Have you exercised lately?

[athena53]

I couldn't respond before- I was at the gym!

I work out every single day with only rare exceptions. I burn about 700 calories in a workout, which I could easily negate with a bag of Doritos, but it does help keep my weight in check. Last week I turned 65 and I'm pain-free and on only one prescription and that's to mitigate a symptom of menopause. It's definitely a big part of what keeps me healthy and sane.

 

[Winemaker]

Exercise? I've shoveled the driveway and sidewalk of 5 buildings this week, twice. Today I loaded up 22 87# boxes of hardwood flooring onto the pickup, brought it home, and carried it all in the LR and DR. Last week, DW had me move all the furniture, paint all the walls and ceilings in those rooms. That was after taking all the baseboard up, and repainting it; but I had to rewire the wifi, cable and ethernet cords from the downstairs basement up to the LR into the laundry because the wifi wouldn't travel too well through the ceramic tile in the kitchen, laundry and breakfast room.

I don't need no stinkin' exercise, this week and maybe next.

 

[Jerry1]

Just retired and have my next Dr appt. in a couple weeks. I've done pretty good eating this time, but am just starting a more concerted effort to exercise. Been stretching and doing some light calisthenics but last week I got and started using a kettlebell. It was a good week. I definitely need an increase in muscle and will be focused on weight training for the next few weeks and then figure out a cardio routine. Though, I do get my heart pumping with the kettlebell workout.

 

[Walt34]

I've become one of those people that gyms count on: my monthly payment has become a non-deductible donation.

I asked the manager at the gym I go to about the people who sign up for a year's subscription, "how many stay with it?" He said only about 50% keep at it. It's gotten to the point now that I can guess fairly accurately who will stay and who will stop showing in a few weeks.

DW and I both go every other day but she will skip the gym if she's asked to babysit grandnieces or grandnephews. And today she skipped because she was feeling a little dizzy, and if that's going on she should not be on a treadmill.

 

[gayl]

today she skipped because she was feeling a little dizzy, and if that's going on she should not be on a treadmill.

thank her for staying home .... sick people need to do so that we don't catch what they've got. Hope she isn't coming down with 'it'

 

[donheff]

I lift weights twice a week and ride 50-100 miles in good weather. In lousy weather I do a brief set of intermittent sprints on an Exercycle twice a week. I wouldn't expect exercise to affect your blood work. Diet will.

 

[Walt34]

thank her for staying home .... sick people need to do so that we don't catch what they've got. Hope she isn't coming down with 'it'

Naw, she periodically has these episodes. Not severe, but happens a couple times a year. Doc can't find anything wrong with her.

And if either one of us is sick we will definitely stay home!

 

[BigBob]

I typically cycle 3 days a week of 50 miles, with an occasional 70-100 thrown in. 2 days a week for an hour at the gym doing upper body and core. This system has kept me at my high school weight, yet eating pretty much anything I want. I recommend to the OP that initially you strive for more time on the bike with very little resistance, then as your time increases, you can add in the resistance. Just my 2c.

 

[HadEnuff]

As a lifetime exerciser I have some advice:

First of all, find some form of exercise that you find enjoyable. If it's a chore, you won't stick with it.

For me, now, at the age of 64, it is walking. I enjoy walking. Sometimes I'm chasing a little white ball around a golf course, other times just walking the neighborhood.
Once upon a time I rode a bike, and/or ran. About 20 years ago I admitted to myself that I hate running, and haven't done it since. But I do love walking.

I like biking, but I have known 2 people who got seriously hurt by cars, one of whom was killed. I like biking, but can't get my mind off of the danger of traffic, so I gave it up.

Find something you like.
The other piece of advice comes from Dr. Ken Cooper, the guy who wrote "Aerobics" in the 1960s. He said that the best exercise you can get, is the first exercise you do. In other words, anything you do to avoid being totally sedentary, is beneficial, even if it's just getting up to get your mail. You don't have to be a performance athlete, just move.

Good luck, and have fun with it.

 

[ABQ2015]

Motivator: Quarterly doctors appointment with the obligatory blood test coming up in three weeks. [FYI: You can choose lie to the doctor but that blood test is the ultimate lie detector]. So I’ve been hitting my stationary bike for a few days now and yesterday I added 15 minutes on our elliptical. Yep we have a Bike, an Elliptical, and Treadmill (all of different vintages) in front of a TV in the basement - so no excuses.

Since retiring 4 months ago, I've been working on cardio and core exercises and have lost 20 pounds. Recently started working on upper body strength with loose weights and am interested in adding interval training (see thread in our health forum on improving cardiac function in the middle aged). I should be farther along but a trip and the holidays and several colds impeded my progress. Like you, one motivater is that doctor's appointment coming up in 3 months. My blood glucose levels have been creeping up over the last few years and I need to lose more weight or I will soon be in the pre-diabetes zone.

Six years ago I was able to lose a bunch of weight and get into an exercise routine for about two years total. But once work got more demanding with lots of business travel, I could not handle all of it and gained the weight back. Now retired, I am focusing on diet and exercise.

 

[savory]

As a lifetime exerciser I have some advice:

First of all, find some form of exercise that you find enjoyable. If it's a chore, you won't stick with it.

For me, now, at the age of 64, it is walking. I enjoy walking. Sometimes I'm chasing a little white ball around a golf course, other times just walking the neighborhood.
Once upon a time I rode a bike, and/or ran. About 20 years ago I admitted to myself that I hate running, and haven't done it since. But I do love walking.

I like biking, but I have known 2 people who got seriously hurt by cars, one of whom was killed. I like biking, but can't get my mind off of the danger of traffic, so I gave it up.

Find something you like.
The other piece of advice comes from Dr. Ken Cooper, the guy who wrote "Aerobics" in the 1960s. He said that the best exercise you can get, is the first exercise you do. In other words, anything you do to avoid being totally sedentary, is beneficial, even if it's just getting up to get your mail. You don't have to be a performance athlete, just move.

Good luck, and have fun with it.

It's rare, perhaps never, in a thread like this where the potential danger of bicycling is not discussed. Being a bicycling advocate and an annual participant in the Ride of Silence (a global bicycle ride that remembers cyclists that have been killed while biking), I have developed a perspective on this.

When measured by time on the road, (a bike takes much longer to travel 10 miles than a car), bicycling is safer than driving. On average there are only 15 people killed per State per year. Safe to say most people guess that the number is much higher.

To make your bicycling experience safer take the time to learn the safest approaches for biking. Most schools do not teach it. And parents who give their children bikes, do not typically teach it. So you may need to go online to your State advocacy organization where there is likely safe biking videos on their site. The League of American Cyclists do as well. The suggestions they provide can make a difference and make your ride more enjoyable and safer.

Having said this, I know of people who were well acquainted with the rules and safest approaches but were still involved in accidents. This includes bicyclists and motorists. Accidents happen with all modes of transportation. Our best bet is to follow the safest approaches to improve our safety.

I continue to believe bicycling is safe (and much healthier than driving) and encourage those to continue riding and learn the approaches that make it as safe as possible and work with their communities to build infrastructure that add to their safety.

 

[Ronstar]

Today was 4 miles run / walk. Run until mid 150’s bpm heart, walk until 120. Then repeat - about 8 times. Then weights. Do this 5-6 times a week and mix in a bike ride or hike or 2.

 

[msieweke]

Treadmill every 2nd day, plus resistance training every 4th day. Exercise is so important to my state of mind and quality of sleep that I very rarely skip a workout.

 

[HadEnuff]

It's rare, perhaps never, in a thread like this where the potential danger of bicycling is not discussed. Being a bicycling advocate and an annual participant in the Ride of Silence (a global bicycle ride that remembers cyclists that have been killed while biking), I have developed a perspective on this.

When measured by time on the road, (a bike takes much longer to travel 10 miles than a car), bicycling is safer than driving. On average there are only 15 people killed per State per year. Safe to say most people guess that the number is much higher.

To make your bicycling experience safer take the time to learn the safest approaches for biking. Most schools do not teach it. And parents who give their children bikes, do not typically teach it. So you may need to go online to your State advocacy organization where there is likely safe biking videos on their site. The League of American Cyclists do as well. The suggestions they provide can make a difference and make your ride more enjoyable and safer.

Having said this, I know of people who were well acquainted with the rules and safest approaches but were still involved in accidents. This includes bicyclists and motorists. Accidents happen with all modes of transportation. Our best bet is to follow the safest approaches to improve our safety.

I continue to believe bicycling is safe (and much healthier than driving) and encourage those to continue riding and learn the approaches that make it as safe as possible and work with their communities to build infrastructure that add to their safety.

Your point is well taken. I am well versed in how to make it as safe as possible, coming from a long line of avid cyclists. Those of whom I spoke were ,also. There is just no defense for an old lady, driving a big car, having a "sugar spell" coming up on your rear. Or a teen-ager who has to get that text out to her BFF, while driving Mom's mini-van.
Anyway, that's not really the point of this thread. The point I was making was to try to find a mode of exercise one finds enjoyable, as opposed to trying by will and discipline to force yourself into a regime one finds onerous.
If cycling works, that's great. It's a wonderful way to exercise.

 

[yakers]

Zumba today, dance session tomorrow. Gotta keep moving.

 

[nativenewenglander]

I run five days a week about 3 miles each time out. We belong to a gym and do weights there a few times a week. I also have a gym in the basement that I use as well. During good weather(non winter) I'm biking, trail running or hiking. Recently started on a Keto diet and am limiting carbs. It's too early to know how that's going to work, but the results of others I've read sound promising. I need to lose 15 lbs. to get to my normal BMI, it's not easy anymore.

 

[street]

As a lifetime exerciser I have some advice:

First of all, find some form of exercise that you find enjoyable. If it's a chore, you won't stick with it.

For me, now, at the age of 64, it is walking. I enjoy walking. Sometimes I'm chasing a little white ball around a golf course, other times just walking the neighborhood.
Once upon a time I rode a bike, and/or ran. About 20 years ago I admitted to myself that I hate running, and haven't done it since. But I do love walking.

I like biking, but I have known 2 people who got seriously hurt by cars, one of whom was killed. I like biking, but can't get my mind off of the danger of traffic, so I gave it up.

Find something you like.
The other piece of advice comes from Dr. Ken Cooper, the guy who wrote "Aerobics" in the 1960s. He said that the best exercise you can get, is the first exercise you do. In other words, anything you do to avoid being totally sedentary, is beneficial, even if it's just getting up to get your mail. You don't have to be a performance athlete, just move.

Good luck, and have fun with it.

I also like to walk. I bike some but I live in a very small rural town so it isn't as dangerous. For me I stay busy and I like the advise of the Doctor just keep moving don't just sit.

 

[rayinpenn]

Ray, be careful- binge working out may not be good for you. You need to monitor your heart rate. I use a Polar chest strap linked to my phone. Aim for about 80% of max and try to keep it from spiking too fast. It will take a while for your workouts to effect your blood work. Better to adopt a routine that’s sustainable. Slow, steady, frequent. Good luck.

Thanks I am building up slowly ... 45 minutes on bike then 15 minutes on the elliptical. I must admit 15 on that elliptical does me in. I never let that heart rate get too high. I am hitting it every night or afternoon which is great.

 

[athena53]

In lousy weather I do a brief set of intermittent sprints on an Exercycle twice a week. I wouldn't expect exercise to affect your blood work. Diet will.

Exercise can. My blood glucose levels are borderline high (last test was 109) although Hba1c was in normal range. I've read that one of the risk factors for diabetes is a sedentary lifestyle.

 

[CaptTom]

I admit though, I can get lazy(more than normal) during the winter.

This winter hit me worse than most. I was doing well until we had over a month of just miserable cold which came early and unexpectedly. Threw my plans for a loop and sent me into hibernation mode.

That, and someone finally bought the acreage out back where my walking trails are, and they're building a house. Walking on my road is taking your life in your hands. I've been hitting the elliptical, but I really need a new plan... and some good weather for motivation.

 

[Danmar]

Exercise can. My blood glucose levels are borderline high (last test was 109) although Hba1c was in normal range. I've read that one of the risk factors for diabetes is a sedentary lifestyle.

Agree. I have used exercise to successfully (so far) control my blood sugar which is borderline high. My three sibs are all diabetic. Not clear whether it’s actually weight control or the exercise that is effective. Either way I’m keeping it up.

 

[Chuckanut]

Weekly yoga class, some stretching at home about 4 days a week. Weights and cardio at the gym three days a week.

I keep my time in the gym short, efficient and do-able. I don't like gyms very much, and you will never see me post a message telling you about 'The Great Workout I Had Today!'

Once better weather hits, I will abandon the stationary bikes in the gym for a real bicycle.

 

[HadEnuff]

To expand a bit on what Dr. Cooper said:

In his book "Aerobics" he discussed what he called the "aerobic effect". It is such old knowledge know that it seems weird that he had to do all of that research to identify it.

In the book he came up with aerobic exercises and gave point values for each exercise, based upon time and distance, and then gave "point quotas" to strive for each week. This book was written in the 1960s.
I saw Dr. Cooper at a seminar in the '90s, and he was saying that as far as mortality statistics, 20 points a week seemed to be the point of diminishing returns. As far as mortality, he stressed. There were other benefits to doing more, but living longer didn't seem to be one of them. 20 points in the Cooper System is not much. Something like taking 3 walks a week of a couple of miles. Don't quote me on that, get the book if you want to know, but it wasn't a case of running 20 miles a week.

He went on to say that if you were doing much more than the 20 points you might be achieving some other goals, like making yourself a better tennis player, but probably not having much of an effect on your mortality.

 

[IMATERP]

I try to walk 3 miles a day, 5 days a week. I've begun adding in some weights into the mix due to the fact that I need to lose 15 lbs.

I

 

[CyclingInvestor]

I have restarted walking 2x a day for 2-4 miles each (2 miles in mall in bad weather) about 6 months ago, with an occasional bike ride. This was done with a multitude of other changes (dietary, drugs), but overall everything feels better.