I prefer whole body strength training.

Spin bike in my rec room, but only during cold weather months and not really enough even then although both my GP and cardiologist comment without fail each time they see me that my resting heart rate is low by their standards.  I smile and say "Thanks." every time they bring it up.  (Truth to tell it's probably congenital and not a reflection of my superior state of fitness, which is far more fiction and fantasy than demonstrable fact.)

I ought to do more, and also do whole-body strengthening.  I also ought to stretch.  Oh, and I should pay much more attention to proper nutritional intake.

But I don't.

Mike about 18 months ago I became the proud owner of a Garmin fitness watch which constantly monitors, and records, more stats about my physiology than I knew existed. Via the Garmin Connect app on my phone.

One of these stats tells me I have a severe shortfall of anaerobic training. So I probably should do some spin training. I doubt that I will though. The few times I’ve tried pedalling on training bikes in a gym, I’ve become bored in a few minutes. 

However I swim (slowly) about 6 km per week. So that sort of helps whole body strength and flexibility.

And about 6 weeks before a long cycle tour, I do more cycling. Especially several rides each week up our local lookout. 250 metres ascent. That helps prepare for loaded touring. 

And I’ve bought a 5kg dumbbell which was on sale for $15 at Big W. I use it occasionally. It’s the thought that counts. :)

Since I started working at home 25 years ago, I've been a member of a local gym just to get out of the house at lunch. So, I'm a regular at the weight machines - these days just fighting muscle loss vs. gaining muscle!

The gym also has spinning class and I really enjoyed them in the winter and on rainy days - definitely kept my aerobic level up. In 2017 I bought a smart trainer and joined Zwift - that has largely replaced spinning for me. But over winters, a few times per month I'll do a spin class to break things up.

I've also upped my stretching routines, lots more hip flexor type  stretching added to stuff I had been doing since rotator cuff surgery and since a ruptured disc years ago.

Not sure I can actually tell any difference any of that does, but I'm assuming that without it I'd look like the Mr. Burns character on the Simpsons who owns the power plant...

I do 100 arm curls with 12-pound dumbbells once in a while.  I do leg lifts on the floor once in a while too.  I stretch my arms and legs and back a couple times a week.  I like to walk.  I ride my bike almost every day.  I prefer riding in the snow over stationary spinning in the basement.  I do 90% of my grocery shopping via bicycle. 

Other than that, my training involves doing regular chores the hard way.  I lift my knees to my chest to put my socks on.  I use stairways, not elevators.  I don't drive a lawnmower, I push a lawnmower.   I shovel the snow off my driveway instead of using a snowblower.  I use an axe rather than a chain saw to cut down trees.  I get up off the couch to change the TV channel.

"I get up off the couch to change the TV channel."    Wow - now that's hardcore!  If I get up it's because I lost the remote, or I need more snacks.  I don't even know HOW to change the TV channels manually anymore. 

George, I know what you mean.  All the new televisions require a remote to change the channel, raise or lower the volume, and even turn the darn thing on.  I have one of those things too, and I don't like it.  The TV in the Greg-Room has buttons on the side to control the channel and volume, and it has an antenna that sometimes needs adjusting to tune in a channel over the airwaves.  We don't have cable or satellite.  

Your reply brought back a memory from my early days of fatherhood.  After a long day at work, I'd often press the button on the front of my TV to turn it on before relaxing on the couch.  I had a remote back then before remotes became commonplace--it was my three-year old son.  He loved to change the channel for me.  I remember he only knew the numbers from one-to-nine, so if I wanted him to change the channel to, say, Channel 29, I'd have so say "two, nine."  At that time, I didn't need the exercise as much as I do now.

Greg

You must be as fit as a butchers dog!

You and George have already discussed the use of vintage TVs without remotes which had me going for a while.

Snow/leaf/lawn clipping blowers, an invention of the devil!

Mike