Cardio. Or what have you done to prepare yourself today

[bakerjw]

Ok. Physical fitness is a survival skill. Besides, you do feel better when you're body is in good shape and everything is running like it should.

So what have you done lately?
I rode 15 miles yesterday afternoon. I'm ashamed to have only done 15, but I'm getting back into cycling condition.

[Syntax360]

I run every day, whether I want to or not. I've never been the strongest or the fastest guy in any crowd, but stamina and discipline are a vital component of readiness.

[Baffled]

I am turning 52 and am in the worst shape of my life. I used to be more muscle than cardio, so the muscle is still there, but heart and lungs are whimpy.

I really need to do better. About 3 months ago, I challenged myself to do some intense dog walks with my 3 hyper brittanys, who could run for hours if I was able. I use a GPS app to track myself. I do at least 3 miles a day which doesn't sound like much but it's up and down hills in the woods and stuff.

I can definitely feel it, I'm getting better, but I have a long way to go.

[bakerjw]

Good deal. Good health is a definite survival skill. after all, it is one of the rules in Zombieland.

[jreinke]

18 months ago I bought an elliptical machine. I played with it on and off, and finally got serious in late Dec 2013. Now I get on the thing every other day for a 1/2 hour 400 calorie routine. The hard part is getting on the machine, once there the workout is no big deal. I've lost a little weight, but more importantly is what's happened to my cholesterol levels. I just had a blood test for my physical and I VERY surprised to see what the exercise did for my cholesterol. Total cholesterol down 50 points, HDL up 4 points, LDL down 38 points, triglycerides down 100 points! I should be able to reduce or eliminate both the meds that I'm on for cholesterol and triglycerides. Now I'm not going to lie to you and say that the exercise did all that, I did change my eating routine moderately. A yogert for breakfast and what ever I want for lunch. The two biggest changes were do not eat dinner after 5:00pm and switching from sour cream to greek yogert. If I eat a BIG lunch, then no dinner. These are changes to my life style that I can live with.

[Baffled]

I started to keep track of total mileage on my dog walks. In about 25 days, I've done over 60 miles, nothing awesome, 2 to 3 miles a day, but it's EVERY day - the dogs won't let me skip a day.

No s--t, I've lost about 10 pounds in that short period. My appetite is actually reduced. I feel better. No more wheezing on the hikes.

Should have done this years ago.

[bakerjw]

I was in to see my quack, er... doctor a week or so ago. He wanted to do a complete physical with blood work since I'm on a medication that can have some very serious long term side effects. Anyway, my ldl level was 166 which is considered high. At the time of my blood work, I had been on my new diet for about 8 days. Of course his response was to medicate.

WTF do they teach doctors in medical school any more? How to write prescriptions? I've already done research on statin drugs and Lipitor, as a prime example, decreases your risk of a heart attack by 1%, yet there is a 10% chance of muscle damage if you take it. But he says that I'm at risk because of high blood pressure. My blood pressure went out of control after HE gave me a prescription 3 years ago. AND that started all of my heart rhythm issues.

The thing that pissed me off is that he didn't even consider diet or exercise. With my new diet and riding my bike again, I'm losing 2 1/2 to 3 pounds a week. Perhaps even more. In less than 3 weeks, I went from 253 or so down to 242 or so this afternoon. I should break 240 by next Friday.

The new diet is very maintainable and pretty easy to follow and goes against some of the American Heart Association guidelines. The biggest thing is to get away from processed grains and sugars. My body still lets me know that it really wants easy carbs so I'll eat a few whole wheat crackers and it shuts up and goes away all content.

I'm glad to hear that exercise is helping out. Get on a better diet and exercise and get off of the drugs. No sense making big pharma richer than it already is.

[whiterussian1974]

WTF do they teach doctors in medical school any more? How to write prescriptions? I've already done research on statin drugs and Lipitor, as a prime example, decreases your risk of a heart attack by 1%, yet there is a 10% chance of muscle damage if you take it. But he says that I'm at risk because of high blood pressure. My blood pressure went out of control after HE gave me a prescription 3 years ago. AND that started all of my heart rhythm issues.

The thing that pissed me off is that he didn't even consider diet or exercise.

Yes. Med schools make Drs into Script factories. Taking a pill for every little thing is even called "the Medical Model." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_model
As compared to Hollistic Model which looks at total Risk/Benefits and treating Systems instead of just Symptoms.

[tsands974]

I force myself to run at least 3-7 miles a day at a rate that really pushes my body. I HATE running but the benefits far outweigh the discomfort. I also try to do 500 situps and pushups a day if I can work it into my timeline. For my body's sake, along with constant chiropractic appointments I try to keep my muscles tight and ever-increasing to help support my spine (bone damage in my spine prevents it from properly fitting into my pelvis). Painful process but it allows me to fully function on my own.

[Baffled]

500 pushups and situps! Are you active duty military? That sounds like my boy who is in the Infantry. Ever since he was a HS freshman, he's devoted himself into becoming a ripped animal, not in a body-building sense but in a good cardio way. The little (6' 5") s--t is all lean muscle, blond hair, a total chick magnet. He foolishly got married last fall.

It's HARD to keep up the workouts into middle age. Most of us let it go, then realize, hopefully not too late, "I am a disgusting blob and am going to die early unless I do something."

[tsands974]

Not anymore- medically discharged from injuries sustained overseas back in '07.

[whiterussian1974]

My routine is an hour of bedroom cardio 3-6 times a week. Walking 20-60 minutes 5-7 times a week. Stationary Cycling 20 min 2-3 times a week. And dumbells for upper body mixed w karate katas 4 times a week.
I only skip when my spinal injuries hurt too much to engage.

[whispershot]

My routine is an hour of bedroom cardio 3-6 times a week.

Dude! Is bedroom cardio what I think it is? If it is ... my wife wishes I did 6 hours of bedroom cardio a week!

In sincerity, I'm glad I found this thread; it's motivated me to do better. I did P90X a couple of years ago and felt great. I was in the best shape of my life (in my 40s). Sadly I didn't keep it up, so now I'm in the WORST shape of my life. I've been wanting to get back in shape, so I'm putting the computer down now to go ride my bike! (And maybe some bedroom cardio later tonight! )

[bakerjw]

Good deal on picking the cardio back up. It can certainly keep your healthy and away from the tentacles of big pharma.

[silencertalk]

I ran 5 miles this morning.

When I first started doing that a few years ago, it would wipe me out for the day and my legs would ache.

Now it is nothing and it only makes me feel better the rest of the day.

But yes, it is funny seeing these "preppers" on TV who have thought of everything and booby trap their house, but are way out of shape.

[L1A1Rocker]

No cardio for me. With my heart disease I've been diagnosed with, cardio is a big, BIG, no no.

[bakerjw]

Hate to hear that you have issues like that. I know that the days that I ride to work seem to start off really great.

[Baffled]

Update for me... Still at it. I don't run, hate it, but I walk like an idiot. If walking bores anybody, get a gun dog if you have the room, and walk them into woods and fields. They go bat s--t crazy with joy, chase rabbits and squirrels. I have shock and vibrate collars on all of them. It keeps things interesting.

I'm doing four miles every day, rain or shine. I weighed 240 pounds last December. I'm 52 YO, 6'3". My ass was embarrassing. I had blobby fat s--t on my neck. I'm now 212, eat less, feel great, put on jeans I thought I'd never wear again.

I HATE "exercise" but I now love the early morning and evening walks, and the hounds love it too. Gives us daily purpose.

DO IT!!! It's so freaking good for you, it's scary.

[bakerjw]

Good deal! Glad to hear it!

I'm down over 40# in the last 3 months. My wife and I have a tandem road bike and we go out on it almost daily. We're still on our diet and it's pretty easy to maintain it. I need to go out and buy new pants as I've not been this slim in a good 15 to 20 years.

Tomorrow I get to go back to my regular doctor. My LDL was a bit over 100 and he is convinced that I absolutely must take statins so it's likely that this will be our last meeting. Wait until I break the news to him that I had to almost completely stop taking my BP medications because they were making me almost faint whenever I'd stand up.

[Baffled]

Good on ya! If I may ask, what BP had your doc nervous? I am borderline hypertensive, usually clock in at about 130 or 135 over 75/80.

I've heard that the second number is more important than the first number. So 135/70 is preferable to 120/95... and my pulse is nice and slow even though I'm not what you'd call cardio fit.

I don't want to do BP medications, I've heard too many horror stories. Buts statins? Most of the guys I know who take them get good results with few side effects.

I'd rather not take anything at all.

[bakerjw]

I went to my doctor today and my BP was 125/60. He was very impressed by my weight loss and I am now medication free. Off of high blood pressure medications and I still get light headed when standing up.

As for BP medications.
Lisinopril gave me the Lisinopril fog. Many people also get the cough. It made me feel like crap.
Cardizem also made me feel like crap.
Atenolol, a beta blocker, killed my heart rate. Bad for cardio people.
Amlodipine wasn't terribly effective but worked well with Losartin. Both were pretty easy to tolerate. But once I lost the weight, I was light headed when standing up.

I asked about my LDL being at 106 and he said that at my current levels he won't get worried unless I approach 130.

Statins have a 10% chance of causing muscle damage. Some people are genetically predisposed to high cholesterol and medication does help them. But big pharma makes a ton of money off of fat men who don't want to watch their diet, don't want to exercise and still eat crap food all of the time. The rest can benefit from cardio and good diet. Robert is one of those terribly fit people who is predisposed to high cholesterol, so medications help him.

I have joint erosion problems so running isn't the best option for me. cycling; however, offers me great cardio with little impact. do what works for you and keeps you healthy. Great job again!

[Baffled]

Thanks, good info. I am one of those fortunates who have silly low cholesterol numbers, just a genetic thing. Thank God, or I'd probably be dead already the way I ate for years.

Funny story - in 1980 or thereabouts, they were just starting to pay attention to cholesterol. In the military, I was part of a new class of 40 or so 18 YO young men and they checked everybody's cholesterol. We didn't know what it was all about, but like most boys, bigger was better. So the results come in, and the instructor reads them out in order.

I think the number was total cholesterol. They didn't differentiate then.

"Johnson, 115... Peterson, 140... Baffled... 85"

So now I'm hanging my head in shame. But it gets better.

"Smith, 127... Jones, 184... Oh wow, Wiznewski, 380!"

Wiznewski struts and preens for the crowd. "I am the MAN! 380! Whoo Hoo!"

My guess is Wiznewski is dead by now. He was one of those guys whose body simply didn't process it correctly. For an 18 YO fit kid to have such a number was insane.

[doubloon]

A new training program that has piqued my interest

https://gfycat.com/ThatHopefulEel

[quiettime]

My house is 2 story. I do 100 "flights" up and down (almost) every day. Started with like 5 flights back in January. I did skip yesterday and Thursday and feel like a real slacker

I've started doing pushups and situps too

[D9M9TR9S]

No cardio for me. With my heart disease I've been diagnosed with, cardio is a big, BIG, no no.

Walking is the best exercise for you then. It may not seem like much, but it does help.