exercise regularly

As with the healthy eating goal, I was somewhat sidelined when visitors came… but I did fit in some hiking, walking, and qigong during the remainder of my time in Kauai.

This past week, I’ve exercised at least a little every day: cardio, walking, qigong.

I was browsing David Kirsch’s The Ultimate New York Body, which is a 2 week exercise and diet plan, and I’m certain that I would not pass the preliminary fitness test. The daily 45 minute cardio requirement alone would be a challenge, I must sadly admit. His pre-plan consists of this circuit:

1. Cardio Sculpting:
   1 min jumping jacks with 3 lbs dumbbells
   1 min crossover punches with dumbbells
   1 min uppercut punches with dumbbells
   1 min hook punches with dumbbells
   15-20 squat thrusts
   30 sec mountain climbers
2. 10-15 (modified) pushups
3. Hold plank position (the “up” in a pushup)
4. 15-20 dumbbell flies
5. 15-20 tricep skull crushers
6. 15-20 crunches
7. 15-20 reverse crunches
8. 15-20 bicep curls
9. 15-20 lateral raises
10. 15-20 front raises
11. 15-20 lunges
12. 15-20 squats
13. 15-20 plie squats

I went through most of the circuit one time one day, and was sore the next day. It might take awhile to be fit enough to do the 2 week plan! I’m working up to 45 min of cardio, and I’ll try to do this circuit at least a few times a week.

I am going to get the book, though, since it’s nice that all the exercises require minimal equipment:

• dumbbells: 2-5 lbs
• medicine ball: 4-10 lbs / 1-4 kg
• stability ball: 21 in / 53 cm for my 5’2” height.

• 30 min Qi Gong
• 15 min stretching
• 20 min walk

• 30 min Qi Gong
• 15 min stretching

• 30 min Qi Gong
• 15 min stretching
• 20 min walk

• 30 min Qi Gong
• 15 min stretching
• 45 min walking (incl 1 set Princeville stairs)

• 30 min Qi Gong
• 15 min stretching
• 50 min walking (incl 2 sets Princeville stairs)

• 30 min Qi Gong
• 15 min stretching
• 20 min walking

When I was around four, I went to Yosemite, and enthusiastically hiked (and at parts climbed) to Emerald Pool with my parents. My fitness began to decline in college, when I stopped dancing ballet regularly, and slipped further post-college as exercise wasn’t made a priority. A few years ago, I went on a relatively easy hike at Mount Tam with some friends, and my heart was pounding like mad, and I was gasping for breath. And though I’ve exercised some in the years since, it’s not been enough to make an appreciable difference. It makes me sad to be so physically unfit…

No plan of attack yet, but for now, I’m going to try to start walking more regularly again (I’ve been thwarted by the seemingly unceasing rains). Today I walked for 45 minutes.