Jogging? Tried it. Jump rope? Tried it. Walk up staircases while wearing a weight vest? Done it. All of these attempts at trying something different in my exercise routine have ended in failure. Jogging led to knee problems, as did the stairs-with-weight-vest thing. Jump rope led to back problems, which I found both odd and annoying. The one exercise alternative I haven't tried is one my friend Neil talked about: staircase work, but taking the steps two at a time. I'm betting that's gonna be hell on my knees, too, though.
Anyway, it seems I'd arrived at the perfect exercise formula for me long ago: short walks, long walks, and just tromping up staircases—nothing fancy. I'm too old and heavy to run (we can't all be shrimpy Tom Cruise, running full tilt at 60), and I don't think jumping rope is a good idea for now: I need to lose more weight for that to be plausible.
I haven't hit the stairs much lately, though, so I need to get back on that (or add some Namsan workouts into my routine).
Side note: I'd planned to walk to Hanam City tonight, but after last night's walk, my right foot is killing me for some reason, so tonight is an iffy proposition. I got some bed rest and took some ibuprofen, so we'll see how functional I am tonight. I'm wondering whether I'll be needing my pain pills during the upcoming Jeju trip. Hope not.
Oh, yeah: another exercise alternative is biking. I do have a bike, after all.
I think biking is an excellent way to see weight peel off. I'm dont have much excess weight on me but I still lose about 5kg when i do one of my epic 1000km in 10 day tours.
ReplyDeleteYou bikers are nuts with your distances.
ReplyDeleteI need to condition my ass to be able to sit for long periods on a bicycle seat. Might have to start with 30 minutes, then an hour, etc. Ultimately, cycling to Yangpyeong and back (almost 120 km) could be a distant goal. I could start biking now and be at that level by next year.
What's the secret to tackling long, steep hills?
Saddles are like shoes. They have different fits. If your saddle isn't comfortable it's probably the wrong width, or your wearing the wrong clothes or you need some other kind of adjustment.
ReplyDeleteRegarding hills, there aren't many big hills between here and Busan (maybe 4). I've toiled over Ewharyeong twice in my biggest gear but I've also seen plenty of people give up and push their bikes up. There's no real secret to cycling up hills except practice and sheer bloody-mindedness.
If you want to get some tips for riding for beginners, you should check out GCN channel on YT. I often see testimonies on there from people who have lost 50kg over the course of a year just by cycling.
TLDR: Long distance cycling is like long distance hiking. All the things you already know about hiking also apply to cycling.
Yeah, of those options you mentioned, I'd take biking. Pleasant and easy on the knees. As your commenter said, finding the right seat is key. I changed out that skinny one that came with my last bike and got a fat old man's seat, and then put a pad on it to boot. My ass was happy!
ReplyDelete