Autistic Spectrum and fitness

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I have met a few other aspies in real life, and I have noticed that many of us are not "In shape."

I was curious as to how many of us work out and how.

I grew up with a combat instructor for the police force, so I have always enjoyed MMA... but being my size, no one wants to play with me. (I'm a monster at 6'9" and 280 pounds).

Since the onset of Diabetes, I have been working on getting into better shape and to that end, have started some cardio... I know it's silly, but the Xbox kinect library has Dance Central and the UFC personal trainers on it, and my household is probably gonna get the wipe out game... Dance Central and the UFC games are kicking my butt... good cardio and waaaaay too much sweat.

How are you promoting your personal fitness?

I thought of a reason why a lot of us might be overweight--medicine! Antipsychotics like Risperidal, Geodon, Abilify, etc. can make people gain weight, which was extremely painful for me due to sensory issues. I went from being underweight to being overweight very fast, and I HATED it--I will never forgive the doctors who perscribed me Risperidal for that and other bad side effects....

Anyway, I've lost a lot of weight from walking around on campus with a 60lb backpack to get to my classes, and I go to the gym when I can and do strength training.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WzKDdj0CxY[/youtube]

I go to gym twice a week (mostly weight training) and optionally some running (for 1-3 hrs) once a week. The reason I go to gym is the opposite from most people, I go there to become less skinny. I'm 'lucky' to have a high metabolism, so I don't need a lot of exercise when it comes to weight, but my stamina deteriorates rather fast if I don't do any sports for a while.

Jory: thank you for going off topic there...

Part of the reason I ask is that it has been clinically proven that exercise improves quality of life and counters some of the effects of depression. Further, cardio has been shown to improve mental performance and cunning.

I am not asking if anyone is a health nut... hell, go look at my blog and vlog and you will see that I am chubby... but I find that when I work out regularly, I feel better emotionally and physically, and my mental edge is keener. I also sleep better... Which is an issue as I really haven't slept right in almost 20 years.

I am chubby (5'3", 145 lbs). I've never been interested in exercising, except if it's to get from point A to point B by walking. Otherwise I just get anxious and can't concentrate, thinking of what book I could be reading or what I could be researching on the internet instead.

In order not to get totally fat I walk about 45 minutes a day and sometimes more.

I ride my bike to work. I'm really lucky because it's all on trails and residential streets because I live in a very outdoorsy area. It makes me happier but not necessarily fitter. No weight loss or anything. I just have slightly nicer calves.
I can't seem to exercise just for the sake of exercising, I need a destination.

I am the same... It's not exercise for the sake of exercise...

That's why I am doing the kinect thing... it's fun... active video games... and... it's geek aerobics...

I did the gym for a while... with a partner... but I don't like that... At my size, I stick out... especially with my blue hair, and I was distinctly uncomfortable... in my living room... and my vlog... I can do it and not feel ridiculed.

How I am getting in better shape at the moment- walking neighbors dogs. I am underweight.

edit: I also am shooting baskets. When I first got some muscle was by doing wrestling.

I exercise about an hour a day. I'm still fat. I've learned to live with it.

I do free weights and cardio on alternating weekdays. Weekends are my free days. I don't count calories, but I do generally keep track of what I eat, and I stick to whole grains, vegetables, and fruit as much as possible. I'm 5'3" and 115 lbs.

It helps that I love to research healthy eating, though.

I don't like exercise. I don't like moving my body around a lot. I especially wouldn't want to in public but I don't even want to when I'm home alone. I think the only exercise I like to do is walking and then I don't always do it as much as I could because I don't like to just walk around randomly. I need someplace that I'm going. I've tried to convince my mother that us getting a dog would make me be more active since I would have to take it for walks but she doesn't want one.

I work out at least five days a week, mainly core and fitness stuff because my daily work takes care of my upper body. Recently I increased my cardio to a few one hundred metre sprints between walking back to my starting point for recovery, everything is done "at home" either in the back paddock (for running) or on the treadmill (only power walking coz I come a cropper if I try to run on a treadmill) and ab exerciser (because my back doesn't allow me to do crunches) I quit treating my body like a nightclub ages ago because I'm not getting any younger so I'm the healthiest I've ever been. I'm 168cm and 63kg and my BMI is 21% (Though I'd like it under 20%).
I can agree that it clears the cobwebs in your head and found it helped me get over a dark period in my life.

I like sports like surfing, over exercise and gyms.

That way I can challenge my mind, while in the process of maintaining my body. Triathlons, jogging and the like, bore me to tears. Recently I thought of getting a dog again, I used to get laid a lot when I had a dog

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