Exercise with Quick Rewards, Encourages Exploration & Discovery?

April 18, 2007 8:07 AM

What kind of exercise would I find most fun & rewarding? I like baking. I like computers. I like debate. I like learning in a scatterbrain, whatever-interests-me-at-the-moment way. I like, in short, interactive, iterative activities that reward exploration and self-learning, and that start giving (at least small) rewards very quickly. Don't like group learning or scheduled lessons, and don't want to have to depend on a partner to show up. Need something that can be done on a regular basis. Thanks.
posted by shivohum to Health & Fitness (19 answers total)

Geocaching.

Everything but the debate, unless you go with a partner in which case you can get into arguments over which path to take. Quick grab-n-dashes, can do it whenever, puzzle caches, explorative, rewarding, healthy.
posted by unixrat at 8:17 AM on April 18, 2007

Hahahaha... I read 'baking' as 'biking'. Oh well.
posted by unixrat at 8:17 AM on April 18, 2007

I was going to suggest letterboxing, which is more or less the same thing as geocaching. However, the exercise is not necessarily all that great. If it happens to be a long trail and you really hoof it it might be cardio. Otherwise it's just a nice walk in the woods.
posted by DU at 8:23 AM on April 18, 2007

Maybe this is a weird suggestion, but I have been working out using Dance Dance Revolution and I have noticed some good results. I can play it whenever I want, it has an exercise mode so I can keep track of my progress, friends also use the same exercise routine so I always have someone to motivate me if I don't feel like doing it alone. It is interactive and it feels rewarding whenever I move up a level of difficulty or whenever I am able to do better on a particular song. I do 15 and 20 minute workouts for my short attention span and I noticed a boost in stamina after a week or two. Plus, learning to read the arrows was a brain workout for me. The songs can get boring after a while, but there are lots of versions with new songs to unlock.

The drawback is that there isn't a lot of upper body work, so I try to supplement with arm weights, crunches and push-ups. The other negative is that the equipment is expensive. Good dance pads and a PS2 aren't cheap.
posted by Alison at 8:23 AM on April 18, 2007 [1 favorite]

Biking in the city. Especially if the terrain is varied. Why? Because you must concentrate since variables out of your control are changing constantly and sometimes very quickly. It's nice to go with someone else, but not necessary -- There are practical applications as well: You could bike to the store & pick up the ingredients for whatever it is you're baking .
posted by nnk at 8:26 AM on April 18, 2007

Great suggestions so far.

How about walking outdoors? It's cheap and effective. Walking outside is very rewarding in my opinion. There's fresh air, interesting paths, people watching, birds chirping, Vitamin D from sunshine, etc. Since you love to learn, you could load lectures or talks onto your iPod and take a stroll.
posted by LoriFLA at 8:34 AM on April 18, 2007

You sound a bit like me, and I like to swim. It's a solo activity, your face is down in the water so you can focus just on what you're doing (or totally zone out), it requires very little gear (a suit, goggles and a towel), you end up with a killer tan, and if you get bored with one stroke, you can move on to another. Best of all, there's probably a public pool near you that's open for lunch hours.
posted by TheNewWazoo at 8:46 AM on April 18, 2007

You sound a bit like me, and the above suggestiosn are great, but sound time consuming and not enough 'bang for your buck.' I just like to grab a decent book and go to the gym and ride the stationary bike for a while. My heart rate goes up and I'm reading and certainly not bored. Its a win-win for me.

The only challenge here will be your ability to find interesting books.
posted by damn dirty ape at 8:48 AM on April 18, 2007

I like walking with a digital camera. Find a weekly or daily assignment in a Flickr group or something similar and go for a walk with the goal of getting that photo. You don't have to submit the photo if you don't want to, but it's nice to have someone else suggest the theme once in a while. This way you get a bit of exercise, get to enjoy the outdoors, and have a chance of creating something you can hang on your wall.
posted by mjp at 8:59 AM on April 18, 2007 [1 favorite]

Bouldering. Bouldering problems are puzzles. You solve them with strength, wit and insight. It's easy to see how you are progressing because the problems (at least outside) don't change, you do. You might get a problem without any added strength if you figure out a clever way around an obstacle, for example.
posted by jet_silver at 9:37 AM on April 18, 2007

Cardio Boxing. My girlfriend got me to go to her class and it is actually loads of fun. On caveat is that like most things, a bad instructor makes it really boring. We usually don't like it when we get subs so finding the right class is important.

The cardio boxing that we do involves punching the large bags, not just punching in the air, and is quite involving. Most exercises bore me to death, but this is pretty good.

I also second jet_silver's suggestion of bouldering, or if you have a climbing gym near by, top rope climbing. They are not as good at the cardio aspect, but are great mental and strength builders.
posted by cftarnas at 10:18 AM on April 18, 2007

Thirding bouldering. You can also get into climbing larger features, but as long as you have some rock or a climbing gym nearby, you can always get out and climb something. Be safe, though. I see more injuries from bouldering than any other kind of climbing.
posted by Manjusri at 10:51 AM on April 18, 2007

Where are you located?

I suggest exploring your area by bicycle/foot. Use Google Earth to find an area near you that looks interesting. As you get in better shape, you can explore farther and farther areas.

Examples of destinations: local, state and national parks, cemeteries, swimming holes, bike paths, beaches, outdoor museams, reservoirs, etc.
posted by justkevin at 12:02 PM on April 18, 2007

Horseback riding. Shovelglove.
posted by Sassyfras at 1:34 PM on April 18, 2007

Along the lines of bouldering, I would also suggest rock climbing, which certainly qualifies as being exercise requiring the utilization of one's problem solving abilities. Though you certainly need a buddy who knows how to belay, I know that several major gyms have rock climbing walls and are happy to accomodate interested parties. You may also want to check out some local universities, many will feature a climbing wall and/or ropes course as well.
posted by numinous at 1:44 PM on April 18, 2007

I second Dance Dance Revolution - it is a lot of fun, and the game element of it can keep it from getting too boring. It is a lot better cardio exercise than most people think once you get past the initial learning/coordination curve.
posted by markblasco at 4:39 PM on April 18, 2007

I like roller skating. You can usually find a bargain night at your local rink. You can go alone. If you don't like the music you can bring your i-pod. It's also very low impact (unless you fall heh)
posted by GlowWyrm at 5:52 PM on April 18, 2007

I'm like you, at least from that superficial description. I really like lifting weights. Heavy weights. It is awesome, fun, and you learn a lot about your own body which I find very useful. I always recommend stumptuous, because it is a very good site for men and women. Believe it or not, lots of geeks lift weights.
posted by ch1x0r at 5:57 PM on April 18, 2007

Response by poster: Lots of excellent suggestions so far -- thanks! I'm kind of thinking myself along the lines of the dance suggestions, but instead of using DDR, using some dance videos at home instead. They seem kind of fun at first glance/listen...
posted by shivohum at 8:21 PM on April 18, 2007