August - part II

[merryfl]

OK - lets really let it rip for the rest of the month!

[blondie]

I am on foot right now or I should say walking and riding the bus. If I need someting at the mkt I walk down there and then ride the bus back.

Pat

[merryfl]

Really inconvenient, but very good for you, Pat. As long as it's not to hot. Keep it up!

[lynnwa]

Well this week I have walked on the tm. Back up to 24 minutes. Did breathing and weight exercises and also my pt exercises.
Dont know how long i am supposed to do the pt exercises. thought i would try to do them at least every other day.
any body have any suggestions about how often?
lynn

[blondie]

Lynn, what is pt? Forgive my ignorance. I think of pt as physical therapy. If that's what you mean, what exactly are you doing?

Merry, you just said a mouth full. I have to take the bus down to my brother's house and then walk across the street and down to his house then start watering...I try to go around 6pm when it has cooled down some. Going to the mkt, I go around 10am before the heat really settles in. I don't know exact temperature, but figure it's gotta be 100 degrees out there. Hope this heat spell passes soon. Pat

[merryfl]

Pat - be careful walking too far in the heat.

Lynn - when I was doing PT, they gave me specific instructions on home exercises, complete with pictures, etc. For my broken shoulder, I was supposed to do the exercises 2-3 times a day. When I had another problem, it was once a day. Everything is different.

I'm increasing my intensity at aerobics, and my muscles can really feel it. But, I am looking more toned and fit, which is good. I have the leg press up to 140#, and still not having any trouble doing it, so guess I will increase the weight again on Monday.

[blondie]

I walked to the post office and Albertson's yesterday morning and then rode the bus home. I went before it heated up. I then went to my brother's around 5pm to water his plants and I have to tell you, I had to wait I bet 45 min's for a bus in the heat and then bus came and it had no a/c, so I still couldn't cool off:( The sweat was dripping off my head by time I got to my brothers. I always sweat from the head. So lady like...lol I got home and it took awhile to cool down. But here I am just as purty as ever:) Pat

[merryfl]

Here you are, Pat!

[lynnwa]

Today I did the usual things. tm walking and weight and breathing exercises. Also did the pt exercises.The pt didn't tell me how often to do them. So i just thought that I would do them every other day.
You must be really glad your brother is home Pat so you don"t have to ride the bus in the heat. How far does he live from you.
I was reading about you having the blah's Merry. It reminded me of a story you posted not too long after your transplant. you had went to lowe's or home depot and had parked at one end of the store not realizing what you needed was at the other end of the store. You walked too the other end of the store and didn't think anything of it and then you realized what you had done and were so happy that you could do something like that. Long before i started posting here I used to read about all you ladie's. I remember when you posted from the hospital. Don't ask me why i remember the home depot story. I just seem to remember things like that. Hope that you are over the blues. How is your knee feeling?
Rveryone have a good week..
lynn

[merryfl]

Lynn - thanks for the reminder of my blessings BTW-my knee is all better and I'm doing fine. I moved the leg press up again today to 145#, and it's still pretty easy. I'm feally feeling the improvement in my whole body from my workouts. Life is good.

[blondie]

Merry, I laughed when I saw your beautiful lady graphic and said it was me. Big kiss on the back of your head for thinking of me that way:)

I went to po this morning and couldn't believe I had no mail whatsoever. I have been receiving returned flyers for bad addresses and didn't even get one of those. Nowwhete the heck our the checks from people for the picnic? lol I know they think they have plenty of time, but it's driving me looney tunes waiting...

Afterwards, I fiished up walking to the mkt and then back to the bus stop.

I'm thinking of getting a adult tricycle for myself and give up on my ole car. I am just afraid I wouldn't be able to ride it very far. I'd think one with at least 3 speed or more would be very helpful. Pat

[lynnwa]

Today I took a walk with husband and mopped the kitchen floor.
Pat. There is a woman on copd international who post mainly in the exercise section of the board. She has an adult trike and seems to get a lot of enjoyment out of it. Thought that you might go to the site and ask her about her trike. Her name is Sue.
lynn

[blondie]

Lynn, I used to belong to CI and really enjoyed reading and posting, but when I got my new puter, I couldn't get signed back into CI for some reason. I asked for help, but no one seems to be able to help me. Could you post there web=site for me? Thanks mucho..Pat

[maryaz]

Pat,here is the main board copd-international.com/COPD/forum.htm

You can go to the home page and go to message boards to get to the exercise board. You can post without being registered but you cannot edit post if not a member. You can email the moderators and ask for help with the signing in. They have put up posts every so often that suggests what people do that are having problems.

[blondie]

Mary thank you so much. Off I go to CI...Pat

[merryfl]

Wednesday....no gym today because I had to go to Gainesville for Clinic. I had to walk to and from the parking garage, and did a 6-minute walk at clinic, so that's my exercise for the day ;D

BTW - everything was good according to the doc.

[lynnwa]

Have done the usual today.
only walked about 20 minutes yesterday morning so didn't have a lot of time.
When i was going to that study in seattle for copd and exercise they always had me hold a dowel and lift it from hip to shoulder height as fast as i could for one minute. Any one heard of that one?
lynn

[blondie]

Merry, glad you got the green light from your doc Pat

[maryaz]

Hello ladies. I am still trying to get to exercise. I am still working at just breathing. Each day I think I will get started something else seems to come up. Think a lot of allergy/sinus issues. I got off the prednisone about a week ago. I got back on my diet seriously just over a week ago. Hope it won't be long and I get back in here.

Lynn, I popped in to comment to you. I attended exercise really regularly for over four years and then on and off, more on than off for another two and never saw anything like the Dowel. I could see it being helpful all except for the part about getting it up 'as fast as you can'. Nothing in rehab was 'fast'.

Go go girls.

[merryfl]

Lynn - I have to agree with Mary on this one. Nothing in Pulmonary Rehab is ever done quickly. It used to make me crazy when the RT wouldn't let me go at a faster pace on the TM. Stamina is more important than speed.

I can understand using the dowel as a very light weight. But if you have any amount of muscle, I think you'd do well to start with 1# dumbells or cans of soup. And lift s-l-o-w-l-y.... Fast movements only make you SOB.

[lynnwa]

Pat. Did you make it to CI?
I guess I didn't make myself clear about the dowel. When I was going to a study for copd and exercise they would have me use a dowel as fast as i could every 3 months. It was a very odd study.
You are both right nothing was fast at rehab.
Today I walked 25 minutes on the tm. Did weight and breathing exercises with 2 pound weights. Sometimes i think i need to stay with 1 pound weights and just increase the reps.
Think I will stay with the 25 minute walks for a while.
Lynn

[maryaz]

Lynn, you could be right about staying with the one pound weights for a while longer. In 2002 I started with 1 pound weights and worked up to two pound weights. At one point I thought I should be going to the 3 pound weights. I tried them and was not going too well. The RT at rehab suggested that I go back to the 2 pound weights and just do more reps with them.

You are probably on track thinking about doing that. I never did get past the 2 pound weights. From that point when I had a problem with things, I might go longer rather than raise the speed. The TM is an example. If raising the speed is too difficult, I just walked a little longer. Again that is the endurance rather than speed.

Keep up the good work.

[merryfl]

Lynn - you are doing great. 25 minutes on the TM is super. What speed are you walking? Do you use the incline? The weights are like the leg press. If you keep doing it at a lower weight, you build muscle just as well. Then when you do increase the weight, it will be easy. I set a weight that is just a little difficult. Then stay on that until it's very easy. Then it's amazing how much you can increase without stress.

Going to the gym in a couple off hours, and I'll probably check back later.

[lynnwa]

Merry.
When i walk on the tm i usually walk at 2.4 or 2.5 with an incline of between 3.0-4.0.
I did ditto today. excepted I used the 1 pould weights and did my pt exercise's.
Have a good weekend everyone.
lynn

[merryfl]

Wow...That's a good speed - I do about the same - and that's a huge incline! That would kill my legs...not to mention my lungs ;D You should be very proud that you're able to do that much.

I did my water aerobics and leg press yesterday - set the leg press at 152.5# and had no problem...it goes up at 7.5 increments (weird, huh?) I'm thinking about adding some more weight machines, but I don't know if I really have the time. It seems to take me all morning to do what I do now when you figure in drive time. I know the weights are very important because of my osteoporosis - but I hope the strength training in the pool does the same.