Surely someone will remove the crap from this thread?

This is a very nice website with NO place for advertising and such garbage. Many people use and love this website for it's many benefits.  If I ever had an inclination to go to your website, I would now avoid it at all costs.  Somebody get this garbage back in the trash can and lets get real.

Original Post by: thegoodjohn

Surely someone will remove the crap from this thread?

Thanks CC ... way to be on top of it

I live in beautiful Tennessee. We have a great area for kayaking, hiking, and lots of lakes for swimming and skiing. My city has several parks and greenbelts with both hiking and biking trails. Heck, I live less than 5 miles to pristine rowing waters - we hosted the Olympics many years ago...I think it was 1993. We have community tennis courts, skateboard park and "street hockey" area. We have disk golf along with 2 actual golf courses, 3 soccer fields, and 2 baseball parks, dance studio, 2 community pools (1 indoor/1 outdoor), several tracks to walk if you don't like the parks.  Did I mention you can drive from one side of the city to the other in 10 minutes during rush hour traffic? In other words, there is a lot to do and it is close and convenient. I posted to let you know that not all cities have limited chances for recreation. Within an 1 to 1.5 hour east we have the beautiful Smokey Mountains National Park filled with hiking, lazy tubing or rafting down rivers there's even downhill skiing in winter; and 1.5 hours west we have the amazing **** Plateau with scores of opportunity for spelunking, rappelling, kayaking, canoeing and hiking. We are truly rich with opportunity to go outside and play. But we have a ton of broken homes, single moms and no community support to help with kids. Jobs pay squat although to be fair the cost of living here is very low. When you factor this in, there is no energy or money for a broken home to go out and play, these lives are full of stress and quick meals which in this area means fried.

I think our weight epidemic is relegated to those that don't want to be outside or don't have the time/energy to be outside because of extended hours worked. Then there are the ton of people that can't find work who are too stressed to go out and play. Then there are those with allergies and TN is one of the worst areas for allergies!  And, I should mention that winters are a complete fail. We need indoor options for the winter months other than the local retail chain gyms, malls and movie theaters! I just remembered, we have the rock climbing gym...haven't been there in about 6years! I need to get myself back there this winter! Maybe I will try the martial arts or dance studios this winter?

I am fortunate to work for a tribe in Northern Michigan, and even though we downsized and lost our building's fitness room, there still is access to a walking trail behind the building, and we have a wellness leave policy that lets us take up to four hours a week for a fitness program.  I also teach a twice-weekly yoga class as part of my job, so I have not only two hours a week of yoga but I practice online classes as part of my continuing ed.  During the months that aren't white I walk my dogs a lot.  I would probably be as round as I am tall if it weren't for all these factors :<)

Try living in Florida, during summer and hurricane season when the relative humidity is 90% and the temperature is near 100 degrees and it rains whenever it feels like it and then tell me why you think most areas of the south/southeast are overweight because they don't get outside to do more.  I've lived in the southeast most of my life and visited the west and the weather is SO much nicer out in the west that I would LOVE to get outside more often, but my body doesn't really handle overheating that well and unless I can walk around and exercise with an IV drip bag hanging from a pole then I'm going to have to find ways around it.  This coming from a fairly fit person, so I won't even mention how badly the heat effects people who are out of shape or trying to get in shape!  

Takanna-So true. I live in the Houston, Tx area and don't take to heat well. Five minutes and I'm light-headed and ready to murder someone. I've been walking/jogging for the last 2 weeks, but the weather here has been fantastic and I've also been walking around the subdivision lake at ridiculous hours, sometimes around midnight (to escape the heat). I don't know if I'll log as much time or push myself as hard when it gets hotter.

I chose to buy a breed of dog that does not sit still- an Australian Cattle Dog- even though I deal with daily pain.  This pup's zest for life gets me moving.  In my area of the world, folks use motorized boats and cars rather than rowing a canoe or biking.  I do not bike now cause of fear- hitting the concrete is not a joke.   I do toss a ball every day and I look for places to hike thanks to my canine buddy.  Go with your passion: gardens get me out of bed, too, even if they do help my fingers to numb out. 

I live in a city center and I refuse to buy a car. Everything I need is in a 3 mile radius. Regardless whether I need to buy groceries, visit the bank, or go out with my friends, I need to walk! Not only that I save the money (yearly car maintenance cost is enormous here, as well as the parking fees), but I'm doing my daily "exercise" at the same time (1-2 hours of fast walk). Also, most of the time, one or both dogs go with me, so that's another chore done simultaneously.

So, my advice: cut the use of your car whenever possible, and both your body and our planet will appreciate it.

Alternative: GET RID OF THE COUCH! make yourself less comfortable in the TV area (and, of course, lose the TV in your bedroom).

The key is getting the modivation to move off the couch.  I am out of the house for work about 10 hours aday.  I try and walk at lunch.  When I get home and after a full day at work and running around with all the things after work like dinner and getting a 3 year old ready for bed. It is hard to be modivated at 7 at night to exercise.   Then on weekends we try and pack a lot in.

I lived in a suburban area, but unlike most suburban areas, it's nearly impossible to walk here. There are no sidewalks. The road has no shoulder, and I've known a few people to die next to the road because we get a lot of semi traffic/drunk drivers that can't stop on a dime if you fall into the road. I literally had to drive across the street to get groceries because of the traffic and the way the road is set up.

I've also lived in a rural area in Appalachia, and it is impossible to walk anywhere due to the sheer distance you have to cover. It was 45 minutes from the nearest store, and school was an hour on a bus. Unless you were a farmer, there was nothing to do out there, so people got very comfortable in front of their televisions.

I've moved to a different area, it isn't much better, but I do have one road with a shoulder near my development. Myself and three other runners use the same road. My dream is to move to a city where I don't have to own a car.

I would have like some more suggestions for beating the weather other than just 'dress the part.'   I'm in Pittsburgh, and I loathe the idea of having to go outside durring January and February.  I can't imagine trying to jog wearing 3 layers a parka and snow boots, not to mention fear of slipping on ice!  I wonder if all these Minnesotians they talk about are just walking around in the mall of America all winter...

I live in Ohio and hate the winter as well. I suggest the following:

Try finding a cheap treadmill at a garage sale if you can't afford a new one. Or a rowing machine, stationary bike, stair stepper, etc.

Blow up exercise balls are cheap and come with a work out chart that is easy to follow.

Got enough room to jump rope? Garage? Basement maybe?

Also...I recomend Beach Body fitness programs. Or again if you don't have the money, many librabries have work out videos you can borrow for free.

Or heck...do what I do. Crank up the volume to your fav. music when cleaning the house or whatever and just dance around. I swear if my dog could talk, he'd tell everyone I'm crazy! Hahahaha.

I live in Minneapolis and run outside all year long.  It's not about the weather, it's about not making up excuses and just getting out the door.

I live in Canada and when it is -40 you don't want to go out for anything. I know I didn't see any runners outside on those days.  It is fine to have fitness equipment handy at home to use.  The key is modivation to use it.  Mine collects dust.  What I would suggest for the doing things in all season is doing things during that season.  Like sledding ice skating, or sking in winter.  Biking when weather allows.  I use the playground as well with son you wouldn't believe the number of different exercises you can do on it.  As I said before doing this once or twice a week on weekends is a good start just not enough.

I just wanted to add that I so strongly agree with the advice about buying a bike for scenic riding. There is a growing movement of people who ride "functionally" - meaning we ride to work, to run an errand, to the bookstore, post office - anything that you might previously had schlepped around in your car to take care of, even though the distance is short - hop on your bike!  It has changed my life. I's easy to ride a bike even if you are not that fit. Where I live there are some brutal hills - when I began I had to push my bike up these hills ( a little embarrassing, but people here get it), now I can do those hills even on my little seven speed cruiser bike.  I lost the 26 of the thirty pounds I gained after quitting smoking  by riding my bike 3.5 miles each way to the shuttle that gets me to work + to errands, social events, etc. I save $50 a week on gas, and I don't have to pay for parking. It does not get any better than that. On top of that, I look and feel so much better than I have in a decade.  I don't have special gear - just a helmet, and lights and panniers to carry groceries. This is not about the TourdFrance! The folks in spandex whiz past me - more power to 'em! :) Join the functional riding "movement"! It's fun easy and incredibly rewarding. PS I love this site, it has helped me so much. Wishing everyone the best out there!!

I live in Buffalo, NY and have SAD. So with so many cloudy, dreary, cold days (at least half of the year in my estimation), it is difficult to stay motivated and moving. I forgot to mention that I am hypothyroid, too. Well, what I have found that works is to force myself to tread everyday. I have a treadmill in our basement (no windows to speak of) with a large screen TV. I either tape something I want to watch or I time my treading to coincide with a favorite program. The consistency in routine helps; and, the exercise provides me with more energy (now there is an oxymoron!) and feel-good endorphines to help my mood.

The Long Island NY weather never seems to cooperate.  Rain, wind, frigid temps and unreasonable humidity in the summer make outdoor excercise a challenge.  And traffic in our suburban area makes biking on the roads hazardous.  You have to rack your bike and drive to a park 5 miles away to bike safely.  Most of the Island is flat, which makes walking less interesting, but there are many state and local parks that are great for exploring and riding trails.  It's still hard to find the time to get out there, though.

For me, one of the best investments was joining a 24-hour gym, which is part of a chain called Anytime Fitness. Because I can access the gym any time by key fob, I never have the excuse that the 'gym is closed' when my work schedule goes crazy.

This gym is located about 10 minutes away by car and is also close to the nursing home where my father lives, which is an extra convenience because I visit him frequently and then go for workouts after visiting.

I also have a bit of equipment at home but I find there are too many other tasks that demand my attention at home. Once I'm at the gym, the only thing I can do is exercise. Plus the gym is weather-free.

However, I agree that a gym membership may not be affordable for low-income families who are, according to statistical evidence, the most likely to be overweight.

I also have to agree with the poster who commented on extra work hours as a factor. Work hours in the current corporate culture can be insane.

I live in Phoenix, Arizona, so we have the same problem being outdoors in summer, although to be fair, waterparks and SCUBA diving are still good in 115 weather!

BUT, walking, biking, etc is not, so look for indoor activities!  Roller Skating!  Year round indoors most locations!  Basketball!  Volleyball!  Things in a gym when you don't want to be outside. 

Our winters here are great, but it's good to have options and not let the weather (hot or cold) hold you back!

I live on the west coast of BC which has fairly mild weather, but during heat spells I hit the trail at one of our lakes so I can jump in for a dip several times, it feels GREAT and really helps me get out and exercise in the summer.  My problem is in the winter because it rains so much, I enjoy running but the trails get muddy and I have bad knees for running on pavement...

Although I grew up in the tropics, our family now lives in northern Wisconsin.   While I was highly skeptical at first, I have learned that with the right clothes, outdoor activity can be great fun even when it's cold.  It's wonderful to see our kids spending hours on the ice with their skates, sledding or tubing.  And I love the fresh air of my daily walks.   Maybe I'll try snowshoeing next winter.  Of course there are days that it's miserable to be out, but we are trying as parents to lead the way in an active lifestyle.  We look for ways to help our kids enjoy active outdoors time (we all love geocaching).  And we're so thankful for the free fitness center at our local school for those snowy and rainy days.

I too live in Pittsburgh, PA and we've made some really great improvements with walking / biking trails over the past few years.  As for going out in January and February, exercising also includes shoveling snow and we generally get to do quite a bit of that!

And you don't have to leave your house to be active; I have a lil cousin I chase around and the Wii Fit thing and stairs to my room. Those are little things but each minute I'm doing one of the three is one less minute on the couch so it's improvement. Whenever I don't feel like exercising, I at least make an effort to do little things like walk around school more during the day or before it starts, stand with my computer on the counter rather than sit on the couch with it, or simply walk to the store when I need something instead of driving. Baby steps I guess :)

I get the feeling the author of this article doesn't live where the temperatures get up into the 100s.

There's always an excuse NOT to exercise. And I agree that many excuses are valid... there are certain things you can't do because of the area you live in, the climate, the lack of sidewalks and amount of traffic, etc... and that's fine to rule out the stuff that won't work but then you have to find what DOES work.

Nobody else can change your life. Only you can.

Peace an love and good health, everybody. You people inspire me everyday!

I don't know that you were referring to me, but I was just commenting on the fact the weather plays a huge role in encouraging people to get outside to exercise. Around here, the summers are brutally hot and, quite frankly, more than a little dangerous to be outside sweating under a workout.

Fortunately, I belong to a fitness club where the air temperature is controlled. many, however, aren't as fortunate. So, calling it an excuse is a bit of an overstatement, IMHO.

Two commercials, Guys.

Delete time?

Unfortunately I work 8 hours a day sitting at a desk, so I get little time to be active during the day. To make up the little difference I can, I choose to use alternate staircases. If I'm at one end of the building, I'll walk to the other side to use the stairs. Then when I come back up, I walk down the hallway and up the other set of stairs. I try to find the longest path possible from point A to point B to keep my legs moving.

When I can't get outside for a walk or a bike ride, I use my little petal machine while I watch TV. I also lift hand weights every other day.

Original Post by: thegoodjohn

Original Post by: thegoodjohn

Surely someone will remove the crap from this thread?

Thanks CC ... way to be on top of it

I agree.There are sites where you are ALLOWED to advertise. This is not one of them.

When my husband and I lived back east, we made an effort to go to different states to hike their highest peaks.  This is a lot easier in the east where the states are closer together and the peaks aren't horrible steep.  Now, we live in California and have 1 1/2 kids.  In searching for nearby trails/hikes that our whole family can do, I found out that our county actually had a Healthy trails challenge with a pamphlet with trails and their difficulty level.  It's been fun to start this challenge as a family.  The pamphlet doesn't contain EVERY single trail, but it is definitely a good place to start in knowing what there is in a new area. 

I guess, in short, if you are unsure of where to begin (whether it's because you moved or what not), check your local websites.  They might have just what's needed.

Original Post by: chochomun

no offense guys, but I am thoroughly amazed by people's creativity as far as excuses are concerned.

if you want it, you do it. if not, stop complaining, right?

Not complaining, just being honest.  I'm not an outdoor fanatic, and I find any extreme in weather unpleasant.  No I do not find walking in wind, rain, snow, obsessive heat, frigid temperatures enjoyable.  I will workout indoors with a kettlebell, or tackle a project that means using the stairs a  lot, but I need fun with a purpose: if the purpose is to freeze my buns off, I can tell you, that's not happening.

Why do people hate the gym so much?  It's climate-controlled, there are no bugs and you can watch TV, just like on the couch!

Original Post by: jdanddad

This is a very nice website with NO place for advertising and such garbage. Many people use and love this website for it's many benefits.  If I ever had an inclination to go to your website, I would now avoid it at all costs.  Somebody get this garbage back in the trash can and lets get real.

To be honest, I love this website. I use it daily for counting my calories. The articles are just a bonus, however I want to make a strong point to the admin that "that guy up there" really does have a "certain" point. I wouldn't go to the extreme of saying "No Advertising" however I am getting sick and tired of everytime I log something, the page refreshes and the google video ad that I had just muted pops back on again. Its not the proper type of advertising for this kind of Active Website ... and yes I'm a Marketer.

BTW: good article. Keep the great tips and advice coming. God Bless!

Gyms are just so depressing (lab rats or submarines come to my mind straight away)!

Definately with the article on the outdoors!

Swimming (indoors with a sauna run after or outdoors preferably in the sea or lake, but a lido can still cut it, love the vitamin D) and yoga (hot or not and whereever) for some me time. At least here in Europe there are so many cheap options/ concessions or social programs for everyones purse.

But even better/ easier for motivation because social are climbing (in or out), hiking or just exploring a new area of town, of course any water sports, any winter sports. I try a little tennis or ultimate frisbee which is mostly free at the parks around, but as not too competible, dont see myself overdoing that.

Like someone already said, check out the local ymcas, or community sites or the web, you surely will stumble over something interesting and fun enough to at least try...you might get hooked and it will never be boring.

I once read that deep thought burns as many calories as intense physical exercise. Maybe that is why the very smartest people in the world are thin. It's a thought. Maybe we should all go back to school and take a challenging course in something we are interested in. We could gain knowledge and lose weight at the same time.

Does anyone know the science behind this?

This article doesn't really share much new info and doesn't take into account the crime rate.  If residents don't feel safe going outdoors, then the rest won't matter.  I live in the west in a city that's supposed to have some of the best weather in the US.  However, although it's currently okay,  up until a few months ago, we had several shootings a year going on due to gang violence, and we are have many of the other amenities listed.

Also, employers talk a good story but mostly we are overworked with tons of overtime so are too busy to get much activity, and too tired when we do leave work on time.  I work out at a gym twice a week, do hula hooping and dance at home, plus a little yoga.  Would like to do more but safety is a concern.  The article didn't discuss winter with its shorter days either.  If you have a lighted area - mall, parks, nice downtown to stroll in or walk or bike thru, it helps.

Will be checking out a new "wellness center" this month - it just opened and even though I'd have to drive there (about 15-20 minutes) it may be worth it cuase it's new and they have a nice indoor pool.  Our city pool was refurbished and ratse to use it skyrocketed.