What do you do for exercise?

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OK, so I'm curious if anyone has any suggestions for me... looks like I'll be relocating to a new area starting this summer (Southern California), and I'd really like to get involved with some sort of exercise. I keep hearing about the benefits and I agree that I probably need to be more physically fit in general.

My main concerns are that I'm not always up to socializing. Sometimes I can handle it, but sometimes I can't. I don't want my exercise (which is supposed to help with stress relief for one thing) to be dependent on that. I'm concerned it'll just add to the list of "Reasons why I don't exercise."

On the other hand, it'd be nice to take a class of some sort so that I actually learn something. Plus, there's the whole bit that I am less likely to get hurt while under someone's supervision.

For the record, I've tried doing some yoga (though I have trouble sustaining an interest over the long term). In the past, I used to do horseback riding and tennis, but I'm not doing anything at the moment besides lots of walking.

I'd really like to get into martial arts, but once again, the social aspect makes me a little anxious. I tried learning kung fu at one point, but I had trouble keeping up with the rest of the class. I seemed to learn at a slower rate and it was harder for me to understand what to do. Similarly, the idea of being in a room full of smelly, sweaty people isn't my idea of appealing. xD

OK, well, I know I probably come off as a bit negative... but the interest is genuine. I'd be really happy to find something that works for me. That way I can be happy and healthy and all that good stuff.

Thanks in advance!

EDIT:
To make this a little easier, I also wanted to add a new question...

Do you exercise regularly? If so, what do you do to stay physically fit?

Should this be in the Health subforum, or are you looking for a correlation between people with ASDs and exercise?

To answer the question, though, I usually walk or run a bit for exercise. I live near Stone Mountain so I usually walk up that when I feel the need to exercise. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_Mountain

I cycle a bit. Bodyweight exercises at home. Aikido is my social workout.

Regular exercise is my primary form of stress relief.

I run. 5 days a week, adding up to about 30 miles a week on average.

I do also do yoga 2-4 times a week, but struggle to keep motivated to go on. Twice a week in a group setting, the other times at home.

Neither is particularly social. There's very little interaction in the yoga groups, even accounting for the fact that I am one only guy in one of the groups. I dont see the women talking among themself much either either before and after the exercise. I do run alone 95% of the time, the exception being monthy races. I've learned to recognise a few faces at the races, but havent really talked much with people there either. Might try joining a running group in the summer, we'll see.


I'm tempted to try tai chi as a kinda intermedia form between yoga and martial arts.

I go for my walks when it's nice out and not too cold.

I was into health and fitness for a while...although my primary interest was in the link between nutrition and mental health (ie depression...some studies suggest that EFA's can be more effective against depression than both anti depressants and placebos for example) but did used to do physical exercise as well. I used to like to balance my work outs between flexibility, strength training and aerobic exercise for all round fitness (so Dance and Step Aerobics, Yoga and weights for example).

Lately most of my interest has been in Art so my exercise routine has been a bit ignored lol. Although if I start seeing my work outs as a form of art again I expect I can bring back my interest in it (remodelling my body to the shape I want it to be...my body being the canvas and the exercise being the tools of the trade so to speak etc).

Im odd lol

If you consider moving a heavy motorbike around, excercise, then yeas I excercise. If no, then I don't.

And I seem to be doing pretty well without excercise. I'm as happy as a kitten in a smitten mitten. lol.

I bike on the trails around where I live. Of course, I only do that when it's not too hot and not too cold and not raining. I imagine there are a lot more nice days in CA than here though! I do have a trainer for my bike so that I can bike indoors when the weather is bad, but I rarely do that because it's boring biking in one spot.

walk.