How do you exercise that's really fun?

[patitodehule]

For some of us, getting regular exercise is a real drudge. Having an ellipticycle in your basement can be great, but some of us just can't use it on a regular basis unless we find it fun.

It might be helpful if we had a discussion of really fun things that we can do that gives us good exercise.

I'll start with a couple of things. I pretty regularly take my grandson to the park after kindergarten. It's a quarter-mile walk to the park and another quarter mile to the play area. I often play "tag" with him or push him on the swing. We stay for about two hours and I've almost always had a good long workout by the time we leave. On some occasions, we ride the bike there (one mile) or even to the lake (seven miles). The latter is an all day event.

Today I took him to the zoo. I turned him loose and just tried to keep up with him. I believe that kid can actually run a 10-minute mile. We stayed five hours and I had to have a shower and nap when I got back.

These two things are great fun for me, and I build a good relationship with the brat. I hope to add some other little things I do to get a good workout and have a great time doing it.

Your turn now.

[Josselyn]

I take ballroom dancing lessons, and I sometimes compete. The lessons themselves keep me in motion about three hours per week...and then there's practice time, and that I can do - even without a partner. It's a pricey "hobby" but it's exercise that I really enjoy. A rare thing, that.

[Caravaggio]

I enjoy running a lot so I run regularly.

I also dance, snow ski, do yoga, exercise to an interesting exercise DVD, swim, do kick boxing, take long walks with or without my ipod, surf (learned to surf this summer with friends and my husband), skip ropes, etc. I also participate in group activities (other than eating and drinking). Of course, I don't do all of them regularly like 1x or 2x a week because I don't have the time. I do allot 30-60 min. of concentrated exercise on most weekdays and at least 1 day during the weekend.

I also walk everyday. I live in a city where people are not strapped to their cars and walking is a part of everyday life. We also have a very good public transport system, which encourages people to use the train or bus (and thus walk to and from the train station or bus stop) to where they need to be, instead of driving there.

[ODAR]

OK - I do bodypump 3 days a week as must and the other 3 days a week I walk / jog for 1 hr - to get a 6.5km distance.
On the weekends (as part of the 3rd day of walking) I also walk on Sunday - another 6ks) I then play badminton with my daughter and husband - we book the court on regular basis now and play for 2 hours on Saturday. We rotate every 1/2 hours so that each on person is playing against two - makes it interesting and I sure sweat a lot. Depending on the weather and it looks to be a ripper this weekend for Perth - I will take the bikes and kayaks out on Sunday. My youngest daughter loves to bike ride with me and we cycle the whole River front from South of the River to the city and back again while my hubby and other daughter canoe. We generally will meet halfway (Vic Park - if anyone is from Perth) grab a drink/ bite to eat and continue on. This could take about 2 - 4 hours depending on distance etc. If I am not too tired I will take the Kayak out for a little row before heading back home!:)

[xMenace]

I am playing hockey two nights a week: Saturday and Tuesday. I know I am out of shape, so I am adding two days of weight training on Thursday and hopefully Sunday.

Been slacking off lately, but I use photography as a form of exercise. I'm in a few groups and some of us go on lunchtime walks or weekend excursions. I have something planned Sunday morning which will involve significant walking.

Work around the house always keeps us somewhat busy. Veggie garden, flower gardens, mowing the half acre, stacking three cords of wood, and starting soon nearly daily shovelling of the driveway. Fun I tell ya!

[morrisma]

I have a nice road bike and I belong to a local Y. The road bike gets me moving on the weekends and the Y prevents the weather related 'cant ride' excuses from building into a big deal. I go to the Y in the mornings before work and I have an iPod with a huge variety of fun things to listen to: Car talk, Lake Wobegon, Selected Shorts, The History of Rome, stuff like that. I really look forward to getting back to the things on the iPod and that helps to keep me motivated.

It doesn't hurt that, by going in the morning, I rarely miss a day. And by going the same time everyday, I see a lot of the same people. They scowl at me when I am laughing at Car Talk as they cannot hear what's making me laugh and for most of them its too early to be so happy but most of the folks are friendly and that helps getting me there too.
Mike

[Bull]

I am a retired Powerlifter so I just got back into my old work outs!

[jkane13]

I don't have an elliptical, but I do have a health rider (original rider). I put it right in front of the TV and watch a 30 minute show that I enjoy. At first, my wife was unhappy about it being in the living room, but she is happy now because I actually use it every day. I can get so into the show, that I forget that I am exercising sometimes. The time goes by faster and it keeps me motivated to continue.

[MCS]

I prefer chasing my wife around the house naked, wish it was an every night event, ooh well

[jer.lawrence]

I prefer chasing my wife around the house naked, wish it was an every night event, ooh well

I enjoy it more once I've caught her.

:P

.. also, MY wife, not yours. I've never caught your wife. Just to clarify. :P

[Evermont]

http://www.powdertravel.com/picture/st_anton_snowboard_picture.jpg

[MCS]

She runs faster than me right now, so I tend to get quite a work out before I catch her. My wife that is not yours.:D


I enjoy it more once I've caught her.

:P

.. also, MY wife, not yours. I've never caught your wife. Just to clarify. :P

[patitodehule]

http://www.powdertravel.com/picture/st_anton_snowboard_picture.jpg

I love skiing myself, but mostly cross-country. I also like to get on my snowshoes and drag my grandson (or any other kid I can borrow) around one of the lakes in Minneapolis. I love to hear that ice groan as we get near some of the thinner spots. I haven't fallen through in about 20 years now, and that was a river, not a lake.

[Evermont]

I love skiing myself, but mostly cross-country. I also like to get on my snowshoes and drag my grandson (or any other kid I can borrow) around one of the lakes in Minneapolis. I love to hear that ice groan as we get near some of the thinner spots. I haven't fallen through in about 20 years now, and that was a river, not a lake.

I find myself often in a quite wood - alone on a cold winter day - warm enough myself, and surrounded with the frozen quiet of a sparkling forest landscape. The sun bouncing madly from branch to stream to distant shimmer of icy rock. The smell of frozen water and crispy fresh air lighting up the inner airways. The flitter of a black capped chickadee nearby. The taste of a well crafted icicle, and the satisfaction of being where you just know you are meant to be.

It's hard not to burn calories along the way. That seems like the best kind of exercise - done in pursuit of something besides just burning calories.

[Ekim Savid]

I just do bodyweight excercises, or I run. No machines. I have lost 30 lbs in about 6 months.

My favorite is to take a deck of cards and assign each suite a different excercise. Shuffle the cards and begin turning them over one by one. Do the excercise corresponding to the suite for the number of reps relating to the number of the card.
It makes it fun and interesting. You don't know what excercise will come next.

[NZCT]

Sports, the more challenging the better. I personally enjoy airsoft and paintball, Unfortunatly I don't get to do it anywhere near as much as I'd like. If you go into the role playing games you can end up carrying a lot of heavy **** which gives you a good work out.

IPSC, lots of short quick sprints.

And for regular excercise. I like to listen to really fast beaty music when running or doing weights. I think the key to a good work out is good music you enjoy. If your stuck listening to music you dont enjoy at the gym your not going to want to stay at the gym and work out!

[Bull]

I suck it up and lift Buicks! ;) :D

I started jogging again I do a mile or 2 a day.

I come from the "muscle eats cals so more muscle the better" class.:)

[Ronin]

Bob, et al.,

I won't regail everyone with my tales of bicycling (that is already in another thread), but I will comment on what makes "exercise" work -- it has to be something you enjoy.

Reading through the responses that is the one theme that repeats consistently. Doing something that you really like to do results in your doing it more often and thereby reaping the benefits.

The bottom line is that there is no single magic program or machine that works for everyone. For me it is a bicycle (more often the tandem bicycle) for others it is a walk, a run, an evening of ballroom dancing, et cetera.

[patitodehule]

I like to keep it fun and I like to keep it varied.

Skating one day, biking another, and just walking yet another. I absolutely loved doing things with my kids, and now with my grandson. Going to the park with him every day (whether we walk or ride a bike) can get me a good two-hour workout. But we go to different parks and do different things while there. :)

[CarrieJett]

I love exercise, but I notice there are some things that make me do it, even when I don't feel like it:

I don't have a car. I spend probably an hour a day going from place to place by bike!

This year I started dance classes, and once you get going, you have to show up or fall behind! Also, learning a new skill makes it more interesting. And I swear, ballet uses muscles that I didn't know existed. I feel taller!

In the past, I have been on a Rec league sport team. Everyone is counting on you, so you have to show up.

[armandito]

Swimming...

I also play with my kids, and have volunteered to coach them in sports... soccer, baseball, football, anything.