Equine-Assisted Fitness Journal

The Online Fitness Journal of Riders4C:

Been reading some of the other journals and thought this would be a good way to stay accountable to my fitness plan. I have decided to incorporate a daily fitness routine in addition to my regular activities at the ranch. So recording my progress will include both ranch activities as well as fitness routines and lifestyle improvements.

In dream management consultations I always stress "one step at a time," so I imagine this move toward a healthier lifestyle will be the same. Yesterday, marked the beginning of improving my fitness goals because even though I had a very active day at the ranch I still took the time to do my fitness routine.

Log of Daily Activity: 1/20/08

It was 23 degrees so bundled up in bibs and many layers. The herd had escaped out of their winter pasture and were at large in the back 40. The goal was to move our equine senior to the barn with our other geriatric mare so that they could get more nutritional supplementation to help them through the cold winter months. However, her daughter, a large ex-racing, Quarterhorse, crazy mare (who has been known to jump over the round pen wall during training) kept herding her mother away from us. Two of us, together finally got the herd into their pasture and the mare seperated from her daughter. We caught her and lead her up the snow covered embankment (from the lower pond up to teir 2). This paragraph does not do justice to the physical exertion required to accomplish this with fourteen horses mobbing you. I walked up the hill at least twice to try to encourage them to return to the front pasture and then again to close the upper gate. I did manage to stay on my feet when one of the mares slid into me on the snowy embankment.

Evening Fitness Log: (I don't recall doing any 60 seconds burst this day).
Used the exercise ball to stretch and warm up to "An Evening of Worship" by JJ Willems. Continued by completed several reps of leg lifts, push ups, side leg lifts, back arches, and back bends, and inner thigh exercises-- all on using the exercise ball. Then completed the worship CD with cardio-dance. Approximately 30 minutes.

Let's talk about nutrition: (Probably not the best day to start the online journal about my nutrition):
After church we stopped and got McGriddles and potatoe cakes and a Dr. Pepper. OOPS!
Then we snacked on corn chips and corn dip after our escapade with the horses.
My son cooked barbequed baby back pork ribs for dinner-- although I only had four ribs, a 12 ounce Dr. Pepper, and beans and two biscuits.
Um.. I had a cup of hot chocolate with my youngest son and a 100 calorie ice cream bar.
Maybe it was a good day to start the journal afterall-- I can see that I need to replace my favorite beverage,DP, with something else. But what? My friend suggests halfing my bad habits while I try new things to replace it. So I cut my 24 ounce Dr. Pepper at work to a 12 ounce and in between I am drinking hot or cold tea (depends on the time of year) with Lemon slices to add some sparkle to it and make it more attractive to me while I cut back on the refined sugars (to which I admit I am addicted). I will try to refrain from drinking sugar drinks at home altogether and drink more water and flavored waters (such as tea and an occassional gatorade (1/2 the sugar of pop!).
I also cut my orange juice with 2/3's water.
As far as dinner, ribs are not a regular entree for us so I am not worried about that. I could have stopped with one biscuit for sure.

"One step at a time": The Next Step:
Fitness: I will try to accumulate 20 minutes of working out using my 60 second burst routines and then each evening take the time to make up for any minutes I missed and add 10 minutes of resistance/cardio training for a daily 30 minute workout in addition to what ever ranch activities are accomplished.
Nutrition: I will concentrate on halfing my refined sugars by cutting my juices and halfing my Dr. Peppers. In between, I will be trying other sugar free drinks (not pop substitutes) to acquire a taste for healthier beverages.
 
Monday/Tuesday

1/21/08

Managed to squeeze in 10 (one-minute bursts of exercises) and man did I feel it this morning. My shoulder and neck were a little stiff but that may have been from working outdoors in the single digits (my joints just don't like that). However, I have noticed that with the strengthening in my legs that I don't have as many issues with my knees in the cold...Yippee!!
I think this can be a little addicting. I am always looking for opportunities to do a 1 minute burst of exercise. I also noticed it is affecting what I choose to eat. At dinner, I had prepared the usual two each of the chicken wraps but after one I felt full. I guess that is all the abs training.

1/22/08
Opted out of my usual high carb breakfast and just ate an orange about mid-morning. I can feel the muscles in my legs they are definitely firming up and making barn chores easier for the energy expended. Just the walk up the hill from the ducks is much easier. I added upper body to my 20's list and have already knocked out ten. Just waiting on some equipment to warm up at work, I was able to do all my leg lifts. And I have to say, I am feeling a lot more strength in my legs and the support around my knees is amazing. Now I just have to figure out how to strengthen my upper back and shoulders, and I'll be all set.

NEXT STEP: Purchase the same things at the grocery store except exchange them for whole grain and less refined sugar options (whole food alternatives). Plus we are cooking a lot more from scratch which is a lot easier than I thought as long as you have the ingredients on hand. Still need a good (whole grain) biscuit recipe!
 
Tabata Intervals

I did a little reading about Tabata Intervals. They are 20 second intervals with a 10 sec break repeated 4 times for a total of 4 minutes. One set is suppose to increase your aerobic and anaerobic capacity more than 1 hour of endurance training.
I do not usually have time to put four minutes together. I use the 60 seconds at the microwave heating up water for my tea. Sometimes I can work in two sets while answering the phone at my desk. Usually by the end of the work day I have managed to squeeze in 10 minutes worth. I have a lot of ranch chores to do at home so my 10 minute workout at night hasn't happened all that often. I did notice a big difference though in my fitness and my energy level while I am doing my ranch chores. And yesterday my son and I took a long hike up and down the hills on our property and I didn't get winded at all on the climb back up the big hill.
I use counts to estimate my minutes but I like the idea of 20 second bursts, especially for activities like jogging or jumping rope. The tabata intervals is get as much in in 20 seconds as you can and then stop and rest for 10 seconds and then go again and then rest... repeating four times for a total of four minutes. I am going to try that for the jogging because I haven't been able to keep up a real intense pace for the whole 60 seconds.
 
January 24-27

Update:

I did great all week and stuck to my plan of 1 minute bursts- averaging 10 a day. However, I took the weekend off. I just felt like all these new muscles (LOL) needed a rest/I was getting a little stiff. Anyway, still stayed pretty active mucking the paddock (for what that was worth-- it was still frozen), moving hay bales, and mending horses. Sunday we took a long hike up and the down the hills at the ranch.

I stuck to my new nutrition plan until the weekend. Did eat out twice over the weekend but I made good choices one of the times. Drank more soda than I wanted and rolled out this morning with a 32 ounce DP (It was a tough Monday morning.) I waited all week to do the weigh in and feeling great and if I say so myself, lighter, I have to say I was expecting better results.

Well, let me suck down this 32 ounce DR. Pepper and then I will start again-- seriously!
 
You ARE entitled to a cheat meal every now and again - just be sure to keep the clean eating to around 90% of the time. What exactly are you goals?
 
I haven't posted here in about a month, but it's nice to see a fellow equestrian/horse crazy person here! Good luck with your goals!
 
Thanks--

My goals are pretty simple-- get toned and healthy so I can keep on riding into my golden years and to make my ranch chores easier. Which is already happening. I also have issues with my joints (especially knees and shoulders) so strengthening and toning the supportive muscles is a real goal. All that aside, stepping on the scale and see the pounds dropping off is a real incentive but intellitually my plan doesn't have weight loss as the goal. However, I have a hidden desire to see about 15 pounds less on the scale. Should I get rid of the scale or continue to use it as an incentive? It was fun this week because I read 5# lighter but I know last week when it didn't bunge it was very disappointing.
 
2/4/2008 Weekly Check In

I spent a lot of last week catching up on much needed rest and took a few days off my day job. Still got my 15 minutes of toning worked in three of four days. I stuck to the diet changes (lifestyle changes I am trying to make not diet). I made good choices when we ate out (except once) and I cook healthy meals at home. I didn't do any planned workout over the weekend and I think that will probably be the norm. However, I did saw and lop off tree branches up the big hill on our driveway and cleared a trail of limbs and small trees so I got a workout. Moved a few 50# bags of feed and set out bales (of course the tractor did most the work on that but I did have to lift the monster haybale ring).

The major change I made this week was in the area of nutrition. Not what we eat but how we eat. With two adult children at home it's usually only me and my youngest at most meals, I got into a habit of just setting out food on the buffet and eating in front of the television. This week we ate every meal at the dining room table. The big change is I announced to even the adult kids that dinner is at 6pm and set the table and expected them to let me know if they wouldn't be home for dinner. I got great results with one adult child but the real blessing came from being able to see what my youngest was actually eating. I am not trying to coerce them into eating dinner with me but I figure this way they can quit complaining cause I don't have food in the house for them to eat. They want easy to heat junk food at their disposal and I am offering healthy choices. Even my sweet tooth is grabbing apples for after school snacks because that is all there is. Yesterday he even told me how good these apples were.
 
I'd say drop the scale - the fluctuations aren't worth the roller coaster ride. Unless of course you like drama. I'd suggest picking an ability related goal - something you can't do currently but would like to.

And great job on the nutrition - not only in terms of the physical nature, but also family nature of the help.
 
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