Wednesday 24 June 2015

Are YOU fit?

I really haven't been exercising very much lately due to various aches and pains and probably lack of motivation as well but I saw the end of Dr.Michael Mosley's The Truth about Exercise last night which I had seen before and was very impressed with, so I put the pedometer on today and am trying to get back my exercise momentum. As I am sure you all know, we need to walk at least 10,000 steps a day to be relatively fit and this is something that I have not been doing lately and am certainly noticing more stiffness. So I was wondering how fit my readers are or am I the only one who has been remiss in this area?


 As a result of the findings from the TV series, Dr.Mosley now has a website Fast Exercise where you can read more about what he discovered. Just note that it is not a good idea to start this form of exercise if you have any medical condition and should check with your doctor first and personally I won't be doing it at my age. 

As I said, I put on the pedometer which is actually new as I dropped my old one in the toilet. Oops! That was the end of that one! I did walk a few thousand steps before going out with my son and when we went past a park with exercise equipment that our local council has just completed I just had to stop and try it out.


There is quite a variety of equipment there including this one which firms up the flabby arm muscles....eventually :-) One can only live in hope.






The leg press is easy to use and the aerobic walker was my favourite but I was swinging away so much that my son said to take it easy as I hadn't exercised for a while and he was right. I did feel a few twinges tonight.


As well as the adult exercise equipment there are plenty of activities to keep the children occupied
from slippery slides on the dinosaur...


...to climbing up and down and getting lots of exercise. My granddaughters would love this particular one....



 ...to practising to climb Mt.Everest on the Climbing Wall.  Well kind of :-)


 Our local council has done an awful lot of work on this park and it is a credit to them and much appreciated by those who live in the area I am sure. When I drive past I often see children from local schools exercising there with their class during school time. This park used to be an off-leash park where dog owners could bring their dogs and take their leash off for them to run freely. It is illegal in our city to have dogs outside their yards without a leash on after a lady was killed by a dog years ago.



So now the off-leash park is in a fenced area across the road. What a great idea to have it fenced especially if you have a very excitable dog who could run off and perhaps cross the road and be hit by oncoming traffic. So if anyone is reading this who lives locally and would like to take advantage of the facilities this park is now offering then it is worth the drive...or walk...to have a look at it. There is also a barbeque and picnic area as well as toilets and the littlies are also catered for as there is a sand pit running the length of the children's play area as well as suitable swings. I can't wait until my grandchildren come down from the Outback so I can take them there.



The park already has a number of established trees but many more have been planted recently which will only add to the appeal in the years to come.

I don't know what it is like in other countries, but in Australia we tend to criticise all forms of government whether it be local, state or federal. Perhaps it is a throw-back from our convict past or perhaps it is just plain bad manners. However, our council has done a wonderful job with this park and I am going to write them a letter soon and tell them so.

However the words of Dr.Mosley are still ringing in my ears from his TV series:

'THE CHAIR IS THE BIG KILLER'. 

So...I expect to be doing some more exercise at the Black Gully Park in the future and before you know it my pedometer will be registering 20,000 steps a day. What do you do to get fit?



27 comments:

  1. Yep, I sit in an office 7 hours every day. All my steps (NOT 10,000) are usually done before and after work. :( I am not fit as I should be... Mister and I both need to get back into our workout program. Love the park pictures! Such a pretty place.

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    1. It is hard when you have a sedentary job, Joyful. Wearing a pedometer is a good motivator to get up regularly and walk around though if you are able to.

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  2. What an awesome park to have close by. I wear a fitbit and since i sit at a desk for 8 hours a day i average about 6000 during the week and 10-12,000 on weekends. Im really pleased that my resting heart rate is between 75-85 and that my bloods dont show any issues. I am however extremely overweight and so must do more exercise. Our pool is re-opening in a few weeks after being closed for three years. I cant wait for the water aerobics classes to begin. Less chance of hurting myself. Am i fit? Apart from the weight and my stupid feet and ankles i dont think im too bad. I can work all day outside (last weekend was a wood chopping/gathering marathon) with very little aches the next day. I do know that i am stronger than most men.

    I must do more though and i must lose weight! I must, I must, I must!.

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    1. Now Lynda you know what you need to do to lose weight don't you...just give up sugar! LOL!

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    2. Oh goodness, that was 6000 a day and 10,000 a day - id hate for anyone to think i only do 6000 steps in a week. I'm not that lazy. One doth protest too much. I obviously think i need to defend myself so i guess i am feeling guilty about not doing more. Oh Dear.....

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    3. I thought you meant per day, Lynda. I am sure nobody would think you were lazy. ;-)

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  3. You might see my husband at that new park, as he's had his eye on it for his Army Reserves training! We are both in our early 40's, and it took me a while to get back into shape recently. I think the older you get, the harder it is to return to form. So it's more important to keep active every day, when you don't have the boundless energy of youth.

    We have a saying in our house now - don't go two days without regular exercise. You can miss a day if you need the rest, but don't come to expect two days off. Unless you are bed ridden, that is. ;)

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    1. It is a great park, Chris and it would be good for Army Reserves training I am sure.

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  4. I am reading this from my chair Chel and feeling guilty. I haven't walked as much as I should have lately so thanks for the reminder. I also enjoy Dr Mosley's shows but missed this one. The park is a great facility for your area and hopefully will be well used.

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    1. Hutchy, I love Michael Mosley's TV shows as they are very informative. Don't feel guilty as it is hard to be on the computer and not sit down unless you have a purpose built desk that goes up and down.

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  5. I never make the 10000 mark, a sedentary job, but after hearing and reading lately about just standing at your desk is better than sitting. It works, I find it uncomfortable to sit for too long now and work standing up as much as possible.

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  6. oops forgot to mention, the park is great, wish we had one close by.

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    1. It is a fabulous park Deb and is within walking distance although I don't know if I would make it back home again if I did walk there as it is uphill on the way back. :-)

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  7. yes Chel, exercise is on my mind at the moment. Damp, grey drizzly winter is doing me no favors. I really need to strengthen my body and core muscles. I have been so tired and run down the last few weeks I feel especially terrible. We do have a rowing machine of my husbands as he used to be a serious rower many years ago. I may have to move it to the "games room" and spend 14 mins out there a night. xx

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    1. It is easy to let exercise go when you have little children, Emma. I did the same thing but it would be better in hindsight if I had kept up some form of exercise.

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  8. I do think about exercise:) Over the past couple of months a neighbour and I have begun walking twice a week and I detect a difference. Clothes are loser! And I feel much better for walking out of doors. Unfortunately once summer arrives again it will be too hot to take these walks.

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    1. Yes it is harder to go for walks in summer, Shirley. Last summer I would wait until the sun went down but while it was still light to go on my walk so that I didn't do more sun damage to my skin.

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  9. I am not as fit as I would like to be. I spend way too much sitting and spending time on the internet, I think they should make it less interesting so I can grab my life back. I need to start limiting my time on here, which I started today after I read your post Thank you for the reminder to keep moving.

    I have been busy as a bee all day, just popping on here every now and then when I had a cuppa. When my cuppa was finished, I got up and did some more. I feel like I have achieved something.

    I think I would on my busy days step over 10,000. I did have a counter once and went over all the time. I am only a teeny bit overweight (about 5kilos) so I am happy with that. I have not put any weight on in ages...But I am definitely not fit as in exercising fit. I am going to start walking again as soon as the sun comes out to play which hopefully will be tomorrow. In the meantime I am up and down a ladder with hubby putting the final touches on our shed ~puff, pant~lol!

    Love that park, wish there was one like that here.

    xTania

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    1. I remember the photos of your walks with your hubby and you were wearing your hat with the corks or something like that to shoo the flies. LOL! Every little bit of movement helps doesn't it?

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  10. Here I sit having my morning coffee as usual. Takes me a while to get going. I am not fit but have been trying to change my habits lately. I decided to see a naturopath in order to give me the kick I need. I am starting a no nightshade/dairy food for a month and then after the month I am supposed to try something and monitor how I feel. I will see her again in August. I have put myself in such bad shape and it is going to take time to get my system back in order. This past winter was terrible and did not help matters. As well as diet I will start walking again. I have an old tred mill in the basement that still works so I really do not have any excuses.
    I would love to live into my 80's at least but if I do not change my lifestyle my retirement years are not going to be very good.
    Would love a park like that around here. I think even my DH would do it.
    Thanks for sharing. (aka krystals from nova scotia)

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    1. Hi Krystals, it is important to keep moving as much as we can according to all the health reports as the couch and chair aren't good places to be sitting in for long periods at a time apparently. It is not always easy to exercise but my oh my, I do get stiff if I give it a miss for long periods of time.

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  11. Good reminder to stay active, my weight gain came to me a little here and there till one day I looked in the mirror and saw a fat old lady!! Hubby and I are doing our exercise together this summer (in part) as we are calling it 'walking and weeding' - we are walking 2 miles together 3 days a week. It does help to have a partner to keep you going! Then bending over weeding, some of the weeds have pretty good roots and I think of it as strength training! Actually lost 12 lbs so far - slow and steady wins the race - yes?

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  12. Kathy, that is the best way to lose weight and get fit. Heaps of people lose a lot of weight quickly only to put it all back on and more for some reason.

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  13. My staff lent me a pedometer yesterday - amazing! They have challenged me to 7000 steps daily for a week then 10000 daily after that. Nailing it.

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    1. Phil, we had a 10,000 steps a day challenge at work when I was in the workforce. I didn't join up but it seemed to be a lot of fun for those who did.

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  14. Chel,

    I'm very fortunate. We live metres away from the bush and I have four daughters still living at home who like to exercise, and also an active dog. We all run together along the bush tracks. I think if I were at home on my own I might not be so motivated to keep moving so I'm grateful I have lots of exercise partners!

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    1. Sue, I am sure that walking a dog would be great exercise. When we had our dog years ago he would have us running as he would pull the leash all the time.

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