Showing posts with label cycling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cycling. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Getting back to exercise after a break - tips

A quick post to say I'm back
IN BUSINESS

IN THE BUSINESS OF GETTING MYSELF INTO SHAPE
and lord, i hope this time, i last longer and grow stronger in my resolve.

Didn't want to kind of set off a false alarm...waited till I had exercised three days before i started noting it down again.

So I'm back to looking at my tummy, feeling terrible etc...
I'm also slowly building up an exercise routine.
I've already skipped many days of exercise but at least there's a beginning.

I've started with
1. Stretches
2. Breathing exercises
3. Air cycling
4. Stationary cycling
5. Running up and down the stairs
6. Half stomach-crunches

I don't do all of this every day. And there are some other Asanas that I will write about later (need to cross check names etc).

Ok so getting back to exercising is a tough one, and let's admit, most of us are not consistent.
Here are a few tips to take the plunge (again!)
1. At least a week before starting the new routine, start waking up at a fixed time, with alarm each day. Getting up to exercise is the most difficult part for me. This has helped. You body automatically wakes up at that time after some time -- ur bioclock gets re-adjusted. And for a person like me, that's half the job done. If I can get myself out of the warm bed, I'll bloody well exercise.

2. Start off with the easiest and the most necessary -- stretches, loosening up, slowly building up time -- don't straightaway for for a one-hour regimen. Don't straight away take up tough ones and already get disappointed, if you're unable to do them or feel defeated even before u get into a groove..

3. Start with the familiar. Apparently the body has a memory of exercises you do. If you start doing something familiar, you'll feel better. But it also means you shouldn't get too comfy, and should gradually take on new challenges. Also if you've learnt something before, like yoga, and have an instruction manual/chart, it helps jog ur memory. You also know you are doing things right.

4. This time i tried this tip that's always suggested -- "get urself an exercise partner". Since that's a practical impossibility, what i did was come to an agreement with a colleague who also wanted to start exercising. So we text each other each morning, saying "I did it", sometimes even describe what we did in short. And, on days we don't manage to exercise too, we "report" to each other, telling each other "it's ok" but we must try to do it tomorrow etc...some group guilt, some group motivation. I think it's helped me. Today i did it because i was embarrassed i hadn't done it for three days.

5. A week before plan what exactly is going to be ur POA -- plan of action. You should have a routine vaguely sketched out in your mind. Don't stand on the exercise mat and think -- can be frustrating and time-consuming. But don't always stick to the same order. If one morning you don't feel like cycling, have an alternate exercise in mind. Don't force urself to do anything, if you don't feel like.

I'm going to be back here and posting, hopefully, regularly.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Started cycling...it's no more our clothes hanger

Today's been good. I'm feeling jumpy-nice
Stuck to my routine mostly, so feels like an achievement.

I started out with cycling today -- stationary -- of course. The exercise bike had been lying at home, most predictably converted into the clothes hanger. Found Hubby's shorts and towels and shirts clumped on it.

So after about three weeks of warming up and stretching and some breathing exercises and yoga, today I started cycling. Hoping to cycle at least twice a week. Of course, Hubby dismissed what I did today saying "You could have done much better". Thank You, old man. Very convenient for you to say, considering you've been gymming for over three years pretty consistently.

Anyway I'm not not going to let that deter me.

Started today with:
8.30 a.m -- half a mango.
10 am -- breakfast -- a veggie omlette (with tomatoes/onions/capsicum)+ two slices of 7-grain bread+ tea
12 pm -- a small handful of black currants and cashew
2.30 pm -- lunch -- 2 chapatis+ capsicum, onion and kadlebele (channa dal) sabji+ a small cup of pongal/khichdi
will hopefully have my tea by 4 :-)


I've realised that adding some kind of dal in my subji is the only way and easy way to get more protein into my vegetarian diet Of course I have one helping in the night of dal/saar/sambar but generally felt that's not enoughh so....