Woke up with the snuffles today, dragged my ass to the gym for a circuits workout, decided to try a few laps in the pool before I treated myself in the whirlpool Spa...... and swam a WHOLE GODDAM MILE!!! I feel awesome. but still snuffly.

Wow. I know you're a good swimmer, but I can't wrap my head around me swimming a mile. That's so far.

I swam a mile today, too :)
(I bet it took me longer than it took Monster, but I don't care. I did it.)

The thing I've discovered about Zumba is that you get out of it what you put into it. If you make big movements, shake your hips, use your arms a lot, and lift your legs high instead of shuffle around , you get a higher burn rate than someone who just "goes through the minimum motions". As I learn the routine, I get more out of it since I'm not missing half the steps or standing for a few seconds to figure out the move they're doing, I can just do the dance and concentrate on more overall movement.

Our teacher is a tiny little thing that shakes her butt the whole time like she's doing a fast belly dance routine. :eek:

Right, and that's the thing -I wasn't right up there with the master wigglers, but I was able to hop rather than walk each step for the full 60 minutes and not be out of breath. sweating, hell yes....

I'm already a little bored with it though.... may try a different class in the hope of different routines.....

That's what I try to swim almost every day in the summer, so it's not like I just hopped in and hey, whaddayaknow, but I was feeling snotty this morning and that's not usually a good sign for a good swim. So I surprised myself. It took me a little longer than usual -50 minutes instead of 45, and it was half breaststroke, half freestyle.

Back to sneezing and sniffling now, though -it was no miracle cure....

yay you! you only did your first mile a few weeks ago, didn't you?

I probably misunderstood you somehow. I went back to read but I'm too darn tired right now to really see things clearly. I wasn't purposely trying to be patronizing. I often upset people without realizing how my tone of voice or words could be offensive. So that I could avoid it in the future, I would be grateful if you could tell me how's that I was being patronizing.

I wasn't complaining, yet you tried to "fix my problem". And also offered advice on something you're clearly not overly familiar with. And the age comment.... well let's assume you misunderstood my post. tell me what you meant by this? There are very few occasions when comments about age not meaning anything are not patronizing.

I joined our local rec center, too. I want to get my stamina back, so I can go on long hikes the way I used to. I'd also love to be in good enough shape, so that I could start cross country skiing again next winter. Also want more upper body strength. And last, but not least, I'd like to lose weight!

I started out slowly - a half hour walking at 3 mph on one of those machines. I was tired for two days after that, I'm so out of shape. But I persevered and today on my 8th visit, I walked 3.4 mph on a slight incline for 45 minutes with no problem. May not seem much to the rest of you, but for me its huge - I can't tell you the last time I was fit and exercised regularly, but its been a while. I plan to branch out to the other machines as my stamina returns and add some swimming once I can fit back in my swimsuit.

I'm really glad I kicked my butt off the computer and the sofa to get started on this. I am already feeling better and have lost a couple of pounds!

Good luck to everyone with your exercise programs!

That is huge, Sam. It is amazing how fast you improve when you get into something regularly. Do you do anything else there? Any other machines? what facilities do they have? I get bored so easliy during exercise, that's why i chose this place -classes are free and drop in so i can chop and change, and there are various levels offered when one size doesn't fit all. i used to go with a friend to the Rec center and we'd do 30 minutes on the eliptical, 30 minutes row, 30 minutes circuit and then 30 playing badminton. that was great -we gossipped the whole time and i got so fit so fast ...but then she got a full time job.

I misread that you plateaued but apparently I am wrong. As for the age comment, you mentioned you participated in a class with others the same age. You are fit, so there is no need to join classes with people the same age. But as you pointed out, I am making comments on something I know nothing of. I have never joined a gym, so I don't understand the classes they offer there. I had no right making comments. If I did not say it, I apologize for offending you. It was not my intention. Perhaps I perceive age differently because I am not married and have no children. To me, age doesn't mean too much but a number. Of course, there are changes in our bodies with the years, but how strong and healthy it is depends on how we take care of it. Of course, that's just my viewpoint, and I shouldn't have imposed it on others. Again, I am sorry.

Yes, a couple of months ago I suppose.

It's interesting to see how long it takes you as the only other person I've been measuring myself against is Pool Boy™ who is a 20-something year-old competing open water swimmer who takes six strokes to get from one end of the pool to the other where I take 18 :eek:.
It takes me about 1 hour 5 minutes to swim a mile, so I think I can be quite proud of that (being 52 years old, of which I spent 51 years as a couch potato :o).

Lola it's done. It was only patronizing if none of the other applied, and they clearly did. Don't beat yourself up. :)

Limey, that is really fast. That's about where I started too, back when it was mostly breaststroke.

OK, so last Saturday morning I got on the scales and was horrified by how many pounds had piled on in the past few weeks taking me up to my heaviest ever, even though I was exercizing and eating the same..... So I actually put myself on a diet (unthinkable). Mostly just reducing portions, snacking on fruit if at all, healthier lunches... and I joined the gym -which had already been the plan.

I am happy to report 7 or 8 of those pounds are gone this Saturday morning. Now back to where I was after Christmas and pretty much since summer. But the jeans are still tight when they weren't before, so the excess has obviously decided to change where it sits and I need to improve ab and core strength (and have for a long while) so the aggressive approach will continue...... aging sucks, it's not fair when nature moves the goal posts! I've been plodding on reasonably happily for years around the same weight....... I guess I can expect the bifocals fairy any day now.... :lol: