[Sportsandrec] New list member with fitness-related questions and goals for the new year

Mon Dec 19 15:22:55 UTC 2016

Miranda,

There are a lot of different tips for running with a cane. I have a friend
who does it, and he's totally blind and only has one arm, and he's a fast
runner. Depending on the trail I'm on, I may or may not arc with every step.
If a familiar, smoother trail, I arc every-other step or so, but if a less
clear path, especially if I'm not as familiar with it, I arc every step,
which can take some adjustment, but once you get used to it, I don't find it
slows me down. I also trail an edge of the trail. Ultimately, you just have
to do it and find out what works for you. You will inevitably come up with a
technique that suits your needs best. Running with a cane can seem
cumbersome at first, but once you get used to it, I don't find it that big
of a deal, nor does it slow me down. I actually feel more comfortable
running with a cane, even when I have a guide to run with, grin.

Our first elliptical folded up, but was still too bulky to put under
anything. It sat in a corner. We had a two bedroom apartment, and the
elliptical was in one of the rooms, which was a pretty standard sized room,
and we still had room for a full-size bed and table with TV on it. Then we
moved into our house, and we put it down in the basement. Eventually, we got
another elliptical, and this one does not fold up. Some models will likely
be sleeker than other models, so you would have to shop around to find what
you think fits best in your space. When we were first married, we had just a
one bedroom apartment, and we had it in our living room space, but it all
depends on square footage. You would have to take a looksy at models and see
what you could accommodate. Also, exercise equipment can be pricey. You can
find equipment and machines at garage sales, used sports stores, used ones
on online, etc. but it will depend on your budget too.

The YMCA is pretty inexpensive. For my family (which is currently 3 of us)
it only cost us $68/month. This gives us access to all cardio equipment,
weight room, pool, gym, and classes are free or discounted for members. My
yoga is free, and my son's gymnastic classes are a cheap six-week fee. For
individual memberships, it's even cheaper. I assume the YMCA's across the
country operate the same. Your membership can be used at any Y in your area,
and I think you can use it at any Y in the country too, but I'm not 100% on
this, but definitely any local Y.

I completely understand being busy and not finding time to cook. I'm a grad
student and also a stay-at-home parent to my four-year-old and soon new
baby, and my husband runs his own business, so meals are often quick, simple
dishes. You can make a lot of things in crock pots. Slow-cooking is nice
because it's usually pretty simple and you have left-overs for a few days.
Right now, slow-cooked soups and stews are great. A lot of meals I prepare
ahead of time so I either have a majority of the work done when it comes
time to cook, or I just have to re-heat. Cooking from scratch doesn't have
to be super involved or easy or even take long. You can find a lot of
recipes that accommodate busy lifestyles. That's why crock pot meals are a
great option. And you can usually let them cook all day while gone. I make
chilies, stews, roast beef, chicken and turkey dishes in the crock pot, to
name a few. Casseroles are another great option too. Just prepare and throw
in the oven, and again, you will have left-overs for a few days. One of my
favorite cooking blogs is Mel's Kitchen. You can Google her and sign up for
weekly recipes. And you can check out her blog for recipes. I have yet to
make one of her recipes and be disappointed. But ultimately, with food, like
I said, stick with whole foods, avoiding prepackaged foods and junk foods
and watch portion sizes, and generally you are fine.

I'm due in February, so just 2 more months. Things going well, thank you.
Just tired a lot. About a month after the baby is due, our triathlon
training kicks up into high gear, so perfect timing for taking off baby
weight, grin. Especially since my sister's wedding is in October. I've only
put on 18 pounds so far, and just have 2 more months to go, but still,
taking off baby weight is one of the most difficult types of weight gain to
get rid of, as I found out with my son. Preparing for baby's arrival right
now though.

Bridgit

-----Original Message-----
From: SportsandRec [mailto:sportsandrec-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
Miranda B. via SportsandRec
Sent: Sunday, December 18, 2016 6:28 PM
To: 'Sports and Recreation for the Blind Discussion List'
<sportsandrec at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Miranda B. <knownoflove at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Sportsandrec] New list member with fitness-related questions
and goals for the new year

Hi Bridgit,
Thanks for your response. I've never ran with my cane, but that could be an
option. Do you find that your cane slows hyou down at all with getting
stuck, ETC? Is there a specific cane tip you'd recommend for running?
I may look into my local Y. Thanks for the tip!
Congrats on your new little one to come! I hope you have a healthy pregnancy
and smooth delivery! :) Would the elliptical be small enough to fold/store
when not in use, since we live in a 1-bedroom apartment? Also, would it be
noisy for downstairs neighbors?
I agree with your thoughts on nutrition. I do wish I had more time to cook
more foods from scratch, but with both my husband and I in college, time is
apparently not in our vocabulary.
Thanks again for your help, and have a wonderful week!

Best wishes, Miranda

-----Original Message-----
From: SportsandRec [mailto:sportsandrec-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter via SportsandRec
Sent: Sunday, December 18, 2016 7:00 PM
To: 'Sports and Recreation for the Blind Discussion List'
<sportsandrec at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter <bkpollpeter at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Sportsandrec] New list member with fitness-related questions
and goals for the new year

Miranda,

Welcome to the list.

That seems unusual to me that your school gym would not provide assistance
for explaining equipment. This should be something they provide for anyone,
disabled or not. I would definitely check with the gym itself.

My husband and I are both blind, and we use our local YMCA. It's cheap, and
they provide a variety of classes along with cardio equipment and weight
room and pool. And our four-year-old enjoys going to the Y too.

When the weather is nice, we run and/or powerwalk to and around a park near
our house. It has a nice jogging trail we like to use. Our son can play on
the playground while my husband and I take turns on the trail.

I like to swim year round. I'm currently pregnant with my second child, and
I continue to swim as it's exercise but also great for pregnancy. I swim at
the Y. I do laps, swimming for about an hour.

I also have an elliptical at home I like to use. It's a basic machine, and I
have labeled the buttons in Braille. It's not a touch screen but is a flat
screen. There are three buttons for the programs, up and down buttons and a
start and stop button. All have Braille labels. I will hope on and watch a
show or read a book for 30 or 40 minutes.

I'm totally blind as well. Whether the gym or elsewhere, I explore and ask
questions, if necessary. At the Y, they have been helpful and always willing
to answer questions or point something out if we need it.

I like to do yoga and have found most classes to work well nonvisually.
Instructors usually are pretty descriptive, and I've not had an instructor
have a problem if I need more clarification about how to do a pose.

For running and walking, we use our canes unless working with our partners.
Both my husband and I do triathlons, so when in training, we work with our
partners. But when just at home, we run on the trail using our cane. We do
anywhere between 1 to 3 miles. I used to run track way, way back in the day,
then would come home and run even more, but now that I'm older, I find I
don't enjoy running that much. I do it but it's no longer my "thing."

Nutrition is easy, in my opinion. Rule of thumb, the more whole food you
eat, the better you are. I do most the cooking and prefer to make food from
scratch, avoiding prepackaged foods as much as possible. We do a lot of
fresh fruits and veggies. For me, I try to do low-carb. If you can't do
organic, that's okay, but stick to whole foods as much as possible, and the
biggest key to a healthy diet is sticking to portions. A lot of info is
available about food and nutrition, and much of it is accessible.

Personally, I'm not big into technology, so I don't use a lot of apps or
devices. My husband has a Fitbit HR, which is accessible through a
smartphone app. I do go online a lot to look up info or to get nutrition
labels, but I'm not big on using technology for much.

Hope this helps. If you have more specific questions, don't hesitate.

Bridgit

-----Original Message-----
From: SportsandRec [mailto:sportsandrec-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
Miranda B. via SportsandRec
Sent: Sunday, December 18, 2016 2:23 PM
To: sportsandrec at nfbnet.org
Cc: Miranda B. <knownoflove at gmail.com>
Subject: [Sportsandrec] New list member with fitness-related questions and
goals for the new year

Hi everyone,

I am new to this list, and if appropriate, I have some questions regarding
health/fitness and public gyms.

To give a bit of background, I ran track in junior high and high school, and
throughout high school I ran 5 days a week and lifted weights 3 days a week.
Mind you, that was over 10 years ago, so the most exercise I do at the
moment is extensive walking.

I would like to eat healthier and exercise in the new year, both to lose
some weight before possibly traveling overseas for the summer, and just to
be more healthy and in-shape. I'm trying to plan ahead, hence my message to
all of you today.

I live in a second floor apartment, so any at-home exercise should be
minimal in noise. However, I do also have access to a gym at my university,
although I haven't yet had a chance to explore it as someone who is
completely blind. A couple of my visually impaired friends inquired for
themselves if anyone was available to assist them with learning how to
accessibly use the equipment, and it seemed that this was not possible.
However, I do have at least one sighted friend who I would trust to help me
in this way, if necessary.

I should also note that I have an iPhone, so I can use health and
fitness-related apps as well. For instance, I loved using MyFitnessPal
earlier this year, except it became tedius to enter and find the correct
ingredients for meals and recipes.

Do you have any tips or advice related to inexpensive gym memberships (in
the event I decide to go that route) or accessibility in my university's
gym, helpful iPhone apps, exercise mats, dumbbell brands, accessible scales
that connect to the iPhone, or anything else related to my goal for the new
year?

Thanks in advance for your time and assistance, and I wish all of you a
happy holiday season!

Best wishes, Miranda

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