Fitness, fitness, and more fitness!

Actually, I'm the non-worthy one. I haven't worked out in 5 days and I gained 4 pounds instead of losing weight. I jogged 3 miles today though but then I pigged out at dinner. :/

Pfft Seoul, I can see some definition.

zero, 4 lbs in 5 days can't be all fat...you know what, you can't change yesterday, so don't beat yourself up over it. Refocus on today and long term. You CAN do it!

i do HEMA -- like fencing, but with medieval longswords, and treated as a martial art, rather than a sport. can tell you that 15 minutes of sparring is a pretty intense workout!

All that leather armor that Samurai wear has to be really heavy.

Their swords aren't as heavy as European medieval long swords but I bet its just as much, if not more of a workout.

Unless you are wearing plate mail or chain mail as well...

Pfft Seoul, I can see some definition.

zero, 4 lbs in 5 days can't be all fat...you know what, you can't change yesterday, so don't beat yourself up over it. Refocus on today and long term. You CAN do it!

Great news everyone! I ate a salad!! And I didn't die!

Yet.

Just wait 'til all that fiber hits.

we just use a stronger-steel sort of fencing mask, and lacrosse gloves, and some forms of forearm/elbow protection as basic protection. not a whole armor-getup, but enough to be reasonably safe in the areas that are most likely to be seriously injured - head, neck and hands.

European longswords are not as heavy as most people think - only about 3lbs, with a balance point about 1-2 inches above the hilt, so that the handle itself accounts for half the weight of the weapon. the longer katanas are actually often heavier than this.

when i first got started, i was surprised at just how much of a workout it is to actually spar - not so much because of the weight of the gear or the sword, but the intensity of focus while your doing it has all your body on "high-alert" and actually swinging the things around & bobbing and waving to dodge, block and counter blows, at full speed, takes a lot of energy. more than i expected it to. i'm usually sweating after just a 5min round, and i am by no means overweight.

and yeah, if you were actually wearing 50lbs or more of armor and padding, it would be very energy-intensive to spar, even for just a few minutes.

it's enormous fun

I haven't been doing much lately. I might jog on the treadmill & lift a little tonight.

On another note: I see these posts on instagram that people who workout & do fitness post, usually with a lot of hashtags and some "inspirational" quote; or promoting their sponsor, etc.. it just seems so fake to me tbh. I say that because a fitness company messaged me today, asking me to be one of their "team athletes." I'm not about that life :S I want no part of that lol.

I hope you get back to it soon, mate. And I know what you mean by sponsored athletes. They are like celebrities, endorsing products with little responsibility.

Yesterday was chinups + biceps day. I managed 30 minutes of cardio on the elliptical and I burnt 220 calories. Why do we have to do cardio.

Lifting heavy weight is exposing all my weaknesses and ignorance.

Ignorance, because I didn't know how easy it is to put your body in compromising positions and cause injury.

Weaknesses because while I compensate for pain in some areas I injure others that I didn't even know I could injure.

Thankfully I haven't seriously injured myself, only knicks and dings... Although my shoulder still hurts a little from october...


I suppose it must be ego that is causing some of it. Thinking I can do more than I can. Or that pushing myself harder and farther will always make me stronger. Sometimes it just causes pain.


I think this is what I like about lifting weights. The struggle and the challenge. Stressing the body and forcing it to adapt. And not accepting excuses. But also learning limits.

Would I be terribly shallow if I said I'd be downright flattered to be asked to be a sponsored anything???!!! Just knowing that some company thought I was good enough to represent their products would be a huge motivation... if even for just a few weeks.

And would I also be kicked out of our fitness club if I said... that cardio has become my favorite part?

Did a personal best swimming 6 lengths 12 laps in a 25 m pool today in 20 minutes thats not much for others but Im so happy pumped

Kim, you ought to be sponsored by Red Bull or Gatorade for being a powerhouse! You are so energetic despite your busy schedule, and I respect you! I only know a few who are as energetic as you.

Oh, and cardio is so important. Since I started gaining, I have put on a bit of fat, so now my trainer has advised me to include cardio in my workout schedule.

Hi Santuzza,

Kudos to you for deciding to live healthy. Everyone wants to, but it's more than just food and exercise--I can only speak for myself, but I've found that what can be hardest to accept is that it has to become a way of life, almost like our Christian faith, in which little decisions add up to our entire lifestyle.

As Bruce said, I don't know what options you have but like you, I am a lifelong hater of exercise. I'm also clumsy and uncoordinated. How I envy people who actually LOVE sports or biking or just can't wait to do one more set of reps! I am not one of those people.

But here are some things that have helped me:

* Use what you have and combine it with something you DO like, if possible. I hate exercise in general. But I love sunrises, so I'll get up 20 minutes before the sun rises on my day off and go walking so I can watch the sun rise and get in my exercise at the same time.

If you have access to fitness machines, take along something to entertain yourself with. I started out with picture books on the treadmill (I was actually nervous that people around me were judging me for not "really" reading, ha!) but have eventually taught myself to read short articles while walking. Time on a treadmill or stationery bike can also be used for reading, surfing the web, or even catching up on your favorite show or email, depending on what electronic devices you have. I often use the time to page through fitness magazines from the library that provide a lot of information on healthy eating, as well as recipes (this saves me time from having to look for them later.)

I have a rule for myself that if I'm going to read (which I love), at least 30 minutes of it has to be while on a machine. I often now tell myself I'm going to have my "reading time" instead of "working out" because the nerd in me finds that much more appealing!

* Check out your local gyms to see what they have to offer. I used to go to Curves for Women for years--I loved that it was an all-female atmosphere and felt a lot less self-conscious there. But they kept raising membership dues, so I took a year's worth of fees and bought myself an elliptical trainer instead.

* Try out different things, and there can be many free options. You can sometimes find free or introductory classes at the library, at churches (many churches have walking groups), or at your local YMCA or community center. I've heard of people who hate exercise but have found classes they loved (Pilates, spinning, etc.) Do you have a friend you can exercise with? Maybe you just haven't discovered something you like yet.

* Do you have a large store or mall you enjoy visiting? I'm known to walk around Walmart several times (on purpose, in addition to getting the things I'm looking for) during a shopping trip. I'm not only running errands, but am fitting in a workout as well. Take all the stairs and "long ways around" that you can. Park your car several lanes away and force yourself to get that extra walk in. If you're shopping at a strip mall, park at one end and walk up and down the entire length of the mall, not just in front of the store you want to go to.

* I know workouts can leave you with a grimy feeling, so plan around taking a shower right afterward if possible--pack a bag for the gym or come right home if you can, and if that's not possible, freshen up with dry shampoo and baby wipes, or a light sponge bath. Changing clothes as soon as you can and spritzing on our favorite scent really helps you feel clean and refreshed.

* I try to combine my workout time with "getting something else done", if possible. For instance, if I know I'm going to spend an hour at the gym, I'll put in a load of laundry or round of potatoes in the oven. This way, I'm getting my daily chores done too and it feels like I'm actually accomplishing something.

Many of us do understand what it's like to hate exercise. It's a lot like paying bills or having a tooth pulled--believe me, I know the feeling. But I know that for me, I've spent a lot of time around older people who are very unhappy and very unhealthy, and many times, it's because of excess weight and lack of exercise. I concluded that spending time and money on fitness and healthier eating now is (hopefully) going to save me thousands of dollars and hours of pain and grief in the long run.

So, I can zone out and watch TV for 3 hours... or I can get my butt up and make it to the gym. Or, you can do both, if you have the right equipment! I try to tell myself that if I watch TV, 30 min. has to be while I'm on the elliptical.

These are just a few ideas I try to incorporate in my own life. Don't feel too badly though, I went to the gym today and it was the first time in over a week!! We all know life gets busy. As Bruce said, take it at your own pace. Challenge yourself bit by bit (I'll tell myself, "I can finish this one chapter... I can wait until this next song is over...") and treat it like any other priority in life.

We all have to do things we greatly dislike. But sometimes there are ways to help make them tolerable, or even fun! Keep us posted on how it goes!