SquawkRadio Comments

Man, Teresa, I thought this was going to be the smoking, drinking, donut eating blog, today! drat.. I guess that’s Kitty’s domain..
-My ipod has changed my life.  I download any and everything and crank up the volume! You are right about the do something you like. I’m not a gym rat, and I do like the outdoors, so I’m outside, walking or jogging. (I like dancing too!)
-Remember when Richard was on G. Hospital? He seems to have stuck around, when others have not, so he’s doing something right!

always warm up before exercising , and if you’ve been really really good afterwards when you have cooled down a piece of dark chocolate wouldn’t go astray, it has antioxidants in it.

hey Teresa, I could say the answer to the age under your website faq but nobody would believe me though I suppose given your youthful beauty,

Well, when I was actually doing the routine, I swear by a belly dance exercise tape, Bellydance Fitness for Beginners by Veena and Neena.  The music gets boring, though, so I turn off the sound and listen to something else.  BUT - bellydancing does wonders for those pelvic muscles!

I guess I need to get back to it.  Maybe that’s why my brain is moving in slow speed.

My eyes!  I am a weakling when it comes to exercising and if my trainer isn’t with me....I don’t think I’d be as successful as I’ve been.  However, I would like to be able to go hiking with my family.  My husband is an avid hiker and so this summer I plan to enjoy the gorgeous vistas of the Hudson Valley with him and the cherubs and have some fun along the trails he’s help build and maintain.

Teresa, my secret is Curves. Thirty minutes from start to finish, all set to music I like. And even better, it’s a five minute drive from my house. I’m not disciplined enough to do things at home. But if the gym is too far away it’s easy to blow it off. Curves hits all the sweet spots for me. Now, if only they had chocolate incense…

Eloisa will tell you that I love to race walk but I won’t run unless a bear is chasing me.

Eloisa, please do tell. When, where, how, and for goodness sakes WHY was Teresa chased by a bear??? 

Santa, my thanks to your husband for maintaining our dwindling forest trails. While I’m on the other coast, most of us PNWers share a love for beautiful national park land.

Oh, Richard brings back memories.  For some reason, we used to watch his exercise show every day after school.  But it never occurred to any of us to actually get up and move.  LOL!  I can’t believe we sat through an exercise show everyday and never exercised.

I have really bad knees so can’t do anything aerobic which is not good since I could smell a pork chop and gain a pound and my metabolism is totally stagnant.  I found a Denise Austen Pilates tape a few years ago and I swear by it.  It’s all mat work so no stress on the knees and it’s only 22 minutes.  Done 2 or 3 times a week and you are amazed at the body you get.

In order to avoid knee surgery I did recently join a gym for rehab purposes and I still prefer the Pilates.  But the bike and weights make the pain managable so I’ll keep going.  *sigh*

Have I mentioned I’m falling apart faster than I can put myself back together?  And I’m not THAT old!!

ms. mary, we’ll do the smoking, donut eating, drinking blog AFTER the national conference

Hey Dee, I’ll just say this.  I’m the same age as Paula Abdul.  (But slightly less ditzy...hey, I said SLIGHTLY!)

Keira,
I always thought CURVES sounded like a wonderful concept, especially for those with short attentions spans like...well...me.

My exercises of choice are pilates and yoga. My life is pretty stressful (read: My life is relatively stress-free, I just don’t handle any stress very well). Pilates helps strengthen and tone my muscles and yoga does wonders for my flexability and relieving my stress. Now if only I could have an in-home chiropractor and massage therapist.

I hate cardio. It’s hard on my joints, I always manage to pull a muscle, and it’s my firm opinion that women were not anatomically built to run, if you get my drift. Therefore, if I MUST do some sort of cardio (and I should, seeing as desk jobs breed fat), I like to swim. It’s no imapct and I don’t break into a sweat. Luckily I live in Florida, so I’ve favorable weather most of the year, but unfortunately, I rarely like having to squeeze into a swimsuit. Life’s little irony, I suppose.

*sigh*

I really hate exercise of any kind and I go on a daily guilt trip because my office window looks out over an indoor walking track so I see other people doing what I should be doing. 

I was recently given a rude awaking about my lack of exercise when I was told I’m diabetic, so the need to get some exercise is suddenly very important.  Given my dislike of exercise, I decided to start water arobics since I’ve always loved to swim.  Now half of my workout comes from trying to keep my hair dry.  Did you know you could still sweat while doing water arobics?

Teresa!!! I so love Richard Simmons.  Not so much the videos but his Deal-A-Meal program.  I failed miserably at Weight Watchers because I hate to journal.  But with Deal-a-Meal, I eat the right balance of food groups in the right PORTIONS with no problem.

As for excercise, I swear by spinning.  High intensity, no joint stress, 850 calories per 50 minute session.  Can’t beat that!  In nice weather, I like to bike.  Right now I am “training” (read: sitting on the couch considering getting on my bike) for a charity ride in September that will be 150 miles in 2 days.

My word is steps35.  Sorry, step aerobics kills my knees.

I’m a big outdoor biker too, Buttercup.  I can’t wait until it warms up so we can start riding every other day.  I’ve never tried spinning but it sounds like a VERY effective workout.

I have always liked Richard.  I used to watch his show and he would bring so much hope to people. Of course there were always tears.

Buttercup, I did the Deal-a-meal thing too. wasn’t too successful at it.  Weight watchers was my saving grace.  Lost over 40 pounds with them.

I don’t exercise like I should, but I do walk quite a bit everyday.  I work in a downtown, and once your car is parked, you walk everywhere.  You don’t dare take a chance of losing your parking space.

Now, if Richard would just buy some real clothes and get rid of those shorts and tank top.

This is too funny. I just picked up a Richard Simmons video this week end at Goodwill. I’m off to do it in a few minutes.

I also really like Yoga for dummies. Very easy to do.

I have been doing yoga off and on for over ten years.  It’s a wonderful excercise that makes you feel whole - body and spirit.  I discovered a show called Inhale and it’s yoga with modern music, so while my legs in the air I’m shaking my shoulders.

However, I get easily bored with the same thing, so I recently re-discovered my first excercise love by the name of Gilad.  He’s gorgeous and motivates me.  I also discover a channel called FitTV.  There is a woman who dance.  I did an Afro-Latino excercise that I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED.  It didn’t feel like excercise at all.  Until the next day that is, when the soreness kicked it.

Deb

Teresa, my sister Laurie and I LOVE Richard Simmons.  Like Laurie says:  “He’s the only one that cares about us”.  We exercise to his Sweating to the Oldies 1 (all time favorite) 3 times a week and then the Salsa one. I have his first exercise book/cook book in a box in the basement.  It’s a keeper for just the memories.

For the last 20 years, I’ve also be going to belly dancing and yoga classes. I’ve tried tapes but I really prefer a live class with an instructor. Sometimes I haven’t been able to attend due to schedule conflict.

Deborah, I remember Gilad!  He used to be on several years ago and he was really hot!  I never knew whether to look at the beach scenery or at him

And I forgot to mention my most important motivation for exercising--SO I CAN EAT MORE!!!

I have to echo Deb, upthread, who said that she gets bored.  That’s my biggest problem. 

I’m pretty active, but exercise for the sake of exercise seems so… pointless.  I like to play, though it’s a lot harder nowadays to call a bunch of friends for a game of football.  Darn jobs.  Dancing’s great, too.  For kicks, I took a ballroom dancing course with a friend.  And I have to say, there’s nothing like the feeling that you were born to tango.

Wow! This is the answer to MY blog on plotmonkeys today! Thank you, Theresa! I hope you’ll visit me there and read my pathetic post about loving food and sabotoging myself. Because from the last two days here, I’ve bought two chicken books and now going to find a Richard Simmons tape. Woo Hoo!

I love Turbo Jam.  It is a fun way to exercise.  I also like to walk every morning with a friend.  We catch up on stuff and get our exercise in also.

I just started exercising again.  My “Richard Simmons” is Cathe Friedrich.  She’s one tough cookie, but she’s the one that makes me feel like I can do the impossible.  I’ve been doing cardio for 30 minutes 4 times a week, and upper body weight work on those days and lower body weight work on the other 2 days.  She’s a huge motivation, and she never ceases to amaze me.

Too funny, Carly! Any blog about loving food is okay with me

Exercise? I ... I’m not familiar with the term ...

Hey, did you guys see Richard Simmons on WHOSE LINE IS IT? My daughter and I laughed so hard we were crying. He’s absolutely shameless while in search of a laugh.

Yeah, Xtina, I was reading about how he was one of the classic talk show guests of all time, right up there with Liza Minelli, Terri Garr, etc.  The hosts adore him because he always brings the goods! 

I’ve seen the WHOSE LINE IS IT clip and it IS hysterical!  (As a matter of fact, I think you were the one who sent it to me )

So ... what volume Sweatin to the Oldies? Amazon has a few.

Christina, did you ever see him on David Letterman?  It was like Dave turned in Mr. Hyde.

And Teresa, I believe watching 24 fulfills everyone’s cardio requirements, so that’s my tip. 

And wasn’t it you, Christina, who used to run a zillion miles a day....JUST FOR THE FUN OF IT??

I love to ride my stationary bike while watching a movie (my hubby’s Valentine’s gift to me ) and when I go to the gym I love to row and listen to some heavy alternative and metal music...makes me work harder.  At my old gym they had a Salsa Aerobics class that was fun...as soon as I found my salsa rhythm lol

J Perry Stone said..."And wasn’t it you, Christina, who used to run a zillion miles a day....JUST FOR THE FUN OF IT??”

Ran a mile while in labor.

I like to tell women because it makes them wheeze.

When I was in middle school Sweatin’ to the Oldies was our PhysEd class.  I guess it was too hot in Florida for most outdoor activities and since we didn’t have an actual gym, they locked us in a tiny portable classroom and turned on Richard Simmons!  I think they even turned out the lights and made us do it in the dark...but that may just be me trying to repress the memories...(not that it wasn’t fun, because it was… but on the whole it was more than a little strange-- those portable classrooms have a tendency to shake).

(my word is: stay13)

I think you singlehandedly got Richard Simmons sales. Julie Leto and I just bought DVD’s!

I remember GILAD.  I have all his tapes and can honestly say that I never excercised to any of them because all I did was stare at him will doing the workout.  That Israeli military training really pays out. He’s still on but at some ungodly hour, on Fit Network, looking better than ever in Hawaii.

Xtina-

I DID see that. Oh my dear lord, it was one of the funniest things I’d ever seen!

I’ve got pretty much all of Richard’s cardio workouts but my favorites are probably:

SWEAT AND SHOUT
DANCE YOUR PANTS OFF
BROADWAY SWEAT
and the new 80’s workout PARTY OFF THE POUNDS.

Some are only available on tape but you can get some on DVD.  I had to do some Ebay wrangling to get the DVD’s. 

The very first one SWEATIN’ TO THE OLDIES is one of the shortest workouts, yet also one of the most effective I think.  SWEATIN’ TO THE OLDIES 3 is also great!

And I just love BROADWAY SWEAT.  It’s actually more vigorous and harder to learn than the others but I’ve always yearned to do that big can-can number at the end of MAME!  Now THAT’S the workout I was born to do!

I though about trying an at home cardio work out, but I live in a second floor apartment and I don’t think my new neighbors downstairs would apprecaite my lumbering about.

When we were younger, my best friend Amber and I used to dance around her grandparents house to Sweatin’ to the Oldies. Don’t ask me why a couple eight year olds would find such amusement in it, but we did. Kept us out of trouble!

I don’t exercise all that often, although I used to train pretty intensely with ballet. At one point, I wanted to be a professional in a company, but college intervened.  I keep saying I’ll start taking classes again, but I never find the time.

I met Richard Simmons in New York a few years ago. He was staying in the same hotel as we were and he was so incredibly nice and personable. And hilarious of course. He was wearing a sparkly tank top-- so appropriate!

Richard Simmons! They used to screen his shows down here - see, he is world famous I haven’t done any exercise since returning from the UK apart from dance class twice a week (and keeping up with 15-year-olds when I am twice their age...I’m feeling old now) is hard. I definitely think I cope better with stress when I’m fit though.

I had a trainer in the UK (mainly because I was given some free sessions) and one morning when I was particularly peeved he intorduced me to boxing. I was just hitting pads, but it was SO much fun Nothing like taking your mood out on the pads. The first time, I couldn’t move my shoulders for about 2 days they were so sore.

Now, according to the physio, that my wrists have improved I need to strengthen them, so it’s back to the gym for me. Lifting tins of asparagus (yes, that is what she’s had me doing - and all I can lift) ain’t cutting the mustard no more

orannia

My favorite thing is running.

But, I’m sidelined with an injury that I have not been given the go-ahead by my doctor.

So for now I walk and lift weights 3 times a week.

I recently discovered Tai-Chi and it’s oh so calming.........I chose a beginner’s DVD “David Carradine’s AM/PM Tai Chi for Beginner’s”

I’m not much of an outdoor person (plus its snow here almost 6 months of the year) so the bowflex and air walker are my new best friends. Its a lot easier to exercise every day for 20-30 minutes if I put something on the computer to watch. I’ve worked my way through Desperate Housewives Season 1 that way

Terri, I don’t use Richard. I have found that using--ahem--a personal trainer who is young, hot, and plays hockey works way better. I haven’t miss an exercise session in months.

Hmmm...Laura Lee, I think Liz has tried this method before with great results

There must be something wrong with me.  My personal trainer is old enough to be my father, which nixes the whole ‘hot bod trainer’ theory. but is in better shape than most everyone on the planet.  Yet, I haven’t misses a single session in months either!

Huh!  There’s just something not fair about that!

I’d tried pretty much everything; I did videotapes when I was in high school(cosmopolitan optibody with carol alt, anybody??? , exercized in college with a buddy who turned me on to running, which i continued in law school as well as step classes.  even a few rather embarassing tries at pilates and tae bo(oy....especially bad for a gal with no balance.  Unfortunately, none of it ever stuck. 

Until about a year ago, when I realized that there was a gym in the same building complex where the bookstore I work is.  I also realized it had been six years since I did regular exercize *gulp*.  And so I took the plunge.  I joined. 

And you know what?  I enjoy it Really.  I’ve got a wonderful personal trainer, who I see once a week, and on the best days I’ll go twice more to do homework At least that’s what he calls it.  All I have to do is take a train that’s a bit earlier in the morning and I’m there.  It’s fantastic.  Even after almost a year

So my personal secret: it’s the fact that I’m doing something I’m enjoying. Finally

Here’s hoping the streak continues…
Stacey
aka nystacey of posman books(who is no longer a squawk virgin....

nystacey...forgive me, i may have a case of mistaken identity, but have you ever heard of a website called, curvychick.com? sorry If i have the wrong person! thanks anyway!

Well, i blew my knees out really badly playing volley ball but i’m still a gluttun for pain. I have a rowing machine that i use faithfully, as well as a brand new total gym....because in my own dillusional little world, I, too, can look like christy brinkley.

Ms. dodd, a mile in labor? wowza.....

~Meredith~

I got a very funny email entitled the Gym. tried to share but was told it had too many characters.

gee I didn’t think Paula was that old

I have a love/hate relationship with exercise. I love the way I feel afterwards, but I hate the first 5 minutes of trying to get into the mood. I will also have bouts where I exercise 3 times a week regualry and then, get tired of it and find excuse after excuse not to.
I do like my treadmill, I read while on it and the time passes relatively quickly. I also do a bit of Yoga and have tried to keep up with the gang from Inhale! Man is that guy flexible!! *sigh* I guess what I need most of all is motivation to keep exercising, regularly. (Oh, and btw, I can’t do step-aerobics, I’m just not coordinated enough.)*g*

Oh Teresa, I felt like I was reading about myself , except not the Richard Simmons part.

What’s with the Bra thing anyway. How’d it get so dang tight   (mine, I mean)

My music is my inspiration to excercise. Pretenders, Prince, INXS, New Wave of the ‘80s, Shania Twain, Taylor Dayne, etc. As lon as it’s super danceable and sexy, I can get a guaranteed endophin rush, whether indoor biking, cardiodancing, ministepping or weights.... as long as I can literally get lost in the music. I can’t imagine reading or watching tv while working out because I feel like I’m totally focused on the music and pushing myself further.

Keep moving Girlfriends! (that’s my tip *g* )

Yep, tami, music is the key to pretty much everything creative in my life--including exercise and writing