How are you staying in shape this winter?

[sun]

I want to start swimming, but I haven't swam laps since I was like 12 years old. I can swim, but probably with an awful technique. Should I take a couple classes for adults or just go to the pool and dive right in? Any other tips?

[Rudee]

Strength training 3 times a week plus 12 minute's of HIIT on my cycling trainer every other day keeps me lean and healthy.

[Slacker]

Currently, I am working out on the gym and also playing with two soccer teams (coed and competitive). I get to play at least two games a week plus a practice. It sucks, since we only have an hour to practice indoor vs the 2 hours of outdoor practice we used to have during summer.

Looking to add Yoga next January and hoping to be able to join a waterpolo league. I hope they don't mind having someone who hasn't swam in over 9 years.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by sun

I want to start swimming, but I haven't swam laps since I was like 12 years old. I can swim, but probably with an awful technique. Should I take a couple classes for adults or just go to the pool and dive right in? Any other tips?

I just started swimmimg again last week and it really kicked my ass. I run regularly so i am in decent cardio shape but I could only swim 50m or so before my muscles needed a break. My second session was a lot better and alrhough i probably still look like i am drowning i think i am slowly imroving. Swam 200 m continously.

So i would try first and if you arent pleased with the results then take a class.

[bluck]

Last week was pretty good for me hit up the gym mon, wed, Fri, Sunday and played ball hockey for 2 hours on sat and an hour of skating on Sunday. Never felt better.

[undercoverbrother]

round is a shape right?

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Originally Posted by GGG

I just started swimmimg again last week and it really kicked my ass. I run regularly so i am in decent cardio shape but I could only swim 50m or so before my muscles needed a break. My second session was a lot better and alrhough i probably still look like i am drowning i think i am slowly imroving. Swam 200 m continously.

So i would try first and if you arent pleased with the results then take a class.

I started swimming again last February - same thing, first time since I was younger, and at first it sucked, it was hard and just getting that 200 m was a challenge. I have been going pretty constantly as long as my schedule permits and one thing I have found is that going slowly but smoothly through the water was so much more efficient than trying to power through the water. I presume that you are not doing anything more complex than the breaststroke but if you are concerned with technique a lot of pools have group classes for stroke improvement, I would do that before swimming lessons.

[return to the red]

Diet pop and baked chips between late night online poker sessions

Oh, and one cube of sugar in my coffee instead of the usual summer time 2

[Cowperson]

Originally Posted by SeeGeeWhy

Any suggestions for some great winter hikes? I've got a couple of dogs that love the snow but am a rookie on where to take them.

Some key roads are closed after Dec. 1 or Dec. 15 through to mid-May or early June . . . .so assume that is the case.

Also, if you're just in boots, you might be depending on snowshowers packing things down for you . . . . . so the deeper you go in the mountains, the more you want to know about any recent heavy snowfall.

Locally, Brown-Lowery Park on Plummers Road, off Highway 22, is a little hidden secret. Takes about 1:15 to 1:30 hours to walk the circumfrance, with lots of ups and downs, a great viewpoint and forest intrigue. Below, Brown-Lowery on a winter morning . . . .



West of Turner Valley, you'll come up on the winter road closure and can either walk the Sheep trail or straight down the road . . . in about 20 minutes you'll come to the Forlan Ridge trail to your right and can make a circuit that way. Road walking in winter west of Turner:



Upper Kananaskis Lake is often packed down on the trail . . . . about 16 km round the lake but just nice to walk up one side and back too. Beautiful spot on a sunny, winter day. Below:



King Canyon near Upper K Lake is also treadable sometimes like below:



Chester Lake on the Smith Dorrien Trail has cross country and snoweshoe trails up to the lake . . . . . nice walking if its packed a bit.


Mt. Black Prince Cirque on the Smith-Dorrien Trail has some popular winter walking . . . . . stay off the cross-country ski trails higher up.



Walking the shores of Chain Lakes in winter is something I do often. . . . . dogs love this place but I stay away in the Spring when the birds are hatching along the shores.



West of Chain Lakes, up the Petro Canada road to the summit, you'll find a parking lot there and you can climb up from both sides of the road. Great views.



Walking the shores of Barrier Lake or going up the Prairie View trail (in February below) is doable



West of Bragg Creek on 22X you can park at the road closure, walk a few hundred feed down the road then cut into the bush on the Prairie Link trail, cut over to Powderface and come out in nearly the same spot on the highway again . . . . about 12 kms I think. . . . . .

Lots more. Get some trail guides at Chapters.

Cowperson

[Cowperson]

Originally Posted by sun

I want to start swimming, but I haven't swam laps since I was like 12 years old. I can swim, but probably with an awful technique. Should I take a couple classes for adults or just go to the pool and dive right in? Any other tips?

Take some classes . . . . . get your front crawl technique sorted out and learn bi-lateral breathing while doing it.

Learn different strokes like breast, back and perhaps, the ultimate for aerobics, butterfly.

I used to swim 1,500 metres in about 22 minutes pretty much every morning when I was in my early to mid-20's but I eventually developed calcium deposits in my shoulders from overuse, causing them to stiffen up. A doctor looking at the x-ray said I appeared to be a retired, 55 year-old professional baseball pitcher. I still like to swim sometimes but anytime I push it up to 1,000 metres for a few weeks at a time things stiffen up again.

Swimming is only one thing as well. Cross-Country Skiing is an oustanding, all-around workout.

Cowperson.

[Dion]

Great pictures Cowperson!

[WilderPegasus]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

round is a shape right?

It's the perfect shape ......if you're a boob!

[SeeGeeWhy]

Great advice, thanks cow.

[bluck]

Awesome pics dude. Thanks for sharing

[macker]

Running, road biking, mountain biking (get a good light!) and proper tires, skate skiing and classic skiing, Shinny and shooting 100 plus pucks for a hour a couple nights a week, walking the dog, playing with the kids so many of the above activities get doubled at lower intensity when kids are included. The key is having the proper gear for any temperature and enjoying the outdoors. I have a treadmill that I haven't stepped on in over a year but I log close to 2,000kms running outside each year. When you know you are going to do something outside the only decision becomes which of the above you feel like doing. I enjoy them all just about equally as much so they all tend to get 1-3 times per week. Variety and outdoors are the key for me. Gyms are a waste of time and money and aren't as exciting to me.

[Winsor_Pilates]

Anyone have a good "at home" workout routine for the winter?

I'm back in Calgary for 2.5 weeks and away from my usual gym in Van. I've thought about paying $100 or so for a 10 visit pass somewhere but it seems like a lot of money when I should maybe change it up and try something different instead.

I have at my disposal: treadmill, skipping rope, chin up bar, exercise ball & mat.

So cardio & basic situps/pushups/pullups are no problem, but weight training without any dumbbells or barbells is where I'm struggling for ideas.

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by Winsor_Pilates

Anyone have a good "at home" workout routine for the winter?

I'm enjoying this one right now. A few fairly light free-weights and it still kicks me around.

http://www.thehybridathlete.com/vide...ance-athletes/

Every other day I'll throw in mountain climbers in there too (since you mentioned you had a swiss ball).

[Hack&Lube]

I think for cardio, I am going to skate laps around the frozen river rink they have set up in Princess Island Park. It's huge.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Climbing at an indoor climbing gym again now that my tweaked finger is feeling better. Good upper body workout for those that find weights boring.

[Radio]

My shape is round, I keep it that way by doing too little exercise and not eating good enough.