Oh Floydy, I can so sympathise with that!
The cafe I sometimes stop for a bit of lunch in is the same.
It drives me nuts. Air con going full blast in February, nearly blows you off your bloomin’ chair. Stoooopid.
Ok in August, but Jan/Feb? I can’t even take me coat off in there. They’re bonkers.
Hope your neck feels a bit better tomorrow.
The weather is still cooperating driving the entire population of the southern US outdoors today. While I tried to surf, it was just too sloppy for it to be any real fun, so after being tossed about in the whitewater, I finally paddled in in favor of Plan B - a quick 6K
I have to say that it is really enjoyable not to be training and just be back to running for the fun of it. Popcorn clouds under an azure sky framed the blooming pecan trees and Azaleas that, with their white and pink petals, announce the promise of spring in a few short weeks. All this beauty and warmth was enough for me to burst off the starting line with a little extra joy this afternoon.
Unfortunately, spring described the weather better than me today. Whether it is the power of suggestion from OGF and Floydy’s difficulties, or having had tweaked it in the surf, my lower back was complaining causing me stop mid-run and stretch for a while before getting back on the road. OGF will attest to the fact that having to slow significantly or stop altogether feels a little like failure, so I did so hesitatingly, but in the chorus we all sing here, I let common sense prevail. Better wise than five, I rounded it down to an even four. Short but enough to feel satisfied afterwards.
Sorry to hear your vertebrae are also acting up, Floydy, though have to admit a little chuckling over imagining your bug-eyed and shifting your eyes dramatically side-to-side while driving today. The only time I had a truly frozen neck like yours, I had to make a lengthy drive, and as I changed lanes, I thought I saw someone in my blind spot. Without thinking I snapped my head to the left to look…and I felt this crack, crack, crack down my neck which instantly relieved my pain. That was the first time I remember thinking there might be something to chiropractors after all. Anyway, I hope your neck issue resolves on its own by gym time tomorrow, Floydy
This bad back business is no bueno.
Hi, Mups! How’s the yoga going?
Btw, air conditioning has caused me not to return to a place. I think they do it to turn the tables quickly.
Being ‘Tossed about in the whitewater’ conjures up images that might just get me banned from the forum Surfermom…
… So I’ll desist to comment and continue with my praise of your extremely well written account. Being given a massage by Ruthio would be my dream but unfortunately not something that can be administered over the internet…
Good news actually, this morning I awoke feeling something had changed in my lower back…:shock:…After a relaxing hot shower I was amazed to discover that I could swivel my hips again (like Tom Jones) which was something I’ve been unable to do for the last week…
Early days yet, but my mind is already writing cheques in the shape of a walk in the morning…Yipee…
http://www.over50sforum.com/picture.php?albumid=1297&pictureid=11353
Exercise for back pain…do it often!
Get down on hands and knees, slowly!
Very slowly raise back UP while lowering head DOWN.
Lower back DOWN (concave if possible) while raising head UP.
Thats all, just keep doing it often!
Looks like we’re all having some bother with our backs at the moment. Must be the weather, I dunno!
But Bob, you’re sounding really positive again, so looks like we’ll be seeing you back in the land of the living very soon - or at least walking very fast…
Surfermom - hope it’s temporary with you also. You need to get nack in that surf come good weather.
Nice also to see Ruthio and Mups doing their fair share of exercise, every little helps.
My neck was still sore today and I’ve developed a twinge in my lower back too – Bob, is your niggle contagious?! – so I had to test the water a little today and omit certain exercises which I knew would aggravate things (shoulder press, bench press). I’m sure it’s only a temporary issue, and it certainly shouldn’t affect leg work which I’ll be doing tomorrow.
For today though it was back to my usual reps programme…
Saturday, 24 Feb 18:
Chest press, 35kg:
25/20/15
*No change to the programme with these. A good weight.
Single DB press, flat bench, 42kg:
25/20/22
*I found I could do a few more reps with this today, plus there was an added 2kg to use a 42kg dumbbell. I’m thinking it has more to do than doing the exercise earlier in my session than at the end like I would normally do, but I’m going to use a heavier weight next time, 44kg and try to perform the same reps (or more?)
Lat pulldown, underarm grip, 35kg:
25/20/23
*Again, I must be stronger with the bicep grip as I was doing many more reps than previously. I’ll be adding 5kg to this next time.
Seated row, 41kg:
20/18/15
DB press, incline bench, 20kg:
20/15/8
*Not so good on this today. The shoulders come into play, so that affected my performance a tad.
E-Z preacher curl, vertical pull, close grip, 23kg:
28/15/12
*I’ll be increasing the weight to 28kg next time. Definitely getting stronger in the biceps after last week’s full-on strength session where I was curling 53kg.
E-Z preacher curl, standard incline, wide grip, 18kg:
15/12/12
*Increasing this to 23kg next week.
E-Z standing curl:
10x30.5kg
*Nice to stand up for a change. Basic curling of the bar to the shoulders with a reasonably heavy weight. Just one set.
Tricep extensions:
25x40
Time: About an hour (forgot to check!)
All well and good despite the back and neck issues. Hopefully they will be eradicated by next week.
Tonight we are attending our friends’ golden wedding anniversary at a posh Turkish meze restaurant, so it will be nice to meet up with some old buddies.
Thanks for reading 
Oh, and while we’re talking about shirtless men in another thread, I might as well take advantage and flaunt a little while I get the chance - sorry about the light on this!
http://www.over50sforum.com/images/albumthumbs/11/1c810f6731855d3fd29265dbf0102e19_11354.jpg?dl=1519489146
My humble apologies!
I’m going to do those exercises Ruthio, in fact I’m getting down now…
…Yes…Feels good…
Good workout again Floydy, I think these back and neck problems would be non existent in a warm climate…I’m off to Spain for a month next winter…
Surfermom…If I had a stiff neck I don’t think I would want anyone to ‘Crack it’ for me……I’ve watched too many Tom Cruise movies…:shock:
We do that at Yoga ruthio, they call it ‘The Cat.’
Foxy, as you arch your back and put hour head down, breath out.
When you dip your back and put your head up - breath in.
P.S.
Foxy & Floyds, if you ever need a Chiropractor, look for a McTimoney one, they work differently, and don’t crack anything.
I see one roughly quarterly, just to keep everything aligned and where it should be, as I have lower back and neck problems otherwise.
Here’s a link to see if there is one in your area, if it helps:
Hi Surfermom, the Yoga’s good thanks.
Did hour & half this morning, then came home and walked my dogs.
Another reason I like my Yoga is you don’t have to buy anything, no expensive equipment, just some comfy loose trousers or joggers and a t.shirt. 
Also, once you know some of the exercises (and are doing them safely), you can do them at home each day between attending the classes - regardless of the weather outside.
I shall do one hour Monday morning at a class, then another just general exercise class in the afternoon for another hour.
Tuesday I shall do some at home, before I go off to my Wednesday class for an hour & half again.
I like the company and being with like-minded people as much as the work-outs.
Ok so I did yoga for the first time in months this weekend. It’s amazing how it energises you.
I did this today (not for the faint hearted!) :
Annie, welcome back to yoga, and thank you for the link. I am going to give it a go after I sign off. As Mups will attest, it’s a process that can be done anywhere, and is more important as we grow older. Mups I admire your discipline to your classes! Do you feel like your knees and hips have maintained most of the flexibility you had when you were younger?
Oh, Ruthio.…you are so right, that stretch does feel good…and I haven’t done it forever. I have a big exercise ball that I stretch on similarly on my stomach and back.
OGF, it sounds like you are slowly improving, and I know the temptation is strong to run…but you behave yourself…and stop doing Tom Jones impressions in the mirror too , as much as I am sure Mrs. Fox appreciates it 
.
(Off topic: Exciting news about Spain, considering Spain or Fiji vacation for a the autumn of '19. Have you been before? I know clumsy lives there…)
Floydy, that was some workout for having had a bad back! Look at you all fit as a fiddle, you do know it’s February and as my grandmother would say, you could catch your death of cold :-D. Actually, I think it’s great that you are sharing your accomplishments…
Which brings me to Rhian who, according to another thread, has lost enough weight to need new clothes by taking on some dedicated swimming. We need to nudge her over this way.
It was a day off for me and my back - my once-a-week recovery day… Back on the trails (ha, I typed “trials” which is probably closer to the truth) tomorrow! Now off to try Annie’s yoga…
You people are showing me up for the imposter that I have appeared to be over this last week or two… It seems light years away since I lightly tripped around the lanes and byways of South Yorkshire, has it only been three weeks?..Mups and Annie with their Yoga, Floydy with his superhuman gym work, Surfermom with her surfing and running…And Ruthio down on her hands and knees…you are all making me feel very guilty…
A minor setback occurred concerning my planned walk yesterday, while shuffling some heavy storage boxes around in the loft on Saturday, I seem to have dislodged a muscle in my buttock. Similar to the pain endured when reaching for that high kerb some weeks ago. It made moving quite painful so the walk was abandoned.
This morning however, progress has been made, after some supper followed by an Ibuprofen tablet last night the pain has diminished, so a mile or two walk to the surgery to hand in my prescription is iminent!
I flatly refuse to take a statin since my Heart Attack, but I do take a small dispersible Aspirin tablet and a low dose of Ramipril. Although recently I reduced the Ramipril to just four days a week. All of these are obtained on prescription, hence this morning’s walk. The walk to the surgery and back probably does more good than the medication…
So before I go, I’ll just leave you with the only exercise I’ve done since being injured…
Mrs Fox insists that I do the vacuuming each day, she reckons it will keep my back supple, and I have to wear the uniform…
http://www.over50sforum.com/picture.php?albumid=1347&pictureid=11361
Whaaaat? Look at Bob! LOLOL!
Seriously mate, all credit to you for being so brave. I wouldn’t do a ‘full monty’ almost, but maybe I’ll do some kind of legs pose someday for the ladies if they require it badly enough:roll:
Looking fit anyway matey, just watch that back with your lifting:026:And you’re doing enough work around the house to keep Mrs. Fox and her penguin slapping away anyway!
Ruthio, Mups - Walking, yoga…all adds up girls. Keep at it:cool:
Surfermom - Don’t worry, I don’t make a habit of walking around shirtless; that was a pic in the cubical at the gym to be honest! I was hanging onto a rail above the door so as not show too much belly, not flexing my biceps too much though - I’ll save that one for another day perhaps as there’s too much flaunting around here for one day 
Still suffering a little with my neck ache, there still won’t be anything strenuous attempted in my gym work which may aggravate it, though today that didn’t matter because it was legs day (a day late, mind).
Sticking with my now tried and trusted formulae of three sets of fixed weights and decreasing reps, it went very well indeed adding 5-10kg here and there to other exercises to keep the strength side up too. I was hitting all my targets except the ham curls which I was too eager about with the number of reps.
The main thing is there were no problems with the knees, so I’ve reinstated extensions to my programme.
Monday, 26 Feb 18:
Incline press, 160kg:
50/40/30
*Added 10kg this time. I’ll take it up to 170 next week.
Sled press, 150kg:
35/30/25
Ab crunch, 40kg:
30/30/30
*Slotted this mandatory exercise in early as I couldn’t get on anything else!
Seated ham curls, 40kg:
45/25/15
*As noted above, not so good with these today. May decrease the weight by 5kg in order to keep the reps the same until I get stronger.
Adductor, 60kg:
35/25/15
Abductor, 60kg:
35/25/20
*The above two ‘good girls and bad girls’ are frustratingly stalemate now as I’ve been pushing the full stack for ages and unless I do ridiculously high reps, I won’t benefit. Have to have a think about where to go with these:017:
Leg extensions, 25kg:
25/25/25
*Bringing these back into my programme after a while as I blamed them partly for my knee trouble (which is probably arthritis but I think a has quite a lot to do with lifting too much weight over the years too), I played around with a tiny weight just to get the feel of them on my knees. No problem with the lifting but we’ll see if I get any niggles in the next few days. If all’s okay, I’ll be keeping them in my routine and using a more suitable weight.
Thanks for reading as always
Woo-Hoo, Foxy you old tease!
Look at that little tight bottie.
Good on yer. Lol.
P.S. On a more serious note, may I ask why you don’t want to take the Statins? Did they not agree with you?
Hahaha, thanks Mups…I always get a sweat on when I’m doing the housework…
Concerning the Statins Mups, how long have you got…
Ever since my first Heart Attack back in 2004 I have studied the pro’s and con’s of Statins, and come to the conclusion that they are not suitable for me. I would hate to prevent other people from taking them based on my findings because we are all different and people have to make their own decisions. However, over the years I have collected an ever increasing mountain of information that prevents me from taking something I believe is detrimental to my health…
Fair enough Foxy, I don’t believe any ‘one pill fits all’ either.
I know, Floydy! How FUN is this place!
That is a very nice…ahem…vacuum, you have there OGF. It appears to be a nice model: powerful, streamlined, and electric.
While OGF may have camera with a timer, the picture in my mind is altogether different. I see Mrs. OGF sitting back with a cup of tea, pointing to different spots around the room that Mr. OGF has missed. All the while he vacuums away mumbling about penguins and being/having a pain in the…
Anyway, once OGF is finished, the forum’s floors are a mess. Get right on that, would you OGF?
I’m starting to think that the UK has a serious case of cabin fever and - from an obvious dearth of outerwear, or clothes for that matter - you keep your buildings very, very warm on that side of the pond 
.
Btw, for all the knee and back problems around there, no one seems to be the worse for wear. ;-).
Nice moderate addition of weight, Floydy. I am happy it went well for you. Does your neck seem to loosen up as you do your workout?
While weird flank problem was still irritating me, I decided it was not bad enough to take the day off, so off to the oak forest trail I went for some good hill running. When I realized that my pain had subsided by mile four I decided to increase my distance to seven. The running conditions were perfect, and I finished just as the sun slipped behind the tree line for the day.
I would elaborate more, but all these pictures are making it hard to concentrate. More tomorrow!
OGF, my dad did extensive research on Statins having had some unpleasant side effects, mostly related to muscle pain and weakness, that he said weren’t worth taking the medication at his age. He had his heart attack eight years ago and is soon to be 85.
I work with someone who started taking statins a couple of years ago due to high cholesterol. His cholesterol went right down but he has half the energy and it’s aged him, he seems to have lost muscle mass. Maybe that would have happened anyway but if I was given a choice I’d choose cholesterol over taking meds that seem to take away quality of life to such a degree. My mum has been on them about ten years and of course it’s more difficult to gauge what’s ageing and what’s statins as you are older, but easier in a younger person.
A friend (my age) started taking statins as she had really high cholesterol and she felt really ill. Eventually they discovered she’d had cancer. Maybe the statins sped up diagnosis because of the reaction she had to them triggered all sorts of symptoms related to her cancer (serious ascites after two or three weeks). It makes you wonder what they do to your body if they can trigger such reactions.
On another note I am pleased to report that I did another half hour of yoga last night. Again with Adrienne. Everything still feels creaky after several months of having to rest the shoulder but I can feel the core muscles starting to really engage. Such a fuss to get to the end of the lesson, keep checking how many more minutes there are!
