Use it or Lose it (aka workout)

g121 · 2025-01-20T15:51:23+00:00

So last year my BP started creeping up. As much as I detest exercise, I acknowledged that I had to move more. So I got myself a Walking Pad &, since 2024Aug, I've been doing a 32min / 2.2mile trek 6 mornings a week. Surprising myself, I actually enjoy the 2 mile trek most mornings. A key was finding the right type of tunes to spur me on .. it was Rock & Blues at a decent tempo & volume. https://www.chosic.com/playlist-generator/ is a nice tool finding “similar songs” .. here's today's workout playlist: Ike & Tina Turner - Baby Get It On https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDlnT7UBslw Jimmy Hall - That's The Truth https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bsZu-uJ13U Jackyl - American Band https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saWTWKIt-b8 The Zoo - Shakin' the Cage https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hso96WuuvsE Dave Helwig - On My Way Back Home https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0o_w03zW7g Silvertide - Mary Jane https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2B_VFVQkAac Ally Venable w/ Buddy Guy – Texas Louisiana https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCM00X-lmbU Atlanta Rhythm Section – Back Up Against The Wall https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4qG2-8vB98 Mike Zito – Let It Rock https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_gzd5UqFWM Shelley King – Rainy Daze https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2EtsEJ8V60

g121

ElQuintron I have a gas one at home

*snort* pull cord or battery start? : )) ..

taraf

ElQuintron It's motorized. Bluetooth app too. Just that it only has 2 controls: up and down. You can set stop points with the bluetooth app, but newer desks have buttons for the stops where you can push the button and walk away & it'll raise/lower to that height.

It's a dumb system, but it's not dumb enough I'd want to buy a new desk hehe. I'll live with it until it dies. Or until I decide I have the time to figure out how to replace the controller

Donoreo

taraf My two sit stand desks are cranks. I like the exercise and I can stop where I want 😉

markuswarren

Donoreo There are small adjustable feet so I might see how much it'll raise things up.

digitalfutur

Handy guide to not leading a sedentary lifestyle.
https://csepguidelines.ca/

Donoreo

I also have a smart watch, Amazfit T-Rex Pro, one of the features is reminder to get up every hour and walk around. I do this when I am working on something. You can use other types of apps, etc to generate such reminders.

g121

Donoreo You can use other types of apps, etc to generate such reminders.

my body gives me reminders .. it says: "time for another cup of java" : )) .

Donoreo

g121 my body gives me reminders .. it says: "time for another cup of java" : )) .

Which keeps your metabolism up 😉

ugly95

Anybody have some recommendations for back strengthening exercises?

It seems like I'm in a cycle where I wreck my lower back about once a year and can't stand up straight for half a week.

Donoreo

ugly95 It seems like I'm in a cycle where I wreck my lower back about once a year and can't stand up straight for half a week.

This could be flexibility. I used to have back problems now and then. Just one of those things, all of a sudden it would start hurting. I went to a chiropractor eventually. The traditional chiro methods did not help until one day she used her undergrad degree (Physical Education). She gave me a series of stretches to do and that was the fix. Now if I feel any type of pain, I do lower back stretches and it clears up.

There are a few easy no equipment exercises you can do if that is what you need:

1. Cat-Cow Stretch

How to do it:
1. Start on your hands and knees in a tabletop position.
2. Cat Pose: Arch your back upward, tuck your chin to your chest, and engage your core.
3. Cow Pose: Drop your belly toward the floor, lift your head and tailbone upward.
4. Alternate between the two poses for 10–15 repetitions.
Benefits: Improves spinal flexibility and relieves tension in the lower back.

2. Child’s Pose

How to do it:
1. Kneel on the floor and sit back on your heels.
2. Extend your arms forward and lower your chest toward the floor.
3. Hold the stretch for 20–30 seconds while breathing deeply.
Benefits: Stretches the lower back and promotes relaxation.

3. Bridge Pose

How to do it:
1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
2. Press through your heels to lift your hips toward the ceiling.
3. Squeeze your glutes at the top and hold for 2–3 seconds.
4. Lower your hips back down and repeat for 10–15 repetitions.
Benefits: Strengthens the lower back, glutes, and core.

4. Superman Exercise

How to do it:
1. Lie face down on the floor with your arms extended in front of you.
2. Lift your arms, chest, and legs off the ground simultaneously.
3. Hold for 2–3 seconds, then lower back down.
4. Repeat for 10–15 repetitions.
Benefits: Strengthens the lower back and improves posture.

5. Bird-Dog

How to do it:
1. Start on your hands and knees in a tabletop position.
2. Extend your right arm and left leg simultaneously, keeping your core engaged.
3. Hold for 2–3 seconds, then return to the starting position.
4. Alternate sides and repeat for 10–12 repetitions per side.
Benefits: Improves core stability and strengthens the lower back.

6. Pelvic Tilts

How to do it:
1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
2. Gently tilt your pelvis upward, pressing your lower back into the floor.
3. Hold for 2–3 seconds, then release.
4. Repeat for 10–15 repetitions.
Benefits: Strengthens the lower back and improves pelvic alignment.

7. Knee-to-Chest Stretch

How to do it:
1. Lie on your back with your legs extended.
2. Bring one knee toward your chest and hold it with both hands.
3. Hold for 20–30 seconds, then switch legs.
4. For a deeper stretch, bring both knees to your chest.
Benefits: Relieves tension in the lower back and stretches the glutes.

8. Seated Forward Bend

How to do it:
1. Sit on the floor with your legs extended straight in front of you.
2. Hinge at your hips and reach toward your toes.
3. Hold the stretch for 20–30 seconds while breathing deeply.
Benefits: Stretches the lower back and hamstrings.

9. Sphinx Pose

How to do it:
1. Lie on your stomach with your elbows under your shoulders and forearms on the floor.
2. Lift your chest off the ground, keeping your lower back relaxed.
3. Hold for 20–30 seconds.
Benefits: Gently stretches the lower back and improves spinal mobility.

10. Glute Bridges with Marching

How to do it:
1. Perform a standard bridge pose (as described above).
2. At the top of the bridge, lift one foot off the ground and extend the leg.
3. Lower the leg and alternate sides for 10–12 repetitions per side.
Benefits: Strengthens the lower back, glutes, and core while improving stability.

GoRaptors

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydT74SAts7M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZcOAQoE81A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWmGArQBtFI

https://www.livestrong.com/article/392341-stuart-mcgills-big-three-back-exercises/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHWgPPDENMo&list=PLxPA6j1VLJrcz2MV_2wibSTBUe5IWGhge

MomOfARocker

Thane_Bitter I purchased one and it arrived yesterday. I have not yet unboxed it but I bought it for the exact reason you mentioned 'limited space'. I'm not a runner and I generally prefer to walk outside but figured this would be handy for use when the weather is not so nice out and this purchase means I will have no excuses. 😄

MichelR

I walk a lot, ideally at least 8 km a day, but it varies. Sometimes it'll be just 3-4, sometimes over 20 km. Unlike mr. weather, in winter I need it cold. At -2 I'll melt (that's when I'm most likely to only do short walks). But I'll go for a 90-min walk at -20 no problem (though the other day I was getting a little too warm toward the end... maybe I should walk a little slower sometimes).

I do a morning yoga exercise before breakfast. It's just a few minutes and it's a bunch of stretching poses for the most part - i.e. not meditation or stuff like that. I use the Daily Yoga app on my phone.

I've been having a hard time getting back into working out regularly since I ruptured a tendon in my left arm in September 2023. They don't fix that save for a few exceptions, so I guess I have a monocep instead of biceps. hehe Anyway, makes it a little harder to do some of the weight exercises I used to do, and even a number of yoga poses.

I do a mix of floor exercises and weights. So, stuff like bridges, sit-ups, plank, and other things whose name I can't remember. I have some dumbbells for weights, including those Bowflex adjustable dumbbells (can from from 5 up to 52.5 pounds). The stuff I've been doing lately is getting a little too repetitive, so I'm looking at those YouTube links that were posted earlier in this thread.

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