Exercise Ideas
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Exercise Ideas
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Yoga
One of my favorite forms of exercise is yoga. It's very healing to the body
while providing a workout for the muscles. It encourages deep breathing
which is missing from our Western way of life. Yoga can be
 difficult
at first but it becomes rewarding when you keep at it for a while.
Personally, I am not naturally a very flexible person, but I become much
more flexible than I would be otherwise when I practice yoga regularly.
One of the great
things about yoga is that it can be practiced by people of all levels of
flexibility. Many activities make this kind of claim, but it's true for
yoga. If you have tight muscles, all that means is that you don't have to go
as far before you get to your edge. Bendy people have to fold or bend
themselves a lot farther to get to a stretch. Neither way is better or
worse.
If you want to try yoga at home,
Yoga Today offers one free class per
week. You can subscribe to get unlimited viewing of all their yoga classes
for less than $10/month, or subscribe for a year at a discount. Enter the
Ambassador ID "skinnypig" when you subscribe. I've been using
Yoga Today for years and I really
love it.
There is also a plethora of
yoga DVDs that can be done at home.
Pilates
Pilates is a form of exercise that is
credited to Joseph Pilates, an athlete who migrated to the United States
from Germany. Pilates focuses on strengthening the core muscles
 through
various exercises that are tied to the breath. It can be done with or without
props or Pilates machines.
It has become very popular in the US over
the past few years, being promoted as a way to achieve a dancer's body with
long, lean muscles. Whether or not that happens, it certainly strengthens
the core and lower body muscles. I have noticed a significant increase in my
strength during times that I've practiced Pilates on a regular basis.
Pilates is another form of exercise that
can be done in a group, such as at the gym, or by yourself at home. There
are many DVDs available as well as
the online classes at
My Yoga Online.
Kickboxing
Kickboxing is another one of my favorites. Over the years
I've owned lots of different kickboxing workout DVDs. I started with Tae Bo
because it was popular at the time and went from there. I like it because
it's not anywhere near as dull as aerobics and something about it just suits
my personality.
There are also kickboxing classes that
are held in gyms or community centers. If you are a member of gym and your
gym offers them, I highly recommend giving it a try. It feels empowering to
learn to kick and punch, even if it's just for a workout. At the very least,
it's a lot more engaging than climbing endless stairs.
Martial Arts
 There
is a lot that can be said for participating in a martial art. I was involved
in one for two years and I got a lot out of it. I developed a lot of
strength and balance, made new friends, gained self confidence, and learned
self-defense skills while getting a very good workout. Passing promotion
tests brings a sense of accomplishment, and participating in tournaments is
an interesting experience.
Martial arts can be practiced by people
of any age, and it's a great family activity. I recommend researching the
different styles before deciding on one for yourself. Each style is quite
different and your particular body type might be better suited for some and
less suited for others. It's also important to find a dojo or studio where
you feel comfortable, with an instructor that you like. Searching Google
should give you an idea of schools in your area. Most will invite you to
come watch a class so that you can get an idea of how the school operates.
Bike Riding
Biking/cycling can be a fun and
invigorating way to get your exercise. You get to be outside zooming around.
You can do it with the family, with friends, or easily by yourself.
 One
summer I worked up to doing three 20-mile rides per week. It might sound
like a lot, but you can cover a lot of ground on a bike, and I don't even go
very fast compared to other people. As with anything, start with what you
can do and work up from there.
One issue people have is the question of
where to ride. I live in a city that is very bike-friendly so it's easy to
find routes that are safe. All you have to do is ride on side streets and
avoid the main streets that have heavy car traffic.
There are also many bike paths around, if
you look for them. Your city/town might have a map available. here is also
the option of biking on trails instead. Make sure to find out what type of
trails are around - what kind of hills they have, for example.
Different bikes are built for different
terrain. Whether you already have a bike or are going to buy one, do a
little research to find out what kind you need. The main categories are
road, hybrid, and mountain. Road bikes tend to have thinner frames and
tires, and mountain bikes have the thick bumpy tires for traction. It's also
a good idea to have a bike pump and other gear around, which can be gotten
pretty inexpensively.
Walking
Walking is one of the simplest forms of
exercise that you can do. I like that it requires no equipment, it can be
done almost anywhere and at any time (except perhaps scary areas in the
dark, but you know what I mean), and it gets you outside.
Since I got a dog I've done more walking
than I've ever done in my life. We go on walks around the neighborhood or in
parks, from 30-60 minutes, sometimes with hills. I feel very in tune with
the
 weather
nowadays.
Walking does require a small amount of
gear. You'll need some comfortable and supportive shoes. (I love
Keens - and now
that I've looked at that website I want new a new pair.) You also might want
a light rain jacket for sprinkly days, or other similar articles of
clothing.
Hiking
 If you are one with the mountains, you
can always do your walking uphill through the forest, and call it hiking. I
have to admit that I don't enjoy hiking all that much. Walking
uphill for a long time just doesn't appeal to me. However, a lot of people
love it, and you might be one of those people. If so, then by all means,
hike yourself up some mountains.
Recommendations: wear good footgear,
bring water and snacks, and also bring some emergency items with you such as
a lighter or matches, a cell phone, a knife and preferably a friend. Since
this is an activity that I don't really like, I don't do it much or I
complain a lot about it when I do, and therefore I don't have a lot of
experience to relate to you here :)
Running
The next step up: if walking is too slow
for you, you might try running. Simple idea, that. Again, this is not my cup
of tea. I have tried it, though. When I first started out, I found a program
on the Cool Running website called the
Couch 2 5K. It gives you a run/walk program to follow that takes you
from being a couch potato to running a 5K. For me, it was very useful to
have a schedule to follow with specific recommendations for each week.
There are also many similar programs
around the internet for more advanced runners. And, of course, if you're not
interested in a schedule, you can simply run for as long as you can. Then,
walk until you catch your breath. Then, run some more. People seem to
improve with running quickly, which is rewarding and good motivation to keep
at it.
It is highly important to have proper
running shoes. It's always recommended to get a shoe fitting at a running
store because the shape of your foot affects your stride, and there are
shoes made for each type of foot shape. If you buy the wrong kind you could
do yourself some damage, and if you buy the right kind you can help yourself
out a lot.
Swimming
 Swimming
is often described as a full body workout. It is, of course, but that
doesn't mean that other methods of exercise are not fully body. In any case,
yes, it's a great workout, and one especially suited for those who don't
like to sweat.
You can swim laps, you can do water
aerobics, you can take classes to learn different strokes, and you could
contemplate taking up synchronized swimming.
One hurdle: finding a pool to use. A lot
of gyms have them, perhaps community centers, or maybe your school. Another
option is swimming in lakes or rivers, but that's usually limited to the
summer.
Traditional Sports
Not to be forgotten are the
good-old-fashioned sports. Some years ago I went with a friend to some local
volleyball pick-up games. We went once a week for a few months, and it was
pretty fun. I only had limited
 experience
with volleyball, mostly from school PE class. The games were held in a
school gym in the evenings, and were attended by a variety of people - all
different ages and athletic abilities.
Looking around the internet, maybe
craigslist in particular, should
allow you to find some games in your area. You can also join leagues if
there are any running near you, for things like basketball or
baseball/softball.. Besides that, you could try to get some friends and
family members interested. Even playing basketball in your driveway is a
great way to get some exercise.
Tennis is great because there are courts
that you can use in a lot of parks. Even some apartment complexes have them
available for tenants. You don't have to be good at it - you just have to
try.
There are also other sporty activities
that you could try, like rollerblading, wakeboarding, and ice skating.
Skiing and Snowboarding
I will admit here that I have never been
skiing or snowboarding. I've never been all that interested in activities
that involve the snow (cold and wet), and it seems like it requires a
massive amount of gear. But, I do know that lots of people love it, and I
have no doubt that it provides a lot of exercise, as long as you're out on
the slopes instead of inside drinking hot chocolate.
From what I imagine, it seems like it
would require a lot of core strength to balance, and going down the hill
must create some cardio action.
Maybe I'll try it one of those days, and
report back.
Oh wait I remember ... I did some skiing
on the Wii Fit.
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