Over the years I have tried many movements and exercises. Some felt like a waste of time. Others helped me add on pounds and absolute strength (thereby making me look muscular than my 165 lbs) while at the same time keeping me light on my feet (like I was when I was a 100 lb kid). Here are five movements that I seem to have settled on now. They get done on a regular basis although not in each and every training session.
Bicycling
Who? Me, of course...
Getting on a bicycle is a great excuse for me to get out and do something. 2007 is the year that I have spent most on my bicycle. I have been getting around Boston on a bike too, a first. Unlike a sport like Tennis or Snowboarding, bicycling is an extremely low impact activity on the knees. There is no lateral movement involved, which means you are not likely to tear a meniscus in a knee. You also end up using the muscles of your lower body through a fuller range of motion (as in sprinting but unlike in walking or jogging). And when you hit hills, the glutes and abdominals can be called into play. You will also develop the ability to breath into your stomach, which, of course, is the correct way to breathe (even some "experts" in physical fitness don't realize that). If you have kids who are getting fat, then this is a great (and subtle) way to get them to get their flabby asses moving. You could culminate such a family activity with a picnic. I have taken some of my dates bicycling over to the Fells or down to Cohasset state park. Dates, of course, come and go but the activity (aka health) has remained a constant in my life.
(Acceptable substitute) Whatever that gets you out, gets your blood moving and allows you to forget everything and everybody else in your life for a few hours a week.
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