JCC 2020 Fitness Goals

3 deer were out on the ice today. I was walking across the river when I saw them ahead of me, crossing my path a couple hundred yards away. They saw me when I was about a hundred yards and all 3 just stopped and looked at me. I kept walking steady and quiet, and got within fifty yards before they bounded away and ran like deer. Those are beautiful animals, and the way they run is sublime.

 

No deer today, but one big red-headed woodpecker the size of a crow was working on a tree trunk.

 

Tomorrow is reserved for yoga and walking. I need a "rest" day. Sunday I'd like to do a relaxing 8 miler. The weather today was amazing. Yes it was warm, but I like warm. Shorts, t-shirt and sweat! I only had time for 5 miles today, but that's a decent amount.

 

It's getting to be perfect jogging weather in the UK. Definitely trying to give other people as much space as possible, and they're doing the same. At the moment I'm assuming that running won't be banned here in the near future, but seeing how Italy are starting to move in that direction, I've dug out an old rebounder. Hopefully the springs are still good, and even more hopefully I won't need to use it.

 

I walked in the woods again today, but I couldn't go out on the river. It rained last night then froze hard, so the ice is way too slick for walking, especially when it's as windy as it was today. On the plus side, I got an upper body workout using a shovel to chip away at the ice on the driveway.

 

Very nice 8 mile run this AM. I was nervous, I definitely had feelings that maybe I shouldn't be doing it. I did have to run on the grass or the very side of the path a few times. Sometimes two people would be walking together and wouldn't go single file so we could get the proper distancing. Some people still don't get it. So it's impossible to stop thinking about the virus, almost no matter what you do, even running. I felt amazing when I walked in the door knowing I accomplished my goal today. Hope everyone has a great day.

 

To be fair, I think according to the WHO the airborne threat is very slight (limited evidence supporting this route of travel as being significant). Obviously if those people sneeze or cough at you, you're kind of screwed, though.


Like many of you, I've been trying to cope with all the gyms and fitness venues being closed. I've been going for morning jogs, though it was a bit jarring at first for my knees to get back into that kind of impact exercising. I've started using my heavy bag in my apartment again too to at least try to continue my MMA training. Last year I had to stop using the heavy bag because the neighbors didn't appreciate the reverberations and sounds. Both of us were pretty nice about the situation, which is why I decided to just start using the gym heavy bag studios instead.

I'm hoping that they'll be understanding with everything that's going on. But maybe I should write them a letter or something to apologize for the noise and convey attempts to minimize my training but that I have no other option at the moment.

My main concern here is that all of this is cardio training and no weights/resistance training. My friends offered me their pull-up bar, so maybe I'll pick it up one day (they live about 40min away, but at least tolls are currently suspended).

How are you all doing yoga from home? Is there a Youtube channel you're following? I've been wanting to try Yoga for a while.

 

Still no walking on the river today, too slick and too windy. 3 deer were in the woods; they saw me first and all I saw was a quick glimpse of 3 white tails disappearing behind the trees.

 

So, I usually get all of my exercise from walking a bunch, but that's not really an option right now, so today I did my first 30 minute cardio workout since, like, high school gym (I just picked a well-regarded beginner video on YouTube).

Anyway I kind of felt like I wanted to die, but I made it. Now to do it again tomorrow.

Incidentally I appreciate any tips for equipment-free stuff anyone can offer. All I own is a yoga mat.

 

I strongly suspect that the UK will be placed on lockdown over the next couple of days. Since I can’t run outside, I’ve been trying to exercise indoors. I don’t want to make too much noise for my neighbours, so I’m sticking to push-up variants, sit-ups, tricep dips and squats.

I have been recommended a book called Solitary Fitness. The book was written by a prisoner (Charles Bronson) who has spent much of his life in solitary confinement. Bronson has performed incredible feats of strength and fitness despite being limited to such a small space. I’m not endorsing Bronson as a man, but the book may be relevant to the current situation.

 

Trying to stay healthy, sane and not be an overreacting jerk....



Stretching, PT exercises and juicing and water. And getting back to drawing...

 

I've been sustaining myself on a diet mainly comprised of green smoothies lately (spinach, kale, greek yogurt, banana, avocado, almond or soy milk, oranges/mandarins, blueberries). Really delicious, fast, cheap to make, and filling. But all this indoorsy stuff has sharpened my sweet tooth, so I find myself raiding my Nutella and chocolate cache with increasing frequency.

This morning I did a full heavy bag workout (neighbors be damned for now, I suppose) in addition to interval push-ups and crunches.

 

That’s the UK under lockdown. We’re allowed out once a day for exercise, but groups of more than two will be dispersed. I don’t know if I’m comfortable going out for a run. I can imagine that running at pace and sweating will be heavily frowned upon. I’m going to make the best of this bad situation and focus on my diet, developing my core strength and body weight exercises.

My job is considered an essential service, but I think that we’ll be limited to only the most essential tasks that present themselves, so I’m unlikely to get much exercise from work.

 

So, all I needed to be more physically active was for a global pandemic to enforce working from home and free up 3-4 hours a day.

 

7 deer in the woods today, running across the trail in the woods about 20 yards ahead of me. Later I saw 1 standing alone, don't know if that was #8 or one of the 7 coming out of hiding.

The walking trail is getting pretty bad. It's been a little above freezing during the day, then a hard cold snap at night, so the snow gets wet and then freezes hard as concrete and slick as ice. If it gets any worse I'll have to stay on the pavement.

 

I'll admit being sick and stressed past few months has not worked in my favor for losing weight to try to join the army. Now the gyms are closed I got to just be at home, but everyone is having to deal with that. So how about a 30 day or rather starting today going into April workout regime? Like 30+ days? I'm just tired of looking at myself and just seeing "fat". That's all I see. So it's time to do something with it.


I tried following one vid before this, but start off with this video. Least I'm starting with it. It's basically like the app I have which I haven't used in a long time.


Or even though this is the fitness thread, should we start a quarantine fitness challenge thread? Like who can get better as time progresses? I'm thinking about it. I just think helping others will help push myself.

 

It's a nice idea, but I think there's a danger that by going competitive, people might push themselves too far too fast. As I bounced up and down on my rebounder I was reminded that any injury I do to myself that requires medical treatment would be adding to the workload of an already overburdened hospital staff. Everybody needs to take things at a pace that is right for them, and is safe for them.

 

The best type of challenge for us all to challenge ourselves to remain active and eat relatively healthy. Those things are always important and this is not making them easier. I'm lucky that I have a place to exercise in my house, but you really don't need much space. I watched a YouTuber blog her and her husband's typical day during the shutdown and they simply moved their coffee table, put on a free YouTube video and got some exercise. And they live in a pretty small LA apartment.

Been really lucky here with the weather. Yesterday was the only rainy day so far, but rain again tomorrow. Today it's really nice. I ran before I logged into work and both my son's joined me for a walk at lunch time. Eating is what's hard for me and being stuck at home and not stress eating, well some days are better than others.

 

We got 3 inches of fresh snow here last night, so I tried walking on the river again. It wasn't too good, the ice is still pretty slick under the snow, but the wind had calmed down so I went out anyway. Stumbled a lot, but I never fell.

 

Very well said.

The stress eating is brutal here. Trying to keep the vegetables and fruit available.

Now to stretch more and actually go upstairs to do my eye exercises (There is no room down here for them) and do the stairs.

Hope everyone here is okay.

 

Weather has been warmer, snow is getting softer and easier to walk on. Probably won't be long before the ice on the river gets too soft to walk on, but there are clear places where I can see the frozen bubbles and cracks, and it's still over a foot thick.

Four deer today, and three deer yesterday. One was standing on the trail when I came around a curve in the path. It lifted its head and looked right at me from less than ten yards away. I stopped and it froze and we stared into each others' eyes for several seconds, then it huffed and bounded away. I wish I could move like that.

 

One bad thing about my brother being quarantined to the basement (don’t worry he was tested he doesn’t have Corona just the normal flu) is that I can’t work out in the work out room my dad and me set up a few months ago. I don’t want to spend that much time outside exercising so hopefully I haven’t gained to much weight.