Regular Exercise, How do you do it.

[Music Lover]

Basically, I don't like being weak and I very much enjoy the quality of life that comes with strong muscles, bones, and ligaments. I never have a sore back and I can pick up heavy thing without worrying about hurting myself. The benefits are countless and the negatives (when lifting is done correctly) don't exist. Plus my girlfriend thinks my muscles are attractive.

All that for 20 minutes of lifting 3 times a week....that's less than 1% of my waking hours. Best return on investment ever. That's my incentive.

 

[Montecfo]

In winter, if i am going outside to walk or bike, I usually go in the afternoon when it is warmest outside, or work around the weather. In summer, I go when it is most comfortable but outside of commuting hours.

When I go to the gym it varies-usually afternoon. To me it makes no sense to hurry to the gym when it is most crowded. I do avoid evenings though.

 

[mckittri2000]

45 minutes on the treadmill 4-5 times a week and 30 pushups every day before my shower.

 

[Chuckanut]

I must admit that those of us to whom exercise is necessary but boring often find it hard to make the time. My goal is to exercise efficiently. I have a few daily exercises I do every day such as planks, stretching and some leg/knee exercises that help me recover from my surgery. Then I alternate others every other day, 6 days a week. Sunday (or a replacement day) is a day of rest. My goal is to get it all done at home in under an hour. I often listen to a recorded book or interesting podcast to alleviate the boredom.

The best exercise is to do active fun things. So, a hike, a bike ride on a local bike trail or just a walk on a sunny day is always good. Sometimes I will put a gallon or so of water in my day-pack to up the workout of a walk. If it gets to heavy, I just pour out some or all of the water.

 

[Music Lover]

For those who don't like exercising there are a few things that can help:

1. Find an physical activity you like...it may not be the "best" way to get exercise compared to something else but some exercise is better than nothing. I lift weights and used to run and swim because that's what I enjoyed. But I'll never use an elliptical machine or go to yoga and if those were my choices I would do nothing.

2. Get a workout buddy...it's a lot harder to blow off a workout if you know you'll be letting someone down.

3. Join a league if you can find an activity you like. You'll have scheduled games or events and you'll be more likely to attend.

4. Do the little things that increase your activity in your daily life. Park far from the store entrance, take the stairs instead of the elevator, etc. One of my former co-workers used to live on the 15th floor and made it a point to climb the stairs three times a day...she usually took the stairs after work, changed into shorts and then did them twice more.

 

[Extra Medium]

When I’m having the internal battle of working out vs doing something I feel more like doing at the moment, one mental exercise that works well for me is along the gratitude path. I remind myself that lots of people are totally unable to do this stuff, and would love to be able to run on a treadmill for a half hour again, but never will.

Or, that there’s a chance that later in my life I’ll not be able to do anything strenuous like this, and kick myself for not using my healthy body when I could.

Also, just committing to small steps can make a big difference, like “I’ll just start with 5 minutes.”

 

[CaliKid]

A lot of people struggle with regular workouts. I can tell you, at least in my experience, it gets to the point that it is required every day and you look forward to it almost every time you do it. The feeling after the fact is great! Good luck!

 

[GalaxyBoy]

Like most good habits, I've found the key is to "just do it" for a couple of weeks, then it's a routine and is easier to maintain. Easy to say and hard to do, maybe. I'm in a similar situation to you in some ways; recently retired with a goal to exercise more, a reasonably-priced facility not too far from home, etc.

It was hard to get started, but I kicked myself in the tuchus until I finally got in the habit. Now, I can't say I always meet my goals, but I find it gets easier as time goes by.

I actually like going early but I've found it's more crowded than I would like if I go too early. I don't try to go at o'dark:30 but I'd like to be there around 8 or 9. However, that's when a lot of the other retirees go and frankly, too many of them treat it as their social hour and shuffle four abreast along the track having a party, park on the machines and yak it up, etc. I like to soak in the hot tub after working out sometimes, too, but the pool closes at 1:00. So I've found that going late morning is my sweet spot. YMMV of course.

Good luck! I lost 30 pounds without even trying the first couple of years of ER.

 

[Walt34]

I make a real effort to get to the gym every other day, sometimes every day. On non-gym days if the weather is halfway decent I'll go for a walk of about 30-45 minutes but I don't get stressed if that doesn't happen. DW is less committed to the "every other day is gym day" but does make it most of the time. The gym is ~15 min. drive (walking would be suicidal) and my workout is about 1:20 so including travel time we allocate two hours. Now I know why it's so hard to do that when you're working!

Yes, sleeping in is one of the luxuries of retirement and I'm sure not giving that up! So it isn't uncommon to arrive at the gym about noon or an hour or two later. A plus of that time frame is that the only people there are staff and very clearly retired people, with one or two exceptions. I suppose they're on lunch breaks since it's the same ones all the time. Having to wait for a machine is rare.

At 69, soon to be 70, I'm not trying for six-packs or anything either, I'm just trying to hang on to what I've got. Another strong incentive is noticing how scary fast the atrophy sets in if I skip even one day, let alone a week.

 

[Badger]

I have always been an early riser. I can't shake the feeling that I will miss something. So that part and the fact that the cats get me up really early to be fed makes sleeping in impossible.



I use to be fairly active with running, bicycling, canoeing, and sprint triathlons. Unfortunately for more than a few years I was laid up with multiple surgeries and rehab. Since riding a recumbent trike is the only activity I can do these days I am out on the road every morning that it isn't raining. What really got me back into getting some exercise regularly was finding a friend that already had the daily habit. We typically ride early morning (about 7am although I usually get out a little earlier to put in 4-5 miles) and ride about 12 miles before going to a coffee shop for tea and socializing with other locals.


So get a friend and a couple of cats.


Cheers!

 

[Pointby2]

probably not of use to most but I sign up for marathons and such which is a huge incentive to run regularly,otherwise I'll suffer a lot more in the race and also be unhappy/embarrassed by my time.

Me too. Not marathons anymore, but setting a goal for any race distance is enough to get me out the door and running. I use a web app "running ahead" where you can put in a training plan and then you get emailed reminders every day of how many miles you need to run. That helps.



The other thing my wife and I do is Boot Camp. With a phone app we can schedule a class and then 'boom' you're committed. They have early (8:30) and later (5:30/6:30) classes. So when I feel like working out, I book a class and then am motivated to go.

 

[Dalmore]

Simple.

Pay a personal trainer

If you’re paying, you’ll go

That’s as practical as it gets

+1

 

[MrsHaloFIRE]

I found a class I like. It's lunchtime 3 days a week so thats when I go. Slow coffee. Paperwork/housework/errands. Class lunch. Whatever. Maybe I change clothes, maybe not. Walk after dinner if weather is nice.

 

[Chuckanut]

At 69, soon to be 70, I'm not trying for six-packs or anything either, I'm just trying to hang on to what I've got. Another strong incentive is noticing how scary fast the atrophy sets in if I skip even one day, let alone a week.

+1. On how quickly we go downhill if the exercise stops. That is why I strive to avoid injuries. One good injury can undo months of effort. Still it’s better to be a fit person who gets hurt than a feeble person who gets hurt.

 

[Winemaker]

Whether you go to the gym, or stay home and exercise, the most important thing is to make sure your exercise technique is of proper form. I don't like to correct folks and my gym advertises "no harassment", but so many people get on exercise machines and do the exercise incorrectly. They're like buzz saws going through partial movements and it's no wonder they get hurt or don't get the results they thought they worked for.

 

[onemorehappycamper]

We find that we don’t have much interest in the gym.. we also like to relax in the morning and take time with breakfast etc.. surf the web, check the markets etc. Around 10am we go for a 3ish mile walk and then at home we do one of the daily exercises on this YouTube low impact HIIT session. If you keep this up daily for a couple of months daily the results are quite good.. also it’s a lotta fun to do.. only 20 mins per daily session.. it’s best to take it easy in the beginning as there may be some stiffness in unused muscles.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8aDgq61xeX2EZcmj858tsRmwwkeZ9mFG

I think if the exercise you choose to do feels like work it makes it much more difficult to keep motivated..

 

[ckelly78z]

I have started to walk the perimeter of my property every day after dinner (we own 5 acres along a creek). It comes out to about 1200 steps to make one trip, which equals just shy of 1/2 a mile. After sitting around all day in a dreary January overcast day, it's refreshing to get some fresh air, and see/hear the sounds of nature. When the temps get into the 50s, I will start riding my Ebike on the road again (usually 10 mile rides), and during the Summer, at least once a week, we take the paddle boards out with my daughter/SIL for an evening.

 

[Badger]

I have started to walk the perimeter of my property every day after dinner (we own 5 acres along a creek). It comes out to about 1200 steps to make one trip, which equals just shy of 1/2 a mile. After sitting around all day in a dreary January overcast day, it's refreshing to get some fresh air, and see/hear the sounds of nature. When the temps get into the 50s, I will start riding my Ebike on the road again (usually 10 mile rides), and during the Summer, at least once a week, we take the paddle boards out with my daughter/SIL for an evening.

One of the best things about getting up and walking or riding a bike early in the morning is the sunrise and the bird songs. Every morning around here I see and hear something interesting like the Barred Owls, Wood Storks, Ibis, Palm Warblers, Red Shoulder Hawks, etc.



Cheers!

 

[Midpack]

What works for one may not for another. I alternate cardio and resistance days. For cardio I do rowing, walking and biking (not winter) - usually 30-60 minutes. My feet and knees can’t take running anymore (I used to). I used to have a Bowflex for resistance, now I just use resistance bands, dumbbells and body weight exercises.

I work out at/from home. I know I won’t stick with going to a gym because I don’t want the added time/expense to drive to/from somewhere, worrying about decent clothes, or the added cost. I haven’t experienced it first hand, but I hear users cleaning/wiping down equipment after themselves is often an issue - no thanks.

I work out first thing in the morning, but I don’t get up early to do it. I did when I was working but no need now. I just feel better knowing my workout is done to start the day, and I can shower and clean up after. I don’t want to get involved in the days activities and then figure out when to workout later during the day. Working out later in the day just doesn’t work for me. I tried doing workouts after work years ago, didn’t make sense to me two showers a day.

YMMV

 

[Which Roger]

I get up and enjoy my coffee and breakfast (and of course reading this forum) and sit until the rush hour traffic is gone and the gym rats who are employed have run off to their cubicles. Then if I'm running or biking, I'm not fighting traffic, and if I go to the gym for a weight workout, I'm with others like myself instead of the morning crowds.

 

[eytonxav]

The time of day you exercise is not as important as ingraining that workout perseverence so it becomes a habit/way of life. Usually when you start to see results from your exercise program, it will become more of a motivating factor to the point you will not want to miss it.

 

[Jerry1]

We find that we don’t have much interest in the gym.. we also like to relax in the morning and take time with breakfast etc.. surf the web, check the markets etc. Around 10am we go for a 3ish mile walk and then at home we do one of the daily exercises on this YouTube low impact HIIT session. If you keep this up daily for a couple of months daily the results are quite good.. also it’s a lotta fun to do.. only 20 mins per daily session.. it’s best to take it easy in the beginning as there may be some stiffness in unused muscles.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8aDgq61xeX2EZcmj858tsRmwwkeZ9mFG

I think if the exercise you choose to do feels like work it makes it much more difficult to keep motivated..

Thanks for that link. One of my issues is that since we downsized, there is no room for exercise equipment like a treadmill or a bike so working out at home in the house is problematic. The other thing I’ve been looking into is the TRX system. I use it at the gym and I’m trying to figure out where I might be able to set up a station in my house. Basically though, a body weight workout would be great for those days I don’t want to get out of the house, which is frequently (at least not to go work out).

 

[Bir48die]

Winter - normally 3x per week weights and 2-3x cardio on eliptical or treadmill.

Spring-Fall - 3x lifting 2x-3x walking 18 holes.

On Christmas Day my back went out on me and it's taken six weeks to get to 95% so have been out of practice but have done three days of long hard walks in Mexico this week and getting back in shape.

 

[Midpack]

Thanks for that link. One of my issues is that since we downsized, there is no room for exercise equipment like a treadmill or a bike so working out at home in the house is problematic. The other thing I’ve been looking into is the TRX system. I use it at the gym and I’m trying to figure out where I might be able to set up a station in my house. Basically though, a body weight workout would be great for those days I don’t want to get out of the house, which is frequently (at least not to go work out).

I had the same space at home problem (got rid of a Bowflex) and I use resistance bands, an adjustable dumbbell and body weight exercises. Never heard of TRX, looks VERY nice. If I ever get bored with my simple setup, might have to look at TRX. Thanks.

 

[ckelly78z]

One of the best things about getting up and walking or riding a bike early in the morning is the sunrise and the bird songs. Every morning around here I see and hear something interesting like the Barred Owls, Wood Storks, Ibis, Palm Warblers, Red Shoulder Hawks, etc.



Cheers!

I would love to take several walks a day starting with an early morning jaunt, but while I'm still w@rking, I am usually clocking in around 5 AM, and having breakfast at my desk....not getting home until mid-late afternoon.