Poll How many days a week do you exercise

I marked "4," but it varies. I'm basically rebuilding after nearly a decade of simply insufficient exercise. I generally warm up with a stationary recumbent bike, lift for half an hour, then spend 20 minutes on an elliptical machine. If I have time and any energy left, I wander around using light weights doing high reps. I walk every chance I get, including long hikes in season. Even in my worst condition, I could cover an 8-mile "difficult" hike in the Columbia River Gorge, but it took all day to summit peaks we used to more or less jog up!

I have begun to notice a clear link between the vigor of my exercise and the effectiveness of the previous night's sleep therapy.

Overall, I've lost weight, greatly improved my strength and stamina, and improved my attitude. I think my OSA began after I'd gained about 2/3 of the extra 60 pounds I was carrying, but it's very hard to tell for sure. If I end up on CPAP forever, I intend to at least to be a lean, fit guy on CPAP!

A goal helps me; I want to backpack into the Sierra Nevada....

Zero days
(Although I do PT flexibility/strength exercises for my neck every other day.......but I don't think of that as addressing overall fitness.)

I walk for transportation...usually....but between several health challenges since around Labor Day, and with the present cold AND icy weather in the Northeast, I am getting moving hardly at all.

I was a gym member for a bit, but stopped going regularly. So, I gave up the membership.

I do have a plan to jump start a healthier routine again when I visit Florida for a few weeks.

I'm awake in the mornings since on CPAP, so perhaps I can make use of that new vitality to build even more vitality!!

J

I had a treadmill and started out using it every day. I did that for a while and then started doing it every other day, then every 2nd day, then quit. So when I bought another treadmill a couple of years ago, I determined I would use it EVERY day. Period. Then if I didn't get to walk on a single day due to going out with friends or something, I wouldn't have to feel guilty about missing a day. So I walk either at work or at home every day. I go about 2.5 miles at a fat burning heart rate.

I have been getting regular exercise for the last 8 years. I have tried a lot of different plans but what seems to help
my type 2 diabetes,sleep and depression is some daily exercise. For the past 30 days I have been going to the gym and
either doing the stairmaster or eliptical 15 min every day and twice a week adding 15min of weights. This is doing better
for ME than 3 or 4 longer exercise sessions and I sure tried them!

Please define "exercise".


Den ("daily", in various forms and degrees)

Den, too cheeky - don't know why no one asked before! But good point!

Barring really bad weather or illness, a friend and I walk every workday morning before work. Summertime we take turns in driving to each other's houses, and then walk for 30-45 minutes, before returning home to (try and stop sweating and) shower & get ready for work. Winter we'll try walking early and at work - we did last year, but the weather in summer makes it difficult to walk and then be comfortable at your desk! We're both overweight, so we huff and puff our way around, but we feel it's better than no exercise, and it is adding up & making us fitter if not leaner!

Finding someone to walk with, even if you have to drive to them, is preferable, because you don't want to let them down!

Old but one of the good polls, IMO. I try to get moderate and sometimes intense exercise every day, always outdoors if possible. I know it helps me sleep,plus it assists in keeping the weight off. If I skip a few days I generally don't feel as good in the daytime.

I think this is a relevant thread even though it's an old thread -- especially for those of us who talk about exercise but find it hard to do. I know I find every excuse not to exercise, knowing full well that it's so important to make it a part of my daily schedule. I'm always doing something -- running here and there -- but I know that is not considered ëxercise". I've joined gyms, go three or four times, then don't go back -- lost many dollars doing that. Of course there is always brisk walking, but find I don't do much of that either.

Thoughts? Tips?

Lucyhere wrote:I think this is a relevant thread even though it's an old thread -- especially for those of us who talk about exercise but find it hard to do. I know I find every excuse not to exercise, knowing full well that it's so important to make it a part of my daily schedule. I'm always doing something -- running here and there -- but I know that is not considered ëxercise". I've joined gyms, go three or four times, then don't go back -- lost many dollars doing that. Of course there is always brisk walking, but find I don't do much of that either.

Thoughts? Tips?

Well, I am supposed to be walking 30 minutes a day according to my PCP.

Regarding your situation, you if you are running here and there which I assume to be errands, park farther than you usually do as every little bit helps. Also, take the stairs whenever you can which I definitely do as it helps quite a bit. If you are watching TV, during commercials, do some type of exercise. You may think you are falling short by not doing what is considered exercise but I found my incorporating it whenever I can, it really does make a difference.

Finally, if you find walking 30 minutes a day is tough, try breaking it up into 10 minute segments. If you fall short and only end up doing twenty minutes, it is better than doing nothing.

Best of luck.

49er

I think I would enjoy using an elliptical or a stationary bike, but every one I've seen is simply too large for me.
I guess those manufacturers are as biased against frogs as mask makers.
That leaves treadmills; but I can walk anywhere, for FREE, {{{or hop, as someone will likely note}}}
I carry a pedometer, and use low numbers as a rationale to get out and move.

Before this thread was started, way before! Jim

I never exercised, unstead I worked!

49er wrote:

Lucyhere wrote:I think this is a relevant thread even though it's an old thread -- especially for those of us who talk about exercise but find it hard to do. I know I find every excuse not to exercise, knowing full well that it's so important to make it a part of my daily schedule. I'm always doing something -- running here and there -- but I know that is not considered ëxercise". I've joined gyms, go three or four times, then don't go back -- lost many dollars doing that. Of course there is always brisk walking, but find I don't do much of that either.

Thoughts? Tips?

Well, I am supposed to be walking 30 minutes a day according to my PCP.

Regarding your situation, you if you are running here and there which I assume to be errands, park farther than you usually do as every little bit helps. Also, take the stairs whenever you can which I definitely do as it helps quite a bit. If you are watching TV, during commercials, do some type of exercise. You may think you are falling short by not doing what is considered exercise but I found my incorporating it whenever I can, it really does make a difference.

Finally, if you find walking 30 minutes a day is tough, try breaking it up into 10 minute segments. If you fall short and only end up doing twenty minutes, it is better than doing nothing.

Best of luck.

49er

All good ideas - especially breaking up walking into 10 minute segments. And the stairs! I do run up and down my stairs many times a day. I guess that's something, huh?

I did the 30 minutes a day, 7 days a week. Heard on TV that was fine. I also took the stairs whenever I could find them.

Then I had a heart attack and went through the cardiac rehab program. This is what they told me.
1. forget the stairs
2. measure your resting heart rate and exercise at resting +30 or your not doing cardio
3. 18 minute miles or better.
4. work up to 1 hour a day

Turns out I had no idea how to exercise. Fun fact if you have a heart attack outside the hospital, you have a 50% chance of NOT making it.
I though I would never have a heart attack and now I do everything I can to not have another one. The dice rolled in my favor on the first one, actually walked into the ER in the middle of an attack.

My goodness PaulQ. I'm glad you seem to be doing well! That's scary. Be well.

Walk briskly for about 45 minutes 5 times a week, with about 15 minutes of stretching afterwards. And a strength program 3 days a week, about an hour each time. I could do more, hard to find time though. The walk is nice, on a cliff path overlooking the ocean. Lots of otters, porpoises, seals, even whales this year.

I exercise everyday. I walk to the fridge then the stove and I turn it on. Then I walk and get a pan or pot and cook. Then I walk to the table and eat. Then I walk to the sink (which may or may not be a clean place. But that is for another thread) and I scrub dishes and really feel the burn. Then I walk to the couch and sit my fat butt down and have a cool beverage because that was some hard work right there.