A little consumer reporting??

[JPenny]

Hi all you healthy people!

I just had a visit from my skinny sister who runs on her treadmill three days a week and does weight stuff another three days. She looks great and I'm jealous. Considering the size of her house and her general lifestyle, I'm assuming her treadmill was one of the expensive brands (in the thousands), which I can No Way afford.

I've been all over the internet looking at elliptical and treadmill equipment ($$!!!!), considered the tubes and balls (????) for Pilates, and wondered what in the world I can do. I'm financially challenged, and don't have a lot of space either. I'd love to do something that would allow for TV watching at the same time.

What are all of you doing for exercise? What works and what doesn't? What equipment should I get, and what is a waste of money? I want to start something, in addition to lo-carbing (sort of). So what does everyone recommend?

Thanks!

Jean in SC :wave:

[noflyingfan]

I have the same problem, but there is a solution.

I don't know if you live in or near a runnable neighborhood, but if you do, try going out to run a few times a week. Or even walk. It's free, and it can be quite pleasant in the evenings or mornings. And while you can't watch TV while doing it, you can take a radio or whatever you like and just get away from things for awhile. I find it's too easy to get distracted trying to work out at home.

Try 20 minutes a day at first, maybe three or four times a week. Don't overdo it, just take it slowly and listen to your body. But if you walk, make it brisk, don't just meander. In a few weeks, you'll see a difference. Honestly.

The one thing you will need to spend money on, no matter what you do, is SHOES. NEVER run with old, worn-out shoes; your feet and legs will ache, and you can do real damage if you do it too much. Go to a specialty running store, and the people there should be able to look at your feet and how you walk and tell you what kind of shoes to get. Don't skimp on the shoes. I can't stress that enough.

[StPeteMark]

If your goal is aerobic conditioning, I found the treadmill to have the edge over the elliptical.

At home I have a basic Pro-Form Spacesaver treadmill that I got on sale for about $300 from Sears a few years ago...good product. Even though it has a few built-in programs, I use it on manual mode for an hour workout.

Wait for a good sale at Sears...they have a lot of 50% and close-out sales. And get the Sears 3-year extended warranty if the price is reasonable (I paid a little over $100)...treadmills have a lot of moving parts, electronics, and cost a lot to fix.

Here's the website for Pro-Form:

http://www.iconfitness.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ExecMacro/PF2003/index.d2w/report?BN=0&REFERER_URL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eiconfitness%2Ecom%2 Ficon%2FCorporate%2Fbrands%2Ehtml

Don't let the upper-end prices scare you.
Good luck! :)

[WillFlyToDisney]

Jean,

Gosh I wished you lived closer so we could be walking buddies.

I have a great treadmill that I got for less than $99 at a local thrift store. Check out Goodwill or the Salvation Army in your area for a great used one.

Happy walking!
Kelley

[EyesSkyward]

Walking? Great idea. No special equipment needed except a reasonably good pair of shoes. Pretty much anyone can do it right out of the gate.

Running? Also a great idea. Good shoes are more important, but you don't have to spend $$$. Pretty much anyone can get to the point where they can do it.

But here's an idea: Why not do both? That's how I started out. I would go out four times a week, for 30 minutes at a time. At first, I would mostly walk, with a few minutes of running thrown in. Each time, I would increase the running, and reduce the walking, so that eventually I was running the entire 30 minutes. Even today, when I run really loooong races, like half and full marathons, I'll take little walking breaks now and then.

People sometimes tend to shy away from running, but that's mostly because their idea of "running" is really "full-out, heart-pounding-out-of-your-chest-kind-of-sprinting". :) You don't have to go that fast. In fact, the rule of thumb is that you should run at a pace where you can still carry on a conversation. For some, this might be a really slow jog. So be it. You're not out to break any records.

Good luck!

- Jeff

[JPenny]

So what do you walkers/runners do on bad weather days, or days when it's so hot and humid you wanna pass out? Is that when the treadmill comes in handy, or do you just tough it out?

[EyesSkyward]

So what do you walkers/runners do on bad weather days, or days when it's so hot and humid you wanna pass out? Is that when the treadmill comes in handy, or do you just tough it out?

Me? I either:

1) Get up earlier, when it's not so bad. Or go later at night.

2) Tough it out. Fluids are your friend!

3) Skip the whole thing, stay home, and have a nice Gin & Tonic. Fluids are your friend! :)

[kallieb]

Completely off topic....but .....Jeff your Cow picture kills me. That is the funniest cow picture I have ever seen in my life.

Now why do you like cows!

[JPenny]

How long do you walk? When do you know you're done? How fast do you go? Do you go the same places each time? Can you come to SC and coach me? (You too, Kellie!).

Jean :hyped: (ol' jelly-belly!)

[StPeteMark]

...I have a great treadmill that I got for less than $99 at a local thrift store. Check out Goodwill or the Salvation Army in your area for a great used one. ...Kelley
That's a good idea...check out the newspaper, too. You'll probably see ads like, "used only two times...like new".

I use the treadmill for powerwalking, not jogging or running. I like it for things that you mentioned...avoiding hot humid and/or bad weather. Also, I can avoid cars, exhaust fumes, and roaming pets. You don't have to carry a water bottle belt (a necessity!) and a bathroom is just down the hall - nothing worse than getting a bad urge a mile from home! :) I'm a morning person...by 5am, I'm starting my exercise hour...alternate between upper body (weights), lower body the next day, and then treadmill the third day. And then repeat for the next three days...Sunday is my only day off. I set the treadmill in front of the TV and play music videos...it helps pass the time and the rhythm helps keep the treadmill pace.

If it's a really nice morning, like in the spring or fall, I'll opt for walking outside; then, for me, it worth the pitfalls.

In any event, start a walking program ASAP...you'll start to feel better even in the first week!!! I also recommend reading the South Beach Diet book; it has a lot of good nutrition and blood chemistry information and why insulin resistance keeps the pounds on...and on. I've given up sugar and white flour carb items...especially soft drinks. Now, it's water, water, and more water.

[WillFlyToDisney]

5AM??? I'm just barely in bed by then! LOL

I attempted a soda free day today - had a small glass of iced tea to try to curb the caffeine craving - but I had a full blown migraine coming on so I caved and downed a Pepsi (albeit a small one). Headache gone!

[noflyingfan]

The walking/running idea is a good one. Start out with a brisk walk and then go into a nice, easy jog. Jog for a minute or two (take a watch) and then go back to the walking, even if you feel you can do more. Walk for five minutes and then jog for another minute. Do that for about 20 minutes. As you do it more and more, try to do just a little more running each time (i.e. three minutes instead of two), and pretty soon, you won't do any walking at all, save your warm-up.

When you're jogging, a good way to figure out if you're going too hard is to see if you can still hold a conversation. You should be able to talk to someone without losing your breath. If you're losing your breath, slow down. Like Jeff said, running doesn't have to be sprinting. If you're just starting out, you shouldn't be sprinting at all.

As for the bad weather, going earlier or later is a good idea. Or just go a little slower, take it easy and take that water with you.

[JPenny]

I'm motivated now. And you've saved me from making a foolish purchase that I can't afford! I live on a winding, hilly street with lots of barking dogs, but what better "track" can there be than that? And I have an iPod, so there's no excuse, right? Sean, you are an inspiration. If I could just lose 30 pounds I would be SOOO excited! I wish you lived next door, with Kelley on the other side and Jeff across the street!

Have a great weekend every one!

Jean :wave:

P.S. My daughter comes home from New Zealand Tuesday morning, after being gone for over 5 weeks. I can hardly breath, I'm so excited to see her!

[EyesSkyward]

Completely off topic....but .....Jeff your Cow picture kills me. That is the funniest cow picture I have ever seen in my life.

Now why do you like cows!

Heh, heh... Thanks. The cow picture has a not-very-interesting story behind it.

It started a few years back, on the message board for the Las Vegas Advisor. They switched to (then) new forum software that supported avatars, and one of the "built-in" pictures was a little cartoon cow. I picked that one because I'm a vegetarian, and, as such, have some affinity for them. :) Plus, it just looked cool.

Anyway, eventually someone else starting using the same avatar, so I poked around the internet for a custom cow picture of my very own. This is the photo I stumbled across, which I shrank and cropped to avatar size. I have no idea where it came from, but I'm sort of attached to it and I seem to wind up eventually using it on all the forums I frequent.

I even made a few versions of it to swap in on special occassions:

Christmas
http://www.jeffjetton.com/images/cow_santa.jpg

New Year's
http://www.jeffjetton.com/images/cow_newyears.jpg

Star Wars Premiere
http://www.jeffjetton.com/images/cow_starwars.jpg

- Jeff

[kallieb]

Now the cow picture was funny in and of itself. Add that to your modified pictures - well, it is now approacing 'legend' status.

thanks...you gave me a huge laugh today!

[WillFlyToDisney]

Darth Cow! I love it. Cows are so cute.

Sidebar here - Jeff, have you seen DARTH TATER??? This is what I want for my birthday next week!!

[Jeff California]

Andrea has the same problem. When she quits drinking Pepsi, I want to file for divorce.

Getting up at 5 am is a bad idea.10:30 am is much better.



5AM??? I'm just barely in bed by then! LOL

I attempted a soda free day today - had a small glass of iced tea to try to curb the caffeine craving - but I had a full blown migraine coming on so I caved and downed a Pepsi (albeit a small one). Headache gone!

[StPeteMark]

...Getting up at 5 am is a bad idea.10:30 am is much better.
Noooo...I start my exercising at 5am; I get get up at 3:45am! :eek: :)

[WillFlyToDisney]

Mark,

I went to bed at 415am. LOL No way on this planet I could exercise at 5am.

Kel

[StPeteMark]

Mark, I went to bed at 415am. LOL No way on this planet I could exercise at 5am. Kel
Kel, I guess our jobs dictate what and when with everything else. Think about the TV anchorpersons who start broadcasting at 4am...got to give them an A for effort! In any event, I think you will outparty most of us at the first Flight Fest you are able to attend! :lol: :elephant: :banana: :spot:

[WillFlyToDisney]

Yep. The Entertainment industry does keep much different hours then most other jobs. I had a scheduled conference call at midnite my time last nite which is not at all unusual (that is only 9pm on the West Coast). Call me up until 2am and I am always awake and working. Call me before 11am and I wont answer the phone! :)

I'll be thinking about you waking up to exercise as I am dozing off... lol

Kel

[WillFlyToDisney]

Sean,

Easy solution. Turn the phone off! ;) I do when I am at home between 2am and 11am. When I am on the road I am at the mercy of my cell phone ringing at all hours (someone has to bail the musicians out of jail....).

Kel