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

i like to run. simple. no gym membership. no complicated/expensive gear -- only necessary investment is a pair of running shoes (runs around $90). best of all, you can exhaust yourself quickly: if you don't have much time to spare, just run faster* for less time.

* i wouldn't recommend taking this to an extreme. i knew a guy in college who'd max out the treadmill for a few minutes, sweat like crazy and call it a day. odds are that's terrible for you. (he also had an anger management problem...related?)

That consistency of showing up, even for 15 minutes a day 4 times a week, is what builds the habit. Building the habit is the important part. After you get the habit, then you will naturally start doing more challenging things to avoid boredom, because the constant is that you keep going, but what you do is what may change day to day. As well, you will find yourself setting aside more time to go to the gym because you'll feel more confident with your surroundings and the people. You may also become interested in classes, and start promising friends that "you'll see them at 5pm tomorrow." As you get (or stay) in good shape, you will learn about and be invited to various other athletic events or sports, which will reinforce the habit to stay in shape.

On those days that I manage to taste the fresh air I occasionally get the feeling, way in the back of my head, that I should get out and do something. Someday.

In a few months I was in reasonable shape, but you could see a big difference in posture (and in not getting sick) from the second visit. Kept doing it for about 6 months, then on and off another 2 years. Then I started doing other stuff, mostly for fun. Last thing was indoor climbing - most fun I ever had doing sports. Also very good at unexpected things: I never expected my balance to improve so much.

My point is: weightlifting is the best thing to start with, for two reasons. Time wise it's by far the most efficient, both as time spent per week (twice is enough), and as time until getting into shape. Second, it's very useful for whatever you want to do in the future. Whatever the sport chances are basic strength and a bit of endurance are required.

4 days a week: cardio. 3 days a week: weights.

For cardio, it's most often the stationary bike in my condo gym. I pedal as fast as I can get to 1,000 calories (about 32 minutes). I sometimes go for a 10k run instead, if it's nice outside (about 45 minutes). In the summer, soccer with my work team replaces cardio once a week.

For weights, I run through a circuit of exercises in about 35 minutes. On a universal gym: seated bench press, quadricep extensions, hamstring curls, tricep extensions, lat bar pulldowns. With free weights: back flys, shoulder lifts. On a mat: various situps. To finish off: 2 minutes of very high-intensity cardio on a stairclimber.

Weekdays, I do my workouts right after work, before dinner. I don't think I've missed a workout for about four years, except when traveling. (When traveling, I do a 25-minute body-weight "core circuit" of situps and pushups in the morning immediately after getting up.) Weekends, I get the workout (usually the cardio) out of the way as soon as practical...usually after getting laundry or some other task started.

If doing this every day without fail seems rigid and bordering on obsessive, it's because I've learned for my own personality type, it's vital to make it part of my daily routine. The less I have to think about it, the more likely is that I'll stick with it and make no excuses. There's now never any question as to whether I will or won't exercise on any given day - it's as routine as eating dinner.

I commute on a bike (5 miles each way). I also run 5k's when they come around, Lift weights twice per week, and go on long (50+ mile) bike rides when I can.

i do a 2-3 hour workout 2-3 days/week centered around a martial art i compete in on the national/international level. the enjoyment factor really helps get you off the couch.

and i do about 1 hour or so of warmup into a weight routine 2 days a week to compliment the other training.

But I should do more!

Since I started doing to tibetan rites I manage to work longer without needing a break, and manage to keep to deadlines more (but yea, still miss them). Apparently helps getting the entire energy system flowing which in turn leaves you energised and refreshed.

More info here:

http://www.lifeevents.org/5-tibetans-energy-rejuvenation-exe...

sometimes i run to a pool and then swim. on weekends i tend to do longer runs, or else long bike rides to ponds for swimming. this is now that it's warm. during winter i swim indoors after work most days.

i'm trying to start up weekly roller hockey (thurs, 6pm, ahern, cambridge). all you need are skates/blades and whatever protective gear you want. i can bring sticks if you let me know.

i also enjoy roller tennis and roller frisbee. hmm, i guess that's it. i tried indoor soccer this winter, which was prett good. i used to fence. sometimes i spar outside, but i miss the precision of electronics.

i love moving outside. i think people interact with such freedom and joy when outside, especially in nice weather (though all sorts of weather can be interesting). just shooting hoops with someone can make for a more easy going conversation.

recently i've learn yoga, which again is especially awesome when done outside, say after running to a nice field or creek.

i pretty much work constantly at my computer, though i try to read at night before sleep (rather than working until my eyeballs literally need massaging). i try to tear myself away from work with things like piano and sewing, but exercise is the most consistent and best feeling.

oh yeah! pickup ultimate frisbee at least once a wee!! winter pond skating and ice hockey this year was also sweet!!

So I fight. I admire fighters, and I figure it is right for a young man to try to earn himself some glory.

It's the hardest thing I've ever done. I lost 20 pounds. I did things I never thought I could do. I've cried after practice.

On the downside, my schedule is packed between grad school and Muay Thai/ Jiu Jitsu practice. Also, I'm not sure that getting punched in the face is the best way to stay healthy.

But you know what they say: it's better to burn out than to fade away.

Plus, there's no better cure for the ennui, the malaise of the modern world, the lack of purpose, the depression of your savanna mind sitting behind a desk all day than to experience your body as it was meant to be, in all its glory, in the world's most honest and objective form of competition.

Doing a startup can be particularly difficult because there's nothing to force you to go out. But the toll it will take on your mental agility will compound.

You don't need an enormous amount of exercise. I'd advocate going out and taking a walk whenever you're stuck on something. It usually clears my head and I'll have an answer for what I was working on when I get back.

So far the list's included p90 (gave up first day), two different gyms (smelly and old vs. new and clean?), wii fit (this gets boring fast), pilates, walking around, snowboarding (live in LA, don't get much of a chance to go see snow...), swimming, or (really) sex. The last of which is the only thing that happens regularly but isn't enough exercise. Oh well.

I'd love to do something I could actually stick with, but I don't have a huge motivation to do so when clothes still fit (even my teeny weeny not yellow or polka dotted bikini) and I can go up a couple flights of stairs without a problem. I'm pretty surprised to see so many people here are exercising regularly (or maybe they're the only ones answering...:P), maybe I can pick up a few good tips from here :D

I recommend the chalice lift for a good all-purpose hacker exercise. Go over to that big set o' one-hand weights the folks are always using for bicep curls. Find the largest one you can comfortably lift with both hands. Hold it with both hands supporting the top, braced against your chest. Pick a point on the wall at forehead level -- your eyes never move from that point for the duration of the exercise. (This is a hack to avoid back damage.) From a standing position, pretend you are sitting down on a bench directly behind you. Then, from the sitting position, stand to return to your original position. You can actually use a bench the first few times to get a hang out of it. Sitting to standing is one rep. Do five sets of five reps or 3 sets of 10 reps. I like to vary the weight I use -- first work with one I know I can do easily, then with one I know is a stretch, then back to easy.

Works your legs, torso, and a bit of your upper body like you would not believe, scales trivially until you reach the limits of your upper body strength (but even for out of shape hackers you can get a lot of benefit at the final point for your arms -- I'm at about 30 lbs right now, which is really not that much, and it feels like a real workout and has been empirically effective since a few months ago 15 lbs was similarly tiring), requires minimal time, equipment, and skill. Biggest downside: you'll look like an absolute doofus doing it.

Bonus points: keep a journal. Things that get measured get improved, etc.

I'm currently living on campus and have far less walking to do, but I play airsoft every few weeks. I also go to clubs and spend hours at a time dancing.

I have no idea if this really constitutes effective exercise, but I've never had health problems.

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.

I'd really like to spend some time hiking again in the Rockies or back in Germany in the Austrian Alps :)

As mentioned on here - you have to get in the habit of exercising like 2-3 times a week. Usually you'll get that in any team sport through high school, such as basketball, soccer, football, hockey etc. After high school you just got ta keep up that rhythm. However, it will more difficult to get into the habit if you haven't started it earlier in high school already.

AND: NO JUNKFOOD/ NO POP/ NO FRIES... VEGETABLES/ FRUIT/ WATER etc. instead; DON'T EVER EAT AT MCDONALD'S (THAT WILL F*CK YOU UP INSTANTLY)

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.

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.

However, I have set definite goals for climbing and have a 5K and a 10K in May, so that's something specific to train for.

Weights a few times a week, running a few times a week. I play hockey during the winter twice a week.

I am hoping to get back into good shape soon...it gets harder as you get older.

My commitment to myself is to spend at least a half hour a day on average doing something. This is an antidote to being a professional sitter. The doing something was a response to having trouble with sticking with other plans.

For the last several months I have been doing. Four hours - weights and biking/running/swimming. Three hours - stretching and body weight exercises.

Before that it was almost entirely rock climbing at a gym.

Mon/Tue and Thu/Fri 6:30AM -> 7:45AM before I go into the office. I have to do it before I go to work, so that I never miss any days due to working late. I don't allow myself to ever miss even one day, to keep the habit in tact.

I forgot how much more alive I feel when I exercise until I started again after a long break.

It's also fun and feels good :)

Oh yeah, I'm a runner.

What I've noticed is that this actually gives me somewhat more time to code, as I spend much less of the day feeling tired and don't need quite as much sleep.

Run a 5k, then abs and 24 sets of lifting.

Can't stand treadmills, so usually run outdoors.

I usually get insanely focused and clear my head while working out, so it's equally as beneficial from a mental health standpoint as a physical health standpoint.

http://theorytopractice.wordpress.com/

When it's the summertime, and, thus, when I have more time, I work out with the powerlifting team.

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.

The benefits to my physical and mental health were huge.

as for things you can do at home i would recommend the basics, ie. pull ups, push ups and the plank instead of sit ups. mix in various twisting efforts into the standard pull ups / push ups/ plank and you will start to notice the difference in just a few weeks. add a medicine ball to your routine to mix things up and confuse your muscles. these kind of exercises can be done without leaving your house and for a few minutes at a time.

if you feel comfortable exercising outside the house i would seriously consider exercising with other people. friends, strangers, people who are at your level or a bit beyond to help motivate you and get you past your current plateau. get social. you will find that fitness is an infinite challenge with no level cap. whereas your mage in wow can only get to level 80 (currently) you can keep going indefinitely. but beware! you can also regress.

doing the aforementioned will bring you a long way to getting in shape in just a few weeks. after that you will start to plateau if you do not ratchet up the intensity/time/difficulty or mix up your routine.

something i would definitely not recommend and specifically argue against would be any sort or weight training. weight training, imho, should only be done by those who already consider themselves in shape at a certain threshold. weight training works to isolate specific muscle areas and does not on its own encourage an overall health level.

personally, i had been a swimmer in my high school years and then did some club water polo. i always biked but never ran. so last year i decided to get into the triathlon scene at the sprint level and did my first last october. the tri concept is appealing to me because of the multidisciplinary nature and multiple entry points for the novice. i would wholeheartedly recommend sprint distance triathlons to those in moderate shape looking for a physical challenge.

lastly, but perhaps most importantly: stop drinking soda excessively. some might even say completely. just this one act will go a long way to slimming you down and greatly adding to your overall health. follow this up by cutting out sweets/chocolate/popcorn/insert favorite junk food here. it can not be overstated how much a healthier diet will help you reach a greater level of fitness than exercise can alone.

I bought a crosstrainer a few months back, and it is the very best $200 USD I have ever spent, I highly recommend it to everyone.

I do 20 minutes or so on it, at a decent pace, and as many pushups as I can handle, every other day . . . my body must react real well to exercise, because I now get looks from the ladies!

A well shaped geek I am, if you can all believe it :)

Seriously however, exercising has improved my life in a myriad of ways.