Shaping up for summer

[candidrachel]

I know this doesn't exactly have anything to do with photography unless we all took before and after shots (which isn't what I want to do) but does anyone want to join me in our quest to shape up for summer??

I did another 60 lenghs of the local pool again today! Goal is to lose 1 stone (14 lbs) by July.

[Caitak]

I've been taking advantage of the somewhat bright weather and have started going for some walks recently. Must've walked a good few miles this weekend alone.

Next week I'll be helping out on a farm which basically means very long days, mostly on your feet, running around fields and chasing sheep, haha. Last year I was there for two days and it took me a week to recover but I felt really toned afterwards - this year I'll be there for a week and I may just die!

Good luck with your swimming.

[candidrachel]

Walking is great exercise! I love going on really long circular walks. Trouble is I can't find anyone to go with so sometimes I go alone and it can be a bit scary and some places are so remote but on the other hand so tranquil with only me, my camera and bird song for company.

I recently joined a gym and I do 20 mintutes on the treadmill, 10 mins bike, 10 mins cross trainer, 4 sets of 250m rowing machine, walking lunges, bench press, lat pull down, russian twists, russian chair, sit ups, plank, leg raises and leg curls. The first time I did it I was foaming at the mouth, felt really sick afterwards and it nearly killed me but its amazing just how your body adjusts.

[Caitak]

I'm lucky here because although it's a relatively small island, it doesn't take more than a few minutes to get to some woods, a beach or some fields and there are some really good walks you can go on following set paths. In the past they weren't very well maintained but in recent years they've got them under control.

Beaches are really great for exercising your legs, especially if you're walking on soft sand - you sort of sink into it and have to use twice as much effort to get anywhere. Scrambling over rocks is good fun as well.

I'm really hoping that having a new camera will inspire me to go out on some more walks. My husband is really into his amateur radio so we quite often end up parked up by the sea somewhere and I usually sit in the car and read, hopefully I'll be able to take advantage of those trips and snap some pictures as well as getting a bit more exercise.

I normally feel a bit limited about where I can walk to because my favourite beaches are only accessible by car and I don't drive, but the closer ones aren't too bad either. I know what you mean about walking alone as well, I'd hate to be out walking alone and have something happen and but stuck, especially as the places with the nicest walks often seem to have the worst phone reception.

Sounds like you're having a good workout at the gym. We used to have a treadmill and it amazed me how within a week of getting it I was able to push myself further and further and after a while the warm ups which exhausted me at first barely broke a sweat. It's nice when you feel like that though, like you're achieving something.

I'd definitely like to get fitter but I think living here (the gym isn't brilliant and the pool is tiny and usually full of kids) walking is probably the best I could do at the moment. Though I do occasionally crack out the wii fit because that makes me feel like I've actually done something as well.

[RLucas]

I really just want to start training in Aikido again! That whipped me in to shape in about 3 months.

[andyw]

I walked to my car - does that count??

[mshockley]

I'm in! I don't know anyone who wants anything to do with me and working out. Over the course of the last 16 months I've lost 108pounds and trained for a Triahlon, BUT, shortly after that, I had to have foot surgery-now walking around with 5 screws in my foot--and have been told not to even think about running. Soooooooooo, I swim and I bike, but I still need to lose about another 60 pounds!! So y'all can imagine just how fat I was. It's no wonder my foot went to shit

In any case, It's not like I'm Queen of the Gym--I mean seriously? I'm still 60 pounds overweight! So I would love to meet some people who are trying to get in shape/lose weight!

How do you plan to keep this thread alive?...lol...

[RLucas]

Originally Posted by mshockley

I'm in! I don't know anyone who wants anything to do with me and working out. Over the course of the last 16 months I've lost 108pounds and trained for a Triahlon, BUT, shortly after that, I had to have foot surgery-now walking around with 5 screws in my foot--and have been told not to even think about running. Soooooooooo, I swim and I bike, but I still need to lose about another 60 pounds!! So y'all can imagine just how fat I was. It's no wonder my foot went to shit

In any case, It's not like I'm Queen of the Gym--I mean seriously? I'm still 60 pounds overweight! So I would love to meet some people who are trying to get in shape/lose weight!

How do you plan to keep this thread alive?...lol...

I just want to say that is awesome! Not the foot thing, that sucks, but the weight loss! Congratulations!
I am about 50lbs over myself now. I've been as low as 185 and as high as 285. A roller coaster most of my life.

[BuddhaPi]

I'm more concerned about getting my 400 chloesteral level down a bit, I'm a walking timebomb, or so I've been told.

[candidrachel]

Yeah colesterol is a worry. One of my aims is to lower my BMI right now its around 30 and to get to "ideal" for someone my height which is 5'4" it needs to be around 25.