Do you have a regular exercise program?

[eeckel]

I've been searching for an exercise program I can stick with. My family got me an Xbox, a kinect and some dance games for christmas. I'm surprised how much fun it is. I fall to sleep much faster and have more deep sleep when I use it. I'm hoping this is an exercise program I can sustain for a long time.

I'm curious what the rest of you do for exercise and what you do to keep with it.

[sylvie]

I so admire people who can exercise in gyms and home. I absolutely have to be outside. I have to feel the cool air. I am lucky in that there is a bike trail right near my house so I usually walk on that a good 3 miles or if I'm feeling especially lazy (most of the time), I get the bike and ride to and on the trial until I feel like walking again. I was jogging a little earlier in the summer but that was too much "effort."

[Trouba]

No but I need to. I was going for regular walks and monitored my progress with a Fitbit but just didn't have the energy. Now that I have been getting some good sleep I have picked it up again, who new sleep was so important

[Sir NoddinOff]

I been a big fan of all kinds of cycling for years and years, plus a bit of running on the side, all of which provides excellent cardio with significant muscle toning. My wife on the other hand, has always taken half hour walks several times a week on level terrain. At her last doctors visit, for health reasons, he insisted she start getting her heart rate up via any type of cardio exercise. She hopped on one of those exercise bicycles (recumbent style) at the spa and now loves it and says it helps her sleep, plus it improves her mood. They are very easy on the joints and back, which can sometimes be a problem with weights and running. As a side benefit she's lost about ten pounds around the waist and thighs, so that's all a big bonus, not to mention a few fun shopping trips for trim new clothes.

[Hawthorne]

I have Rheumatoid Arthritis so exercise is essential so that I can keep moving as well as possible. I walk, do some resistence tubing workouts, use a stability ball, and keep up range of motion exercises 2x a day. In addition, I really like Tai Chi so do it regularly.

It may sound like a lot but the range of motion exercises only take a few minutes each time. I do either walking or Tai Chi - depending on the mood I am in and the weather. The strenthening exercises, with the resistence tubing and the stability ball, don't really take long and I do those every other day.

It has kept me moving and helps with the pain, through 20+ years of RA and also helps me sleep well.

[JeffL]

On and off. In the late 80's, I was a jogger, which evolved into a decade of marathon running, and short triathlons. Then I just got worn out, and became pretty inactive over the next 10 years, except for occasional periods of long walks. Needless to say my weight went up. I sort of made a commitment to myself to get back in shape last spring. I started with daily 4 mile walks, but by last summer, I changed my routine to a daily two mile round trip walk to a local park that has outdoor exercise equipment. It was rough at first, but now I'm doing many repetitions of exercises that I couldn't do when I started (pull-ups, chin-ups, push-ups, parallel bar arm walks and dips. When I get home, I jump rope (I'm up to 1,400 skips right now). I'm down at least 20 pounds from my peak of around 187. I think another 10 to 12 will do it for me. I've also given up drinking soda, rarely eat ice cream, and the weekly pizza intake is down to once a month or every other month. You'd think I'd have lost more weight, but it's coming off slowly.

[wardmiller]

I have severe spinal stenosis and was using a walker 3 years ago. Doctor got me on a physical therapy program, but Medicare stopped paying for it after 2 months. So I enrolled in a nearby gym and continued to do the same stuff the therapist had me doing. I go 7 days a week. 30 minutes on the recumbent bicycle, 20 minutes on the treadmill. Plus three times a week I do the basic 8 exercises -- arms, back, legs, abs, etc. I'm 85 so I don't see how much I can lift, just adjust the weights for a moderate challenge. After 6 months, I gave up the walker for a cane. Now I rarely use the cane. The gym costs $29/month, so I figure it is money well spent.

Spinal stenosis pinches the nerves and is quite painful. I find the exercise relieves the pain. If I lay off for 3 or 4 days, the pain is back, so I have a strong incentive to go to the gym every day. My wife is an invalid, so I go early in the morning before I get her up. Works out just fine for both of us.

[cosmo]

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[RogerSC]

For about the last couple of months (or so), I've been out walking for about 45 minutes a shot, maybe 6 times a week. I try to make it aerobic. Since we live by the ocean, it's a nice, picturesque walk that I really enjoy. Different every day. And I feel a lot better, my blood pressure and pulse rate have both gone down. Things kind of got out of hand with a high-stress sedentary job for a lot of years. Much better now.

I also have an anaerobic 3-day a week workout that I've been doing for a long time and continue to do, that's about an hour per shot. That one has been good for relieving stress all along, but walking consistently as well is really much better.

[jencat824]

I do water aerobics in my hot tub, weather permitting. Now that I'm driving again, I'm trying to find time to enroll in a nearby pool with their classes. Its across the river, so I had no ride before. Now, I'm too busy repaying all the favors done for me in all the years I could not drive, by driving those folks. If I ever get time (or make myself MAKE the time), I plan to enroll. Until then, its just me & my hot tub. Since its snowing now, today is shot for exercise.
Jen

[johnthomasmacdonald]

I have a bowflex and a set of bowflex dumbbells that i use regularly . My fitness level has however dropped considerably in the last year due to osteoarthritis of the right hip. I walk with a severe limp on the best of days and on the worst of days I use crutches - I don't really understand the benefit of canes as in my hands they seem to be useless at best. I used to do a lot of hiking. We just got a fairly heavy snowfall and I'm thinking of trying my snowshoes with the two dogs tomorrow ( i'll see if the ski poles can function as crutches).


Cosmo - last week i got up on that eliptical in Costco's ( in my store its next to the bakery section), it looks pretty sweet. I thought maybe the motion would be possible with my hip but sadly it wasn't.

[Kitatonic]

Another Santa Cruzan who bikes, swims, spin classes and walks. Due to knee OA, we both use hiking sticks as suggested by ortho to take some on wt of the knees. Swimming generally doesn't aggravate joints. (John, it shouldn't hurt the hip). I just try to keep rotating sports to keep it fun and injury-free.

[Denial Dave]

Just did my workout for the day... ran the snow blower and cleared 10 inches of snow from the driveway and sidewalks.
Lol

[wardmiller]

I forgot to mention something that really makes my gym time go fast. I have a Kindle and have been reading some great books. I only read them while exercising, so they last longer than if I also read them at home. Amazon offers a bunch of free books every day, and also some for a dollar or two. Reading a good book makes the exercise time fly.

[ems]

Yes, I do have a regular exercise program. It starts January 1, of every year and ends around January 10th.