"dbu`" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:

"dbu`" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:

"witfal" wrote in message
...
On 2007-09-21 16:45:50 -0700, "JoeSpareBedroom"

said:
Joe...no offense intended...but get to the gym, man.

Assuming that's you, of course.


It's me, and I agree halfway. It's about 20% shirt and bad picture
angle.
But still, I saw that picture and said PHUQUE! This isn't good. Got
back
to
hiking 3 miles a day on some outrageous hills, carrying 50 lbs in a
backpack
and 20 lbs in each hand for resistance. I've been in size 34 jeans
since
1970, went to 35 two years ago. I will NOT continue in that
direction.
Not.

I don't know how tall you are, but you should strive for no higher
than
18
percent body fat. You'll live longer, and keep diabetes away. A
good
thing.

15-16% would be better. I pack 13 and, at age 54, it's tough
getting
lower unless you spend some time every day lifting followed by
cardio.


I can't deal with the monotony of gyms. My doctor was an army airborne
ranger. He said that by the time he was ready to jump, he was jogging
with
his body weight on his back. He's 58, and suggested the current
routine.
Wants to see me up to 75 lbs by December, 100 by January (in the
pack),
and
30 per in each hand. I'm gonna do it outdoors. 15-20 degree temps will
be
interesting. 1/2 mile up two serious hills in under 10 minutes.
Doesn't
sound like much until you see these hills.

The doctor looks like he's 18.

Would you like a little advice?

I'm always interested in new ideas. Do you know someone who has some?

Did your doctor perform a heart evaluation? That weight hauling up a
hill and jogging or trying to walk fast at the same time for someone
that has not done it in a while is a recipe for cardiac arrest,
especially at your age, 40-something.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardiac_arrest.

Better take it easy at first and build up slow. Your legs aren't what
they were when you were twenty either so shin splints
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shin_splints are also a possibility, very
painful.

If you want to lift weights, fine, I do a little lifting at home, but I
find it boring also, besides it does nothing for your most important
muscle, the heart. Walk, walk fast, start out with short walks if you
are not up to long ones, but do it every day, do it in the rain, snow,
do it when you don't want to. Before you know it you will be walking 4
to 5 miles a day and more. It's important to know how far and for how
long you are walking. I have a couple of routes I take and I use a stop
watch to measure the time I'm out and for how long I run. A good walk
lets you look around your neighborhood, maybe meet some new neighbors,
fresh air, when you get back home you'll feel like a million bucks. If
you are diciplined like me it will evolve into jogging, but I don't
recommend it for someone who has not walked for sometime and besides at
your age before doing any kind of strenuous exercuse you should have a
physical. Time? Don't have the time? Find the time, set it as a high
priority. Get yourself a pair of decent shoes. Forget about hauling
weights on your back and all that at least at the beginning. You
probably aren't in too bad a shape, but because of your age need to
build up gradually, sort of like starting over again.

Another alternative is biking. It is fun and another good way to get
the heart rate up, but you have to buy a bike and maintain it. If you
don't like piddling with bike maintenance then maybe that's not for you.

The body goes downhill faster the older you are if you don't keep it up.
It's like a car, if you let it go to hell it will.

Cardio's fine, per the doctor. This routine's primarily aimed at keeping me
tight through the winter. From April through October, my normal pastimes
keep me in shape. He once asked what I was doing to stay in shape. I said
"Some hiking, mostly gardening". He doubted the gardening, but most people
don't do it for 8 hours straight with a 4 minute break for lunch. I don't
sit down all weekend. I said "Come on over some weekend. Don't forget to
bring an ambulance." :-)

I enjoy biking, but I'll only do it at one or two protected paths which are
inconvenient for a daily routine. NY State allows people to drive cars even
if they are clinically dead or legally blind. Every day, I see at least 5
drivers who remind me of why I want metal all around me. Perhaps one day,
we'll be allowed to shoot such drivers. Until then, biking's out.