What No One Tells You About...

...bat wings!!

I hate them, they are evil...the bane of my very existence! They wobble and flop around every time you move your arm.  No one told me this would happen when I got older...guess I should have known though.  Gravity eventually drags all your body parts to the ground!
You know what I hate even worse than bat wings?!  Going to the gym!  I know  you've seen me there...sure you have.  I'm the chick with the blue hair, the blue-painted nails, wearing 12 layers of clothing...over there insanely and obsessively scrubbing the chest press down with Clorox wipes!  You snicker under your breath...I hear you.  I get it...I totally understand that some of you don't mind wallowing in someone else's sweat and leftover body hair, but unfortunately I do!  I'm a germaphobe...to the nth degree!

Since I don't like my own sweat and body hair, you can bet your bat wings that I don't want to writhe and squirm around in someone else's!  Soooo, what do I do when I cannot tolerate the gym?  I work out at home...in my own semi-sterile environment.  See, when you read someone's blog, you get to find out all of their little (or big) quirks...and I have a lot of them!

At home, I can listen to music while I work off the bat wing flab.

Music motivates me and gives me energy, especially 80s music...but I really do like Pink (Just Like Fire, Trouble, Get the Party Started, Raise Your Glass, etc.), Pharrell Williams (Happy), Justin Timberlake (Can't Stop the Feeling), Taylor Swift (Shake it Off) and Imagine Dragons (Thunder).  "Thunder" is a great song for air punching!  Tons of great songs in the world to make exercising more enjoyable.

I have also found a cool app that helps me with those flabby bat wings.

I have 3 sets of weights at home...5 lbs, 3 lbs and 2 lbs.  I'm a wuss, but I alternate them out or use 2 sets at once to increase the weight.

This app gives me several options for arm workouts... Freestyle...

...Level I, Level 2 or Level 3.  Since I've been doing this for a while, I usually do 20 minutes of Freestyle Pro, which has the least amount of rest time between sets.
While I focus on biceps and shoulders, I really like to work my triceps...the dreaded bat wings.

This app gives me a good mix of exercises that helps all areas of my arms, as well as "back fat Betty" and that wrinkly stuff underneath my arms.  Getting old is frustrating... you fix one area and 3 others go to pot.  That's why I try to work out a little bit every day or do a heavy workout every other day.  And yes, there are days I drag my flabby rear-end to the gym, along with a case of Clorox wipes.  My goal is to just keep moving.

The hubster and I do try to balance out our meals, but we supplement them with our protein shake.  We've kept the habit for a couple of years, but I've made a few modifications to the original recipe.

I increased my banana to 1/2 and have added a collagen powder supplement, along with about 1/3 cup of coffee.  I don't like coffee, but I do like the hint of it in the shake.

I am really battling the aging bulge and am always looking for new apps to use at home or new exercises that will give me better results.  If you have suggestions or something that works for you, by all means...SHARE!  And...no one paid me...just sharing my struggles and jiggles!
 


30 comments

  1. Everything is more enjoyable with music, that's probably why I'm a dj! Yes getting older is no fun at all!

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    1. I couldn't agree more! I love music and cannot imagine a world without it! It always motivates me! No, it definitely isn't! Everyday that I get up, something else isn't working like it did the day before! Have a great one! Hugs!

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  2. I’m not a gym person either. I prefer to walk in the warm months and in the winter I also put on the music and groove while I’m vacuuming or heading up and down the stairs with laundry baskets in hand. That counts! Right? 😜

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    1. I like walking sometimes, but I get bored because I feel like I should be doing something more, then my mind starts wondering, then I stop paying attention to where I'm going, then I trip on the crack in the sidewalk, and there you go. Music is perfect for household chores and carrying laundry baskets up and down the stairs is definitely exercise...so is vacuuming and cooking...according to MyFitnessPal these chores burn calories! :-) Love and hugs!

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  3. Not a gym person here either. I love to walk outside when the weather is nice, love to play tennis as well. When the cold winter hits I don't do much. You have motivated me!

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    1. The gym is a place that I don’t understand. Everyone there looks exhausted…LOL I always wanted to learn to play tennis but just never pushed myself to do so…now, I don’t know if I would have the desire to get out on a court to learn something new! Glad I could help! 😊 I feel like Dora (Finding Nemo)….just keep swimming, just keep swimming…or just keep moving in my case! Love and hugs!

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  4. Oh Benita I am a big germ a phobe too. I hate the gym. I always go back and forth on going or not going. If I make myself go I do seem to feel better. The problem is making it a habit. It is not fun for me and I too hate the thought of what microbial creatures are lurking on the equipment!!!! I usually get going and do well for awhile and then give up. I love to walk in the summer and fall months with Terry. It is so great to be outside on a nice evening and talk. We usually then get 1 hour with each other to catch up and talk and get in some exercise. That I love and I do stick with that. I think we all have to figure out what works for us. I am waiting for that diet to come out where you lay on a comfy couch and have a few bon bons while watching something good on TV. Then after an hour you get up and 10 llbs is off your body! Seriously in this day and age when they are discovering cures for things is it really too much to have them find that diet!!!! I have found that supplementing with a protein shake helps to curve my craving for carbs. I think now that I am 60 years old I have to except some of the flaws on my body and realize they love me too much and will never leave my side or under arms lol! Have a good day.
    Hugs,
    Kris

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    1. Kris, I am right there with you! I waffle so much on going to the gym. When we go it is usually early in the morning and I'm just not in the mood for it right when I get out of bed, but that time works best for us if we go to the gym. I prefer to work out at home because I can set my own schedule and have something on TV (music or show) to entertain me while I work out...not that I need entertaining, it is just what works for me. AND, I don't like having to wait on my machine to become available. I like having a set routine at the gym and want to get it done and get out.

      Oh girl, wouldn't that be marvelous! I want to eat all the double-stuff Oreos my mouth will hold at one time (sort of like a squirrel stuffed up with pecans) and just have the fat melt away and me not have to do a single thing except relax! LOL Wouldn't that be wonderful??!! I'm trying to be accepting of aging, but it just makes me so mad...especially when I have to raise my arms to dry my hair...UGH!! Have a great weekend! Love and hugs to you!

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  5. Don't want to sound like an advertisement, but have you tried Planet Fitness? They don't allow body building and have many pieces of equipment available AND they require spraying and wiping each machine when you leave it. The cost starts at $10 per month per person. That's for 24 hour access (people there on duty 24/7, which wasn't the case when we went to a much higher priced gym. Stop by one and check it out. They're super friendly and will give you a tour. They also have a circuit you can do quickly in addition to the various treadmills etc.

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    1. They just opened a new one in this area a few months ago and I've been meaning to go in there to check it out. I like the 24/7 open deal, that way I could go at 9:00 at night if I wanted and not have to do the early morning jaunt. Also, our gym is always crowded in the early morning/early evening and I don't like to go in the middle of the day when it is less crowded.

      That is a much better price than what we are paying...I like the circuit training! Thank you for the information!! Love and hugs!

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  6. Ugh - bat wings, saddle bags, sagging skin over here! And I also hate the gym so any tips on apps are great. I am a walker, but as a frail-little-old-lady-in-progress, it is way past time for me to stop making excuses and get going. I have begun adding collagen powder to my lattes...hey, it’s a start!

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    1. I know, right??!! It just never ends! I like working out because I do feel as though I’ve accomplished something, even though I usually scarf down a container of cookies right after I get home from the gym…it’s a balancing act…LOL I have been using the collagen for a little over a year now. I don’t know if it is making a difference or not, I can’t tell, but I don’t know if I want to stop using it to find out. I just convince myself it’s working and keep on taking it! 😊 Love and hugs sweet friend!

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  7. Double everything Julie said...I have it all and then some.

    Benita I so admire your desire to live healthy and eat healthy and do healthy...really I do. And I try also. However, there is a little voice in my head who looks at one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Serena Williams and I shake my head. You know she has to eat healthy and certainly gets plenty of exercise, but let's face it... she is NOT what I envision as the perfect body shape. sigh!

    And then there is James F. Fixx, who spurred the jogging craze with his best-selling books about running and preached that active people live longer, died of a heart attack on Jul 22 while on a solitary jog in Vermont. He was 52 years old. sigh!

    I know these are mostly isolated cases, but that and the germ laden world we live in keep me at home dusting off my exercise equipment every couple weeks or so....and drinking a protein shake when the Dairy Queen is closed. I think this is a cry for Help!!!
    Hugs
    Kari @ Me and My Captain

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    1. Honey, I hear ya! I look at some of the "healthy" people also and think that their body shape is not stellar. And I've heard of so many people dropping dead while on the treadmill at the gym...it actually makes me nervous when I see the ambulance at the gym. An orthopedic surgeon once said the best thing that ever happened for his business was cross-training. Tears up every joint and ligament we have. LOL@drinking a protein shake when the Dairy Queen is closed. The reality is this, when it is our time, it is our time, regardless of what we have done or didn't do to prolong our lives. I just try to stay active for when my granddaughter visits so she doesn't run me ragged on our walk down to the park and so that I don't totally disgust myself when I look in the mirror...LOL After hours in front of the computer, my body screams for some movement...so I move...a little. :-) Love and hugs sweet friend!

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    1. Thanks so much Brenda...I'm doing what I can to stave off the extra pounds...but some of it is just inevitable! Love and hugs!

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  9. :-) I enjoy walking. It is my very favorite. I use to go to the gym when my boys where younger. I'd drop them off at school and head to the gym. Now, I am not so much of a gym girl.
    I like your music selections.

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    1. You also ski, so I know that is wonderful exercise. When my kids were little, I was all into the gym…body building, even though I didn’t want to compete. Now the idea of doing squats with all that weight on my shoulders makes my knees cringe…so I avoid it! Thank you ma’am…I like all kinds…music is a great motivator! Love and hugs!

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  10. I’m not a gym person … my favourite is to enjoy a walk, or put some music on and dance.

    All the best Jan

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    1. Jan, I love dancing also! Great weight to stay in shape! Love and hugs!

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  11. I, too, am not a gym person - never was, never will be. I love to walk, but winter is here so my walking is up and down the stairs several times a day. I have managed to lose about 12 pounds in the past year by giving up my soda habit, portion control, and no evening snacking. Now, if I could just stop the aging process.....

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    1. The older I get the more I hate the gym! I used to love it, but not anymore. I walk up and down our stairs many times a day, sometimes on purpose, for the exercise. It is amazing how much weight you can lose just by cutting out sodas and controlling portions. My problem is the late-night snacking…still trying to get that under control! Love and hugs!

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  12. I am not as worried about the bat wings as I am about the crepey skin on the inside of my upper arm....UGH!!! I have worked my arms sore trying to firm that but it is a telltale sign of aging and I don't think it is going anywhere :-( I barely know my way around the inside of a gym so it is not for me! I do use Wonder Arms every night and I have seen some improvement in muscle toning. Consistency is the key...miss a few days and it all goes south!

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    1. I hate that crepey skin also...I've been meaning to give that Crepe Erase cream a try, but just can't make myself fork out the money for it. Is the Wonder Arms an app? And you are so right, consistency is very important...I try to alternate days for arms, abs, butt and legs. I forgo exercise on the weekends and on Monday morning, I can tell that I skipped the 2 days...UGH! Love and hugs!

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  13. Use to go to the gym everyday. Then switched to jazersize and that screwed up my foot so stopped that. I too like to walk so I get a dog, well hubs got me a dog, that puppy tore my meniscus know I have an artificial knee. Can’t get down on it so even good stuff like yoga is a no go. Of course I’m sure I could modify. Then AARP decided Texas did not need silver sneakers so more reason not to go to the gym for me. Stairs. Hahahaha. Climbed stairs all day for 17 years at house. Nothing. Thought I’d have the best legs in town. Bawahahah. While doing rehab I ask the girl, so If I do this for a year will my legs look great.? Answer. Tell me how that works out for you. So NO! It’s in the genes. Mine went south. I am what I am Popeye said and so am I. Love you for you. 70 is not the new 20. Love you girl. Your beautiful I side and out.

    Hollie

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    1. Awww, thank you so much! After my first few times back at the gym, I messed up my knee from increasing weight too quickly…had go to the doctor and do physical therapy (at the gym). It is now better and I’m terrified to get back to the weight part…the muscle toning exercises at home work for me and I think that is what I’m going to stick with. The other night, I moved my arm the wrong way, heard something pop and my shoulder has been killing me, so no arm exercises right now…it is ALWAYS something! I see people on the “stair climbers” at the gym…they are hanging on for dear life to those things and I’m thinking “why are you doing that if it is so exhausting for you?” LOL @ 70 is not the new 20….I love it! Now, just tell Cher and the rest of Hollywood! Love you sweet friend and I think you are beautiful also!!

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  14. Oh dear...I feel your pain! Old age ain't for sissies! I go to the gym 2-3 times per week and walk daily. Not because I love it, but because I'm trying to tell myself it will keep me younger:) At my gym it is strongly suggested that everyone use wipes after using each apparatus. I always do, but it makes me angry that some people don't (mostly men from what I see!) Fighting the battle of gravity as we age may not be fun, but my husband always reminds me that no matter what old age beats the alternative:) So let's keep on keeping on!

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    1. I couldn't agree more! At our gym they also request that everyone wipe down their machines but those youngsters or body-builder types come in, sweat all over it and walk away...infuriates me to no end! I probably go through 30-40 Clorox wipes while I'm there...wiping up behind someone else and wiping when I get through with the machine. Aging definitely beats the alternative and fighting the pull of gravity is mostly a losing battle! :-) Hugs!!

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  15. I just found you through FB-Poofing the Pillows. I left a message there for you, too. I am your newest follower and right now I am giving my fingers a good keyboard workout! Maybe I could try it with my elbows next and then slowly work up to my bat wings!
    Have a great Sunday!

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    1. Diana, thank you so much! LOL...you are too funny!! I also workout on my keyboard...that counts, right??!! :-) I just recently read that one of Hollywood chicks who was on Dancing with the Stars a few years ago had to do cardio workouts 5 hours a day for over 3 months in order to be on that show...5 hours a day!! I sooooo have better things to do...eating Oreos and Nachos for 5 hours sounds so much more fun! :-) Hugs...heading to check out your blog...I love new blog friends! :-)

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