Who works out?

[MPX42]

Oh yeah.I forgot to say I have DDR Mario Mix....and last time I checked,it said I burned over 10,000 calories...

[Tenshi no Ai]

It's actually entertaining to do, considering I spend alot of my time bent over writing...and then alot of it gaming or watching anime...

I only think it's actually entertaining or even "fun" to do if there's a fun goal to it... like DDR! Instead of just randomly stretching and lifting weights and stuff over and over :/

[Destroyer2000]

I beat that game in four hours...on Super Hard mode. I can't stand it.

EDIT: DDR MARIO MIX, That is.

[Destroyer2000]

Ah, I just read something about weight lifting stunting your growth. What's that all about? I mean, seriously...I'm short enough as it is. 5'6 is not what I wish to stay at.

[Sai]

Karate is fun and its a good workout.

[Firefly-]

I try to work out most of the time. Here lately I've had plenty of exercise moving furniture into our new house.

[Destroyer2000]

I'm probably going into Tae Kwon Do, so that will do for the martial art.

[Fionn Fael]

I don't really have a choice when it comes to working out. I'm in cross-country, track, and basketball, so I don't exactly have an off-season. ^_^* In other words, I run at least 5 days a week(sprints and long-distance), plus practice basketball around 3 or 4 days. I try to do some crunches and push-ups every now and then (I have no upper-body strength...), but I'm kind-of lazy when it comes to those. What I'd really love to do is karate, judo, kendo, or tae kwon do, but I don't really have time.

[Destroyer2000]

^ I love a woman who is active. J/k. That's impressive, though.

[Mave]

Early this year, I had a few workout goals.

1) Be more fit overall (increase stamina, muscle flexibility, cardiovascular...all that good stuff)
2) Lose a few more pounds and be within the range of 110-114 lbs.
3) Shape up my figure, especially at the thighs, butt and belly

I now go to the gym regularly, 3 days a week mostly in the evenings. I generally warm up by stretching for a few minutes and hopping onto the elliptical machine for 30 mins. The programs varies from the weight loss interval to cross-training/tracking(?). I haven't fiddled with the levels of resistance and incline too much since working off ~ 250 calories at each machine session is good enough for me.

Then, I move on to one of the machines called the thigh abductor/adductor to shape my legs. I started off small but now, I stick to 100 times per move. I've also started out with the minimum weight but now have moved on to ~ 30 -36 lbs. I'll most likely stop at 40 since I don't want to have superbly high muscles.

Lastly, I use the machine for stomach crunches. Now, I'm not that strong there so.....I only run 30-40 times before I'm gasping "Ahhhhhhh....." If I could bring that up to 100 times, that'll be great but I'm going to take my time there.

My additional physical activity would be church volleyball on Tuesday evenings.

A few months later, I'm pretty close to my goals. I now range from 113 - 115 lbs, like how my body figure is changing and I feel fit overall. OK, I just HAD TO share how happy I am with my exercise regime. XD

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Getting the best out of exercising IMO is having clear goal(s), being -disciplined- and knowing your personal physical limits.

Clear Goals: My guiding points in deciding this regime was my goals and my personal physical capabilities. I was told that if you want to lose weight, I should focus on the frequency of the move and use average resistance. If I wanted to build muscles, I should use more resistance and less frequency. I don't know if this is true but that's what I'm guided by.

Discipline: The hardest part was being disciplined, alright. I recommend fixing a workout schedule by day and taking it seriously. Mine is every Monday, Thursday and Saturday. If I ever missed a day, I'll have to do some other activity (e.g. house-cleaning), make up on the next day or be more strict with my food on that day (which I really really REALLY dislike doing).

It also helps to do something else while exercising to distract yourself from negative thoughts "Oh this is too long. I'm so tired......I want to quit" I usually bring my own music or watch TV. My most recent choice of time-killing option is doing Sudoku puzzles. XD

I've been able to discipline myself but if you think having an exercise partner helps, by all means go for it.

Personal Physical Limits: I avoid pushing myself too hard and give my body time to adjust to this regime. The first few weeks are always the most uncomfortable but don't give up. I also have to watch out for muscle cramps since I get those frequently and always make sure I stretch a lot before getting into action.

This post is way longer than I expected. Good luck in your exercising goals!

[Mithrandir]

Whoa. Someone who's happy with their overall look.

(It's just kind of rare these days, I guess).