15 minutes as I started to realize we were winding down. I was definitely loving the heat. I even went and sat in the sauna for another twenty minutes after the class. I loved that we must have spent a good ten minutes just lying on our back stretching out the muscles and not really moving. I got my heat and my less-aggressive movements. It was a perfect choice for today.
* * *
I have convinced my mother (at 71) to sign up for a trial membership to see how she likes it, with the intention of dragging her to a few Aqua-fit and Yoga Tune-Up classes. I'm dragging her to a Tune-Up class in the morning that focuses on your hips. I wasn't horribly interested in doing that one, but my husband wants to leave early for the cottage, and if it motivates her to get some physical activity in while loosening her hip tension, it certainly won't hurt me to try it out.
Her health is not great, and the doctors have been telling her for years she needs to be more active (she hardly moves some days). With a recent health scare she is actually trying to get active now, so it's the perfect time. Aqua-fit classes are very low impact which are often good for the elderly, the water helps lend buoyancy to your body so there is less stress on the joints when you are doing the movements, and it adds a level of resistance so even doing small things like pumping your arms back and forth under the water can hep give you a decent workout when you're not horribly in shape to start with. It works well for people with limited mobility or reduced range of motion. I once took a course to become an instructor but never completed it. So I've got a lot of the principles, without the certification to actually teach it. Surprisingly, I don't think I have ever gone to Aqua-fit as a workout for myself. I love the water, it's fun, set to music, and relatively low-impact. It helps with arthritis and promotes joint mobility. I don't really have a good reason for never going. It's another one where it is a lot of older people doing the class; at least at the public pools. The one at the gym might be a bit better.
Even if my mom doesn't stick with going to the gym, I was encouraging her and my dad to do those two classes, and it gives them a rather inexpensive way to try them out and see if they want to find them somewhere else. My mom was impressed with the tour, and if she likes the classes I think she may join up as a full member. Our tour guide made a very good point; some people comment that the gym is expensive - and you know what, if all you want is the machines to lift weights and build muscles, then it is - but when you factor in all the classes (with lots of variety), the pool, the gymnasium, and the access to different services, it's not a bad price. Like I said, I initially signed up over a year ago because my local pool was closing for maintenance and it was cheaper (and had better hours) for me to go do lap swimming at the gym, as long as I went 3-4 times a week. I did, for a while. Then that also dwindled to nothing and I was paying for a gym membership I never used (which brought me to my current state of getting good use out of it for the summer).
I was ruminating today that I got my gym membership to use the pool, and I have not set foot in the pool once since my journey began on August 1st. It came across my mind as I went to take a shower and remembered how much I hate the showers there (they are too short, so I end up bending my back awkwardly - and usually hurting myself - to get my head under the water). I had been leaving still sweaty every day to shower at home. I live close by, the weather's been nice, I have nothing to do, why not? That's not going to work in the fall, or with the imminent cold weather. So I braved the shower today, and remembered I hadn't been in the pool. I should go back into doing that, or add it on after a workout, especially once I plan on showering there. It wouldn't be a stretch to throw on a bathing suit and do laps for 15-20 minutes...
No comments:
Post a Comment