What do you do for exercise? What motivates you to do it?

Well, I do quite a bit of walking... I need to get back do doing Qi Gong ... all of your posts have inspired me. I'm glad you asked this question, Ameriscot!! :)
 

There is a couple we are friends with and have gone on holidays with them. The wife walks a lot with her job but isn't very fit, the husband does as little movement as possible. The wife thinks it's good I workout a lot, the husband can't seem to figure it out and thinks I'm obsessed.

When we went on a trip together there was a place we were going to visit up a very steep hill. Both of them struggled to get up the hill while my husband and I just zoomed up without breaking a sweat or becoming breathless.
 

SOOOO.. yesterday evening I took Izzy (my doggiegirl) out for our usual walk. We most times do 2 miles, but sometimes less. Izzy was particularly rambunctious and started pulling on her leash. Instead of holding her back, I started jogging along with her. I managed to actually run for a city block. I kind of liked it.. just a little.. not too much, but enough to get me thinking that tonight I'm going to try to jog for a bit longer; maybe a block.. then walk a block.. then jog a block.. It's time to kick it up a notch anyway. I want to lose 10 pounds by December. Of course having my oral surgery is probably going to cut back on my food intake.
 
QuickSilver said:
SOOOO.. yesterday evening I took Izzy (my doggiegirl) out for our usual walk. We most times do 2 miles, but sometimes less. Izzy was particularly rambunctious and started pulling on her leash. Instead of holding her back, I started jogging along with her. I managed to actually run for a city block. I kind of liked it.. just a little.. not too much, but enough to get me thinking that tonight I'm going to try to jog for a bit longer; maybe a block.. then walk a block.. then jog a block.. It's time to kick it up a notch anyway. I want to lose 10 pounds by December. Of course having my oral surgery is probably going to cut back on my food intake.
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I occasionally do a powerwalk/jog outdoors when the weather is just right, but my normal routine is gym and then muscle work at home. It does feel really good to jog on a nice day with the right music on my ipod.
 
I live on a side of a hill and my morning exercise is to walk up and down the hill many times and that is it for the day and if I feel like doing more exercise I lay down till the feeling goes away. Most people who come to visit have trouble walking up the hill.
 
Ameriscot said:
My sister is 2 years older than me (she's 64) and used to be an inch taller than me. Now she is an inch shorter. I've lost 1/2 inch in height, she's lost 2 1/2! She exercises but it's very wimpy and not really weight bearing exercise. She's starting to look frail. I don't want to be frail! She's not overweight at all and never has been. She eats dairy, takes calcium pills, but I'm convinced it's the lack of weight bearing exercise.
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I don't want to be frail either Ameriscot, and I'm going to try not to break anything in my old age, like a hip. My mother broke her hip and my mother in law broke hers, just with a fall from standing to the ground.

I believe that weight bearing exercise is key for bone strength in the elderly. I don't do much, but I use the weight machines at the gym, and free weights at home. I don't take any calcium supplements for the bones, as I feel I get enough from diet alone, and too much can end up in your arteries causing major strokes, like my FIL had, he took a daily oyster shell calcium, sure that contributed to a 99% blocked main artery that left him paralyzed.

I do take vitamin k2 and magnesium citrate daily for bone health also. People who don't want to bother with weights can use heavy item instead, depending on their abilities, like cans of soup, etc. They can also do push offs just on their kitchen countertop, to work the arms and shoulders. If they're able, they can sit on the bottom step of a staircase, and do dips for the arms. Walking in itself is a weight bearing exercise, up and down stairs is even better.
 
SeaBreeze said:
I don't want to be frail either Ameriscot, and I'm going to try not to break anything in my old age, like a hip. My mother broke her hip and my mother in law broke hers, just with a fall from standing to the ground.

I believe that weight bearing exercise is key for bone strength in the elderly. I don't do much, but I use the weight machines at the gym, and free weights at home. I don't take any calcium supplements for the bones, as I feel I get enough from diet alone, and too much can end up in your arteries causing major strokes, like my FIL had, he took a daily oyster shell calcium, sure that contributed to a 99% blocked main artery that left him paralyzed.

I do take vitamin k2 and magnesium citrate daily for bone health also. People who don't want to bother with weights can use heavy item instead, depending on their abilities, like cans of soup, etc. They can also do push offs just on their kitchen countertop, to work the arms and shoulders. If they're able, they can sit on the bottom step of a staircase, and do dips for the arms. Walking in itself is a weight bearing exercise, up and down stairs is even better.
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I also do the resistance machines at the gym, and dumbbells at home as well as floor exercises, etc. Sometimes I also do jump rope and jumping jacks. I do take a calcium/D/magnesium pill but instead of 2 a day I only take one. I will look into the effects of this since you mentioned it. I do drink almond and fortified soy milk, cheese, yogurt, and also leafy greens and legumes.

This is a good link:

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Osteoporosis/Pages/Prevention.aspx
 
I do weight training every day because it keeps my muscles firm and toned which makes my mood elevate. Also I try to do a bit more cardio since I trainer told me how important it is. I'm motivated by looking, feeling and functioning great. It's really an uplifting experience.
 
chic said:
I do weight training every day because it keeps my muscles firm and toned which makes my mood elevate. Also I try to do a bit more cardio since I trainer told me how important it is. I'm motivated by looking, feeling and functioning great. It's really an uplifting experience.
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Same here!
 
Went to the gym today and did an hour on the exercise bike, around 18+ miles total, felt good afterwards. I pigged out on Halloween candy that I bought way too soon, finished off bags that I don't even like, and would've never even eaten if it wasn't Halloween. Had to re-buy a bunch of stuff...now trying to get back on track after all that junk food like Milky Ways and Snickers. :rolleyes:
 
My motivation is pain. I have spinal steonis, it is a great stimulater. But, in the morning the pain so bad that I must move. I do all the houseword I can think up. If that helped, then I walked down the road to the mailbox. Next comes dinner for four furkid and then dinner four two. Michael loves my style cooking. Sometimes it requires a wheel chair on bad days. :wave:
 
I do quite a bit of outside work, virtually every day when the weather permits. We retired to 40 acres of heavy woodland in the country when I retired at age 59. I was in pretty good shape, but weighed over 200 lbs. After a couple of years out here, I trimmed down to about 165, and have been able to hold that, now at age 72, I maintain a yard of over an acre, and just mowing and trimming it is a full days work.

Then, I had a big outdoor wood furnace installed shortly after we moved here....a full electric house creates a huge Winter electric bill. Now, I go through the forest every year, and harvest the dead oak trees, and usually go through about 8 cords every year. A cord of oak weighs almost 4,000 lbs, and I handle each piece of wood at least 4 times from the forest. to the wood pile, to the log splitter, to the furnace.

During extended periods of Summer heat, or Winter cold/snow, I have a BowFlex gym in the basement, and go down there to workout regularly. So far, outside of a bit of arthritis, the routine seems to be working...I just go a bit slower as I age, but then, I'm not On The Clock.
 
Blessings from the Lord today !


We always go to the Pawn Shop so Bobby can look for new tools on sale. Today, I went down to look at the regular pawn shop, just to browse.
When I walked in the door, there was my Dream Bicycle........one of those 3-wheeled adult trikes !
They are way, way out of my price range, but I went to look, and it was $159+tax. I have seen old and ugly ones on Craiglist for more then that; so I went to ask if they take layaway, and they did.
Next, I asked the owner to come and look at it and see what we could do as far as price. He checked his books, and said the best he could do is $150 including tax. So I put down my deposit, and it is now on layaway.


The bike is a Schwinn, and looks like it has barely been used, and is fairly new; and the right size for me to ride. Now, I just have to get to exercising on the Gazelle, so I will have my muscles built up to ride it next spring.
It has been over 10 years since I have had a bike or my horse to ride; and with my poor balance, I can no longer safely ride a regular bicycle or a horse anymore.


I have been wishing for one of these 3-wheelers forever; so this is a dream come true, and a wonderful blessing from God.
They told me that the bike had only been on the floor for an hour when I came in, and they always sell very fast. There were other people looking at it while I was standing in line; so if I had not been to the store exactly when I went there, I would never have gotten it.
 
Nice bike!

I have joined the fitness centre at a hotel down the road from our cottage while in Thailand. Not big but has full sets of dumbbells, treadmill, elliptical and bike. I walk to it instead of driving - .6 mile. And we do lots of walking and swimming.
 
Ina said:
My motivation is pain. I have spinal steonis, it is a great stimulater. But, in the morning the pain so bad that I must move. I do all the houseword I can think up. If that helped, then I walked down the road to the mailbox. Next comes dinner for four furkid and then dinner four two. Michael loves my style cooking. Sometimes it requires a wheel chair on bad days. :wave:
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Hi Ina, are your counters set up for working from a wheelchair? If not, does that make it much more difficult for you even though you are off your feet?
 
Social Ballroom dancing which we feel not only helps to keeps the body fit it's also good for our brains as the new vogue ballroom we dance is sets of steps for each dance. We try to dance at least twice a week for about three hours each time
We attended a birthday party last weekend for a lady who just turned 90 and still dancing her hubby is 93 they know more dances than us and don't sit out many dances
 
I am very proud of myself. I made it around the block today!

That sounds like a joke but isn't. Exercise and getting enough of it is a huge problem for me because of my severe arthritis. I know the ads say exercise eases arthritis pain but the ads lie. I do what I can until the pain stops me.

This summer I was walking around the block before picking up my mail after lunch and I push a walker so I'm pushing extra weight too but it got worst and worst as the summer progressed and I was making it half-way around instead of all. My apartment building has front and back doors, I'd go out the back, bring my trash out to the dumpster and then walk all away around to the back door again and get the mail from the lobby but by fall was only making it to the front door for pain.

I also don't like strangers in my stuff plus the cost of a cleaning service is prohibitive so I do my own housework but can only do so for about 10-15 minutes before I have to stop in pain. I just do what I can every day and fortunately it's a four room apartment so it's manageable like that. Plus, I have robots that help. Roomba and Scooba, who I call Rogue and Moe. Love those guys. I really can't do a lot of heavy housework because of the pain. The tub would be unmanageable without cleaners that basically do it for you -- spray on, rinse off -- and even with that when I do the tub that is all that gets done that day and I am crying in pain before it's done.

I do push myself to do even this minimal bit. I can't walk over snow and ice but said I was going to walk today then saw it snowing this morning and was bummed but the sun came out and melted it away and I got around the block and so I am proud today. Walking around that block really helped me lose weight this past summer. But, man, it also hurt. I do need to remind me that if it does get snow and ice outside, I can walk the halls of the building. Duh. Not as pleasant but they're there.

My motivation: my heart needs the damned exercise my legs don't want to give it so the legs (and shoulders, hips and back) are going to have to suffer because the heart is slightly more important. That and a grandson who is determined that I'm going to live forever or at least over 100 years. He's unrealistic but I do not want to die on him when he's 17 like my Grandma did on me. :( I had a dream that he was visiting me in my own house when he was 28 with a 4yo son that looked just like him and we are both determined to that this is going to happen so hopefully I have at least 17 more years ahead of me and, man, I looked good in that dream, like I got down to my weight goal and was healthier for it though I was talking to him through my window so I may have been in a wheelchair, all I know I was seated. I keep that image and that motivates me plenty to keep this heart pumping blood through it's troubled left heart valve.

I have tried sit and be fit but they made my neck and shoulders hurt way too much. I have arthritis from the neck down. It sucks but you have to play the hand you're dealt and work with that.
 
I admire your determination Blaze to get some exercise for your heart. Walking is very good when you can do it, congratulations on losing some weight doing it, I've also lost some weight with walking alone, but I don't have the physical limitations that you suffer with.

I was just reading an article about how people put socks over their shoes to gain more traction when walking on ice and snow. I never tried that, but it seems like a low cost thing to try for sure...sometimes in winter just my driveway and walkway will get really slippery. Do you take anything to ease your arthritis pain, meds or supplements?
 
I walk my Bulldog about 3 miles a day, divided into 2 walks , 1-2 miles each. She has severe arthritis and a displaced kneecap, and the vet says that the best way to avoid a surgery that would probably cost more than my house :) is to walk. Doesn't hurt me any either. I am also remodeling my house, one room at a time, which involves hauling tile or hardwood flooring up a flight of stairs, ripping out ugly carpet, then hauling the flooring around some more to get it installed. Plus painting the rooms. I also put 50-pound bags of decorative rocks on my side flower bed a few months ago, will finish up the front in the spring.

My motivation is to keep me, my dog and the house in the best shape possible. Also, I kind of think that if I'm not in terrible shape when I start to fail (as we all will), then maybe I can keep functioning in some fashion longer than I otherwise would have.
 
I lift my arms to change the channel with the remote. No, just kidding. I go to malls and walk from one end to the other several times. I only live 30 minutes from the beach, so I walk there sometimes. I don't walk in my neighborhood because of unchained dogs.
 


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