CYCLING + My Senior Exercise Plan; Coalinga-CA

I woke up to sunshine so bright this morning, that I was momentarily blinded when I looked out the front door window. Sitting at the kitchen table, I was serenaded 🗣️🎶 by birds - also happy with the sunshine 😊

Woke up to sunshine and happy bird song, this morning; both, very welcome.

When the sleepy cobwebs were cleared, and I could see again without sun spots dancing before my eyes … I started strength 💪 & body toning 🧘🏽, exercises - stretching being the focus, today 👌

Mountain Pose Stretch~8-12 reps x2

Middle Back Stretch~8–10 reps, 3 times per week

Leg Raises~10-15 reps x2; Dog Stretch~hold downward position for 2-3 breaths x3, then slowly float towards mat; Knee-In's~4–6 reps x2 for strength; Side Leg Raises~15 reps x2; Air Bike~10 to 30 reps x3 (*NOTE below); Abdominal Crunches~10-20 reps x2.

*NOTE: I opted out of the air bike exercise - and instead utilized my cardio mini cycle exerciser for a cycling count of 100 reps. I also cut a square from my yoga mat, to keep the mini cycler from sliding. The mat was too long for me, anyway - and I needed the mat stabilization under the mini cycle exerciser.

The "Workout That Happened" is a full-body workout designed to be moderately difficult and effective for building functional fitness to help seniors maintain mobility, balance, and independence in daily life. It targets virtually every major muscle group, making it suitable for individuals looking to improve their overall fitness level without draining your batteries or being unable to get through the rest of your day. These workout exercises provide a time-saving activity that delivers excellent functional fitness results. The workout is characterized by 1 minute rest between sets, allowing for a more efficient workout session. The result is a workout that helps you build on your current level of fitness without draining your batteries or being unable to get through the rest of your day.

Cycling is a great way to boost circulation and strengthen the muscles in your legs. The pedaling motion helps stimulate the production of synovial fluid, which lubricates your joints and allows them to move more easily - this motion also stimulates blood flow and helps prevent venous insufficiency.

Unlike high-impact activities, cycling with a pedal exerciser doesn't put excessive stress on your knees, hips, or ankles. Regular use builds strength in the muscles around your knee, providing better support and reducing pressure on the joint.

How to Boost Synovial Fluid and Support Healthy Joints: https://www.verywellhealth.com/how-to-increase-synovial-fluid-5114374

Last night, my husband showed me what the weather in Florida looks like right now 😲🥶 I'm GLAD 👏 we skipped Florida! Honestly, the BEST place for us to BE right now, is where we've been since August 30th, 2025: during this period of sketchy Earth Cycling (the [reset] demonrat screeching shills never consider), Yeshua's hand of mercy 🤝 has been over us 💖, here in Coalinga-CA; where we have been sheltered from the raging wildfires 🔥 that devastated CA regions; raging floods 🌊 that ravaged the PNW; hurricane force sand storms 🌬️ that scored their way across AZ ...  unprecedented rain storms ☔️ that sent record-setting water racing through AZ washes and neighborhoods; & historic snowfalls ❄️ on the East Coast. It has been cold here 🧦👕🧣, and our electricity bill has matched our space rent 😱 - but, we've been righteously shielded & our home is secure.

We are greatly blessed & eternally thankful 🙏

Earlier this week 📅, Florida experienced a record-breaking 117-year-old cold snap in cities like Daytona Beach and Vero Beach 😲 The freeze caused snow flurries and freezing iguanas, with temperatures dropping into the 20s°F and 30s°F in various areas 😱 The cold weather also led to power outages and stress on infrastructure, as many residents turned on heating systems to combat the extreme temperatures. Florida's is not accustomed 🤦🏻‍♀️ to such severe winter conditions - though there have been occasional severe freezes; reported since the 1980's.

Holland showed me this news report of this year's Florida Freeze~February 2026

Florida farm drenched in ice amid freezing temperatures:  (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjGHCPc1Ur8)

And Earth's weather cycling just kept on cycling 🌎👀

{{Cuba Just Had Its First Freeze On Record

The same cold outbreak that smashed records across Florida and the Southeast earlier this week also toppled some all-time records in Cuba, the Bahamas and Central America.

By Jonathan Erdman•20 hours ago

Cuba just had its first freeze on record, and other records were smashed from the Bahamas to Central America from the same cold outbreak that left Florida and the eastern U.S. shivering last weekend.

On Tuesday morning, the Indio Hatuey weather station in Perico, Cuba, reported a low of 32 degrees, a new national all-time record low, according to Cuba's weather service, the Instituto de Meteorología Cuba (INSMET). The previous record of 33 degrees was set in Bainoa almost 30 years ago on Feb. 18, 1996.

Frost was apparently seen on crops around the weather station, according to a Tuesday Facebook post from INSMET.

It appears four other stations in Cuba tied or set new all-time record lows in this cold snap, according to INSMET and weather records expert Maximiliano Herrera:

- Aguada de Passengeros: 37 degrees (3 degrees Celsius)

- Jucarito and Santa Cruz del Sur: 44 degrees (6.8 degrees Celsius)

- Guantanamo Bay: 57 degrees (13.9 degrees Celsius) tied

Six other weather stations tied or set new February records, ranging from 43 to 46 degrees.

More Cold Records

Cuba wasn't the only place shivering.

On Sunday, the high in Freeport, Bahamas, reached only 51 degrees, the coldest high temperature on record anywhere in the Bahamas, according to Herrera. That's more typical of early February in Nashville, over 800 miles northwest of Freeport.

Herrera also found Flores, Guatemala, tied its all-time record low of 48 degrees, while a mountain station (Finca Los Andes, elevation about 5,500 feet) in western El Salvador set its February record of 38 degrees.

Belize had its coldest low since 1968, dropping to 42 degrees, Herrera noted.

Cold Fronts Aren't Unusual

This was from the same cold outbreak that smashed records in the eastern U.S., from Ohio and Pennsylvania to Florida and the Southeast.

But winter's arctic cold fronts often don't stop once plowing through Florida.

The Bahamas, Cuba, Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula and Belize are usually close enough to the U.S. to witness a few cold fronts make it that far south each winter, plowing southward from the Gulf into the western Caribbean Sea.

Last Saturday was the eighth such cold front of the season in Cuba, according to INSMET, accompanied by 40- to 50-mph wind gusts.

These winds pushed water from the Gulf into the waterfront in Havana on Sunday, crashing over the seawall and flooding several city streets.

https://weather.com/news/weather/news/2026-02-04-cuba-record-cold-first-freeze?fbclid=IwY2xjawPxRzNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEezK_Vi3t7fPFK7btOpo9VbDltDfkTTbpgJXTn2M12HjRobDItkWOKpyhWWbE_aem_ZRjJ9St4N7wrveIKvmWf7Q}}

What is happening (weather-wise & otherwise) is nothing new to Earth's Cycle; just new to us, who happen to be living through it 🤔🤷‍♀️

AS EARTH CYCLES, SO DO WE

Red Hot Chili Peppers - 'Can't Stop' Lyrics: 

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a-9Sd35HNI&list=RD8a-9Sd35HNI&start_radio=1)

TRACTION: Coalinga-CA

I listened to Victor Davis Hanson, while drinking my morning coffee ☕️, today - I like Victor; he is a knowledgeable man with extensive "higher education", and comes from a long line of people educated/practicing in American History, Education, & Law knowledge 🧐

Victor Davis Hanson: The ‘Schumer Shutdown’ Gains Traction Each Passing Day: 

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSUwHdLVcNI)

And I did a little self-care introspection 📖💡🙏, & got stew going in the crockpot …

Self-care to curb the spinning wheels of my thoughts.

VAL'S CROCKPOT BEEF STEW Recipe; Coalinga-CA https://roadgypsiesvalandholland.blogspot.com/2025/10/vals-crockpot-beef-stew-recipe-coalinga.html

Supper taken care of, and my spirit tended to - I spent some time toning my body 🏋️‍♀️

Lunge Step-ups Exercise

Marching exercises work a wide range of muscles, primarily targeting the legs, core, and hips. It strengthens the hip flexors, glutes, quads, and hamstrings while also engaging the core (rectus abdominis and obliques), erector spinae, and shoulders. This exercise increases cardiovascular endurance, balance, and joint mobility.

Shoulder Muscles

This exercise is a gentle, low-key motion that improves circulation and strengthens the legs without putting stress on joints. It is especially good for those with limited mobility. It is generally safe for a senior woman to do the marching steps exercise, as it is a low-impact movement that can improve balance, strengthen muscles, and increase cardiovascular health. However, it is important to listen to your body, modify the exercise as needed, and start slowly.

The Lunge Step-Ups exercise works the quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings. The exercise also engages the calves, core (abs and obliques), and stabilizing muscles in the legs and feet for balance and stability.

External Abdominal Oblique Muscles

Foot & Ankle Muscles

Lunges and step-ups can be safe and beneficial for senior women, but it depends on their current fitness level, health, and any pre-existing conditions, such as knee or hip injuries. Lunge step-ups build lower body strength, improve balance, and enhance stability by working the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes  It is crucial to consult a doctor before starting. Modifications like chair-assisted lunges or reverse lunges are highly recommended to reduce strain on the knees.

Calf Raises primarily use the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles, also known as the calf muscles. The gastrocnemius is more active during standing calf raises because of the straight knee, while the soleus muscle is more engaged during seated calf raises, which use a bent knee.

Calf Muscles

It is safe for a senior woman to do calf raises, as it is a beneficial exercise for improving balance, walking stability, and ankle strength, which helps reduce the risk of falls. It is recommended to start with a seated or standing version that uses a chair for support and to listen to your body, starting with a comfortable range of motion.

Side Leg Raises primarily work the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus muscles (outer glutes), which are essential for hip abduction and stability. They also engage the tensor fasciae latae (TFL), hip flexors, and the core and obliques for stabilization. Depending on the movement and variation, the adductors (inner thighs) and even quadriceps can be activated.

Tensor fasciae latae muscle

Adductor Muscles

Side Leg Raises are generally safe for a senior woman to do, provided she has good balance and no underlying hip conditions like a recent hip replacement. It's essential to start slowly, use support like a chair for balance, and listen to her body to avoid injury. Consulting with a doctor or physical therapist first is crucial, especially if she has pre-existing health issues.

Leg Swings engage the primary muscles of the hips, such as the hip flexors and glutes, along with the hamstrings, quadriceps, and hip abductors and adductors in the thighs. Depending on the direction of the swing, the focus shifts, and the core and some calf muscles can also be involved.

It is generally safe for a senior woman to perform leg swing exercises, provided they are done with proper form, controlled movements, and adequate support. Leg swings are a recommended, low-impact exercise for older adults to improve balance, hip mobility, and flexibility, which are crucial for reducing the risk of falls and maintaining independence.

Wall Planks primarily engage the core, including the rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, and obliques. They also work secondary muscles like the shoulders (deltoids), glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and the muscles of the lower back (erector spinae, quadratus lumborum).

Wall Planks Exercise

Wall planks are generally safe for senior women and are a great beginner-friendly exercise to build core strength, which is crucial for balance and fall prevention. However, it's important to start slowly, maintain proper form, and consult a doctor before beginning any new exercise program, especially if there are pre-existing injuries or limitations.

3 full sets of toning, plus wall planks; very little calories burned.

Supper underway ✅

Spirit & body tended to 💖

I set my Thanksgiving cactus & chrysanthemum in the sunny window brightening the dining nook, where I was settling in to work a couple more g st panels on my current little project:

Plants placed in a sunny spot - hoping for holiday blossoms on the cactus; and seeing new growth on the clipped back Chrysanthemum.

Back portion, finished up.

And, while I knitted my rows, I also did a little under table peddling for a little extra exercise ooph & calorie burn traction 🎯; my folding cardio mini cycle is not fancy, but it gets the job done 😉

Folding Cardio Mini Cycle.

Do Mini Exercise Bikes Really Work?

(https://www.tousains.com/blogs/news/do-mini-exercise-bikes-actually-work-benefits-and-drawbacks?srsltid=AfmBOorGb0Lkrz_FTg95akWclLZdpmdD-i1uPxMzTB0A8FYHheAzhWdj)

After supper, a couple loads of laundry was done … then it was time to enter onto my 24-hr. period of Shabbat Rest ☝️🕊️

Shabbat Shalom

Timeless Hebrew Tunes - 'In Your Healing Hands/B’yadecha Ha-Merappe’ot'

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgnDEfiGjPI)