Unfortunately it only takes three days for the muscles in one's legs (the biggest in the body) to atrophy.

[QUOTE=mikegarrison]

 

 

I did have self control for a long time, by JUST NOT buying ice cream. Then, I had the (un)fortunate experience of discovering Edy's Butterfinger ice cream.

I have become addicted to it.

 

I'll go through binges on ice cream and then won't eat for a couple of weeks and break down and buy a pint of Ben and Jerry's.

I can remember when they were in a converted gas station in downtown Burlington. The wife was going to UVM and I was skinny then.
seems like a galaxy far far away a very long time ago.

 

A long long time ago, in a galaxy far away...

I was skinny when I lived in Burlington too, maybe something in the water?

 

I maintain my weight with a combination of weight (strength) training and bike riding. The weather at the beach is not too bad during the winter and I just purchased some great Gore Bike Riding clothing (Jacket, gloves, skull cap and tights. I retired from Gore and get a generous discount. If you layer properly it is pretty comfortable at temps above 40 degrees which we have a lot of in the winter. The key is doing intervals and a good workout only lasts about an hour or so. I do a warm up then do 3 or 4 10 minute intervals at about 86-90% of my maximum heart rate. I rest 6 minutes in between intervals. This is more effective than a 2 hour ride at around 70-75% MHR. It also increases my speed for summer riding. I try to do these a few days a week mixed in with strength training in my home gym or community fitness center. If the weather is too cold I ride my rollers or stationery trainer in my basement using DVD's from the Chris Carmichael training program. It takes commitment, discipline and hard work. Our bods dont shed weight like they used to but if you mix your training up and set goals it can be fun. Dont overdo it at first or you will get discouraged. Small increments is the best approach and there are great on-line programs to set up an effective program. Measure your progress (weight, endurance, max and average heart rate, power output, types of exercise) and it can be fun. The key is to burn more calories than you consume so if you eat sensibly and exercise properly you can maintain or lose weight.

 

There is another problem with trying to stay in shape especially for those of us who have a longer life experiences. I do about 10 to 12 Olympic and half-Iron distance triathlons a year so I am constantly training. My problem is keeping my weight up. To really lose weight, assuming that's the goal, one has to exercise longer amounts of time.

Let's take a simple example. Take your bike riding for instance. Assume that the average middle aged bike rider is 170 lbs. In order to burn 700 calories, that rider would need to go at 17 miles per hour for one hour. (A heavier rider will burn more calories in an hour than a lighter rider at any given speed). Calories expended don't make a serious in-road into weight unless the exercise duration lasts longer than an hour.

Here's the real quandry. It may take quite a while to build a base fitness, i.e., where one can readily engage in aerobic exercise for longer than an hour at a time. Once a base fitness is reached, then the calories really start to drop. For instance, at my weight (165 to 170 lbs on a 5'10"), I can drop 3,000 to 4,500 calories in a 3.5 to 5 hour bike ride at a pace of 19 to 20 miles per hour, again depending on road conditions and wind, etc.

In Florida, we have the advantage of a climate that allows for year-round exercise (although long open water swims are cold here from January through March, just like anywhere else). Have you ever tried a spinner/trainer? It can be put indoors or in the garage, and your bike's rear cassette drives the spinner throughout the gear ratios.

 

Yeah, I do a variety of crap, including triathlons. I think you're right about the interval session being the heart of keeping high performance at our age. Right now I'm putting in a few hundred easier miles, just to get the muscles, ligaments, and joints ready for the higher load of interval training.
Mostly I've got no particular goal, and it makes it much easier for me to get off my butt if there is a big target race or ride/event of some kind. Thanks for the reminders and encouragement. Dave W.

 

I have a question for you exercise crazy folks. Do you all live in an area which allows LOTS of time, weather wise, for outdoor exercise? If not, are you content with indoor exercise or going to a gym? Most important, are you retired?

I've got time to exercise, and should do so more often. I'm sure less time can be spent in front of the computer or TV, but I just don't think I'm dedicated enough to devote that much time to exercise. My +1 is pretty dedicated to the treadmill, and I'll hop on it from time to time, but I much prefer to be outside.

IF I ever get to retire, I think I'll be able to set aside time more frequently. Now with work, grandkids, appointments, and things to do, too often I don't make exercise a priority, especially with our lousy winter weather.

 

hmmm, not retired, but have no kids, and have always tried to strike a balance between working for retirement and living for today. Might have turned out to be a good plan, given the economy and market, it's looking like retirement will be on my 80th birthday.
I have several different types of trainers to mount a bicycle to for indoor riding, but can't make it over an hour on any of them. I'm in Atlanta, and between taking advantage of the odd nice winter day, and dressing for other days, you CAN train outdoors year-round.
Triman is in Florida...nuff said.