What cha doin for exercise?

[mammac-5]

So, we talk some about the foods we're eating in maintenance. How 'bout the exercise component of maintenance? What are you doing? What have you tried that didn't work out? How frequently do you exercise?

[Enomarb]

Hi Corinne-
good question. I walk 4 hrs/week, and try to do it outdoors. I lift weights 2xweek, but only for 20-30 minutes. If I don't walk I don't feel as good.
What do you do?

[mammac-5]

I didn't actually start exercising until I'd lost most of my weight. Hubby and I joined a gym just one year ago (neither of us are the sporty type) and I was about 162 at that point. I started out just barely able to use the elliptical machine for 15 minutes at a time and didn't do any weights at all.

Now I run. I try to run intervals 3 or more times/week. And I started using weights a few months ago and really enjoy that now. I've got some awesome abs -- underneath all my flabby, loose belly skin!

[Kristine]

I go to yoga class once a week and occasionally do it at home. I also jump on the rebounder a couple of times a week. I love that. :hyper:

I have weights, but I don't use them very often. I get enthusiasm for them once in a blue moon, but it doesn't last very long.

That's about it for winter. When the weather is better, I'll be cycling around town again.

[bkloots]

You really want me to start talking about exercise? This could go on for a while. Seriously. I've been a regular exerciser for decades, and would like to implement Dr. Atkins' idea that every low-carber get an "exercise-loving gene" installed.

I used to be exclusively a home exerciser--mainly with videos--for the sheer convenience. Last year, a new YMCA opened just a couple of minutes from my home, and that opened up a whole new world of exercise possibilities.

Here's a typical week:
Monday--Walk aerobics with Leslie Sansone (home) + ice skating (outdoor rink near my office)
Tuesday--Body Blast at the gym (hi-rep/low-weight resistance training)
Wed--Spinning at the gym
Thurs--Weight workout at home (Body Pump, Jari Love, FIRM, etc.) + Skate
Fri--Cardio at home (Christi Taylor, Kari Anderson, rebounder)
Sat--Body Blast + Step
Sun--Rest, or cardio at the gym (treadmill, elliptical)

I've signed up for a 12K in June, so I've got to get out on the street and do some serious running (slow, but serious) when the weather warms up.

Throw in some yoga, and that's about it. I try to exercise for at least 30 minutes every day at a good level of intensity.

What have I tried that didn't work out? I don't like Pilates. I don't like sports that require a partner (eg. tennis). I haven't really taken to the weight machinery at the gym--prefer free weights. Guess I like exercise that involves music and rhythm the best.

Did I mention that I love to exercise?

[mammac-5]

Barbara, you're an inspiration!

I find it very hard to believe, still, how much I love going to the gym. I was not an athletic kid -- always the chubbiest and last to be picked for a team of dodgeball or kickball -- and had developed a SERIOUS hate for gym class that stayed with me.

But we found a great gym last year and just took the plunge! It's been one of the best decisions Hubby & I have ever made. Likely has added years to my formerly fat and hypertensive and sleep apneic hubby's life. Anyway, it's a gym for people who want to exercise. There isn't a whole lot of socializing going on and it's NOT a "vanity gym". By that I mean you'll rarely find a woman wearing make-up (unless it's just left-over from her work day) and nobody is wearing fancy, expensive work-out clothes. So we were comfortable from Day One.

On a few occasions, someone there has commented to me about how far I've come, or about my abs work, etc. Nothing could make the fat-girl loser from middle school PE class feel better!

[Rachel1]

I'm glad someone started this thread because I have a related question. You might remember I mentioned on my weekly weigh-in that I'd sprained a wrist ... well, it turns out the silly thing is BROKEN .... the funny thing is, it was over a week before I found out! Anyway, it'll be in a splint for 6-8 weeks, and clearly I can't do anything weight-bearing with my forearms or hands. I know I can still do lower-body stuff, crunches, etc., but I don't want to lose the gains I've so laboriously made in upper-body strength. Any ideas?

Rachel
who is typing one-handed

[bkloots]

Ouch Rachel! Easy on that wrist, okay? Really...after it heals, you'll have those arms back in shape in no time. Meanwhile, kick butt with the lower body work.

If you have access to a gym, you might see which upper body machines can be operated without hands or forearms. I'm thinking there's a chest press you can do, and maybe something for upper back. You can probably continue working core muscles in various ways.

P. S. I was a PE avoider, too. Never liked team sports or competitive sports, although I'm a tiger when it comes to setting personal goals.

[thirteenlb]

I am glad to see some movement over here! :wave:

I actually took off the last few pounds by DROPPING exercise, believe it or not. For the first time, I truly focused on calories, and found that I was justifying eating a lot more when exercise was present. I essentially haven't exercised strenuously in the 4 months since my wedding. It's the longest break I've ever taken!

Now that I'm at goal (or just above my dream goal, I suppose) I'm looking for ways to get moving again. I prefer weight- bearing exercise over cardio, but typically did both...this go round will include pilates, step aerobics, jogging, and weight training.

Sigh. I was loving that extra hour of sleep in the morning! :lol:

[bkloots]

I truly focused on calories, and found that I was justifying eating a lot more when exercise was present. This is a very astute observation. Popular culture encourages us to look at the calories in/calories out equation when determining levels of consumption and exertion.

Unfortunately, it's just not possible to exercise enough to justify overeating, no matter what's on the menu. In my case, devoting at least half an hour a day--and more on at least three days a week--still accounts for an average of only about 250 calories per day expended in exercise. What's that? No more than a big blob of cream cheese? Less than a couple of pork chops?

Exercise is about strength, endurance, cardiopulmonary health, good bones, radiant skin, brilliant brain cells--oh lots of things. Keep it up, lovely bride, and you'll be gorgeous forever.

[thirteenlb]

LOL, thanks, bkloots. Part of ditching exercise was feeling a bit overwhelmed, coupled with a monthlong trip to Italy where women generally eat pastry and don't do strenuous exercise. Unfortunately I am not Italian (ahem), so it's back to the weights for me. ;) I just needed to focus on one thing at a time for the moment.