Hello all!

I thought it would be fun to see what everyone's favorite type of exercise is. Doesn't have to be the most calorie intensive, can be the type you LOVE to do the most, that you look forward to with glee

I also am curious why you love it. What does it do for your body... and mind?

If yours is not in the list (I can only get in 10, heh!), please feel free to write in about your own! I can see right off the bat that I did not include weight lifting, which I know can be a great activity and very beneficial.

I'm getting back on the stick and I would love to hear your stories of enjoying movement and effort and the payback you get! Thanks!

Sabre fencing! To quote my coach, "Kids everywhere are picking up sticks and hitting each other with them, so clearly there's some sort of innate appeal to this sport." Five point bouts last less than three minutes and tend to involve maybe thirty seconds (at the high end) of action before someone makes a point and you go back to on guard. Given that, it's kind of astonishing that it uses any energy at all, but it in fact burns a decent amount of calories, especially in practice and lessons, which last significantly longer. I enjoy it quite a bit, because it's a sport I really have the potential to be good at through nothing but hard work. You don't really have to be in perfect shape- one of the best sabre fencers I know has got to weigh more than three hundred pounds. It impedes him a bit, but not as much as you'd think. Everyone has weaknesses inherent to their physical condition, whether it's being too heavy or too short or older, and thus, a bit slower and less flexible. But people learn to work around them, and in the end, it really is mostly experience and practice that matter. It's a sport that both gets you in shape and rewards you for being in shape (sabre classes are significantly less painful the more in shape you are), but which you can begin to excel in without being in perfect shape. Everyone is also extraordinarily polite and kind to each other, including new fencers. Obviously this depends a bit on who you're dealing with, but there are rules of decorum and sportsmanship built in, and you can be black carded (expelled from the tournament immediately) for refusing to salute and shake hands at the end of a bout. Plus, given the obscurity of the sport, if you're frequently a jerk, a general opinion is formed of you pretty quickly, and connections are pretty important for, for instance, getting recruited to a college team. So generally, it's the most civil sport with the friendliest people that I've ever played. Everyone's always eager to help out new fencers, give them tips on how to improve and offer encouragement.

Plus, swords.

ImpalaHoarder: As someone who took fencing for 2 semesters in college and always thought fencers were friggin' cool, I agree wholeheartedly! And sabre! Woo woo!

I miss it. Glad to hear you are enjoying it so much

Fencing sounds very fun, if hard! My favorite way to exercise is running. I like it because its easy to see improvement and it most directly translate into me getting better at the sport I play: Lacrosse. I also just like the whole idea of running, which is a bit shallow, but it makes me like the actuality more so it works.

Rowing!
And jumping on a trampoline, lemme tell you, if you're depressed, it'll make you happy REAL fast! Hellp endorphins!

Weightlifting!

Running!!!! Makes me feel like a million bucks and I am starting to be far better at it than I ever thought was genetically possible.

Running...and weight training... I love running outside as a type of stress relief but I love weight training because it's always different and challenging and that's what really shows me the results.

I put biking, but if you had asked what exercise do I do MOST OFTEN, the answer would be walking.

That would be an interesting poll too.

Oh gee... I do like a few things...so this is tough!

If I had to pick a favorite, I'd say walking. And here's why:

Just about everyone is able to walk. And it's simple. And you can do it just about anywhere! I love it when a friend asks me "Would you like to go for a walk?" It involves moving, and enjoying my surroundings, but so easily accomodates a good chat.

But walking is a challenge, too! When I'm on my treadmill I'm a force to be reckoned with. Powerwalking up a steep incline. Feeling my legs move beneath me, carrying me, becoming stronger with each step. My heart pumping fast. I almost never want it to end