A Decision to Make...

[Eisa]

Why would you automatically assume I wouldn't go for that? It's a good aerobic exercise, it's cheap (cost of the rope), and hell, if it's good enough for Rocky, it's good enough or me. It's actually an excellent suggestion.

Oh, really? Sweet! I was thinking of my Disney Princess jump rope I had when I was younger...I think that's why I assumed such. Jump rope is fun, though. I still remember a lot of jump rope chants...

[Becks]

I should try to find my jump rope...and where's my hula hoop?

[BlaqueKatt]

And I need to start riding Amanda more often, as she's for serious riding. Thing is, I won't do serious riding after dark, as the various routes I could use just aren't smart for biking at night.

spend part of the $370 on an indoor trainer, check craigslist, bike shops, or websites that sell bike equipment, a decent indoor fluid trainer runs about $150.

[Seshat]

Seshat, not true. Hell, Florida is flatter than my evil ex-girlfriend! Don't believe me? Look it up! (I mean the Florida part....though knowing her, you can probably find some questionable pictures of my ex for comparison.)

<giggles about the ex->

I did put the </joke> in there for a reason.


But yes: jump rope, frisbee, any of the 'children's games' with a tennis ball or other cheap ball, tree climbing, jungle gym climbing, swings, see-saws... all are valid forms of exercise.

And as long as your local police don't assume you're there to vandalise or graffiti the equipment, much of the equipment is free at your local park. And noone's using it at night.

[Eisa]

I should try to find my jump rope...and where's my hula hoop?

You could hula hoop like this (starts around 3:25) or just add fire...

[BeenThereDoneThat]

Hmm, maybe I should get back into jumping rope. It always was a fun thing to do.

FWIW I'm really good at hula hooping on Wii Sports Resort.

[Android Kaeli]

I also put in my vote for a treadmill of some sorts if it can fit somewhere in your apartment where the roommates [ I assume Mr. Anti Social at least is still there and you found/kept another roommate? ] won't have a problem with it being there. Treadmills don't need a lot of the bells and whistles the ones at gyms have, as long as you can do a flat surface and be able to do inclines, that should be enough.

I have a gym membership where I pay a flat, low fee every month that includes full access to the two locations the gym has, classes, sauna, weigh-ins and instruction, water massage bed, and I think I can also use the tanning beds but not sure on that. The employees at this gym are pretty decent and are willing to help. Plus one of the two locations is about the same distance from my house as my work is, and I can often go there after work. The only problem I have is the weekend hours but I rarely go on the weekends so it's not like I'm missing anything.

I find it worth the money I put into the gym, but if you think you should find other solutions go for it. Maybe do a online search of what activites there are during the nights or days off? Heck, I'd even suggest getting a Zumba DVD and do that -- that's a pretty good way to stay in shape.

[Jester]

Does your current gym offer any group classes you could get to?

Yes, but almost all of them are on weekdays...when I am working. The ones on weekends are right up my alley, being spin classes, and I have been to one of them, but I have a problem in my head of going to a gym for a spin class on a Saturday or Sunday morning when that is the perfect time to actually GET OUT AND RIDE. Excluding rainy days, of course.

Can you use the 4 bills for a machine for your home, maybe a treadmill or something? That would give you the place to exercise (as well as getting you out of the excuse of having to go to the gym) and it's a one time cost...

Can I? Yes. Will I? No. For at least two reasons I can think of: space and variety.

Space: I don't have any. My roommates would not put up with an exercise machine in our woefully small common area, and my room is already too full to even contemplate such a thing. The only place it might fit would be the balcony, which would expose it to the elements and, once again, intrude on the roommates' space, as the balcony is part of the common area.

Variety: I like variety in exercise, and honestly, variety is recommended by most trainers, so to just have one machine would bore and limit me. "But Jester, you seem content to perhaps limit yourself to your bike(s)." Yeah, but I LOVE bicycling. And I can do other stuff beyond it. And it gives you a different view, rather than the same old view I would get with one machine in my one apartment.

Oh, really? Sweet! I was thinking of my Disney Princess jump rope I had when I was younger...I think that's why I assumed such. Jump rope is fun, though. I still remember a lot of jump rope chants...

Yeah....no. No Disney ropes, and no chants....picture Rocky Balboa, not Rocky the Squirrel.

spend part of the $370 on an indoor trainer, check craigslist, bike shops, or websites that sell bike equipment, a decent indoor fluid trainer runs about $150.

No, no, no, and absolutely NOT.

Not only is the space for such a thing not available to me (see above), but the thought of having my bike and riding it INSIDE when I live on a tropical island where the weather is usually good enough to ride OUTSIDE just doesn't sit well with me.

Besides, again, there is that whole space issue.

Heck, I'd even suggest getting a Zumba DVD and do that -- that's a pretty good way to stay in shape.

I swear I'm not trying to shoot down everyone's suggestion, but for different reasons, this wouldn't work for me. First, I just can't see myself exercising to the same DVD over and over again. Secondly, I can't see myself exercising to a DVD, period. Third, my tv is in my bedroom, at the foot of my bed, so I can lay down and relax and enjoy watching it. We have no tv in the living room, and that's the way we like it. And...no, I'm just not a DVD exercise kind of guy.

When Gwen Summers releases an exercise DVD, then maybe. But probably not.

[Eisa]

Well, you didn't actually shoot down jump rope, just disney princesses on it and going "cinderella, dressed in yella'..."

[Jester]

Nope. Still say the jump rope idea is actually quite brilliant. Deals with issues of space, finance, time, and exercise, all at once.

[Mikkel]

Weight training? Lots of exercises to train different muscle groups and a set of dumbbells store easily.

[CorneliaMarieRocks]

I second Mikkel's suggestion, I follow chef Robert Irvine from Food Network on Twitter (for those who might not know who he is, see my avatar . Anyhow, folks are always asking him what his workout regieme (sp?) is & his answer is: focus on one body part per day, meaning rotate them. He lifts 45 lbs in weights & does 60,50,40,30,20,10 reps with 1 minute rest in between ('course he usually does that on 'workout the arms' days lol..Surely a small set of weights would fit in your living space?
If you're on Twitter Jester & want to tweet/ follow Robert for suggestions, his twitter handle is @robertirvine1..Plus, he lives in Fl (near Tampa) but he travels alot so he may know of some place close to you that you could check out

Good luck!
Kris