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I live in CA. The weather is incredibly nice for any outdoor activity almost all year. I lift weights about 4-5 times a week all year. In the summer i swim, bike, skateboard... thats right skateboard at 31yrs old lol... In the winter I snowboard and hike the Sierra Nevada's. If i can I'll usually try and do a tough mudder once a year.
I don't think any one gadget will help keep you motivated. The activity itself or physical results should be your underlying motivation. You may buy "the new super fantastic 5lb mountain bike" with all the latest hydraulic disc brake suspension technology, just to find that you don't really like biking. Or even just a pair of expensive Nike's thinking you'll run more. I've been fortunate to have income from being in shape as my motivation. That's not to say i would stop doing any of my out door activities, I do them because i love to.
And above that, My underlying motivation is to push myself to fail... to success... to test my mind and body to make them better than they were the day before.
Can you help answer these questions from other members on NexusFi?
Mike, fwiw, I once had a chronic herniated disc condition similar to yours. (About to have surgery before I learned of a chiropractor that made all the difference. I've seen many, he's been the best, is in Tenn. if you're ever want a reference, was 12 yr ago, now even minor back pain is rare.) Anyway, on to the point re the inversion table you're interested in.... Before shelling out the cash, here's a quick and dirty thing you might first try to see if it holds promise. Helped me at the time.
After hearing of the inversion table, I went to a local gym, had someone help me hook my knees around a monkey bar (what would normally be used for chin-ups), i.e., am now hanging upside down by my knees. That in itself would help. But to accentuate the stretching out of the spine, I'd then pick up a couple of small weights off the floor. No matter how briefly I could hold that the relief was immediate.
I'm looking forward to reading and following this thread.
I've worked out my entire adult life and movement has turned out to be one of the greatest pleasures of my life. Precisely like trading, the key is to find what turns you on so there isn't a disconnect. The journey is very exciting as there are so many possibilities. If you are true to yourself the activity will soon be calling you. In the beginning there is a reason to exercise, i.e., lose weight, get fit, burn calories, look well, stay healthy, relieve stress. But in the end, what keeps you going is how fabulous you feel when it is over. That's the real motivator. And nothing that happens in life will ever deprive you of that pleasure once the regularity kicks in.
Have fun and fill us in on the process, because it truly does evolve.
Surprising the number of martial artists here. I have a 1st degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and HapKiDo. I've also been a 5k runner since High school, but had to give it up because of a knee injury. That was really hard to do, it's difficult to give up the runner's high. Had to replace the running with daily heavy bag martial arts routine, much less repetitive stress on the old knees, but 10 times more cardio in a fraction of the time. Still miss running though.
I prefer weight lifting to any other activity, because it offers more health benefits than cardio alone. It can also be used as a cardio workout when doing circuit training or what we call a "metabolic workout".
Being female, it's important to me to keep my body strong and prevent the rapid muscle loss most women suffer as they get older. Proper strength training helps prevent osteoporosis, all the heart diseases, and improves insulin sensitivity, all of which are concern to me. Plus, the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn, even at rest.
And I'm not talking about little 10-lb dumbbells. Some women worry if they lift heavy, they'll get big and bulky like a man, but women don't have the hormones to support big muscles. Lifting heavy is what gives all the aforementioned health benefits I mentioned, and it's the fastest path to that nice toned look we all want. And who wouldn't be proud of, say, being able to deadlift their body weight?
I also prefer weights to anything else. Though biking is a very close second. I loved the martial arts, but gave them up years ago (sigh).
I live in Manhattan, which is very bike-friendly, & ride mainly city streets, but also the parks (which have many miles of bike paths). Manhattan can be very flat or very hilly - so you can change your routes depending on how ambitious you feel that day. I have certain hotspots that I gravitate to for aesthetic reasons, so I tend to repeat the same routes for the amazing views.
I don't feel complete without weights, though - if I miss too many days, the joints get achy, & I begin to feel weak & old.
I think most people over-do it with weights, and dont understand how easily you can be injured. If I miss more than a couple workouts, I severely scale-back the intensity several notches, & build back up across 4 workouts minimum. I've seen many, many friends decide to get in shape, get a personal trainer, hit the weights heavy, and then be too sore to workout for weeks, & never go back. This is a real disservice by the trainers - and happens often (I still see it in my gym on a regular basis, & sometimes wish I could intervene).
I also never lift for more than 30-45 min - nothing more is needed. But that 30min will make your whole week . .
There's no question in my mind that physical activity makes the mind much sharper. The medical evidence is building to support this, too - especially in older people (maybe I'll link to some articles when I have more time).
There is sadly a lack of good education in the exercise science field, resulting in a lot of "personal trainers" who earn so-called certifications that aren't worth the paper they are printed on. It's unfortunate, I've heard many stories from people who were injured while working out with a "personal trainer" at their side. Some of them have suffered permanent damage.
It's one of those things where common sense must prevail - if it hurts in a bad way, stop!!
1. There are serious athletes on this board. Don't try to emulate them. You'll either hurt yourself and/or get discouraged and quit.
2. Don't Start buying gadgets. They look great on TV but when they aren't as much fun as they seem, they get shoved in a closet. Look on Craig's List and see how many ads there are for (Insert Gadget Name here) "Still in Box", "Like New", "Never Used".
3. Don't Run out and sign a contract for a Glitzy Gym. With your back, lifting heavy stuff may do real harm. Besides, there's nothing more soul numbing than having a hot, hard body in a skimpy out fit complaining about having to add more weight to a machine every time she uses a station you just finished on.
YES
4. Start slow. Set a reasonable goal that you can actually achieve, and stick with it. Before the weather gets too hot, go for a walk every day. Walking is just as good an exercise as running, it just takes longer. Start with short distances and work your way up.
5. If the weather isn't cooperating, go the mall and walk ... just don't stop at the food court. Go in the morning before the shops open. There will be a lot of gray haired people walking past you, but they generally will be more encouraging than the "Ahnolds" at the gym.
6. Find a park with "Walking Paths". Don't pay attention to the runners, there will be plenty of women walking. Get behind an attractive one in spandex shorts (her in spandex ... not you) and try to keep up. You won't even notice how many miles you've walked...
7. Is there a YMCA or YWCA (yes you can go there) near you? They are a lot more cost effective than that trendy gym. If they have a pool, don't swim... go to Academy, get some "water shoes" and walk in the shallow lanes. The water will take a load off your knees ankles and back and provide excellent resistance to give you a great workout. Yes ... you just walk back and forth ... it ain't fancy but it is highly effective.
8. Think of this period as "Sim Trading". If you can stay with this simple plan and eat healthy, you WILL lose weight and you will be confident enough to step up to "Live Trading".
Good Luck!
I'm just a simple man trading a simple plan.
My daddy always said, "Every day above ground is a good day!"
Back when I lived in the south, I had a friend who used to say "if you pay peanuts . . you get monkeys." Which is very representative of the personal-trainer world right now. Gyms don't pay them anything, & burn through hundreds of kids per year - making them "study" for a little memorization test for a couple of weeks, then "certifying" them as PT's. They look at it as a sales job - if you can bring in clients, you will succeed. If not, we'll try again with the next guy when you starve out. Turnover is very high, and the long-term-career success rate is probably lower than that of traders (no, this is not an exaggeration).
I realize this may sound a bit off-topic, but is very relevant to anyone reading through a fitness-oriented thread who may be considering starting a program. DO your homework - a good, knowledgeable trainer is worth their weight in gold. But they are rare, & not easy to find! If you don't have one & want to lift weights, do it slowly & carefully, & read alot. Most importantly, learn the difference between good pain & bad pain (lactic acid burn = good, everything else = BAD !!).
Having made it sound dangerous, I have to say that lifting weights is easily the most rewarding physical activity, IMO - and the best investment of time. I do it for the pleasure of it - and my only justification for it, when asked, is simply that "it feels good . . to . . FEEL. GOOD."
(It also doesn't hurt that one of the side effects is liking what you see in the mirror . . ).