Cholesterol

I had my blood drawn this morning for a lipid panel (cholesterol test). The blood was drawn at just after 7:30AM and I got the results before noon. I was quite surprised. My cholesterol values were:

Total: 146, optimal is less than 200

LDL: 75, optimal is less than 100

HDL: 33, optimal is greater than 50 for women
Triglycerides: 192, optimal is less than 150

Looks like I still have some work to do. The nurse told me to keep exercising because that would help bring up the HDL. In fact, it was 28 when I had my heart attack so it's already come up some.

Have you had your cholesterol checked lately?

Quote from a Shape Reader

"I think about how lucky I am to have a body that can be so active -- health is a gift, and it shouldn't be taken for granted." -- Candida Junor, Shape Reader p. 199 Sept 2009.

Bill Cosby

"In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure."
Bill Cosby

Early to bed...

Early to rise. I don't know why but I've been waking up around 4AM for the last couple of weeks. My alarm is set for 6:15AM so that's a BIG difference. I've been using the time to do such things as pick-up the house, sweep, do dishes, clean the bathroon and EXERCISE. This morning I rode my recumbent exercise bike, did 30 minutes of yoga on the mat, and did an entire upper body workout with 5 pound weights. 5's are really too light but I can't manage a full well-executed 8 reps with the 10's. I need to find some 8's. I'm really enjoying getting things done. I have so much energy. Then at sunrise I take a walk. This morning it was raining so I didn't but hopefully I can when I get home this afternoon. The orthopedic doc hasn't released me to do too much on my ankle so I only walk around my block but that's more than I could do a week ago. I see him in 2 weeks and I'm hoping he'll release me from some more of the restrictions. Wish me luck.

Essayer de vivre une vie saine

Trying to live a healthy life.



Today Caitlin at Healthy Tipping Point wrote about what she eats before a long run and I realized that I don't plan to eat anything before a walk. Of course, up until now, my longest walk has been just a little over an hour. I plan to drink water while I am walking but I don't fuel myself before I go. Maybe I am missing an important part of the process. So, I read her post and all the comments and the fuel seems to be a mixture of a good protein source with some carbohydrate thrown in for good measure. Oatmeal seems to figure prominently in many of the concoctions and I can't eat oatmeal. When I can walk again I'm going to make a point of finding a good pre-exercise meal to give me the strength and stamina to complete the walk without feeling so wrung out that I just plop down on the furniture and don't move for about 30 minutes. Anyone with any ideas that don't involve eggs or gluten let me know.



More later...

Yoga without bending your ankle

I'm working on a 5 min routine I found on The Fitnessista's Facebook page. I love the flow of the moves but I can't bend my ankle so I have to modify some of the poses. Anybody got any ideas? While I can't DO as much I'm reading MORE but I am missing the movement and the aerobics aspects of exercise.

Today I did a wheelchair run to the other end of the hospital and back. That's about 4 blocks. It felt good in my arms.

More later...

My kettlebell is a funny shade of green

I went to Wal-Mart today and bought an 8# kettlebell. Several weeks ago my cousin who has been helping me since I broke my ankle got one and I sat in my wheelchair on the sidewalk in front of the building where we work and did triceps presses. The next day my triceps didn't hurt but the surrounding muscles did which I thought was need cuz it meant the motion was working something and my triceps were strong enough for that exercise. I wanted my own to play with and now I have it. I haven't taken it out of the box yet but I will tonight when I get home. As I've said in several responses and on my FB page I'm having some trouble being motivated to keep exercising since I can't walk. Ya'll beam me good thoughts and ideas on things to do while I can't walk for more than a few feet at a time. I've been instructed that I can do weight bearing as tolerated on the right foot but that's not very much and it's disappointing to be able to do so little. Let me hear from you...