Boxing. Constant movement, hell of a work out, and you get to punch shit
Walking the dog while listening to podcasts or audio books.
Knowing I won’t feel like shit for the rest of the day.
I like to watch shows/videos while I workout. Made a rule that I can only watch certain things while I’m exercising. I look forward to watching those things and ‘tricked’ myself into being excited about the exercise, too! Also I feel much better after I’ve exercised, so I really look forward to that post-exercise feeling.
I try not to think about it as a punishment for what I ate, and more a celebration of what my body can do.
Yep. When you get old you won’t be as able, so enjoy it while you can. And the exercise will likely prolong how long you can be mobile.
This is a great perspective, I’m going to embrace it.
:)
I like to walk, I pick nice places with good/interesting scenery. It’s good mentally too, helps me unwind and work out problems and come up with new ideas.
I got a kid but not a car. Just walking to the kindergarten and back twice a day is movement. We spend a lot of time outdoors at playgrounds or parks and I have to do all the grocery shopping by bike or walking. I don’t do other physical exercise admittedly, but this kid is a fitness machine. We be running, playing, I need to lift her, carry her, carry her stuff, clean up, wrestle - for real having a kid made me the most physically fit and active I’ve ever been.
When I was younger I liked to dance. Trying to lose weight I’d just put headphones on in my room and dance for hours. A friend of mine actually lost a crapton of weight this way, think obese to normal weight.
Also, making a kid (and training for it and reenacting it) is great exercise.
Find sports that you actually enjoy - try out different things. In my case:
- Cardio: running fucking sucks, swimming is boring as shit. Cycling, on the other hand, is pretty fun. Feels like flying when everything aligns.
- Strength: lifting weights at the gym is doable, but boring. Climbing? Hell yeah, give me more routes where I have to tie myself into a knot while pulling up all my weight with my fingertips.
It can be an exact opposite of it for you. Or you’ll find out that team sports are the bees knees because support from other people is what you’ve been missing.
I used to hate running until one day something clicked in my brain. I just ran my second half marathon last week. One thing I learned was that of your dying from running, you’re probably going too fast and should just slow down.
My PT told me that the best exercise is the one that you can do consistently
the runner’s high maybe? seems like it’s bad for your knees though.
Combining fun with short-term goals is what works for me. I started playing squash 10 years ago and I love it. I play 3 times a week and that takes care of most of my cardio. Now when I lift weights or do extra cardio, it is because I want to beat that guy from league, move up a division, etc. Open ended reasons like health or beauty were never enough motivation for me.
I want to beat that guy from league
Kinda same here. I want to argue with people. You know those people who promote their bs but you can’t disprove it since the others call you skinny or not strong enough.
Try different things until you find something that feels good even as an idea. Think about things you like doing and how you like them. For me, I dislike team sports and being surrounded by people in a gym setting. I like doing things on my own, preferably at home while not talking to anyone. I first start thinking about maybe enjoying a spooky story podcast while walking so I start thinking about the temperature and the things I like watching while I’m out, etc. Same for weight lifting, pilates and yoga (Those are my cyclical workouts. I get bored easily) I hype myself up in my head first and then use the “do it for five minutes” method.
I have NEVER said “Well I wish I didn’t come to yoga. This class sucked” “That lifting routine was a total waste of time. Not doing it again”
Also, having cute/neat stuff for it helps, just beware of spending habits. Did I need to buy green yoga blocks? No Do they make me Happy everytime I look how they are the exact same shade as my pothos? Yes they do.
I second this comment. Podcast suggestions? I loved:
- We’re alive
- The walk
- The Magnus archives
Oh nice selection you got there!
I like Mr Ballen’s early stuff, Raven reads, some Mr. Nightmare here and there, Coffeehouse crime is another favorite.
In spanish I like Relatos de la Noche and La voz que lo cuenta todo.
Dance
Dance
REVOLUTION!!
(That rhythm game with the arrows on the screen and ground that you stomp on)
Combine with work. Birds and stones.
I’m trying to do stuff that’s quick that I can do every day. I do pushups before my morning shower and some squats whilst I brush my teeth. Do it every day, I feel better for it and it only takes like 3 minutes. You can do extra sets around the house if you have a spare 30-60 seconds too.
I’ve always loved sports; so that part’s easy, personally. But I’ve also learned to kind of savor the feeling of using my muscles and getting tired. Whatever I’m doing, or even on days where I didn’t have time to “exercise”, I make a point to check in on different parts of my body, maybe tense them or stretch; just trying to notice what feels good and then really savor that feeling. I find that building that mental practice helps motivate me to seek out exercise, or power through when I’m not really enjoying a particular activity.
Work out watch star trek. By the season 4 you’ll be made of steel
Hold up. Which series? You starting with the original or with Next Generation?
That depends, how massive do you want to be?
Play is a good one for aerobics. Going for a run or bike? Try to find new routes or go places you haven’t before. Maybe run an errand. Maybe try to study wildlife or plants around while running one to another.
For strength training IDK. just pop in some absurd music and know that later it will feel good either just post exercise or weeks later when the exercise itself feels nice. It’s also going to be nice when you go to lift a thing or hike and recognize you’re actually stronger. Always a rewarding feeling!
In either case, it’s important to reflect positively on your progress. "Hell yeah i can do this thing now thanks to my effort!“ and not negatively e.g. “my goals are so far away I’m so weak”.
