A bit discouraged

[maidy]

I want to respawn.  I really do.  I signed up for this over two months ago.  I was all ready and set to finally get myself in shape.

 

Then life came knocking on my door.

 

I have a heart condition called PSVP.  My heart is in very good shape and it's strong as heck.  I just have a crappy electrical system.  Think of it as a muscle car with electronically monitored speed control.  It is one strong kick-butt car, but it occasionally speeds up and slows down again for no reason whatsoever.  I had a bad bout back in the beginning of November.  Because of that, I was scared to do anything that resembled aerobics.  Both of my doctors cleared me to stick with the program; they told me to practice common sense.  That is a bigger challenge for me than exercising.  But I digress.

 

I also have a child who has ADHD and he's been off the chain lately.  Great kid, but he takes up a lot of my time and energy.

 

Mix in crappy relationship choices and Bob's your uncle, I'm looking to respawn.  Actually, I don't even know if it's a respawn since I haven't done all that much with the program.   Hmmm ...

 

And how the heck do I get that cool looking signature thing showing character information?  I don't even have a character yet but I'd still like to set that up.  See how much of a newblet I am?  I need serious overhaul here, folks.

 

Thank you

[Sygil]

Hi there!

 

That does sound like a scary problem to have. I couldn't actually find anything on 'PSVP', but I did find PSVT which looks to be the same thing you are describing. Does that seem right?

 

Also, what kind of program were you hoping to follow? Perhaps us nerdfitness folks can help you come up with something that you're comfortable with, or even help you to evaluate the risk of doing various things.

 

As for the "cool character info" in your signature, there are detailed instructions here - you don't have to follow that system, but it does explain how to actually edit your signature at the end of the post as well.

 

In any case, you've definitely made progress just by posting here! This community is awesome and I'm sure you'll be kicking butt in some shape or form in no time

 

In the meanwhile, do keep in mind that one of the major things you can change without risking your heart at all, is your diet... which, we can also help with, though there's plenty of information in NF articles and the forums. I believe this may be a good starting point.

 

Edit: I did a little more browsing around - this is another good article (perhaps better) 

[maidy]

My bad.  it is PSVT.  Unsure what I was thinking.  Whenever I mentioned it to people, I'd say SVT which is the generic diagnosis.  Some people would think I was talking about a Mustang.  How they got a car from a heart condition still vexes me.

 

I'm unsure what program I wish to start.  I like the idea of strength training.  I just worry how you're always encouraged to warm-up first and the classic warm-up is walking or running.  I don't know where to start with it.

 

I started to get back into Paleo.  I was strict Atkins from 2011 to 2013.  I fell off the wagon in 2014.  Now I'm back in with Paleo.  After converting to Atkins, wading into Paleo should be a breeze.  My downfalls are all high carbs and those are the first things I need to purge and banish.  *be gone, vile sugary carbs*

 

Thanks for your help.  Appreciate it.

[Sygil]

Well, in that case, you're off to a good start! While a lot of people do warm up for weight lifting with some form of cardio, there are also many who do not - and instead just do warm-up sets with lighter weights. You can also do things like dynamic stretches, where you only hold the stretch for a few seconds, if even, and the focus is more on repetition and dynamic movement. This helps to both get the blood flowing and loosen yourself up without tiring yourself out and sacrificing lifting ability. 

 

I have personally switched over to doing warm-up sets instead of running (namely because of an ankle injury) and it works great. It has the added advantage of letting you practice your form more before getting into the heavy lifting. For you, it might also help you to gauge whether or not you're comfortable for that particular workout.

 

As for strength training routines, I would normally recommend Stronglifts, but you may want to try and find a full-body dumb bell routine/program that minimizes risk for you. I'm not sure if you have any warning when your PSVT hits, or how you might react when it happens with heavy weights loaded on your back (like with Stronglifts). Unfortunately, I don't know of any programs to recommend, but you might want to post in the "help me build a workout" section and ask for help with this. That said, there are always failsafes you can (and should) use for various exercises. A spotter recently saved my ass when I was benching because my right arm completely failed out of nowhere, even though the weight was normally completely manageable. Safety pins could help you do squats worry-free as well, provided that they are available, and so on...

 

I hope that helps!

[maidy]

Thank you for all of your advise.  Totally appreciate it.

 

The more I evaluate the situation, the more I'm thinking I should step away from being an Assassin and instead concentrate on being a Druid.  I still want to worth on stealth and strength, but I don't think I'll be doing any parkour anytime soon.

Thank you again.

 

- Maidy