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I just wanted to share something I've recently found helpful. I've always had a problem coming up with a form of exercise I didn't find tedious. A while back, I had some success and got into really good shape walking on the treadmill on an incline while listen to audio books on my walkman. The only regrettable issue was the ongoing expense of new listening material but I was living with my parents and didn't have to deal with pesky problems like rent money so I bit the bullet. And even with the audio books, I still got bored from time to time.
After a couple years' absence from Atkins, I've recently climbed back on the wagon, and have discovered what for me is an entertaining, inexpensive, and effective form of exercise. Dance Dance Revolution! Part of what had made me so sedentary in the first place was my closet video game habit, which was only exacerbated when I met my now-husband who was completely uncloseted about his. I'm using Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix 3 on Playstation 2 (we had a PS2 anyway), in which you watch the TV screen for lighted arrows that signal when you need to step on certain areas of your dance pad. It sounds like light exercise but it can be really vigorous, especially when you have to do really quick combos. Plus, I like to jump a little higher in the air and swing my arms.
The game itself goes for about $30 (though you can get a used copy cheaper at a gaming store), the dance pads (sometimes called "beat pads") have a wide price range from about $20 for a basic one to over $100 for super-accurate, high-tech ones. Sometimes you can purchase a bundle of the game with a basic dance pad and save some bucks that way. I had a Christmas gift card and was able to borrow the game from my best friend/husband's cousin (he and his brother moved into together and both own a copy of the game), so I bought a $30 dance pad that is working really well. The game scores how well you dance based on how many of the steps you complete successfully (and how well you complete them) and has many modes of difficulty so it's very easy to get competitive with yourself. Plus, it has a workout mode in which you can input your weight and set how many minutes of dancing you want to complete, which will 1) track your calories 2) compare it to the exertion for other activites, such as miles jogged 3) let you know when your minutes are up (or other goals, such as calories burned, etc.). I save my information on my memory card so I can compare my workouts later. The best part is even if you are lacking in rhythm, as long as you attempt all the steps, the calorie expenditure is pretty accurate. You might not get a high score, but you know you're getting a workout. Plus, some of the songs are kinda cool.
So anyway, I recommend this game for entertaining exercise, especially to those who already own a Playstation 2 or have children/siblings who do. This game is especially popular among teenagers--they even have machines in mall arcades, though it will be a little while before I brave public DDR arcade performance with my best friend, who likes to go every now and then.
Now to go see if I can full-combo "Long Train Running" on Standard difficulty!
After a couple years' absence from Atkins, I've recently climbed back on the wagon, and have discovered what for me is an entertaining, inexpensive, and effective form of exercise. Dance Dance Revolution! Part of what had made me so sedentary in the first place was my closet video game habit, which was only exacerbated when I met my now-husband who was completely uncloseted about his. I'm using Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix 3 on Playstation 2 (we had a PS2 anyway), in which you watch the TV screen for lighted arrows that signal when you need to step on certain areas of your dance pad. It sounds like light exercise but it can be really vigorous, especially when you have to do really quick combos. Plus, I like to jump a little higher in the air and swing my arms.
The game itself goes for about $30 (though you can get a used copy cheaper at a gaming store), the dance pads (sometimes called "beat pads") have a wide price range from about $20 for a basic one to over $100 for super-accurate, high-tech ones. Sometimes you can purchase a bundle of the game with a basic dance pad and save some bucks that way. I had a Christmas gift card and was able to borrow the game from my best friend/husband's cousin (he and his brother moved into together and both own a copy of the game), so I bought a $30 dance pad that is working really well. The game scores how well you dance based on how many of the steps you complete successfully (and how well you complete them) and has many modes of difficulty so it's very easy to get competitive with yourself. Plus, it has a workout mode in which you can input your weight and set how many minutes of dancing you want to complete, which will 1) track your calories 2) compare it to the exertion for other activites, such as miles jogged 3) let you know when your minutes are up (or other goals, such as calories burned, etc.). I save my information on my memory card so I can compare my workouts later. The best part is even if you are lacking in rhythm, as long as you attempt all the steps, the calorie expenditure is pretty accurate. You might not get a high score, but you know you're getting a workout. Plus, some of the songs are kinda cool.So anyway, I recommend this game for entertaining exercise, especially to those who already own a Playstation 2 or have children/siblings who do. This game is especially popular among teenagers--they even have machines in mall arcades, though it will be a little while before I brave public DDR arcade performance with my best friend, who likes to go every now and then.
Now to go see if I can full-combo "Long Train Running" on Standard difficulty!
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