Saturday, June 15, 2013

Physical Exercise


It is vitally important to stay in shape.  We need to move our  bodies to maintain our health.  Plus, fitness feels good and gives you more energy to tackle the day.

This is especially true as we age.  Our bodies naturally atrophy unless we use them.  I make exercise a priority in my life 'cause I want to be around to read your blogs when you are old ladies.

I've learned two tricks about exercise.  First, it has to be incorporated into your life so you'll do it regularly.  Second, it has to be fun.  Nobody wants to face drudgery and a plan without enthusiasm dies a quick death.

I walk.  And walk.  And walk.  Everywhere, all the time.  I look for excuses to move my body, like hiking to the post office a half-mile from my office.  I go there 2-3 times a day.  I walk up stairs when given the choice of them or an escalator.  It's an easy way to include physical movement into my life without a big fuss.  The easier something is, the more likely you'll do it.

New York City just instituted a cool bike-share program with thousands of pretty blue bicycles available at very low cost.  You can take unlimited rides (up to 45 minutes each) for $95 a year or pay less for a week- ($25) or day-pass ($10).  There are 600 locations where you can grab a bike and more will be added soon.  It's a terrific idea that has worked marvelously in other cities.

Walking outdoors, bicycling outdoors, hiking, etc. are fun ways to get exercise while focusing on something other than the wall in front of a machine.

Do you exercise?  What do you do?

26 comments:

  1. Since I've retired, DH and I have taken up walking ourselves, doing 5-6 mile walks several times a week. I suspect that adding yoga will be a good move in the future.

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  2. Sounds like an awesome experience. I walk a lot, even more now that I work. I dance, too. I'm not an exercise junkie, but I do enjoy walking.

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  3. I love walking too. Especially in cities that I don't know that well. I'm also really enjoying going to the gym 4 times and week and I love to shake my bum around in Zumba. That's fun!

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  4. I'm completely an exercise junky. I'm slowly making the hubster come around to be one too, so my exercise routine is currently changing. I used to hit the gym 4 lunch hours a week, plus do a run 2-3 times a week. Now, we alternate running and strength training every week day at 6 am, and do a Sunday morning run, as well. I've been having lunch meetings lately, so I haven't been hitting the gym, so I'm not sure if the 6 am workouts will have to step it up to fulfill my exercise cravings or whether I'll still have my gym time at lunch as well. Lately, I'm loving the tabata style work outs, so I'll likely be doing two work outs a day, until Scott gets to the point where he can keep up with me. Then I might be able to cut back to one!

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  5. I do not like exercise at all, AT ALL, so when I'm writing I have this mix I listen to. It changes, but I made sure that one song stays the same and the rule with this song is no matter what I'm doing (writing, sewing, cooking) if THIS SONG comes on I have to (stop what I'm doing and-) dance through the whole song. BTW it's Footloose.

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    1. Dance is movement! And movement = exercise.

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  6. I walk a lot too but I always feel I should do more... too many excuses and none of them really valid! I love cycling too but motorists can be very intolerant of cyclists and vice versa here so its kinda dangerous!

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  7. Oh yeah baby I exercise and LOVE IT!! I love those bike programs, they have them in various canadian cities as well like Montreal and Toronto- I've taken some fun photos of some of the bikes when I was there. And I totally agree, exercise needs to be second nature and fun-something you look forward to because it makes you feel (and look) good :)
    J

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  8. you are all a healthy lot! I did yoga a couple of weeks ago and pulled something, and have rested extensively since - I don't mean to be glib, I know I don't exercise nearly enough, you are so right about incorporating it into our personal lives and making it fun - yoga is my go to - we are like old lovers, we meet sometimes, have fun for a while and it ends until I am enticed again x

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  9. I think I've developed an allergy to exercise! Seriously there are a few women at work who do sports type things, one plays hockey and is always coming in with injuries and bruises.
    Another paddles in a dragonboat, I actually had a go at that and it's fun .. but sheesh you need some serious energy to do it!
    Yet another is a fitness junkie in the worst way, she really turned me off excercise when she fractured her shin and didn't even realise it for about two weeks .. the girl is obsessed.

    I think I'll just continue with my leisurely stolls by the river with the dog for now :)

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  10. I used dance professionally and then I owned Pilates studio so I'm a huge fan of that 'type' of exercise but the way I see it is whatever works for you and you love the do it!
    xo
    styleontheside.com

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  11. I mean, I love it but while I get most of it with the boys I don't have time to organized exercise at this point in the game ;)
    Xo, Megan, www.TfDiaries.com

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  12. I agree with you on the importance of exercising ! I usually go to the gym but lately I admit I've been a little bit lazy and skipped a few lessons, anyway just like you I love to walk ! I try to walk as often as I can ! I used to go dancing a lot, I took dance classes for years (latin dance) and I miss that period of my life ! Hugs

    Fashion and Cookies
    Fashion and Cookies on Facebook

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  13. I've been a bit slack in the exercise department in recent times. But I definitely want to get back into it. When I was a child and teenager my whole life was sport, to the extent that I love fashion now. I adore tennis and I like running. I got back into running briefly last year. The motivation of improving my times and distances was what I loved too. I think the bike sharing idea is fantastic.?we don't have it here yet but I did visit a city which has the program and instantly thought it was genius. Keep up the good work . I really admire you for that.

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  14. I think living in a city definitely helps! I mainly do Pilates and sometimes kick-boxing class, which is fun. I'm not mellow enough for yoga much anymore, haha. Although, I occasionally get in a Bikram yoga class. :)

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  15. we have the bike thing in toronto too. im not a very good exerciser though. im a bit lazy :S

    Isabel @ Walk of Fashion

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  16. I walk a lot too, I need to ride my bike more. I like this bike share idea, we had those at OU, but because they were donated & kinda crappy they were free.

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  17. Like you, I prefer to walk. Walking is not easy in the city I live. Sidewalks are non existent or broken or with sewage water. But, i try to make an effort.

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  18. I was lucky to get into a sport I enjoyed over a decade ago. I never was encouraged or put into anything physical as a child, so I started my first sport when I was 19. :D

    Now I realize as a very nervous person, regular exercise does me a world of good, and I have been at it for so long that it's easier not to procrastinate now. (:

    I think a tricky bit is finding the type of movement that suits you and the type of social environment (group, solitary, team, class) that motivates you best.

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  19. Before the sucktaciousness of Fibromyalgia struck...I
    loved to bicycle and walk. Now I walk when I'm up to it and do Tai-chi stretches (Yoga got me into positions that were just too painful)

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  20. that's a great bike program. i used to do everything! was a gym rat at one point, hiked, paddled, surfed, walked. i try to walk wherever and whenever i can, too. i park my car at the far end of parking lots and walk, take stairs. i love to hike, and i try to get on the treadmill regularly after the mins are asleep.

    rockoomph.blogspot.com
    Jewelry GIVEAWAY

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  21. I suck at exercise. I only walk back from work everyday. 45 minutes per day isn't much really, I'm just so lazy

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  22. I think the bike share is a great idea! But I've come across a lot of people complaining about it. I think they dislike the amount of room they take up. Personally, I'd rather people get more fit/ have more options through bike access than a few bicyclists having to lock their bikes a few more doors down.

    As for exercise, I tend to walk around 3 miles - 3.5 miles with my dog daily. But I've been making plans to return to dance the second it's feasible.

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  23. I love walking but unfortunately cannot do it on my own and as my hubby gets home from work much later now it has caused a problem with that. I am thinking of going to our local mall and doing some power walking there ... of course without looking in the shops!!!!

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  24. I work out in an odd way. In fact mostly I do it with my dogs. Running, jumping etc. everyday mostly

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