Exercise Ideas

[Mike Cruz]

My wife and I don't do the dishes any more. She got a dishwasher. She's done with the dishes in about 5 minutes. Now I don't even have to be around...

[Art Mulder]

True, but it's also one of the easiest one's to make excuses for not doing -

"It's too hot today"

"It's too cold today"

I'd like to echo the person who talked about getting a buddy. I would also agree -- make it somehow social and then you have an incentive to go join the group each time.

I'm also not much of a fan of buying stuff, you quickly get used to it or tire of it. I know myself and I hate the boredom of exercise also. We bought a treadmill, I used it for a few months, but now it's strictly my wife's. It bores me to tears. (Maybe if I mounted a TV nearby...)

I would also suggest picking a goal to aim towards. Much like some people have a goal of running a marathon, or shorter race, or a goal of climbing a certain mountain, or cycling in RAGBRAI or some such. Lots of these can be annual goals, so they repeat each year.

And finally -- keep trying different things until they work! I found that long distance cycling was a reasonable fit for me. In particular, once I've ridden 20-40 minutes away from home, I have no choice but to cycle the same distance in order to get back.

[Michael Weber]

Thanks for bringing the topic back to the original question Art. All this talk about dirty dishes got me totally sidetracked.

[Greg Portland]

Definitely agree with the dog suggestions. The right breed will force you to walk him 2x a day for at least 15min at a good pace. My Akita/cattledog mix will lean against my wife and I whimpering if he hasn't had his walk (yes, he has us trained).

[Jeff Monson]

My wife and I don't do the dishes any more. She got a dishwasher. She's done with the dishes in about 5 minutes. Now I don't even have to be around...

you guys and gal are killing me!!!

To the op Larry, I have always had a hard time staying consistent with a workout plan, just seemed to boring. I started playing raquetball a few years ago, its a great workout and a ton of fun to boot.

[Steve Griffin]

I never exercise, but I'm very fit.

What I mean by that is I never waste a minute of my life tangled up with some machine at the gym, or running around the block like I stole something, or going no where on some home treadmill brain torchuring contraption.

The key to being healthy and fit is to find activities that are FUN. The other day I biked 3 hours on a rails to trail pathway. Yesterday I climbed a 1600' mountain and slide down on the spring snow. Today I trail ran up to a cute little lake and meadow.
I ski, bike, hike and run rivers. If those things are not in your backyard, then find some sport you like--basketball,swimming, soccer, road biking etc.

Avoid exercise at all costs. It really sucks. What you need is fun, athletic things to do. There are so many to choose from, only those completely lacking imagination cannot find something better to do than paying big bucks to the gym keepers.

-Steve

[Greg Peterson]

There is merit in finding activities that engage you on a physical level. And if mountain climbing, single tracking, river running and road biking float your boat, more power to you.

To each his own. Whatever gets you working out.

But if I had to choose between diet or exercise, diet would win out every time. It is pointless to exercise your body if the fuel you put in the tank is of low value. A donut or three may 'hit the spot', but it is devoid of the micro-nutrients, vitamins and minerals a healthy body requires.

Leafy green vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts are key. Avoid foods that come out of a can or box that only require heating. You may certainly enjoy a donut every now and then. The key is moderation.

If you are going to stress your body during exercising, you need to provide the proper nutrients so that it can replenish and rebuild the muscles.

So before you start up in an exercise routine I suggest you do a thorough audit of your diet. Otherwise you will not derive the fullest of the benefits exercise has to offer.

[Mike Cruz]

Steve, while you have a point, your last statement is a little, well, crass. There are PLENTY of reasons to use a personal trainer or go to a gym rather than participating in a sport or outdoor activity. When you have specific injuries or limitations that require specific workouts to strengthen targeted areas without causing further harm to said injuries, hiking a 1600' mountain, skiing, and running like you stole something aren't (or may not be) in your best interest.

I truely believe that your method is a good one, but not everyone can do it. And to state that "only those completely lacking imagination cannot find something better to do than paying big bucks to the gym keepers" is simply unfair and untrue.

[Belinda Barfield]

Steve,

Ditto what Mike said and more. I rarely have reason to get my fur up, so to speak, here on the Creek but your comments really offended me.

I have plenty of imagination, and I do lots of outdoor activities. I love to hike. As a female who works long hours, the gym is the safest place for me to work out. We have a lovely rails to trails path here, and women have been raped on that path. It isn't safe to bike the streets after dark either.

Another point is that it isn't safe for those who are elderly to do many of the things you mention, particularly alone.

To make a blanket statement that those who go to a gym are wasteful and unimaginative is just plain rude.

[Steve Griffin]

Sorry folks, I certainly didn't mean to come off rude. Obviously there are many people who love gyms or find they meet needs unavailable elsewhere. Everyone is different.

I was mainly posting for the opening poster, who clearly has an adversion to traditional exercise just like I do, and I wanted to be very positive and encouraging for him to seek out other options.

-Steve

[Steve Griffin]

Outstanding advice.

Athletic activity is also more attractive to do if you have a good diet giving you good energy.

-Steve

[Pat Germain]

I agree that a Wii might be a nice way to break into some kind of aerobic excercise, but that's about all. In order to get into shape and stay that way, some kind of serious exercise will be necessary. And the Wii just isn't it.

My suggestion would be to join a local, inexpensive gym or YMCA. Try out all the different types of equipment: stationary bike, treadmill, free weights, rowing machine, etc. Give each one a good try for awhile and decide which you like best. Yeah, you may not really like any of them, but figure out which works best for you.

After you decide which equipment works best for you, buy that equipment for your home. The fact is, you are MUCH more likely to work out if you don't have to drive to the gym. This is especially true during inclement weather.

Whatever equipment you choose, make sure it is of top quality. A common mistake people make is buying cheap fitness equipment. A good, top quality exercise bike can actually be fun. It will have multiple programs to simulate climbing hills, riding downhill and riding on a flat road. A cheap exercise bike is just stupid and frustrating. (That's why you always see those things at garage sales. Somebody buys it new at Sears, figures out it's stupid, then get's rid of it. The same stupid bike keeps getting passed around until someone finally takes it to the dump, which is where it really belongs.)

When I used to ride Navy ships, I found almost all the big decks had a rowing machine. And nobody ever used it. (The officers used the treadmills and the enlisted used the free weights.) I reallly liked that rowing machine. I hope to someday get one for my home. The good rowing machines are pretty expensive. I'm in good shape now, but as I get older, I'm going to need something to keep that way. It will probably be a rowing machine.

[Steve Griffin]

Here's a few more ideas:

Water aerobics---my 65year old mom absolutely loves her twice a week class!

Biking. Recumbant bikes look fun don't they? Tricycle bikes are perfect for older folks. I like mountain biking on non-technical dirt tracks, and wife likes road biking.

Water bikes. Got anylakes around that rent these?

Bowling.

Archery. (My wife and I love this. We have a target in the backyard and typically shoot 60 arrows with a non-compound bow a session. Works everything from the waist up.)

Roller skating and Ice skating.

In-line skates. 65 year old mother in law loves this. With knee/elbow pads, wrist guards and helmet and a flat path it's safer than it sounds.

Golf. If you can find a course that allows you to walk.

Softball. Tennis. Racketball. Volly ball.

Walking. Hiking.

Frisbee golf.

Stairs. Got any tall buildings with long stairways? I've found some parking garages with excellent outdoor stairways to hike.

Fencing. Did this as a kid. What a blast and you really get a workout.

Basketball. Soccer.


I'm sure you can think of many others. Just got to think outside of the word "exercise"

-Steve

[Mark Hix]

I'm a little late on this discussion but here it is...
I have the Wii fit plus and use the yoga functions for stretching and the rest to vary my exercise so I don't get bored. Boxing is great and i like the step program too.

3 months ago, my 2 brothers challenged me to run a 5k with them. We were all on the fat side. I started walking, only a few minutes at first and then longer and longer......built up to 1.5 miles before work.....got delayed due to a poor judgement injury to my feet so I missed about 3 weeks.....short version....I finished the 5k. Not that it matters, 45 minutes, 529th out of 647 (not last!)...I had to walk part of it.....thought I was dong to die at the end but finished upright and running....now we are talking about a 25 mile bike race... I still walk at least a mile every day before work and am working toward running the entire 5k.

We live in 3 different cities and the closest one to me is over 100 miles away but the fact that we were going to do this together was the motivator. Your training buddy does not have to be with you, just give you some encouragement. My little brother's motivation is that he does not want to be the "not so old guy that can't do anything." Made sense to me.

vital stats: 49 yrs old, 50+ pounds overweight when I started.....15 pounds lighter now and cut my bloodpressure pills in half already....shooting for no meds and I am gonna make it.

Sorry for the length, sometimes I get long winded.

[Joe Chritz]

Good for you Mark. Your last line indicates why you have succeeded so far.

Discipline is key in any exercise routine. Find something and do it.

Two old sayings come to mind.

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Don't be afraid to take a big leap when one is warranted. You can't cross a chasm in two small hops.

Joe