(no subject)

[stakebait]

Connecticut now has same-sex civil unions! Yay!

Unfortunately, the Texas house passed a ban on gay foster parents -- not to mention the poor transsexuals, who get lumped in here for no reason I can figure -- and Microsoft pulled its support for a gay rights bill. But hey, accentuate the positive.

(Thanks to liberalrage for the first and last links, and many, many folks for the second).

An article on the new exercise recommendations, and the relationship between exercise, weight, and health. Among other things, it mentions that physically fit obese people have much lower death rates than physically unfit normal weight people. Also, people who are overweight but not obese have lower health risk than normal weight. Not that that helps me, but it does explain the folk wisdom that a little extra weight is healthy.

Comments

[stakebait.livejournal.com]

*nodsnodsnods*

Presumably a normal weight physically fit person has the lowest risk of all -- or a slightly above normal weight one, given the other article -- but normal weight doesn't make you fit automatically.

It's also a useful incentive to me to work on becoming a physically fit fat person, which seems like both a more achievable and a less mentally fraught goal than becoming an unfat one. Not that I'm going for 60-90 minutes a day, but "more activity than I get now" seems like a doable thing.

I walked blocks and blocks last night checking out city owned gyms, so even if I don't join one the walking was a plus, right? :)

[stakebait.livejournal.com]

I haven't been -- I don't know zoeth, but I don't read *anybody's* fitness filter if there's weight loss even peripherally involved, not even my girlfriend's. I don't doubt the healthiness of their mindset, I just know the unhealthiness of mine if I give it that particular stimuli.

Re: real women have muscles

[stakebait.livejournal.com]

I dunno if it would preclude you going to a gym, but it might mean you'd need an expert to help design your workout around the problem areas, and that often costs extra. Anyway there's no point if you're comfy doing it at home. I want a gym because you can't swing a cat in my apartment and the people downstairs can hear every step I take. Plus there's too many distractions around. :)

At this point my number one priority is to improve my cardiovascular stamina so I can dance longer and climb more stairs without panting. Priority two is to strengthen whatever would help my lower back and knees (and ankles would be okay too, they haven't given me trouble recently but they've been weak since childhood.)

Re: real women have muscles

[stakebait.livejournal.com]

I live four flights up and have no choice but to walk it, but most days that's the only exercise I get. I'd love to get to the point where I can do it without resting on floor 3 more than once in a blue moon.

I used to take yoga, am thinking of the other two, so good to know they all help. :)

Re: real women have muscles

[stakebait.livejournal.com]

I lied. I live three flights up, on the fourth floor. Which is Quite Enough.

Re: real women have muscles

[doeeyedbunny.livejournal.com]

Priority two is to strengthen whatever would help my lower back and knees

If you want, I could give you some pointers on those...

Re: real women have muscles

[stakebait.livejournal.com]

Couldn't hurt, thanks! I just got some exercises and stretches for that from my doc, too.

Verdict on so-cheap-they're-free gyms so far:

Asser Levy, convenient but not a comfy atmosphhere

Chelsea -- lovely facility and good feel, but enough out of the way that I wonder if I'd go. And no outdoor pool.

Clarkson St. -- friendly, but neither all that comfy nor convenient.

Must to check out Hamilton Fish and the 54th St. one, and then decide whether to go for the city option or look for something else.

Re: real women have muscles

[doeeyedbunny.livejournal.com]

I've got carpal tunnel and tendonitis and I've been weight lifting for two years now. There are ways around it. In my case, I have a trainer who designs exercises that work around my limitations, but also help strengthen the weak parts. Even if you can't afford a trainer on a regular basis, working with one even a few times can be really beneficial in teaching you ways to work out despite existing injuries - kinda like physical therapy.

There's also pleanty of weight lifting to do with the lower body too.