What do you do to stay in shape?

[t140568]

I work a physically demanding job and for the most part, this keeps me in shape. However, I've recently started running on the treadmill. Eager to get started, I ran barefoot and now I run in these: Vibram Five Fingers Sprints.

So, do you run, walk, bike, lift weights, or just consider "round" as a shape and call it a day?

[A31]

Well, I got a new bike for Christmas and I have already covered 32 miles!! I had a bike from 2006 to 2009 and in it's life it clocked 380 miles!! I am sure it will cover many more miles as I have now sold it to a new owner...

So yes, I cycle!! Just around Norwich and Wymondham.
Also my High School is very big and I have a heavy bag with books etc in it (thank god the A31 isn't in there as well!!!) so does this count as weight lifting and walking?

[rek]

I cycle too, fitting it into the day by riding to work and back (~30km each way), between 2 and 4 times a week. Fortunately there is a biking track that starts almost outside my front door, and follows the river all the way into the inner city.. so there is virtually zero hassle with roads, traffic, etc. A great way to start the day, and relax after work

I've been commuting to work for about 8 years now - for a few years during that time I lived much closer to the city, so the ride was only 10km or so... even doing this almost every day, I put on a surprising amount of weight, since my body had been used to riding so much more.

[A31]

Well, I went out on my bike (now up to 42 miles since new!!) and discovered that the computer shop in town are offering low price laptop carry cases, so in a bit I'll go an buy one I think! I don't have a carry case for my A31, the previous owner kept the case for his new laptop.

[goofyGAguy]

just consider "round" as a shape and call it a day?

[qviri]

I drive to the gym.

</s>

[BillMorrow]

. . . .
and now I run in these: Vibram Five Fingers Sprints.

So, do you run, walk, bike, lift weights, or just consider "round" as a shape and call it a day?

not wishing to wear out my knee joints i do not run, i just get up from my chair and do light work around the house..

i guess genes and bad habits play a major role in one's health so never having succumbed to the bad habits presented in life and having a good foundation my "shape" is tallish and about 150#..
i do some light stretching while doing other jobs around the house..
AND i can now do up to SEVEN classic push-ups in one set..

i like those VIBRAM shoes but what kind of socks do you wear with them..?
what kind of foot protection do they provide..?
how is the fit..?
and, most importantly, do they provide "cushioning" when you run..?

[A31]

I drive to the gym.

[ArtShapiro]

Cyclist here. 104 miles on Saturday, an easy 35 on Sunday. Nothing helps - getting old sucks.

Art

[ajkula66]

Absolutely nothing...

[dsvochak]

I believe that the Good Lord gave us a finite number of heartbeats and I'm [censored] if I'm going to use up mine running up and down a street. ~Neil Armstrong on jogging, in an interview with Walter Cronkite

[craigmontHunter]

I need to get in shape since I am applying for RMC (Royal Military College), and you need to be able to finish basic training, so I am working on that.

Untill now, My primary source of exersise has been with my jaw, eating anything and everything (and more)

Jack

[t140568]

i like those VIBRAM shoes but what kind of socks do you wear with them..?
what kind of foot protection do they provide..?
how is the fit..?
and, most importantly, do they provide "cushioning" when you run..?

Personally, I don't wear socks with them - I just wash them every once in awhile to keep the odor to a minimum. However, you can wear these toe socks or others. The shoes fit snugly, but not tight. Quite comfortable, though I should have gone a size larger. Protection: there's a rubber base to protect against things like glass or sharp stones and sticks, other than that, they only cover what you see in the picture with a thicker nylon-like material. As for cushioning: It's considered "minimalist running" which provides only a little more protection than barefoot running. The idea is to run with a mid-to-forefoot strike with your heels only lightly tapping the ground instead of a typical heel-strike. This allows you to use your calves and legs for the cushioning - as they were intended for.

This video on youtube/barefootted.com describes what I mean much better: http://barefootted.com/2009/03/why-run-barefoot.html

[killer]

Rather like Bill Morrow, I wish to keep my knee joints active and not destroy them by running. Cycling is good exercise except on busy or icy roads, both of which can cause nasty results. Walking and gardening are also good for exercising the muscles. The other things I do are golf and skiing ... but not at the same time.

When I was 21 my waist size was 30" (76cm). Today, at 60, it is the same size. That is probably due to maintaining a careful diet; skimmed milk, wholemeal bread without butter or any other spread on it, lean meat, oily fish, garden vegetables, watercress, real ale, and fine wine. My main sources of fat are lots of top quality olive oil, and small portions of cheese made from unpasteurised milk.

Recommendation: Do what you enjoy and eat what you like ... in moderation.

[ThinkRob]

I eat fewer/as many calories than I burn. Simple, yet people never seem to believe me when I say that's all you have to do to lose weight and stay trim.

I've got a spreadsheet that tracks my weight, expenditure through exercise, and intake (three factors: calories, fat, protein) and calculates my performance relative to both BMR and total expenditure. It takes less than 5 minutes per day, and it's totally worth it.

If you decide to track your diet like that, the secret is brutal honesty and over-estimation: log *every single thing* that you eat/drink (even if you think "oh, that's not nothing") and to slightly over-estimate portion sizes (thereby giving you a margin of error in the "right" direction.)

As for exercise, I play squash (cardio), walk everywhere, and do some sort of muscle-building exercise every day (pushups, pull-ups, dips, lifting, etc.) I'm very casual about my calisthenics/lifting though -- what I do depends entirely on what muscles are sore and what's convenient, but I make sure that I do *something* every day.

[killer]

I have a spreadsheet as well, but not on my PC. It is called my trousers and if I can still fit in them then all is well.

[rek]

I have a spreadsheet as well, but not on my PC. It is called my trousers and if I can still fit in them then all is well.

I believe that's what they call a "go-no go" gauge

[beGi]

Walking, cross country mountain-biking, swimming and diving/spearfishing, fishing...unfortunately, most of that is out during the hardest winter... , so winter equals fat deposit and no training for me (but I guess that is the purpose of winter, isn't it?)

Training confined to one place/room is not good enough for me, i get bored pretty quickly...

But don't be fooled, I reverse all that effort by smoking, drinking, eating almost every food imaginable with no respect to time of day (and I'm 186cm/83kg, so i guess training does me good)...