I have three components to my exercise program. (1) sit-ups, push-ups, and dumb-bell work five days a week; (2) running; and (3) stair climbing.

I think sit-ups and push-ups provide general body tone and strength for all other physical activities.

The dumb-bell work strengthens my arms. I focus on high numbers of repetitions rather than heavy weights. I do 60 curls with 15 LBS weights with each arm; 20 straight-arm lifts, palms down, out from my side up level with my head; and 30 straight-arm lifts out in front of me up level with my head. I am more interested in endurance than short term power, for hunting.

The running is to increase my aerobic capability and endurance and I do it three times a week. I don't run as far as others -- probably 1.5 miles to 2 miles -- but I try to work hard in this length. In particular, I start with a continuous run of about a mile or a bit more. But them I do the rest of the running as shorter, faster segments. I try to do some sprinting as one of these shorter segments. Different muscles get worked at these different paces.

I climb the stairs at work to increase my climbing strength. I work on the third floor -- only two flights of stairs up -- so I continue on up to the sixth floor and hope to increase this to the seventh floor. I don't just plod up the stairs, I semi-jog or semi-run up the stairs. This may seem a small matter, but I noticed a substantial difference climbing hills while deer hunting last year, the first time I had been following the stair climbing regime.

I don't consider this level of exercise intrusive or inhibitive of my life. The exercise I do when I first get up in the morning. The stair climbing is just part of getting in to my job. The running takes a little adjustment. In the summer I arrange to run in the morning, because the ozone level is too high in the afternoon here in North Texas (high levels of ozone make heavy exercise, such as running, bad practice). If I had a real challenging hunt before me I would dial-up my exercise program substantially. Probably more stair work and more aggressive aerobic work. I don't think the aerobic work really helps much with coping with altitude, but it does help with endurance -- being able to keep going all day long. There are alternatives to running, including swimming and bicycling. Running is kind of hard on your body, but it is convenient -- step outside your door and there is the running track! I injured my foot slightly a week ago and laid-off running for a week. Started again last night and it seemed to go well, though I could feel the injury. It happened because of poor placement of my foot. I have pulled a calf muscle before that was a long time healing. People say your joints can begin to rebel against running as you get older, but I have not yet experienced this.

After the big game season is over for me -- usually deer hunting is over the last of November -- I take a break from exercise and dieting until the new year. I then begin to get back into shape again. I'm not recommending this practice. It is an indulgence I grant myself -- to be lazy and eat without much constraint -- on the understanding that I'll have to pay the piper in January. The getting back into shape isn't too bad, but the shedding the pounds I put on in this period of time is tough. I'm 48 years old, 6' 2" tall, and try to keep my weight under 200 LBS, even better under 195 LBS (which gets me under the BMI threshold of normal/overweight).

I have gone back and read the other postings. Some very good information there, it seems to me, from people in some pretty serious exercise programs. One thing I would say for anyone reading is that it doesn't matter where you start from. I'm not at where some of these other guys are and I'm not proposing to go there. If you don't exercise, you can benefit from a little exercise. Where ever you are at, you can improve. For me it is sometimes disappointing to be working out at a level well below where I was at towards the end of the previous year (good or bad, I don't "train" continuously and hence have to build back up after my annual slacking off during December and January). But what I find is that I do my work until I can feel that the muscles have gotten a good work out -- even easier to discern this about 30 minutes after stopping the exercise -- and then I do a little more each time I work-out, or at the start of every week I do a little more. While I'm substantially below the physical levels of some of the other posts I read here, I feel good, I have energy, I can keep going all day long, and I'm in much better shape than I would have been without keeping my weight down and doing my workout, limited though it may be. Also, it is surprising how much benefit can be obtained from plain old walking. When I pulled a muscle in my calf I walked and found it gave my legs the worked feeling that indicates something is being accomplished. Park farther away and walk farther to get into the building at work or at the store.