What is your favorite exercise and does it work?

241wtloss

I am just getting back into the fitness scene after many years. I did 20yrs in the Armed Forces and kept relatively fit but since leaving the mandatory exercise life I think I rebelled and purposely did no form of additional fitness. I have always enjoyed walking and tend to walk fast normally, but even lost out on that when I started driving OTR trucks. Last year I found a Golds Gym compact step machine that fitted nicely in my truck under the bunk so I have been able to do some exercising at the end of the day if I wasn't completely exhausted!! Now that I am taking my health seriously again I am getting out of the truck and walking whenever I can, as well as using the little stepper at night/morning depending on my schedule.
So what is your story??

johned63

I am unable to do anything but low impact and I am very limited on any activity involving weight and my legs so I currently am on a walking program.

I started off with a mile walk a couple of times a day and as my legs got stronger I was able to get rid of my cane and start losing weight. Now I walk an average of 10 miles + a day. When on a treadmill I can sustain a 4.8 mile and hour pace for about 35 minutes and then move to a 4.5 mile an hour pace for the remainder of the hour and then do a cool down period. When walking outside I average 3.7 to 4.3 depending on how many times I have to stop for traffic. On a track I keep a pace of about 4.5. This works well for me and keeps my heart rate up and gets me in a nice sweat after about 20 minutes.

Within the next month I am at the point where I will start going to the gym and start working on my upper body strength more. I will also have an appointment with my orthopedic to see exactly what he will authorize me to do for lower body. It will be mostly isometric with maybe a few light weights. The walking will continue to be a major component as I get to my goal and then move on to maintenance.

TheRealParisLove

My favorite exercise is cycling. I began commuting to work on my bike about 3-5 days a week, and ride about 18 miles a day. For strength training I like kettlebells and basic calisthenics. I'd like to lift more, but I don't have the time to spend in the gym right now as I am out of the house 12 hours a day as it is. If I took on a weight training routine in addition to my bike commute and a demanding job, I'd have to sacrifice other aspects of my life, like eating and sleeping, LOL!

helyg

Swimming and cycling are my favourite exercises. Yes, I think they do work - mainly because I enjoy them and so am enthusiastic to keep doing them several times a week!

Sox90716

Running and lifting. I love both and they have helped me to lose 25 lbs. so far. Good luck!

xSakura

Walking It's simple, everyone can do it too! You'll be surprised how much calories a 60 minute walk burns :bigsmile:

californiagirl2012

I am just getting back into the fitness scene after many years. I did 20yrs in the Armed Forces and kept relatively fit but since leaving the mandatory exercise life I think I rebelled and purposely did no form of additional fitness. I have always enjoyed walking and tend to walk fast normally, but even lost out on that when I started driving OTR trucks. Last year I found a Golds Gym compact step machine that fitted nicely in my truck under the bunk so I have been able to do some exercising at the end of the day if I wasn't completely exhausted!! Now that I am taking my health seriously again I am getting out of the truck and walking whenever I can, as well as using the little stepper at night/morning depending on my schedule.
So what is your story??

I think exercise is great but for weight loss it's all about calories. I've been a runner and weight lifter for over 30 years and still gained weight and it piled on more in my 30's 40's and almost into my 50's before I took control of it. I became obese even while I ran and lifted. I probably can't say this enough, you can't out exercise too many calories. It's why I don't eat back my exercise calories. I love running and lifting, and practiced martial arts for 10 year, and have been a backpacker and hiker all my life, and do a lot of outdoor work at home, clearing brush, cutting and stacking firewood. I'm super active yet I still got fat. I kept running marathon after marathon thinking that the next one and the training for it would help. Nope. I didn't binge eat, I didn't pig out, I didn't sit around watching TV and eating, it didn't seemed like I ate too much, I thought something was wrong. Turns out I had a low thyroid and adrenal fatigue but once the doctor helped me get that under control it was not a magic pill, I still had to hunker down and eat less for 2 years to lose the 60 lbs. Now I'm maintaining and I still have to eat less than others around me because I'm small. HINT: If you are short you are small, and it means the eat more mantra around here is less likely to work.

Anyway, I LOVE running and I LOVE weight lifting. I have arthritis in my hips (I'm 52) and I hope to keep doing these activities until the end of my days if I can.

Exercise is for making your lean body mass pretty (especially lifting weights) for when the fat is gone. Losing fat with no muscle is ugly and cardio alone will not make you pretty. You cannot out exercise too many calories.


Lifting weights is KEY. I recently had my DXA scan done and at 51.5 years of age I have the bone density of a super athletic 30 year old. That is a direct result of lifting for over 30 years. Now if that is not scientific proof that lifting weights keeps you younger I don't know what is! Also I believe it is why most people think I look much younger than I really am.

Start lifting now, lift heavy and change it up often, find a lot of weight routines with free weights, make it fun, embrace it, make it part of your life. Only 3 days a week is all it would take. Crank up your tunes and learn to love it, because your body will love it and it will make your quality of life better in many ways, especially when you get older like me.

Because of this I don't have to worry about osteoporosis. If you wait until you are older and your bones start to deteriorate it's a bit too late, you can't get back what you lost, and you can only start a resistance routine that will prevent further damage.

If you are female you don't have the hormones to get big naturally. I lift heavy and I'm still really tiny. My lean body mass is only 104 lbs and that is fairly heavy for a 5'1" female, and quite a bit of this is due to my having very dense bones from 30 years of lifting, not all muscle, and I'm still quite tiny.

My muscles really are not that big, but they show a lot of definition because I'm quite lean. If I gained some fat then I would have a softer more toned look (which is OKAY too!). Then if I gained more fat I would look bulky and hefty like I did most of my life until last year. YOU CAN HAVE WHATEVER YOU WANT. Lean and ripped, soft and toned, or hefty, it all depends on how much fat you leave on your body. Calories are the only thing that changes fat. Exercise is for changing or maintaining your lean body mass only. Lifting weights will give you the best bang for your buck for shaping your body. I finally changed my shape by putting lifting first and cardio 2nd. You cannot out exercise too many calories.

Rynatat

First off, congrats on getting back into it. We're human & all need that mental & physical break sometimes.

If you peek at my profile, you'll get a better picture of my story. In a nut-shell, I was told I would "never walk without a limp & have constant back issues" if I didn't get surgery after a couple really bad car accidents. Since surgery was also a 50/50 coming out the same, worse or in a wheelchair, I opted no. And, I also proved why one should not ever say "never". I workout, A LOT, and LOVE IT ALL!! Of course, I do have some limitations, I can only do some mild plyo a couple times a month (due to bad joints genetically and busting my foot rather bad earlier this year while working out... Oh, the irony there!), but I will at least try all forms when I can of exercise, and usually add new moves on a regular basis or rediscover old moves that I've learned to love (think burpees!)

My favorite is martial arts - love Tai Chi and what it does for the body, mind & soul, and especially on my bad days when I am out of place in my back, neck, hips or knees, it is my go to workout (or just a great de-stresser after a stressful day at work!).

If you are walking, can you try walking lunges? if you can get some dumbbells (or improvise with what you have, some of the tools on your truck you carry are pretty good weight that can work, too: if you have a breaker bar, load the end with a couple extensions & sockets so it's a little longer, place it on your shoulders, hands on either end, and do the walking lunges, dips & squats). Great quick routine, you can do around your truck or rest area, mix lunges, squats & dips: walk fast to warm up for a couple mins (with or without the weights or bar), then go into walking lunges for 10 steps, then back step twice in dips, squat 10 times and repeat (as you loosen up, make your moves deeper to really work glutes, quads & hams). If you've got dumbbells (or some kind of weight), do biceps curls with the lunges, hammer curls with the dips and shoulder presses with the squats. As you get better, as you come up from the squat, go up on your toes to work calves. If you get really adventuristic, add 10 burpees after the squats to make it a mini-HIIT workout. Do this for 10 mins a day or every other day & in 30 days you'll see fantastic results!!

Good luck no matter what you do!!!

(Feel free to add me if you would like for ideas on workouts - I'll admit, I'm an exercise addict!)

Love_flowers

Walking.. Yes :laugh:

Spiritwarrior3000

Walking, step ups and shadow boxing for cardio

hazelann_pt

I hate exercises that make you feel like you're exercising. I like doing the Xbox Kinect Zumba. I never get tired of it. And wearing a heart monitor will motivate you to burn those calories because it can actually tell you how much your consuming. Happy workout!:drinker:

FitSlimHappy

Uphill walking burns a ton of calories and is a nice fat burning exercise if you trying to ease yourself back into it. Starting off at a lower incline then increasing when your feeling your making progress. Worked for me! Hopes this helps

monty619

once i started doing deadlifts my physique noticably changed entirely.

_stephanie0

squats & deadlifts

yes, they work.... if you do them with heavy weight

ChildrenCryinNCoffee

Running and lifting. I love both and they have helped me to lose 25 lbs. so far. Good luck!

This ^ I've only been allowed to jog for the last week (postpartum clearance from my OB, just had a baby 5 weeks ago) and lift weights with a 15 lb maximum allowance. It works. I've lost 2.4 pounds in the last week. I've lost 35 lbs in the last 5 weeks, which is a lot I know and I know that pattern will not continue--damn--but I am eating right, exercising, breastfeeding on-demand and lifting weights. It totally works for me! :0)

fit_librarian

I LOVE Squeeze by Tracy Effinger for strength training and running for cardio. Squeeze is very low impact and really works areas like the arms, belly, and legs with tiny ballet/pilates like movements. I used to lift heavier weights and do circuit training more and I got stronger, but since using Squeeze, I've finally noticed some definition in my arms, belly and thighs.

Christine1110

Walking....but without changing your diet nothing will work to get the fat off...at least that is what I have found. 70% of weightloss is diet!!

Katla49

Horseback riding is my favorite exercise because ti is the most fun and it burns plenty of calories. Unfortunately, I won't be able to ride regularly for the next several months due to travel plans and weather constraints. Cycling is number two on my fun-o-meter. We get out and ride when the weather permits. Summertime is lovely, and we've ordered a trainer for indoor riding now that the fall and winter weather limits the number of riding opportunities outdoors. Walking is the most reliably available for of exercise, and what I do most. I like it, but it lacks the fun factor. Advice? Do what you like and what is possible, and do it daily.

kddham

I lover running ! And I got very fast results ..

Tat2dDom0105

Martial Arts has definitely helped me shed some pounds.

vcht

Swimming and cycling! I don't feel stressed out from these activities but they're still great exercise. :bigsmile: