Fun Friday: Exercise Routines

The past four fun fridays, we've discussed movies, books, and music. I enjoy the discussions these fun fridays create. It's a different vibe from the normal talk of tech, business, startups, etc, etc.

Yesterday I had my annual physical. My doctor gave me a clean bill of health. He asked what I do to exercise. I told him yoga, biking, and the elliptical when it's too cold to bike outside. He suggested I ditch the elliptical and do a spinning class when it's cold outside. So I'm now re-thinking my exercise routine.

I do yoga for flexibility, strength, and to keep my upper back, shoulders, and neck pain free. I do yoga at least twice a week. I bike because I love being out on the bike, the wind in my face, and the amazing feeling you get after a thirty mile bike ride. But I don't enjoy biking when its less than fifty degrees outside. So I guess I'm headed back to spinning class to get that cardio and pulmonary benefit when it's cold outside.

So that's what I do. I try to exercise at least four times a week for at least an hour each time.

What do all of you do? And why?

#Random Posts

Comments (Archived):

  1. Tim Huntley

    Hi Fred,I am a big fan of high-intensity, short-duration workouts.  About one year ago, I started going to CrossFit 3 times per week, and that has been a huge positive.  This year I am backing down on the CrossFit training to accommodate a very specific track and field goal – I am trying to run a sub-60 second 400m dash (at age 45).  So currently my workouts are a lot of sprinting and core work….Tim

    1. fredwilson

      how short is “short duration”?

      1. Tim Huntley

        Specific to CrossFit, the “short-duration” part is typically about 20 minutes or less – granted, we spend some amount of time on strength work prior to the high-intensity part and also do some mobility work after.  Total usually is one hour in the gym.Another good choice is bodyweight work (this is what I did for a few months prior to CrossFit).  Doing a few circuits of pushups, squats, and plank holds will do wonders, and it can be done inside on those cold, rainy days.

        1. fredwilson

          i might want to try crossfit. but it will probably come at the expense of yoga.

          1. Dan Epstein

            +1 for CrossFit.  I’ve fallen out of exercise the past year (new fatherhood), but before then I was doing CrossFit 3 – 4x a week.Great variety, sense of community, and exercise.  Some of the workouts were the best/hardest I’ve ever had.As for duration, most WODs (workout of the day) at my CrossFit gym last between 7 and 15 minutes, with another 15 minutes before and after for warm-up and cool-down.

          2. JamesHRH

            We were just in a local LuLuLemon and a young gal at the till was so long and strong looking that I asked her what she did – Crossfit.I am looking into it.

          3. Dan Epstein

            You should definitely check out Crossfit. In addition to being a great workout (different every day…WOD), great sense of community, like being on a sports team.

          4. Paul Sanwald

            I crossfitted for about 3 years, and my wife still goes. Highly recommend crossfit south Brooklyn, the community there is amazing and it’s been a big part of my life in recent years. My wife dead lifted 200 the other day!It’s a great workout and the only thing I’ve found really comparable to boxing.

          5. stephenfshaw

            @ Dan – new baby = biggest loss of fitness for me ever. Get back on the horse!

          6. Dan Epstein

            Yeah, I’m itching to get back into it. I haven’t been able to give up time with the little one for time at the gym. Got a favorite WOD?

          7. stephenfshaw

            Grace is my all time fav. 30 Clean and Jerk 135# for time. Simple. Painful.But I hear what you are saying about the little ones. I’ve got a 3 y/o, an 18m/o and one on the way – can’t wait to get the garage gym built.

          8. Dave Hyndman

            Fred, I’ve been doing CrossFit now for 3 years. I absolutely love it and go 5x/week. I’m 45 and in the best shape of my life.CrossFit is intense but a lot of fun. I think it’s especially appealing to Type-As. There’s a friendly competitiveness to it. All workouts are timed (either do the workout as quickly as possible, or do as many rounds/reps as you can in a fixed time), so there’s a bit of a race to it. The best thing about this is that it helps you sustain a level of intensity that you otherwise wouldn’t.Six months ago I also added a Paleo diet to the mix. Results of CrossFit and Paleo:- dropped Lipitor (high cholesterol) that I’ve been on for almost 15 years- lost 13 pounds (I was never really overweight)- completely lost chronic lower back pain that’s plagued me every day for over 15 years- huge boost in general energy level- look and feel fantasticNot for everyone, but the best thing I’ve ever done for myself.At least give it a go.

          9. stephenfshaw

            Another +1 for Crossfit – I got hooked in the Marine Corps in 2005 and it has been my go-to ever since, after years of running, rowing, triathlons, etc. Now that I have kids/job/etc, it gets me where I need to be fitness wise, without 10 hours a week out on the road/in the gym. You can do it when you travel, at home, with friends, by yourself. Great, great diverse community (something this blog clearly values!). Love it.

  2. Kasi Viswanathan Agilandam

    I find swimming is the best … two apples in one-shot…bathing+ exercise. Everyday 20-30 minutes is more than enough.On a lighter note … a good advice is given in the old “Silver Streak” movie :-).

    1. fredwilson

      i hear that all the time. it’s just inconvenient in a place like NYC

      1. Wesley Verhoeve

        Agreed! I WISH I could swim but even my fancy gym doesn’t have a pool.

      2. panterosa,

        It’s inconvenient anywhere but summertime and the caribeean.

      3. LE

        Also anxiety for me. You get to the pool and someone else is in the lane slowing you down or getting in the way. 

  3. Joe Yevoli

    I’ve been following crossfit endurance since mid July.  I followed it to train for the NYC marathon and loved it.  I’m completely addicted now.I also started following the paleo diet for the training, but have since kept with it since for the first time in my entire life I know have normal blood pressure.  I’m guessing thats what did it since it’s the only thing that has really changed.Definitely recommend both, but it’s not for everyone.

  4. Dennis Buizert

    At this moment nothing. Sold my bike because i needed to pay of school bills. Its to windy to be running and i have no money to go to a gym. Something i will take up once i have money is either the gym or a new bike and find a good route. Where i live you first spend 30minutes riding to a good place.

  5. William Mougayar

    The most exercise I get these days is Pushing my luck and Jumping to conclusions…Kidding aside, How about eating habits? They typically ask you about that, because it goes hand in hand with exercise. For me, it’s treadmill in the winter and running outside in the warmer weather + some weights/toning exercises. And the occasional ski & swimming bursts.

    1. fredwilson

      next fun friday??

      1. tyronerubin

        gaming, social enjoyment, personal projects that dont involve business.like community stuff, helping others etc.Enjoy the weekend all.

        1. fredwilson

          good ideas

        2. panterosa,

          I’d love to hear about games. Offline and app/online. We play piles of things here at our house, the lab for game design. And still we’d love more suggestions.

          1. Dale Allyn

            Panterosa, Have you played Glitch? I’m not a gamer, but my daughter was an early beta tester and now works on the game. They recently went back to beta, but I think they’re signing new users from time to time. If you’d like to try it, I’m pretty sure I can get you an invite via e-mail. Drop me a note if interested: dale.allyn [at] gmail [dot] com. I say “pretty sure” just because I’m not positive of the status this week, though she frequently offers if I know someone who’d like to play.It’s a non-violent game, but some of the humor is geared toward the 18 years and up crowd.

      2. William Mougayar

        Yes…Healthy Diet/Food is my favorite rant.- posted via http://engag.io

  6. Magnus Hultberg

    Keeping quick carbs out of my diet (not easy when working with restaurants…) is the main thing (did LCHF – Low Carb High Fat – for a long time, which while difficult lifestyle wise made me feel great). For exercise CrossFit, boxing based exercises, and running (for the meditative quality of it, it is also a great way to catch up on podcasts!). Running aside, I like my exercise rather high in intensity and not taking up too much time which is what CrossFit is so great for.

    1. fredwilson

      i might take up boxing. i work out at a gym that caters to boxers and has a great ring

      1. Magnus Hultberg

        Best exercise ever. Involves the whole upper and lower body, helps with flexibility and posture, works your reflexes and coordination… And it’s fun! I mainly do what is known as “fit boxing” (boxing based exercises and pad/bag work, no real sparring) and “beat box” which is basically boxing combinations to music. Great fun if the instructors know what they’re doing (more boxer than aerobic instructor…)!

        1. JamesHRH

          My uncle was a boxer – for most people, its a lean muscle making machine.Hard hard work.Knees could be an issue…

      2. Paul Sanwald

        Fred, I just replied about my boxing experience. I highly recommend it. you should make sure to work with a good trainer, though.

      3. Paul Sanwald

        Fred, I just replied about my boxing experience. I highly recommend it. you should make sure to work with a good trainer, though.

      4. Brian Levine

        Fred, interesting, I just started Spinning as I switched from the Elliptical. Overall, it’s a great workout, I enjoy it more! Don’t always need to do a class either. Good luck!

      5. Teren Botham

        Try basketball, if it weren’t playing,practice free throws.. You can’t ask for more fun and excercise together, leave alone stressbuster..

  7. John Best

    Honestly, not as much as I should.I’ve never been able to get into running either. Gym work is fine, bikes, cross trainers etc. but running has never appealed.

    1. fredwilson

      i can’ run anymore. my knees gave out on me last decade. i moved to biking. i actually like biking better.

      1. awaldstein

        On knees Fred, from someone who has none as well.If it’s lack of cartilage, I’m a big believer (and twice a year) user of Euflexxa gel shots. If it’s tendon stuff, there is a new platelets process that I’m going to try just post ski season. Makes all the difference to have a sports orthopedist.

        1. panterosa,

          My BF is a med stud in OM. He mentioned gel shots recently. Will have to ask him.I blew my knees out at 15 as an athlete. One dislocation, one patella rubbed from behind (scoliosis leads to uneven injuries). Have a great chiro and PT person. They recently did Grafton on me on the outer thighs. Painful, but getting the little scars out was amazing.

          1. awaldstein

            Was a big difference to work with a chiropractic doctor who thinks of all patients as athletes.And our bodies as something to constantly tend to through exercise.Choosing someone who works with a sports team made a difference. Choosing someone who was not a surgeon also.

          2. panterosa,

            I agree with you and your chiro.So many people simply fix you, the object, and ship you back out. Your body is a verb, not a noun.- posted via http://engag.io

        2. ShanaC

          They can fix that?  My knee is hurting a bit again.  I’m too young for that…

          1. awaldstein

            Find a good orthopedist Shana.Get an MRI and figure out what’s what.Then shop your problem around and look at the non surgical avenue as well.You can fix most everything mechanical except athletic arthritis. But even for that there is some help.What happens with arthritic pain in the knee is that the tendons and muscles tighten. Herbs can really lesson that. Also gel shots add a lubrication layer and new research is coming on line all the time. Find someone who works with professional athletes and they will be in the know. – posted via http://engag.io

          2. ShanaC

            *sigh* another on the to do list….

      2. Prashant Gandhi

        I used to love running, but cant do the distance anymore because of week knees. I’ve switched to doing spinning twice a week, and weights on other two. Golf on weekends ..so I get a lot of walking done (no carts)

      3. John Best

        Biking and swimming are much lower impact, definitely prefer them.

      4. leigh

        Running is terrible for you in the long run.  My step father was a national racewalker in the over 65 category and he totally recos it.  Best exercise ever but man, it looks so freakin’ stupid! 

        1. LE

          “Running is terrible for you in the long run.”What are you basing that on? What type of running?

          1. leigh

            lol i can send him an email and he’ll write you a book — mostly about the impact running has and how your body and joints are already deteriorating over a certain age and then how it accelerates it (i dunno he’s ranted at me for HRS before and that’s what i remembered :)- posted via http://engag.io

          2. LE

            Thats one of the reasons I don’t race or do a marathon (even though I have a very fast pace and would place well I think.). I don’t want to injure it would detract from my goal with nominal gain (a trophy?). Also weight plays a role in the amount of impact as well as the surface you run on. Boardwalk has more give than asphalt or cement. Treadmill has even more give.  

        2. Gunnar

          My grandmother is still running after starting in her mid-40’s. She competed in 44 races last year and was pleased that she moved up into the 80+ age group. She’s had a couple injuries over the years but always found a way to rebound and continue running. Not surprisingly, she is in fantastic health for her age.Unfortunately, running is just an injury-prone sport so not many people can stick with it for so long. I’ve been experimenting with Vibram Five-Fingers to reduce the stress on my own knees.

          1. leigh

            That’s pretty fantastic :)- posted via http://engag.io

  8. Modernist

    I run.  Sometimes with shoes, sometimes with Vibrams, sometimes with my dog.  It’s an efficient way to challenge the body’s energy system.  http://calories-burned.find…One of my favorite gym workouts comes from the fighter’s routine.  The net effect of this routine produces extreme overload in the neurological system by taxing it consistently.  My friends would use it to break through the plateaus that one hits every so often in strength training.  Multi-joint movements, like bench presses, pull ups, dead-lifts, done with very little rest in between, varied across the muscle groups in the body, with maybe 5 different movements in one circuit, circuit repeated 5 times with 30 second breaks.

  9. Josh Pigford

    I’ve recently started exercising everyday (literally, 7 days a week) for about 30-45 minutes.Thanks to the weather I’m inside doing the elliptical all those times, but I’d much rather be out biking.Curious…why did your doc suggest dumping the elliptical and doing spinning instead?

    1. fredwilson

      to push myself harder.

      1. JamesHRH

        I recently came up with an idea to train against my body, for time benefits.I enjoyed running, but always at moderate distance (6-10 miles, nothing more). So I started doing 150 stride sprints, up a grade (perfect situation is a slightly increasing grade, so that it gets harder as you get tired).Not a sprinter, to be clear.You need to research sprinting form, have great shoes. not be overweight and listen to your body (don’t be hero in mid-life and blow up a knee). It is a terrific, fast, 3/4 of your body workout that pushes your largest muscles hard, but naturally.

  10. Wesley Verhoeve

    Fred, what type of bike do you ride? A tour de France style race bike, or more of an urban bike? And do you ride it alongside the sides of Manhattan where we find those very few safe bike paths in our city? I’ve been wanting to get back into biking badly but the limited size of our apartment and lack of space to place a bike safely outside in good ol’ Brooklyn has been cramping my style. As a person raised in the Netherlands though I really don’t have much of a choice to somehow actually get past that in the new year. It’s in my blood.

    1. fredwilson

      i have a mountain bike and i ride it up the hudson river park from the west village to the GW bridge and back

      1. SD

        I find that route is better and less treacherous when its about 80 degrees and a light mist outside…feels great, and the path is largely empty. On nice days, it feels almost as dangerous as broadway.

        1. fredwilson

          i do it at 6am most mornings

      2. John Revay

        Question – while biking & thinking – do you have any music playing re: ex.fm seems like your course is off road.Side note – re: your music comment about listening to ex.fm while on the subway to work – I tried listening to ex.fm while on the metro north train to NYC yesterday – did not work well over verizon 3g.  I ended up using the ex.fm app to play music in my itunes library (very dated & I am working to fix that).

        1. fredwilson

          I don’t listen to music when I ride. Too dangerous. I need all my senses

      3. Brad Lindenberg

        You need to get a racing bike and some cycling kit! Its the best! Also social. I find fit people are generally ‘fit’ in other parts of their life – usually driven and smart. I’ve met some amazing people through cycling in a group, although its difficult in NYC. Maybe laps of central park early in the morning.

    2. Alex Binkley

      Once you get over the Brooklyn Bridge head straight over to the west side bike path, which will take you most of the way to the GW. Over the GW River Road along the Hudson is beautiful or you can take 9W all the way to Piermont / Nyack and beyond.

      1. Wesley Verhoeve

        That sounds awesome Alex. Thank you. Now I must buy a bike and find a way to store it! 

  11. awaldstein

    For aerobics when it’s too cold, I do the rowing machine and a series of floor intervals (like we all did in high school for wrestling). Hard core, big results.On the opposite days, it’s all power core. Balance as a function of muscle strength and flexibility. Lots of work with small and large balls, some Bozu with weights.But…talking about exercise without nutrition is only half the discussion. I’m a bit extreme, with a daily regime of green smoothies. The results are amazing. Weight loss, muscle strength.Great topic. Not discussed enough.

    1. fredwilson

      nutrition is the obvious next fun friday. now i know why you look so young!!

      1. William Mougayar

        It’s the wine 🙂

        1. awaldstein

          I did drink a lot of natural wine last year http://awe.sm/5cxCd but that’s not it. Maybe the inspiration that comes from the drink more than the beverage itself I think;)

          1. William Mougayar

            I was kidding. Definitely greens and fruit are big for me too. We’ll have fun next week with that.- posted via http://engag.io

          2. JimHirshfield

            Isn’t all wine natural?

          3. awaldstein

            I’m certain you’ll be sorry you asked ;)Is it natural if the grapes are not organic? If you inoculate with synthetic or non indigenous yeasts to kickstart fermentation? If you add sugar to raise the alcohol content through chaptalization? If you add chemicals to reduce tanins or lesson acidity?But…beyond all that stuff as health or minor fanaticism, there is a taste and liveliness to the wine that does happen when the process is more ‘natural’. That and the artisanal nature of the segment is what drew me to it.And of course it is a matter of degree, especially around adding sulfur.Glad to have a bottle and muse over this with you Jim.Many rants and some useful stuff, especially recommendations on my wine blog.

          4. JimHirshfield

            1. Not sorry I asked.2. All the adulteration is (indeed!) not natural.3. Let’s pick an evening to libate. I’ll DM you.

      2. rich caccappolo

        a-ha…I see you are headed for a de-tox cleanse, Fred!! I knew you would succumb one day…

        1. fredwilson

          never, never, nevermy mom taught me moderation in everythingbinge, cleanse is not my approach

          1. rich caccappolo

            you’re right / she is right. That said, I found the experience of doing a cleanse worth trying, but not worth repeating.  I look back on it as a learning experience – not so much about losing weight, rather a means towards understanding how focus and energy tie to nutrition and dietary habits and how those two factors influence the effectiveness of any exercise routine

          2. fredwilson

            You are more curious than me. I need three meals a day

          3. JamesHRH

            I told my Mom that everything in moderation included moderation – I was REALLY hung over at the time.Irregular use of cleanses seem to be really beneficial – a bit of a jolt to the system.Not an expert, I have just done 1 or 2 & had positive results.

          4. kidmercury

            people always talk about how great moderation is, conveniently overlooking that moderation cannot be defined without extremes……

          5. LE

            “my mom taught me moderation in everything”100% agree. 

      3. LE

        Nutrition is important. But even more important is sleep. Also Arnold most likely drinks a glass or more of wine each day (as I do..)

      4. sbmiller5

        then talk about good sleep.

      5. BillMcNeely

        Nutrition,great choice in topic next Friday! 

    2. Tom Labus

      What’s in those smoothies?

      1. fredwilson

        yeah, we all want to know

      2. awaldstein

        This is what I drank this morning:Ch-Ch-Chia kale smoothie http://awe.sm/5cxEK I'm lucky that I have a (stealth) raw food entrepreneur and too occasional blogger in the house. And a Vitamix on the kitchen counter of course.

        1. William Mougayar

          I put chia with my oat daily.

          1. awaldstein

            Smart. It’s the super of all super foods.Sam (yes, the cat) gets chia in his breakfast cat food daily. And he’s looking really good.

          2. William Mougayar

            Wow. So I can give it to my dog??? That’s too cool. – posted via http://engag.io

          3. JimHirshfield

            A Chia Pet, no pun intended as the chia seed was the plant species used in the Chia Pet. #trivia

          4. Trish Burgess-Curran

            I have been reading about chia for the last 30 minutes and I am amazed.  How come I had not heard of it before (no, I do not live in a bunker ;-).  In any case, I will try to find a good source and try it as soon as I get a chance. Anybody knows of a good shop in the UK that carries it?  Many come up in a Google search but I imagine that there may be some of better quality than others.  How can I know that?

          5. William Mougayar

            Lol. Any good health food or whole food store should have it in London, no? It is sold in bulk or in small packages. (It’s not cheap.) – posted via http://engag.io

          6. ShanaC

            where do you buy chia?

          7. William Mougayar

            Health food stores. Prob Whole Foods has it although you might pay a premium because it will be in a nice package. Isn’t there a bulk health food store in NYC like Bulk Barn http://www.bulkbarn.ca ? – posted via http://engag.io

          8. ShanaC

            Good question, I have no idea…

          9. Matt Williams

            I strongly recommend looking into evolutionary nutrition, the basic premise being that we’ve seen a radical change in nutrition in the last 10000 years (advent of agriculture), when our DNA is 99.99% identical to what it was earlier than 10000 years ago. As a result, there’s a discordance between what we eat and what we are evolutionarily adapted to thrive on.Have a read of the paleo solution by Robb Wolfe for a detailed overview, I formerly believed that super foods and conventional good nutrition were tenets to live by, but my perspective now is that the modern diseases of civilization (including obesity, diabetes, cancer, heart disease) are a result of this discordance between our standard diet and the diet wsw are evolutionarily adapted to.This is evidenced by the numerous hunter gatherer societies still around and documented during the 1850s-1950s that had incredible vitality, 0 disease incidence and long, healthy-till-they drop lives (no frailty or mental disorders such as Alzheimer’s and dementia). Good calories bad calories and why we get fat by Gary taubes are great books that cover these and other studies in detail.This stuff is compelling, and I Believe the only reason it hasn’t hit mainstream is there is too much inertia in the food industry caused largely by huge food companies and pharmaceutical companies whose profits depend on the prevailing nutritional wisdom remaining dominant. Sounds conspiratorial, but corporations run on profits, not science.

          10. awaldstein

            Thanks MattI know only a little about this approach. I’ll take a look.I’m with you that big food is a big problem.My point of reference for this started with wine when I became deeply interested in the natural wine movement ( http://awe.sm/5d16W ) and started digging into agriculture. This has led to some thinking on of course diet and personal fitness but also connections to the artisanal food movement, and artisanal and niche markets in general. The intersection of the social web as an indication of cultural change and the artisanal and niche as a business model has become a point of interest for me( http://awe.sm/5d16Z ).Thanks again and I’ll take a lot at Paleo.

        2. John Revay

          GREAT – I will try & whip one of these up over the weekend re: resolution to eat better.It looks like there is a lot of other great stuff to flavor the Kale, ( I am still getting over trying to make a kale based slow cooker stew I once made.)  Perfect Pineapple looks fun.Vitamix – we use to have one those machines – growing up 40 years ago – it was like a tank.

          1. awaldstein

            Shoot your questions directly to Lianna on her blog. She know’s her stuff and is somewhat fanatical about Kale.

          2. fredwilson

            I bought a vitamix for my oldest daughter as a Christmas gift. She wants to eat healthy. Seemed like a great way to help her do that

          3. Brad

            My wife bought one a couple years ago and I was shocked at the cost….but we use it all the time. She must go through pounds of spinach every week. We add it to every smoothie, and you would never know it.She recently became vegan, so we are a bit of a house divided, but I will say that we are eating infinitely more healthy and I can tell a difference. I wish she would blog about how she does it because I think many many Americans could use it.As much as I travel overseas, I will say that we do not have a health care problem, but a health problem.

          4. awaldstein

            Great tool. Gets used every day in my house for green smoothies.They make a smaller size blender container which might be really useful for an individual. Less to clean.BTW…Vitamix is one of those old brands that still works. They love their product and work to help you feel the same.

        3. Tom Labus

          Thanks, will try.

          1. awaldstein

            Green is an acquired taste. A bit hard core. It’s taken me a while but the recipes are a balance of flavor, with lots of raw coconut. As an aside, In NYC, places like The Juice Press are an exploding biz in the alternative green juice business. I watch the alternative food trends alot. The East Village and LES are like a lab to what is going to happen in food. 

        4. tgodin

          I made this smoothie this morning.   Left out the cinnamon, which was probably a mistake.  I thought it was too Kale tasting.Had never heard of Chia seeds, but picked them up at WF and will be using them in all sorts of ways from now on.thanks.

          1. awaldstein

            Thanks for giving this a try.It takes a little bit of fussing to get it right. And some palate adjustment. For me it has been a huge success in my health and well worth it.It’s super important to like how it tastes. To start try spinach, frozen cherries and banana. Then add a little bit of kale then progressively more over time.As a response to your comment I asked Lianna to do a ‘starter’ post:Your First Green Smoothie http://awe.sm/5dDeEPing her with questions in the comments. She’s super knowledgeable and passionate about this and very open with info.

    3. Mark Essel

      That’s the half I’ve never focused on minus a few year exception. Eating healthy is serious business!

      1. awaldstein

        It’s amazing that most doctors don’t study nutrition in med school.You don’t have to be fanatical but just make the decisions about what makes sense for you. It takes some work as there are really no communities online that talk about health and exercise and nutrition in a useful way.See the article in yesterday’s NYTimes (I tweeted it) about Vegan bodybuilders. Good read.

        1. JimHirshfield

          I tweeted that article as well. Here it is:http://nyti.ms/zLWsvYI'm not a bodybuilder, but I am a vegan. Have been for 17 years. Agree with 100% that most physicians get only 30 minutes of nutrition training in Med School. That said, my doc (not a naturopath) is very supportive. Health is top notch.I’m not a proselytizer, but happy to discuss with anyone.

          1. awaldstein

            You and I both Jim.My take is that if life is 20-30 years longer, we want those in the middle.Inspiration. Exercise. Food. All help. 

          2. panterosa,

            “Inspiration. Exercise. Food.”nourish and work/play/doso zennot just physical only- posted via http://engag.io

        2. William Mougayar

          Not only doctors, but in high-schools too. Nutrition education should be mandatory at an early age. They should ban junk food in high-school cafeterias as a starting point, like Jamie Oliver is doing in the UK. – posted via http://engag.io

          1. panterosa,

            Love Jamie Oliver and “bung it in a pan” attitude.

          2. RichardF

            +1

          3. awaldstein

            All true.But where do ‘normal’ people get information that meshes with life.I was happy to ‘hack’ my wine education cause it’s a passion and I want to know and share.For nutrition, I want to get this from a smart trusted source and apply it to my life.It’s a gap, like exercise in my opinion to get good personalized information- posted via http://engag.io

        3. Tom Labus

          Every Dr’s office should have a nutritionists and be part of the consultation.Most Docs are oblivious to this.  Seems crazy to ignore.

          1. LE

            “Every Dr’s office should have a nutritionists and be part of the consultation.”That would be great but  will never happen on a large scale without reimbursements. That drives everything in healthcare.  

          2. panterosa,

            I’m hanging with a med stud who want this type of thing, nutritionists, and other smart ways to address the patient and their needs to heal, as a major pain point of med school and the education it provides. To take the care to the next level to keep the patient out of the office and out of the hospital as much as possible.He dreams big, and I consider supporting his dream, which is the dream of many, worth supporting. Medicine is very busted in this regard.- posted via http://engag.io

    4. karen_e

      You’re so CA in NY, Arnold. You can take the boy out of the West Coast, etc etc.

    5. Anne Libby

      What’s in your green smoothie, Arnold?Edit: disregard this, I just read the answer further on down the chain…

      1. awaldstein

        This was yesterday’s Anne: http://awe.sm/5d1A0This mornings one was different…and I think better with coconut, coconut water, spinach. A gateway smoothie for certain 😉

        1. Anne Libby

          It looks delicious. I never thought of kale as “sweet” until I tried kale juice. Thanks, Arnold.- posted via http://engag.io

        2. William Mougayar

          Make sure you ask Lianna to participate at next week’s Food Fest Friday! – posted via http://engag.io

  12. Tom Labus

    First thing in the morning I do a 20 minute stretch routine which is great for flexibility and hamstrings. Later in the day I go outside and push myself in a fast walk for about 4 miles. Being outside with no phone/music is where I do my best thinking.

    1. fredwilson

      I agree. I get great thinking on my bike

  13. James Ferguson @kWIQly

    Ski when I can – I live 15 km from Grindelwald, Muerren – (No reason required).Swim in summer – lake is 50m from where I am sitting (but its Snowing today).http://www.scenicreflections.com/d…  (need I say more).Chop Wood – Only way to keep house warm – we take energy seriously @kWIQly:disqus .Gathering walnuts mushrooms and generally stumbling around in the woods with my wife.The big Why ? – http://www.imdb.com/title/t… – It’s a wonderful life !

    1. fredwilson

      i love the focus on exercising naturally in the outdoors

      1. andyswan

        Let Rocky IV be our guide.  You’ve either got to commit to indoor and make it work for you (Drago) or commit to outdoor and take the elements as a challenge that you WILL conquer (Rocky)There is no middle ground….lest you want to be sitting on your couch waiting for the weather to get nicer or the rain to stop, etc.Bring it on, “mother Earth!”

        1. JimHirshfield

          Queue the theme to Rocky.  ♫♫♪♪♫♫♪♫

        2. James Schaffer

          Rocky IV training scene.  This has been hard to replicate living in San Francisco, but I keep trying.  Enjoy:  http://www.youtube.com/watc…

          1. James Ferguson @kWIQly

            Well I have never though of my regime as equating to Sly before. Though his wood-cutting technique is poor – you should let the axe do the work (but maybe that’s my energy efficiency laziness coming through again)Perhaps being British and hosted here by a VC who is more familiar with NYC  than I will ever be –  this is more my mark 🙂  Enjoy Mr Blobby! http://www.youtube.com/watc…Remember those days ! You are never too old !

    2. Mark Essel

      That exercise regimen sounds fantastic.

      1. James Ferguson @kWIQly

        Mark – It was very deliberate – I had lived in cities Oxford, London, The Hague and Duesseldorf throughout my adult life and was (and am still) overweight so we decided that if I was going to throw absolutely everything into a bootstrapped startup it would be on my terms that my wife and I could never regret. Now with one very cheap builder-upper to my name in the alps -the world is our oyster. So consulting income from UK went down (FX rates killed me) and cost of living up – but the startup is massively juiced by positive mental attitude and I get that from the great outdoors.We are a slow burn start and finally getting to scalable income  – signed two big clients in December for first revenue in three years – (palpable relief)But we are here to stay – and so is the startup – All we need is traction now and it seems to be coming. And honestly a few minutes on the blogs and you soon enter a virtual world where it does not matter where you are to the functionality.

        1. Mark Essel

          Living the dream James.

          1. James Ferguson @kWIQly

            Yes indeed – but now I am looking forward to the FF on nutritionNow what nutritious things are the Swiss famous for ?Answers next week  !

  14. JimHirshfield

    I walk. Then I walk some more.My commute takes me to Grand Central, and from there I walk down Park Ave to 30th. Good thing I don’t work in Dumbo anymore.

    1. markjosephson

      You and me both!

  15. Michael Elling

    The Greenway is nice but lacks hills; there are a few after the GWB.  For variety head up to CP with its ~6.6m loop.  Sometimes its fun hooking up with other riders; other times its just you and the computer.  Since you said “wind in the face” suggest getting a roadbike as it is a much more exhilarating experience and you can draft with some of the other roadies.  CP is also sheltered so it is comfortable to ride in even down to 35 degrees; 7pm is a great time, well-lit.  Went down the Harlem River path for the first time the other day, but unfortunately the city has not completed it.  We had to cut through Northeast Harlem for 20 blocks.  Once you can go all the way around Manhattan that will be pretty cool.  What are your city contacts telling you?  I’ve done skiing, soccer, karate and cycling; nothing comes close to racing in a peloton.  High speed chess.

  16. Trish Burgess-Curran

    Wow!  I have realized what a couch potato I am after reading all your comments!  I do like being outdoors, so walking and biking (preferably surrounded by trees and water) are my favorite types of exercise.  Swimming also makes me feel great.  Having said that, living near London means many cold and cloudy days where I just stay home and sit on my behind…My husband does a 20 minute stretching routine every morning and a 45 minute core and balance routine in the evening.  I need to get with it and join him!  He does it for medical reasons and really does not enjoy the exercise (he loves biking!) so, by my joining him, we would kill two birds with one stone:  I would get exercise and he would get a work-out buddy.  Maybe this could be my New Year Resolution 🙂

  17. Eric Pratum

    My resolution last year was to run everyday with two exceptions for walking with my wife and doing road rides with a local group. It was awesome, and I would definitely do it again. Honestly, I found it easier to commit to a small amount every day than to commit to a larger amount less frequently. Now that the new year has started, I’m focused on another resolution and won’t be exercising that much, but I’ve still been out to ride and run already.As for why, two reasons: 1) I like exercise, feeling fit, etc, and 2) I want to make sure my life is as long, healthy, and enjoyable as it can be, and I believe exercising will help in that.

  18. Ela Madej

    I dance (classical ballet classes, jazz, contemporary) at least 2-3 times a week. I bike  everyday to work (even now, in the middle of Polish winter). Try to run couple of times a month but don’t always have time for that. Seasonally / on vacation – I ski and snowboard in the winter (used to work as an instructor), swim/sail in the summer. Do yoga once in a while (that’s something I should find more time for, I need to get better at sitting still). My big goal is to dance more/better and learn how to surf ;)Forgot to write why – I love dance as a means of expression / vent for emotion but it also keeps the entire body strong (I spend 10-12 hours a day in fromt of my laptop recently so this is important). Skiing / Snowboarding /biking is great because I LOVE velocity and it just makes me happy (and fit but that’s secondary).

    1. fredwilson

      Wow

    2. ShanaC

      Is it possible to go back to dance as a adult – I’m thinking of going back.  Note, I’m young (mid twenties) and already have slight knee issues (knee surgery).  Is this doable, especially for ballet?

      1. Ela Madej

        Well, I am not a physician and I have no idea what’s up with your knee. BUT I am a believer that you CAN ALWAYS come back and improve your skills. I think @JerryColonna:disqus only started dancing a few years ago, right Jerry? Maybe it’  too late to do it professionally and be the best in the world… but WHO CARES? If you want to dance for yourself, grow your skills, keep your body strong and HAVE FUN –  I am sure you will no matter what age you are ;)In fact, I spent my childhood and adolescence over physics books + snowboarding on weekends. I only discovered dance in college.As much as it hurts me to say that, it’s too late for ME to be a pro dancer too (and I am not sure if I would chose that as my career). I am now in my mid twenties and the only thing I can tell you that IF you’re thinking of going back, don’t think too long. Go back starting today, you don’t really have to do any preparation, nothing to think about. If it’s not fun or as rewarding as you’d like it to be, you can always stop dancing and steadily walk back home  😉

        1. jerrycolonna

          Sorry for the delayed response…it’s so hard keeping up with the AVC gang.I started dancing five years ago (at 43). I always wanted to dance but, hell, I’m an Italian-American from Brooklyn and the only dancing I was allowed to think about was like John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever.And that wasn’t me. For me, dance is another form of deep, authentic movement (in fact, the people I work with come from the Authentic Movement tradition). I started dancing around the same time I started kickboxing.Dance has now led me to trapeze work. I do a trapeze class once a week. Kickboxing three times a week. And five days of core conditioning and weight training.Being in my body, fully and completely, is the only way I can keep from going out of my mind.;)

          1. Ela Madej

            Thanks for telling your story Jerry. I was really inspired when I heard it (+ why on Earth would anyone at 25 think they are too old for anything?!). Thanks for convincing me to try trapeze, too ;)Dance is such a powerful means of expression and self-healing. Our ancestors danced (and sang) together to express anger, happiness, they’d pray to their gods through dance and music. As societies evolved, we lost this  – which maybe is the way it has to be  – but it’s just sad that some people will never discover the benefits of dance that they used to be entitled to.Dancing is connecting with your mind, your body and the outside world at the same time. Listening you yourself AND music, balancing between remaining in control and letting it go. But mainly letting it go. I go through phases in my life where I don’t feel like dancing for several weeks but I always come back. For me it’s the best way to come to peace myself it combines exercise, breathing techniques, meditation, yoga WITH PURE JOY.

          2. jerrycolonna

            I hear you Ela…it just so happens that last night I was reading Ken Robinson’s Out of Our Minds (brilliant book on inculcating creativity) and he wrote:”Dance seems to be quintessentially a kinesthetic form of intelligence but choreographers design dances with a passionate attention to visual design and to the expressive qualities of the music, and often with mathematical rhythms and precision. For the audience dance is a visual art. Mathematics may seem to be wholly abstract but mathematicians often think visually too.” Out of Our Minds: Learning to be CreativeHe also quotes Martha Graham who brilliantly notes that:”There is a vitality, a life-force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and be lost.”Those who don’t move may struggle to feel this life force.

          3. fredwilson

            comments with citations in the footnotes!#nextbigthing

          4. Ela Madej

            Btw, have you seen Pina? http://www.youtube.com/watc…

          5. jerrycolonna

            I hadn’t but I will now. Thanks.

          6. Mrinal

            That is soooo cool Jerry! I loooove to dance though not very disciplined as I might want to be. Formally, I had taken Salsa classes and but never followed through to more advanced stuff.I was recently at one of my reunions during the holidays and I danced until 5am in the morning for 5 straight days – it was dancing that helped me meet my wife too :)With reference to creativity and dancing, you might want to consider Twyla Tharp’s “The Creative Habit”. http://www.amazon.com/Creat…She is a well known choreographer who has directed Broadway Shows, Hollywood movies and has won Emmy awards. You are inspiring me to take weekly classes with my wife again ..

          7. jerrycolonna

            Thanks for the recommendation. I’ll check it out.

        2. ShanaC

          I tore my miniscus in my knee when I was in 9th grade from walking a long time in ill fitting shoes, tripping, twisting my ankle thereby twisting my knee, and walking some more.Really common sports injury. I just wish I got it through a sport.

          1. Ela Madej

            Ouch (but sounds so familiar!). Good luck with keeping it in good health 😉

      2. candice

        Yes to ballet, especially only as a 20-something – there’s a whole community around it on the web too.  The thing with your knees is gonna be personal, but doing your research on studios/instructors and letting them know about it should work fine.  I went back to ballet in my mid-twenties and at 30 I can do some things better than I did in modern dance company as a 19-year-old.   It does start out slow and frustrating but the nice thing about ballet is if you put in the hard work you will get something out of it. I dance 3-4 hours a week in a fairly hard intermediate class, which is really all my schedule can muster.  

        1. ShanaC

          Thank you! Ballet can be tough on the body (it makes you strong) which is why I asked!

          1. candice

            Some disciplines are tougher than others, and if you have a recovering knee it might be advisable to not jump on it for a while.  But if you’re going back, that’s beginner class and there’s precious little jumps in there anyway.  Also, college dance classes often fall into the recreational free or very cheap tier of tuition…. I kept dancing a few semesters after I ran out of money for tuition when I went to college the first time.  Saved my soul.Good luck!

        2. Ela Madej

          Where’s the community? I am yet to discover it 😉 Thanks for sharing!

          1. candice

            Start with adultbeginner.wordpress.com and pointetilyoudrop.blogspot.com and go through their blogrolls.I don’t blog about ballet much because I really feel like I’ve said my piece on dance.  It would be “Hmm. Another class, only ten pirouettes (we’re supposed to try for sixteen), nice grande jetes, awful beats.” over and over again. 🙂

          2. Ela Madej

            Thanks, I am into ballet more in terms of technique, contemporary & jazz are my big passions (and less restrictive). But will give it a go!

  19. reece

    hehehe… running is GREAT for your rig. whether a short couple miles or some serious distance (i really learned to appreciate distance when training for the NYC marathon this past fall), a good run is still the best way to get your body goingcombine that with some intense lifting sessions – less for weight, more for dynamic ability and power – and you’ve got a great routinecycling is awesome, but i agree that training rides are no good under a certain temp (i still bike to commute through the winter though)also – i subscribe to the “something is better than nothing” mantra. so i start everyday with pushups and situps to guarantee i at least get my heart going a little bitmix in some yoga here and there and none of it ever gets boring and i always feel great

    1. John Petersen

      I feel like I really need to try this thing you call yoga. I heard all the kids are doing it nowadays.

      1. reece

        try Prana Power Yoga in Union Square

        1. John Petersen

          Uh oh. I think I found another item for my own personal 12 Experiments

          1. Anne Libby

            Ellen Saltonstall is also in Union Square; she’s one of the most experienced teachers in the city.   (Good humored, balanced, intelligent…and classes at her place aren’t a “scene”.)www.mohiniyoga.com

          2. John Petersen

            Ok. Thanks. I’ll have to check it out.

        2. leeschneider

          Reece, used to go to the Prana in Boston (Newton/Cambridge).  Switched to a non-heated practice, though still warm, and found that my practice improved greatly.  Miss a couple of the Prana teachers though.Been to Prana NYC a handful of times, and Carlos’s classes are awesome.

      2. JamesHRH

        We know 2 professional athletes, in major contact sports, who swear by it.One is 6’3″ 245 (CFL football) and says it will add 4 to 5 years to his career.

        1. Karan

          Karim Abdul Jabar was able to extend his career through Bikram Yoga – Eric Dickerson, Johnny Mac and Dan Marino are the other ones I know of.

        2. John Petersen

          Yeah. I’ve heard amazing things, just never actually made it happen. This will be the year I give it a shot

      3. ShanaC

        Try yoga to the people.  If you can do yoga there, you can do it anywhere.

        1. John Petersen

          Ha. I think I need to find me a yoga for beginners. Although in typical me fashion, maybe I’ll just jump into a regular class and struggle through it until I figure it out.Thanks for the rec

          1. ShanaC

            Its a class for all levels. Vinyasa power style, or hot vinyasa.The reason I recommend it is because I like their guiding philosophy (though they’ve moved away from it) – yoga for everyone, what you can afford, yoga in the community, etc. They pack the classes, but by doing so they allow anyone to participate.Which to me is a good thing

          2. John Petersen

            I like the sound of this. Will definitely look into it.Thanks.

  20. Tristan Louis

    Fred,You live in New York: Use it. I do about 1 hour of aerobic (ie. fast) walking. Bundle up when it’s cold and walk around (no headphones on). It focuses my mind, helps me reconnect with the city on a visceral level, which helps improve our application design. I generally shoot for early morning walks as it’s less crowded and there’s less traffic.When it gets warmer, there are also volunteer opportunities on weekend to help weed-out Central Park. It’s more exercise than one would think and it helps keep the park beautiful.It sounds crazy to go with something as simple. 

    1. fredwilson

      How do you find those volunteer opportunities?

      1. Tristan Louis

        The details on the Saturday Green Team for Central Park can be found here: http://www.centralparknyc.o…There was a similar program for Prospect Park but it seems to only be through different events now ( see http://www.prospectpark.org… )The events are free, help improve our parks, and get you a good dose of exercise 🙂

        1. ShanaC

          awesome!

  21. Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry

    Winston Churchill was once asked the source of his boundless energy and resilience. He replied: “No sport.” I hew faithfully to his maxim.

    1. Tom Labus

      Plus cigars and lots of whiskey!!

      1. Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry

        Amen.

  22. bootland.nl

    I walk 2 hours a day, appearantly it it said that this could expand your life with one week each time … but doing the math then doesn’t quite add up … how long will you live then?  😮

  23. RichardF

    I’m glad you posted this I’ve allowed life to get in the way of health just lately. It’s time to get back into a routine.I have been cycling to work and back 3 days a week.  This time of the year I’m usually doing more ski specific stuff.I really dislike running, I ran the London Marathon a few years back, the training and the distance put me off. I’d rather go out on my mountain bike.I used to take a more holistic and rounded view of exercise (mixing cardio and strength training) and diet but have lapsed recently.  I like Brad Feld’s approach of recording what you are doing, it’s a good motivator.

    1. Rohan

      I dislike running too. Love football.. and that’s my motivator. 🙂 

      1. Nick Grossman

        I have a hard time w/ running too, but it’s still the main thing I do, just because it’s so convenient.  Using http://runkeeper.com has helped.

      2. RichardF

        I went to school in Wales, we only played with an oval shaped ball.

  24. John Petersen

    I go to the gym 4x per week and try to ride my bike there 2 of those times. It’s not far (4 miles each way) although coming back is almost entirely up hill. I also walk to the office everyday which is a nice mile and a half, 20 minute walk instead of taking the subway. These walks are awesome for planning my day in the morning / wrapping everything up at night.The one thing I love more than anything else is hitting the sauna after the gym. I do this after almost every workout for about 15 minutes and really get a good sweat going. I’m told it’s really healthy for you, but I just like to think of it as training my body to be able to handle extreme temperatures. In my mind, it makes me sweat out all the bad stuff in my body and also nukes any germs, colds or viruses that try to attack me. Like I said, not sure if there is any truth to any of that, but it makes sense in my head.

    1. fredwilson

      I love the schvitz!

      1. John Petersen

        absolutely. although i had to ask my jewish cofounder what this meant 🙂

  25. Dougie

    just wondering on the reason to ditch the elliptical trainer?

    1. fredwilson

      To get a more intense workout

  26. FAKE GRIMLOCK

    PUNCH LIFE. IN THE FACE. REPEAT. ALSO LOTS OF WALK. NO ONE MAKE CAR BIG ENOUGH.

    1. JimHirshfield

      Watch where you step, please. 

    2. panterosa,

      you mention HOT LOVING in your recent post. that is exercise, in my book.

      1. JimHirshfield

        Yeah BAY-BAY

        1. panterosa,

          To many French women it is the only exercise, besides dancing. They wouldn’t be caught dead at the gym.

      2. ShanaC

        So agree.  

      3. FAKE GRIMLOCK

        STUPID DISQUS NO WORKING RIGHT.

        1. FAKE GRIMLOCK

          TEST

          1. Guest

            MORE TEST.

          2. Guest

            MORE TEST.

          3. Guest

            MORE TEST.

          4. Guest

            MORE TEST.

          5. Guest

            MORE TEST.

          6. Ela Madej

            EVEN MORE TEST

      4. Guest

        YOU RIGHT.5 TIMES PER DAY UNTIL BUILD UP ENDURANCE FOR REAL WORKOUT.

        1. panterosa,

          you right too – disqus is not working. it messed up. give 5x reply.other wise we on same page ;)real workout is where it’s at. if you make it there you awesome.- posted via http://engag.io

  27. jonathanlewis

    Spinning has its place, but as you really enjoy cycling you might want to consider purchasing an indoor trainer for your bike.  It’s a better quality workout, you get to pick your own tunes/show/movie, and you don’t have to schlep to the gym. It’s also far more comfortable than a spinning bike or a stationary exercise bike.  You don’t get the indirect benefits of just being outdoors (which I think are many), but I find that it still gives me some quality time to think & reflect.Take a look at the Lemond Revolution (http://www.lemondfitness.co…, in terms of ‘feel’ it is as close as you can get to riding outside.  Once you get the hang of it, it takes about a minute to pop your bike on and off of it.If you want to take it up a notch, you could consider adding a power meter to your bike (the Garmin Vector (http://sites.garmin.com/vec…, when it is released in March would be your best bet), using the indoor cycling equivalent of RunKeeper (trainerroad.com, recently released and terrific), or downloading some real course cycling videos to watch and motivate you while you ride (thesufferfest.com, the name says it all, but they are fun).Lastly, if you are not familiar with his work, you should check out Ray Maker’s insanely in-depth product reviews at dcrainmaker.com.  His reviews of fitness technology including several of the products mentioned above) are the best around.

    1. LE

      Thanks for the Lemond Revolution suggestion. If you had to choose, would you buy that or a good recumbent and why?

  28. Mark Essel

    I walk two-three hours each morning between 6/7-9am every week day. On weekends Michelle and I go out on hikes for 2hours weather permitting, or I go out for a longer walk on my own (4mph). We try and go to the gym 2 days a week at night for cardio and weights – but on those days I only walk an hour in the morning.December was bad for the Gym due to an aggressive work schedule which sucked because my energy was lower and I had more stress.Eating healthy is something I’d like to explore. I’ve eaten bad most of my life, and I believe I could increase my energy and health by eating better.I think Racquetball may take up a weekday morning as well for the winter.

    1. LE

      “I walk two-three hours each morning between 6/7-9am every week day.”Do you have children yet?

      1. Mark Essel

        Not yet 🙂

  29. awaldstein

    @Trish_Burgess_Curran:disqus Chia is still below the radar. Amazing stuff.Quality, access in the UK I don’t know. I’ll as my resident expert on this.

  30. Robert C

    I like to workout 4 days a week, mostly strength training with a combination of free weights and machines. I play basketball at least 2 days out of the week for aerobic exercise and, primarily, to get my fix of physical competition. Basketball is definitely my refuge. And I always have one day to rest; often that day I’ll complete a one hour meditation session, as sort of a mental workout to increase my focus and clarity throughout the week. 

    1. fredwilson

      I used to play basketball with my son and his friends. Now he has two inches and 20lbs on me as do his friends. My game is rebounding, put backs, and low post moves. He owns me now. I don’t do it as much as a result

      1. aarondelcohen

        Wow I just saw my basketball career flash before my eyes.  Going to Ry’s first ever real game this afternoon if my flight arrives on time.  I’m organizing a startup game at NYU’s gym for early mornings.  We’d be old, but not that old…Aaron

        1. fredwilson

          how do non NYU people get into the NYU gym for this basketball game?

          1. aarondelcohen

            I’m working on that.  It’s only going to work in the mornings.  I’m thinking Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7 AM.

  31. Brian Pfistner

    BJJ and Thaiboxing, along with Cross-fit type exercises.  Although the past year I have been slacking big-time, at least compared to my usual 5 day a week workouts.  I’ve been making a point of eating more greens, and feel much better doing so.  I use http://www.elixirmre.com/ along with a protein drink after workouts.  I would recommend getting a micro-nutrient test from http://www.spectracell.com/ . Some insurances cover it, if not it’s only $250 or so. Read The 4-Hour Body by Tim Ferriss.  Basically his documented experimentation with various physical challenges; running a marathon, getting lean, adding muscle, etc.  It’s a good light read.  If you are looking to learn more about strength & conditioning, I would recommend Steve Maxwell http://www.maxwellsc.com/in… .  I trained with him when I lived in Philly, he’s a beast and a walking encyclopedia of S&C.  There’s a few cross-fit gym’s in NYC.Fred, if you really want to try something new, I would highly recommend Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or Thai-Boxing.  BJJ is much more low impact.  There are some great places in NYC.  Renzo Gracie and Marcelo Garcia are two great places.  Try out some private lessons.  BJJ is an unbelievable workout, and more importantly, teaches you self-defense.  (Al Bundy is a BJJ black belt,, and black belt’s aren’t easy to come by in BJJ)  If you have any questions, feel free to ask.  I always recommend martial arts to people, it’s a great workout and a major stress reliever.  Oh, and its very humbling too, you learn very quickly to NEVER judge a book by it’s cover!  

    1. fredwilson

      Great suggestions. Thanks

    2. Nate Kidwell

      BJJ is great and Renzo’s is awesome (esp. J. Danaher).Had no idea Marcelo was back though.  Such a crazy talent, the only competitor I love to watch.

  32. Daniel

    I bike and kayak and just began yoga to see if it will help my neck after long hours at the easel.

    1. fredwilson

      It will. Give it a few months

    2. Ryan

      I’ve also had some great success with Egoscue exercises. Here’s a link: http://www.4hourlife.com/wp…. I haven’t done the fifth one yet, and all the others take about 12 minutes total and can be done at home.  I’ve been doing them in the morning and at a night and within a few days started feeling a lot better and within a week I would say I had a 75% improvement.Hope this is helpful!

  33. Steve

    Gym 3x per week. Cant run much on hard surfaces b/c of my knee, so I use the climbing machines – not quite an elliptical, not quite a stair climber. It’s a good workout, and I agree that the eliptical can only get you so far. I lift my body weight in various ways – pull ups, rows, dips, etc, and do abs. Play soccer 1-2x per week weather depending. Would love to ride a bike but doing so in Boston is asking for an early grave…

  34. Jen Berrent

    Before kids, lots of time at the gym during the week (weights, cardio, yoga) and outside on the weekends (biking, running, hiking, skiing).After kids and still working full time, I have learned that getting to the gym regularly is not a realistic option so I now have a treadmill at home, plus weights, a mat and some other stuff.  For any mom working full-time, the best investment you can make (in my opinion) is to cancel your gym membership and buy a high-quality machine that you will actually use (doesn’t matter what it is as long as you can force your tired self to climb on – elliptical, treadmill, spinning bike…).  Over the years, i think it is way worth the initial cost.  And for other at-home workouts there are great apps — Nike Training Club, 8 minute abs, pocket yoga.  On the weekends, I still do lots of outdoors stuff – I used to have my son in a backpack, but now he is hiking, cross-country skiing, etc. alongside me (which is great).

    1. fredwilson

      There’s a big market for advice on fitness for new parents. I have seen again and again how that wonderful change of life negatively impacts fitness

      1. karen_e

        YES IT DOES (faint scream)

      2. LE

        I agree and have seen that as well many times. Parents putting 99% into the needs of their kids with nothing left for themselves. Or their relationship. Not understanding that a parent being healthy and happy is as important (or actually more important) than soccer lessons and dance class.  Not to mention the fact that it’s also the cause of many addictions, stress, and divorce as well.  It is a big market and a failure of our educational system which doesn’t prepare children for real life or relationships. 

        1. fredwilson

          great comment. when we had our first child, my boss/mentor at the time told me “go on date night every week with your wife. never blow it off”. we did it for almost twenty years straight. now our kids are grown and any night can be date night. but it made a huge difference.

        2. hellosailor

          People understand that they need to be healthy, but if you’ve ever had a child, most people are so exhausted by the lack of sleep/demands that it’s really hard to actually get exercise. Plus, in my case, my husband was rather panicked by the idea of being solely responsible for our newborn, even for an hour. Then when people get back to working full-time, it’s almost impossible combined with the demands of childcare. It’s definitely not that most people don’t WANT to exercise. I found it was only really possible to exercise on non-weekends when my child was around three. People may say that’s an excuse, but I really didn’t have the time or the energy and I exercised four times a week until the week I gave birth. 

    2. John Clyman

      We have great fun taking our 9-month-old daughter on hikes (and now snowshoeing) with us. She absolutely loves the visual and tactile textures, and for us it’s great to be able to share an experience we love with her. It doesn’t hurt to have an extra 20 pounds of load, either!It doesn’t solve the problem of finding time for regular daily workouts, but we are trying to make it at least a weekly family event.

      1. ShanaC

        How do you deal with a tiny kid when hiking?  How much of her own walking does she do?

        1. John Clyman

          None! She’s actually not at the point where she can walk unassisted yet, so she rides on mom or dad. The Baby Bjorn carrier that lets her kind of hang off my chest/stomach has worked pretty well so far, but it’s becoming a bit unwieldy as she gets bigger and heavier. For the holidays I picked up a sort of frame pack that has a child seat with safety harness that sits on top of the usual backpack-y parts. We’re going to try it out this weekend.

        2. Jen Berrent

          For my son, I started having him walk some on his own at 3 but would carry him if needed (by backpack or on my shoulders).  At 4, I would use a lot of rewards (yes, M&Ms – but he was exercising and he was not allowed to have M&Ms at any other time).  By 5, he could go great distances as long as I told him stories as we walked (did not need M&Ms until stops). We hiked up a good mountain in NH over the summer (staying at a mountain hut for one night) .  And to be honest, my son is not a super strong kid (doesn’t like soccer, etc.).  It was worth struggling through his resistance early on even if it was hard at first.

    3. John McGrath

      Applies to dads too–it was a fantastic trade, but the arrival of my two kids was met with the abrupt departure of my exercise routines. For a while I was able to squeeze in runs with a jogging stroller, but my kids pretty quickly got too fidgety for that–they complained loudly about being strapped in for any amount of time.I basically gave up workouts for two years, which sucked. What got it back to some degree was a strategically placed move. I now live about 5 miles from work, and the absolute fastest way to get there is by bike–we’re in SF, and both car and public transit is a lot slower. So in addition to the modest workout, I’m motivated by efficiency–it saves me time, and the weather here allows pretty much year-round cycling. Get a little exercise, save time and money, enjoy your own headspace for a bit between work and home–bike commuting is awesome. Between commuting and the occasional weekend ride, I usually get in ~70 miles a week.

  35. Ryan

    My workout routine has just recently changed.  I used to run 4-5x a week for a total of 30+ miles.  Two big down falls, I didn’t stretch enough and didn’t balance out the cardio with resistance training.  Between that and sitting at a computer all day, my posture was crap and I had persistent upper back and neck pain.  I got the book, 4 Hour Body, in December and I started their workouts… three resistance workouts a week that literally take a total of 20 minutes.  The workouts emphasize the use of a kettle bell.  I’m also doing the Egoscue exercises that it recommends to alleviate back pain and in just a couple weeks, my pain has gone down 75%.  

  36. Rohan

    4 times a week here as well. 🙂 3 days in the gym between 630-715am – mix of weights, running, cycle and 1 day football/soccer on the weekends – typically a 90 minute game in a league I’m in.The morning session in the gym is my hour of power!

  37. meredithvail

    I could not recommend spinning at Flywheel more. I go to the one in Flatiron and have become completely hooked. You reserve your bike in advance online, so that when you arrive your shoes, towels and all the water you want are waiting for you, the instructors are motivated (and motivating), the music is a blast, the workout is tough (and includes an arm component) and it’s all over in 45 minutes. And, if you so choose, you can compete with other riders (you have the option to post your performance numbers on screens in the front of the room) or you can keep your info to yourself and check it out online after the class. I especially love classes with Grant, Danielle, Kate, Jesse and Steven, though in my experience you really can’t go wrong.

    1. fredwilson

      I think I’m their next new customer

      1. andyparsons

        +1 for Flywheel, I am a regular a the Flatiron one. Time flies by, the music is killing, and there’s no better cardio workout for the time spent. All credit to the excellent instructors.

        1. fredwilson

          andy, any suggestions on instructors who play good music? i like indie rock, electronic, hip hop, etc but dislike the thump thump thump music a lot of spinning instructors play. i am going to start going to flywheel in flatiron regularly and want to know who to spin withthanks, fred

          1. andyparsons

            My favorite instructors are Holly, Jesse, and Stephanie. Playlists vary tremendously, Holly in particular has an indie bent with some hiphop and pop remix stuff, but not dance-club-thumpy at all. Her classes really focus on sync’ing RPM’s with the tunes. It’s great. Cool, see you there!

    2. markjosephson

      Agree on @flywheel. Got hooked this summer and they just opened in new jersey. I love the music (they did a Bruce and Bon Jovi ride last week) and the tech is great. I love tracking my progress over time online and seeing if I can beat my previous best.Also committed to do the Pan Mass Challenge this summer – 200 miles in 2 days – so I have no choice…I have to train. I really need that kind of goal to help drag my ass out of bed for a 6 am class.

  38. panterosa,

    I do a variety of stuff and the variety is what I like. I think when I move.Swim – 2-3/wk.Ice skate – 1-2/wk oct-mar.Dance – swing, salsa, hustle lesson 1/week.            – out to club to do above plus funk music every other week, yes 1 week.Yoga – home practice 3/weekBike – in summerI do a third of the above with daughter, Rosina.Goals for 2012Pairs dancing on ice w/RosinaBeginner synchronized swimming trial. Wanted to do this forever.Get back on 1 meter diving board. Was on school team. Loved it.Get balance beam for terrace. Loved beam on school team.Try silksDo some trampoline.Finish S factor.

  39. Prestonpesek

    In addition to yoga, swimming and running in NYC, I also take my road bike across the GW bridge up the 9W all the way to Nyack Beach when the weather’s good. It’s about 60 miles round trip, and it’s awesome.  Would love to organize a group ride with some of this community for anyone who’s interested.  It’s probably the most epic ride available to New Yorkers.

    1. Rohan

      That’s a great idea. :)All the best with that! 

  40. Justin Kuepper

    Your Body is Your Gym… because it’s an elegant solution. IE. It uses no equipment, can be done anywhere, and is quite effective.

  41. Scott McMillan

    What?  No triathletes on here yet?  I’ve been addicted to it for about 16 years.  Done about around 15 Ironmans, even a couple in Hawaii (world champs). I got into it so much that I started a small coaching company for triathletes that tends to focus on Ironman racing.I love the riding the most (my best ideas have come on the bike) and really enjoyed the intellectual/physical challenge of swimming (plus the low impact).  Fred you should consider swimming, that is a nice swap for the Elliptical.  Maybe even a triathlon in the future (we will get you some new knees for the running).   

    1. Prestonpesek

      A friend and I did a self-organized olympic length triathlon in NY in November, based at Reebok sports club on UWS and bike/run in central park, just to see if we could finish it. I didn’t have anyone running gear for me, so there were long transition times, but I have to tell you I had an enormous amount of energy for about a week afterword.  Something about that combination of swim, bike and run that gets great energy flowing throughout the whole self.  I definitely recommend this to anyone who wants to try it.

    2. andyswan

      it’s bucket list….hate running though…

      1. Scott McMillan

        Love is the only solution for hate.  😉

    3. JL Shane

      I’m with you, Scott, though Ironmans are above my pay grade; Olympics are a bit easier training-wise in terms of time.  The commitment to make a race date really helps.  My knees aren’t great either, so I limit amount of running during training, or run to gym, swim, then run home which breaks up the pressure.  Then, pickup games of ice hockey as a supplement.  Triathalons and hockey build different kinds of endurance.  In DC, there are some great bike trails, including one from MD to Georgetown, and ones from VA burbs heading west.  From April to Oct, I could ride into work a couple of times a week (12 mi each way) – a great way to get ready for the day (going in) and wind down (all uphill going home!)

  42. Jay Janney

    I walk.   We have a Y near our home, so I head over there and walk a 10k every day.  My time is down from 1hr30 minutes to 1hr19minutes (pbr).  My goal is to trim another 4 minutes from my time, which would give me an average walk speed of 5mph.  To improve Cardio I wear a 16lb shoulder weight belt and 2lb wrist weights.I try to run, but my knees hurt within 3 laps (not even a 1/4 mile)…Sigh! On a different topic,  Slate.com ran an article on codeacademy this week, encouraging people to sign up  (Farhad Manjoo’s article).  The interesting part was (based on reading the posts)how negative people were to the idea.  A difference between your site and theirs!

    1. Tom Labus

      That’s great time for 10K.You must feel great after!

  43. Harry DeMott

    I walk to Pastis for breakfast!Actually, tennis, paddle tennis (awesome when it is 20 degrees out in the winter) and hiking in the summer.That said, I do walk to too many restaurants – thus negating the effects of the exercise.

  44. andyswan

    6 days/week :  1 hour swim laps .  Got waterproof ipod from waterfi.com which is amazing3 days/week:  1.5 hour lift weights (barbell only as per Starting Strength book) Tennis/golf/water-ski and other non-impact sports to resume as soon as ACL heals.I think the real key is to do things that require muscle growth in order to be completed.  Growing, larger muscles burn more calories and protect the body when it is “at rest”….it’s the gift that keeps giving the whole year round.Oh…and bourbon.

    1. falicon

      waterfi.com is an awesome find…you just changed my world…again. Thanks!

    2. Aaron J. Ruckman

       So glad you mentioned waterfi.com.  Had never heard of them. You just made swimming a bigger part of my weekly exercise plan.

    3. awaldstein

      Lucky you Andy to have pools to swim in. Not so in NY.Agree wholeheartedly with the thought on muscle. For me, I find that using my body weight creates less injuries and still gives good results.

      1. LE

        Building a traditional pool is super expensive and you have the lane problem. I wonder what the economics of using multiple “endless pools” in a swim only facility would be. They might even be able to be stacked (hey they do it in parking garages in NYC) and it seems you can fit many pools per sf of space.  Old industrial space (which can support heavy loads) or a basement that might only have room for 1 or two. Then people can check an iphone app to see availability. (Had to work that in there..)http://www.youtube.com/watc…”We have 6 different models starting at $6,900. “http://www.endlesspools.com…

        1. awaldstein

          I’ll stick to biking outside in the summer, rowing and intervals and core.And swim whenever I’m at the beach…next in March in Tulum.Great info though ;))

          1. fredwilson

            we were in Tulum last march. we loved it there. great time to be there too.

          2. awaldstein

            So looking forward to this.Big house, family and the beach at the front door can’t be beat.  

    4. ShanaC

      Wait, there is a waterproof ipod, that is totally awesome!!!

    5. sbmiller5

      As someone who went through an ACL tear, I highly recommend adding biking to your routine.  Once I did, my recovery pace skyrocketed and biking after my ACL tear made me fall in love with it enough I pursued competitive road biking for two years.

      1. andyswan

        I appreciate that advice! I do a bit of stationary bike stuff now and I can see the value.Will add more through the winter because of your rec

    6. Avi Deitcher

      Wow, Andy, where do you find the time? I envy you.And waterfi.com is an amazing find. Just great.

  45. Paul Sanwald

    I box, because I love it. I had to stop for a few years because I hurt my hand, so I did this fitness thing called crossfit which I also really dig. But I went back to boxing 2 years ago, and have my first amateur fight in February.There are only 3 Activities in my life I’ve fallen in love with instantly: music, programming, and boxing. I’ve been a professional musician for 17 years, programmer for almost as long, and I look forward to doing all three pursuits when I am old and gray. I continually find amazing parallels.

    1. Tom Labus

      Good luck with your fight.

      1. Paul Sanwald

        thanks tom! win or lose, I’m excited to be doing it.

        1. jerrycolonna

          I hear on the boxing, Paul. Few things feel as good as the complete and utter exhaustion after sparring.

    2. leigh

      I’ve been told boxing is an insane workout.  

      1. JamesHRH

        It is.

      2. Aaron Klein

        It’s the getting punched in the face part that kept me from loving it.

    3. fredwilson

      That’s quite an endorsement

      1. Paul Sanwald

        I am going to record a piece at some point where the percussion is sounds from my boxing gym. I’ll put it on soundcloud!

        1. fredwilson

          send it to me when you do

    4. JLM

      I hope you are getting good instruction.  As a cadet at a military school, we all had to box for at least one year (in addition to hand to hand combat and ballroom dancing but that’s another story) and then you could elect to continue for the balance of your cadetship if you wanted to.We had fairly expert training from an instructor who had been a USMC champ and was a heavyweight.  In the first year, you learned more than a bit of technique either because you were successful doing it or because you had the lessons literally beaten into your head.You boxed with someone who was exactly your same weight and height because the classes were segregated by size.  That was very good because nobody really had a physical advantage.Three 3-minute rounds of boxing are longer than hiking over the Rockies.  I know this first hand.  And as cadets, we were in fabulous condition.Once you begin to master a bit of technique, you can suddenly “see” what your opponent is doing and when he lowers his right, you are on it.Bullshit story alert:I reported into a combat engineer unit just when it was in the middle of its battalion boxing tournament.  Since my unit had nobody in the tournament, I was “inivited” to participate.Since I was the NFG and a Lt to boot, wearing a Ranger tab and jump wings, I could hardly say no.I got in the ring with a guy (enlisted man, a Sergeant) who had me by 20 lbs and who was the previous bn champ.  I was thinking — “track meet”.  He was thinking “fresh meat”.I was peddling right and he was following.  Suddenly I saw him dip his right hand and lean into me just a bit — just a glimmer of an opening that I recognized from my cadet boxing.I hit him with a 3-punch combo and raised a nice little mouse under his right eye.  I did not posses the power to stop him but it was a more than a love tap.  It was all I had.I did it once more before he caught me right on the point of my chin and I was stargazing.  I did not go down or out.  But my love of the sport did wane just a bit.Now this story would be a whole lot better if I could tell you that I then proceeded to knock his dick in the dirt, but, alas, that is not so.I lasted the 3 rounds and walked out of the ring which turned out to be a more distinguished exit than all the rest of his opponents.  He won the bn championship again.I never coulda been a contender.  But I did get into the ring.You will NOT be boxing when you have gray hair and be careful if you ever get a concussion.  BTW, I have had my nose broken 7 times, 3 from boxing.  But I have a bit of a pointy nose.

      1. LE

        “You will NOT be boxing when you have gray hair and be careful if you ever get a concussion.”I agree with you on this (having studied Karate for years and having my hand broken by someone half my weight and age because it was in the wrong place blocking a kick.).  And that wasn’t a contact sport.It’s against American Academy of Pediatrics policy for children and adolescents so I have to believe it would also be risky for someone in Fred’s age group.http://aappolicy.aappublica…Obviously you wear head protection. But there is still the impact to the brain. I wouldn’t do it. On the other hand a heavy bag is a great workout (for both punching and kicking) as well as a speed bag which I would recommend. They don’t appear to have any  policy on Karate though and that makes sense since in general there is really only trivial physical contact while studying traditional forms of Karate (at least when I did). Karate though is pretty time consuming for the amount of benefit from my experience.

  46. Prestonpesek

    I read a great book called The Blue Zones http://amzn.to/5Mwxj which describes how those who live very healthy lives well into their 90’s and even past 100 have a lifestyle where they have managed to integrate exercise into their everyday lives, as opposed to setting aside time at the gym.  After reading this book, I decided to walk to and from work everyday, and have done so for the past 3 years.  I live about 1.5 miles from work and it takes me 30 minutes each way, which about as long as it takes me on the subway. During these morning and evening walks, I have my most insightful thoughts, I am inspired by what I see along the way, and I get to work not having any angst about late trains or traffic. This is a privilege of living in Manhattan near where I work, but it has changed my life so positively that I am committed to never living more than a 30 minutes walk from my place of work.  Most say that commuting is the worst part of their day.  For me, it’s the best.

    1. JimHirshfield

      I find that it’s a great blessing to not have to take the subway at rush hour. Crammed into a crowded tube is the worst way to start and end the day.

      1. Prestonpesek

        I totally agree.  Sandwiching your work day between two awful experiences is a terrible way to go through life, and millions do it everyday!  That daily angst is a result of a larger urban planning problem (Manhattan does it better than most, but it’s not perfect), and an even larger infrastructure problem based on combustion engine technology (ala Carlota Perez)… so my daily walk is my “life hack” around the un-user-friendly physical infrastructure of our built environment.

        1. Prestonpesek

          I will say though, on the subway specifically, I think the face to face exposure to the broader public is important to reduce our ignorance by increasing awareness of those who are not like us, who are of different colors and economic strata.  This is in stark contrast to the bubbles of suburbia, and is a gift that New York City gives its inhabitants and visitors whose value is truly without measure.

    2. John Petersen

      I am surprised that no one linked to this yet — “23 and 1/2 hours: What is the single best thing we can do for our health?”http://www.youtube.com/watc…

      1. Prestonpesek

        Great video, thanks.  It’s always reassuring to know that there is real science supporting the great sense of well being I get while walking to work.

  47. leigh

    i srsly dn’t know where you all find the time:- Yoga every day but only 20 min (i try to go once a week to a class but that’s a pipe dream and my 5 class card has lasted me 3 months) = it’s the ONLY solution to my lower back pain that works (and trust me – i’ve done and tried EVERYTHING)- Xcountry ski on weekends bc i live in Canada and bc downhill means you have to join some pretentious club with pple who would annoy me for a couple hrs at a dinner party never mind making my entire social circle focus around it- swimming whenever i can bc i was a competitive swimmer for 10 years and i love water — all and any water as long as it’s clean

  48. EmilSt

    I go to gym to workout and run for 20 min about 3 times a week. But I’m lacking flexibility so I’m thinking yoga. I do meditation so I think I will like it.I took few boxing classes and it was great.Sometimes I rent bike on Charles St and bike on Hudson.I try to have about 7 days of skiing a year.Going to sweat at least 3 times a week keeps my mind and body in good condition.

  49. fendien

    Another reason NYC is great is because of all the basketball leagues here!  I played in a Chelsea Piers league for 4 years and at the 92Y league for the past 2 years. During summer, central park or battery park courts have great pickup basketball, and with the leagues since they are indoors you can play year round.  Nothing better to clear your mind after a long day of work than a nice competitive league game.  Fun way to meet people as well. 

  50. John Frankel

    Ay our age you need to mix in some weightlifting – building muscle mass is extremely important to reducing muscle and bone loss with age.  

    1. William Mougayar

      yes, it’s also guaranteed to lower cholesterol.

  51. Nick Grossman

    I am fascinated by CrossFit.  Incredible how they’ve spawned a very massive, distributed community around a tiny, open core.I struggle with this — I was a 3 season athlete through high school, and enjoyed playing sports every day.  But I then entered a period of very minimal fitness routine through college and my 20s (occasional run, occasional basketball, occasional squash).I have still not found a solo exercise routine that I really love.  I much prefer sports to running, lifting, or exercise routines.  I know swimming is great, but have never been able to get into it.That said, here’s what I do now: I walk my son to school, and then from there do a ~1-1/12 mi run around a nearby lake and back to our house.  Then I do some pushups, and hit a heavy bag that my wife and I share (this is actually my favorite part).  Starting my day this way is 1000% better than not doing anything at all, and always feel stronger, clearer, and more focused after any kind of exercise.Any suggestions for a way to get really good exercise that replicates the fun and focus of sports?

  52. Alex Binkley

    A couple years ago, during the crash, I started training for and raced and Ironman as a way to take advantage of all the free time and to start feeling better physically and mentally.  Now I ride my bike a lot and bike race most weekends in the spring / summer.  I think the exercise / being outdoors really helps me think more clearly and that balance actually helps me put in longer working hours (despite sometimes needing a lot of coffee!).

  53. Josh Morgan

    Fred, In the Marine Corps we have what is called a Physical Fitness Test (PFT). A score is generated based on the amount of pullups, crunches, and 3-mile run time.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unite…Pull-ups: Each complete pull-up is worth 5 points up to a maximum of 100 points (20 pull-ups). Additional pull-ups beyond 20 are not counted and do not add to the score.Crunches: Each completed crunch is worth 1 point up to a maximum of 100 points. Any crunches completed after the two minute time limit are not counted and do not add to the score.Three mile run: A perfect score of 100 points is achieved by completing the run in less than 18 minutes. One point is deducted from the score for each additional ten seconds that it takes to complete the run. Completing the run in less than 18 minutes does not add to the score.There is also a formula to skew your result based on age. Here is a handy calculator: http://usmc.pftcalculator.com/The test is really designed to test upper body strength and endurance. The score is included in formulations when trying to move up in rank.If you get a chance to do the test, I would be interested in hearing your score.As far as my regular workout, I really enjoy lifting weights (resistance training).Semper Fi.

    1. Dave Pinsen

      I assume those numbers for a perfect score are for 18 year olds, and drop down with age. That was the case with the Army’s physical fitness test.

  54. Eunice Apia

    My workout routine has been all over the place like my life. I’ve tried dancing, for an African girl I have less rythem than I want to admit. I tried pole dancing, I have very litte upper body strength. I don’t care what anyone says, you need skills to work a pole. I’ve been more successful with Yoga.This year I want a more structured routine so I want to do Yoga to lean me out. I get very round easily. I want to do fencing for focus, I tend to day dream or my mind wanders constantly. I believe fencing will help. I also want to learn Tae Kwon Do. I want to kick butt in style. No more street fighting for me. It’s not lady like.

    1. andyswan

      I’ll just leave this here:  http://www.gifbin.com/985769

      1. Eunice Apia

        I’m jealous. I wish I could do that.

  55. burningfp

    Running 4 times a week, even when it’s cold outside. 2 of these an hour or more.I’ll try and swim once a week for the new year.I started doing calisthenics 3 times a week when I was fit enough to run a half marathon in September and I could see and feel the benefit almost immediately. I want to make that a habit this year. I can’t afford the gym, and don’t like the company.I also would like to begin pilates to strengthen core and back.

  56. bobmonsour

    I used to play tennis 2-4 times a week. In Mar 2011, I had shoulder surgery on my non-dominant shoulder. I got into the habit of daily exercise during the rehab process. I got back into tennis only to injure my “good” shoulder. I have since backed away from tennis and started on the P90X program. I’m sure that many of you have seen the infomercials. This stuff is for real; you exercise 6 days a week. It is intense, but the most wonderful part of it is that each and every routine (about an hour a day, except yoga which is 90 minutes) you start a different move or exercise every 30 to 60 seconds. There are not a lot of rest periods. And it can all be done in your home with either dumbbells or resistance bands (you can get a door-mount pullup bar instead of bands). Lots of body weight work. It’s got yoga, martial arts, basic resistance, plyometrics (jump training), and more. I completed my first 90 day round on Dec 21 and just started round 2 on Jan 2nd. I’ve lost 12 pounds a a layer of fat from my body. If you want to get into really good shaape, this works.

    1. marc_h

      I started P90X this time last year and definitely give it a full endorsement.  Did the chest and back routine just yesterday.  for the last 6 or 7 months I’ve been mixing it it in with heavy weights at the gym (still love the satisfaction I get from the classics: bench press and squats) and 45-50 minutes on the elliptical.Time to mix it up again so I start Crossfit this weekend. 

  57. Spencer Fry

    I exercise 6-7x a week.My favorite activity is squash, which I play 2-4x a week.If you ever have any interest in learning/playing squash, please let me know, Fred!

  58. RaveDance

    I’m sure going to the gym was alot of peoples new years resolution but im sure once the new year kicked in not many people botherd. I love going to the gym i think im gonna start it up again. http://www.ravedance.net

  59. Brandon Marker

    Lift free weights with core stabilization built in to about 80% of the exercises about 5 days/wk       —-High intensity circuits to keep heart rate elevated 2 days/wkTrail running with agility and jumping to build arch strength and core. abut 3 days/wkCore, core, core, core. As much as possibleRun extra miles to make sure I don’t have to diet and can eat some junk [this one is most             important]

  60. stegel

    I am also an avid cyclist; riding 2-3 days a week for 20-25 miles and putting my bike on a trainer in the winter so I can keep cycling and watch TV.The past 2 years I began running half-marathons (1:37:41 PR) so from May to October I run 4 days a week for about 35 miles/week.2012 is the year of the triathlon so I am working on a new fitness routine to prepare for all three sports. I have not swam in 20 years so I need to start taking lessons!Keep active, keep healthy, Keep happy!

  61. Alex L

    Your blog post comes at a very serendipitous moment.  My cofounder and I are considering starting our company in NY instead of SF, where we are now.  (We’re actually trying to get an introduction to you, and we already spoke briefly to Christina.)  However, one big draw to staying in SF is the cycling.  The rides here are incredible, with mountains, cliff-side roads, etc.  I love cycling as much as you, which is why I’m having a hard time, along with other reasons of course, actually imagining myself in NY.Anyway, it’s good to hear that people still get out on the bike in NY.  And from my experience, a power-based spin class is usually a much better workout, anyway.  We have a good one in SF called M2 Revolution.

    1. fredwilson

      the biking in and around NYC is very different than the bay area. if you get out and over the GW bridge and ride up to Bear Mountain, then you can get some great rides. riding in the city is fun but not similar at all to the bay area. next time you are in NYC, try getting your hands on a bike and go riding in central park at 6am. you’ll have a blast.

  62. Aaron J. Ruckman

    I’m guessing most of us work 60+ hours per week, have lots of commitments outside of work, and (maybe) have kids.  That’s a very busy life.  You just can’t be performing at your best if you aren’t eating healthy and exercising regularly.I try to eat as healthy as I can without being too extreme about it.  And I shoot for 3 – 5 workout sessions/week.  I give myself the freedom to do whatever workouts I want on any given day.  They range from cycling … to P90X … to swimming … to (snow) skiing … to free weights … to sports.  I try to mix it up so I don’t get bored.  Works for me.  I’m 34 now and have been doing this for about 15 years.  I almost always have the energy I need to get through the day.  The key is to understand that eating healthy and regular exercise are as important as whatever you’re working on.  You just have to make the time.  And you make the time by making it a priority. Oh, and getting a good night’s sleep is critically important too!

  63. Jeff T.

    jiu-jitsu, when I get there (1-2x a week).  you pretty much use every body in your muscle for as many 5-6min rounds as you can go.  all of your strength, agility, and technique vs. another’s strength, agility, and technique.surfing, when I can get to the water, which in the winter is maybe 2x a month.  But I figure that my body burns enough calories just trying to stay warm in the freezing water now that I can add a multiplier to that!and, of course, walking, walking, walking around NYC.

    1. Jeff T.

      I forgot to put my ‘why’, in addition to mixing up body and muscle in the above.I can’t stand going to a gym and lifting weights, or running/cycling on a stationary machine.  And I find the classes so contrived that I lose interest very quickly.  I need a sport of some sort, usually against someone or with variables (surfing), to keep me engaged.  I need the interaction… 

  64. Nelson Burr

    I try to prevent boredom by varying my routine.  I swim 3 times a week for an hour,  I run 4 times week including one long run of 10 plus miles, and of course I ride a bike 4 times a week riding with a group on Sat & Sun of various distances from 40 miles on Sat and 106 miles on Sun. The days I do double workouts help me focus on the day’s schedule making me a better time manager.

  65. Dan Runion

    After years of running, cycling, and “gym rat lifting routines” if found Crossfit to be the most fun and effective.  I go 4-6 days a week and love it. 

  66. Brad Johns

    In the winter, 2 days of a boxing boot camp and skiing on the weekends. In the summer, a day of the boxing boot camp and 3 days are road or mtn bike riding.  Fred, I enjoy your blog.

    1. fredwilson

      thanks Brad

  67. LIAD

    Back in the day whilst at university, my intensive daily exercise regime consisted of:Lower body: putting my socks on. Upper body: rolling a reefer.- as you can imagine, was incredibly hard going.

    1. Carl J. Mistlebauer

      Well, in hindsight I hope you realize that by putting your socks on first you showed intelligence even at an early age!Had you rolled the reefer first you probably would never have worn socks….:)

    2. fredwilson

      not much has changed apparently. i have two kids in college

  68. Elie Seidman

    Pilates – started this summer and it has completely changed how I feel and how I carry myself. I also run on an indoor track in Brooklyn – a combination of intervals (sprints) and long distance. 

  69. LE

    “He suggested I ditch the elliptical and do a spinning class when it’s cold outside. So I’m now re-thinking my exercise routine.”That was personal advice from the doctor and not medical advice. As such I wonder what his reasoning was in suggesting that over the elliptical in your particular situation.Edit: You answered someone else that you wanted a more intense workout. My personal feeling is to stay away from extremes and continue doing exercises that you can keep up regularly. Back away from anything intense (which can cause injury) for the sake of the adrenalin rush. My feeling is that’s hard to keep up long term. And long term exercise is the key.

    1. fredwilson

      i did poorly on the pulmonary test. he said i need to work harder on building up my lung capacity

      1. LE

        I do very well in that test.One thing you can add to any exercise that you do is what I will call “oxegenate” (my word).When I am exercising I always suck in, every few minutes, as much air into my lungs as I can. I’ve been doing this for years. You do this right at the point you feel slightly out of breath.  Pretty soon it becomes regular and you don’t even think about it. Even if it is not needed.The other thing you can try (if you sing to music you listen to) is to try and hold air in and sing out to long phrases or even instrumentals on music you like. I do this with, for example, listening to the Dixie Chicks (ie “Baby Hold On” from “Taking the long way”). Any artist track with a long drawn out vocals will do. So you try to keep up with the breathing necessary to do the vocals without regard to how you sound. It’s purely breathing. Of course you have to be alone to do this.(By the way I didn’t do the above to increase capacity I did it because I enjoyed it and then found the benefit.)

  70. LouiseT_PR

    Bootcamp is slowly changing my life. 6:00am most weekday mornings, and I get a different class every day, a mix of indoor and outdoor work, and a very supportive team environment. Plus, the instructors are top class. I need to feel accountable (either in terms of money outlay or being in a class where you can’t quit) to really push myself to my fitness goals. But it’s working, and the endorphin rush you get after class is amazing. Plus, by 7:00am, you can feel proud of what you’ve achieved, before the day has even started. Which has follow-on benefits for the rest of the day. In SF, I use Start Fitness, highly recommended: http://www.yelp.com/biz/sta

  71. LE

    My exercise routine is running 6 or 7 days a week, 37 minutes a day (8 mile/hour pace) and then walking (to total about an hour). Also push ups and some hand weights. I have a pull up bar in the office and used to do that throughout the day (I can do multiple pull ups with my legs straight out) but have pulled shoulder muscles doing that which took a long time to heal.  My resting pulse rate (at the office) is about 50 to 52bpm. I’ve been doing the same thing basically with minor variations for the last 14 years. (I like swimming and have done that but that’s not as efficient a use of time which I always factor in to anything.)The whole idea with any exercise to me is to do something that you can do frequently and consistently without injury (which would prevent you from continuing to exercise.) When I’ve tried to exceed limits or deviated many times that’s resulted in injury and I’ve had to spend months running with pain. (Since we are about the same age I would worry about you doing the spinning, exceeding limits, and sustaining an injury …)

  72. Nate Floyd

    M-F I go to the gym at least 4 times in the morning.  I begin w/ a hard stryofoam roller (or large PVC pipe if I’m feeling badass)  to do some myofascial release on my quads, IT bands, glutes, back, and shins.  Then I do a complete dynamic warm-up in about 20 yards that includes 3 second quad stretches, walking hamstring, front lunges, side lunges, leg swings, inverted toe touch, etc.  This ensures that pretty much every major muscle group & stabilizers are activated before getting into the actual workout (really important in the morning especially since the body isn’t totally awake/warmed up yet).  Then I do some heavy lifting breaking it up into (i) shoulders/back, (ii) chest, (iii) biceps/triceps and (iv) legs.  I try to finish every workout w/ a type of circuit (crossfit type things) to do quick but intense full-body movements.  A good example is a crossfit workout titled “Cindy”–in 20 minutes (or 10 minutes if running tight on time) complete as many round as possible of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, and 15 squats.  Other times I might do a few suicide runs at the basketball court.  Doing these intense circuits at the end of a work-out puts your body into overdrive and will keep it working hard for 30 minutes – 60+ minutes after you’re “done” with actually working out. I then try to mix in 1 day of swimming for longer cardiovascular workouts and on the weekends it’s play time: rock climbing, hiking, cycling, mountain biking, soccer, basketball, etc.  Playing on the weekends and competing with others or myself is the real fun and makes all the training worth it.   

  73. Karan

    I do Bikram Yoga 3-4 times a week. I have been doing it for 20 years and can’t do without it.  It is more than an exercise for me, its a meditation and mindfulness practice.  I also play Tennis once or twice.  Would like to run again – I also ski in the winter time.  Its one of my favorite sports, Where else do you get to play 8 hours straight and then go to the jacuzzi!

    1. Jennifer McFadden

      Ahh, tennis, yes. Forgot about that. Great in the warm weather!

      1. Karan

        Advantages of living on the left coast! … and its free!

        1. Jennifer McFadden

          That’s taunting! But, yes. You are totally lucky. It’s really not as much fun inside. Which means that those of us on the East Coast are screwed for the next 3.5 months!

    2. awaldstein

      A big believer in Bikram. Time commitment is tough for me though.

      1. ShanaC

        I really dislike them as a brand, they’re suing my favorite yoga studio for offering a hot vinyasa class (which is essentially what bikram is).Boo, bikram

        1. awaldstein

          True…They’ve been litigating wildly.The line between policing your brand and stifling the market. I’ve been on both sides of this argument in my career.

          1. ShanaC

            So certify more people. There. The brand for hot yoga is overrated in the end.

  74. Brad Lindenberg

    Cycle 3 times a week – Interval training on Tuesdays (40km), Hill climbing session on Thursdays (40km) – start at 6am, finish around 7:15-7:30am.60-90km Saturday morning ride at 33kmh avg pace In a peloton of around 20 depending on the route we choose, then an awesome brekky with my cycling friends sipping coffee in lycra shorts down at Bondi Beach 🙂 – then pass out and watch a movie or go to the beach.

  75. Geoblack

    Exercise technology has changed greatly. I recommend Body By Science by Doug McGraw. Great benefit can be had with an unbelievably small investment of time. Your readers will be knocked out by the whole thing tooGeorge Black

  76. Jennifer McFadden

    I grew up playing 4 seasons of soccer (travel, varsity, indoor, summer travel) and am working my way back to joining the 35-yr-old + (won’t say how much of a plus!) by this spring. There is a fairly hard-core team around here. To prepare, I started running again after a rather long lull. Keeping is light now (2.5-3 miles, 3 times per week) and will add more mileage over the next two months. Will likely layer in yoga 2/times per week b/c of some lovely issues with knees and hips as I swiftly approach 40 (ugh). I did a sprint triathlon 3 years ago and can tell you that the swimming worked wonders. Even though I grew up on LI sound, I never was much of a swimmer. I found it super-easy to jump into and it worked wonders for cardio and general muscle toning without causing huge stress on joints. Might try that if you can find a pool near you. Tracking everything now–including food–with fitbit. Still struggling with remembering to put it all down, but that is a New Year’s goal.

  77. Carl Rahn Griffith

    If working from my home-office, which I frequently am nowadays, the wonderful Yorkshire Sculpture Park is just 5mins from my home – so, following on from what I started doing increasingly last year, this year I intend to do at least a 1hr brisk walk around there, each day, weather and workloads permitting…http://www.ysp.co.uk/It covers some 500 beautiful acres, awash with nature, vistas, art, so I doubt I will ever tire of its beauty and the stimulation it provides. So lucky to have it on our doorstep.Failing that, we have recently inherited a Wii and I must confess to being somewhat surprised at how relevant the exercise routines seem to be. I can’t abide gyms so this is a good option for indoors. Going to try and get back into regular games of golf again this year, also – not even done a round in past couple of years – even the driving range is a good bit of exercise/mentally relaxing.But, can’t beat fresh air, scenery and art for the perfect exercise regime, though.Whatever, Keep Fit, everyone – life’s beautiful, let’s treasure it. 

  78. ErikSchwartz

    My wife got me to go paleo (because she is too).I do weights, push and pull ups, crunches, squats, some sprinting. I may build a treadputer soon.But it’s also about getting all the processes crap out of our diets.I dropped some weight, blood lipids are better, I feel great.

    1. awaldstein

      +1 on getting all processed anything out of what we eat.With the push in the city towards farm to table, and organic ingredients (and natural wines) it’s getting a lot easier to do this and still find great spots to go out.Finding a formula that worked for me was a big change agent in life generally.

    2. William Mougayar

      ^10 on no process food. The process food industry are the biggest liars and health hazards next to tobacco companies. If you want to get scared, read ingredient lists. Anything with names I can’t pronounce is not good. So-called preservatives don’t leave your body for days and days and they lower your immune system. That’s the big issue with process food. It can be called Health bar or Low-Fat anything, but the ingredients inside are the killers. It’s better to have 5% natural fat in a product that’s not touched by processing than .5% with shit added to take out the fat and preserve/stabilize the food (biggest bullshit product is low-fat yogurt).

  79. Dan Jackson

    played soccer over 100 times last year…. (most of these were short indoor games but some full length outdoor in the summer)went snowboarding 15-20 times…ran about once a month…hiked a mountain barefoot during tropical storm irene…surfed just once… hope to get more in this yearthat seemed to do the trick.

  80. sarahjohnsen

    Yoga 3 days/week.  1 hour plus walk through the hills: 4 days/week.  Lift weights: 2 days/week.  Just as important, consume no flour/sugar.

  81. Otto

    Fred could just post “I’m reading my Kindle while I take a dump” and it would get over 200 comments.

    1. kidmercury

      hahahhahahaha ^2

      1. Otto

        MTFBWY

      2. Otto

        Now that I think about it this sounds like a post for Matt Ridley over at his “Rational Optimist” blog.”This is something our ancestors could have only dreamed of. The fact that I can now take my iPad into the bathroom and while relieving myself I can also check email, send a few tweets, post a blog, check the weather, buy a stock, and book a flight. This is truly a miracle. And it’s all because of the market and voluntary exchange. Clearly this is a sign that things are getting better.”

    2. fredwilson

      i am trying to do a little better than that

      1. Otto

        I know. Just having fun with Fun Friday.

  82. matthughes

    Cycling all summer and a mix of ski/run/cycle in the winter months.I need to do a much better job of winter fitness…So I just ordered this Pro Form stationary bike:http://www.proform.com/weba…It’s enabled with Google maps so I can keep track of rides, mileage, et al.Don’t let the TdF branding and goofy ad campaign fool you.I’ve seen the bike in person, it’s really well designed. 

  83. joeagliozzo

    Crossfit – built a backyard gym.SurfBeach VolleyballLife is good in SoCal!

    1. awaldstein

      I love NY but I do miss living in LA at times.

  84. Simon Le Pine

    I:run 50-100km/weekupper body workouts (for climbing) 4-5/weekclimb 2-3/monthski 1-2/monthI’d like to be training for triathlons but found the swimming got in the way of start-ups and MBA’s. Funny enough, I don’t do any of this to stay fit, I just do it for fun.

  85. awaldstein

    Interesting how much a chord this post struck.Not surprising how interested we all are in being healthy and sharing what we do.Not surprising that for a group as motivated as this one none of the online motivational exercise programs have cropped up.Really surprising that with the exception of Crossfit, the idea of communities around exercise is really nowhere and that it is behaviorally a solitary activity for the most part.Real obvious that nutrition information online is a big hold that needs filling

    1. William Mougayar

      It’s probably all over the place. When I was learning it 10 years ago, that was my experience. 

      1. awaldstein

        If there is big demand and it’s sitting there for 10 years and it’s still a mess….someone should fix this,

          1. LE

            Hey those are pretty good. You might want to try mapping them as follows (with possibly a new domain name) likewellness.newdomain.comrawfoods.newdomain.comlocavores.newdomain.comor ideally, cost permitting a domain per subject.

    2. fredwilson

      fitbit, jawbone, crossfit, weightwatchers, ….communities and fitness is a theme with legs!

      1. awaldstein

        I’ll check them out.You’re right…this should really drive community.Ex of questions that it would be great to have a community dialog around:-There a big push to cut down on wheat for health and endurance. Is jumping into Quinoa as an alternative equally a problem? -Ski season is here. I’m fit but I’ve been concentrating on strength (squats), burst endurance (intervals) and core. What else?

  86. natarem

    I do mainly squats and deadlifts.  With some faster Oly movements mixed in.  This workout routine is a focusing of some of the movements that I found particularly valuable from when I did CrossFit.

  87. CJ

    Not enough…hacking exercise by getting off the train earlier and speed walking the last mile to work.  On Jan 16th going to start the 100 pushups program, in spring, meaning when the weather is back over 50degrees, I’ll switch the walk out with a run before work in the park across the street.  

  88. Alan Wells

    I signed up to run a 50K trail race in June – signing up for something difficult enough that there’s a real chance of failure helps keep me motivated to stick with a regular workout schedule. My next 6 months will be focused on preparing for that –  month 1 will be focused on building up core strength (lots of plyometric and light strength training in the gym) and short distance runs ( < 5 mi). After that, I’ll be trying for a 6 day/week schedule – trail runs 3x/week, mountain & road biking to provide alternative cardio workouts when needed, and strength training in the gym 2-3x week.I did an open water swim from Alcatraz in 2011 and would like to try it again, so I’ll add in pool workouts after the 50K is over.  I just switched my gym membership to a YCMA 2 blocks from my house – I work from home, so the ability to have a meaningful workout in 1 hour or less (transit time included) has been great so far.

  89. K_Berger

    I’ll speak for all the underachievers out there.  My exercise routine consists of walking around my office while I’m on a conference call (love my wireless headset).  As for eating, I use a kind of home-brewed Weight Watchers point system to prevent obesity.  I also drink potentially lethal doses of Diet Code Red Mountain Dew on a regular basis.Touching on the point others have raised about avoiding music and instead using the time to focus/rest your mind, I often have a 20+ minute walk to my synagogue on Saturdays.  No phone, no email, no radio.  If I’m by myself, it is a time to think without interruption.  If I am with any my children, it is a unique opportunity to have a casual, meaningful conversation without the pervasive busyness that goes on everywhere else.

  90. Dan Bowen

    Fred if someone hasn’t started building this will you please fund someone to do it?  We need one of the big exercise machine builders to ditch the internal computers/tv’s and instead build an iPad dock with bandwidth and control software.  Put the docks on ellipticals, bikes, treadmills…then you need a little bluetooth mouse for you to navigate so you could use the thing to read books, change video, play games or interact with the device control software that is in the iPad (I want the flexibility to not have to use my sweaty hands on the screen).  Connect to the cloud so you could save stats, integrate with training plans etc.  Think about the endless possibilities this would provide…you could have downloadable sceenery for bikes that interacted with resistance, same with treadmills etc. One of the biggest problems with cardio is bordom…this would keep people sweating for hours.Someone has to be doing this…

  91. mattb2518

    3-4 hours per week, religiously.50% cardio – running or elliptical (about evenly split).50% strength – pilates or weights (about evenly split).Building and maintaining muscle is key for me to maintain my weight, more than I used to think when all I did was cardio.

    1. fredwilson

      what is the status of your book matt?next fun friday is going to be nutrition. could be a good opportunity to promote it!

      1. mattb2518

        Too far off to promote. App in alpha, book in outline form. But happy to have you pre-promote that I’m working on something. We haven’t picked a name yet – it will either be the Un-Diet or the CEO’s Diet. Matt

  92. hypermark

    Bikram Yoga (13+ years and counting), and strenuous walking several times a week.

  93. theschnaz

    Monday = weight lifting (total body) for buffness and bar fightsWednesday = 5’ish mile run (if it’s nice outside) or 20 mins on treadmill and 20 mins on bikeThursday = yoga or swimmingSaturday/Sunday = 7’ish mile run or 30 mins on treadmill and 30 mins on bikeBonus! I’ve found the Myotatic Crunch to be an effective abdominal workout http://gizmodo.com/5709916/….

    1. fredwilson

      bar fights!hadn’t considered that as a motivation for fitness 😉

      1. theschnaz

        Haha!I do like that ab workout I linked to. If you try it, start with little or no weight as it can be intense on the (lower) back.

  94. riemannzeta

    Masters (adult competitive) swimming in a beautiful outdoor pool with a view of Silicon Valley.  2500 to 3000 meters 4 to 5 days a week, always from 6 to 7 a.m.  This time of year, the sun is rising over the valley as I walk out.

  95. ShanaC

    I do Yoga (irregularly), I lift (regularly) and I hang out on the elliptical and watch the kardashians.I’m thinking of adding dance.  Something I’ve noticed with me in particular, lifting helps solve pain issues from apparently being too flexible but not strong enough to contain my movements…

  96. Jorge

    Run 6 miles daily. When I’m not too sore, I do Insanity following it

  97. cjhbollinger

    Love A VC community – my first post.+1 for CrossFit.  It is a very effective workout routine / philosophy / community.  The regimen was developed by US Special Forces to get the maximum ROI on your time.  Looks like there is a good CrossFit gym in NYC (http://www.crossfitnyc.com/).

    1. ShanaC

      welcome to the community!

    2. fredwilson

      welcome!!!i am going to try crossfit

  98. ShanaC

    Last question: I’m an adult who needs to relearn how to ride a bike- any advice?

    1. Tom Labus

      Don’t start on a hill!

    2. Otto

      Trainer. You can use a real bike like it’s a stationary bike. I use my road bike on it to get fit for the season. Also, find a good local bike shop. They’re great sources of information.

    3. PrasannaKrishnamoorthy

      If you’ve completely lost your sense of balance, ie you are a beginner again, follow these counter-intuitive instructions!1. Keep the seat height such that you can reach the ground with both feet easily2. ‘Walk’ the bike without pedaling, ie forget the pedal, just use your feet and move3. Get your balance back – ie you should be able to ride with your feet in the air for longer and longer, turning, starting, stopping, etc.4. Once you’ve got your balance back, now start pedaling, perhaps even with one leg at a time5. All this should take you just a few hours!Now spend the rest of the time cycling 🙂

      1. ShanaC

        Thank you so much! On my to do list for when the weather warms up!

  99. kidmercury

    martial arts, sit ups, push ups, running. of course diet is where it’s at. i gotta lose my sweet tooth, it’ll be the end of me. for those who haven’t heard obama signed NDAA, no surprise there of course but they can sneak in internet tyranny via the executive so that stuff is important. anything in the name of national security, of course. 

  100. markslater

    i bought two fitbit systems. they dont worki am in an all out war with their support right nowsorry to be a downer – but there is nothing worse than a product not working and poor customer supportfitbit : FAIL

  101. awaldstein

    @ShanaC:disqus @wmoug:disqus  Lots of brands of Chia. Navitas Natural is the one I like. Available from them online, WF or online generally. Lots of ways to use it. Some use it dry. It absorbs water like crazy and swells so I do 1/9 Chia to water. In smoothies, in Sam’s breakfast, in raw deserts (yum!). Super hydrator. Look at Sam’s fur. He’s a chia cat for sure ;)http://awaldstein.tumblr.co…

  102. David Miller

    I friend of mine turned me on to an interesting book called “Younger Next Year.”  It’s about how your can stay strong as you age by doing three things:  exercising six days a week for at least 45 minutes a day (2 strength days and 4 cardio days), eating properly, and staying mentally engaged.It’s co-authored by a retired NY Corporate lawyer and his doctor so you get the practical how-to and the hard science.  How they explain the physiology of our body made huge sense to me.I read it on a trip to Rome in April and implemented it when I got back.  Since then, I’ve lost 14 pounds and am in the best shape since college (I’m 45 now).  Oh yeah, I’m still on the Board of my last company, just launched a new startup, have two kids (5th and 3rd grade) so I have plenty to do and didn’t turn into a exercise nut.  I just got more serious about long-term health.Biking all winter (easier in NC), weights, elliptical, intervals, a run here-and-there, hiking when I can, and yoga every-so-often.  Good luck.

  103. BillSeitz

    Fred, how much do you sleep? *Do* you sleep? Has anyone seen Fred sleep?

    1. jason wright

      Android.

    2. fredwilson

      a lot. probably 6.5 to 7 hours a night

  104. Scott Barnett

    I run about 20 miles per week – like you, I enjoy the outdoors (no headphones, just me and my thoughts) but once it gets below 40 I tend to go inside on a treadmill.  I used to bike, but my wife likes to say I’m “reverse wired” – I got lower back pain that biking made worse, but running makes it go away – go figure!  I also workout with weights 3-4x/week and tried boxing for the very first time this week and really enjoyed it – I’m going to try to figure out how to add/complement that into my schedule.  I’m pretty religious about exercise – usually 6 days/week, and almost always in the early morning (once my day starts, I find it hard to fit it in – I don’t bring my cell phone to the gym, it’s my “Zen” time).I also like the comments regarding nutrition and think that is an excellent separate topic for a Fun Friday.  I don’t do anything unique, but do focus on tons of fruits and vegatables, very little red meat (I can’t cut it out completely, I like it too much), minimal snacking between meals and LOTS of water.  I’d enjoy discussing the pros/cons of different dietary options.  

  105. Bob Armour

    Here’s an article that changed my perspective on fitness — http://www.mensjournal.com/…the concepts in this article every other day + running on off days + hot yoga on Sunday afternoons – a great mix for me!

  106. Jesse Bouman

    Even if your’e terrible at basketball, it’s a great workout. Pilates is great for core strength. 

  107. Eric Leebow

    The best exercise is when you kill two birds with one stone. If you’re an entrepreneur, get out there, run on the beach to one person, and ask them to join your site, etc. and you can even wear a t-shirt that promotes your product or service while you run. Then walk to the next person, then run to the next, and pitch them. Keep doing this. You can spend a whole hour running, pitching, and walking. You get exercise at the same time, and there may be someone who believes in your idea on the beach. If one person says, “No Thank You” then the next may say “Thank You,” and the next may be interested.The elliptical is my favorite thing to do, although treadmills are probably better for you, yet the challenge is that every hour you spend on these machines, you should try to do something else, such as listen to music, practice your pitch, brainstorm ideas, and more.  The great thing about these machine based exercises is that you can be doing two things at once, whereas if you’re shooting hoops you’ll have to have your mind completely in the game.

  108. jason wright

    A Volvo driver nearly cut me in half today. Our subsequent ‘discussion’ centered on his assertion that cyclists can be disregarded because “they pay no road taxes”. Some things never change – Happy New Year.

  109. BillSeitz

    NassimTaleb wrote an interesting piece as part of the new edition of Black Swan covering his (paleo) fitness thinking. Excerpt/link at http://webseitz.fluxent.com…I’m starting some wood-chopping.And looking for something to add.About the only physical activity I’ve ever really enjoyed is playing squash, but nearest court is 30min drive away.

    1. OakvilleCabinetry

      Yup squash is a great game. I am lucky. I play about 4 hours a week. A regular opponent always wants to play at least an hour an a half. Good workout. Great game. High intensity.

  110. FAKE GRIMLOCK

    DISQUS BEING BROKEN.

  111. Guest

    DISQUS BEING BROKEN.

  112. scottpatten

    I’ve tried to build it into my life. I find I just don’t do it if I have to go to a gym or yoga studio or whatever.The office is about a 2.5 k / 25 minute walk from work. On the way to work, I stop in at a park and do some pullups. On the way home is uphill, so I sprint some of the steeper blocks.Other than that, I do some squats and deadlifts at home. I have a set of Powerblock dumbbells which I love ( http://www.powerblock.com/ ). I alternate between squats and deadlifts on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. I’m not much of a weight lifter, been doing it for less than a year, but I’ve found it’s not as hard as I thought it would be. I’ve also found that it’s been amazing for improving almost every other aspect of my fitness. Everything I learned is from this great free ebook here: http://brainoverbrawn.com/ (I have no affiliation, just really liked the book).The keys for me are to track it and to remember that you can’t outrun your stomach. Tracking keeps it fun and reminds you of how much you’ve improved. Keeping your diet healthy makes improving on every other metric so much easier.

  113. Nick

    strength training 2x weekly (retain muscle mass)kettlebell training 3x weekly (high intensity interval training)for me, this is the perfect combination of maximal results and minimal effort. the kettlebells help me keep the cardio/aerobic capacity up, while the compound strength training helps me build and retain the mass. 80% of health is nutrition anyway.

  114. Ink361

    I am living in China and interestingly, a lot of the community gardens in the cities have outdoor exercise equipment in the garden. Starting from 6am, mainly retired Chinese people will be found there to do their exercise routine while be social with their community. This in addition to Tai Chi groups that pratise in the garden every day. They all seam in very good shape at high age. Is this the Eastern secret to a long and healthy life? I have thought about this as a business model for retirement homes either indoor or outdoor in the West. Would there be a maket for this in the west? Love to hear your thoughts. Personally i do yoga to deal with my lower back issues. Weight lifting 3 times a week to stay in shape and running as a stress relief. I noticed that i mainly must stop thinking about why i need to do these routines, because that’s where the self sabotage starts. My motto “it’s all about execution after the resolutions have been written down” (sorry for possible grammar and spelling errors – english is not my native language)

  115. Bala

    I commit to running 1 marathon a year for a cause, that keeps me honest and work out. Preparing for a marathon is by far the best exercise routine and plan that has worked for me. I understand that not every likes running or for that matter run a marathon… but for those of us who have seen the benefit of this simple act there is no substitute. There are plenty of resources to learn from and there is no expert level to start. You can do the act of running without any new device or training plan. I beat diabetes and weigh 20kgs lighter after I got onto the routine of running.

  116. LGBlueSky

    Core Fusion as much as possible. Try it and you and your body will be addicted….any you shouldn’t be intimidated by the 20 hot women in the room…their are always several men trying to keep up…

  117. Newdeb

    Three times a week at the gym — stationary bicycle or elliptical, upper body free weights, lower body resistance machines, floor work with large stability ball and ankle weights, abdominal exercises and major stretching. When I have time, I swim 25 laps in the gym’s pool. Then I collapse.

  118. sbmiller5

    30 minutes of Yoga every morning, followed by a full body endurance weight routine.  Ride my road bike 1-2 days a week, on the off-bike days, run the 16 stories in my apartment or jump rope.I lost my routine earlier this year, started feeling worse and being less productive.  Then read a post by Richard Branson that said working our should be our #1 priority everyday, if I spend one hour working out and 14 hours in the office I will get more done than 16 hours in the office.Working out is an investment in my work productivity, physical health and mental health.  Same thing goes for sleep and eating healthy.  If I prioritize the right amount of sleep, eating healthy and working out, I find a balance that many entrepreneurs say isn’t possible.

  119. BobS

    I really believe you have to push the weights around as youi get older. Muscles atrophy and for general good felling but also to help with other physical activities (skiing, golf), I do 20 minutes of eliptical followed by an hour of weight training. 2-3 times a week (actually more if I am on the road) and three different weight routines. one for chest/tris/abdominals, one for arms and back, one for legs and shoulders. It makes a huge difference in menatl and pysical well being.

  120. Bill Phelan

    I follow pretty much the same routine, with a few exceptions.Insert Pilates into your schedule.  Your back will love you for it on a long term basis.  Core strength is great, but lower back strength and flexibility is key for guys.Get a big, heavy duty exercise ball for your office, and use it as often as possible for sitting at your desk / computer.  This will extend the benefits of what you do with Pilates and Yoga all day.I cannot stand going inside either for spinning.  Have been doing it for years, but would rather be outside.  I am heading out for 40 miles today in a few minutes.  Once you convince your head that this is no different from cross country skiing, the cold does not matter.  When you have to go inside, be sure to pick a gym with a compu-trainer setup.  At least you get to make believe you are outdoors.  Otherwise, spinning in a dark, sweaty room with heavy metal music and an instructor screaming at you loses its appeal pretty quickly.Sign up for some spring rides now.  Good way to stay motivated.  I just signed up for the “Tour of the Battenkill” in Cambridge NY in April.  Belgium style spring classic, but not too far away.  Hope this helps!

  121. BillMcNeely

    Personally I try to run 5-6 days a week, no less than 6 miles at a time but no more than 9 miles. That could change since I have returned from Iraq. I am thinking about training for a marathon.I really like the RunKeeper app on my iPhone. I like the 1/4 mile voice updates on pace, distance, total time and calories burned. The Google Maps is great and I can’t wait to figure out to recon routes. If RunKeeper would allow the importing of say Marathon plan from Running Times or Runner’s World that would be great. It would be even better, if say, the plan called for a 6 mile run and then allowed you to choose from 3 routes.When I was in Saudi Arabia for a year, after a bad experience on the road, I switched to swimming. I started off at a half hour and then worked my way up to an hour.I would recommend checking out Navy Seal workouts. They require to use your body weight and emphasis flexiability as well as mobility.Purchase The Navy Seal Workout by Mark De Lisle. http://www.amazon.com/Navy-… .  If the book is not available I know Mark is is still in the space look for a blog connected with him.Invest in a set of the Travel Perfect Pushups. http://www.perfectonline.co… Ocassionally Men’s Health puts out go stuff. Usually you have to read the whole package of articles to put together a complete workout though. I would recommend Five Marines’ Workout Routines http://www.menshealth.com/f… First published in the summer of 2002 I guess they reprinted it online 3 years later in 2005. If you want me to send you a verson I put together from the article just DM me on Twitter.Ladies, if you can’t do pullups, do  arm hangs. Starting at say 20 seconds and working your way up. I believe the Marine Corps still uses this as the standard on their PT test. Trust me holding your body over a bar for 2 minutes plus (arms at a 90 angle) is no joke.If you are no where near being in shape walking briskly for 30 minutes (adjust treadmill settings)  and working your way up is a good, injury free route to go.Lastly, Purchase Bob Paris Flawless http://www.amazon.com/Flawl… The book is over 10 years old but its well laid out and pictures on how to perform most excercises can be found via the index. (Yes before Google!)

  122. Swalker

    Last year I discovered the Super Slow weight training method and I am hooked.  A good article that talks about it is here: http://fitness.mercola.com/…I spend 30 minutes a week doing this and the results are amazing.  It is super muscle sculpting with minimum time investment.Highly recommended.

  123. Jonathan Cardella

    I attend a crossfit class 4-5 times per week for one hour each session. This is an organized fitness class that combines Olympic powerlifting, endurance/cardio training and some gymnastics movements. I have done standard weight training for the past 20 Years and will never go back. Crossfit is the most amazing fitness program I have encountered and it makes you feel physically and mentally prepared to take on the startup world, or at least my day for that matter.I also mountain bike which is similar to running a marathon, IMO, in terms of intensity, duration and exertion. Maybe tougher depending on the ride and vertical terrain. Still Crossfit is superior. I don’t fully understand why but I believe it has to do with the compound nature of the movements, the heavy full body workouts and explosive movements that result in a major neuro-endocrine response that floods your body with endogenous feel-good chemicals, e.g. Endorphins, hormones, etc

  124. Avi Deitcher

    Ice hockey. I love it. Played as a kid, stopped for 25 years, and an old friend got me back into it.When I am at home in Israel, I run 2-3 times per week, as well as weights after some of them, and then play ice hockey whenever I can get to the rink, 1-2 times per month (the rink is at the Lebanese border). When I am in the US on business, I am on the ice every morning at 6am, sometimes night too, and get a run in 1-2 times per week.I would spend 2 hours every morning and evening on the ice if I could.I notice no one else here is into ice hockey?

  125. Josh Rutstein

    I am a new fan of http://www.sealfit.com it’s a whole mind-body philosophy about building endurance, strength and stamina for real world conditions and movements.

  126. Greg Hertzke

    Being a big fan of reading the bios from some of the most successful people in history – it is always very clear that a huge path to their success is keeping mentally sharp and physically fit. I am no where near their success levels but focus on health has definitely been huge for my journey. Just a few years ago I weighed 50 pounds more than I do now. So many great tips on this thread on how to do even better. My current routine – lift 3 times a week (one day all push excercises, one day pull, one day abs and legs). Been battling a hip injury for a few months so haven’t been able to run but just getting starting back with the elliptical and try to do about 3 days a week, 5 miles per session. Running obviously helps with physical shape but for me it is more of a mental boost and stress killer. Thanks for all the advice everybody!

  127. StevenHodas

    If you own an iPad, I think the elliptical is the near-perfect machine for a busy person. First, it burns more calories for a given level of subjective effort than treadmills, upright, or recumbent bikes (if you believe their respective ergometers). But more importantly, it holds the iPad at a perfect reading distance and keeps my head steady enough to spend 60 minutes reading, something I have very little other time for. In this position the iPad is just ergonomic enough to schedule appointments, take notes add tasks, and create brief email responses, but just inconvenient enough that I’m not going to draft long emails, work on documents, etc and so lose precious reading time.So, in an hour I can easily get through all the prior day’s business/tech blogs, most of the NYT,  and some of the week’s New Yorker, while burning off 700 calories.It’s my favorite hour of the day.

  128. Adam H

    Let me start by saying I read your blog because I started working in a family investment office and a large part of my job is investing in start-ups.  You have helped me tremendously in this endeavor, mostly by simplifying what to look for.  So, I have worked for 9 years in the corporate side of fitness, so for the first time, I feel like I have something to share.  I’ll keep it short.You are on a great path.  Yoga is amazing.  I started cycling this past season, and it changed my life.  However, the one thing you are missing is weight training.  You don’t need to be a body-builder, but weight training is critical to bone health and overall body shaping.  People always ask me what is better- weights or cardio.  The answer is, they are both important.What I tell everyone I know who asks about getting in shape/staying in shape is: “get a personal trainer”.  And they always say “it’s too expensive”.  It’s the same as a start-up investing in their long term health as opposed to meeting short term objectives.  It’s expensive, but it pays off.  These are professionals, and having a trainer helps you get to the gym, and when you are there, your workouts with them are 50-75%% more productive then on your own.In a start-up, you would kill for results that are 50-75% better than you are currently getting.  Your personal health and the way you look should be way more important than investing in a company.  What would people pay to look and feel the way want to if they knew the end result?  A lot.  Fitness is the one thing that feels good and is good for you.  Get the most of it.       

  129. You As A Machine

    Every morning upon waking I stretch in bed for a few minutes…to get the Fuzz out. According to Gil Hedley, that stiff feeling we have first thing in the morning is so called ‘fuzz’ which builds up between the smooth sliding interfaces between our muscles. When we stretch in the morning, we melt the fuzz. If you link on my site, you as a machine (dot) com, I have posted his video and the transcript for those not able to view video. He is a great speaker and the speech may very well have an effect on how you view keeping your body healthy and preventing it from solidifying, which is commonly what happens in ageing as people move less and less.Then, I get up and do a few modified Sun Salutations before I do my 4 Minute Morning. On my site I have described the 4 minute morning in detail, if you are interested. The point of the 4 Minute Morning is that besides being a great way to re-oxygenate the muscles and brain – first thing in the morning, it is my insurance should some event in the day derail my best laid plans to do a workout or yoga practice. Life happens to all of us…so being consistent with some movement, every day for the rest or our life is a small investment with very big returns.That’s how I start my day.

    1. WorkItOutYourself

      Thanks to your blog I found out about the fuzz and the fuzz guy. I never knew about this, but just thinking of all that gunk there makes me stretch and move, do some sort of exercise everyday.Great blog! So informative !

      1. You As A Machine

        That’s great! Thanks for letting me know. I will check out your site too.

  130. Bryan Lee

    I always been following your posts and there are so much to learn especially for young startup like me.I love to do triathlon, all these is possible because I am living in sunny Singapore with only one season. But after starting up, I find it a challenge to focus on 3 activities (Swim, bike run) so i wonder how founders of startups find time to exercise 😀 so what I do now is to cycle to work and treat it as a form of exercise. And during weekends I will do group rides with friends.Cheers

  131. Gomobile

    At 52 I think we’re close to the same age.  Last year I had a revelation about my routine.  I took a cardio test at Limetime Fitness on Long Island where they cross monitor your heart rate with your co2 output.  What I discovered I was actually getting my heart rate up too high from spinning class and since I’m not shooting for the Olympics anymore as a long distance runner, I need to work less to get my heart rate anywhere from 118 thru 138 for my cardio effort.   The bottom line is with this program I have created better blood flow and not just burn calories during exercise but burn more fat at time of rest. I was given a 4 or 5 day a week cardio program that has varying heart rates each day including critical rest days. Anyone can recommend something, even a smart doctor, but I prefer science and my personal chemistry to guide me.  I’m down the weight I’ve wanted to keep off and my investors like me more.

  132. Kcimring

    Hi Fred, amazing response to this post and just shows the huge interest in staying healthy as well as the many diverse trends out there. The other important equation is diet and nutrition. Perhaps that can form the subject of another post – would be great to hear the different approaches to nutrition the readers take.

  133. Blake Cavignac

    I try to get in at least five to six days of exercise.  Exercise for me usually consists of four to five days in the gym lifting weights with two to three days out in the mountains hiking or biking.I agree Fred, there is nothing quite like the amazing feeling you get after a long bike ride!

  134. Abraham Williams

    I have done the running and biking thing. I have done the crossfit thing. I have done chinese acrobatics training. I have done Yoga also. I have trained with Parkour exercises (based on acrobatics training). Crossfit is by far the best I have found for aerobic conditioning. I can mountain bike with experienced people who ride all the time even though I don’t ever ride anymore. I can easily run distance even though I don’t train distance. The part about Crossfit is that it’s intense hard work.  You can pull the name off of it and even ditch the advanced exercises that require equipment and just use your body hard and fast for short intervals. Train like that and you can reach your peak conditioning.  For strength training, I have done bodybuilding, powerlifting and olympic lifting. I have eliminated those (body building a long time ago and will never ever do that again) and am progressing towards on one-arm pullups, one arm handstand pushups, one arm squats, walkovers to stand and hanging Vs. I recently learned that bodyweight exercises are the premier strength building program when you use them as a progression. No one uses them as progressions because they are so difficult.  How many people do you know who can do a one-armed pull up?  I bet you can count them on one hand. I have chosen this mode because I want to prevent sarcopenia and joint problems…to be able to move my body around with ease when I’m old.

  135. Priya

    Dance! (full disclosure: I teach DhoonyaFit, Bollywood-inspired cardio workout) Particularly in NYC, there is so much fear of dance–people assume dance fitness is for people who know how to dance/women-only. Contrary to that, my favorite part of teaching DhoonyaFit is that its more about evoking joy, dancing in unison to high-energy bollywood music and as a result building community around learning something new and cultural–that way you forget it’s about fitness and instead it’s about having fun 🙂

  136. Steve

    Fred,What do you suggest for a late fiftysomething to get into biking…bikes have become such a segmented market, racing, comfort, commuting, you name it…I was going to get an all-purpose bike, but the bike stores want a satisfied customer, want to know my “principal use” here in Fairfield County…just curious, are you racing on a carbon fiber, or part of a group that isn’t technically racing, but ends up being kind of competitive, head down, looking at the cateye……or doing more relaxed, 11-13 mph rides?

  137. Dave Pinsen

    Close the anchor tag, hot shot programmer. 🙂

  138. awaldstein

    Nothing convenient enough to work for me. 

  139. ShanaC

    You know there is a swimming pool on a boat in the summer in NY, right?  And I think one of the equinoxes has one too.

  140. ShanaC

    you won’t regret it.  Having a trainer briefly helped me learn to lift correctly, and solved some major posture issues and pains.

  141. awaldstein

    Over demand makes it always a pain.Best is to simply go down south and swim in the ocean a couple of times a year.