Favorite way to burn calories?

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Replies

  • ridiculous59
    ridiculous59 Posts: 2,807 Member
    edited December 2020
    First off, let me say that I love being outside a thousand times more than being inside! Every spring I re-start C25K, and run through till the Fall. My favourite summer exercise is paddling on a dragon boat team. That was off the table this summer of course but I spent lots of time kayaking and canoeing instead. In the winter I cross country ski and snowshoe. I usually attend a spin class during the shoulder season (snow not good enough to ski but roads too icy to run) but once again, not this year. I was terrified before my first class but once I got there and saw the wide range of fitness levels, I felt fine. I wouldn't ever say that I love spin class, but its a good workout so serves its purpose. I used to go to deep water running classes at the pool two or three times a week but not feeling comfortable going there right now. I do both yoga and strength training about twice a week. And finally, I have a Golden Retriever and a Border Collie who need walking every day.

    So bottom line is that I do lots of different things, but am not particularly outstanding at any of them! But that's okay :)
  • I love walking on my treadmill and listening to my music. Helps me with stress.
  • Cafelelia
    Cafelelia Posts: 1,298 Member
    I love running, even in the winter months. Having just recovered from a long injury, I am doing a very gradual return to it. I don’t know if I will race again, but I hope to. Walking has been not a bad substitute. I love yoga as well, and also do some boxing, which is quite fun.

    @lemurcat2 - You are so right about creating a new playlist. It really is motivating!
  • SavageMrsMoose
    SavageMrsMoose Posts: 633 Member
    I haven't ever been to a spin class..so intimidating.

    I agree- don't be intimidated.... My college age daughter took me to Soulcycle where everyone was young, beautiful, and very fit. I felt so frumpy, but the instructor was so nice and the staff was helpful. And all the music was from the 80s so I knew the lyrics. The room was dark, no one could see me, and it felt great. It was a really good workout.



  • Anabirgite
    Anabirgite Posts: 501 Member
    @bebeisfit & @AnnPT77

    It is so easy to cheat in spin and no one knows since only you can see your dials, and since you all ready ride outside you will surprise yourself at what you can accomplish.

    Wow- the math hurts- I started going to spin class 7 years ago on a whim, I joke, but sadly, am serious, took most of my 40's off from exercise and have paid a price for that. But I just pedaled to finish class for months when I started, looking at the clock saying I can do 10 more minutes, and all of a sudden class was over. I started with low resistance and just built over time. I was actually doing 2 spin classes back to back in January- that is out the window now...I am going to look into wind pants for the spring and will need to look up a baklava, I thought you used that to rob banks. :D. Do the wind pants help with wind resistance? I always seem to be riding into the wind >:)

    Ann, love all your advice...
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 31,718 Member
    Anabirgite wrote: »
    @bebeisfit & @AnnPT77

    It is so easy to cheat in spin and no one knows since only you can see your dials, and since you all ready ride outside you will surprise yourself at what you can accomplish.

    Wow- the math hurts- I started going to spin class 7 years ago on a whim, I joke, but sadly, am serious, took most of my 40's off from exercise and have paid a price for that. But I just pedaled to finish class for months when I started, looking at the clock saying I can do 10 more minutes, and all of a sudden class was over. I started with low resistance and just built over time. I was actually doing 2 spin classes back to back in January- that is out the window now...I am going to look into wind pants for the spring and will need to look up a baklava, I thought you used that to rob banks. :D. Do the wind pants help with wind resistance? I always seem to be riding into the wind >:)

    Ann, love all your advice...

    Spandex helps with reducing wind resistance, and also possibly has wind-protection benefits . . . but many of us are spandex-hesitant. 😉😆 (Back when still obese, I was obliged to wear spandex trou & tank to match my boatmates in a race - official rowing competitions often have dress codes! - but it was *not* a good look, for me. Fortunately, during the actual race, spectators were far away, on the riverbanks. 😆).

    Also, the PP said "baklava" was maybe not the right name . . . I think she might have been aiming for "balaclava" a.k.a. "ski mask" (US), a usually knitted headcovering that covers head, neck, and parts of face as well (how much face is covered varies). I prefer baklava myself (the Mediterranean-ish dessert made with filo pastry, nuts, honey), but I do love my wind pants for rowing, walking, cycling. Get water-resistant breathable ones (though more $$) and they're great for rain as well. Narrow cut, less wind resistance, sure. 😉
  • Anabirgite
    Anabirgite Posts: 501 Member
    @tmbg1

    Pickleball is awesome!! It is honestly for everyone. It is a very friendly sport too. I play at several places and there is just a constant change of partners, of all ages and levels. What the sport has definitely improved in me, is my reflexes...I am amazed at how they have improved and also the other players some in there 80's
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,843 Member
    bebeisfit wrote: »
    Anabirgite wrote: »
    Pickleball has been my calorie burn the last several months. I do weights several times a week at gym, need to to do spin more. Bike is put away for winter, personally can not ride below 50 degrees and overcast, impressive @bebeisfit, not too many miles a way from you and am a complete wimp if I think I will be cold riding. Was suppose to quit running several years ago, cheated and am paying price, my knees just can not handle, miss that- definitely could run in the 30 degrees loved to run. Procrastinating right now since working out at home today, but plan to do Essentrics Stretch, body pump and spin soon, making meatballs for a family dinner (son is coming home tonight) so need to work out now so can enjoy later.

    Hi neighbor!

    Riding in the cold is much easier when you have the right gear.

    My friend gifted me a few things several years ago that make it possible. 'Wind' pants that go over my jeans are lightweight but really help me stay warm. And a baklava (I know thats not the name) but it helps keep my head warm. No riding for me if its raining, super windy or there's snow in the ground. I can do cold and sunny.

    Many of my friends play pickleball and love it. I haven't ever been to a spin class..so intimidating.

    And meatballs. Yum!

    Oddly, as I do have some social anxiety, I didn't find joining a spin class intimidating, but I just didn't care for it and only lasted 10 minutes.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,843 Member
    Today my favorite exercise is snowshoeing. My OH and cat came along.

    b13ia5845j96.jpg

    It burns the most calories of any form of exercise I do and is really exhilarating. I don't do it for that long though - I have to work up to it. Show showing is so easy yet so hard, lol. It's great for my bad knee yet usually hard on my hips as I naturally walk toes out (duck foot) but have to be straight or the shoes would get tangled.

    And of course it is weather dependent. I think last winter I was only able to go once :(
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 31,718 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    Today my favorite exercise is snowshoeing. My OH and cat came along.

    b13ia5845j96.jpg

    It burns the most calories of any form of exercise I do and is really exhilarating. I don't do it for that long though - I have to work up to it. Show showing is so easy yet so hard, lol. It's great for my bad knee yet usually hard on my hips as I naturally walk toes out (duck foot) but have to be straight or the shoes would get tangled.

    And of course it is weather dependent. I think last winter I was only able to go once :(

    I love how bold and confident your cat looks, in the photo! 😸 Got those nice big snow-paws, too.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,899 Member
    Yeah, that cat is amazing (and adorable).

    I love the thought of trying to get my younger cat (see avatar) to do that.

    He acts like he wants to go outside, so I tried to get him lease acclimated so I could take him out on the back porch. Granted, I didn't keep with it long enough, but the second the little harness thing went on, he'd collapse on the floor and act as if he couldn't move, and cry pathetically until it was removed.

    He also dislikes the cold and loves heat. He spends hours sitting on vents during the winter (where the hot air comes out), and when my downstairs furnace was being fixed and I was working downstairs in my living room (with a space heater), he would run down to eat or go to the bathroom, but otherwise was upstairs (where the furnace was fine -- I have 2-level heating with one furnace for the basement and first floor, the other for the upstairs).

    He had a habit of dashing out the front door which used to worry me until he went dashing out one cold day after there'd been a bunch of snow that had gotten blown even onto my covered front porch. He dashed out into the snow, stopped immediately, and then ran back inside, and has not seemed nearly so interested since (although he still is fascinated by the back porch, as I have glass sliding doors he can look out and see birds and squirrels and so on).

    My older cat, who has super thick fur and big paws, might have been more receptive back in the day.
  • tmbg1
    tmbg1 Posts: 1,251 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    Today my favorite exercise is snowshoeing. My OH and cat came along.

    b13ia5845j96.jpg

    It burns the most calories of any form of exercise I do and is really exhilarating. I don't do it for that long though - I have to work up to it. Show showing is so easy yet so hard, lol. It's great for my bad knee yet usually hard on my hips as I naturally walk toes out (duck foot) but have to be straight or the shoes would get tangled.

    And of course it is weather dependent. I think last winter I was only able to go once :(

    I walk my cat too and she's also a ginger cat 🐈 My neighbors think it's weird but kitty loves her walkies!
  • ScoobaChick
    ScoobaChick Posts: 184 Member
    I started lifting at 40, mostly doing Alwyn Cosgrove workouts. I am now doing his Strong program, hoping third time’s the charm as I have yet to get to the last stage. This time around I am doing it with a girlfriend through WhatsApp so we motivate each other.

    Apart from that I started running at 46. Between the Canadian weather and potholes I got a treadmill 3 years ago and still love it.

    Then there is Zumba! That just makes tine fly by but with Covid I can’t do classes with my regular instructor and have yet to find an online one I really like.

    I also love fencing though I had to drop that because of health issues.

    Oh and I am a Scubadiver too 😉 looking forward to the end of the pandemic so I can go somewhere warm again!
  • @AnnPT77 Very impressive! That brings back memories for me, I rowed in high school. It was so hard! I remember the blisters. It was grade 9, I was maybe 110lbs, if that. I rowed in bow position in an 8 and in a 4. But both with coxswain. I’ve never done a quad like your picture. A friend of mine did rowed a single scull.
    We have a canoe and get out on it a few times a year. It is not my favourite thing to do.

    I prefer biking, hiking, walking the dogs or exercising with weights.
  • Spotteddingo
    Spotteddingo Posts: 95 Member
    I was an open water endurance swimmer (2-5 mile swims) for about 12 years but retired at 53 due to hip impingement. Losing that passion has been a real grief for me but I hope to some day get back to it. I want to be racing when I am 80! Currently I cycle but not with much tension or "spin" speed. I also workout on the bosu ball and do some upper body. I am inconsistent and would like to get excited about training again.
  • IWTBF67
    IWTBF67 Posts: 68 Member
    I walk as much as I can. If it’s snowing I do the Silver Sneakers video on You Tube and others. I am starting over since my sister died in November and I was in mourning. I am ready to get this weight off!
  • losemicaroline
    losemicaroline Posts: 742 Member
    The cat photos gave me immense pleasure! Thanks for sharing them.

    Carol