Sunday, January 31, 2010

PT Continues

It has been a great week of exercise. Getting through all of my Physical Therapy exercises each day takes a bit of determination. The exercises themselves are not that difficult or hard but they are time consuming. Each day this week, I was able to get all my PT done each day plus ride the trainer for 30 minutes each day. I also got some ab and upper body workouts in. And this weekend, I also had the privilege of shoveling lots of snow. I enjoy shoveling snow and it is also a great workout. I did not really finish getting all the snow shoveled but I did get my driveway cleared all the way down into the street and I helped my neighbor clear his driveway. It was a lot but it felt good to shovel after doing all my PT. And since I have tomorrow off due to inclement weather, I should be able to get a great workout in including all my PT, upper body, and abs.

Now that it is the end of the month, it is a good time to revisit New Years goals. So far, I have been doing quite well. It has been over a month since I had any caffeine or soda and I have finally adjusted pretty well. I no longer have cravings for the afternoon pick me up. I just drink water all day. When I cook dinner, I have a big glass of orange juice and then later after dinner I usually wind down with a glass of organic apple juice. I had been thinking about quiting soda for several years but this year it just seemed like the right time and so far, it is going well.

Another goal that is going well is eating better. I have been striving for 5 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day and only eating out once a week at the most. Getting the 5 to 9 has been pretty easy. I have a banana, granola, and organic low fat yogurt for breakfast. Then for lunch either soup and salad or a garden veggy sandwich for lunch. As a snack I have an apple and an orange and a few handfuls of mixed nuts. So before dinner that brings me to 4 servings of fruits and vegetables. For dinner we always have a few servings of fresh vegetables with whatever our main course happens to be and I usually have a glass of the apple juice I mentioned which counts as 2 servings of apples. So overall, I am doing pretty well with my diet. So far I have lost about 1.5 pounds. Once my knees totally heal, I will be able to intensify my workouts and build more muscle.

In my last blog entry, I mentioned March 14th. March 14th is when we change our clocks which will give us an extra hour of sunlight. I prefer to workout outside and this will give me more time to workout in the great outdoors. In fact, I am looking into a new type of workout called movnat. You can check it out at movnat.com Basically it revolves around natural movements and incorporates things like carrying and throwing big rocks, climbing trees, carrying logs, running barefoot, and other things. It may sound a little weird but I am looking for something different to add to my regular workouts. Erwan Le Corre is the founder of movnat and he has been called the fittest man in the world. It will be quite sometime before I can do the types of movements Erwan does but it is something to strive for.

Due to inclement weather, I have tomorrow off. YEAH!




4 comments:

allenq said...

Well….it sounds like you are doing really well with both the PT and with the diet and New Years resolutions. I have often thought about weaning myself from caffeine but have never attempted it. Sounds like it would take at least a month to make the adjustment, but, at present, I lack the motivation.

The Movnat approach sounds weird! However, ANY well-rounded approach that is faithfully applied will result in excellent physical gains, I am certain.

With all your conditioning and dieting, you are a perfect example of one who can try it and make it work!

M Rosen said...

You've been doing great with your PT! that's over 2 hours every day-- almost 3, I am sure! Keep it up, and remember those beautiful Grand Canyon Mountains-- we need to go back some day!

Dave said...

interesting. i have not looked at the website, but based on your description, movnat sounds to me a bit like how people in ancient cultures probably stayed in shape. after all, they didn't have ab machines, treadmills, nautilus, etc. they climbed tries, ran after/away from animals, moved piles of rocks, etc . . . just a thought.

Jim Rosen said...

You are right on Dave. That is it exactly it. Hunter gatherers did all those things. And contrary to popular belief, they all did not die at 30. The infant mortality rate was high thus bringing the average age down but if people made it until 2 years old, they lived long healthy lives.