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Originally Posted by Medusa
Seriously, anyone wanna talk about their exercise routine? Do you bike or walk? Lift weights? A combo of everything? What has gotten you the best results?
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For the past 1.5 years, I have kept up with averaging 4 hours per week minimum of exercise. That's my requirement for myself! I keep a calendar just for exercise, and I put a sticker for every 30 minutes of exercise. Thus if I have a week where I don't exercise at all, then I have to exercise over 4 hours until I get back to averaging 4 hours! It helps so much to have this system because I can't lie to myself!
I love exercising! I know a lot of people don't but as someone who has struggled with depression and anxiety, the endorphin rush and overall calmly energizing effect it has on me is not to be beat! If I have the time, I will exercise straight for three or four hours. It's not true that full-figured people can't rock the gym. It just takes time and practice.
I have a few favorite exercises. I love to use a recumbent bike and to lift 3 lb weights the whole time while I do it. For anyone who has knee problems (me) or is full-figured and is thus at risk for knee stress, a wonderful way to achieve a high heart rate is too lessen the level on the bike (thus putting less pressure on your knees) while lifting simultaneous with riding. I do this for 1 to 2 hours at a time (with a bottle of water at my side).
I love to swim and usually swim laps for an hour, sometimes two. It's fun to do after biking. I have had problems in the past with sinus infections and figured out all kinds of great ways to avoid them should anyone ever need to know. Swimming is very meditative and anonymous, and really nothing compares to it for me. It is the exercise that is least injurious to the body, particularly the knees.
I love to do thirty minute sessions on the floor where I do sit-ups and stretches. I do this after doing my cardio. It is very relaxing and the stretching helps prevent injuries.
Since I exercise at a gym, one of the most helpful things I've found is to spend a lot of time watching other people exercise. I always learn something new to try.
We do have a bike at home that BB uses but I like to exercise at the gym. I love having a clear separation from home, where I generally do my art, and the gym, where I work out. The gym feels like a church to me. I feel that it is my time to be in touch with my body and not think about all my worries. I also find that I eat better when going to the gym because I'm more in tune with my body.
Usually when I go on a binge or a period of insomnia, my eating and exercise go out the window together. That happens for about a week total every month (actually 6.5 days, as I've been tracking the average number of days per month for six months). If I could lessen these breakdowns, then I'd be able to go from maintaining my weight to losing weight. Sometimes I just get so stressed that I completely break down in an unhealthy way. Life is rough that way, but I'm gonna keep trying and not be too hard on myself either!