What I like most about exercising....

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

That's as fast as I can go on the treadmill too. Today I moved it up to 4.3 for one minute. I just read a book where it said to do a big spurt at the end of higher intensity.

I really feel like I am accomplishing something when I can jog.

[Marimaru 7]

My head is always clear when I leave the gym. I felt like crap yesterday after work and was LOOKING FORWARD to going to the gym because I knew I would feel better afterwards.

Looking in a mirror after the gym isn't so bad. The sweat of "I just worked my ass off" is an attractive thing, vs. "I'm sweating for no reason because I'm fat" or "I'm sweating because I just ran up one flight of stairs".

My 2 sisters and I are all going to the gym together. My youngest sister had a baby in January, and practically has her figure back, but she's had weight issues her whole live, and doesn't quite see that she's there. My other sister had a baby in March, and this is the first time she's ever had a weight problem, and it's been nice being able to advise her on it (holy crap, we wear the same shirt size, this if a first in my WHOLE LIFE).

I love mini goals. At first, my mini goal was to do 30 minutes on the elliptical. After that, it was making sure I did 300 calories in that 30 minutes (by the machines calculations based only on my height and weight). I hit 330 yesterday, so now my goal is 350. My goal for the weight training machines is to start to see some muscle definition in places other than the current "smaller than she was".

If your gym has exercise balls, do crunches sitting on one of those, that definitely works you hard than regular crunches.

Does anyone have an opinion on what kind of benefits a sauna has? My sisters both sit in there for 30 minutes after their work out, I can't sit in there that long, and I'm just not sure it makes that big of a difference.

[Jachut 487]

That's the thing about fitness goals - they are TRULY achievable. If you set reasonable ones, over time you can get there. It doesnt rely on being just so, fitting into a certain size, looking a certain way, none of that matters. Everybody can achieve fitness goals when they're the right goals for them.

Not everyone can go out and run every single day. People, myself included do have injuries and problems that make that impractical. But each and every one of you CAN get to the point where you will be able to run some distance and its not even that much related to your weight loss.

That's what's so good about exercise. Set the right goals and you will achieve and feel that sense of accomplishment, completely independent of whether you've stuck to your diet, whether you've lost the weight you wanted to. In fact I think that's when exercise really became a joy for me, when I stopped thinking of it as part of my weight loss efforts and viewed it as a separate thing. So I exercise whether I've eaten well or poorly that day, whether its Christmas or Easter. I never used to do that, my exercise behaviour was always linked to my eating behaviour and I was being "good" or "bad".

[TerriDoodle 6]

Does anyone have an opinion on what kind of benefits a sauna has? My sisters both sit in there for 30 minutes after their work out, I can't sit in there that long, and I'm just not sure it makes that big of a difference.

I've been curious about this too, as there is a dry sauna at my club but it doesn't seem very inviting. I've always enjoyed steam saunas though. I did a very quick search on the web and found this:

Dr Weil on sauna and your health

Question

I've heard totally varied opinions on the benefits/hazards of saunas and steam baths. What's your opinion?

Answer January 28, 1997

To me, the benefits far outweigh any hazards. If you're in reasonable health, the benefits of a sauna or steam bath are great. If you have high blood pressure or heart disease, saunas may be good for you, but you'll want to be cautious; check with your physician first, and go easy. And with either of these conditions, it's not a good idea to jump right into cold Water afterward, as Finns always do.

When you take a sauna, the heat pumps up blood circulation near the skin and stimulates sweating. The Finns say a proper sauna elicits about a quart of sweat per hour. I generally encourage sweating. It helps the body rid itself of unwanted materials and improves general circulation. In medieval times, healers relied on saunas to cure illnesses, and priests used their heat to chase away evil spirits.

In the United States there's a lot of concern about pregnant women taking steam baths or saunas. A study published four years ago in the Journal of the American Medical Association found some association between neural-tube defects and heat exposure from saunas, hot tubs, and fever during the first three months of pregnancy. (Neural-tube defects include anencephaly and spina bifida, both disastrous abnormalities.) The biggest problem was hot tubs, which pregnant women should approach cautiously.

Interestingly, though, in Finland it's not uncommon for doctors to give the OK on saunas from conception all the way up to the day of delivery - and there, neural-tube defects are very low. In fact, in Finland saunas were once a traditional place for childbirth. It's worth noting that Finnish women tend to stay in the sauna for six to twelve minutes, and they shorten that time during pregnancy. Also, saunas raise the body's core temperature insignificantly compared to hot tubs.

Finnish saunas also tend to be different from most US versions - unless these are run by Scandinavians. In Finland, saunas are usually heated by a wood stove. First there's a dry phase that can get hotter than 200° F. Then the participants splash Water on the stove and spend some time in the steam. Many US saunas employ an electric stove, which you can't put water on. So you're just exposed to dry heat, which I find irritating to my respiratory passages. Some saunas in health clubs are set to a lukewarm temperature. Turn up the heat.

Even if you're in a very hot steam bath or sauna, it's mostly the temperature of the surface of your body that goes up. As it increases, blood vessels dilate, and circulation in the skin climbs. As resistance to blood flow through your veins and capillaries drops, your blood pressure goes down. Then your heartbeat increases to keep blood pressure normal.

Finns always follow a sauna with a plunge into cold water. I find this incredibly refreshing and enjoyable, and healthy as well. Then you relax afterwards.

The main risk of a sauna is staying in too long and fainting from overheating. People who are most susceptible to this are those with heart disease or who have been using drugs or alcohol. It really isn't a good idea to combine drinking or other drugs with a sauna or hot tub. Children should not use saunas without supervision.

Also, be sure you drink plenty of water, to replace the water you're losing.

By the way, the correct pronunciation is sow-na, not saw-na.

Dr. Weil

And this is from Wikipedia:

Information in this section has not been verified against sources and may not be reliable. Please check for inaccuracies and modify as needed, citing the sources against which it was checked.

During a 10-20 minute sauna session, the heart rate increases by 50-75%. The increased cardiac load is the equivalent to a brisk walk. There is a nominal effect on blood pressure because the heat also causes blood vessels in skin to expand to accommodate increased blood flow.

Blood vessels become more flexible <SUP class=reference id=_ref-0>[1]</SUP> and there is increased circulation to the extremities. During a sauna, blood flow to the skin increases to as high as 50-70% of cardiac output (compared to the standard 5-10%). This is due to the blood vessels in the skin's surface expanding to accommodate the increased blood flow, a process known as vasodilation. This increased blood flow brings important nutrients to subcutaneous and surface tissue, promoting cellular activity and growth.<SUP class="noprint Template-Fact">[citation needed]</SUP> It is especially beneficial to areas of the skin which normally suffer from poor circulation. Along with nourishing the skin, the high temperatures also cause the skin's 2 million eccrine glands to excrete sweat to cool down the skin and blood capillaries. Research has shown that sweat is much more effective than water at emulsifying fat located in the skin's sebaceous glands, and thus at removing the sebum and bacteria lodged in the fat.<SUP class="noprint Template-Fact">[citation needed]</SUP> The vasodilation caused by the high temperatures also allows essential fluids to be transported to the skin's surface. This enhances the development of collagen, giving the skin a continued elasticity and wrinkle-free complexion.

Steambaths and saunas induce perspiring to provide a comprehensive cleansing of the skin and sweat glands. Skin is the largest organ in the body. 30% of body wastes are passed through the skin.<SUP class="noprint Template-Fact">[citation needed]</SUP> Profuse sweating enhances the detoxifying capacity of the skin by opening pores and flushing impurities from the body.<SUP class="noprint Template-Fact">[citation needed]</SUP>

When taking a sauna, skin temperature rises to 40°C (104°F) and internal body temperature rises to about 38°C (100.4°F). Exposure to the high heat creates an artificial fever state, a process known as hyperthermia. Fever is part of the body’s natural healing process. Fever stimulates the immune system, resulting in increased production of disease fighting white blood cells, antibodies and interferon (an anti viral Protein with cancer fighting capability).<SUP class="noprint Template-Fact">[citation needed]</SUP>

Steam inhalation is an excellent treatment for many respiratory problems. For example, the moist air in saunas can relieve throat irritation. Steam also loosens secretions and can stimulate discharge of mucous from the lungs and throat, giving relief to sufferers of bronchitis. Finally, steam can also aid sinusitis by relieving congestion and inflammation of the upper respiratory mucous membranes. An occasional secondary occurrence caused by breathing in the steam-- In some cases and with some people, if they have a weak respiratory system, example; the infection of a common cold or sore throat, may be carried into the lungs causing it to spread. This is uncommon but does occur. However, to counter this from happening a small opening for the head in the wall of the sauna at the level of the seat will allow the persons head to be outside the sauna (on a small shelf) and thus the benefit of the 38°C (100.4°F) still takes place without the fear of increasing the infection.

The heat also kills all kinds of bacteria and insects, e.g. lice. This knowledge was used widely during the Winter War and Continuation War when Finnish troops were forced to sauna (although the unclean conditions in the field made it unnecessary to force them). While the men were in their sauna, their equipment was in another. This cleansed both very effectively while Russians had problems with many diseases.<SUP class=reference id=_ref-1>[2]</SUP>

However, it should be noted, people with heart problems may be at risk due to blood pressure unpredictably rising or lowering after using a sauna. People with stable coronary artery disease are generally safe in a sauna, but people with uncontrollable heart problems may be advised to stay away from a Sauna by a doctor in order to avoid possible complications. People with autoimmune disorders may also be at risk.

[mypov 0]

My husband works evenings/nights and pre-surgery I would sit on the couch all night and "referee" my kids from there. After I started losing weight and began to exercise, I started taking my kids on long walks with me every evening. I take the stroller and they take turns walking or being pushed. My kids love getting out of the house and the walking wears them out so that bedtime is much easier on us all. I always felt bad that I wasn't the kind of mom that was active and taught her kids to be active as well- I AM that kind of mom now!