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I would strongly suggest anyone looking at this and saying they don't have the time to invest in this to also consider the mental benefits that exercise brings.

by awjr 13y ago

I would strongly suggest anyone looking at this and saying they don't have the time to invest in this to also consider the mental benefits that exercise brings. I don't feel I have time (which I know is wrong) and I particularly do not like gyms, but I cycle to work (2 miles) and on the way home I'll take a detour and add an extra 5-10 miles to my trip home. It clears the cobwebs. Cycling can be very meditative as well. I am extremely lucky to be living in a place that allows me to do this on car free routes (Bath->Bristol cycle path and the Two Tunnels Circuit). If you live within 12 miles (and potentially up to 20 miles) of where you work (about an hour of easy riding), you should consider 'building' exercise into your commute. Even if it's twice a week to begin with. Be crazy and park your car 5 miles from work and cycle in from there and build it up. FYI before starting this I weighed about 310lb and have got myself down to 275lb within a year without focusing too much on what I eat.

deanproxy 13y ago
Indeed. I completely understand feeling like there isn't enough time to do it. Other than my 8-10 hour days at work, I have a teenage daughter, a wife and two dogs I have to attend to. I practice guitar daily, practice martial arts weekly, kayak regularly, read/study daily for my job, started learning more about F.A.C.S and Body Language and like to get in some gaming every now and then with the daughter. I've found that I have at least 30 minutes I can spare even with that load. It's not much, but it's better than nothing sometimes. It's awesome you can find the time with your cycling! Keep it up!
- adwf 13y ago
  "If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it." I guess the rule about time management applies even when asking yourself to do something.
  - laichzeit0 13y ago
    Reminds me of something I read from Arnold Swazenegger: "While on maneuvers, Schwarzenegger and his fellow soldiers would use the hot spots (areas of metal over the tank’s engine) as a makeshift cooking stove, grilling up steaks and frying eggs. The eventual Mr. Universe continued his bodybuilding training even while off base, having stowed his workout equipment (plate weights, barbells, and a collapsible bench) in the tank’s tool storage areas." In his book he talks about getting up an hour earlier than everyone else so he could get a training session in during his military service. Talk about "making time" for something.
    - Amadou 13y ago
      I've had a couple of trainers -- the kind with degrees in sports-medicine, not the kind that were selling cell-phones in the mall last week -- say that Arnie was the single worst thing to happen to modern fitness. Their complaint was that his genetics are exceptionally rare. That very few people, like 1 out of 10,000, could ever hope to come anywhere close to achieving the same physique. That by becoming a sort of fitness idol he set up everybody else up for disappointment and often giving up because it is literally impossible for the rest of us to do what he did. As an aside, if you ever watch his first movie, a documentary of sorts called Pumping Iron, he says that smoking pot was a part of his regimen. He even lights up on camera.
      - cema 13y ago
        Isn't physique, like, orthogonal to fitness? Bodybuilding may be a way to get fit, but working out in general does not require it at all. I think the lesson we all can take from Arnold is the mental effort, strength of will and so on, not necessarily the specific exercises he used to perform.
        lutusp 13y ago
        > Isn't physique, like, orthogonal to fitness? Not if "physique" means not being obese. If "physique" means "photogenic," then yes -- they're pretty much unrelated. > Bodybuilding may be a way to get fit, but working out in general does not require it at all. Very true, and if people thought they had to build up muscle and look like Arnold, it would set the fitness movement back.
        carter770 13y ago
        > If "physique" means "photogenic," then yes -- they're pretty much unrelated. Where do you get your information? They couldn't be more related. I GUARANTEE you that any physique model you see on stage or in a magazine is far more "fit" than someone who sits around all day. No, having a great physique doesn't mean that you could run a 4 minute mile, but saying that they aren't related is just ignorant. >Very true, and if people thought they had to build up muscle and look like Arnold, it would set the fitness movement back. So, people trying to get in shape and look good at the same time is bad for the fitness/health movement? Are you trolling?
- RougeFemme 13y ago
  I would imagine you get a pretty good workout - at least aerobic - from your kayaking.
seszett 13y ago
I cycle to and from work, but my route essentially just goes from one side to the other of the city center, which means some narrow streets, some cobbled streets, and a lot of cars. On the contrary to my previous job where the route was mostly car-free, my current cycling doesn't clear anything and adds to stress instead of relieving it. Walking is fine, but feels so... slow, and inefficient.
- RyanMcGreal 13y ago
  I'm either a 20 minute walk or a 6 minute bike ride to work. I used to walk because I figured it meant 40 minutes of walking five days a week, but I found it wasn't enough exercise to avoid becoming overweight. Now I cycle to work and go on a hard 45-minute bike ride during my lunch hour.
  - kamjam 13y ago
    At a previous job 6 years ago, it was only 4 miles away. I'd do the brisk ride into work, but take a big detour on the way home, riding 20 miles :)
James_Duval 13y ago
The Bath->Bristol cycle path is a fantastic thing. I may have seen you on it! I'm unfamiliar with the name "Two Tunnels Circuit" but I may have seen it.
- awjr 13y ago
  http://www.sustrans.org.uk/mymile/ncn/map?lat=51.36781434142732&lng=-2.3281377880860044&zoom=13&route-type=undefined&filters= http://www.sustrans.org.uk/mymile/ncn/map?lat=51.36781434142... Through the Two Tunnels out to Midford and back along the canal path to Bath. I work in Locksbrook, live in Bear flat so it's an awesome if slightly bumpy ride (canal path). Although I recently bought a cyclocross bike and that has made a world of difference compared to a road bike. At the moment I'm heading out to Saltford, then back Up to Midford (and sometimes Wellow). It's a really good burn. If I want to hurt myself I'll pop over to Radstock although that one is a little bit lumpy for my liking and some of those lanes don't give you a lot of room should you meet a car coming the other way.
ekidd 13y ago
If anybody needs to optimize exercise time, also consider high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and bodyweight or dumbbell exercises. These can both be done at home, and they consistently have more effect on my overall fitness than long, medium-intensity cardio. HIIT is an old, popular technique; it's basically intervals of intense cardio separated by rest. For an introduction, see Couch-to-5K or the Zombies Run training app. Bodyweight exercises can be done anywhere. One reasonable introduction is You are Your Own Gym, but there are others. If you raise your exercise intensity high enough to force your body to adapt, you can do a lot in 20 to 30 minutes several times a week without a health club membership. I'm not saying this is optimal-I'm not at all an expert—but it's certainly better than nothing, and I generally see far better gains doing this than when I do long, lower-intensity exercise.
- jsmeaton 13y ago
  C25K was like an epiphany for me. I've always hated running and have never been very good at it. But working up incrementally and hitting goals has allowed me to really enjoy running. Great way to bootstrap an exercise routine IMO.
  - photojosh 13y ago
    Absolutely. Combined with the geekery of quantitative tracking with something like Strava or Runkeeper and I was very motivated.
- oh_sigh 13y ago
  c25k isn't HIIT(high intensity interval training). It is just IT. HIIT would be more like (sprint for 30 seconds, jog for 30 seconds) * 8
  - jcmoscon 13y ago
    Also, take a look at Tabata exercises. It's basically 20 seconds of HIIT and 10 seconds of rest. 10 minutes of it and you are sweating a lot!
mathattack 13y ago
"FYI before starting this I weighed about 310lb and have got myself down to 275lb within a year without focusing too much on what I eat." Keep it up!! Every incremental pound gets harder as your body gets smaller, but it's still worth it!
- awjr 13y ago
  Slight issue with clothes budget. I keep shrinking 44 down to 38 :) Still I only fill the car up with fuel once every 6 weeks now.
  - mathattack 13y ago
    That's a good problem to have. I think waist size is a better measurement than bodyweight. If you get stronger, gain weight, and lose a few inches off the waist, you're doing fine. If you lose weight, but get larger in the middle and weaker, it's bad.
- photojosh 13y ago
  Have a read about the "Famine Response". You need to stop trying to lose weight to let your body adjust its setpoint, then go again.
  - awjr 13y ago
    Will look into it. I've avoided trying to eat less. I've just started a low carb diet as wheat seems to play havoc with me, but this I try not to calorie count. If I'm hungry I eat.
    - penguindev 13y ago
      Good for you, hope it works. I did the same thing. Some advice: measure your waist with a flexible tape measure, and get your blood lipids checked. I wish I did that before I started wheat belly / LCHF, to have an accurate before number. Even my wii scale was slightly inaccurate (5-8lbs) on carpet vs hardwood floor, I've later learned. But yeah, since I kicked wheat and starch (kicking sugar alone did not help), I've lost two inches off my waist, with no exercise. I just wish I would have taken some more scientific before numbers. edit: google william banting if you haven't heard of him before, for some low carb inspiration.
noarchy 13y ago
I have to concur with the exercise-as-commute routine. I also cycle to/from work. My ride home, where I keep a brisk pace with some sprints mixed in, is actually my real workout. It is quite satisfying to arrive home having already worked out, effectively. Not to mention, it is faster than taking the bus in my case. A few catches: it does help strengthen your core, to an extent, but you aren't working your arms and upper body much. Also, I'm in Canada, and riding during most of the winter isn't possible here on a road bike.
- RyanMcGreal 13y ago
  Where in Canada are you? I live in Southern Ontario and there are usually only a couple of days a year when the weather is too lousy to cycle.
  - sbarre 13y ago
    Hah.. I live in Toronto, and I used to cycle year round, but I don't anymore.. I think "too lousy to cycle" is a very subjective thing.. When I was working for a startup I could show up sweaty and grimy (or looking like a Mad Max extra in the winter). Now I'm in a management position in a larger company, so while I still cycle to work as much as I can, I usually have to bring a change of clothes with me (dress shoes, shirt, etc) so weather (heavy rain or just generally cold/snowy) affects my choice much more now.. I wish I lived somewhere that was a steady 23 degrees year-round. ;-)
    - jfb 13y ago
      I find Toronto a much easier city to cycle in than San Francisco, but the streetcar tracks are utter murder.
      - Macsenour 13y ago
        Just last week an intern died on her bike. The driver of the truck said he just didn't see her. Not worth it in SF, in my opinion.
sergiosgc 13y ago
If we're trading exercise experiences, I'll vouch for regular tennis. It's easy enough to learn as an adult, you do not have to coordinate a full team to play a match, the aerobic load is entirely dependent on the level of your sparring partner and, for me, it has the social aspect that guarantees I keep practising. Even when I don't feel like going, there is someone calling and challenging for a match. The usual warnings apply: It is asymmetrical and, for God's sake, buy a good racket or you will get tennis elbow (good dampening of vibrations virtually eliminated tennis elbow, but only the good material does it right)
thomasfrank09 13y ago
All I'd like to say is congratulations. 35lbs is a great achievement - keep it up! Alright, off to the gym.
kamjam 13y ago
I did the same thing, I started riding into work instead of taking the train from the suburbs to Central London. Door-to-door by train and underground was around 1 hr, but bike it was 1hr 10mins, approx 18 miles. Wasted time became exercise time and I felt much better for it. I remember my brother saying he would work with people who would work crazy hours (doctors mainly) and in order to train for marathons and triathlons you utilise every bit of time you can to exercise.

by awjr 13y ago

deanproxy 13y ago

Indeed. I completely understand feeling like there isn't enough time to do it. Other than my 8-10 hour days at work, I have a teenage daughter, a wife and two dogs I have to attend to. I practice guitar daily, practice martial arts weekly, kayak regularly, read/study daily for my job, started learning more about F.A.C.S and Body Language and like to get in some gaming every now and then with the daughter. I've found that I have at least 30 minutes I can spare even with that load. It's not much, but it's better than nothing sometimes. It's awesome you can find the time with your cycling! Keep it up!

adwf 13y ago
"If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it." I guess the rule about time management applies even when asking yourself to do something.
- laichzeit0 13y ago
  Reminds me of something I read from Arnold Swazenegger: "While on maneuvers, Schwarzenegger and his fellow soldiers would use the hot spots (areas of metal over the tank’s engine) as a makeshift cooking stove, grilling up steaks and frying eggs. The eventual Mr. Universe continued his bodybuilding training even while off base, having stowed his workout equipment (plate weights, barbells, and a collapsible bench) in the tank’s tool storage areas." In his book he talks about getting up an hour earlier than everyone else so he could get a training session in during his military service. Talk about "making time" for something.
  - Amadou 13y ago
    I've had a couple of trainers -- the kind with degrees in sports-medicine, not the kind that were selling cell-phones in the mall last week -- say that Arnie was the single worst thing to happen to modern fitness. Their complaint was that his genetics are exceptionally rare. That very few people, like 1 out of 10,000, could ever hope to come anywhere close to achieving the same physique. That by becoming a sort of fitness idol he set up everybody else up for disappointment and often giving up because it is literally impossible for the rest of us to do what he did. As an aside, if you ever watch his first movie, a documentary of sorts called Pumping Iron, he says that smoking pot was a part of his regimen. He even lights up on camera.
    - cema 13y ago
      Isn't physique, like, orthogonal to fitness? Bodybuilding may be a way to get fit, but working out in general does not require it at all. I think the lesson we all can take from Arnold is the mental effort, strength of will and so on, not necessarily the specific exercises he used to perform.
      - lutusp 13y ago
        > Isn't physique, like, orthogonal to fitness? Not if "physique" means not being obese. If "physique" means "photogenic," then yes -- they're pretty much unrelated. > Bodybuilding may be a way to get fit, but working out in general does not require it at all. Very true, and if people thought they had to build up muscle and look like Arnold, it would set the fitness movement back.
        carter770 13y ago
        > If "physique" means "photogenic," then yes -- they're pretty much unrelated. Where do you get your information? They couldn't be more related. I GUARANTEE you that any physique model you see on stage or in a magazine is far more "fit" than someone who sits around all day. No, having a great physique doesn't mean that you could run a 4 minute mile, but saying that they aren't related is just ignorant. >Very true, and if people thought they had to build up muscle and look like Arnold, it would set the fitness movement back. So, people trying to get in shape and look good at the same time is bad for the fitness/health movement? Are you trolling?
RougeFemme 13y ago
I would imagine you get a pretty good workout - at least aerobic - from your kayaking.

seszett 13y ago

I cycle to and from work, but my route essentially just goes from one side to the other of the city center, which means some narrow streets, some cobbled streets, and a lot of cars. On the contrary to my previous job where the route was mostly car-free, my current cycling doesn't clear anything and adds to stress instead of relieving it. Walking is fine, but feels so... slow, and inefficient.

RyanMcGreal 13y ago
I'm either a 20 minute walk or a 6 minute bike ride to work. I used to walk because I figured it meant 40 minutes of walking five days a week, but I found it wasn't enough exercise to avoid becoming overweight. Now I cycle to work and go on a hard 45-minute bike ride during my lunch hour.
- kamjam 13y ago
  At a previous job 6 years ago, it was only 4 miles away. I'd do the brisk ride into work, but take a big detour on the way home, riding 20 miles :)

James_Duval 13y ago

The Bath->Bristol cycle path is a fantastic thing. I may have seen you on it! I'm unfamiliar with the name "Two Tunnels Circuit" but I may have seen it.

awjr 13y ago
http://www.sustrans.org.uk/mymile/ncn/map?lat=51.36781434142732&lng=-2.3281377880860044&zoom=13&route-type=undefined&filters= http://www.sustrans.org.uk/mymile/ncn/map?lat=51.36781434142... Through the Two Tunnels out to Midford and back along the canal path to Bath. I work in Locksbrook, live in Bear flat so it's an awesome if slightly bumpy ride (canal path). Although I recently bought a cyclocross bike and that has made a world of difference compared to a road bike. At the moment I'm heading out to Saltford, then back Up to Midford (and sometimes Wellow). It's a really good burn. If I want to hurt myself I'll pop over to Radstock although that one is a little bit lumpy for my liking and some of those lanes don't give you a lot of room should you meet a car coming the other way.

ekidd 13y ago

If anybody needs to optimize exercise time, also consider high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and bodyweight or dumbbell exercises. These can both be done at home, and they consistently have more effect on my overall fitness than long, medium-intensity cardio. HIIT is an old, popular technique; it's basically intervals of intense cardio separated by rest. For an introduction, see Couch-to-5K or the Zombies Run training app. Bodyweight exercises can be done anywhere. One reasonable introduction is You are Your Own Gym, but there are others. If you raise your exercise intensity high enough to force your body to adapt, you can do a lot in 20 to 30 minutes several times a week without a health club membership. I'm not saying this is optimal-I'm not at all an expert—but it's certainly better than nothing, and I generally see far better gains doing this than when I do long, lower-intensity exercise.

jsmeaton 13y ago
C25K was like an epiphany for me. I've always hated running and have never been very good at it. But working up incrementally and hitting goals has allowed me to really enjoy running. Great way to bootstrap an exercise routine IMO.
- photojosh 13y ago
  Absolutely. Combined with the geekery of quantitative tracking with something like Strava or Runkeeper and I was very motivated.
oh_sigh 13y ago
c25k isn't HIIT(high intensity interval training). It is just IT. HIIT would be more like (sprint for 30 seconds, jog for 30 seconds) * 8
- jcmoscon 13y ago
  Also, take a look at Tabata exercises. It's basically 20 seconds of HIIT and 10 seconds of rest. 10 minutes of it and you are sweating a lot!

mathattack 13y ago

"FYI before starting this I weighed about 310lb and have got myself down to 275lb within a year without focusing too much on what I eat." Keep it up!! Every incremental pound gets harder as your body gets smaller, but it's still worth it!

awjr 13y ago
Slight issue with clothes budget. I keep shrinking 44 down to 38 :) Still I only fill the car up with fuel once every 6 weeks now.
- mathattack 13y ago
  That's a good problem to have. I think waist size is a better measurement than bodyweight. If you get stronger, gain weight, and lose a few inches off the waist, you're doing fine. If you lose weight, but get larger in the middle and weaker, it's bad.
photojosh 13y ago
Have a read about the "Famine Response". You need to stop trying to lose weight to let your body adjust its setpoint, then go again.
- awjr 13y ago
  Will look into it. I've avoided trying to eat less. I've just started a low carb diet as wheat seems to play havoc with me, but this I try not to calorie count. If I'm hungry I eat.
  - penguindev 13y ago
    Good for you, hope it works. I did the same thing. Some advice: measure your waist with a flexible tape measure, and get your blood lipids checked. I wish I did that before I started wheat belly / LCHF, to have an accurate before number. Even my wii scale was slightly inaccurate (5-8lbs) on carpet vs hardwood floor, I've later learned. But yeah, since I kicked wheat and starch (kicking sugar alone did not help), I've lost two inches off my waist, with no exercise. I just wish I would have taken some more scientific before numbers. edit: google william banting if you haven't heard of him before, for some low carb inspiration.

noarchy 13y ago

I have to concur with the exercise-as-commute routine. I also cycle to/from work. My ride home, where I keep a brisk pace with some sprints mixed in, is actually my real workout. It is quite satisfying to arrive home having already worked out, effectively. Not to mention, it is faster than taking the bus in my case. A few catches: it does help strengthen your core, to an extent, but you aren't working your arms and upper body much. Also, I'm in Canada, and riding during most of the winter isn't possible here on a road bike.

RyanMcGreal 13y ago
Where in Canada are you? I live in Southern Ontario and there are usually only a couple of days a year when the weather is too lousy to cycle.
- sbarre 13y ago
  Hah.. I live in Toronto, and I used to cycle year round, but I don't anymore.. I think "too lousy to cycle" is a very subjective thing.. When I was working for a startup I could show up sweaty and grimy (or looking like a Mad Max extra in the winter). Now I'm in a management position in a larger company, so while I still cycle to work as much as I can, I usually have to bring a change of clothes with me (dress shoes, shirt, etc) so weather (heavy rain or just generally cold/snowy) affects my choice much more now.. I wish I lived somewhere that was a steady 23 degrees year-round. ;-)
  - jfb 13y ago
    I find Toronto a much easier city to cycle in than San Francisco, but the streetcar tracks are utter murder.
    - Macsenour 13y ago
      Just last week an intern died on her bike. The driver of the truck said he just didn't see her. Not worth it in SF, in my opinion.

sergiosgc 13y ago

If we're trading exercise experiences, I'll vouch for regular tennis. It's easy enough to learn as an adult, you do not have to coordinate a full team to play a match, the aerobic load is entirely dependent on the level of your sparring partner and, for me, it has the social aspect that guarantees I keep practising. Even when I don't feel like going, there is someone calling and challenging for a match. The usual warnings apply: It is asymmetrical and, for God's sake, buy a good racket or you will get tennis elbow (good dampening of vibrations virtually eliminated tennis elbow, but only the good material does it right)

thomasfrank09 13y ago

All I'd like to say is congratulations. 35lbs is a great achievement - keep it up! Alright, off to the gym.

kamjam 13y ago

I did the same thing, I started riding into work instead of taking the train from the suburbs to Central London. Door-to-door by train and underground was around 1 hr, but bike it was 1hr 10mins, approx 18 miles. Wasted time became exercise time and I felt much better for it. I remember my brother saying he would work with people who would work crazy hours (doctors mainly) and in order to train for marathons and triathlons you utilise every bit of time you can to exercise.