I used to work 10am-6pm+ and workout after. I would skip all the time. I shifted to 7am-330pm and haven't missed a day. There's no reason that shift would make any difference (I did it for other reasons) but it did.
Ask HN: What keeps you from exercising?
61–70 of 242 posts
Re: Ask HN: What keeps you from exercising?
#62If you want to exercise, you have to cut something else out - the time you spend exercising is time you're not watching tv/eating/sleeping/doing any of the billion things that are more fun than sweating.
For me that was the first thing I needed to get my head around. Once I kind of, well, knew the space was 'there', it was more of a case of missing the gym rather than missing doing something else for the gym.
Secondly it was the realisation that missing exercise because I'm too busy with work is a false economy. After exercise I work harder and think sharper. The hour exercise costs me is more than made up for with productive work. In the times I've ditched exercise for multiple days / weeks, the compounded cost (slower work, worse sleep, etc) become even more evident.
Other than that, it's just discipline and a good routine. Habits are hard to form and easy to break. Get to a point where you're upset with yourself when you break the routine.
Re: Ask HN: What keeps you from exercising?
#63I could see a lot of people on HN enjoying rock climbing. Each route you climb is essentially a puzzle to solve. It's very easy to get started and you can either do it on your own if you stick to bouldering, or you can top rope or lead with a partner.
You can choose how deep down the rabbit hole you want to fall, as it can get highly technical and it's also a great opportunity to go climb outdoors on weekends.
Another striking contrast I've found in rock gyms is that there's a greater sense of community and camaraderie. I've had strangers point out where I was going wrong on a particular route, advise me on my technique, and let me borrow chalk/tape when I was out.
Re: Ask HN: What keeps you from exercising?
#64What made me exercise in the first place: I saw bathroom scales at department store and randomly decided to buy them. Back at home, first time stepping on them I realized I'm not just a little overweight, I'm way overweight. I started weighing in every day and writing down the number. Always knowing my exact weight was a motivator to change diet and start exercising. Around that time I also read Murakami's "What I Ta…
I have that book in my Amazon Wish List - is it worth the buy?
Re: Ask HN: What keeps you from exercising?
#65The best thing I found was having a concrete goal. In my case, I wanted to join a local festival drum crew * , who were known for performing in very little clothing, and for having a high standard of physical fitness. At the time, I weighed about 235lb and the most exercise I'd done for about a decade was a gentle walk. I knew I wouldn't have a chance of keeping up.
So, I got a workout program for Kinect and started doing a bit of very gentle exercise every morning. After a while I started adding my own exercises that I'd read about or remembered from karate classes as a kid. I discovered running, and slowly built my way up to running 5K. When a gym opened under my work, I started going there every lunchtime to run, or to lift weights. A year later when the big festival happened, I'd lost about 50lb and discovered how fun it was to feel strong and fit.
The downside is what happens when the goal disappears: I was with the crew for three years, and when I stopped, I no longer had a reason to work out. Now, a couple of years later, I've regained a lot of the weight, although the nice thing is that I've still got a decent bit of the muscle, so I know I'll never be starting from scratch again :)
The hardest thing was to make exercise a really high priority - to make it a routine part of my day, rather than something I just did when I felt like it. You need to get to the point where it hits training time, and you just automatically reach for your gym/running shoes because that is the Thing You Do at that time. That's where the strong goal-motivation comes in. As soon as that motivation goes away, it's so easy to say "well, I could go to the gym at lunch - but I'm a bit behind on work, so I'll go in the evening", and of course you never do.
Best of luck with training. It really is worth it :)
* the Beastie Drummers: https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=beastie+drummers+beltane&s... - note: probably NSFW ;)
Re: Ask HN: What keeps you from exercising?
#66For me , once you getting going it's easy to maintain. But, then something like one vacation and you're completely off your routine. The hard part is always getting started. I'll make up excuses like, "Ugh, I don't have the time to workout tonight" or "I'll just sleep in and feel better once I'm caught up on sleep". While the truth is exercising regularly makes me feel like there's more time in the day AND I end up h…
Edit: I'm also going to add that having a routine at the gym helped me a lot too. If you go to the gym and are unsure of what you're working out, it's harder to go or even do a decent workout. Look into a program so at least you know what you have to do everyday too.
Re: Ask HN: What keeps you from exercising?
#67I'm biased because I'm one of those people who feels like he can't live without going to the gym at least every other day. But there are some things to make it easier, putting on my UX hat:
* Put your workout clothes on the floor right in front of your house door - can't walk out to work without taking your gym clothes
* Find a convenient gym - is it on the same bus/train/car route as you are already taking to get to/from work?
* Go to the gym on that route as part of your morning/after work routine. If you have everything you need to workout with you and you're passing by that gym, you have no excuse. Now you just have to get in the gym.
* Pick an activity you think you'll enjoy. Or at least try a bunch and see which ones suck the least. Some people like to run, some people like to swim, some people like to lift weights.
* Pick a routine for that activity that has a logical progression. Now that you can't avoid the gym and know what you want to do, then pick a routine so you have no question as to what you have to do when you're in the gym. Get a routine as pre-planned as necessary, so you can just go in, do what the routine says, and get out.
If you follow the above steps, it should drastically reduce the cognitive effort and strain required to get yourself into the gym.
Re: Ask HN: What keeps you from exercising?
#68I've had persistent knee pain for almost 3 years now, that limits my biking, running, hiking, and everything else that used to make life worth living. I saw a knee specialist, had x-rays, an MRI, 6 weeks of PT, and continued their recommended stretches and exercises regularly for another couple months afterwards. None of it helped in the slightest, and it was all really expensive. I don't know what to do. It's really…
Try swimming. The combat swimmer stroke is easy to learn and will get you on your way in the pool in a jiffy. Search for Stew Smith's videos on YouTube, and you'll be swimming 500 yards nonstop in a few weeks.
Also, skipping rope is really easy on the knees and is great cardio. Get yourself some rubber horse stall mats to put on the ground (~$50) and buy a speed rope ($10) [1]. Start out doing 30-second rounds, and work yourself up to two-minute rounds. Then bump up the intensity, and add auxiliary exercises between rounds to make it harder once you get in shape.
[1] https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AQ6X9GU/ref=oh_aui_sear...
Re: Ask HN: What keeps you from exercising?
#69I've had persistent knee pain for almost 3 years now, that limits my biking, running, hiking, and everything else that used to make life worth living. I saw a knee specialist, had x-rays, an MRI, 6 weeks of PT, and continued their recommended stretches and exercises regularly for another couple months afterwards. None of it helped in the slightest, and it was all really expensive. I don't know what to do. It's really…
Try swimming. The combat swimmer stroke is easy to learn and will get you on your way in the pool in a jiffy. Search for Stew Smith's videos on YouTube, and you'll be swimming 500 yards nonstop in a few weeks. Also, skipping rope is really easy on the knees and is great cardio. Get yourself some rubber horse stall mats to put on the ground (~$50) and buy a speed rope ($10) [1]. Start out doing 30-second rounds, and w…
Sounds fun but I don't know if my downstairs neighbors would like it :) and have you ever seen anyone older than 12 skipping rope in public?
Never been a swimming fan but I should see how it goes. Thanks for the suggestion.
Re: Ask HN: What keeps you from exercising?
#70I absolutely loathe working out in the gym. I hate the stale air, the incessant cable news shows on the TVs, and the thought of contracting MRSA or something like it from lying on a bench. Also, I hate commuting in a car (boooooooring!) or train (gross!). The only exercise I get nowadays is my bike commute, but that seems to be enough. I have to ride 9 miles each way, 5 days a week. I live in Chicago, so the weather can be disagreeable, but I've gotten more and more tolerant of things like that (I ride unless it's below 20F, above 100F, or if there's snow on the ground). Not only does the bike commute save me from having to go to the gym, but it also saves me from sitting in car traffic during my commute! It really helps that my employer supports bike commuters by hosting a secure bike cage and showers.
Also, just throwing this out there, but having a healthy diet is just as important, if not more important, both for losing weight and for just general health. I've taken a nerdy approach by considering the microbes in my poop and the ecology that I establish for them. I hate to get all pseudosciency, but essentially I feel like the more bad food you eat, the more you microbial community will be composed of microbes that feed off of that crap food, perpetuating a cycle of increasingly unhealthy eating habits. Eat lots of fiber! It'll make your crap factory hum like a well-tuned machine, while also helping you lose weight! Roast veggies (chop 'em to about thumb-size, toss 'em with olive oil and salt, then put 'em in the oven @ ~400F for like half an hour or more, flipping them every ten minutes or so), eat lots of raw veggies with hummus, whole grain bread, fresh fruits, and drink lots of water. I also try to stay away from sugar and alcohol, but that's not so easy for me. I try to replace alcohol with weed, but that just increases my sugar consumption, of course.