A Healthy Professional Lifestyle?

[littlejohn]

One thing that I started doing was I bought a recumbent exercise bike and play poker on a laptop while riding. Playing poker takes the focus away from "jesus I still have 30 minutes to go" so much so that I've found I can do 60 minute rides without it seeming like 15 minutes.

This may not be the end all of the type of exercise you need or want, but it is better than just sitting - and gets you active to a point. Once you start feeling better then you spend more time on active things during other times of the day - for me it helps with playing with the kids, doing yardwork, etc.

It was one way for my wife to find my "vice" of poker playing more palatable. Just pay a bit more and get a bike where you can program your own sets rather than the preset ones - it wasn't long before none of the preset programs were hard enough for me, and moving the laptop every 5 minutes to manually change the resistance is a pain.

[x2ski]

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One thing that I started doing was I bought a recumbent exercise bike and play poker on a laptop while riding.

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Great idea, but I need to play more than 4 tables at a time, so a laptop just won't cut it.

HOWEVER, this does suggest that there are exercises which can be done WHILE playing poker online. 4+ tabling would require constant access to a mouse, but that "Gyration" mouse spoken about as of late could be useful in this situation.

I used to repeatedly stand on my toes for countless repetitions when I was bored or waiting for someone/something. Perhaps I could start doing something similar to that while I played.

I've heard of OTR drivers and traveling salesmen performing muscle-strengthening exercises while driving... Things like trying to pull the steering-wheel apart/push it together/push it forward etc.

Anyone do anything similar whilst playing poker online?













(I'm not even British... just seemed appropriate)

[TStoneMBD]

you work a job and want to put 40hours in a week of poker? what are you a machine? i play poker full time, no job and only put in 30hours/wk.

im currently in a fix-my-life type phase as well. im trying to build some structure for myself because i know that in the long run it will make me happier. however, im quite lazy with some things and take small satisfaction for the current over great satisfaction for the longrun.

as a poker player you would think id realize how -ev this is, but we all have some psychological things to overcome as humans. ive always prided myself in the fact that i feel i have alot of self-control and restraint. however, i dont have alot of motivation and discipline.

for specifics, i really dont recommend you get the gazelle. i hear that their newer model is much better than the old, but i purchased the old one a few months back and its a piece of junk. i cant even run on it because my knee hits the handlebar. im 6'0 so i would imagine you would have enough more problems than i would. i dont know if they fixed this in the new model though. the gazelle really doesnt give you a good cardiovascular workout, and the mileage counter is total bs. it says youve run a mile but you definitely have it. go run a real mile and youll see the difference. get a treadmill if youre will to shell out a few hundred bucks more. either that, join a gym. its good to get out of the house and push yourself to converse with others.

[x2ski]

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you work a job and want to put 40hours in a week of poker?

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No. A play poker. I play poker as my job and want to treat it like one... Thus, 40hrs/wk

[x2ski]

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for specifics, i really dont recommend you get the gazelle. i hear that their newer model is much better than the old, but i purchased the old one a few months back and its a piece of junk. i cant even run on it because my knee hits the handlebar. im 6'0 so i would imagine you would have enough more problems than i would. i dont know if they fixed this in the new model though. the gazelle really doesnt give you a good cardiovascular workout, and the mileage counter is total bs. it says youve run a mile but you definitely have it. go run a real mile and youll see the difference. get a treadmill if youre will to shell out a few hundred bucks more. either that, join a gym. its good to get out of the house and push yourself to converse with others.

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What Gazelle Version did you get? I've heard each version varies in quality of craftsmanship and quality of workout.

The Elite is supposed to be the best.

[augie00]

Never give up the wacky tobackie.

[TStoneMBD]

i got the 100$ model, whichever that is. i guess the worst one. if youre going to spend 250 on a piece of exercise equipment though, i think you should drop another 100 and get a nice treadmill. thats just mo.

[littlejohn]

Well, if you're already putting in 40 hours at more than 4 tables - you could still do this as "extra" time. You still need to exercise, and this at least makes this kind of exercise relatively painless.

Additionally, if you are doing this after your job of playing poker, then it is preventing you from all of the other bad habits while on the bike - and at least shortly after because you probably will want water and fresh air after getting off the bike, rather than beer and a smoke.

You might be able to use this to begin on a path of killing multiple birds with one stone (otherwise it will be very difficult to change so many things at once).

As a side note - you are fighting some extremely depressing odds here. A recent study indicated that 90% of the people diagnosed and treated for heart conditions were not able to change their behavior - even knowing that it would cost them an early grave. I think I read about it in Fast Company magazine - an article titled "Change or Die".

So go slow and take these one at a time. Conquer one, celebrate it, make it a habit, then conquer a second one.

[Losing all]

You've got some vices dude. I'm worse on most points so I can't give much advice. I will say that it will be easier to take care of all this crap now then it will be 5 years from now as a 2packs/12pack a day guy.

ps. pushups, crunches, jumping jacks, walking, running. All as good as buying equipment that will gather dust, and free.

[mungpo]

Set aside 1 hour a day for exercise. Wake up early if you have to, make this a normal routine in the morning. All you need is a pair of shoes and some jogging pants.