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What Do You Do For Fitness?

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fable
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What Do You Do For Fitness?

Post by fable »

...or against it? There's been an increasing awareness (particularly in portions of Northern Europe--what is it with Scandanavia and Holland leading the rest of the known universe in understanding the social dimensions of humanity?) of the need for people to put some form of exercise into their daily routines. Just as intelligent people know you can't grow a brain on television food or a spirit on Southern Baptist sermons, so we've all begun to realize you can't sustain a healthy mind/body behind a desk or a few drinks in a bar.

We've lived now for three years in New Jersey, an over-populated, under-civilized portion of the United States. (It's that rather large place which is isolated by choice from the rest of the world.) Fitness was never a symbol in the New Jersey equation. The forests were almost entirely cleared from the state several hundred years ago to make way for farming, and the farming gave way in the last seventy-five years to low-grade industrial and commercial enterprises. Of parks there are almost none larger than a ball field, which is exactly their purpose: for fitness in NJ was long ago defined as side benefit of competitive sports.

Recently we checked around in the area and priced several of the so-called "fitness clubs" which have sprung up of late. We ultimately joined one that had a month-to-month membership plan--with, of course, a large signup fee. (When our salesperson told us that the reason for the large fee was solely to keep away the huge number of people who would otherwise swamp the club and make it impossible to use the equipment, my wife looked at me anxiously. As well she might. It took a titanic effort not to laugh out loud. I never realized commercial enterprises priced themselves as high as possible for altruistic reasons. The father of capitalism, Adam Smith, would have had a cow. And sold it.)

This club is a large place with roughly forty treadmills, twenty-five stationary bicycles, and many rows of torture equipment intended to work every muscle in your body except for those you prefer sharing privately with your Significant Other. There are four racketball courts, a large area for intensive aerobics classes, a pool, a small whirlpool, a juice bar and a sauna. Despite the overwhelming energy music that's blasted through the place it has a surprisingly laid-back atmosphere, with everybody pretty much doing whatever exercises they please using the machines. Since there's a flat fee for monthly use and the place is open from 5 AM to 11 PM five nights a week (and 8 AM to 8 PM on weekends), we intend to workout for 1-2 hours almost nightly.

So what do *you* do to maintain your physical fitness? :)

[ 06-10-2001: Message edited by: fable ]
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scully1
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Post by scully1 »

I practice a martial art, Aikido. Also go for walks when the weather is nice.
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Vehemence
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Post by Vehemence »

I don't do the rockclimbing much anymore, but that use to keep me pretty fit.

I do Tae Kwon Do every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday for about an hour and a half. Have been doing it since I was 9 :)

It's not only good physically, but strengthens you mentally as well.

I also play table tennis :) Lotsa fun and while it's not immensely physically draining, it is a good workout :)
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Post by Mr Sleep »

I play TableTennis every day, not amazing i know and i couldn't run more than a 100 metres before collapsing :) :D i also play some basketball. That is about it due to me beign a lazy git :D
I'd have to get drunk every night and talk about virility...And those Pink elephants I'd see.
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Post by Vehemence »

Mr. Sleep... if your ever in Oz, I'll give you a game! :) :D
Cartoon Law III
Any body passing through solid matter will leave a perforation conforming to its perimeter. Also called the silhouette of passage, this phenomenon is the speciality of victims of directed-pressure explosions and of reckless cowards who are so eager to escape that they exit directly through the wall of a house, leaving a cookie-cutout-perfect hole. The threat of skunks or matrimony often catalyzes this reaction.
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Post by KramoR »

Play hockey, ride my bike ten to fifteen miles a day.
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Mr Sleep
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Post by Mr Sleep »

Whereabouts down under are you?

I also play a lot of pool in smoky pubs :D
I'd have to get drunk every night and talk about virility...And those Pink elephants I'd see.
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Vehemence
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Post by Vehemence »

Originally posted by Mr Sleep:
<STRONG>Whereabouts down under are you?

I also play a lot of pool in smoky pubs :D </STRONG>
The western side :)

Heh, I also play a lot of pool in smoky pubs... except they aren't so smoky and the majority of the time I get my ass kicked! Still, I'm learnin' ;)
Cartoon Law III
Any body passing through solid matter will leave a perforation conforming to its perimeter. Also called the silhouette of passage, this phenomenon is the speciality of victims of directed-pressure explosions and of reckless cowards who are so eager to escape that they exit directly through the wall of a house, leaving a cookie-cutout-perfect hole. The threat of skunks or matrimony often catalyzes this reaction.
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Mr Sleep
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Post by Mr Sleep »

Well as i have been telling everyone today i won 20+ games on the weekend out of 25, it took about 3 1/2 hours, :D Eastern side, would you like to be more specific, as my Aussie geography sucks, you have to bear in mind i am only a pom :D
I'd have to get drunk every night and talk about virility...And those Pink elephants I'd see.
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Post by Vehemence »

No no, not eastern side... western side... :)

Perth, Western Australia to be exact. :)

Sleep, your either a damn good pool player, or your playing really bad pool players ;)

All I know is I'm one of the really bad pool players. I should probably stick to the table tennis ;) :D
Cartoon Law III
Any body passing through solid matter will leave a perforation conforming to its perimeter. Also called the silhouette of passage, this phenomenon is the speciality of victims of directed-pressure explosions and of reckless cowards who are so eager to escape that they exit directly through the wall of a house, leaving a cookie-cutout-perfect hole. The threat of skunks or matrimony often catalyzes this reaction.
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Post by Mr Sleep »

Told you about my Geography :D :D

Perth thats :cool: i had someone holiday there a while back :D

One of them was having an off day and the other one was crap, i was playing well they were not :D :D But i still had many brilliant shots. :D
I'd have to get drunk every night and talk about virility...And those Pink elephants I'd see.
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Vehemence
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Post by Vehemence »

Pool has a lot to do with luck! But a hellofa lot more to do with geometry :)

I hated maths! :D Hence I suck at pool ;)
Cartoon Law III
Any body passing through solid matter will leave a perforation conforming to its perimeter. Also called the silhouette of passage, this phenomenon is the speciality of victims of directed-pressure explosions and of reckless cowards who are so eager to escape that they exit directly through the wall of a house, leaving a cookie-cutout-perfect hole. The threat of skunks or matrimony often catalyzes this reaction.
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Kayless
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Post by Kayless »

Originally posted by Vehemence:
<STRONG>Heh, I also play a lot of pool in smoky pubs... except they aren't so smoky and the majority of the time I get my ass kicked! Still, I'm learnin' ;) </STRONG>
Heheheh, pool eh? If you’re ever in Alaska we'll have to play a 'friendly game' or two. Perhaps a small wager to make it interesting :D (I grew up with a pool table in my basement ;) ).

Seriously, I like to hike, run, or ride my bike (and cross-country ski a little in the winter). I used to fence (with swords not stolen merchandise) but haven't removed my foil from its place in my collection for some time.
Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
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Mr Sleep
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Post by Mr Sleep »

I despised maths with all my ferocity, hence the E grade :D and i am still reasnoable, the thing to do on most pool tables is hit the ball softly, there is usually quite a lot of roll, how you rest your hand also has a effect, try to put the cue in a space of hard skin so it does not stick :D
I'd have to get drunk every night and talk about virility...And those Pink elephants I'd see.
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Georgi
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Post by Georgi »

Originally posted by Vehemence:
<STRONG>Pool has a lot to do with luck! But a hellofa lot more to do with geometry :)

I hated maths! :D Hence I suck at pool ;) </STRONG>
What a great excuse :rolleyes: I was good at maths, I still suck at pool :D I might get better with practice though, I rarely play ;)
Who, me?!?
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Post by Gwalchmai »

I have a nightly excersise involving a 33-pound weight that I throw into the air repeatedly. If I try to stop, the weight says "Again-Again!" or "Make me fly again, Daddy!" This continues until I can distract the weight with a toy or television program. I also have a 10-pound weight that sometimes insists on being cradled in my arms and walked around for hours on end. Other than this, its just the standard work-outs at the Y, and occasional "Meetings" with some buddies from work when we play racquetball. I used to climb mountains.
That there; exactly the kinda diversion we coulda used.
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Mr Sleep
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Post by Mr Sleep »

ROFL
I'd have to get drunk every night and talk about virility...And those Pink elephants I'd see.
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Post by Anatres »

[ 06-19-2001: Message edited by: Anatres ]
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Post by KidD01 »

Let's see I swim once a week when I was still in highscool, I play pool too :) , got table tennis once a week, Badminton twice a month, Bike racing every Saturdays, Do some hiking at Univ. Now I just jogs around the block, lift some weight, the best thing is I runs up and down at fire escape stairs on my curretn projects every Saturdays. :D
I'm not dead yet :D :p :cool:
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Post by Weasel »

In school, I ran. :) Got second place in the whole school in the mile run.(Got beat by a 6ft 7in. fellow...his long legs finally ran me down :mad: )

Nowadays....I spam. :( I need to do something else. :(
"Vile and evil, yes. But, That's Weasel" From BS's book, MD 20/20: Fine Wines of Rocky Flop.
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