Tuesday, April 10, 2007

This Week: The Importance of Music!

First of all I will give you a tip on another blog: Matilda in Sydney, Australia, has now also started a ”Once a Week” entry in English every Tuesday! She’s like me, a Swede living abroad…



My entry today will be about exercising and the importance of music while working out.
I can honestly say that I don’t think I would be able to take my Power Walks without my cute, pink, mini-iPod. My little Mini has helped me get thru so many walks. Like the past winter, when it was 8 degrees F and the wind was blowing like crazy. I was going to go out for my daily walk, and I did. I walked up to a corner here on my street and was HIT by the wind so hard. Okay, I thought, I cannot stand this, I’ll go home again. But no, a good song just happened to be playing on my iPod at that moment and inspired me to walk just a little bit longer. So, even that day I got my hour and 15 minutes in!
Without the little music machine I would have turned around.
I love that my i-Pod gives me my favorite music served right into my brain! Thank you!
Sometimes I crank it up so loud. Yes, I know that you have to be careful about tinnitus, and that you have to be aware of your surroundings! But, hey, the music is so good.


This is my music machine, ready for yet another long walk...

I used to go to the gym a lot, but now I haven’t set my foot there since the past summer. unfortunately, it is the truth. I used to love taking certain classes there, like step. Then the gym canceled many of its classes that I loved taking, including a perfect step class that was led by a Swedish friend of mine. That class is no more. Instead my Swedish friend instructs an advanced step class on Thursday nights. I could try it, but Karolina takes drama in Herndon every Thursday night, so there is a driving issue there.
Too bad!
And, I hate…CANNOT STAND working out on the floor. To lift weights and to use the machines at the gym is so incredibly boring, in my opinion. Peter keeps asking me time and again if I want to join him at the gym, and I decline it every time. Again, it has to be a great class with good music, and then I’ll show up.

So, I am left with my Power Walks and nothing’s wrong with that. They lift me up, they make me sweat, and they get my heart rate up and make me feel good and energized.
If I am walking by myself I keep a fast, fast pace. It feels great!
Now my i-Pod is charging and I will grab it and get out of here real soon.

I don’t know if any of you guys have speakers to your i-Pods at home? I’ve noticed that the sound in our speaker-system is not as good anymore. It sounds “canned”, and I wonder if it is time to get a new set? Maybe so.
Peter’s i-Pod is broken as well. He cannot listen to it with his head-phones anymore, and that sort of takes away the purpose, doesn’t it? He can only listen to it using said speakers. The hubby already knows that I will get him a new i-Pod for his birthday. A tad bit irritating since his i-Pod is less than two years old. How long is the life expectancy on a 30 GB i-Pod? You’d think it would last a little bit longer than just two years. Does Apple have an issue here?
All right, dear friends! It is time for me to head out.

Have a good Tuesday!

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

Annika, I just answered your comment. The post in English is on it's way! You must be up very early, beacuse it's still Tuesday where I am.

:)

Maybe I'll have to pre-program it so it's published some hours earlier....

Anonymous said...

Re. the i-Pod, they are known to not have as good a sounds as, say, your home stereo system. To play a CD or to listen to the compressed Mp3 versions is hardly ever the same. I think it's got to do with the heavy compression rates you have to apply to make the files small enough for the i-Pod.

Fia said...

Kan det bero på vilken maskin du använder när du lyssnar på din iPod? Jag köpte en Bose sound system för makens iPod och det är kanooonljud när man använder den, mkt bättre än då vi lyssnar på den i bilen. Tisdagskram!

Annika said...

Matilda:
Well, no around 8 AM...
All right, I'll check it out in a sec!! Think it will be loads of fun!
I just got back...TOTALLY sweaty!!

Sure, it makes sense what you're saying aboutthe sound on the iPod. I just wish they could last longer than two years. But I guess it is marketing also...

Annika said...

Fia:
Yes, I am sure!! Vi har en liten inMotion. Tror jag ska önska mig en BOSE för makens räkning från hans familj :-) Snart är det fdlsedag för honom.
När maken fyllde 40 fick han ett system till iPoden som man skulle ha i bilen...HELT VÄRDO!!!
KRÁMIS!!!

Anonymous said...

Just posted my first proper Tuesday post! No Swedish today, I promise!

:)

Annika said...

Matilda:
So cool!! I've been checking it out!! Lovely pics!!! This is so fun!!
No, no Swedish at all today...:-) But usually I write only one post a day anyway. FUUN!! Welcome to the Tuesday-Crowd!!

Anonymous said...

Thanks, Annika! Yes, I think it'll be nice for everyone around us who doesn't speak Swedish but want to partake in our blogs in some small way. Good idea!

Desiree said...

Bra musik är viktigt. Även om du inte går till gymet längre så är en bra promenad ordentlig motion. Ha en bra dag med din ipod.

Keith said...

I understand the whole taking your walk while listening to tunes. I wouldn't run without mine as it is a great motivator. I just get lost in the music and keep running until my half hour is finished. I too have a set of speakers but haven't noticed a decrease in quality yet. I think though the time for better speakers for you may have arrived.

Annika said...

Matilda:
I wish you a good turn-out and loads of comments!!
FUN!

Desiree:
Nej, gymmet får vänta, känner jag. NOLL inspiration!!

Keith:
I would not be able to do any kind of work-out without it. It is that important.
But I like the little speakers. Perfect to bring oin trips as well.
But, yes, I think the time has come to go Bose.

JaCal said...

I'm a walk-alcoholic - best exercise in the world! Well, at least pre-kids I walked a lot. When I lived in Stockholm I walked from home (Kungsholmen) to work (Gamla Stan) every day, come rain come shine. Love it! And that was even before iPods. I even developed a technique to read and walk at the same time! Beat that! ;-)

I want to have a sound system to my iPod so I can listen to my radioprogram when at home... It's on my wish list... just have to find a occasion... Maybe I can claim it for Mother's Day??

Annika said...

Jacal:
And now you are enjoying a bit of Sthlm as we write this. Nice!! I am sure you're walking a lot theses days. Sthlm is the PERFECT city for walking.
Read and walk is a good technique! I admire that :-)

I want to do what you're doing, download programs from SR.se and then listen to them on my walks. Just have to figure it out.

I hope you get what you want for Mother's day...I will start thinking of my wish-list as well!

angela said...

I totally agree with you that music and exercise is an excellent combination! But here is another tip that will make your power walks even more enjoying.

About two weeks ago I bought a new watch that is equipped with pulse measuring as well as a GPS-chip. It is called Forerunner 305, and is manufactured by Garmin.

Thanks to my new toy, I can see where I´ve been walking or running on google maps (detailed down to what street!), and it also tells me what my pulse has been during the walk or run.

If is sounds interesting, have a look at this post where you can see some more about my Forerunner, with a link to my personal page at Garmins website. It shows detailed information about the exercise including a map-view.

http://lifeofangelina.blogspot.com/2007/03/motionbased-visar-mina-motionsrundor.html

I think it´s just brilliant!

Annika said...

Angela:
Thank YOU!!! Now, that sounds interesting!! I'll have to get me one of those! That could really trigger my walks, make them more fun and all that!
Now, that is something to ask for for Mother's Day!!!
I'll check out the link!!!

Anonymous said...

Musik är ett måste då man går, joggar, tränar. Ett absolut måste! Nyfiken, så måste ju fråga vad brukar du lyssna på för musik?

Anonymous said...

As much as I love my Ipod and the music in it, I sometimes just love and the sound of silence or the sound of “normal” nature. But those sounds are quite rare today, I think. Sometimes I find myself using my Ipod to shut out all the other sounds :-)

Annika said...

Anne:
Ett hopkok...Allt från Fergie och Justin Timberlake till Monica Zetterlund och Abba. Bäst så :-) Även om man alltid skippar vissa låtar...

Tina:
Sometimes it is wonderful with just the silence! I so agree...
But when I workout I must have something on to trig me.
Here, at home I mostly prefer the silence...

Mie said...

Powewalk är ju bara bäst eftersom man både tränar kroppen och rensar huvudet på samma gång!
Jag är så ledsen över att jag inte fixar att lyssna på musik när jag promenerar eller när jag jobbar längre:-( Gjorde alltid det förut men efter min "krasch" för 4 år sen så funkar inte det. Ett intryck i taget annars känner jag mig stressad o det är nog bara att gilla läget antar jag...
Ha det bra o kram!

Annika said...

Mie:
Visst är det skönt! Och man tänker så bra! OCH man mår bra! Oj, nej, det kanske inte är så bra med för mkt intryck efter en "krasch". Antar att du får ta saker pö om pö nu.
Så roligt att du fick en laptop på din fdlsedag! Du måste vara så glad!!!

Anne-Marie said...

Håller helt med om att musik är viktigt när man "håller igång". Äger ingen iPod och vet knappt hur man använder en sådan. När jag bodde i Stockolm brukade jag gå på Friskis & Svettis. De brukade ha jättebra musik och ledare. Har saknat F & S många gånger här i USA. Har aldrig hittat något som liknar detta. Kanske det är något typiskt svenskt?

Annika said...

A-M:
Jag tror F & S är mkt svenskt. Här får du försöka hitta ett gym med bra klasser. Lättare sagt än gjort, kan jag intyga...
Så, det är därför det känns bättre med hårda prommisar med god musik i lurarna.
Bra ledare och bra musik är ett måste på gymmen...