Fitness Woes

[Gidds]

This is probably going to sound whiney but I will try very hard not to whine. I need help finding a fitness activity. I appreciate all suggestions in advance.

Some background on me (which may or may not be helpful):
EIA since age 5, fairy severe for awhile i.e no running around or other fun little-kid activities. Walking, nordic skiing and some biking as a small child but not much else. Never exposed to organized sports as a child. No upper-body strength. Around 9 or 10 it became obvious that I have some sort of knee problem, as my patellas are turned noticably inward and running has always been very uncomfortable. Always failed Presidential Fitness tests in elementary school :frown:

High school: Saw the movie "The Mighty Ducks" and decided inline skating was for me then picked up hockey. Very involved in ice hockey and strength training during high school overlapping with when I was trained to dive. Got even more into strength training when I started throwing javlin and putting the shot in field events. For track I used to run about 20 miles a week for general team workouts as well as lots of strength and agility training. At about that point in time I started getting NASTY tendonitis in my legs from ankle to knee and found out that I have pes planus (feet flatter than a duck, quack quack) and got custom orthopedic insoles. The guy who made my insoles said there are 80 year olds with feet in better shape than mine! Had to quit track though because of being an eager young upstart who would not let my poor tendons rest. Really never able to run since then.

College: Still played hockey for two years then got lazy. Did some sea kayaking. Walked to school a lot.

Grad School: Got really really lazy. It's hard to be active when you are expected to get good grades and work in the lab 40 hours a week.

I took up biking because there are trails behind my house but my bike is broken at the moment and I can't fix it myself and of course can't afford to have anybody else fix it. I like walking but doing so in the woods here in the summer involves either being eaten alive by ticks and mosquitos carrying various communicable diseases or wearing tons of DEET which will kill you AND the bugs. Sometimes I walk along the road but the fumes get to me at times and the drivers here are crazy. I have a slideboard but the floors in my apt. have a 4" slope. Tried jogging again and got tendonitis again. Strength training at home bores me to tears. I have been swimming fairly regularly at the university pool but it is usually crowded (which makes me uncomfortable because I am not a strong swimmer) and they have just closed it to the public until classes start in a couple weeks. Can't afford to join a gym and I am far too shy to do that anyway. Not overly safe to inline skate around here. Outdoor activities are my preferred mode of fitness but they are difficult in the summer humidity and then of course it gets disgustingly cold in the winter. I was thinking about trying to get into a spinning class offered for students at the university during the semester or maybe getting a stand for my bike even though I hate stationary bikes. At least I could watch movies while going nowhere. I was also thinking that jumping rope might be sort of fun and a useful component of some fitness scheme.

Ok ranting done. Any suggestions for some sort of fitness activitey for me?

 

[CameronMartz]

That's quite a set of limitations! <g> I like the idea of getting a stationary trainer for your bike, but good ones aren't cheap. I'd save the money to get your bike fixed and ride outside, instead.

Really, swimming and riding are your two easiest choices for cardio, given what you've listed. If you can swim at all, you can probably join a masters swim team in your area, which will give you coaching, a supportive group of fellow swimmers, and access to the pool. Check out usms.org to see if there are any close to you.

If inline skating works for you but not near your home, is there anywhere you can drive to get a workout in?

Jump rope might work for you, but you'd really have to make sure you don't aggravate your previous injuries. You could still watch TV while getting an excellent cardiovascular workout in.

At a certain point, though, you have to be willing to invest money, time, and/or ego into getting in shape and staying in shape. There is no easy way.

Cameron

 

[Gidds]

Cool, thanks for the suggestions. I was thinking about taking an adult swim class because I am a rotten swimmer and it is totally embarassing especially in reference to diving. I will most definately spend the $ to have my bike fixed but being a student means waiting on student loans and the million forms that must be filled out etc. *taps foot* I'm just feeling kind of stuck with no fitness activity to occupy me until then. Any recommendations about where to look for a stationary frame for my bike? Also I was thinking about how much noise would riding my bike nowhere make? I know that sounds silly but I live on the second floor and try to be considorate. I only used the slideboard before 9pm and I will be doing my rope jumping outdoors. I think staying motivated is a big problem of mine when not doing an organized fitness activity. Suggestions on that?

 

[CameronMartz]

...being a student means waiting on student loans and the million forms that must be filled out etc... Any recommendations about where to look for a stationary frame for my bike?

The problem is, good stationary trainers are over $200, my favorite being the CycleOps fluid trainer. It is quiet enough that you probably won't annoy your downstairs neighbors, unless, of course, you plan on using it with a knobby tire. For best performance and least noise, you'd need to get a smooth tire for your rear wheel- yet more expense. :11:

Taking an adult swim class would be great. Many municipalities offer these at very reasonable cost. You should still check with your local US Masters swim team to see if they have their own beginner coaching program. I know here in Raleigh, as long as you can swim 400yds of freestyle, you are welcome to show up for practice. This means you'll get great coaching from not only the coach but also the experienced swimmers in the next lane.

Cameron

 

[CBulla]

Here's a plug from a guy who used to work at the bike shops. Schwinn Airdyne and Bowflex machines are both intended for those who don't have the ability for large open fitness area's to workout. The Airdyne is also quite and it's wind resistance oriented so unless your really whipping it up, your not going to make a lot of noise.

I would also suggest some inward focus exercise like Tai Chi or Yoga.. those will help with the inward balance that helps focus on the goals and stay motivated. I personally use meditation for that inward stretch to keep working on my physical balance.

 

[el ridgeo]

I have to second Cameron's vote for swimming. It's a great way to condition your body without risk to your joints. And it pays off with the diving skills. The more you swim the more comfortable you'll feel in the water. Masters swimming is a good way to improve your swimming skills. I've been involved in master swimmings since January and the thing that has really impressed me is that everybody, coaches and swimmers alike (sometimes they're the same people) is focused on becoming a better swimmer. To be sure, there's a competitive element, but it's a pretty much "beat the clock, beat my best time" as opposed to beat the swimmer in the next lane. Nobody laughs at the new kid on the team, at least not the people I've been swimming with.

 

[mrobinson]

Jump rope might work for you, but you'd really have to make sure you don't aggravate your previous injuries. You could still watch TV while getting an excellent cardiovascular workout in.

When I was younger, all I did was jump rope. Tried it the other day - WOW! I remember it being so much easier...
I enjoy the stationary bike now for reading and watching TV... The only problem is I'm not totally focused on pushing limits. I wish I made more time for swimming.

 

[Gidds]

So biking, swimming, and jumping rope (maybe) it is for me. I won't worry about movies distracting me from peddling (when it gets cold) because my heart rate monitor makes a really annoying noise if I don't stay within limits. As for biking outside while it is warm I can't go too slow or else the mosquitos catch up with me! I was wondering about rowing as well?

 

[CameronMartz]

So biking, swimming, and jumping rope (maybe) it is for me. I won't worry about movies distracting me from peddling (when it gets cold) because my heart rate monitor makes a really annoying noise if I don't stay within limits. As for biking outside while it is warm I can't go too slow or else the mosquitos catch up with me! I was wondering about rowing as well?

Rowing is fine if you have access to a machine or boat. Otherwise, your budget constraint comes back into play.

Really, anything that elevates your heart rate for an extended period of time is all you need for cardiovascular conditioning. It makes no sense to make a fitness program out of stuff you hate. It's best to find something that you like to do so it gets done on a consistent basis.

Cameron

 

[coach_izzy]

Solid advice from everyone. If you can swim, go for it. It'll be a nice way to get you back on track. Keep in mind that while swimming is kinder to your joints, it's only a start. We do not live on water, thus relying exclusively on water training can be counterproductive in the long term. Also make sure to balance your workouts if you swim a lot. The mechanical patterns of swimming can easily lead to upper-cross syndrome if you do not balance your training.

Excellent point about staying away from the TV while doing work. If you can watch TV or read while working out, well, you just elevated your heart rate and broke a sweat, and nothing more. The stimulus that your body need to start changes at cellular level (and thus provide you with the benefits) is far higher. Hence the miriads of people who belive they train cardio only to realize later on they cannot sustain periods of functional work for more than a few minutes. Rope jumping is great, especially if you can add arm crosses, but you have to make sure that you have good form (skipping just enough to clear the rope, about 1 inch) otherwiise the impact may be too much if you sustain it for long periods (given your knee conditions)

Why not enroll in a sport? Have you tried martial arts? You'd be surprised what great conditioning you can get from bouts of jiu-jitsu, or muay-thai. (I condition several no-holds-barred fighters, thus I'm VERY familiar to what they go through) You may want to also try some of the more traditional martial arts like karate, kung-**, tae-kwon-do, etc. Practicing the forms (kung-** forms especially) can be quite demanding not to mention a lot of fun.

Anyway, just two more cents in here to fill-up your jar. Happy training and happy and safe diving. Coach Izzy