Exercise

[cojak]

Walking.

My digs are 2 miles from work, takes me just over 30 minutes. Just enough time for the fried breakfast to settle.

[cojak]

True enough.

I am amazed by people who think walking is exercise.

Actually, at 4 miles an hour it is indeed exercise...

[landl]

Actually, at 4 miles an hour it is indeed exercise...

+1. A long fast walk on hilly/forrest terrain is fantastic exercise, and a heck of a lot more interesting than being stuck in a gym.

[Mich the Tester]

+1. A long fast walk on hilly/forrest terrain is fantastic exercise, and a heck of a lot more interesting than being stuck in a gym.

Anything's more interesting than being stuck in a gym, and many things are much more effective, even for top sportspeople. Lots of top sportspeople have gone back to training outdoors on assault courses, carrying and throwing sandbags and logs, running up sand dunes etc because it works well and is more fun than gym machines.
Agree that walking on hilly terrain is excellent exercise for all those who just want to stay in decent shape or lose a few kgs.

[doodab]

Actually, at 4 miles an hour it is indeed exercise...

+1. A long fast walk on hilly/forrest terrain is fantastic exercise, and a heck of a lot more interesting than being stuck in a gym.

I will give you walking in the hills or mountains, but the standard advice that "1/2 an hour brisk walking three times a week" is sufficient exercise is misguided IMO. It's an improvement on sitting on the sofa but anyone who isn't morbidly obese ought to be aiming a bit higher.

[Mich the Tester]

I will give you walking in the hills or mountains, but the standard advice that "1/2 an hour brisk walking three times a week" is sufficient exercise is misguided IMO. It's an improvement on sitting on the sofa but anyone who isn't morbidly obese ought to be aiming a bit higher.

Yep; personally I find it unpleasant to imagine not getting some regular exercise. If I have to rest for a couple of weeks due to illness or injury I can start getting very lethargic and a bit depressed, so even then I'll go out for a walk or a bike ride.

[russell]

I had bought a Polar HRM watch with chest band but quickly realised it was fairly useless as you cannot get data off the watch and it didn't talk to any smart phone apps.

I sent it back and bought the Zephyr HXM which is just a chest strap but has bluetooth built in. Got a free android app that is able to communicate with it to get HR. The app also tracks distance by GPS and can be set to read out things like distance HR speed at custom intervals while still playing music.

Will use it tonight on my run before watching the Real v Barca game with a few beers.

[landl]

I will give you walking in the hills or mountains, but the standard advice that "1/2 an hour brisk walking three times a week" is sufficient exercise is misguided IMO. It's an improvement on sitting on the sofa but anyone who isn't morbidly obese ought to be aiming a bit higher.

Yes, agreed. 90 minutes of brisk walking a week just sounds like the bare minimum to stop people setting root in the sofa to me.

[Mich the Tester]

I had bought a Polar HRM watch with chest band but quickly realised it was fairly useless as you cannot get data off the watch and it didn't talk to any smart phone apps.

I sent it back and bought the Zephyr HXM which is just a chest strap but has bluetooth built in. Got a free android app that is able to communicate with it to get HR. The app also tracks distance by GPS and can be set to read out things like distance HR speed at custom intervals while still playing music.

Will use it tonight on my run before watching the Real v Barca game with a few beers.

Use it every morning for a few minutes while you're still in bed and rested; it'll help you track recovery from training. Find your base resting heart rate by measuring in the morning in bed after you've not trained for a couple of days; a good recovery from training means you're back to within about 5% of that base resting hart rate; if you're 10% or more above it in the morning then you need an extra rest day instead of training. Believe me, training while you're still knackered from the last training will make you less fit.

[doodab]

I have a Suunto one, it's one of the better gadgets I've bought. I had to buy the PC connecting dongle separately.