THE Prepping thread - a new beginning :)

[Deleted User]

We're usually so busy doing things we wouldn't have time to go to the Gym in the first place. I counted my steps on the walk I do every day with Cookie and that alone is 5,000 and a few and takes me around an hour . Yesterday not only did I do that but did virtually the same walk with Maisie later in the afternoon, went swimming in the morning, walked to the shops for a couple of top up items we needed and did housework etc. all that happens in the course of a normal day. He Who Knows also fitted in a session digging on the allotment and much pottering in the garden too.....don't think the Gym would add anything for us!!!

maryb

I need to increase my bone density in my lumbar spine having fractured a vertebra through osteoporosis. My hip density is OK because I walk so much but it's hard to increase the density in your spine without weights. But I can't stand the gym, really really can't. So I'm looking into getting a weighted vest to wear on walks. I also wonder if using a backpack as my everyday bag would help

THIRZAH

I belong to a rambling group and find that most of our pedometers can vary by up to half a mile . Some of the men are nearly a foot taller than me so do take much longer steps also when I go for a "comfort break" at coffee time etc I tend to walk some distance to find a suitable spot. The men just find a wall.

GreyQueen

maryb wrote: »

I need to increase my bone density in my lumbar spine having fractured a vertebra through osteoporosis. My hip density is OK because I walk so much but it's hard to increase the density in your spine without weights. But I can't stand the gym, really really can't. So I'm looking into getting a weighted vest to wear on walks. I also wonder if using a backpack as my everyday bag would help

Hi maryb, you might want to look at websites like marksdailyapple. There's a lot of info out there about doing bodyweight exercises to build functional fitness and some mention of using weighted vests for those who find lifting their own bodyweght too easy (I wish! in my own case).

There's also the aspect of the role collagen plays in building/ re-building bone, which you might want to research to see if it could be of interest to you. HTH.

maryb

Thanks GQ, I'll have a look. They do say that higher intakes of protein are good for bones whereas grains are inflammatory, so I have been trying to do lower carb and higher fat without going overboard on the protein which supposedly can be acidic and leach calcium from the bones to keep the blood Ph in a narrow range. It's interesting how the paleo people and the traditional foods people overlap to a surprising degree. Traditional foods people swear by bone broth which is, of course, an excellent source of collagen

GreyQueen

If you just plug collagen into the daily apple's search engine, you'll find articles. I've been growing concerned about some joint stiffness and pain, esp hips, and am doing more stretching exercises but the appalling state of my nails (separating into layers and very bendy) makes me suspicious that certain aspects of my nutriton leave room for improvement.

I shall try extra collagen for a few months and see how I go. I have DEXA scans of my lumbar spine and hip at a five-yearly interval as I've been on steroids for 20 years and all comes up normal thus far (last one was two years ago) but I'm going through the menopause and some changes may be happening.

You're right, there's a lot of commonality between the paleo/ primal & trad foods crowd. Don't eat processed carp seems to be a good rule to live by.;)

thriftwizard

Eeek - having horrible trouble now - forum is all but unintelligible on my Mac! Something wrong with Safari...

jk0

Today I attended the funeral of my old next door neighbour. She was 88, and diabetic, though has been housebound for the last 3 years.

I was just thinking how well she did, compared to my other neighbour who I also saw today. The poor guy is only 52, the same as me, but had a stroke at 48 which left one leg paralysed. He is now trying to get a flat with a level access.

My neighbour who died always had a dog to exercise. My other neighbour did not. Amazing the difference the regular exercise has made.

fuddle

I got rid of my car May nearly two years ago and wouldn't have one again. My feet take me where I need to be locally. Other people seem to have a problem that I walk and don't want the independence of a car. For me a car is a burden, I have everything I need locally, anything else is a want... or can be sourced online for the price of car parking space. DH has a car for family outings and caravan pulling duties. I don't need a runaround.

So I've walked a lot these past few years but it's only recently that I have hills in the equation. The weight is sliding, my lungs are feeling champion, I'm no where near as breathless and my skin is improving. All that tells me that it's beneficial to get the heart rate going too, which, as a fellow Marks Daily Apple reader GQ, we know. but I've never actually done it because I walked so that surely is enough. Yeah. No, not for me. My heart rate gets to 165bpm walking up the hill and I arrive at my door a dripping mess but the benefits have been a real eye opener for me. I now understand the need for gyms because real life doesn't normally lend itself to that kind of heart rate activity in my experience, but no, they aren't for me either.

THIRZAH

I also find that some people seemed to think it odd that I don't have a car. DH does have one-he would have a 30 minute walk to the station then have to get two trains to get to work but I'm quite happy walking .

We stock up on heavy items at the supermarket about every six weeks or and the rest of the time I just pick up what we need when I'm down in town.It does keep me fairly fit-that and heaving bags of donations around in the charity shop twice a week.