With a 5-lb potato bag in each hand, extend arms straight out from sides & hold. Soon you’ll find you can hold this for a bit longer. Try to reach a full minute. Then move up to 10-lb bags, then 50-lb bags & eventually get to where you can lift a 100-lb potato bag in each hand & hold your arms straight for more than a minute. (I’m at this level) Once you feel confident at that level, put a potato in each bag.
***
It’s that time of year when people make New Years resolutions, and variations on exercise/get in shape/be healthier are common. Despite my wish to be in good shape, wishing won’t make it happen. I need concrete goals (I’ve previously written about goals here):
My resolution/goals are:
- Develop and follow an exercise routine
- Write weekly menus for my family and prepare those well-balanced, nutritious meals
- Carefully keep track of everything I eat
I’ve already been working on the first one. My family joined the YMCA, and part of the membership fee included an appointment with a personal trainer to customize an exercise program. This was a huge waste of time. Fortunately, I also saw a new physical therapist. The contrast was remarkable. My physical therapist has been working with me to find stretches and exercises that start with where I am now and will protect my joints while getting me into good physical condition. I’m already seeing progress.
I also bought a home gym. Do not pay full price if you decide to do this. Craigslist is a great place to find exercise equipment. Things tend to be more expensive when everyone is making New Years resolutions, but many people give up on their resolutions after eating tons of Valentines chocolate, and prices go back down. Here’s what I got:
The reason I chose this model is that it includes a rowing machine, which is fantastic low-impact cardio. I still have my elliptical, so now I have two cardio options.
One entire PT session was spent going through the exercise book that came with my home gym, with the physical therapist marking which exercises I should do and which ones should be avoided. It was pretty interesting to see the therapist’s eyes grow big as saucers as she exclaimed, time and again, “Oh, my! Don’t do this! It would be terrible for your ____.”
I love having my exercise routine designed by someone who knows what she’s talking about. Now I just have to put it into practice.
Any resolutions you wish to share?
∞ itis 
Love your new home gym and glad you have some professional advice to start a program that works for you. My resolution was hard to come up with. My eating and diabetes are well under control. Actually lost a few pounds in the past month. Need to continue that which shouldn’t be an issue. My resolution? Work with the boxer boy more often and start going to the mall with him to walk in the mornings a few times a week. Happy 2012!
Congratulations on the weight loss. Walking regularly should help with that, too. Good luck!
Those sound like great ways to achieve your resolution.
I belong to the YMCA too and I love it, although so far I have only been using the pool. Maybe this year I’ll try out some of the other facilities.
Swimming is great. I look forward to hearing what you think of the other facilities – in all your free time between classes 😉
Having pt go over your exercise book is fantastic. I work out at a gym and although they give you a personal trainer session once a month I find that they really don’t know how to adapt things for my medical conditions.
Amazing how those personal trainers are only educated about disease-free bodies. I’m so impressed with what my physical therapist was able to do that I think it would be money well spent to pay cash – but only to a PT who’s familiar with RA. Not all of them are.
Feel free to share about your workout routine.
Physical therapists are amazing, aren’t they? I really appreciate the work they do and that’s a great idea to involve them in your exercise regimen/planning.
Keep up the good work! I was recently looking into the YMCA too, but decided to wait until the kids are a little older to make better use of it.
Thanks for visiting my blog. Yes, physical therapists are fabulous. I’m very happy I found one familiar with what autoimmune diseases can do to joints.
YMCA – Our branch has a family dressing room with small individual rooms where families can change in private. Taking little boys into the women’s locker room (or girls into the mens) can sometimes be uncomfortable because at our branch, there are a significant number of women who run around the locker room naked. I think this is more common during the day, so evenings after work might not be an issue – something to think about, fwiw.