When I was asked to help Suzanne mod this new forum, I told her I was going to be a bear about exercise. so here it is.

Even if we never lose a pound by exercising, we must do it for good health. I know a lot of people have made some New Year's resolutions about diet and exercise... so let's hear some of those exercise plans!

Mine is to continue my before work cardio workouts and instead of doing my weights after work (when I am able to come up with a million excuses why I can't do them) I'm going to be getting up earlier and doing them in the morning along with my cardio. So instead of getting up at 4:45am, it's now going to be 4:25 and NO I am not happy about it but I gotta do what I gotta do.

So let's hear some plans ladies!!

Linda, thank you for the reminder that exercise is vital, whether or not we lose weight. I needed to hear that.

I joined the YMCA yesterday to make sure I can continue my exercise through the winter months. My plan is to go to the Y at least 3 days a week for strength training and cardio, and the other 2 days of cardio either do them at the Y or at home with a DVD.

IF I CAN DEPEND ON ANY ONE PERSON TO BE PAINFULLY HONEST WITH ME, IT IS YOU LINDA!! CATTLE PROD AND ALL, I STILL LOVE YA!! 3FC PICKED A GREAT ONE FOR THE JOB! CONGRATS AND GOOD LUCK

OK I AM GETTING OUT MY PEDAL THINGY RIGHT NOW AND DUST IT OFF. I HAVE BEEN SAYING I WILL DO THIS FOR OVER A MONTH NOW!!

I WILL PEDAL 30 MINS 3X'S A WEEK
I WILL DO CARDIO OR TAI CHI 2X'S A WEEK.

NO EXCUSES 2006 IS STARTING TODAY IN MEL'S HOUSE!

Thanks, Linda, for the reminder about exercise. Even if it doesn't cause weight loss, it will make us look better when we get there. Plus, there are so many other health benefits.

I plan to continue my weight workouts three days a week (MWF). In an effort to lose more fat, I plan to increase my cardio workouts from three days a week to four or five days a week. My husband and I ride bikes together once a week and swim together one or two times a week. I will continue that and supplement with high-intensity stuff at the gym.

Sherry

Exercise is something I love to do when I'm doing it. My plan is to commute to work by bike all week (that's 4 measley miles to work and 4 back). When I get into the groove, I'm going to add a couple of miles each day. My goal is to get up to 100 miles a week by March.

I also am going to add in some more geocaching. Geocaching is a hike with the purpose of finding GPS coordinates and a log of people who have been there before you. It's the only way I can get AB (the cute boyfriend) out of the house. He hates to hike (what's the point?) and geocaching is a sneaky way of getting him to do it. If you want to know more about geocaching, I recommend http://www.geocaching.com/.

Since I am a slug and Linda can confirm that, my plan it to "start out" 5 x a week on my treadmill (30 minutes at least). I'm hoping by spring I will get up to 1 hour, then I will include outdoor bike riding and swimming, weather permitting. Thats my plan

Take a look at this...

Some of you may know that I have been keeping charts and measurements for the last couple of years. Today I have brought them up to date and started a new worksheet for the year 2006. I was checking the figures and noticed two things.

1. Weight loss has not been great over the past 2 years. A grand total of 3 kilos or 6.6lbs. Good stuff but not great.

2. I have lost a total of 20 inches from all over this body. 11.75 inches in 2004 and 8.25 inches in 2005. Now that is not bad I reckon.

All up a loss of :
Upper chest - 2.5 inch
Bust - 2.75 inches
Lower Chest - 2.5 inches
Waist - 4 inches
U Hip - 4.25 inches
L Hip - 2.75
Top of Arm - is up .25 inch
Top of Leg - 1.5 inches

Can't help it if I have fat arms.

That just goes to show the power of exercise, since I really haven't been dieting at all, just eating well.

I posted this in my 'Friends around the world' thread on 01/01/06. I also worked out that I have gone from a (Aussie sized) 18 to a 12 and can fit into some 10's.
If that doesn't convince anyone that the scale lies, then I have no idea what will.

Plans for the year??? Gym 5 times a week for up to an hour at a time. Half cardio, half weights and resistance and including 10 x 20 reps of abs and thorax muscles. 2 days off, to let the body recover.

Has LindaT mentioned the cattle prod yet???

Thank you Linda! This year I'll diet but not until exercise is a daily habit. I always diet and hyped up about the food (I amd co-owner in a Wine Bar/Food business) and can't seem to exercise.

This time, exercise will become a habit before I start the diet. I need the exercise more than the food at this point in my life. Menopause has made dieting extremely difficult unless I get off my fanny and move.

Amy

My plan is to walk 3 miles every day. Might throw in something else in there if I get bored, like I did tonight. (I was watching TV, so I thought I'd do a several sets of arms with weights as well as some leg lunges.) I also like to play DDR, so that should help kill a couple of calories!

That Geocaching someone mentioned sounds like fun. Too bad I don't have a GPS thingamabob.

well, my family joined the Y back in October, and the only thing I seem to be able to use it for was swimming lessons for my daughter. I've been wanting to use it more but with one car and my mother-in-law babysitting she seems to want to leave ASAP as soon as I got home, so I didn't want to hold her back by doing a measly 30-min workout. Well, that has all changed as of now! Kind of. I had planned to go tonight after work to work out until we didn't get our car licensed before the 30th. (oops!) and now the DMV is closed until tomarrow...so we have to bum rides from family until then which puts a damper on me going tonight. But, weather permitting, I'll just load the lil' uns up in the stroller and take a cruise around the neighborhood...that's if it stops raining, the temperature is moderate...etc etc.

Or, I'll load up the copy of caribean cardo I recorded on my dvr...that's if dh hasn't erased it! We shall see...but the goal for the next two months (short term) is 30-min 3x a week at the Y. Maybe I'll also join a class as well. I'll look into it.

2 DAYS OF EXERCISE UNDER MY SOON TO BE LOOSE BELT!! FEELING VERY GOOD ABOUT THIS MOTIVATING THREAD! I PEDALED AND DID SOME OF THE FAB ABS SUGGESTED BY JORGE CRUISE ON THE AOL TAKE IT OFF CHALLENGE FOR THIS MONTH...MODIFIED FOR THE WHEELCHAIR OF COURSE!
MAYBE EXERCISE WON'T BE A DIRTY WORD IN MY HOUSE ANYMORE. <----MISS LINDA!!!

I will be hitting the gym 5x a week. 45 mins cardio (elliptical) and15 mins weight training. Different muscle groups every other day. Starting 1/16 I will be taking belly dancing classes twice a week for a total of 3 hrs. A lot of stop/start and stretching so really can't be classified as cardio.
We're on our Way!!

Very good plans from all of you.. and welcome to the wonderful magical world of exercising , if you are new to it. Once you keep it up, you'll wonder how on earh you ever lived without it. Some days you are going to literally have to kick your butt (or have one of us kick it for you ) to get your keister UP and moving, but I promise you that it is sooo worth it. Start at 5 minutes a day if you are really out of shape.. any movement is better than none but as you improve, you must continue to challenge yourself with tougher routines or longer times. Variuety is what keeps it interesting. I started out with videos and when I got too winded, I walked in place, but I never ever gave up.

I see Mel posted an update so wtg Miss Mel with the two days under your belt!! How are the rest of you doing? I got in 93 minutes yesterday and will get 80 today.

40 mins on the cross trainer, followed by some tae bo kicks and stretches.

First workout of 2006!

OK OK I have pledged to go back to the gym where I have a yearly membership... Living in NY can be tough in winter, so I will walk inside. I have health issues (arthritis) that sometimes keep me from working out a lot.. But I will do my level best to exercise atleast 3-4 time a wk... I usually stay for an hour and a half when I go... I do water aerobics also..... and some weight training as my knees allow ... I will go later, just before my Tops weigh in.... take care and good luck!!!! India