Exercises you love, hate and want to try

[SnuggleBuggles]

I have really gotten into the gym zone recently. I had been going regularly before that but I am more psyched and pumped about it than ever. I started going over lunch time and there are some true gym rats there and I have been watching their routines. I started to think about what I truly love exercise wise, what I hate and what I want to try. Here's my list (some are specific things):

Love- weight lifting, Zumba, jogging outside

Hate- mountain climbers, skaters, jumping jacks, squat jumps

Want to try- biking outside (I'm strictly a stationary bike girl and haven't owned one since I was a kid), yoga (I've tried it a few times but would love to get in the routine)


Is there anything you feel intimidated by? I feel intimidated by Pilates. I have taken it a few times on occasion but I feel way too out of shape for it! I also want to do push ups with my feet on the balance ball but my attempts at that have been comical...probably because my core coould use some Pilates. ;) The one gym rat (she moves like a stripper, btw, with her constant flinging her legs up onto high bars to stretch) does all sorts of cool exercises that I want to try but not sure I could do yet.

Beth

[infomama]

I love yoga and I would go to class everyday if I could. I practice at home every day and there is plenty that scares me (like jumping into poses or out of poses, hand stands) but I still try them and if I fall out of a pose...who cares. I get back into it and the more I do it, the better I get and my gosh what an amazing feeling of accomplishment it is to grow in my practice.

Push ups on a balance ball take a lot of core and arm strength so it's actually a very advanced move. Start with push ups on your knees, then up on your hands then lift one foot off the ground as you do the push up *then* move to the ball. Building your core can be fun depending on the method.
I know, I'm crazy but I love the feeling of awakening those sleeping muscles (and China gel is great for soothing them).

"Do one thing every day that scares you" and if you fall just get back up.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I love yoga and I would go to class everyday if I could. I practice at home every day and there is plenty that scares me (like jumping into poses or out of poses, hand stands) but I still try them and if I fall out of a pose...who cares. I get back into it and the more I do it, the better I get and my gosh what an amazing feeling of accomplishment it is to grow in my practice.

Push ups on a balance ball take a lot of core and arm strength so it's actually a very advanced move. Start with push ups on your knees, then up on your hands then lift one foot off the ground as you do the push up *then* move to the ball. Building your core can be fun depending on the method.
I know, I'm crazy but I love the feeling of awakening those sleeping muscles (and China gel is great for soothing them).


"Do one thing every day that scares you" and if you fall just get back up.

That's a good motto. :)

Anything else you want to try?

I have done the push ups with the ball successfully before. I usually have to take a running start. :) I'd much rather bench press or do flies than push ups though. I should have added push ups to my hate list.

Beth

[infomama]

Anything else you want to try?
Honestly, I think I've found my home in Yoga when it comes to mind/body wellness. My entire body feels awakened after every practice, so different from my gym days when I picked a muscle group to work on. You should give it a try.

[bubbaray]

Love: Yoga

Hate: Pilates. DID YOU HEAR THAT Physio Matt? Really. I H.A.T.E. pilates. Even if its good for me.

To try: Hmmmm, not sure. There aren't many sports that I want to do that I haven't at least tried. I'd love to do Ironman, but that is highly unlikely -- no time to train and I think I might hyperventilate during the open water swim.

I'd love to get back in to volleyball, but injuries from my competitive days prevent that. I'm considering joining a women's soccer team, though. I haven't played myself since HS.

[infomama]

Just thought of one I would like to master....Krav Maga. It's a highly instinctual form of defensive tactics.

[MartiesMom2B]

Love: Hip Hop Hustle, Turbo Kick, spinning

Hate: I have to agree with Mountain climbers or fancy push ups. I just deal with it and do them when I have to. I really don't like step classes either

Want to try: one of those boot camp classes. I'm sure I'd have to do the mountain climbers and crazy push ups but I am interested to see if I could make it.

[wellyes]

Love: Spin; weight lifting in a class (BodyPump / Group Power); breaststroke; vinyasa yoga
Hate: any traditional dance-based aerobics or step; pilates (due to MY lack of core strength), lifting on my own
Want to try: kettleball; hydrocise (spin in a pool - my gym doesn't offer it)

I love yoga & used to do it 5x week. But at the time I was *not* doing cardio and strength training too. It great in terms of mental health, but for overall fitness it was not a good balance for me.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Sonia, I did a boot camp class last summer! 5:30am. I only did 3 days/ week but should have done 5 in hindsight. Fun! Not every day involved mountain climbers, thankfully. Some days there were even more unique forms of torture. :)

Wellyes- I adore Group Power/ Body Pump!!! My old gym was fantastic and had it offered like 6 days/ week at consistent times so you could easily make it a routine (GP every other day at 6pm). New gym? They have it 3 days/ week all at completely random, useless times. I keep meaning to talk to the director about that. I felt and looked awesome when I was doing that class.

Beth

[Beckylove]

Love: Zumba, pilates on a reformer, Tennis/cardio tennis

Pilates on the reformer is awesome. I do a group class and got a good price. It is easy to adjust to your fitness level, but I always get that "next day soreness" that signals to me that I am actually working those muscles.

Hate: Running, lifting weights by myself

Want to try??: spinning, working with a trainer

I am not sure I want to actually try these. Spinning looks really hard. Those people always leave the spinning room SO sweaty. I'm a little scared that I would fall off the bike in exhaustion.

I really used to hate the gym, but finding some things I enjoy has made a huge difference in my attitude and motivation. For once, I get disappointed when I can't go, not desperate for any excuse not to go like usual.

[wellyes]

Spinning looks really hard. Those people always leave the spinning room SO sweaty. I'm a little scared that I would fall off the bike in exhaustion.

LOL.
As a not-that-fit person it also cracks me up to read that someone who does zumba and cardio tennis is intimated by spin! The reason I love spin is that while everyone in the room is working hard, what you can't see is that they're all able to really modulate it for their own fitness level. If you see an overweight woman and a fit woman doing, say, the exact same intensity of step aerobics --- I think the overweight woman is working harder since she is having to lift her extra weight with every step. With spin, you turn a little wheel to make it more/less intense so it can be equally effective for an extremely fit person and for someone who has less strength/stamina.


(Re: not-that-fit, I'm not saying spin doesn't work. I was only able to do it for 2 months before I had to stop due to pregnancy).

[jent]

I'll play! I've been trying to get back into working out again:

Love: yoga, team sports (I will run much harder/faster/longer when it is for a team than myself), cycling (outdoor)

Hate: swimming-- I've always been a horrible swimmer

Want to try: Pilates, Zumba (what is that exactly?), spinning

I'll add another category: "Meh": running (indoor or outdoor), cardio equipment (ellipticals, stairclimbers, etc), and weights-- I find them all a little boring, but do feel good once I've done it.

[egoldber]

Love...I love yoga, but since I need more calorie burning, muscle building, I seldom do it because the extra time just isn't there for me. I also love weight training.

Hate...I hate cardio. I hate it. I don't mind walking and hiking, etc. but running I hate, although it's what I mainly do. I don't mind the stairmaster in short bursts, and I'll do it in 10 minutes increments to break up other stuff. The elliptical just bores me to tears.

Want to try....I've never done zumba and don't really get it. I recently got over my dislike of classes, but the ones at my work aren't really at a good time for me or they get really crowded and I HATE working out without enough personal space.

[LarsMal]

I don't belong to a gym right now, but when I did I LOVED spin class. I basically loved classes- any group setting where someone was telling me what to do! I HATE- working out by myself!

I really want to try Zumba.