Do you exercise?

[CO-guy]

Personal trainers really seem to run the gamut. One of my BIL's closest friends is a personal trainer in LA. He has a Master's in kinesiology, decades of experience as a trainer, and his business has been referral only for as long as I've known him. None of that is likely true for the personal trainers at the local gym.

FWIW, during my 20s and early-30s I was a power-lifter and in the gym 5-6 days a week. I read all kinds of books on body building and consumed ungodly amounts of calories. By my mid-30s I realized that yoga was much kinder on the body, but in the 15 years I was a gym rat, I never met a personal trainer that had a clue about anything other than the latest exercise trend.

 

[iloveyoga]

Yes, every day, walk, bike, swim, yoga, dance, repeat. DH and I both try for a healthy lifestyle. I just watched an friend die of COPD and it was heartbreaking. I am 65 now, but I am going to keep trying as long as I can.

 

[MarieIG]

I golf 5 days a week and even though I ride a cart, our course is very hilly so there is still alot of hiking up and down the greens. Fitness bands are great. My husband uses it everyday in addition to golfing, he golfs 4 days a week. I use his fitness bands every couple of days. Our membership includes use and classes at 2 private sports clubs and I am too lazy to visit. But on some Mondays I go on the treadmill and lift weights at one of the 2 clubs when our golf course is closed.

My quantifiable goal is simple, make sure that my HDL is above 60.

Retired Happy, Are you able to link to your fitness bands or something equivalent? I received one from my PT office, but it is not comfortable, i.e. a cheap piece of rubber which rolls up and pinches me. TIA

Otherwise I:

Walk;
Ride my stationary bicycle;
Use hand weights;
Do exercises for back, core, arms, legs, hips, etc. as well as stretches;
Do Pilates on Pilates Reformer.

I am currently attending PT for the hips and back 2x a week which includes additional exercise.

I actually enjoy exercise.

 

[RetiredHappy]

This is what my husband bought but looks like they no longer sell them. The handle is the most important part of the band. There are similar bands being sold on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08MQZSXPK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[cheyrl]

I run almost every day, and lift weights, ride airdyne, or do youtube yoga a couple times a week. I live in Northern Ohio, so the winter used to be an excuse to take a couple of months off. Now the climate has changed so much that my January mileage isn't that much lower than my summer mileage. I need to remind myself to take days off, as the body needs time to recover.

 

[Joseph]

I run almost every day, and lift weights, ride airdyne, or do youtube yoga a couple times a week. I live in Northern Ohio, so the winter used to be an excuse to take a couple of months off. Now the climate has changed so much that my January mileage isn't that much lower than my summer mileage. I need to remind myself to take days off, as the body needs time to recover.

At 60, My issue has taking days off. Even my off days consist of 20-25 minutes cardio on bike or bow flex M8 max trainer and 12k steps ( lotsa dog walks). It’s a lot mental at this point, gets my endorphins up

 

[euro]

I never liked exercising but understand that it is essential for health span. I now walk 1.5h 7d/week and do weight training at the gym 3x 1.5h per week.

 

[RE2Boys]

I don't think of anything as exercise, but I try to stay as active as I can, and nothing I do inside a building counts. Typically, this time of the year, weather permitting, I'll push a lawn mover which is about a 3 mile, vigorous walk once a week, go out for a 12+ mile bike ride once or twice a week, go for a 2.5 to 4 mile jog once or twice a week. Mix in hikes at my favorite nature preserve. Goal is to get my heart rate elevated for a significant period at least 5 days a week.

Edit to add: All my running is on trails , stopped running on any pavement over 10 years ago, gotta preserve the joints as long as possible. Now 75 years old.

 

[EastWest Gal]

I swim 2000 yards 5 days/week, about 50 minutes. Some weeks I skip an extra day, some weeks I do 6 days/week.Flip turns which helps core as well. I do a couple of laps of butterfly near the end to push my heart rate up a bit. Heart rate mostly in zone 2 for the duration I use swim fins for more resistance on my legs. Swimming gives me joy and feeling like I am young; most other exercise does not do that for me.

I'm doing weight machines in the gym weekly. I returned to skiing last winter, which was a great motivator. I've lost 35 lb in the last 18 months. I've done a bit of jogging, but it was either too hot or raining lately. I ran 3 miles/day for awhile in the 1980s and in the early 2000s but had to stop both times due to shin splints. The running used to give me the same joy that swimming did until it hurt too much.

 

[6miths]

Hikes, tennis, gardening, cycling, ice hockey, stairs. Should do some weights I suppose.

 

[Flyfish1]

I'm working on this aspect- didn't exercise much during the later working years. Now one year into retirement I still have lots of reasons NOT to go exercise. However, I joined a personal training gym last year, and realized the price was absurd and just joined the YMCA locally, very nice place. Last week I got smoked by seniors ten years older than me....I have to step up my game. These folks did ten miles on a bike then jumped on a treadmill. I made 6 miles on a bike doing the "cardio program" , then realized I am probably happier at home sipping decaf coffee in my favorite chair. I later told my wife that these YMCA people are all former athletes and I can't compete. Her reaction was not at all supportive...lol

 

[Turbo29]

Gym: strength training 5-6 days/wk and cardio once a week.

 

[Teacher Terry]

Doctor says strength training is exercise not walking. (That is 8+ at one shot - not total steps through the day).

And trainer guy was pretty rude IMO.

I get that they want you to feel bad about yourself so you will spend money to pay them to fix you - he suggested body weight would be best - which probably is true in my case but . . . I did not like the place at all. Extremely crowded even at off time.

Lucky for me I joined via my retiree insurance and can join another place and/or cancel anytime.

I’d also be looking for a new doctor. All that walking is great exercise. My doctor is very happy that I’ve been exercising daily by walking for 41 years. Many people don’t exercise.

 

[SlowlySaving]

This has been an issue for me as I get older. About the only exercise I get lately is push mowing my acre of yard (OK half-acre really; the other half is wooded). I'm trying to get into a jog or at least brisk walk routine, but it's too easy to go well it's raining, or it's too hot, too cold, etc. Bike machine maybe? Anyone else struggle with this and how did you/are you dealing with it?

The hard part is starting the workout. Those days when I don't want to workout I play tricks with my mind. I convince myself to run short and once I am out a feel up to running longer. I workout 5-6 days a week. Strava (a social app for exercise) is also a motivator. I see friends who are running, biking, swimming, lifting weights and it inspires me to do the same. Lastly the saying "Use it or lose it" is also a great motivator.

Best of luck!

 

[motley]

The hard part is starting the workout.

Absolutely. It's hard to get into the habit, but easy to fall out of it.

 

[Luvtoride]

I don't think of anything as exercise, but I try to stay as active as I can, and nothing I do inside a building counts.

Really?? I ride a Peloton bike 5 days a week and this is a great cardio (and strength) workout for me. Being in the northeast I would be hard pressed to find a way to exercise “Outside” year round.
Having had a heart attack 13 years ago keeping active is a priority for me and I’m glad to be able to do vigorous workouts so often. Keep doing it as long as I can!

 

[foxcreek9]

I weighed 145 as freshman in college, by the time I was 44 it had climbed to 210 and I decided I needed to do something. Changed diet, started walking, then road biking and 5 years later was down to 150. Currently bike 3 to 4 thousand miles per year (6 months because of weather), walk 5 miles outside when too windy or cold to bike and some strength training in basement. We have a stationary bike and Nordic track ski machine for winter workouts. At almost 65 my weight is 155.

 

[RE2Boys]

Really?? I ride a Peloton bike 5 days a week and this is a great cardio (and strength) workout for me. Being in the northeast I would be hard pressed to find a way to exercise “Outside” year round.
Having had a heart attack 13 years ago keeping active is a priority for me and I’m glad to be able to do vigorous workouts so often. Keep doing it as long as I can!

Keep doing what works for you. Me, I can't stand working out inside, boring as hell. I've heard the Peloton can be quite entertaining and and effective. And it is a challenge to be regular when dealing with snow and rain and cold. Especially the rain. I'm fortunate that I have a state park and a nature preserve near by with miles of trails for hiking, running, snowshoeing, and a 13 mile bike trail. Like you, keeping active is a priority, though I'm only 5 years since bypass surgery.

 

[street]

No, not like going to a gym or a routine workout schedule.

I do bike ride, walk, and do strenuous work all the time at the ranch and just doing things that need to be done.

Not sure if that is enough but that consists of my exercise routine.

 

[motley]

I think the important thing to do is get your heart rate up for at least 20-30 mins+/day (i.e. in a row, not total of course), or as close as one can get to that. It doesn't matter if it's done walking, jogging, at a gym, or doing some manual labor.

 

[RetiredHappy]

I think the important thing to do is get your heart rate up for at least 20-30 mins+/day (i.e. in a row, not total of course), or as close as one can get to that. It doesn't matter if it's done walking, jogging, at a gym, or doing some manual labor.

I agree. However we have to keep in mind there is the other half of the equation, which is to eat right. I have a contractor friend who works really hard all day and keeps putting on weight, because he gets hungry and eats a ton because of all the physical labor.

 

[Ronstar]

I think the important thing to do is get your heart rate up for at least 20-30 mins+/day (i.e. in a row, not total of course), or as close as one can get to that. It doesn't matter if it's done walking, jogging, at a gym, or doing some manual labor.

What do you mean by “up”? How far up? Does walking get it up enough? I walked a 5k yesterday at 17:20 per mile and 77 bpm heart rate. I’m not sure if 77 bpm qualifies as having heart rate up. My runs get up into the 150’s, but I can’t sustain a solid running program due to injuries. I’d like to find a low impact exercise that would get my heart rate into at least the 130’s.

 

[RetiredHappy]

What do you mean by “up”? How far up? Does walking get it up enough? I walked a 5k yesterday at 17:20 per mile and 77 bpm heart rate. I’m not sure if 77 bpm qualifies as having heart rate up.

It is not enough. In my case, my resting heart rate is about 80 and I get my heart rate up to 110 to 120 when I golf. When I get on the treadmill, I get it to about 130.

 

[aaronc879]

I exercise very little. I am only 45 and have already had chronic pain for years. The more active I am the more pain I have. I did get an ebike a couple years ago so I could at least do something during the nice months. Most days my exercise consists of a dozen or so trips to the bathroom and kitchen and that's it. I do mow my own lawn, pull weeds, clear snow but it hurts and takes at least 3X as long as most people.

 

[Exchme]

Aerobic exercise to strengthen the cardiovascular system is now labeled Zone 3 and the target heart rate is 70-80% of (220-age), so a 65 year old would be 109-124 bpm for Zone 3. If you are not monitoring heart rate, a good clue you are going too hard is if you can't speak a sentence.

Nowadays, they say if you want to improve, do your training in Zone 2, 60-70% of (220-age). So a 65 year old would have a target training number of 93-109. Slowing down to improve is counterintuitive for sure and I can't convince myself to do it.