If you had 4 hours a day to work out, what would you do?

zumbagirlwf

My workout of choice is zumba. Not with the wii but in an actual class environment. Classes are so much better! You can burn up to 1000 calories per hour in zumba depending on how much you work it.

Becky1971

Sounds like a lot of fun! I always split my time up in the summer too. Mornings before too hot, and evenings after it cools off.
Just be sure you allow your self a rest day or two during the week.

Ok so- Majority of the time will be swimming, hiking (LOVE and have great metro park trails near me), biking (also can use trails), roller blading (I have a brand new pair never found their way out of the box..... LOL), videos like insanity on days that suck outside, and strength training in the gym a few times a week. It was also suggested by a friend to split the time up, 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the evening or afternoon. This could work out well too

I do have friends that I will be kayaking and playing tennis with too.

My goal is to amp up my acitivity level for this month because it's all I'll have until Christmas break.

qtiekiki

Ok so- Majority of the time will be swimming, hiking (LOVE and have great metro park trails near me), biking (also can use trails), roller blading (I have a brand new pair never found their way out of the box..... LOL), videos like insanity on days that suck outside, and strength training in the gym a few times a week. It was also suggested by a friend to split the time up, 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the evening or afternoon. This could work out well too

I do have friends that I will be kayaking and playing tennis with too.

My goal is to amp up my acitivity level for this month because it's all I'll have until Christmas break.

Seeing as this is one-off "bonus" activity time and you usually don't have much time to exercise, here's another thought.
What about using this period of time to experiment with different SHORT workouts that you will be able to continue for the rest of the year, ie. things that can fit into your regular busy schedule?

While getting lots of exercise will be fun for a month, you can't "bank" four hours of evercise every day in May and hope that it still benefits your body in December, it just dosn't work that way.

Some ideas: read up about Tabata training, practice running intervals, look into those DVD's that only take 20mins, download some apps that give you quick workouts (I have a 10 min cardio app)... I'm sure others would have good ideas on short yet effective workouts.

This is the ideal time to find out what works for your body - especially as you have some existing injuries, you don't want to burn out in the first week of your holiday and have to rest for the next three weeks.

^agreed. I understand your desire to take advantage of the extra time, but the month-wise of workouts will not change your fitness level forever. You need to maintain it.

turbogirl01

Dance!

FlyeredUp

What I would do: Work out for 1 hour, followed by a 3 hour nap.

i like this suggestion.

Thats the answer I was going to use aswell!! I would still limit my workouts to 1 hour per day and take a 3 hour nap.

robot_potato

I would hike or bike, mostly. I can do about 50k in 4 hours biking at a leisurely pace. I would also devote more time to lifting and strength training at the gym.

the_unmistaken

dance (:

Debbe2

I would do Zumba for sure.

meshashesha2012

i do have 4 hours a day to workout and i dont.

my 1 hour workouts are sufficiently intense that i cant do more. i just dont have the attention span to do any sort of low intensity exercise that would take 4 hours.

on days that i do stay longer than 60 minutes in the gym it's because i've done my main workout, did an extra long stretching and foam rolling session and spent time in the locker room doing things like taking alternating warm and cold showers and sitting in the whirlpool to reduce next day soreness. that's probably 2 hours at most but only half of that was exercise

ibshell

Love this answer! AWESOME SUGGESTIONS!!

lohitverma

What I would do: Work out for 1 hour, followed by a 3 hour nap.

THIS!!

cuddlegrl

Seeing as this is one-off "bonus" activity time and you usually don't have much time to exercise, here's another thought.
What about using this period of time to experiment with different SHORT workouts that you will be able to continue for the rest of the year, ie. things that can fit into your regular busy schedule?

While getting lots of exercise will be fun for a month, you can't "bank" four hours of evercise every day in May and hope that it still benefits your body in December, it just dosn't work that way.

Some ideas: read up about Tabata training, practice running intervals, look into those DVD's that only take 20mins, download some apps that give you quick workouts (I have a 10 min cardio app)... I'm sure others would have good ideas on short yet effective workouts.

This is the ideal time to find out what works for your body - especially as you have some existing injuries, you don't want to burn out in the first week of your holiday and have to rest for the next three weeks.

Good point! I hadnt thought of it that way. Once the internship starts I'll be lucky to get 2 hours in a week! I finish my undergrad next spring though :happy: I'll use the extra time to see what short, quick and effective workouts I like and can stick with too :smil:wink:

To all the people who say they would sleep-- You've made me LOL :laugh: But I have cabin fever and tons of energy! I run tight busy schedules most of the time. I dont sleep often, which I know is really really bad. I'll still be getting lots of sleep (more than my norm!) but if I sit still or on the couch too long, I'll go nuts (and my joints hurt more if I don't move). I still totally get why so many people would use the time to catch up on sleep, housework, reading etc. Most people think I am pretty crazy with my energy levels anyway lol.

thank you to everyone who has weighed in!! Lots of ideas and smiles

Rodgers2008

1 Hour bike ride...2 hours walking with my dog and 1 hour run!

herownkindofwonderfull

I have recently started getting in 2-3 hour workouts.

I usually dedicate the following:
30-45 minute "warm-up" incline walk on the treadmill, or a jog/walk outside on the track behind my gym...
15 minute warm-upp stretch
10 minutes Cybex Trainer
70 minutes Elliptical Trainer
15 minute cool-down stretch

2-3 days a week, I only do my warm-up walk and stretch, and 1-2 days a week I do cardio and about 30 minutes of strength training.

I, personally, love getting my active time in. It makes me feel good. 4 hours every day to be at the gym would be awesome for me! I'd get in my walking, my elliptical, my run outside, my warm-ups (stretching/walking), and i'd end it all with an hour long yoga class.... Then, i'd head to sleep.

janf15

Working out 4 hrs a day unless you have a coach AND have a professional/semiprofessional goal in sight serves no purpose and may even be unhealthy.

I follow a (= fan) a couple of professional triathletes, and unless it is the bike training - they don't even work out that much - and it is their job.

Thesoundofwolf

Four hours? If I had access to a gym, that would be the big key in what I would do.

Would bust it up with opening with some carido-strenght mix.
-Opening with basic jumping jacks, push up/crunches to get everything all ready to roll for about 10minuets
-Cycle
-Crunches
-Casual paced tread/eleptical walker
-Cycle burn again
-Maybe a zumba session? Defiantly something dancing to get my hips moving. Like belly dancing.

Followed by a pool-cool down.

If no gym, then just busted up periods of walking/jogging around town. Outside always poses elements of hills, wind, and uses of the mind how to move around 'challenges' (side walk hazords, dogs, traffic).

I would never ever recommend doing four hours in a flat burn. That just sounds painful.

Edit:
I typically do a 2-hour session dealio myself with hard walking up/down hills, with a 10minuet break in between each hour. Then a 20 minuet Zumba, but then again, my fitness level would be 'intro' I feel.

JadeRabbit08

What I would do: Work out for 1 hour, followed by a 3 hour nap.

this!

where do i sign up?

stevewynjones

P90X doubles and a coffee

Tara4boys

Working out 4 hours per day... I would say, I'd aggravate *MY* shoulder and hip injuries.

cuddlegrl

Working out 4 hrs a day unless you have a coach AND have a professional/semiprofessional goal in sight serves no purpose and may even be unhealthy.

I follow a (= fan) a couple of professional triathletes, and unless it is the bike training - they don't even work out that much - and it is their job.

It doesn't just need to be lifting weights. Hiking, kayaking, swimming, biking are all things to fill the time too. It beats watching TV.

cuddlegrl

Working out 4 hours per day... I would say, I'd aggravate *MY* shoulder and hip injuries.

Potentially, yes. So long as I'm careful about what I do, I should be fine. My hip requires a lot of stretching and my shoulder just needs as little movement as possible and some cortisone shots. I've dealt with my shoulder for years with no permanent relief. Even when I do nothing, it hurts. So I might as well be happy and get up and move I can't do push ups, tricep dips, most upper body machines or anything that involves lifting my weight (I can't even lift a gallon of milk with my left). Everything else is fine or tolerable. I refuse to let it keep me back. MRI, x-rays, CT, nerve tests, electromyograms and more have not shown a cause. Celebrex helped for a few months and then stopped. I let it control my movements all last year. Not anymore.

katthegat

Before my life got crazy busy, I was doing Krav Maga, kickboxing, Cross-Fit, yoga, and running- all almost every week.

RachVR6

No reason to workout 4 hours a day. 1 should suffice.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

This. I would choose to focus more of my time on healthy meal preparation.

jenbusick

What I would do: Work out for 1 hour, followed by a 3 hour nap.

Yes!

HarrietSabre

I would go geocaching for 2 hours or so (hiking, walking, biking, whatever...just have to find those caches!) probably twice a week, three times if I could be bothered to go further to find stuff. I would also go kayaking for an hour or two maybe three times a week (although I would probably choose sailing over kayaking but you didn't mention that). I would go to the gym 90 minutes 3-4 times a week and just do what took my fancy, then maybe follow it up with a 30 minute swim. I would also play a couple of games of tennis with friends and maybe shoot some hoops and do basketball, whatever my friends wanted to do.

cglyfer

Need to get a life!!!

No really I agree with RachVR6...one hour should be enough time to get a great workout in...you could incorporate fitness activities in the other 3 hours...take a walk...ride a bike...something like that but don't do it focused on exercise...do the extra focused on the scenery, the good things in your life, stuff like that....make it a enjoyable "lifting" event...

HarrietSabre

Also I don't know what you're all getting so uppity about doing four hours of exercise for - she's not talking about doing 4 hours at the gym solid. I easily do about 2 hours of 'exercise' every day (with no rest days) and I don't have a lot of spare time, just walking around and maybe playing a game or something. Think about what you used to do in your summers - softball, walking, running around, getting messy, whatever - I bet some days it easily went over 4 hours.

grizzlymaze

Sex is great excersice. But if viagra make you have an erection longer than 4 hours, see a doctor. Lol.

tabinmaine

What I would do: Work out for 1 hour, followed by a 3 hour nap.

this !

suziecue66

Also I don't know what you're all getting so uppity about doing four hours of exercise for - she's not talking about doing 4 hours at the gym solid. I easily do about 2 hours of 'exercise' every day (with no rest days) and I don't have a lot of spare time, just walking around and maybe playing a game or something. Think about what you used to do in your summers - softball, walking, running around, getting messy, whatever - I bet some days it easily went over 4 hours.

I agree. Chill people.