Fat Athletes

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Comment by Elizabeth Gall on January 5, 2010 at 2:44pm

I'll confess to watching The Jersey Shore during my last workout, but it did help me keep on the rower longer than I usually want to be!

Comment by Kathy Barron on January 5, 2010 at 2:41pm

LOL I hear you, Vivienne. It depends on the exercise I'm doing. I can walk forever just with my thoughts -- sort of like a meditation. I love having that time to think. However, if I'm running on an elliptical, for example, I definitely have my i-pod and my favorite upbeat songs playing. I've heard of people listening to books on tape. I've done that while driving and find that I often don't want to stop (!!!) so, I can see where it would work for exercise. Lots of gyms set up treadmills, etc., in front of a bank of TVs. That's not my thing -- but some people find it entertaining to watch TV while working out.

Comment by Sue Widemark on January 5, 2010 at 11:12am

Oh I forgot... when I do yoga (4 times a week for flexibility and avoiding injury and muscle spasms), I like to do meditative prayer (usually the Divine Mercy Chaplet). There is a spiritual side of yoga so if you are not into the God thing, you can do the traditional yoga meditation and breathing which is very stress reducing:

http://www.thesecretsofyoga.com/meditation.html

There are several shows on TV which are beginning yoga with poses most folks can do. In countries which practice yoga, there is actually LESS disability from arthritis etc according to Dr Bob Arnot in his book about joint disorder, WEAR AND TEAR...

Comment by Sue Widemark on January 5, 2010 at 11:02am

What do people do with their brains/minds while they exercise????

I exercise daily and have done so for 16 years now. I confess I love exercise - that's kind of built into bodytype, it seems. Have one granddaughter who loves to move like me but hubby, our son, DIL and the other three grandkids hate exercise. Looks like the great granddaughter (who looks like me only brunette and WAY cuter than I ever was) isn't real active either. I feel I must add this disclaimer because I feel what you like to do is pretty genetic... my DH loves to eat and eating something he likes actually reduces his stress level. Here's some tips.... the stationary recumbent is great! You can read a book on it (I've gotten LOTS of reading done that way) or if that doesn't work, try an audio book. Also something on TV works well but it's got to be compelling enough to take your mind off the er.. discomfort (yes, I get that also - my old body screams STOP after 40 minutes... ** sigh **) For me, it's science or medicine or a favorite astrophysicist/Jesuit priest - his series on ID or the Divinity of Christ. For hubby, it's a movie with lots of good cinematography, car chases and shooting up. I also can make a w/o go fast with watching gymnastics... this does NOT work for hubby and what HE likes to watch makes my w/o's DRAG. Everyone is different. Finally if the seat on the stationary bicycle is not comfortable, you can get a set of pedals which you can use from any chair... I have one of those also...

I saw a video of Lance Armstrong biking in what looked like an endless snowy cornfield for what was probably hours and hours and... What does he do with his mind????

In the case of an athlete like Lance, there is a different process going on. He is "zoning out" concentrating on his form, his speed - stuff like that. There is a difference between training rides and leisure biking... in Leisure biking, bike fans enjoy the wind in the hair, the feeling of flying along silently - it's almost a "superman" moment. (I am a leisure biker - have loved biking all my life and have 2 recumbents).

Comment by Vivienne on January 5, 2010 at 7:15am

I have not been doing any exercise at all--hardly! Some occasional biking on the recumbent stationary. I HATE EXERCISE! What do people do with their brains/minds while they exercise???? I saw a video of Lance Armstrong biking in what looked like an endless snowy cornfield for what was probably hours and hours and... What does he do with his mind???? I am bored to tears after 3 minutes of exercise!

Comment by Plant Walks on December 27, 2009 at 8:33am

Hi everyone,

I wish I'd wandered over to Fat Athletes a long time ago. It's great to see people here talking about moving your bodies. I love Kathy B's earliest post here about appreciating the beauty and strength of her body. And later, about deeply accepting and celebrating one's body. Thanks, Kathy!

You are all inspiring me to get moving. I have been on the Fat Academics Yahoo group, and am a bit frustrated with it. Some of the well-known public figures in the Fat Pride/Fat Acceptance/Size Acceptance etc. movement(s) don't actually seem very supportive of HAES, and other health issues. So it's nice to read an exercise-supportive column here.

Maybe I will start a HAES group on this site. What do you think?

Thanks again for your inspiration!

Comment by Kathy Barron on October 1, 2009 at 1:08pm

Nina -- exactly! That is my favorite thing to do -- float naked under the stars. There are all kinds of nudist resorts all over the world. You can find some of them at http://aanr.com/. Glad you got your Y membership. Hope you enjoy it!

Comment by Nina on September 30, 2009 at 6:17pm

Well I did go get my Y membership. And I got a good look at the locker room area, which definitely doesn't have private places to change.

@Kathy: I am glad to hear your PF is improving, and I appreciate your suggestion about seeing this as a chance to celebrate my body-- in theory! It's just that my practical experience in locker rooms is one of mixed anxiety and fury. When I was a kid I wasn't modest in locker rooms or in plenty of other circumstances, but around the time I was 18 I became only barely able to stand strangers coming close to me or brushing against me when I'm fully dressed. I don't even really know why--obviously it sounds like a headcase thing but no antidepressants ever lessened it. So I'm even less eager to have people in my space when I'm nekkid. I am going to try anyway and see if I can make it work through a combination of going during slow times, desensitizing myself, and also probably glaring around a lot to protect my "buffer zone."

Re: the nudism--does that mean you get to go naked swimming outdoors? That is my absolute favorite, but sadly I no longer have any idea where I would go for that. It is perfect to be fat too because you can float on your back and watch the stars with total relaxation.

Comment by Kathy Barron on September 30, 2009 at 4:34am

Hey Nina ~ I've been loving swimming lately too. (And I've also struggled with plantar fascitis, which is finally getting better after over a year of bodywork -- for me, it was a result of a misalignment of the pelvis). Re: changing into/out of your swimsuit -- maybe you could look at is as good practice regarding not just being protective of your body -- but of even more deeply accepting/celebrating/claiming your body -- and claiming space for yourself in this world. I change at my fitness center. I also go nude into the steam room and the jacuzzi (which are both in the women's locker room). Of course, I am a nudist too -- so that makes it easier for me. But becoming a nudist was the BEST thing I ever did for myself. And perhaps claiming your space to at least change without apology for your body (or feeling threatened by others looking at you) will be a great thing for you. I don't mean to make it sound like you don't accept and love your body -- I hope it doesn't come off that way. I don't know your relationship with your body -- but it does sound a little like you are expecting to be attacked in some way (so you need to be protective)? For me, if someone doesn't like how I look, they can look away. I am here to live MY life fully -- and I won't let other people's opinions hold me back. Good luck!

Comment by Nina on September 29, 2009 at 5:22pm

I am just getting re-started finding some movement to keep my body sane. I can't walk like I like to now that I have plantar fascitis so I'm looking around for other things to do. With great trepidation I am contemplating signing up for a membership at the downtown Y in Berkeley and using their pool. The trepidation is mainly because I am very protective of my body and don't want to change in front of strangers, yet also don't want to turn my car into a marsh from driving home home in a swimsuit. At this moment, thinking about it, I am like a kid teetering on a diving board...

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