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After several days of icy winds, rain, sleet, sunshine with bitter cold, so no walking, I thought I'd better do something to help my spirits the way walking does.
So yesterday I found my old Eight Pieces of Silk tape -- I still have a working VCR built into my ancient little tv -- and had a very good time with the exercises.
Renee Ryan made this long ago, and a friend in her class sent it to me.
The names alone are a treat -- Punching with Angry Eyes is a favorite. And it's really a great series of movements. My favorites are the ones where I punch out and kiyap, that yell you give to increase your power, and the one which simulates drawing a bow, which you see in the first picture..
There are stretching and balancing ones too, all very important for anyone but vital for me. The tape shows her conducting a class in the open air while explaining the moves. It's all about the meridians and attending to them. She addresses mood and stress, very timely still. Some of the balancing moves I do waiting for the microwave. And some stretches I learned from the next exercise teacher, read on
And I think I'll get out Mary Ann Wilson again. I had a tape of her, and when she came out with a DVD, I added that in.
I love her approach. She's a fitness specialist nurse, knows anatomy and aging bodies and why it's better if exercise is fun.
She too, like Renee, has participants in the sessions, so you can see how ordinary people manage. And she's just dressed in slouchy socks, shorts, tee, no spandex anywhere, none of the push harder, harder, don't stop, you can do this, which lands older women in the ER.
She incorporates yoga moves adapted for sitting as well as resistance training, without making an intimidating deal of it. It's not all chair exercise, but that's the default given she's working with older people, often people who are not very fit at the outset.
And I must say I'm more flexible this morning from the Eight Pieces of Silk yesterday.
For anyone like me who hates exercising in a class, I've done yoga and tai chi, doesn't suit me to work at someone else's rhythm and pace, this is a good option.
So that's all the exciting news Chez Boud.
