Yes, I learned that the hard way. Luckily it was a little blob. But around here at least synthetics seem to be the exception at the thrift stores. There's one nice little ratty store downtown that sells used work clothes. Some still even have the little Aramark tags on 'em. Shirts for $1 each, jeans three for $5. Good, tough clothes; all cotton; dirt cheap. They had a heap of ripped-off name tags in the corner. I found one with my name from an old job!
Nope. Fire-proofing and depeckerfication go hand-in-hand. Unless you count water, but that'll have to be reapplied often. (:
The stiching has been getting junkier of the past few years and I suspect my carhartt pants wear faster than the used to. I've had some belt loops rip out and I don't even wear a belt on a few pairs made in the last two years.
Dickies insulated pants are warm but have a really stange cut that causes plumber ass. Their regular carpenter jeans seem ok.
Walking is good, but it can be hard on some of the joints when you have some weight on them, especially in the hills. Granted, I'm prejudiced, but cycling is a great way for low impact exercise. You should be able to get a bike that'll hold your weight. My first suggestion would be a mountain bike, since they have much lower gearing than the road bikes, along with suspension forks for comfort. Any local bike shop will have ideas also. Here's a good group that'll be happy to help, rec.bicycles.tech. This subject has come up before with people heavier than you are. Another possibility is a recumbent cycle machine in your house. I have had one for 8 years, but don't use it anymore since I enjoy riding outside so much. If you do consider doing it indoors, don't even consider it, I repete, don't even consider it, unless you have at least a TV or better, a VCR, TIVO or some means to keep entertained while you're exercising. I will absolutely guarantee that you will fall off the wagon if you don't have a fool-proof method of passing the time it takes to get good, calorie burning time in. Exercising inside is BORING! It works, but you must have some sort of entertainment to make the time pass. Any exercise program MUST fit into your normal daily pattern. If it doesn't, it'll invariably fail. If you can stick with a program long enough to see some weight loss or other benefits, you'll be hooked. Before you know it you'll get some unsolicited comments along the lines of "you look like you've lost some weight", and that'll cement it! You'll be hooked.
If you try walking, then start very slowly and on a regular schedule. Be patient and keep at it, increasing distance slowly as it feels comfortable.
Good luck, and don't forget it's the best thing you can do for yourself. John P.S. If you ride outside, PLEASE use a helmet. I know what it can do for you when you dump the bike. That /will/ happen and since your head will be the main item to slam into the road, the helmet will work. I know that from more than one experience.
On Wed, 18 May 2005 17:48:37 -0700, the inscrutable "madhat" spake:
There are several forms of yoga which will help you stay in better shape and won't increase your injuries. The stretching and range of movement look simple but they burn calories and get you back in shape quickly. Yoga can be done alone or with friends/family for structure and support.
Grab all the yoga books from your local library and see which of the stretches and exercises you can do in your physical condition. Combine styles to come up with your own version of a set or 3, then do them whenever you can.
I had upper back problems and can't get both feet behind my neck at the same time any more , but I'm still limber 30 years later after spending several years doing Hatha yoga. (Lillias on PBS) You have reminded me to start it up again myself. Thanks!
------------------------------------------ Do the voices in my head bother you? ------------------------------------------
Gunner, wondering how a starched T-shirt is gonna feel.....
"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire. Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us) off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give them self determination under "play nice" rules.
Think of it as having your older brother knock the shit out of you for torturing the cat." Gunner
Seems like walking is your best bet at this point, after a good chat with any doctor specializing in the treatment of morbid obesity. (no offense meant.)
Gunner
"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire. Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us) off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give them self determination under "play nice" rules.
Think of it as having your older brother knock the shit out of you for torturing the cat." Gunner
Then there is Tai Chi...which is very very good and so simple that geriatrics can do it.
Gunner
"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire. Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us) off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give them self determination under "play nice" rules.
Think of it as having your older brother knock the shit out of you for torturing the cat." Gunner
Yup same here; almost all of my work clothing is bought from second hand stores. Those that aren't were given to me as gifts. You got to be wealthy to purchase new clothing these days. I haven't won the lottery yet.
On Thu, 19 May 2005 16:18:13 GMT, the inscrutable Gunner spake:
Uh, remember that starch is VIAGRA for CLOTH. Ouch! They'll feel like yer ol' Sunday-go-ta-meetin' clothes.
Instead, the leather apron and sleeving/leggins that HF sells are great for avoiding burns. (At $7.95, the apron was a steal.)
Your Prez is off his leash, dude.
"America does not go abroad in search of monsters to destroy. She is the well-wisher to the freedom and independence of all. She is the champion and vindicator only of her own. She will recommend the general cause by the countenance of her vice and the benignant sympathy of her own example. She well knows that by once enlisting under banners other than her own, were they even the banners of foreign independence, she would involve herself beyond the power of extrication, in all the wars of interest and intrigue, of individual avarice, envy, ambition, which assumed the colors and usurped the standards of freedom. The fundamental maxims of her policy would insensibly change from liberty to force....She might become the dictatress of the world. She would no longer be the ruler of her own spirit."
--John Quincy Adams, address to the House of Reps on July 4th, 1821
(Page 200 of "Imperial Hubris", under the heading "Democracy: The Least Exportable Commodity.")
=========================================================== Save the Endangered Boullions from being cubed!
On Thu, 19 May 2005 16:55:54 GMT, the inscrutable Gunner spake:
Probably no good for his leg/lower back problems. I'm doing Tai Chi now and it's tough on my knees. Gotta keep getting the weight down. High school: 182 lbs. Currently 208 lbs, down from 223. (Egad! I'm 5'
11".) One of these days I'll grab an extra 43" length of 3/4" pipe and hang it in the hallway for a chinup/pullup/stretching/leg/stomach lift bar and get busy on it.
A copy of "Eat Fat, Lose Fat" found its way here last week, too.
=========================================================== Save the Endangered Boullions from being cubed!
Walking is not really an option. I can't do more than 300 yards. without my crutches. Of course I guess I could maybe double that with the crutches. It's not the weight that bothers me (though it doesn't help) it's the nerve deficit and falling. It hurts hitting the ground from that high up.
I thought about a bicycle but one reason I sold my Harley was I got spasms and fell over at a stop sign once. I was afraid it would happen while I was going down the road at 70mph.
Swimming would probably work Ok, we bought one of those 20'x4' donut pools we're putting up. but that's very seasonal where we live up in the mountains. It'll probably be another month before I can use it. The nearest public all-season pool is 80 mi. Hell, it's 80mi to McD's, PizzaHut, even a Traffic light or 4-way stop.
I am going to try out an "Air-Walker" that a friend has. I can hang onto it while I'm using it and I don't have the stepping motion, more like a swinging motion. I looked at the 5BX sites and a couple of yoga sites. I'll give them a try. I just got one of those big rubber bands from the orthopedist. I can do that stuff sitting down.
Swimming, but that requires access to a suitable body of water. My Grandma (88 years old, and sharp as a tack) swims 30 minutes daily. She can't walk for exercise anymore because of trouble with her feet and ankles. Grandma's condo building has an indoor pool.
My late Grandfather took up running at age 60, after he retired. He ran the New York Marathon at age 72. He kept running until Alzheimer's took the use of his legs at age 83. He didn't know who or where he was, but he insisted on running every day, and was quite upset when he couldn't do it any more. The physical therapists at the nursing home had a hard time keeping up with him.
You should consult your physician before taking up any kind of exercise.
When I was a kid there was a formula for some homemade stuff that had Borax in it-- we tested it on some scrap cloth and it seemed to work reasonably well (chars but won't sustain a flame on its own).
A Google search turned up a few variations on this theme. Borax is considered non-toxic but may be a skin irritant, depending on the concentration.
It's water soluable so it will wash out, but if you only wear it for welding it might be worth re-treating each time (Borax is relatively cheap).
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