I'm just curious what everyone has as a favorite physical fitness exercise... I've been a member of various gyms over the years, but I stick to the free weights. I ran my first "competitive" 5k run at my new job last Saturday, but I get bored before I tire when I run. I was just glad I finished the race because I hadn't run in months.

I guess the sports I play count too: softball and soccer once a week, racing (driving, tire changing, corner working)

I run 5-6 mile 3-4X a week, though I've been known to let a few hours of heavy yard work count as one of my workouts this time of year. I had been doing my running exclusively on the treadmill, but this spring, I've dabbled with outdoors running. On days I'm not feeling it, I'll hop on the eliptical machine instead. I also play tennis about once a week.

The best motivator for me has been purchashing a decent heart rate monitor. You input your age, height, and weight and it'll will track your calories burned per workout. It will then upload the data to your computer so you can check it out and track it.

click.

Hee Hee!! Funny.

Does walking up and down stairs at work count?? I do that purposely because I sit behind the desk all day. Instead of using the pager, I go hunt down who I want to talk to.

I am re-joining Curves this week! ( or maybe next week)

I get most of my exercise chasing down bad guys in Hagerstown.

I run about 15 miles a week. I prefer outside but will do treadmill, too, depending on weather.

I also strength train about twice a week, plus try and do one or two yoga/flexibility sessions each week.

To fill in the gaps I practice martial arts (not taking classes right now, but I still practice at home) and use the elliptical.

I like swimming, too, but I don't have a pool membership right now.

My favorite activity, though, is definitely running.

I work 80 hours a week. When I can free up time, I walk to the Tee Box, hit the ball, walk to the cart. Drive to the ball, walk to the ball, hit the ball, walk to the cart. I know this doesn't sound like much, but as many times as I have to hit the ball this adds up to a whole lot of walking.

Once a week I go 15 rounds with my favorite sparring partners.

I walk to the Goat alot to get coffee when I'm downtown.

I really need to start a rigorous exercise program. Wife says that July 4th is it, my Independence Day from smoking. Sooooooo, I have to start substituting something for it. I might as well get healthy. God I love her!!!!!!!!!!!

Watching the city council meeting tonight, it looks like Mayor Bob spends some time in the tanning booth.

I think he may just be awarded the George Hamilton Tanning Trophy for 2007.



...just kidding mayor! btw, it does look good... in a non-homosexual way of course...

Not that there's anything wrong with that...

I wish I could run. I used to but had to stop because of knee issues (after 15 years of wear and tear from classical ballet). So I walk several miles a week (not this week--it's been too hot!). I also have a whole slew of the Firm workouts on dvd--I like those because they combine cardio and weight training. And I round it out with kickboxing, workouts on the elliptical, and Pilates. Sometimes it's hard to get myself motivated, but I really do feel better when I work out regularly.

About five years ago, I signed up for an Adult Ballet Class at HCC and loved it. But, hip arthritis kicked in and had to quit.

Did you perform at all?

I did, just local stuff, and I performed in some dance productions in college. The bad knees were starting to get to me even then! My sister performed in the Washington Ballet for several years. She was eventually sidelined by joint injuries as well and now just teaches ballet and Pilates.

I'm sorry about your hip arthritis...that sucks.

After almost a year of a heavy running regimen, one of my knees is giving me problems. My online doctor, Dr. Google, M.D., suggests that it's "runner's knee", so I bought a special brace for it. We'll see.

Yeah, I had one doctor tell me I had "runner's knee" (although I know mine was exacerbated by torn ligaments from ballet injuries). I was supposed to avoid downhill running at all costs and any sort of bent knee exercises. Even with a brace, I was still having problems, so I gave up running completely. So far I've avoided arthroscopic surgery, but I'm afraid it's inevitable as I get older. I have found that the elliptical trainer is very easy on the joints and hasn't bothered my knee.

Dr. Google is wonderful!

glucosamine, my friends, glucosamine!

I've had bad knees since high school, but if I take my fat pills regularly, they don't bother me so much. Since I've been bad about not taking them lately, I really feel it after I get done biking on the canal. Oddly, hubby is just fine after riding, ever with recent recovery from torn miniscus and ACL surgery.

You sound like my real doctor pushing the glucosamine. He recommended the glucosamine/chondroitan (big price jump over straight glucosamine), which at the recommended dosage, was pricing out to $40-$50 for a month's supply at places like Target. My knee isn't that bad yet.

What really flared up my knee was that I started running stairs at places like the stadium at South High. A tremendous cardio/leg workout, but also tremedously stressful on the knees. Another part of my problems is that I hate to stretch and that's not a good thing to skip.

Until researching runner's knee, I had never realized how hard downhill running was on the knees. They suggest walking down hills (I wanna walk up hills!) or jogging down them in a zig zag pattern.

Wow, Dr. Google is awesome! All I did was tell him "my knee hurts" and I had all kinds of possible causes. Dr. Google is smart!

Bad, SMan. Bad!

Seriously... you gotta stretch.

That was always my favorite part...stretching. To hell with running, pull-ups and push-ups.

I could always kick the livin' hell outta stuff though.

I go up and down ladders all day at work. That's enough exercise for me.

Remarkably, I've lost 10lbs just from not sitting behind a desk all day any longer . But I've realized after having to pick my dad up off the floor that I do need to work out, lose more weight and strength train . So, I'm going to fulfill one of my goals of the past two years and get my certification in the Aquatics Exercise Program through the Arthritis Foundation, and I'm going to be teaching at our local health club that doesn't currently have a program like this at all (but they do have an indoor pool with very warm water!) I went by there to show them my paperwork and sold them on the program and I'm going to the training next month. And I'll have my Dad in the class too! The beauty of the program is that it isn't just for people with arthritis, it's for folks with limited mobility that might have a problem doing certain exercises on land, for instance if they've had back or knee surgery.

And I've got a treadmill now .