What exercise/s have you found that have been the most effective for you in your workouts? Is it because you've seen results doing it? You have the most fun doing it? The most comfortable for you to do without hurting self? For me, I've had great success with incline walking/running on the treadmill. It saves my knees the next day and allows me to run without feeling in pain every day.
The exercise that works best for me is cycling as I can do it throughout the entire year where I am located. We get a few snowy days or torrential rain which keeps me inside, but generally cycling is the best thing for me. I like that I can just go out and do it. It doesn't require a lot of preparation or equipment (other than a bike). I think that for most people, the most effective one is the one that gets done. Even though weight training is effective for me, I only do it enough to maintain the little muscles I have so it isn't as effective as other things. I think if you are in pain (you mentioned your knees) you need to look to alternative exercise even if you enjoy an activity.
Deadlifts for sure. The way this exercise makes you use (almost) every muscle you got to lift the weight off the ground. It's great for your base and increases overall strength tremendously. Also this is the one exercise where I can lift the most. I'm currently @ 150 kgs, I know it's no that much, but I'm still proud about it. And of course I'm still improving!
Running has been very effective for me. I also feel great after I running. I don't feel great during my run, but I do experience a runner's high. It's also a very cheap form of exercise which is one of the reasons why I started running. I don't spend more on fancy clothes, but I do invest in an excellent pair of running shoes. I do believe in taking care of my feet.
The best exercise for me is walking, I love to walk about 5 miles daily, it gets me out the house in the fresh air. I can think while I am walking and not worry about form just need good walking shoes. Dancing is also a good exercise that I like to do but I do not seem to get to dance as often as I would like to.
I really think that exercising is boring, even running. Nevertheless I enjoy doing it because I enjoy the sweat, but I still couldn't last long. So I have to sports. Because it's a real play activity, where there's actually an interaction, it's not boring. And good thing that running is both an exercise and a sport. It's an exercise when you do it without competing with yourself, without striving to run faster and farther. It becomes a sport when you keep on challenging yourself to do more and more, to run faster, faster and longer. So I don't consider running to be exercise. I do it as a sport.
Walking 5 miles is quite a distance! That's at least a few hours every day. Where do you find the time to do so? Although, it's great that you're able to be so active and I bet it does wonders for your health.