I need to get out of my desk chair more, but lately I’ve been trying to walk my neighborhood since the weather’s nice. What kinds of things do you do to stay active? I’d love some suggestions for good stretches and simple/effective exercises. Thanks!
Gave up on gym membership already. Switched to home workouts (check darebee website and youtube) I feel way better with this compared to the gym. You cant have noodle arms also, so get reasonable dumbbells to grow your arm muscles (they are effective and easy to store also)
It s 40min at most daily from home workouts so you need less mental energy to get to it (compared to: prepare backpack, go to gym, interact with people, go back). I am on the Avatar Upgrade program.
I add early morning walks and occasional hikes to spice things up.
I got a puppy. I’ve spent about 30 minutes on my computer since December. But I did also get a Steam Deck.
I alternate between spin bike and weights 6 days/week throughout the year, but with the weather getting nicer, I’m getting back out on my road bike on weekends and playing tennis with some friends after work. It helps to live in a city with a nice park!
I refuse to drive or take any form of public transport, unless I am going to be traveling far.
I walk or bike everywhere I go. I get to where I am going and I get exercise along the way. I barely think about it anymore, it has just become normal to me.
Juggling. It’s not too intensive or anything but does keep me somewhat active.
I suggest everyone learn to juggle! It’s not TOO hard once you get over the hump and everything clicks. I also find it somewhat meditative.
Free-use contract
Sounds more like being passive, not active
I have an active job. I still need to add some sort of exercise to my routine.
During lunch at work, I find I usually eat pretty quick and under the required amount of time for my break so after, I just start running. It gives a nice break from staring at the screen and keeps me healthier.
Treadmill desk
I was fortunate enough to get invited to a ballroom dancing class in high school and fell in love with it. It’s exercise and a social experience all in one fairly affordable package. Where I live an hour long group class is $10 a head. I wouldn’t do private lessons for these purposes. And if you like it, there are so many subcultures! There are entire groups dedicated to certain dances like West Coast swing and Argentine tango. Regular social dances on the weekends in addition to classes. YMMV based on where you live, but dancing with the stars has brought ballroom into the mainstream and there are quality studios in most decent sized US cities as far as I know.
Love ballroom dancing, and especially east coast swing is my jam. Unfortunately no regular social dances in my area but I go when there’s one available. It’s really fun and playful, great way to meet new people and good exercise. Equipment cost is basically a pair of shoes. I joke about dressing up in a dress and heels for my workouts.
I ride an electric bike instead of driving, gentle exercise but I’m sure it makes a difference. Pokemon go walks, yoga 4x a week at a group class, weightlifting less than once a week. Yardwork too, hauling things around. I got running shoes but have not deployed them yet, I’d like to run once a week only. I do move around a lot. I read somewhere that if you wanted to be fit after you are 50 you really need to exercise 3 hours a day, and it seems true. Not like lifting for 3 hours every day but if I was retired I’d do cardio every morning, lifting every noon, yoga every evening except one day totally off everything each week.
Also, keep a glass of water at your desk. Get up to fill it, drink, get up to pee, repeat. So that you aren’t sitting for too long.
I do yoga multiple times a week, use a rowing machine twice a week, and walk/hike my dogs.
Yoga is the best especially if you are sitting all day. And it’s a nice “third space” where you see the same people every class and make weak links with them that aren’t at home or at work.
60ish min in the weights room 5 days a week, 6 days a week 30 min zone 2 cardio. That’s it.
I run about 30 kms a week and I happen to live near my office, so I go there by bike. Walking is good. I do that almost daily after dinner. If I am tired after work, I make a point of taking long walks. I will still be tired, but the exhaustion will be physical rather than mental.
I break up working day with small 5 min breaks where I rest in a squat. I do this a minimum of 6 times. It helps to stretch the whole posterior chain.
First 30 days I had a 4cm block bellow my heels since I severly lack the mobility. After a month of daily practice I’ve been able to reduce the height of the block to 2 cm. Will continue for another month and hopefully the full squat will be available to me.
The goal is to be able to have the squat as a natural resting position that I can use on a daily basis to break the chair sitting banner.
I love this idea! Tie it into your existing routine! I decided a year ago to stand on one leg while brushing my teeth. Started as a teeter-totter, now I just sway a bit. I change legs when I change quadrants & do each for 30 seconds.
Also, squares are great. I avoided them (and lunges) for 20+ years because of my knee. Then I worked with a trainer for about 8 months last year. She slowly got me working the knee and after a few months I realized I could do squats! My pampering the knee for decades did nothing for it while her slow but steady working on it has me pain free and able to hike for 5+ hours now.
I also found the book: Built from Broken: A Science-Based Guide to Healing Painful Joints, Preventing Injuries, and Rebuilding Your Body by Scott Hogan
Really helped me out.
Did you typo squares for squats? I think some folks are legitimately curious if you’re talking about an exercise we haven’t heard about
Oof! It’s squats, not squares. That’s what I get for not proof reading my posts.
What are Squares?
That idea of standing on one leg seems interesting, a simple way to introduce balancing on a daily basis, will try it out.
That’s a cool idea. I’d like to start doing this. I hope my knees can cope, I’m very heavy.
I suggest you take a different approach then.
Instead of doing in 5 min blocks, do it in smaller intervals, say start with 30 seconds. And also you can aim for a smaller total daily time like 5 min, and work your way up to 30 dailly minutes over the course of weeks if not months. It may seem small but the goal is to accumulate the work and slowly induce adaptations.
