Fitness: a lifestyle

I'm pretty sold on the elliptical as a tool to help me reach my goals. That said, not everyone likes the same type of exercise or has access to these new machines. :-) I read once that at the Biggest Loser ranch participants have 2 hours of exercise per day. Whatever I read didn't specify the type of exercise, but in my experience, I'm not sure it matters. Yes, 2 hours per day is a lot. And I rarely reach it. But a 35 minute walk in the morning first thing, a 30 minute walk during lunch break, and 30 minutes in the evening after dinner adds up to an hour and a half without any trouble at all. I've found it takes that much to reach and maintain my personal overall fitness goals. If I can throw in some exercises (light weights, stretching) for 20-25 minutes, so much the better. The elliptical gives me the intensity to allow a little wiggle room in what I eat. (I'm just not ready to give up jam squares and chocolate chip cookies!) However, walking in the neighborhood seems to count, as long as I get the minutes in. Or making one walk during the day a treadmill walk, with a book. :-) When we're away from home (and machines), walking on the beach (sand provides resistance) works well for accomplishing the same thing. When I visit my parents, we just move and walk around more in daily activities, and that seems to work okay too, for a few days at a time. So this is not as rigid as it sounds -- just doing the best I can each day with what my life allows that day to meet long-term fitness goals.