Up here in Toronto, we had a major snow storm last night.  It was my night to go to the gym, but I couldn’t make it there because of the storm.

What do people do when they can’t get to the gym because of a storm?  I used an exercise tape in lieu of going to the gym.  It works well in the short term, but I prefer going to the gym because it is more motivating and I get to talk to the girl at the front desk at the club.

Hi Jeff,

I do karate, and it’s very portable: I can do it at home just as easily as I can at the dojo, except I don’t get to work with a partner and need to be more disciplined about it.  I was just listening to Scott as well, and he mentioned that most military-style PT is done with body-weight exercises, not equipment.  I think I’m going to search the web a bit and see if I can find some military training regimens to get inspired.

Usually I walk outside, but a blizzard kind of cancels that plan. 

Too bad about missing the front-desk girl.  I bet she’s hot. *grin*

Cheers,
Julie

Hi Jeff,

The snowstorm is a tough one.  I live in Colorado, so we get, snow, wind, or it’s too darn cold some days.  I have exercise tapes or I’ll find a workout show on TV.  If I’m home alone, I can turn up the tunes & dance.  Ab work can get done almost anywhere, anytime, so that’s usually good for a little while.  Wrestling with my 65-pound pure muscle dog is good for a workout - but I have to make sure I have enough energy to win, just so there aren’t any “who’s in charge?” issues.  And, surprisingly enough to me, housework - the kind when you’re constantly moving, organizing, vaccuuming, etc, can burn a ton of calories.  Then when the weather is better, the house is already clean, so I have no guilty consciense. 

Bummer about missing the gal at the desk, can’t help you on that one. 

Carol

Yoga is always a back up plan for me. You don’t need anything, but yourself really. Vinyasa and Ashtanga flow type yoga’s will get your heart rate up; Kundalini and Hatha will tone; and Yin Yoga will stretch and flex you. Combine a little of each and you’ve got a total body workout!

I have a backup plan, for cardio I have an exercise bike and for weights I have an exercise band and a kettlebell. I also have a mat and an exercise ball and a couple of videos.

I have a bike trainer, a few DVDs, several hand weights and bands, my exercise ball, a matt and a weighted ball. Let’s not forget pushups, crunche, situps or running up and down a flight of stairs. There’s so much you can do at home.

I also have a bike trainer, but back when I lived where we had snow, I would just get into my ski clothes and go outside and play.  Shoveling, making snow men, snow angles, walking back into the woods (or over to the park when I was in the city), show shoes, cross country skies.  The possibilities are endless.  Snow days were a chance to celebrate. 

Wow, just thinking about all that fun, I’m starting to miss living back where we had a real winter.

Haha, I am resurecting this thread ...

My goal is to be able to get a complete workout with only my body as my gym. Pilates, yoga, jogging, etc. I don’t want to be a slave to machines. If they are not there, I will tend to use that as an excuse not to workout.  I just bought a gym membership. Anything that I do on machines, will be in addition to a “non-machine” workout.

Hi Derek,

Great motivation!  I currently have the same system going right now: lots of martial arts, callisthenics, and walking outside.  Believe me, a good martial arts workout, even without any equipment whatsoever, really works your body!

Cheers,
Julie