Different Types of Exercise

[TylerDurden]

Out of curiosity, what kinds of exercise are people here doing? My own preference is for outdoor sports like skiing, swimming, mountain-hiking. I do also use the gym for weight-lifting and a little swimming(but far prefer the unchlorinated outdoor pool in my neighbourhood).  Oh, and in the past I did Judo.

I tend to do low-intensity exercise over long periods - for example, I make sure to use heavy rucksacks when I hike in the mountains.  I've read that the healthiest exercise is doing short, intensive bursts of exercise, but it's not my thing.

[xylothrill]

I like using the cardio machines at the gym any day I can and doing some weightlifting about twice a week. If it weren't for the fact that I already work outdoors, I'd probably choose to do my cardio outdoors. This is the time of year when the water in the Gulf of Mexico is getting warm and I love watersports! I enjoy swimming and sprinting on a sandy beach. Running in sand really works your calves.

[mors01]

I do both cardio (jogging, running, biking), and weight lifting.
I've done cardio for a long time, but I'm quite new to weight lifting (I've only
been doing it for the past 4 months).

I have some dumbbells and a pull-up bar at home. I go to the gym
to use barbells.

I only do cardio (outdoors) in the summer. I tried indoor cardio in the winter,
(stationary bike), but I found it incredibly boring. For me, the most fun thing
about biking/jogging, is the wind and fresh air blowing past me.

I also like swimming, but unfortunately there aren't any unchlorinated
pools near where I live. So I only swim in lakes when I go on a vacation
in the summer.

Also, I don't have a car, so I speed-walk everywhere, usually with
a heavy backpack (to school, to farmers' market, etc.).

I'm a grad student, and I find that exercise really improves my
studying/concentration.

-Mike

[roookie]

I like very much Art DeVany's way of training. I do high intensity olympic lifting for 20-40 minutes two to three times a week and some sprint and plays when I feel like.

[Nicola]

Very healthy, fun and lots of fresh air:

http://www.nordicwalkingforhealth.co.uk/


This week I started outdoor swimming again - after September I will have to go indoor again...no fresh air but better than not swimming! I love water, I am a cancer and they need wellness.

I also do a little jogging, rebounding, exercise and use my bike ever day.

Nicola

[Justin]

I like very much Art DeVany's way of training. I do high intensity olympic lifting for 20-40 minutes two to three times a week and some sprint and plays when I feel like.

Likewise, I mix it up between Art's and Mike Mentzer's way of training for high intensity, usually just one set of a few exercises. I like Art's one-five's, lifting the weights in controlled or an explosive manner and than putting it down and resting for five seconds to let the lactace dissipate to get good quality/form reps in.

[TheWayCreatesTheWarrior]

i prefer http://www.crossfit.com/cf-info/what-crossfit.html but also do typical bodybuilding isolation exercises as well.

[kravmagamen]

I like core exercises like pilates and swissball. For conditioning tabata intervals; jumping rope and kettlebell swing and snatch. Then i do some bodyweight excersises and 3 times a week krav maga.

John

[SkinnyDevil]

At the moment, I do exclusively body-weight exercises (sit-ups, push-ups, pull-ups, chin-ups, squats, calf raises, etc) and cardio (rope or similar).

I like riding my bike, but haven't at all this year. I used to swim almost every day when we lived by a lake, but now I don't do much swimming, either. Gotta rectify those situations soon.

[SkinnyDevil]

Played tennis yesterday for the first time in years.

Great workout!

[RawpaleoHealthdiet]

 the main types are already listed but whats not is internal excerise. Horse stance is very healthy. It stresses the biggest muscle in the body.

You'll see amazing changes in your vitality, vigor, and energy. The reason for this is two fold. First, holding horse position puts tremendous stress on your femur bones. The femur are the largest bones in your body and thus also produce the greatest amount of red blood cells. Creating more blood is obviously good for every organ and your overall vitality. The second reason is that since your quadracept muscles hold your sciatic nerve, the pain acts as a super caustic plumbing drain cleaner. The pain shoots up your spine and burns up years of spiritual soot and sludge from harboring resentment, laziness, selfishness, fear, egomania, etc.

this creates more stem cells which area able to heal any organ in your body. Why do you think it is taught to every martial artist on the planet?

[SkinnyDevil]

One might also do a combination of "regular" exercise (movement and movement thru resistance) coupled with isometric & plyometric exercise.

[livingthelife]

Horse stance is very healthy.

Thank you for posting this. I've been exploring isometric muscle contraction as a form of meditative exercise. I love these poses because they enable you to fine-tune your concentration and awareness. Though I enjoy the "moving meditations" of yoga and qigong, I have been "resting" in the postures more often. There is a profound silence and beauty in those moments, and they build a strength and quality of experience that can't be described!

[DeadRamones]

I used to hate when we did Horse stance in Karate. Maybe I'll start doing them again now.

I do mixed martial arts now but I decided to be active on my off days. I signed up to a hiking group for Saturday mornings(5mile moderate-difficult hikes). For Sundays I'm going to book some indoor wall climbing lessons. With the hopes of doing real outdoor rock climbing by the end of 2010.

[Guittarman03]

I started doing gymnastics recently.  Hand stands, upside down pull ups, and varying rotational back and core exercises while hanging or supporting yourself with bars, in addition to the standard regimine of bodyweight exercises. 

I still do some traditional weight lifting, but I strained my left rotator cuff and had to find a way to lift heavy in such a way that didn't put strain on it.  What I found is that it meant no pushing exercises with my weight supported by a bench or machine.  Instead, it's mostly free weights while supporting my weight with the feet and/or hands.     

[DeadRamones]

Guittarman, have you notice any neck strain/pain along with the rotator cuff pain?

Just wondering cause I constantly get neck cramps. Doing arm circles(like in 1st grade gym class) seems to alleviate the pain very quick. I'm wondering if the same holds true for the opposite?

[Guittarman03]

I haven't had any neck issues.  My rotator cuff problem happened on the bench press one day.  It didn't stop me in my tracks, but my left shoulder started popping, and I had minor/moderate pain when doing any press exercise with back support.  It persisted for a couple weeks, then my gf convinced me it was a weak rotator cuff, and underworked back muscles.  So I focused more on back and specific rotator cuff exercises (arms cirlces being one of them), and it got better in a week or so.  It's still weaker than my right, and I still get just a little popping but no pain, so I'm working on bringing my left arm/shoulder on par with the right.  I always warm up with circles, usually w/ 5lb weights.

Neck cramps are almost always related an alignment problem - could be in your hips, lower back, shoulders (or all of the above).  I can see how arm circles could work out the kinks to alleviate pain, but the source is most likely somewhere in your alignment.

[MartinT]

Horse riding, extreme hiking, occasional swimming, boat rowing, hard cardio burst exercises: Insanity

[lindapolack]

I like to go for a walk early in the morning then i go swimming before the sun gets too hot..

[Crystal]

I do a variety of exercises. I do a mixture of H.I.I.T, crossfit, and weight training. I love the thrill of pushing my body to its limits and working as hard as I can. Someone mention doing inside cardio is boring. Of course it would be if u sat on the bike for 30min. Try H.I.I.T u will love it and definately won't get bord I can promise u that much.

[Hannibal]

Recently I primarily run (10-15 km), do hindu squats, pull-ups, deadlifts and some other exercies on my "modest" gym.