I do a brisk walk in the mornings (well, most mornings...) that warms me up and gets the blood flowing. If I don't, I really "plump up" so to speak. I don't like running or jogging because it is so hard on the body, especially, as you all have pointed out, on the knees. Swimming is also great exercise and doesn't stress out your joints, but it can be difficult to find a place to swim on a regular basis. Several times a week, I also have workout videos with aerobics.
Roz
FarSeer, that is good stuff! Walking at a fast paced is great for all round toning and if you want some zest in it try doing it uphill as steep as you can find and handle, you won't believe the impact it has on your all round condition. The other best exercise part about walking in this manner is you do not need any special equipment, appointments or trainers, you simply put on a good pair of sneakers and start walking. Each day you can increase the amount of time from start to finish or time yourself to reach the finish faster.
Offtopic but, Unfortunate for me Buenos Aires is entirely flat |
By far, my favorite exercise is jogging. In my old age, (48) I'm beginning to have troubles with legs, knees etc. so I have cut back. I've started alternating jogging and cycling since they work different muscle groups and gives my knees a break.
I have mixed feelings about running. On the one hand, it does feel really good, but on the other if I dont' do it consistently I get out of shape and it feels awful! Lately I have been walking, mostly because I am pregnant and not supposed to get overheated, and I do enjoy it. Particularly to be out in the open air and be able to enjoy the scenery. You can do that while running too, but it is harder for me to enjoy because I am working harder. It is better for your knees, etc. to run on a track or machine, but I don't like going in circles or staying in one place while running.
As an accent to walking, I also enjoy Pilates. it is strengthening, stretching, and muscle toning, and I can do the DVD in my own living room! Talk about no excuses there...
Walking and in the times I can get in a pool swimming and then walking in the water. This is very easy to get a good workout. I also walk into and from work daily. It is about a half mile walk each way. This give me a nice warm up walk for work and to end my shift at work. I am thinking of getting up in the mornings and walking more.
I bought a exercise cd and would recommend it to anyone it isolates muscles and is low impact but hard to do. It is called ChicoMetrics or something like that. I have a hard time even finishing it. Give it a try.
I have to target my fat zone to get it to reduce. Ie tummy so it is sit ups and push ups as well as back exercised 15 minutes a day will do it. I had best cardio result when I was doing karate. I do not understand why but I think it has to do with focusing on breathing when exercising.
I prefer inline skating and cross country skiing, depending on the season. I find with either one I can sustain a training level heart rate for much longer periods of time than running/jogging, and both a very low impact so very easy on the joints and spine.