My Home Gym Focused on "Just Move For A Bit..."
I used to be a very high energy person in my younger days. I may have gotten injured a lot while running around with my friends.... but that never stopped me from joining in the fun. Things changed as I got older. Depression hit in college, something that runs in my family. My energy began to drain and I found myself exhausted all the time... no matter how much or how little sleep I would get. And, as everyone finds as they get older, my metabolism began to catch up with me. My body that used to be able to eat however many french fries as I wanted began to show my love of fried potatoes, sour cream, and soda.
The biggest wrench I found, however, was that the more I attempted to exercise - the WORSE I would feel. It was contrary to everything I would read or hear. But, without fail, anytime I started to get serious about exercise, I would come down with a terrible cold or get the flu. Every. Single. Time.
Did you know this is a common response for certain conditions?
Exercise and movement for adults with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and hypermobility spectrum disorders
Automatic Dysfunction
Knowledge is power!
Through experimentation, I have found that my exercise limits end with brisk walking. I can walk around all day, and will be super tired and sore, but I won't get sick or be utterly exhausted for the next 3 days.
My husband and I (along with my physical therapist from last year) all agree that backpacking is a possibility, providing that I can go at my own pace, we choose easy trails, and there is not a huge incline. So... no mountain climbing or planning a trek to hike 20 miles a day. But, simple hiking with lots of breaks while camping across a handful of days. That is my goal.
But... how to get there when I am currently in terrible shape! I'm not talking about weight... but about muscle tone and low endurance.
I need to tone my muscles and build my endurance. That is my focus!
When I was first diagnosed with hEDS back in 2016, I discovered a piece of advice that has been the best advice for me: Just 5 Minutes. That's it. Just move for at least 5 minutes EVERY SINGLE DAY.
As a person with an MA in Applied Behavior Analysis, I can say that this idea of slow and steady winning the race is heavily supported in the literature. My Noom coach agrees. :)
And now, in the age of Covid-19, I have ZERO desire to go to the gym to use the treadmill and ZERO desire to attempt outdoor walking in Texas peak summer heat and humidity.
Instead, I have acquired a few pieces of equipment that are literally all within 3 feet of me right now (minus 1) as I write in bed that I can instantly use for 5 minutes of movement.
Disclaimer: I get no profit and am not part of any affiliation. The list below is simply a list of what I have and use.
ACTIVITY TRACKER
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LETSCOM Fitness Tracker HR, IP68 |
I was using a Fitbit Flex 2... but alas... I lost it a couple of weeks ago. Thank goodness for good deals on Amazon. I'm trying out a different brand that had decent reviews and was significantly cheaper than the fancy activity trackers that have more features than I use. Compared to my Fitbit Flex 2 which came with the desired pedometer and synced app, this tracker comes with more features that I am excited about, such as call/text alerts, time/date display, and step display without having to open the app to check. All for under $30! Hopefully, it lives up to the reviews for being a good, decent, basic tracker. My goal is to be doing 1500-1700 steps MINIMALLY everyday by November. But, I'm taking it Noom style by starting off super light and slow to build up to the bigger goal.
NOOM
Speaking of Noom, I got a significant discount from The Ben Shapiro Show for 3 months so I am giving it a try. It comes with coaches, tips, habit/goal trackers, and is focused on retraining habits vs. drastic diet and lifestyle changes for more long-term sustained progress. I just started a couple of days ago but am already seeing a lot more fruits and veggies in my meals.
HAND WEIGHTS
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AmazonBasics Neoprene Dumbbell Hand Weights |
CORE TWIST
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U.S. Jaclean Core Twist Balance Board |
This board has been an amazing way of getting my heart rate up with LOW IMPACT to my lower limbs. I am not stepping, running, walking, or liftting my feet in anyway. I simply twist at my hips, sometimes using the hand weights to up the challenge, and set my timer for anywhere between 2-10 minutes. Cardio is one of the hardest things for me to achieve with my physical limitations.
I would like to rename this the calf and shin splint burner. My legs BURN after just a few minutes doing tipping exercises on this. For those of you who have not used this in physical therapy, the exercises that I'm targeting minus just balancing, is when you position your feet evenly on either side and then tip the balance board either from side to side or front to back in as straight of a line as possible. This board is a fantastic way to build up foot, ankle, and leg muscles for increased joint stability. The video above demonstrates some great exercises, many I had forgotten. I love their videos as they are a fantastic resource! I promise their video quality does improve. See the video I post below the exercise ball for an example of their later work.
AEROBIC STEPPER
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KLB Sport 31" Adjustable Workout Aerobic Stepper in Fitness & Exercise |
I got this from Zulily so it comes and goes from stock but it was not expensive and I find it entertaining. Both things are good things. I definitely feel the burn in my thighs and chest. As a bonus, it makes for a fantastic ADHD fidget when I feel restless.
EXERCISE BALL
A staple for many people is the bouncy exercise ball. This is the one piece of equipment that is further away and tends to migrate around our living space. But, it is fantastic at building those inner, lower core muscles! See the video above for some tips of how to target for core stability.
Well, there you have it! I don't have a set routine yet, just options from which to choose. It is not sophisticated but it is making progress towards my goal by getting me to move, building muscle, and increasing endurance.
Comment below if you have any other ideas! Not everything works for everyone so the more information sharing that happens, the more ideas and options people have to find what works for them. :)
Comment below if you have any other ideas! Not everything works for everyone so the more information sharing that happens, the more ideas and options people have to find what works for them. :)
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