RVing can work wonders.

[Huck]

Originally Posted by accrete

My wife and i full time in a luxurious 38ft fifth wheeler...Parked right next to it is our cute little 15ft fiberglass Parkliner. Certainly-consistently the tiniest rig in the RV/Golf Resort we stay at. The one people want to see inside?..The Parkliner

Thom

With the height difference, that shouldn't be a problem!

[honda03842]

My niece and her family are visiting this week. They are taking the AB Challenge, 30 days of increasing, sit ups, leg lifts, crunches and planks. After 10 days they are all substantially 'harder'. Very impressive, though not easy. Of course the hardest part is sticking to it. Pam is a real cheerleader type, always ready to lead her family into challenge.

They'll be here for a week so I hope it encourages me to a new challenge, though it certainly would be easier if I were their age.

Beyond our week guests we had other four other guests for dinner last night, one has a nerve problem. that causes a slight limp occasionally. He also plans to try Ginny's 30 second plank routine to see if it helps.

We are now 'plankers' for life, since it fixed Ginny, she's almost religious about it now.

Just a thought for you that are trying. I know it's not to much about RVing but for us, RVing has led to better health.

[Nut501]

We are now 'plankers' for life, since it fixed Ginny, she's almost religious about it now.

Just a thought for you that are trying. I know it's not to much about RVing but for us, RVing has led to better health.[/QUOTE]

Norm,
Can you please explain the term "PLANKERS"? Sorry to have to ask, but I WANT TO BE UP TO DATE!
Thanks,

[honda03842]

A 'Planker', my word, is someone who regularly does planks to strengthen their body's core. I believe earlier in this post there is a link to how to plank. Basically it's forming your body into a straight line while up on your toes and forearms. Ginny holds the position for 30 seconds every day and it's solved her nerve based hip problem.

[Nut501]

Norm,
Thank you for the explanation. I am glad that it helped Ginny with her problem. How long did she plank until she could see any improvement in her body? Did you ever see any changes in your body?
I am going to have to start PLANKING!
Thanks,

[honda03842]

Before we left last fall Ginny was having trouble walking due to severe pain in her hip. She is not one to complain, but really needed her walking stick and occasionally my assistance. Our doctor had moved to NC, so we had made annual checkup appointments with him on our way south.

She explained the problem to him; he checked her hip for arthritis. He said there was none. He got down on the floor and did a plank. He told her if she did that for 30 seconds a day it would strengthen her core and the problem would be gone in 6 weeks. Sure as shooting. She does one every night before bed, gets down on the floor with her smartphone to time herself.

So I had read a report that the entire UConn football team was tested for vitamin deficiencies at the direction of their new coach. They found among other things that every player had a Vitamin D deficiency. I found that amazing. He told me most people are deficient.

He also told me that a study has shown that when patients in nursing homes are given 1000 mg of Vitamin D, falls decrease by 40%.

Every time we go to this guy we get little tidbits. He also has given us his email address so we can contact him with medical questions. He said if we need medical help on the road he will direct us to an appropriate doctor.

Planks... it worked for Ginny

[accrete]

After reading your OP on "Planks" a while back i looked up the term and then downloaded a couple free & fun apps called "Plank". One on my wife's galaxy 10 tab and one on my iPad Air. They are an enjoyable addition to the morning routine. Cari (my wife) was actually the one who found the app for her tablet after seeing me do them one morning (so i found the one for my iPad). Now she is hooked too.

Cheers,
Thom

[honda03842]

Thom,

I never thought to look. Thanks a lot. I'll be down loading one.

[Mike Magee]

I don't suppose the app will do the plank for me, and still provide the benefits....

[accrete]

Originally Posted by Mike Magee

I don't suppose the app will do the plank for me, and still provide the benefits....

HaHa.
And if one were to look at the selection of apps, there's probably one that uses the device's built in camera to make sure you are keeping up!

[honda03842]

This week we have had our niece and her family as guests. My niece and her two teens are taking the AB challenge this month. Basically you start by doing 5 situps, 5 crunches, 5 leglifts and a plank. Every day you increase by 5, in the case of the plank seconds.

I decided to join them and am now up to 45. The sit ups are killers.

Two things, the number you increase by is not critical, but increase you should, it just takes longer to get there. Really doing one more per day for 30 days would be beneficial. The form is not critical either, though I did go onto Youtube to see what I'm supposed to be doing.

What truly amazes me is how quickly your body responds. I've gone from 5 to 45 in 9 days. I have to admit to feeling better though a little tired. I break the situps into two sets about an hour apart.

Now that I'm in to it I thought push ups might be a good addition. As Frank jokingly suggested, I found an app for pushups. It counts each pushup as your chin moves near the phone. It also does a little test and creates a program for you. (Note you can start with modified pushups where you only pushup from your knees or do pushups using the kitchen counter.) The whole thing is doing it, doing more each day and doing it regularly.

I was 72 Friday and this is my gift to me. My goal is to get to 100 reps and to make it a part of my wakeup routine.

Yes an old dog with new tricks.......

[Mike Magee]

I do 3 pushups every day.... each time I push myself up and away from the dining table. Sometimes I'll do 4.

Good for you, Norm! I feel tired just thinking of doing 45 situps!

[honda03842]

Mike,

somehow it's become fun.

Maybe because I watched a 13 year old girl and a 14 year old boy working a way on my living room floor and their 40 year old morning leading the crew, such mother enthusiasm.

The sit ups are the hardest but each day they get easier. Like most things in life it's the getting started that's the hardest.

[Darrell in Al]

Honda03842
The two of you are great mentors and motivating for all of us.

[Stretcher]

Norm and Ginny,

We attended and outdoor concert on a farm overlooking the Westport (MA) River this evening. The chorus of this song reminded me of you two.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACUcgLOLXv4

David

[honda03842]

"the more I travel........" Thank you David..too bad her husband died.

We do love the travel, we love spending time together finding our way.

Life could not be better for us.

[honda03842]

When we started traveling Ginny was having knee problems, they seem to run in her family. Since we began traveling we each have lost at least 50 lbs, though Ginny;s loss is a 'state secret'. The knee problems seem to have disappeared for the most part, though she is still cautious. This means we keep the hikes to a few miles and she pops an ibprofen(sp) at the start of each hike.

I am now up to 75 reps on my exercise program. I have added modified push-ups to the routine of sit-ups, crunches, leg lifts and planks. Though I am not a star, my technique is sloppy and I have to break the 75 reps into parts, taking a few minute break between groups of 25. I am impressed how relatively quickly my 72 year old body adapted to the task at hand. I've been increasing the number by 5 a day, Ginny tells me that's too many. I suggest to her to start and increase by one rep a day. Maybe after this stretch of company she'll join me.

In some measure good health is within your grasp, I only wish I had started earlier.

I now plan to add a foot bar to the Scamp to act like the couch, holding my feet down for crunches and sit ups.

[james kent]

Came across this thread this AM and tried a basic plank.
OMG!
The only thing that I have been pushing lately is 74 and I could barely hold it for 30 seconds. Boy, am I out of condition. This will definitely be on my to-do list. Thanks for the intro
Jim


Sent from my iPad using Fiberglass RV

[honda03842]

Jim, 30 seconds is great. Ginny only does 30 seconds and has no re-occurrence of her hip/nerve problem. I am impressed with how well the body can respond.

I started with 30 seconds and gradually increased it.

[Donna D.]

I'm a believer of weight-proportionate-to-height. Doesn't matter how you get there... it's just that you do. I'm a walker. 10,000 steps a day, wear out or rust out. Calories in, calories out. I can be really bad sometimes, far from perfect. But I walk! No WiFi, batteries need... just GO!