Hi everybody -

[MarthaM]

Hi everybody -- back again after about a year. I'm ready to try this again for a while! I'm 60, 5' 4", and 187 looking longingly at 135! My two cents about flab is that I've seen friends our age lose weight over the course of a year or more, and they say that it takes your skin a year to catch up to your new size, but it will!

Tummies are always the big problem here, aren't they! All whole-body exercise is good for the stomach muscles, and then of course crunches of various styles. But I just wanted to share that I sit on my exercise ball when at the computer! Just some gentle rolling around and balancing keeps the stomach working even during such a sedentary activity. I believe it will help a lot over time!

The other good thing about using the ball at your desk is that it helps your posture! There's nothing supporting you but air and your muscles! I can't recommend it highly enough!!

Martha

[Becky Sue]

Thanks Martha for the tip on the balance ball!!! I gotta get me one.

Welcome back Martha! this is the best place to be. :yes

Happy Low Carbing!!! :hug

[JordanII]

Wow! What a fabulous idea! I have a "poochy" stomach and hate abdominal exercising!

Gonna get one!

Thanks!

[JordanII]

That @#$%^&! Somebody!

Well on Saturday I did go out and buy a ball at WallMart.

Got home and took it to DH and did that "poor little ole helpless me" thing, "Lovie, could you blow this ball up for me?" ( bat bat go the eyelashes and a wee bit of extra wiggle into the walk thing).

(I sometimes wonder who is working harder to keep a straight face....me or him????)

So we unpack the thing to discover....yup, you guessed it, no instructions on how much to blow the dang thing up!!! At the store I asked the young lady in the sports and fitness section, "how do you blow this thing up? She recommended that I (1) take it to a gas station (2) not exceed the numbers because it will explode :yikes

SO WHERE ARE THE INSTRUCTIONS WITH THE #$%^&^%$# NUMBERS!
Was definitely cheesed off when I returned the ball.

Today I am the proud owner of a new Pilates Sculpt tape....."a perfect mix of weights and pilates". sounded interesting, will let you guys know what I think about this product.

[JordanII]

Here is the report on the Pilates Sculpt Tape I promised.

Tried it yesterday. Don't know what to think as yet....I found that the two instructors seemed to natter incessantly...of course I must add that the night before I read until 4:00 AM so I may have been a trifle irritable (LOL)the next morning when I had to get up and get on with the day!!

Will give it a few more tries under more reasonable conditions.

[Peggy2004]

JordanII--I hate that you had to take your balance ball back! I have been yapping about these things a lot in the exercise forum here. I just love mine and they are so great for gentle but highly effective workouts--I have about four tapes that use them and I always do my ab crunches on mine. So much easier on the back than doing them on the floor.

You can blow them up with any kind of pump except an electric one, which will go too fast. A bike pump is perfect, and if you go back to WalMart you could probably just use one they have there and not buy it (if you don't already have one). You also will need a measuring tape (also could be "borrowed" at Wal-Mart!). There are different size balls--the container it came in should have indicated what the inflated size should be. For instance, mine was to be something like 30" in diameter. I put a piece of masking tape 30" up a wall and then just inflated the ball till it was as high as the tape. I believe mine is a "medium" ball. The size you need is usually determined by your height (this info also should have been on the box--that Wal-Mart ball may have been just too poor a version to bother with).

I hope sometime you will try it again, maybe buying from a better source. They really are worth it! And MarthaM, I love the idea of sitting on it at the computer. I know the kind of "rolling around" you are talking about and that's such a great move--super on the back as well as the abs :yes.

Peggy