So I've been trying to become more active/fit recently. I'm starting to go on trips with this group at my university called "Outdoors Club." We were supposed to go rock climbing outdoors (my first time) but the weather was bad so we ended up going to this indoor rock climbing place called EarthTreks. We're planning to go canoeing this weekend, location TBA.

Here's a photo of me attempting to climb Recognize the shirt? :


I've also been biking (see bike thread for photos of my Brompton folding bike) and going to the gym to walk/jog/run/cycle. I also play tennis with some friends (though I'm really bad). I've been dancing in our university's Filipino Student Association (tinikling) and occasionally breakdancing. I used to do kendo but there isn't a kendo club nearby and I like playing ultimate frisbee with friends back home.

I want to start lifting soon but I want to find people to go with and don't really know anything about technique/workouts. I'd also like to learn to box one day.

How do you all stay active?

i picked up a motoactv unit from motorola (combination heart rate monitor, mps player, gps, bicycle speed/cadence sensor... lots of crap this thing can do)
to help me get in shape for my wedding in october. i'm 6 weeks into my routine, and i've already dropped about 20 lbs.

i bike about 6 miles in to work every morning, then head over to the gym next door for 30 minutes of cardio/endurance (treadmill, elliptical, climber, etc.),
and follow it up with another 15-30 of either core or upper body weight training. after that, it's 8-10 some odd hours at my desk in front of a computer.
reverse 6 miles on the bike back home, and then it's a mile long walk with the pooch. and that's my daily routine during the week. weekend s are a bit tougher,
especially with the missus planning things and people coming over, etc, but i still try to get out and walk/jog a couple miles... and once the weather really
evens out, i'll be doing early morning rides on the weekends, and my old route from my place to the botanical gardens is about 40 miles round trip.

^ Chris, can you be my personal trainer?

Outside the normal gym membership, I've been fly fishing since I was 13, I won't say it's an active fitness work out, though battling current and wading can work out your legs. Hard to find the motivation to get out when you live in NYC, but hopefully I'll make it out to Colorado later this year for a trip. 2 best things in life, sofubi and fly fishing a clear beautiful trout stream.

lol Chris, how are you not in shape already??

well, you see, the thing is... i like to eat. =p

i started feb 21st, and weighed in at 244. i'm down to 224 as of this morning... but like i said, i DO like to eat. i've gotten better about portion control
and all that business, but i do gain a couple pounds back over the weekends, simply because i'm not as aggressive with my workouts (and eating stuff
that i know i shouldn't, but do anyway.) like i said though, once i the weather really evens out i can start my long weekend rides, and that will really help.
(there's a great bike path from the north side of chicago that heads up towards wiconsin... i could probably pull a crit if i got real ambitious.)

Me and my girl have been talking about what we can do to be more active now that the weather is getting nicer. Since I used to skateboard for hours and hours each day, I never really had to go out of my way to excercise or work out to keep fit. I guess I'm just starting to get tired of getting hurt, because I really haven't been feeling the skating thing as much lately, and I'm beginning to feel lethargic.

Definitely keeping an eye on this thread for inspiration.

I've been doing jiu jitsu for the past couple of years, about 5 times a week. I love it.
Anyone else here train?

I go to the gym, ride my bike 2 miles mon-fri, walk the dogs, and try to walk everywhere.
I got made fun of for going to the gym by some fellow CASKer's (Not Chris).

I'm in the gym 4-5 times a week. Do 25 minutes of cardio then use the various machines for about another 1/2 hr or so. Feel much better, tightened up everywhere, have more energy, and by default I have nice biceps now (even though I wasn't even trying to do that). I also ride my bike whenever I can. Diet is also pretty important. I don't strictly rule out things (except obvious really bad stuff like fast food etc) but I eat everything in moderation, watch my calorie intake, and make sure I get my greens in. Even if I have to throw them in a blender with fruit and make a smoothie. I also find I'm not as hungry as I use to be.

I go outside and have a smoke.

Seriously...I walk to work. I find trails to walk on the weekends and have been identifying birds, trees, etc. I also spend a lot of time working outside on my property. There's always pruning, weeding, and rebuilding old walls. Here is a pic of my garden...



A year ago you wouldn't have know it was there(Completely overgrown). I had to take out a few trees and rebuild part of all a tree had fell on.

I love canoeing but only get to do that once maybe twice a year.

No gyms or fitness centers...ever.

i've got the best feature, make that TWO greatest features, at the gym next door:
- first, they do your laundry for you. every day. so i don't have to carry around a stinky gym bag.
- second, and probably most important, is that since it's part of my office, i only pay $20 per month.

and bryan, i'd never make fun of anyone for trying to get in shape. (and even though round is a shape, that's not what i mean...) we'll have to hit up crisp again,
then do another photo tour once the weather straightens itself out.

and phantomfauna, i'd love to have a backyard near that awesome. i can see how that would eat up a lot of hours outside...

I play ice hockey twice a week. We get 30 skaters so we have to run a 2min buzzer to change up. I could never understand the ones that play with us and are not drenched in sweat or breathing heavy after their shift...or maybe I'm just way out of shape. I know I am out of shape but I'm not that out of shape. One holiday I went to a pick up and when I was coming off the ice, one of the other players asked if I was okay. I told him I was just tired. He said he was wondering because I looked slow coming off the boards and thought I was injured.
I used to be pretty active growing up and now, those old injuries are coming around...just enough to be annoying. When you have a hard time doing 20 push-ups with your hands under your shoulders, you know it's time to do a bit more working out.

The warrior dash is coming to New Mexico so I began running a couple of miles everyday. Pretty excited to go run and play in the mud.

I think that just happened in OC a couple weeks ago... Of course that could be one of many various endurance things here. I have been himming and hawing about doing a triathlon, but I HATE to run. I cycle and swim, but the running would just destroy me. Plus it's really bad for you Well, that's what I tell myself

I manage to stay out of shape boxing once a week. You'd be a rock if you were in there every day training like a lot of those at my boxing gym. It's the only exercise that I've found challenging and fun.

I try telling this to everyone I know who runs and they just laugh. But it is! Well, at least it's bad for your joints and it prematurely ages you by making your skin (not just boobs!) saggier.
But I just find running to be the most boring and miserable thing to do. Running up and down a basketball court is one thing, but just going for a run? EFF THAT!
I just ride my bike to work. Aside from occasionally working in the garden, that's the only exercise I get. Although we just bought a rowing machine for my wife to use - and being that I use to do crew I'll probably hop on the machine every now and then. It's a very nice machine - thank you craigslist!

I knew it could potentially make joints a little weak, but I don't want saggy skin. Im buying a bike next paycheck!

I was actually on crew during my freshman year and eventually became the coxswain when a bunch of people quit (Hopkins ) Our crew program got cut but I still try to erg from time to time. I don't really have the stamina to go for long distances/times though

i could tighten it up a bit.

starting to get a little doughnut-y around the ol' mid section.

my HDLS were real low a year ago...i got on the e-cig in Sept and have been doing well.. only a few relapses, not pack buying, but bumming ONE or TWO smokes and that was over 2 months ago.

been taking Omega-3s for 1+ year to help turn my HDLs back up so i dont wind up on cholesterol meds.

im 36 now...so it's time to start cleaning up this wasteland of a temple.

I've lost about 170 lbs over 4-5 years. With a small 30 lb relapse last year.
I do a lot of cardio(about 5-8 miles running a day) and strength training. I've never belonged to a gym but will go to one if its available for weight training.

The most important part for me personally is healthy eating.



It can definitely be rough. I hurt my IT band recently and had to take a few weeks off. Personally though, just going for a long run is a great way to clear your head and relieve stress. I put my earphones in and just run off everything. I would like to take up cycling eventually(on scary andys advice), but for now I want to start marathon training.

ShotoKhan from age 8 till around 28, still run kata on my own
Aikido from about 12 till around 28, don't really practice anymore
general weapons from 14- 22, once I started iaido I dropped most everything else except occasionally picking up my tonfas or a bo
Iaido 22-present including kendo, batto jutso and tameshigiri although I haven't had a group or dojo to do kendo for about 8 years now
Kyudo, I have been shooting bows most of my life but didn't get into Kyudo until around my mid twenties. Need some new arrows

Sadly other than that I do a lot of 12oz curls I used to climb rock and ice, ice and mountains but now that I have a family that is a no go. I used to race crit but fell off the wagon, hope to get back into riding a steed this summer. I still skate but not much due to my location and old bones. I have a gym membership but all that does is take money out of my account.

I usually go cycling 3-4 times a week and at least 50-60 miles each time. I also play racquetball once a week. That's about all the exercise I ever get. Oh and take my dog for walks.

My brother is a police officer and so I exercise with him doing SWAT training, only the workout routine. it's slowly killing me I can barely stand at work right now.

This is very impressive. I was able to watch your progress here! Congratulations