Posted on 01/16/2004 10:40:00 AM PST by 4mycountry
Howdy all! I need some help from my fellow FReepers. I'd like to start on some kind of daily exercise "program" (for lack of a better word). I was wondering what kind of things y'all woud recommend. Please note that, though I live on a large piece of property, my house is small; thus, I can't have big bulky exercise equipment around. My goals are to (a) lose some weight and (b) get into shape. Note, I'm not looking for a DIET. Thanks!
I'm pinging the resident evangelist on that topic.
Can't have A & B without controlling your intake and that's just a fact of life.
IF you want to lose weight, you must burn more calories -- in some way -- than you're taking in via food.
The "scientific" way to do this is to do something aerobic, then, controlling the quality & quality of what you're going to eat.
There's a thousand fad diets, "plans" & schemes and most will fail in the long run, resulting in a return of the weight.
There's no magic here.
Routine excersize (of your choice) for at least 30 minutes 3 days a week combined with a sensible diet is all that's needed.
...it's really that simple.
Best of luck to you.
1. The best piece of exercise equipment is your mind. Getting in shape is at least 95% mental -- it's painful, and for a long time you've got to make yourself do it.
2. Get a good pair of shoes and start walking or running. It helps if you can do this with a friend at least once a week.
3. Get a bike and ride it.
4. You don't need fancy exercise equipment. You can do as much with surgical tubing (35 cents/foot) as you can with a $2000 machine.
5. Join a recreational sports team.
6. If you have a dog, walk it daily. If you don't have a dog, get one.
7. If you have small children, use them for weightlifting.
8. Set a goal. Sign up for a run or walk or hike that takes place 6 months from now.
Note that none of these (except maybe the dog) require much more than a willingness to do it.
Landscaping. Move rocks, dirt, plants, trees. Outside work is tough and rewarding.
For Daily: Navy SEAL Workout
1. If you're interested in losing weight and/or getting in shape, an exercise program is actually #2 on your list of things you need to do. The #1 item on this list should be to give yourself 8 hours of sleep every night. Maybe your body will wake up on its own after only six or seven -- but block out eight hours every night.
2. If you are going to start a regular exercise program, do it early in the morning. This will efectively raise your metabolism for the entire day, and you will feel better/stronger/healthier throughout the day as a result.
3. Don't do an "exercise program" just for the sake of doing an exercise program to lose weight, get in shape, etc. Instead, do an exercise program that is part of something else -- like playing sports or something like that. I find it much easier to stick with a program like this if it is being used to support something else.
4. If you are willing and able, and have the facilities nearby (a park with a nice long, smooth bike path will do the trick), there is no better exercise than in-line skating. It's nearly as effective as running, with far less pounding on the knees and ankles. For this reason, orthopedists will often recommend it to their patients as part of a rehabilitation program.
1) To lose weight, it is nonsense that "30 minutes a day" will do it. It is purely a matter of calories in/calories out.
2) That said, we bought a treadmill several years ago, in lieu of my often having to go to a "class" (my wife, of course, still teaches, so she gets a great deal of exercise there). I find that 90 minutes gets me about 7 miles, and, if you believe the caloric meter on the treadmill, about 1000 calories at elevation 6-7. I highly recommend this. I personally like to get a recent movie from Hollywood, and watch it beginning to end. I do this 3x a week.
3) If you are really motivated, you can purchase an aerobic "step" and get step aerobic music on-line, put on some headphones, and do about an hour, 3 times a week.
This is just me, personally, but without changing my diet, it takes me about an additional 1,000 calories every other day to even begin to lose weight (my wife is also a very good cook).
Not making excuses for you in advance, but it is also important to do SOME weight work/resistance training. You need this, male or female, because after age 50 you lost 5% of your muscle mass per year, and the more you have to start, the more you can afford to lose. You want to be able to get out of your chair when you are 75! Well, this takes time away from aerobic training, and time is, after all, limited.
People will say, "bike or walk outside." Yes, that does work, but it has very low returns, because unless you are biking UPHILL, you burn far fewer cals per hour than you do on a stairmaster/treadmill at some angle/resistance. Aerobic classes are good because they do go for a full hour and other people help motivate you.
Regardless of what you choose, remember . . .
you burn more fat when you exercise larger muscle groups (legs, back, vs. arms); within reason, the faster you go, the more you burn; and when you move your body through space, as opposed to exercising in place, you also tend to get slightly more resistance.
If you want any evidence on any of these principles, go to the University of N.M. website and look up Prof. Len Krevitz, who SUMMARIZES all of the studies as well as anyone can. He had a great lecture called the "Journey of a Fat Cell." Hope this helps. I think, ultimately, no amount of (reasonable) exercise can work without dietary changes.
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