it's what's for breakfast

[rm]

I've taken to watching snippets of movies in bed in the morning before going to work. Right now Marie Antoinette, Vanity Fair, King Arthur (I know, I know!), Stage Beauty (side note: Othello is my favourite Shakespeare play. I think it has the most space in it with which to do interesting things) and a Leonard Cohen tribute concert video are all on the bed. I should start doing a column out of this habit too, although it would either be too redundant or relevatory; I'm not sure which.

Not completely thought through thinking aloud: Is the lack of clearly delineated gender roles in the current era also the cause of the lack of anyone's ability to see a clear, specific, consistent difference between public and private? If the world of women was a private one, and the world of men a public one, but there are no longer clear worlds specific to men and women, is that why we all blab about all sorts of things in all sorts of places? That is, the technology only enables, doesn't encourage? Yeah, I was watching Stage Beauty this morning, and because of some bullshit in my own past, one of the things that obsesses me in it is the way Buckingham's always all, "don't forget it's a secret." Like duh, and if you'd just stop saying it.... *flail* Hrrrr.

I did something deeply stupid and now have to run home and back to work in the middle of the day. But then it's 300 tonight, and I'm utterly looking forward to it and the company.

I should also add today is the first day I could be fencing when I am not since I started, mainly because I made these plans before I discovered fencing was available to me today. It works out well though, as my brain is definitely doing background processing not on how I feel about fencing, but on the actual physical stuff, and I can tell the time away is going to help this time. That said, I will put in practice tomorrow. Also anyone have any suggestions on working on my abs that don't involve situps? (which in any and all forms cause me agony on my tailbone) -- it's the one thing fencing isn't helping, but I totally need a stronger core to be steadier on my lunges.

Comments

[schpahky.livejournal.com]

Rowing, if you do it right, does wonders for abs. But you need to be able to row somewhere.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Yeah, i used to do that on a machine when I had a gym membership, and it was amazing. I really liked it too. That said, no gym memberships for me. A) I'm bad about using them and B) I've decided just like I want as much as my clothing to be as handmade as possible and as much as my food to only contain things that are obviously food as possible, I want my physical strength to come from doing _things_. I.e., no machines pour moi.

Hrrrm.

[schpahky.livejournal.com]

If you lived here you could pick up sculling on the Charles in warmer weather. Don't know if there is any equivalent where you are.

If you didn't have an adversarial relationship to yoga, I'd say, Pilates are engineered for core strength, and easy enough to do in your own home. In fact, there, I said it anyway.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Right, but like, what's it for? I suppose one could argue dance is for anything, but it is. Even yoga is for stuff, but it just doesn't doesn't work for me. And I wonder if it's because of how I'm built (mentall or physically) or it was shoved on me by my ever so vivid parents when I was little. I've really tried with yoga too, specifically in the throes of the worst of the worst with the whole Australia/Baz Luhrmann thing, and let me tell you, if I couldn't do it then, I sure as hell can't do it now. Although, I tried with the Indian food then too, and seemingly, only got that to work last week. Then of course it tried to kill me.

I am funny. Hello.

[schpahky.livejournal.com]

Forgive me for deferring to Wikipedia on the Pilates:

"The program focuses on the core postural muscles that help keep the body balanced and are essential to providing support for the spine. In particular, Pilates exercises teach awareness of breath and alignment of the spine, and strengthen the deep torso muscles, which are important to help alleviate and prevent back pain."

So, yeah, working out for working out's sake, with spinal benefits.

Is your "what's it for" thing sort of like how I will need to walk three miles, and want to walk three miles, but do it far more willingly if I know, say, there is a CVS at the end and I happen to have to buy a toothbrush? i.e. what's the destination?

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Mmm, Stage Beauty. I love that movie. I need to rent it, or buy it, or something.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I have to believe it's possible to be physically just by you know, doing actual things. The idea of working out in, I guess, non-organic ways because our lives are all sedentary and crap just depresses the shit out of me. It's like scheduling time to be alive.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I just gave in. I forgot how unbelievably stupidly hot it is.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Heh. Yeah, it is really that. I keep trying to convince people to buy it for me on holidays and birthdays, and no one ever does. I need to just do it myself.

[dipping_sauce]

I think belly dancing is supposed to be good for building core strength, but I don't know if it's your thing.

[fuyukodachi.livejournal.com]

If you use an exercise ball, or a fitness ball, does your tailbone hurt then, too? I can't do them on the ground or a mat for that reason, but the ball is fine.

The only activities I know of that strengthen that area and don't involve things that appear to be exercise for the sake of it are, like the other person said, belly dance, and walking on uneven ground, like walking on a slope, and forcing your body to correct its tendency to lean.

[saltbox.livejournal.com]

I want my physical strength to come from doing _things_. I.e., no machines pour moi.

Too bad you're not here! Because my gym has exactly that philosophy. And though I've liked traditional gyms in the past (though I'm more a weights gal than a machine gal), this is *much* better.

[saltbox.livejournal.com]

Also, here's a page that describes one of the core exercises we do for abs. (Our gym's version is a bit tougher, where we rest our hands on these power wheel things, and do either crunch-type exercises, or scoot around the room with them. Looks silly, but gives a really intense core workout.

[marzipan-pig.livejournal.com]

I do a core work dealie that involves curling my butt UP. So, like, lying on the ground flat on my back with my legs perpenicular to my torso, and then pulling my butt up for 10 counts , pulling my butt and my front up for 10 counts, 10 counts of butt up and cross over with the front, 10 with butt up and front up, then 10 with butt up.

It works better for my lower back than 'traditional' core (situp-like) work, like, it seems to strengthen both the back and front of me at once. I don't know if that would help your tailbone issue but it seems like if your tail bone isn't pressing down it could help?

There's also standing stuff (Pilates books have strange metaphors for a lot of this) and lying flat on your back or stomach stuff, but I have trouble holding those in my mind very well.

[marzipan-pig.livejournal.com]

It's like scheduling time to be alive.

Heh. This is part of why I rarely visit my elliptical trainer boyfriend, and why I liked running outside even when it was hurting my lungs. I can pretend I'm running on the elliptical trainer though (and where else could I run BACKWARDS?) and out in the world it's just going to hurt my hips.

I know what you mean though, driving to the gym to run on a cardio machine is kind of sad and sorry in some way that matters to me.