Catalogs, the Y, and feet

[cjsmith]

Pitched almost an entire file drawer full of catalogs last night. (Er, not the drawer itself, just the catalogs. I saved a few to look over later, and when I've finished reading them, they will go too.)

aelfie, I'm sorry I forgot to look at your quilt stuff. :-(

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I went to the Y to swim this morning. Exhausted myself in a very short time. Came in from the pool and sat on the floor of the shower room just to catch my breath a bit. Yay! This means it is still not very time-consuming to exercise despite having to get dressed, drive somewhere, shower first (state law), shower again afterward, get dressed again, and drive back. I hope that by the time I get more fit and require more time, I'll also have more force of habit helping me out and will thus keep going.

Joined the Y on my way out. Ka-ching.

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My feet hurt annoyingly again today. I got a good parking space this morning, and I was very careful about the push-offs on the side of the pool, so it must be the kicking in the water. Rats. I wonder whether this means I am giving up on babying them. Cardio health is not something I am going to put off any longer.

Comments

[airporter.livejournal.com]

so it must be the kicking in the water.

I saw a set of flippers years ago that affixed to the leg rather than the foot. I googled but couldn't find anything like that now. How about some webbed gloves, so you could avoid kicking altogether?

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I've seen some plastic fins designed to attach to the wrist, so that a swimmer's arms can generate a lot more pull. They look nifty. I suspect my first line of attack should probably be some basic foot fins. They'd prevent my toes from bending and flexing.

[airporter.livejournal.com]

Is it just my perception, or do you always have a plan?

Hugs,

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Nah - well, I always have ideas. "Plan" implies I know how to make it all happen. ;-)

[ambar.livejournal.com]

I have kept half an eye out (only half) but have yet to see, in any gym I've visited, the "arm cycle" my PT has which lets you do cardio without involving your legs. If I spot one I will let you know.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I've seen them in physical therapists'. Arm ergometers. I'm a little surprised more gyms don't have them. After all, they all have handicap parking out front!

[firecat]

How 'bout rowing?

[airporter.livejournal.com]

*admires from afar*

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

People who've used rowing machines tell me that they use the ball of the foot. I haven't found out how feasible it would be to switch to the heel and use 'em anyway. On the other hand, if I were ACTUALLY rowing, sitting in a kayak or a canoe for example, that would be awesome.

[apparentparadox]

Some Y's have aqua-aerobics classes, where you where a life vest to keep you afloat & move your arms & legs in the water. You might be able to get that stuff yourself & just do it on your own. One of the ideas is that just holding paddles & moving your arms through the water is *lots* more work than doing it in the air.

I would think that flippers would put most of the pressure on the top of your feet (you bend your foot to raise the flipper, then straighten it to push down, which I think means that all the pressure would be on the top). Maybe that would be OK?

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

There's a "water exercise class" at my Y, but it's done on the lap side of the pool, standing up in the waist-deep water. I don't know what all they do but that was enough to tell me I probably shouldn't join them. Maybe there's a different kind of class as well, more like what you describe. I can look into it.

My guess agrees with yours about flippers. At the very least I'm pretty sure they won't let my toes bend. I have some flippers on loan from moriamerri, who just dropped them off today. I'll try them out and see how it goes!