What kind of physical exercises do you maintain to be fit and healthy?

Hi, folks, I was wondering what kind of physical exercises should be considered as a bare minimum to be fit?

I don't want to be a bodybuilder. I just want to be healthy, not to get diabetes, back pain, cancer or heart issues. I try to walk regularly. But, I am getting fat, having back pain and sick on every seasonal change!

So, what do you do to be healthy?

Cover Photo by Chander R on Unsplash

Comments

[Anower Jahan Shofol]

Actually, going to gym is bit costly for me now. What kind of exercises do you do in the gym? That will give me an idea how much workout should we need.

[Ben Duncan]

I've been doing yoga on a regular basis, as well as following the hundred pushups regime. I also bike or walk everywhere which helps me keep up some basic level of fitness.

[Anower Jahan Shofol]

Thanks for the resource, Ben. I will check the pushup way.

[Jiří Tarašovič]

I wasn't doing any exercise for 2 years and I gained 30kgs.
But since I started dancing I am loosing weight, getting stronger, having new friends and having super fun! :)

My after-work schedule:
Monday: New Jack Swing
Tuesday: Locking, Popping
Wednesday: Urban Choreography
Thursday: 2x Hip Hop
Friday: Krump

And of course stretching/yoga after trainings

[Luke Inglis]

This. Healthy diet is essential to a healthy lifestyle. You can't exercise your way out of a poor diet.

That said. I run but walking is key. I walk anywhere I can. I take the stairs instead of the elevator any time it's reasonable (I work on the 4th floor of a building so I do it there. I didn't when I worked on the 11th). Adding simple exercises like pushups, squats, and planks is also a relatively low barrier to and exercise routine.

[Anower Jahan Shofol]

Yes, I also try to walk but I should take stairs instead of lifts too. That's a great way and I am amazed that you did that on the 11th floor too!

[Ben Lovy]

I'm a chronic pacer. I eventually started using a step counter app and I cover a ridiculous amount of distance just in my home. Highly recommended ;)

[Anower Jahan Shofol]

Yes, that's a reasonable point. I was thinking about this when I was posting.

I avoid junk foods totally. The only reason I see for my fat is that I eat a fair amount of rice, chicken or fish in my regular meal. Maybe these should be controlled.

How do you know that your meal is healthy? Do you follow any doctor's advice?

[Austin S. Hemmelgarn]

I typically take a couple of walks during the day on weekdays. Based on tracking I've been doing of this, it works out to about 2.3km a day at roughly 6kph, though the route I take has a somewhat steep hill part way through (Google Fit ends up counting each walk as about 15 heart points (minutes exercising weighted by cardiac activity)).

I've been considering doing Tai Chi again as well. Most people don't realize it, but it's actually a rather thorough workout if you do it right (It's seriously challenging to move through the sequences that slowly without falling over).

The bigger thing though is eating healthy, which I honestly need to get better about myself.

[Anower Jahan Shofol]

Thanks for sharing the tracking details, Austin. Didn't heard about Tai Chi before!

[Espoir Murhabazi]

Let me share mine :

for day in working_days do :

 -  10  to 30 pushups

-  10 to 30  abdominal exercises

-  use stairs in place of lift. #I work on the 5th floor of a building, I never use the lift, 

I keep doing the same routine every day.

Success is the product of daily habits—not once-in-a-lifetime transformations.
James Clear, Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

[Anower Jahan Shofol]

Hi Espoir, what is the first point? The stair part is really inspiring. I will surely keep that in mind.

[Espoir Murhabazi]

Yeah, I corrected it... check it now... hope you will get what I mean

[Iru.]

I would say that any sport that works all your body is a good choice.

I've been doing yoga for already 5 years, and one of the best decisions in my life; my back, shoulders, neck and legs feel way better than before.

Trying to apply some 'chair yoga' while I'm working, but my body starts to complain if I skip any class (try to go to 3 times per week)

[Anower Jahan Shofol]

Iru., can you recommend some good online resources for starting yoga?

[Iru.]

Downdog app is really nice for lots of levels, guided and very configurable.
If you don't wanna pay, there are plenty of youtube channels, just gotta find a style of teacher that suits you

[Gwyneth Peña-Siguenza]

I bought a punching bag and hung it up in my garage for $100. I've been kickboxing every day for 30 min, I've lost 15 pounds since Jan 1st, only 10 more pounds to reach my goal weight!

[Anower Jahan Shofol]

Only by punching! Are you following a diet with it? Will you continue this after reaching your goal or do something else?

[Gwyneth Peña-Siguenza]

Well, punching and kicking yes. My diet is pretty good already so I didn't make many changes, just added exercise. I'll continue this activity until I get bored, then I will find something else, maybe running.

[Ghost]

When I wake-up 100 push-ups, 200 sit-ups, 100 squats; during the day I usually spread 20-40 chin-ups/pull-ups and sometimes a couple of minutes of planks (minutes non consecutive).

I don't like gyms, too much testosterone, sweat, loud music and too many people for me :|

[Anower Jahan Shofol]

Very nice list to be followed, Robertorojasr. Do you follow these daily?

[Ghost]

I may skip 1 day on a week; I think is better to leave days off tho, but if I do that lazyness start to creep :\

I really don't have any more knowledge than a few years practicing martial arts in the past, so for better advice I would ask an expert, although I don't think my routine is too heavy or risky.

Finally, I would recommend always start very slow, no extra weight and don't push yourself too hard, no glory in get injured and having to rest for a month. No productive either, if something non-muscular hurts, STOP, articulations and ligaments shouldn't hurt, no pain no gain is only for muscle and even that with caution, muscle get a little ruptured with exercise, a lot of rupture and you have an injure that will take maybe months to recover. If someone have never made much physical activity, should check a doctor before, and start SLOW, dead slow, stupidly slow, build with care. It's not a sprint is a marathon, think in a routine that you can keep from now, not something that will kill you in a month.

[Michel Renaud]

I walk everywhere. I sold my car more than seven years ago and live in a walkable neighbourhood, so I run all my errands on foot. That and just taking walks for the heck of it. I don't run.

Morning yoga, but that's only an 8-minute routine after getting out of bed. Currently in a 100-day streak.

I've been going to a gym for a few months, but it's expensive (personal trainer) and I only have a couple of months left. I did buy some stuff to do some workouts at home, plus things like floor exercises that require no equipment (well, a mat helps...)

Not much of any of the above lately with a concussion, a bad cold (yes, cold, not the other thing) and a gout attack, all in the past three weeks. I'm cursed.

[Philipp Montesano]

I strongly agree that gym is not required (e.g. running, biking, boarding, etc). But I also think that it starts with little things: Standing while working (if your desk is height-adjustable), taking the stairs instead of the elevator, drinking enough, have some timeouts, stretching, ...