Everyday movements = Exercise? What's your non-workout workout? page 3

[Northern Light]

"Local geothermal pool" -- what a notion! And hot pots to boot! It all sounds so incredibly Icelandic and wonderfully luxurious! I hope there are lots of folks who take advantage of those natural offerings; I'm betting you could all use something wonderful to compensate for the mess the banks got you into (hope you're not a banker!).

[zoebird]

we pretty much walk everywhere, even if it's amazingly inefficient. EG: walk 30 minutes to movie theater, rather than bus or car; walk 40 minutes to grocery store (over a ridge!) and back with groceries. walk to and from air port (45 minutes with toddler).

[zoebird]

it would be a long walk to our most local thermal pool -- which is about an hour's drive. but i could park far away and then walk to it (but i think you have to hike to it anyway).

[Northern Light]

Zoebird -- I'm getting envious about the global distribution of geothermal activity which somehow overlooked Quebec!

Bravo on all the walking. If I ever have to move, my priority will be to be in walking distance of plenty of amenities. Country living is great, but having to drive everywhere is a drag.

[AllieF]

This thread touched a nerve, as I've just come in from the first day of "log moving" ready for when the cold weather starts. I try to water the garden with cans rather than the hose whenever the water-butts are full enough. Carrying around litres of water seems to be my "thing" as we have to fetch drinking water every week or so (in the car - very lazy I know!) moving it all through the house by hand though.

Living off-grid is the easiest (and sometimes most frustrating) way to incorporate lots of movement into daily life - I can highly recommend it

But nothing beats the 5 "lifting heavy things" exercises for giving your muscles a real run for their money!

[Northern Light]

Hey Allie! At various points in my life I have had the benefits of heating with wood. The old saw about wood heating you three times is absolutely true! My dad heated with wood for the 25 years of his retirement and I'm sure that it was a big part of what kept him in shape. It was only when meningiomas stopped his normal active lifestyle that his high-carb, high-fat diet caught up with his heart.

I keep reading about off-grid living. Not ready to make the change (and Mr. Light is not even curious), but I kind of watch our messed up world and think more and more about how I would subsist if the grid (in the larger sense, not just electrical) stopped working.

[AllieF]

N Light - I would love to say we live off grid to "save the world" but the truth is we just fell in love with a very remote farmhouse! Feels good looking after ourselves a bit more, but I do still enjoy constant electricity and gas boilers when visiting the folks!

But the wood I would miss - drives me nuts as you spend months thinking about it, stocking up, stacking, moving indoors hoping it doesn't get rained on! But nothing beats it for a cosy night in! And it is very good way to keep fit without noticing!

[jammies]

I've been primal for over a year and haven't really incorporated a real fitness plan. I walk every day for at least an hour with my dog (some of it quite rigorous hiking on steep hills and terrain) and do the occasional sprint. I add in push-ups against the trees and lunges while walking. I do stretching too. I have arthritis and have had some health issue in recent months which have slowed my progress.

While this routine has not impaired weightloss at all for me, I have to say I am not very fit at all compared to many people on this forum and I really don't look that great naked. So I think there may be something about pushing your body even harder than what can be accomplished in daily activities.

I am going to start lifting weights this week. I'm interested to see if/how this changes my body.

[zoebird]

i love chopping wood. it is a super-fun activity for me. i'm very good at it.

funny thing, though, is that we do not have a wood burning stove (what wouldn't i give!) . my firend has a pot-bellied one, wherein she heats her home nd cooks with a dutch oven, pot, and fry pan. the woman can make ANYTHING with that. in the summers, she uses her grill (wherein she uses wood/charcoal) or her solar oven. I am so envious of her awesomeness.

maybe someday "le sigh" -- and yeah, she's urban.

[Northern Light]

Love the comments, ladies!

Allie -- I've never depended 100% on wood, there was always a back-up system. And my mom uses their propane system exclusively now that my dad is gone.

Jammies -- That seems to be the advice I'm getting... Yes, do all the little extras that we can in our daily routine, but if strength is a goal, do the 5 essential movements.

Zoebird -- I loved chopping wood too. I don't know if I would love it as much if I had to do it as much as Allie does! When I lived in Costa Rica, I got pretty good at stovetop and microwave baking, because I had no oven in my rented house. I would do better now that baked goods are no longer on the menu!