Thin Cyster, exercise buddies?

[sonshine_rae]

I know... there is a forum for diet/exercise buddies etc... BUT

I have a good idea that not many Thin Cysters will be found in there.

I need to exercise for my health, NOT for losing weight.... in fact if anything I am trying to maintain my weight.. I don't need to lose any more (have already lost more then I gained when I was recently pg!). Currently about 132lbs (pre-preg was 138) and about 5' 10" tall.

Need to do some tone work on my stomach.. it's a little rounder then it used to be of course. But otherwise I need to strengthen my body from spending 9.5 weeks on bedrest plus.... my blood sugar and overall health is sooo much better when I am active/exercising.

I started out doing sit-ups and stomach crunches, and using my exercise ball.. tried to go walking some.... things got difficult with a new baby and I slacked off.. way off!! ...... I really really need encouragement to get on a regular exercise routine and stay on it.

Anyone else out there? Just looking for someone who understands the Thin Cyster mindset of exercise without drastic weight loss.. preferably muscle toning/slight building.

Open to TTC'rs, preggos (mild/gentle exercise, doctor approved of course), and all Thin Cysters.... looking to exercise.

~Rae~

[meganbethsmith]

Rae,

Can you get one of those running carriages and take your baby out walking/running with you? My friends have one, they take their baby everywhere in it, and I mean EVERYWHERE, hiking, running, you name it.

Also, I know a couple that takes their baby swimming, I think she is only a year old and there is a class for young babies. I don't know if the parents get any exercise out of it, but sometimes it helps just to be in the water moving around.

Other things I've thought about are joining a dance class, just because it seems much more fun than "exercise."

[bforgue]

Rae,

I think this is a good idea. I'm not trying to lose weight at all, I just want to tone up. I'm not ttc or pg but I do need motivation from other people to get me going. Right now I take country line dance lessons one night a week and I coach soccer (but that doesn't give me too much exercise). What kind of exercises do you do with your exercise ball? I have a video that came with mine but I really don't like it but I want to use the ball. Any ideas?

Becky

[sonshine_rae]

Well since I can't really run.... physically just don't have the stamina.... I think my regular stroller (that goes with my carseat) will work fine for walks.. just need it to warm up a bit outside, to take the baby out.

Don't have time for dance classes.. yet.. an neither DH nor I know how to dance at this point.. so not sure what good it would do lol.

Becky,
I just have a paper that came with my exercise ball (I got the cheap one, no cd/dvd with it lol). And do the back stretches and stomach crunches with it mostly. Just use it in various ways to stretch. Oh and I have a couple of 2lb weights that I use whilst doing some of the stretches, holding them in my hands .. that really does some good stretches (i.e. I can feel it 'pull' hehe).

I really do well when I can get out and walk, so hopefully the weather will warm up soon.. spring is on it's way ! And I was doing fairly well with my sit-ups and such there for a while.. need to get back into that. But with DS waking up in the night.. I'm exhausted by bed-time and dragging myself up in the morning to either feed him or try to shower before he wakes. So I don't know 'when' to do them anymore.... hummm

Mothering takes soo much time, besides housework (though I can claim laundry as exercise since my laundry room is downstairs hehe ).

I'd love it if we could check-up on each other and encourage each other to exercise more .
I would be happy if I could exercise at least 3 times a week more would be great!

~Rae~

[Nadalia]

I've been gaing a pound or two every here and there for a wile now and i've gained 15 lbs. I'm still thin though i was really skinny before but my weight is cathing up with me too fast and i've been trying to start doing moderate excercise but the motivation has been hard and trying to think of things that will give me results without having to go to the gym. I have a big thing comming up the end of may and i have to wear a dress and look really cute and see an old boyfriend i haven't seen in four years that i just adore. (kind of unfinnished buisness) and i really want to tone my little buda belly i have going on and just get in shape.
i'm glad someone started this on the thin cysters site.

[sonshine_rae]

Well Friday I did my sit-ups and some other similar exercises. Then I had to go shopping which meant going around Wal-Mart with a ever increasingly heavy cart for about 45mins...

which I think all the bending/lifting of loading the cart, then putting it on the cash register belt, reloading the cart, loading the car, and carrying into the house (UP the stairs)..... sure ought to count for some good exercise!

Course then my baby got a ear infection and I spent a lot of time rocking, and bouncing and walking him today.. so lots of exercise in the past couple days. I'm actually a little sore even.

Anybody else have some exercise updates?
~Rae~

[sinclair319]

I'd love to join too! I'm about 5'11" about 142 which is up 12 pounds from when we got married in Nov 03. We're TTC, so I know that I need to stay around this weight, but it came on really easily (when I came off the pill in July). I go to the gym in the mornings, my goal is 3 days a week. I could definitely use some work in the motivation department. I give myself a sticker (on our calendar) when I go to the gym so I can see when I last went (I used to think "Oh, I just went the other day" and it was really a week ago) That has seemed to really help me (and somewhat motivate me because I don't want to waste money on a gym membership I don't use)

Rae--what about carrying your baby up and down the stairs for exercise--kinda like a stairmaster?

Good luck! Let's keep each other motivated! I'm going to Florida with some girlfriends from college in 4 weeks and I really need to do lots-o-situps before I'm in a bathing suit next to them!

[sonshine_rae]

Welcome sinclair319,
the more the merrier...

So um yesterday I bounced the baby some more... but didn't truly 'exercise' specifically.. oops.

Maybe today.... it's gorgeous outside (68F) today hoping to take the babe out for a walk .

Ugh I go up and down the stairs enough with laundry lol.... not sure if I could stand the 'torture' of doing a stairmaster program especially carrying over 13lbs (baby) each time lol. Speaking of the Hampers are full again.. time to take those hefty things downstairs.

I'd love to sneak out one of these days and weed my flower beds.. that's good exercise too !

Well 'if' I'm going to get anything done whilst he's napping I'd best get to it (like um laundry and dishes.. can't go for a walk unless he comes.. and it seems like I should do the laundry/dishes before weeding lol).

ttyl girls ,
~Rae~

[sonshine_rae]

Well,
Anybody else done some exercising? Becky, Nadalia, Sinclair??

Yesterday I did a fair bit of housework and took a walk. Today I did sit-ups (20) and push-ups (10) as well as some pelvic rocking (something I learned from pregnancy) and some stretching. That was in the morning, this afternoon I took a fairly good walk carrying DS this time (yesterday I used the stroller).

I'm feeling pretty good from this 'start' in a regular amount of exercise.. now if only I can keep it up. The weather is lovely here today!

~Rae~

[bforgue]

Sorry, I've been up in Michigan visiting family for Easter and my mom doesn't have the internet. But unfortunately I have not done any exercise. I couldn't even run around with my soccer team since I went straight to practice from Michigan and I was in jeans but those kids have tons of energy. I have my line dancing lessons tonight. Last week I did laundry for practically two days straight and that includes walking up and down three sets of stairs through the house. I don't know how my boyfriend and I accumlate so much laundry but I guess it helps my legs going up and down so many stairs.

I'm very impressed, Rae with all that you've been doing. What's pelvic rocking? I don't know what the weather is like where you are but when it starts to get nicer you could set your baby in a bouncer outside with you while you weed the flower bed. Just an idea.

Jen, I know what you mean needing to do a lot of sit-ups for vacation. I'm going to Myrtle Beach at the end of May and my tummy is my biggest problem.

Have a great day!

Becky

[sonshine_rae]

Becky..
sorry you didn't get a chance to exercise while you were gone, but I hope you had fun in MI.. my Grandpa lives up there !

Guess there are many names for the pelvic rocking, depends on who your talking to, some other names would be a pelvic tilt, or cat stretch. I actually found the reference below on MayoClinic.com for back pain in pregnancy.. (note also if your pregnant and the baby is facing the wrong way pelvic tilting can help them to turn back the correct direction). But overall it's a great stretch and helps out your body a fair bit. Here's a description:

You can try an exercise called a pelvic tilt or cat stretch: Kneel on your hands and knees with your head in line with your back. Pull in your abdomen, arching your spine upward. Hold the position for several seconds, then relax your abdomen and back. Repeat three to five times, working gradually up to 10.

Well I haven't done a whole lot as yet today, it's too windy an seems a might rainy today for a walk (with the baby, if it was just me I might go). But maybe scrubbing the bathrooms will count.. and going up an down the stairs as I do housework lol. Hopefully I can get some specific exercising in later today .

~Rae~

[sinclair319]

Sorry, I didn't get on yesterday (and didn't exercise either). Monday I did 20 minutes of stairmaster, then 30 minutes of weights and 5 minutes of abs. Today I did a 50 minute kickboxing class which was great! Tomorrow my plan is to run (1.5 miles) and do more weights.

[chikilala]

After my second son, and with hypothyroidism and pcos (wasn't diagnosed until recently), I felt really out of shape, especially since my kids are 23 months apart. Anyway, right before my doctor put me on Metformin and some other wonderful drugs, I went to my doctor and got a referral for a physical therapy. I did this because of some hip pain, and with being pregnant and already having a problem with being overly flexible, my hip muscles were being overtaken by bigger muscle groups...hmmm, sounds like a good story line for a science fiction movie. Anyway, along with the pt, I joined a gym nearby that has baby care, and hired (for a visit or two, since I can't afford more) with a personal trainer. I got lucky and mine also has training as an occupational therapist. So, working with both the physical therapist and the personal trainer, I made a workout that will work on the areas that got stretched out during pregnancy, and also tone areas that got abused (how many of you hold your infant on one hip and tilt over?????). The personal trainer make the schedule very easy, so I can think of it as going at least 2 days a week for the training part, and 2 or 3 days of aerobic training (one suggestion was taking the kids in the stroller for a long walk. I have a timer thingie I put on my stroller to guage my distance, etc. Also, a pedometer, which I try to remember to wear. 10,000 steps a day and that is a workout in itself - sometimes we walk to the gym in the stroller.....

Otherwise, on days when one of them is sick or I've been up all night being barfed or snotted on, I do one of my tapes, the Veena and Neena bellydance series, the Island Girl Hula Hip Hop series, or a new one I got, Masala Dance exercise. I get the dance exercise tapes because they are a lot more interesting, and I feel like I am learning something. Also, my sons will try to follow along and it's hilarious!

Forgot to mention, don't forget to do your kegels!! I noticed that the more I do them , the more my stomach seems to be getting back to normal. Also, one book I read suggested holding in your stomach to the count of 10 every time you change a diaper. For a newborn with a max of 12 diaper changes a day, that's 120 counts of holding in your tummy. Don't know the caloric burn of that number, but it sounds good.

Good luck!

[bforgue]

Hi Ladies!
Unfortunately, I'm very easily swayed not to exercise and my boyfriend is sick so when I got home from work he was in bed and asked me to lay next to him which I did instead of exercise then to make matters worse he talked me into having just ice cream for dinner. I make it sound like it's his fault but it's really mine, anything for an excuse.

Rae, I have done those pelvic rocking exercises before and I love how they make my back feel. I agree, cleaning the bathrooms definitely count as exercising.

Jen, I'm very impressed. You sound very dedicated to exercising. I hope some of that rubs off on me.

Chikilala, how are those bellydancing tapes? I wanted to get one but I didn't know if they would be hard. I guess I should have gotten them anyways. I always thought that doing that sort of exercise would be fun and that I would want to do it everyday.

Well, tonight I'm hoping to at least take the dog for a walk, which I've never done because it's my boyfriends and he just lets him loose in the backyard. He's just a Yorkie so I don't know how far he'll go anyway since he's so little I would think a mile would feel a lot farther to him. Then tomorrow morning is my teams first soccer game. I'm very excited about that. The girls are so excited, I have a feeling it's going to be chaos at least for the first quarter. Maybe that will get me motivated to do something.

I hope everybody has a good day!

Becky

[chikilala]

Veena and Neena's tapes are considered "fitness for beginners", and are a great starting point for exercising. The two best for exercise are slim down and fat burning (it has a part with lots of jumping, so if you aren't ready for that, skip it).

I had ice cream for lunch yesterday, so don't feel too bad!