No it’s not just another piece of furniture I actually use it. During the spring, summer, and fall I get about 2 hours of biking in each day (weather permitting) during the winter months I try to match it inside.
I use the elliptical machine for awhile then weights and weight machines. I'm in the process of revamping my workout as the doctor told me not to lift any weight over my head or do any exercise that compresses my spine, as evidently it's wearing away.
I just ride my bicycle. Gyms and gym machines scare me edit: so yes, i get less exercise in winter (seems no issue)
I never got the concept of the gym. It's like getting in shape for the sake of getting in shape. I prefer to engage in activities. I surf, I swim, I kayak, I run. It's fun. I'm doing awesome things that just happen to get me in shape. But running on a treadmill while staring at the wall or a TV...I just don't get that.
The Cybex Arc Trainer. It's like an eliptical. I do this machine for about 27 minutes two times a day! I love it.
i know the exercise is good, but they seem like a crazy thing to spend money on. when i was living with base and them, he had one of those soloflex kind of things with the resistence leaf springs and weights. (i'd use it on the lightest settings when he wasn't around. its not something i like to do in front of around anyone. nor spend much of my time doing even when there isn't.)
^ i'll take that as a yes... not everyone lives in perpetual summer. you can only cross country ski a certain number of times before it becomes boring as shit. and that number is one.
Nah she's right. You've got the great outdoors right outside your door. Why anybody would want to enclose themselves in some funky cesspool of sweat, steroids and testosterone is beyond me.
LOL @ people making excuses for being fat and out of shape. Yes, some (ok, MANY) gyms attract douche bags and narcissistic, braindead types. This is why personal home gyms are where it's at if you have the means. Simply being outdoors and getting all your exercise from hiking, kayaking, etc. is not possible for people who have full-time jobs and live in climates where the weather is not always suitable for such things. Then again it seems like 90% of you equate going to a gym with getting on a stationary bike for 45 minutes. That isn't "working out," and it's certainly not going to make you fit. I rarely go the gym now that I have a power bench at home. I love it! Stop making excuses, y'all.
I mostly agree. I don't have the room for a weight bench, etc. and I don't get outside as much as I did in my younger years. I've done the backpacking, hiking, kayaking, mountain/road bike thing for years, but not as much now. And I used to have a bench and rowing machine in the old days. I go to a small private gym, the only gym in the area. The owner is nice and is there almost everyday. Yesterday we talked about motorcycles for a half an hour, he used to race them professionally. I go in the morning when there are only four or so regulars, all of them very friendly. And I have Silver Sneakers through my supplemental insurance so the gym is free for me. I find a regular routine outside of the house helps me stay motivated.
Perhaps you could do (seated on a bench) one-arm overhead dumbbell presses without compressing your spine too much, and alternate sides? And front dumbbell raises, also side and rear. Many years ago I was doing all those and made significant gains. Can I get there again? I don't know, as I'm 13 years older now. Lol I have an Inversion table too, you strap in and turn yourself upside down. Stretches the spine, though I've been told that since my stroke 9 years ago that it's not a good idea going upside down, putting more blood to my head. So, pfft...
I have mine in the basement, so it's private. No stinky cesspool, except mine...and I have a tv/dvr in front of the elliptical so it's not so boring. I can increase the uphill tilt and toughness of the belt, making me work harder. And no rain in there, or bitchy little neighbor's dogs to chase and bark at me constantly. My neighbor (a hairdresser) gave me an empty "permanent" bottle, she said fill it with ammonia and spray the dogs if they give me trouble...lmfao...I can't do that to someone's pet (unless it tried to bite me).
I don't think anyone is making excuses Back when I was my fittest I primarily got all my exercise through fun activities..I hiked 8 - 10 miles every weekend, walked or ran an hour every day, kayaked a couple of days a week, went swimming a lot. It is possible to be fit without ever doing a traditional workout Now I dont have the time to do all that on a regular basis, But Gyms still suck. Working out at home is where it's at and I dont think you really need any expensive equipment for it, just some free weights. Or no weights for that matter, not everyone wants to build bulk. If you use your own body weight you wont bulk up but you will be tone and lean
The thing is, women generally do not "bulk up" when they lift weights. At least not nearly to the extent men do without the aid of exogenous hormones. Many women think that if they lift, they're going to look like these grotesque female bodybuilders who pump themselves full of HGH and testosterone. While some women gain more mass than others, they usually come far from looking bulky unless they have some kind of hormonal imbalance -- naturally-occurring or otherwise. Even men don't get that really bulky look unless they're taking gear.
I grew up in New Hampshire. I was still active outdoors in the winter. Though, yes, I prefer downhill skiing. Nothing about cross country looks remotely fun.