I'm just curious to know what you all do for exercise, how long and how much you exercise and how you all got motivated to exersise.

I only walk for exercise. Lots and lots of walking. I walk 4.4 km (2.75 miles) in just under 37 minutes 5 days a week so I'm walking at a very brisk pace.

What do the rest of you do? For those of you who never exercised before, what motivated you and what keeps you going? I want to start to do more than walk. I think Rupertsmom was telling me about how to start jogging at one point last year but I don't think that is going to happen. Is walking a good enough form of exercise as long as it is done at a brisk enough pace.

Garbanzo

[This message has been edited by Garbanzo Bean (edited 02-12-2001).]

Nothing..........at least in the way of formal excericse....I do dance on Friday and Saturday nights for 3-4 hours (barely sitting down but I do drink my bear during that time). I also do a massive house cleaning every Saturday...includes moving furniture.

I'm an exercise junkie - can't say it's done much for weight loss, but I do think it helps keep my weight down to where I'm overweight and not obese (ain't that a sad statement!). Anyway, I do a brisk walk/jog with my dog for 30 to 45 minutes every day (she'd never let me not!), and ride my bike back and forth to work most work days when the weather permits (40 minute round trip). During the work week, I take two hour long step aerobics classes, two hour long low impact aerobics class, two hour long weight training classes, and one hour long interval training class. On the weekends, I do a longer dog walk and usually break out an aerobics tape or jump on the dreaded ski machine.
I love the commradiery of my classes - some of us have been working out together for 5 or 6 years, everyone know everyone's name, and it's my one to two hours of personal time a day. It isn't so much what it does for me physically that keeps me coming back year after year (16 years plus), but what it does for me mentally.
Oops - almost forgot! Walking is a great form of exercise - whether it's "enough" all depends on your goals.

[This message has been edited by MILLIEB (edited 02-12-2001).]

I've been a long-time couch potato. I did some walking last summer, which I enjoyed, but when the weather got bad I stopped. About a month and a half ago, I started doing the FIRM basics workout tapes 3-4 times a week. I get a minimum of 140 minutes of exercise a week right now and plan to build up. The videos aren't fascinating; I find the instructors very plastic. But it's actually a very good workout for beginners; it combines aerobics with strength training. I'm finding the aerobics section pretty easy already, while the strength training is still about right for me.

What's motivating me? The results I'm experiencing already. I've got more strength, more mobility, and more stamina already. Haven't seen much weight loss yet, though.

--Lauren

I agree with Millie that whether walking is enough depends on your goals. You are walking at a very brisk pace, and if it's getting your heartrate up sufficiently, then it sounds like a great form of cardio for you. I migrated to slow jogging simply to get my heartrate up more-walking just wasn't doing it for me any more.

As for my routine, I jog 3-4 days a week (sometimes a walk in place of a run) and do strength training twice a week. I have started using the recumbent bicycle at the gym that I go to on occasion, just for variety. My goals are to run a 5K this spring, which obviously my running supports. For toning and developing my upper body, I definitely need to lift the weights.

Walking can be great on its own as you have found. But since you are asking about other types of exercise, it sounds like you are getting bored. And boredom is the best way to kill a regular exercise habit.

Don't be afraid to try something new. In the summer months I end up doing a different type of exercies each day of the week. I am the queen of cross-training. Here are my favorites - various indoor-gym cardio machines (elliptical trainer, treadmill, stationary bike, stair machine), outdoor running, roller blading, bicycling, kick-boxing class, aerobics class, hiking and even swimming when I broke my foot.

Pick something you might like to try and decide substitite this new activity for 2 of your walks each week for a few weeks. I find it takes a few weeks to get used to a new form of exercise before it all falls into place.

You mentioned you were thinking of running but decided against it. Since you are walking as a quick pace right now, I think running is the most logical progression for you. Check out www.runnersworld.com for advice on beginning a running program. But remember, you do not have to run every day. Simply take their advice and do it only 2 times per week in the beginning. Many running resources are so gung ho about their sport that they assume you also want to run 5-6 times per week. Take their advice and make it work for you and your goals.

Good Luck!





[This message has been edited by gsc4 (edited 02-13-2001).]

I go to the gym 4-5 times a week, for about 90 minutes per session. My typical routine is 10-20 minutes on the treadmill, followed by about an hour of strength training and then some stretching/cooldown time.

When i first started exercising, i had a personal trainer set up a realistic program for me. I went 3x/week for maybe about an hour per session, "slow" cardio warmup and light weights... so it was never particularly strenuous/exhausting, and for 3 hours a week it wasn't even much of an "inconvenience" to add it to my lifestyle. And it was sufficient to dramatically alter my fitness and appearance.

I work out more and longer now because i like to, not because i have to. And that's what motivates me. Find something you enjoy, and it makes it much easier to stick to it!

Deb
195/139 www.picturetrail.com/Incredible

I teach Jazzercise 5 nights a week (it's a blast - includes aerobic work and weight training) and try to fit in 2-3 jogging sessions a week at lunch time. I'm a lifetime WW - always working at keeping the weight off - and the exercise helps so much.

Helen

I do a variety of different types of exercise classes at the gym -- step, aerobics, interval, kickboxing, yoga, spinning. I love the socialization plus it helps me to have classes that I can schedule into my day. If I just stay I'll take a walk sometime today I will never do it. But find what works best for you. If it is a chore, you won't keep up with it. I truly enjoy the exercise I do.

Myra

Since you are looking for suggestions, This is what I do. At least 5 times a week, I walk on the treadmill at the gym. I do 45 minutes of walking at a 6 or 8 incline (including warm up) and the monitor on the treadmill says that i burn 325 calories each session. When i'm done i usually have alot of energy and can do all of the chores i put off at home. Some times I even go at this pace twice a day- before work and after work.I dont recommend working out until you are exhausted because you wont want to feel tired for 5 days out of the week. I started walking about 1 week ago and i feel great. (Havent gone on the scale because i can get a bit obsessive about it) But so far my very critical 13 year old says that she has noticed a difference in my weight. Does anyone else do this???

I mix my exercise up; especially in the winter and during the week, I can get stuck in a rut. So I do a yoga tape about twice a week (not high intensity but builds endurance and muscle balance), walk 20 minutes on the level at work 1-2 times a week, hit an elliptical trainer at the gym 1-2 times a week, and at least once on the weekend get out to walk up the steep hill to a nice lookout over the city. And from time to time the tendonitis in my ankles flares up and I swim for a while until it gets better.

I also try to get out to ski or hike from time to time, but it's hard to put the time together to get out of town. During the summer, I tend to hike a lot more, even if it's just into the foothills outside of town.

Hi everyone,

Garbanzon bean - it's nice to see another type of bean ... I opted for the sweet variety (lol).

I think that your walking sounds like a great way to get exercise!! And, if you're enjoying it then all the better. I have had a hard time motivating myself to go to the gym in the past. This is my second time around with WW and I believe that the first time the weight didn't stay off because I didn't incorporate exercise into my life. So that has been partly the motivating factor.

I also keep track in a journal of what I do and I give myself a sticker every day that I go to the gym in my agenda. This is sort of a reinforcement strategey - with a big pay off at the end of the month based on the number of stickers I accumulate (something I really want like a new pair of jeans).

You can also try to find a buddy to pair up with to exercise. If you don't belong to a gym, you could try recruiting a neighbour or friend to walk with you around the neighbourhood.

I typically go to the gym 3 times a week and I'm really into the interval training right now - raising my heart rate up and down. So I do twenty minutes of light exercise on a cross-trainer followed by 20 min run on the tread mill, and than about 25 minutes on the bike of strength training hills. I tend to stand up when I'm going up the hills. I try to fit in circuit weights a few times a week and I always do stretching and sit-ups. It gives me tonnes more energy compared to what I used to have. You could always hire a trainer to help develop something for you!

JB

Depends on stuff like how much time I have, where I am or when I am doing it. I do Tae Bo Basic Live (30 mins. high intensity), Moving with Susan Powter which combines aerobics and strength training (depending on what I want to do with it depends on the intensity of the workout), I power walk, I'll jump rope, I'll march in place, do jumping jacks, I'll combine part of Tae Bo with part of Moving with Susan Powter, I'll do hydrants to work those gluts, I'll do leg raises and crunches and leg scissors.
I now am also trying (read KLUTZ) some yoga too.

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If it is to be, it is up to me! One second,
one minute, one hour, one meal, one day at a time!

Garbanzo.....here is a great link to check out if your "thinking" about starting to jog. If you follow the program you can run a 5K in about 2 months...The training is very easy to start and there is much good information along with a bulletin board for encouragement. It's the best I've found. http://kicksports.com/ Enjoy....

Walking outdoors--at least 4 miles. I try to do that every day, but sometimes miss one day per week. If I can, I'll do two walks per day, depending on weather and work schedule.

ST--3 times per week.

Yoga--2-3 times per week, but would like to increase that