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Ask HN: How much do you exercise a day/week?

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Re: Ask HN: How much do you exercise a day/week?

#81

Post by artlogic »

Last year after trying a bunch of different things fitness options, I got into cycling. I now commute by bike whenever I can and participate in long (50+ mile) weekend rides. In the summer I am riding on average 10 miles a day, but that drops to maybe 10 miles a week for the winter months.

One great thing about cycling is that the community is very hacker-esque. Once you learn the talk, you'll feel right at home.

Another wonderful thing about cycling is that a stressful 15 minute car ride can turn into a peaceful 30 minute bike ride, giving your mind a rest. I find that after a quick ride I am more likely to come up with good ideas and be productive/creative.

Re: Ask HN: How much do you exercise a day/week?

#83

Post by scott_s »

beza1e1 wrote: post #64
scott_s wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you do a bodybuilder-style lifting workout, it will target specific muscle groups. But if you're doing squats, cleans, deadlifts and their variations, you're using many muscles, sometimes your whole body. The transfer is going to be the same. You are exposed to more risk (I'm recovering from a minor strain in my lower back from deadlifts - I'll be more conservative next time), but I think in the long run, the rewa…

Do you have an idea, how to do deadlifts and cleans without "professional" weights and without a gym? Bodyweight squats are good. So are chin-ups, pull-ups, dips, push-ups, burpees and planks. I'd avoid sit-ups, especially if you hunched over your desk all day. A fun way to spice up the workout is "Parkour". My workout is running a few kilometers to a selected tree, doing some of the exercises above and running home.…

Kettlebells. You can do a form of deadlift and cleans with them. Google for "kettlebell deadlift" and "kettlebell clean" to get an idea how.

Re: Ask HN: How much do you exercise a day/week?

#85

Post by nethergoat »

lowe wrote: post #4

with exercise i've found benefit as a function of time to be crazy non-linear. there's a much bigger difference between 0 minutes and 20 minutes spent exercising than between 20 and 40 or 40 and 60. so when i'm busy, i do what i can, keep it short, but never cut it out. i try to do something every other day at least. it clears my head and resets my stress. i like to run. simple. no gym membership. no complicated/expe…

For those already in decent shape, here's a way to maximizing the use of those 20 minutes: high-intensity interval training (HIIT - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-intensity_interval_trainin...). The basic premise is to alternate between maximum effort (sprinting) and medium effort (jogging) at set intervals. The key is that the sprints are anaerobic rather than aerobic. This type of workout induces a state of excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, thereby raising your resting metabolic rate for about 24 hours.

Hop on a treadmill (or bike, elliptical, whatever), warm up for 5 minutes, then go all-out for 30 seconds. Jog for 60 seconds, then go all-out for another 30 seconds. Repeat the cycle 6-8 times. Cool down for 5 minutes.

Best bang for your 20 minutes. Do it just three times a week; add in lifting, normal cardio, etc. as desired.

Re: Ask HN: How much do you exercise a day/week?

#86

Post by wushupork »

martial arts training twice a week and calisthenics in between for core training.

the martial arts training is about an hr of warmup and basics and half and hr of running forms (standardized routines).

between the martial arts, I try to do core workouts at home which include exercises with the chinup bar, gymnastics style static exercies, like handstands, planches

i think consistency is key. even if you dont have time, try to do something, anything. i find that i feel really crappy if i miss my workout or training. it definitely keeps me energized.

Re: Ask HN: How much do you exercise a day/week?

#88

Post by HeyLaughingBoy »

I try to get on my treadmill for at least 30 minutes three times/week. If I have the time I do more and I also do weights, but that's my desired minimum and I can usually make it. Now that it's finally warming up (can't believe it snowed yesterday!), I'll probably be taking the running outside.

But IMHO, the biggest bang for the buck is simply to move around Don't be one of those people who drives around the parking lot for half an hour looking for a closer spot to avoid walking an extra 20 feet to the door. I get in the parking lot and PARK. If I have to walk 200 yards to get in the store, it won't kill me and the exercise is good for me. The only exceptions are heavy rain, subzero temperatures, or carrying a baby or toddler (which I haven't had to do for years).

Just get off the couch and do something and your health will automatically improve. Humans are built to walk, we just don't do enough of it.

Re: Ask HN: How much do you exercise a day/week?

#90

Post by jamesbritt »

I've been trying to make a point of walking every day, though it works out more to every 2nd or 3rd day.

I used to listen to music, but found it too easy/tempting to skip around to find a better piece, and my mind kept focusing on all sorts of "must do" shit that made me want to go back in and work.

So I started listening to audio books. It makes up for the reading I used to do when I lived in NYC and traveled on buses and trains (now it's walk or drive, so less reading :( )

I prefer short stories; more immediate sense of satisfaction and completion, and greater variety. Right now I'm going through Tobias Wolff's Our Story Begins. Great stuff, and I find that I make myself walk longer if I think I can get to the end of the current story.

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