My frugal exercise plan

[terry1156]

I thought I would share this with all of you want to lose a few pounds. I did this to lose about 10 pounds and have continued to do it and I've been in better shape than I have been in a long time.

My main problem is I spend a lot of time in front of the computer where I don't get the exercise I should. The other problem is that I am not good at doing long work outs. I never seem to be able to find an extra hour a day to exercise. This is how I solved the problem.

I have an alarm clock set next to my computer that is set to go off every hour. When it goes off, I do 3 to 5 minutes of stretching exercises that my wife gave me from her yoga. I never break a sweat, but the stretching and muscle manipulation has strengthened my whole body.

I also find that I don't have the desire to snack near as much since I started doing this. Best of all, it has now become a habit. I hear the alarm and I go right into my stretching.

I don't know if this will help anyone else, but it is one of the only programs I have been able to stay with over a month and it works for me, so I thought I would share. If you have any specific questions about it, just post them.

[2moretrees]

How do you do this when you are at work?

[terry1156]

I'm retired so I don't have to worry about what others think in an office. My wife, however, still works outside and she has adapted the program to stretch while still seated. It was a combination of her yoga and the exercises that you see on the tapes in airplanes when you go on a long flight. Mostly is is a lot of flexing and retracting of muscle groups.

I'm not a trainer or exercise fanatic of any kind, but the system has worked for me. The part that has really helped is that it is just a couple of minutes every hour...once you get those into your rythem, it is an easy program to follow.

[mom-from-missouri]

I park a block away from work on nice days. Then walk the rest of the way. This gives me free exercise, plus, I actually save a little on gas. If I were to do the stretching exercises at work, I would be told I was 'distractacting' to the work group...we have had people try it in the past-even though our HR department had someone come in and recommend it...oh well.

[terry1156]

Originally Posted by mom-from-missouri

I park a block away from work on nice days. Then walk the rest of the way. This gives me free exercise, plus, I actually save a little on gas. If I were to do the stretching exercises at work, I would be told I was 'distractacting' to the work group...we have had people try it in the past-even though our HR department had someone come in and recommend it...oh well.

That is really too bad. I would think that the exercises would improve productivity, but sometime management just doesn't get it.

[miclason]

The parking lot is 4 blocks away from my office...in the morning, it's a downhill walk...but, when I go home....it's up the hill all the way...and, if I need to run errands in a 8 block radius from the office, I walk! - of course, most of the time I try to program them for the same day and go to the shopping mall, where I can find 80% of the banks and other stuff I need! - that is 4 blocks away!

[DivaJen]

Originally Posted by terry1156

I have an alarm clock set next to my computer that is set to go off every hour. When it goes off, I do 3 to 5 minutes of stretching exercises that my wife gave me from her yoga. I never break a sweat, but the stretching and muscle manipulation has strengthened my whole body.

I imagine this would be excellent for reducing muscle tension throughout the day as well - something I struggle with.

[terry1156]

Jen,

It works wonders on your shoulders and upper back if you spend a lot of time on the computer. The main thing I found was that I needed to place the alarm clock a bit away from me so it forced me to get up and turn it off. by doing that, it breaks whatever I'm doing on the computer so I have no problem doing the stretches. I had the alarm right next to my computer for awhile, but I started to just toun it off and said I would just finish up with what I was doing. That would lead to something else and I would end up missing the stretches. by getting up, you break the rythem and can do the stretches.

mom-from-missouri,

I bet you could develop some very small flexing exercises that you could do in your chair that people around you would even notice you were doing. Being on a computer most of the day, even a little stretching really has helped me.