Who actually exercises, and how?

[JediMAC]

Alright, this may be a rather lame question for some of you younger folk, but for those of us getting a little "long in the tooth," it's a fairly important issue...

So do you guys "exercise" at all, and if so, what do you do?

As for me, much of my life growing up (until I hit about 28), revolved around sports.  I played a lot of basketball, beach volleyball, soccer, baseball, etc., so sports was just always a part of my life.  Not to mention that I did a lot of hiking and running and was out dancing (strenuously) several nights a week throughout my 9 years in college (yes, I said 9).  As a result, I never had a need to "find time" to exercise - it was just built into my regular lifestyle and I was therefore always in excellent shape.

But then came the real world...  I finally had to "grow up" and get one of those damned full time jobs in order to hang on to my lady, and well...now I sit in front of a computer almost all day long at my auditing job, and as a result, all those physical activities I used to be heavily involved in are now virtually nil.  I'm 5'11" and was a perfect 165 back in my "playing days", but with the last several years of stagnating and complacent lifestyle, I've ballooned up to a rather large, and definitely overweight, 190 (it's all in the belly).  I'm beginning to look a bit like my father-in-law, and he rather resembles Santa Clause, so that's not such a good thing...

Basically, I need to get my butt back in at least decent shape, but just don't have much time to devote to exercising (which is what it's now called at my ripe old age of 32   ).  I've tried to cut back on the fast food and beers, and have hit the water pretty hard rather than those sodas always calling to me at the office, but it's clearly evident to me that things aren't gonna change until I add some exercise into the mix.

My wife and I do still get in the occassional tennis match, round of golf, or 1 on 1 on the hoops court, but it's only once a month or so.  I'm too lazy to hit the gym (which is a mere 500 feet across the street from my office, and partially owned by Magic Johnson BTW  )  My Mom even gave me her old NordikTrak for the house, but I haven't unboxed it and put it all back together.  We don't have any kids to chase around the house either, but we do partake in that "other" form of husband/wife exercise on occasion...

My body's breakin' down on me and I need to get it in gear or I'll be toast before I hit 40!  So what do you guys do?  Any quick and beneficial exercise tips?  Better pay attention here to the rest of you also fighting the battle of the bulge, and I ain't talking about looking at those Shania pictures!  

DSJ, Morgbug, MPL...?  You guys might be the only ones older than me 'round here...  What's your game plan?

Help me health nuts, you're my only hope...

- Fat Matt

[MisterPL]

Embrace the fat.

(Kidding.)

When I was a senior in high school, way back in the 1900's, I bulked up to a remarkable 130 lbs. Then I graduated and immediately contracted mono, along with ascending paralysis (temporarily, thank God). In the process I lost 18 lbs and was back to being skinny as a rail.

Every ounce I put on after that was flab. The freshmen fifteen, the deskjob twenty, very little of it was muscle again. Add to that a leg break (thanks to my pooch) two years ago and you've got a relatively pudgy PL.

I gave up some fast food for Lent for the first time ever just to see if I could do it. I'm not really missing it. On top of a slightly modified diet, I'm walking every morning and evening with the dog (leg-breaking son of a...). Next is to get back into a simple regimen of post-walk morning exercise and I'll be replacing Tobey McGuire as Spider-Man in no time.  

[Reconsgt]

I learned the value of working out when I was in the military. Now for my real job I am in product development at a vitamin and supplement manufacturing business. A lot of the reaserh I do involves what your body needs, and while we need vitamins of somesort exercise is a big player in over all health. So with that I am lucky that I get my vities and stuff for free, but also a plus to work here is they put up a work out center for the employees and their families to use free. My work out mainly consits of natalus machines here at work and free weights at home. I also bike alot with the wife in the summer. Other things I have learned through the years is as I get older the longer it takes my body to recover if I abuse it to much, those hangovers seem to last 2 days now  

 Anyway, I am not a health food junky but I do supplement my diet with a good multi vitaim and a few other things like Glucosamine sulfate and MSM, green tea or grape seed as an antioxidant and thats pretty much it. I work out 3-4 days a week to varying degrees, from 30 minutes to an hour and a half depending on what groups of muscles I am working on.

[DSJ™]

I mostly get my exercise by Back Packing & Mountain Climbing in the summer. Nothing like packing 60 - 80 lbs on your back to slay a mountain.  

The for the remainder of the year, I get the rest of my exercise by going to the fridge & getting a beer.  

[Angry Ewok]

Disclaimer = I am fat.

Anyway, I'd suggest doing sit-ups, walking around the block (or treadmill), swimming, bicycle (stationary or otherwise), and most importantly, you gotta eat right. I have the worst diet on earth, so I can only give you the tip I've gave myself, start eating Subway.

This summer I plan to drop 30 pounds, then re-gain some of that weight in muscle.

[Scott]

The for the remainder of the year, I get the rest of my exercise by going to the fridge & getting a beer.  

We found this beer with a mouse in it and we talked to a cop and he said...

[Scott]

I never really gained the Freshman 15, our campus Food Service was terible and I wasn't huge into partying at all.   Plus I also lived about two miles from campus and walked to school every day (try that with -60 wind chill ) add in Basketball and Volleyball and I was in good shape.  This got me by until Mr Married with a Desk Job showed up.  There is this awesome little cafe within walking distance of our office which makes the best breakfasts imaginable.  I would eat the #1 (two eggs, hasbrowns and toast) almost four times a week.  Let's just say I put on a ton of weight...ugh.  Well, to be honest I'll tell you what I did.  My wife joined Weight Watchers.  She wasn't happy with the weight she also put on after we got married.  While I didn't officially join I sort of played along and was able to knock off around 35 pounds within 6 months.  I have been hovering there +/- 5 pounds for about two years now.  I still have about 10 to go to get to my College Weight but I am happy and healthy where I am now.  

I'll just say that it is a constant struggle to keep it off, a few weeks of going back on the leaded sodapop or having a few doughnuts and the pants will start feeling a little tight and its back on the wagon I go

On top of all that I started to jog right after college but my wife won't jog with me so I kind of gave that up.  I was up to around 5 miles a run at one time and I really enjoyed it.  We go on evening walks now when the weather permits with our son in stroller around some of the Lakes in town.  It is good excersise but I need to try and start running again.  Maybe this thread will be my inspiration.  One of my dreams is to run a marathon...someday

[Mikey D]

Not as much as I should.

High school was no problem.  I played football in the fall and track and field in the winter and spring.  
Even though I hovered around 185 - 190 lbs in HS, I'm 6'-4", so I'm more big boned than round.

College was a complete 180.  Even though I partyed, it  wasn't an issue, but not eating much was.  I actually lost weight.

Now I have the "sit on my ass in front of the computer all day" job and my weight is now up to about 230.  I'm still not round, but I do have a beer gut.

I do play softball during the summer and the occasional volleyball game.  I like to ski, but haven't been in awhile so winters are pretty dead exercise wise, although the occasional game of hockey does take place.  

My wife will most likely start to walk after work and I will probably join her.  It's easy and actually very good for you.   And the weather is starting to turn.  Its almost 70 degrees in Boston today and absolutely gorgeous.

Eating wise, I'm not a huge junk food addict.  My only really bad vices are mint chocalate chip ice cream and chocalate covered pretzels.  Fast food is seldom eaten.  I actually do most of the cooking and try to keep it healthly without sacrificing flavor.  Almost always vegetables are made, I bake my french fries instead of frying and red meat is kept to a minimum (about once a week).  The other times are chicken and pork, which is actually not as bad for you as some people make it out to be.

[Scott]

I too am 6'4"  Last time I stepped on the scale I was 210, I think the highest I was was around 245 and the lowest since college was 203

I am not really fat I just have no muscle, I am a pretty stereotypical nerdy engineer I guess  

[dustrho]

Should we all take picture of our beer guts???  Hmmm... I don't think so.

 

Now that is about the worst idea I've ever heard Chris

Maybe we should have a JediDefender Great Lose Weight-a-Thon

[Depmode]

I'm fat too!    LOL

I eat too much chinese food. My girlfriend is chinese, her family owns a chinese restaurant, I eat chinese when I am on the road, I eat it while I am home...

Anyway. It's about exercise. I know. I put on like 30 pounds since I got my job a little over a year ago. It sucks.

You guys wanna hear my plan?!?!

-Buy PS2
-Buy DDR and Dance PAD
-Play at least 30 minutes a day
-Lose weight and have fun at the same time.

Not joking. I was watching TechTV (btw, I am addicted to that channel) and they were showing all these nerdy gamer people that had lost tons of weight cause they got addicted to DDR (This is that new dancing game from china, i'm sure you've seen it... if not, go to ur local arcade) and they play it daily and have lost weight.

My best friend just got it last week and said he was dead after playing it for 30 minutes. My girlfriend said she played it for one song (about 5 minutes) and had to stop cause she was so tired.

I figure if I can play this game on a regular basis I wont feel like I am working out, so I'll be able to do it more often, lose some weight, and develope some fat dance moves (jk).

YUP. DOWN WITH THE FAT.

[Depmode]

an update. I have the game. I've played it two days in a row. It's awesome, and I am SO TIRED right now from it. Very cool.

[Angry Ewok]

If I bought a dancing game, my friends would kick my fat butt...   I do need to lose some weight...

I like the "JediDefender Great Lose Weight-a-Thon" idea....  

[Depmode]

If I bought a dancing game, my friends would kick my fat butt...   I do need to lose some weight...

I like the "JediDefender Great Lose Weight-a-Thon" idea....  

Well so far I am beating you Get to it, chump!

[Morgbug]

Jeez, invoked as an old timer.  How quaint

History:  Prior to age 30, exercise maniac.  Workouts, basketball, softball, volleyball, rowing (as in on the water).  

Injuries:  two arthrocopic surgeries on left knee (cartilage, smooth kneecap underside), partially ruptured achilles tendon, portion of quadricep muscle removed - strange little lump it was!

Result:  weight gain, compounded by too much time behind computer, too much time driving about the province for work and too much food from restaurants OCB loathes.  

Now: run 1x per week, row (Concept II ergometer) 1x per week, cycle 1x per week.  Weights 3x per week.  Eat better (like everyone, less pop - it's the real killer), try to stay away from vending machines.  It will get better when buglet is older (only 3 in two weeks).  As she gets more active, so too will I.  

I am not old