Fitness anyone?

[MrsStarez]

Before I became pregnant, I used to go out running a few times a week, and I'd definitely avoid listening to music whilst doing so. I found that if I was running, I'd try to match the tempo of the music, and depending on what it was, that would wear me out too quickly! I much prefer running with some sort of speech radio on my iPhone to listen to. Now I'm pregnant, I'm not running much (if at all) but walking is still good exercise, if you keep the pace and distance up. I download episodes of On Va Deguster and have those on whilst I go for a walk. Seems effective, as I've got nothing else to concentrate on! My husband recently bought a rowing machine, and I've tried using it whilst balancing the iPad on it. I like watching French TV shows with French subtitles on but that's less effective, as I just can't read and row at the same time.

So just make it easy on yourself, and get rid of as many distractions as possible

[Iversen]

I don't do gymnastics, and alone the terrible music noise of the gyms would be reason enough to stay miles away from those places. But I do walk, and while walking I think - sometimes in my target languages. There is few other things that can make me think as fluently (albeit with holes and errors and all that) as trotting along at a regular speed without having any book or screen to distract me.

My longest walk ever was probably in Ecuador where I arrived in a small town called Baños, whose local volcany had been spewing ash a short while ago (actually I think the places officially was evacuated, but the inhabitants had moved back). There were not enough tourists in the town to keep the tour industry running so I visited the local zoo and a museum on my first day there, and the next day I walked Eastwards along the main road towards the jungle. I walked for eight hours (slightly downwards), and I could have continued if I hadn't reached a national park where I couldn't buy ice cream and soft drinks along the way. Because of that I decided to take a bus back to Baños. Eight hours would be something like 50 kms. Nowadays I rarely do more than around 10 kms in one go.

[IronMike]

I’m a member of a Facebook group for this actually. It’s called “Polyglot physical fitness challenge.” It’s not terribly active at the moment, but it goes up and down. I got a little frustrated with it myself when I could no longer do much due to health problems.

Me too! I go in every once in a while and post something to try and revive it.

[IronMike]

I'm a marathon swimmer, so am in the pool a lot. Years ago I used a swimp3 player which transmits sound through bone conduction. Loved it. Tried once to put language on it (Pimsleur, if I recall), but I started to lose track of what lap I was on, so I went back to music.

I lift 2-3x a week and I always have a book. Between work sets I'll have at least 3 min rest, so that's ample time to get some good (foreign language) reading in!

We have a dog. Despite his being 15, he needs more walks now than when he was 10 years younger. I use that time, if I'm not walking with my wife, to listen to Esperanto podcasts (Kern Punkto or Pola Retradio) or Pimsleur or Glossika for other languages.

Still, the majority of my language study is either on my commute or at work/home where I'm doing dedicated LR or going through a text.

My health is pretty good. Some aches that I guess I have to accept, but otherwise I can still do things I enjoy. My nutrition I feel is on point. Since I switched to a LCHF diet my blood panels have never been better. My LDL is lower now that I eat meat almost every meal than during the 15 years I was a pescovegetarian!

I definitely agree with those who have warned against wearing headphones while biking, running, walking. I recently saw in a running store a pair of headphones that use bone conduction like my old swimp3. Tried them out and it was nice. Crystal clear music while still being able to hear everyone around me. That might be an option for runners/walkers. As for me, I always pull an ear off when I'm crossing a road. Too many drivers out there distracted by their cell phones!

[Ice Blue]

Reading between work sets, you're really dedicated!

[Brun Ugle]

I’m a member of a Facebook group for this actually. It’s called “Polyglot physical fitness challenge.” It’s not terribly active at the moment, but it goes up and down. I got a little frustrated with it myself when I could no longer do much due to health problems.

Me too! I go in every once in a while and post something to try and revive it.

I almost never feel like posting or commenting anymore because those that do post and comment are all super-fit and do hours of exercise and I can no longer do that. I have to be careful with the exercise I do and have changed my goals a lot. It's OK, but it's not as motivating. It's a bit like some of the challenges on this forum. The goals are so huge that I have no chance of reaching them without damaging my health, sanity, social life, etc. I find my new way of studying and exercising, with a goal of reasonable consistancy rather than trying to achieve something specific, works very well for me, but the "challenge" and competition aspects are gone.

[lavengro]

.... Does language studying get in the way of your fitness? ....

Language studying does not get in the way of my fitness. Pizza gets in the way of my fitness.

However, now due to my accepting a recent language studying challenge in which I will be winning a pizza in 350 days, language learning does have the modest prospect of a temporary worsening of my fitness.

.... I find my new way of studying and exercising, with a goal of reasonable consistancy rather than trying to achieve something specific, works very well for me, but the "challenge" and competition aspects are gone.

Makes a tonne of sense, but whatever you do, don't forget leg day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hR59pJX1acg

[IronMike]

Makes a tonne of sense, but whatever you do, don't forget leg day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hR59pJX1acg

via Imgflip Meme Generator

[zjones]

I work out (strength-training) 3-4 days per week, but I work out in a group setting with a trainer, so there is no opportunity to put headphones in and listen to my own music or audio. The most I'll do language-wise is count my reps in French, which is almost as easy as counting in English but still I find that the extra bit of concentration can take the edge off a very difficult exercise. I have done a small amount of running in the past, and I HATE don't like cardio so I have to listen to guided runs just so I don't give up halfway through. I use the Nike Run app, and all of their guided runs are in English.

I am very lucky that I have the ability to work out as hard as I do, because I know that not everyone can do that. Fitness in general has an incredible effect on my health (physical, mental and emotional), which means I can bring more focus and attention to my learning. I don't think it's a coincidence that my intention to learn French only succeeded after I started a regular exercise routine. Before I started working out in Jan 2018, I was sedentary and I couldn't stick to anything. So yeah I would say that fitness has had a huge effect on my language-learning and life in general, but language-learning hasn't affected my workouts at all.

[reineke]

I walk almost every day. I enjoy listening to audiobooks. I am outside listening to Polish and enjoying the winter wonderland as I'm typing thiiiis.