Getting fitter

It’s been three weeks since our gym memberships expired and I’m pretty happy with our current situation. While a member of the gym I felt obligated to go there and do exercise there instead of something I might prefer at home. This means I have more time for taking the dogs for walks, riding my bike (one I get it serviced) and mixing up my exercise while at home.

I’ve now used the treadmill three times and feel a lot more comfortable with it. The first time it felt so different from the ones at the gym and I felt really awkward on it. But now I seem to have a better feel for it and I’m more used to the controls. I’ve even tried running/jogging on it for short periods of time. I’d been doing a job on the Wii Fit program so the Scientist suggested I would find it better on the treadmill. It is easier on the joints as it has considerable cushioning with several springs on each side. Far easier than jogging in place on the solid floor. The hardest part of the jogging is trying to get going. I don’t feel I can go directly from walking fast to a jog so have to put the speed up a bit and go fast before slowing it down to a better speed. I don’t know if I will do that much jogging as it’s still a bit rough on my knees. Perhaps when I’ve lost a bit more weight.

I’ve also been using the spin bike more. I find it is better to use it for shorter periods of time right now but I’m hoping to build up stamina. My biggest thing is trying to get the seats and handlebars in the right spot as it’s quite uncomfortable to go too long with things in the wrong place.

I’m using the Wii Fit program on the Wii U once or twice a week right now. It’s not something I would depend on for a proper exercise session but it is a bit of a change of pace and it is a way for me to challenge myself against previous records. On my iPad I have an app that has exercise programs. It’s pretty basic in some ways but does include a sort of video showing how to do the exercise. Not a great one but it’s something helpful. I’m currently focusing on the abdominal muscles as they are again pretty weak. I am also looking at some online yoga and pilates programs and see if anything there might be useful.

Meanwhile, I seem to be back on the path to losing some weight while I’m staying pretty fit. I’m pretty close to dropping from the obese to the overweight category. I did this a few years ago within far less time but managed to injure myself so frequently that I didn’t keep on it and regained all I lost. Hopefully going so slowly will mean I can stick to this for the long term.