[JohnM]

If you want to build muscle then lift heavy weights and consume more protein (sounds easy). You can stay fit otherwise by just walking around carrying things like shopping on a daily basis and try to do more strenuous exercise weekly for a few hours. Stretching muscles before and after exercise helps to avoid soreness, injuries.
I meet guys my age who are quite often obese which seems connected to their sedentary work-life and also not having enough outdoor hobbies. I think it could be a lot harder to correct if you suffered from obesity as a child as this can cause flat feet and other lasting joint problems. I wouldn’t ask overweight people for politeness about that of course. Diet is apparently most important, the minimum day-to-day exercise to remain healthy is easily achievable. I reckon though that you in America can find it hard with driving culture that is luckily easier to avoid a bit in Europe.
I knew guys who played rugby who were taking protein shakes and lifting weights a lot and it requires a lot of discipline to keep up and avoid injury. Many ended up muscular but also carried a lot of fat probably because they overconsumed beer which has a lot of calories. Swimming is arguably one of the best forms of exercise as it is non-weight-bearing which means that you won’t risk the same joint damage, which takes time to recover from (especially if you are old). I enjoyed outdoor swimming when it was warm elsewhere in Europe, unless the water is freezing or dirty then it’s obviously much better than a swimming pool, assuming you are not a beginner. Sadly in most of England it is not as easy to find suitable lakes but I will try looking more now I am in a new area.
That kind of swimming can be sociable but better is probably playing team sports like here we obviously have a lot of amateur football, cricket, rugby teams. Violent sports obviously risk injury more but that is part of what makes it rewarding and builds camaraderie (for men at least). Personally I’ve been put off playing such team sports as an adult as the commitment involved is not something I have been prepared for and I do other outdoor activities which keep me fit, travel abroad etc.

Hope my long contribution is useful / mildly insightful to some of you.

• This reply was modified 9 months ago by JohnM.

[Aster]

@Tony Too late, I’ve already done that. Heh. P90x was the trend then, and I tried it too! Granted, I could try harder…

[Tony]

@Aster

I recently started to do yoga again. I have lower back pain occasionally. That seems to help. But yes some of the positions are completely insane 😅

I started doing yoga 14/15 years ago with P90x. Its a good program. Id recommend it for going at your own pace in the privacy of your home.

[Aster]

I tend to like going at my own pace. I have an old shoulder injury (that could get reinjured), and one time I randomly decided to take up yoga again, the yoga class I went to was all shoulder-focused that day, lol. Girls were doing handstands/headstands against the wall and such.

[Anonymous]

Gentlemen, from this woman’s perspective, try to limit the bulk and focus on a lean healthy body type with muscle that looks natural.

The German physique of the 1930’s is what you should strive for rather than the bloated muscle.

As for females, my fitness is working my body and mind in nature and soil and eating organic. Never looked or felt better.

[Sebastian]

Starting Strength.

Just follow the program.

Once you’ve finished worry about whatever else you think you’re worried about.

[Miles]

If you want to gain muscle, weight, and appear larger you should do heavy weightlifting 4-5 days a week and eat in a 200-500 calorie surplus.

If you want to maintain a healthy but muscular look you should eat at a maintenance calories and weightlift 4 days a week and do cardio at least two times a week.

I like to eat in a 200 calorie surplus and weightlift 4-5 days a week with heavy weight 8-10 reps each set. I do cardio 1-2 times a week and I feel great.

Even exercising 3 days a week will put you ahead of most males today.

[Italiano]

I think any type of resistance training ie cable training, or weight training that targets each muscle group is great if you have access to a gym. Alternatively I think cardio is also very important for many reasons such as improving endurance, maintaining a remotely lean and healthy physique. I personally enjoy hiking, but in the gym I’d highly recommend implementing HIIT also known as high intensity interval training forms of cardio.

[Tony]

Good on you Wakstar 👍

Im all about trying to keep pushing that envelope a little bit each day and challenging oneself.

I love the outdoors too. In fact running outdoors is better than a gym because you initiate “leg drive” when you run outdoors and not on a machine. I goto the gym for lifting but when I cant I use BW exercises augmented with rocks or logs outside in the sun, grounded.

I used to lift HEAVY…but life has a way of changing things up on you. Id love to get back to heavy sumo deads again…one day, perhaps in competition 😏

I tag the heavy Bag when I can too and shadowbox when I cant. You gotta be flexible and roll with the punches life throws at you and always stay positive 👍

• This reply was modified 10 months, 1 week ago by Tony.

[Wakstar]

Great topic. I am attracted to any activity outside. Hiking, swimming, walking, gardening, yardwork, working on my latest project, or out gathering wood with the chainsaw and a calf sled. Can you tell I am a farm girl? Yup, I can go hard all day long, my body and mind is built for that. But this farm girl finds it hard to go “work out.” Don’t get me wrong, I see great value in it, and I love yoga or Pilates, I just find the notion strange or unnatural. I recognize that if I found a partner, that might alter my thinking as I do very much desire to move away from solo activities to couple’s activities. This winter, I plan to learn how to cross country ski and have a vision of me out on skis with a bow and arrow in hand, to challenge myself. I love shooting, so you never know, I might be good with a bow too. I’m trying to convince myself not to be so self conscious and learn to lift weights. Again, I would be out of my element; however, adding strength to my already existing endurance: golden.

[Leo]

Ladies and gentlemen, I am curious, and imagine others are equally interested in both sharing and learning more about this, too:

What is your strategy in building and retaining muscle, improving your cardio endurance and capacity, maintaining an able-bodied figure, and/or otherwise improving your physical health?

Personally, I attend fitness classes about 4 or 5 times per week, and engage in various sports or group runs on an occasional yet weekly basis. I’m an avid hiker, and minimize time being sedentary, too. Somewhat related, I also eat well and drink water often.

But what do you do? Let’s see what other great ideas and/or practices others in our community can share, to inspire each other to reach for or explore our physical fitness goals.

[Author]

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