Fitness Faves and best HRM

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midwife10
midwife10 Posts: 4 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all!

First of all, I want to express just how wonderful it has been being part of the MFP family for the past few weeks. I'm a former Weight Watcher from 2001-2002 when I lost 30 lbs. It really taught me how to change bad habits into good, health- and life-sustaining ones. A bit of the weight has threatened to creep back on and I finally hit my breaking point and decided to do something to prevent that and to get rid of the 10 or so remaining pounds that remained to be lost. It has been a very satisfying, encouraging journey so far and though I've not posted before, I've read a number of posts and grabbed great ideas and inspiration. Now, I have a couple of questions for you!

I'm moving soon and will be unable to join a gym due to being on call 24/7 for an internship - I don't want to pay for what I won't be able to use! This is sad b/c I've started going to the gym nearly every day lately and have actually enjoyed it! So....

1. What are some of your favorite quick and portable forms of exercise. For the record, I've never been "good" at running. Might be me, my shoes, or my technique. I've always wanted to run but have never succeeded. I have a few sets of little free weights and little else at this time.

2. Heart rate monitors. Any thoughts? The best? The most economic? They seem like a pretty good idea to me and a friend loves hers. She has a Polar that cost about $100. Is this typical? I'd love to accurately assess what I do burn outside of having a machine at the gym calculate it for me.

I'm open to thoughts of any kind and appreciate your help in advance!

Replies

  • TalonaCat
    TalonaCat Posts: 241
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    For me, the kicker has been jumping rope. It kicked my butt the first few days and also made me realize how ENTIRELY uncoordinated I actually am. But it's an amazing workout once you get the hang of it!
  • CharityD
    CharityD Posts: 193
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    I have the Polar F6 and I love it! It was about $90 on Amazon. I think all the good ones will be in that price range.
    As far as exercise...I bought an elliptical (on clearance at Sears) back in January and it's changed my life! I never was good at going to the gym and have wasted thousands of bucks on memberships over the years. It looks stupid and out of place in my living room, but who cares? I use it almost every day, so it's worth it!
    And I also like the Slim in 6 series, you need very little space to do it.
    Good luck!
  • wendyjb
    wendyjb Posts: 2
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    Congrats on the continuation of a healthy life. I'm a ww lifetimer with a few pounds that crept up on me too. I have a polar heart rate monitor that I like. I prefer one with a chest strap so you have continuous monitoring rather than one where you have to press your fingers to check your rate. If your activity has a lot of variation, the chest strap really helps get an accurate reading.
    best of luck on the new internship and healthy journey
  • emarcia28
    emarcia28 Posts: 140 Member
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    Agreed jumping rope is great!!

    I also own this mat which is a great alternative to the wii fit, link below(it has running in place and yoga and a bunch of other excercises and games! ):

    http://www.amazon.com/Xtreme-Fit®-Interactive-Gaming-System/dp/B002XDVMY0/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

    I wanted a wii fit but i really have no other use for it for games & didn't want to pay 150 for the system and another 100 for the wii fitness, so i happen to have found this mat at CVS for like 50$ and tired it out & love it!

    In regards to the HRM i know Timex and Polar are the better known ones. You can check ebay or amazon.

    Good Luck!!
  • byHISstrength
    byHISstrength Posts: 984 Member
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    Consumer Reports rated the Timex Personal Trainer 5G971as the highest and best for accuracy and ease of use. It has the chest strap which allows you to move freely.

    Hope this helps.
  • geicko
    geicko Posts: 151
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    Like you, I always wanted to run, but every time I tried I found myself feeling miserable and thought running and me were just not compatible.

    I gave it a new try this year after I came accross a free guide from New Balance, for beginners. The guide contains a schedule where you go really progressively so your body has time to adjust to this new type of exercice. I'm starting my 4th week and I ran 6 X 4 minutes yesterday, with 1 minute walking in between. I felt great and so proud to be able to run like that ! ! Next week I'll run 5 minutes at the time, and the following week 6 minutes, and so on until, by mid May, I can run a full 5 km.

    I also enjoy following Zuzana's workout on www.bodyrock.tv

    Take a look at her site - she's amazing ! And she offer really great workout 100% free.
  • midwife10
    midwife10 Posts: 4 Member
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    thank you all for the thoughts so far. I totally forgot about the brutal workout that jumping rope provides for a tiny investment. I'll also look into the mat that was mentioned, as well as the bodyrock.tv channel and the new balance running program. It sounds as though people like the chest strap HRM more than the watch type (which is what my friend has)...I hadn't even given thought to how they work and calculate, etc. I really appreciate all of your help and encouragement. Just got home from a great workout at the gym (using it for all its worth while I still have access!). Hope you all have a wonderful weekend and a blessed Easter...this holiday will be my first true battleground for eating at a party!
  • deckerp
    deckerp Posts: 4,365 Member
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    I have a Sportline Duo 1010 Heart Rate Monitor. It has a chest strap and will give continuous readout. There is also a few women's models. I got it at D ick's Sporting Goods for $69 and am pretty satisfied with it. I found out later, through some research here, that the calories it calculates may not be as accurate as you might think. But I'm not super worried about it I guess.

    For my main aerobic workout I love my elliptical too. It was a Sears special like someone else had said. It's held up well for the past ten years. I used it for about three years and then laid off it. I had knee surgery last year and got back into it as part of my therapy. My surgeon said he didn't recommend I jog.

    Another key component to my workouts is a good TV series to watch while I use the elliptical. My series of choice is Star Trek the Next Generation. All seven seasons for $80. What a bargain.

    Good luck and have a good holiday weekend.

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