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Ask HN: What keeps you from exercising?

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Re: Ask HN: What keeps you from exercising?

#71

Post by camtarn »

camtarn wrote: post #26
donjh wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Powerlifting is incredibly healthy. For anyone interested, pick up a copy of Starting Strength. It's an amazing read. I've also really enjoyed StrongLifts 5x5 - it has a companion app that tells you exactly what you need to do, each workout.

Seconding the recommendation of Starting Strength. Fantastic book - lots of interesting writing on anatomy and leverage and why certain techniques are better. I also really liked the fact that most of the people in the photos are distinctly ordinary, rather than super-fit well-muscled models. And yep, beating your numbers is great motivation, and one that really appealed to my gamer self :)

Oh, one tip that I found pretty useful if, like me, you don't have a gym buddy. Grab your phone, prop it up against a wall or a bit of equipment, and video yourself from the side while you're lifting.

I'd had a couple of people tell me that my squat form was poor and that I was going to injure myself, but I found it impossible to figure out what was going wrong as I had no feedback loop. Once I could see myself on video, I could try different techniques and see how they affected my form. Starting Strength has a lot of writing on how to recognise and train good form, so once you can see yourself it's not too hard to correct.

Re: Ask HN: What keeps you from exercising?

#72

Post by camtarn »

harveywi wrote: post #48
donjh wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Powerlifting is incredibly healthy. For anyone interested, pick up a copy of Starting Strength. It's an amazing read. I've also really enjoyed StrongLifts 5x5 - it has a companion app that tells you exactly what you need to do, each workout.

Powerlifting is amazing, and it is amazingly safe [1]. It is the perfect complement to a programming job, because you can bang out a massive workout in the morning and recover physically the rest of the day. Take "advantage" of your sedentary opportunity! Sports Injury Rates (Hamill 1994) Sport Injuries (per 100 hours) Soccer (school age) 6.20 UK Rugby 1.92 USA Basketball 0.03 UK Cross Country 0.37 Squash 0.10 US Foo…

Oh dear god, I couldn't watch past the first clip in that video. Agonising.

Re: Ask HN: What keeps you from exercising?

#73

Post by harveywi »

farnsworth wrote: post #69
harveywi wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

I skip rope in public. Boxers, wrestlers, and fighters do it - it looks hardcore and is a lot of fun. It's an underappreciated form of exercise. You don't have to do it in your apartment - find a tennis court or a court with a wooden floor (e.g., basketball or racquetball court), claim a corner of it for 10 minutes, and get 10 rounds of exercise.

Re: Ask HN: What keeps you from exercising?

#74

Post by camtarn »

sseagull wrote: post #50

Interestingly, I just started an exercise routine (body weight fitness) and I'm hoping I can stick with it. I've made a few modifications that hopefully will improve my chances of long-term success 1.) I exercise in the morning. Even on my rest days, I still get up and do something semi-physical (walk, etc) in that time. I'm trying to associate that time of day with "exercise" or at least physical activity. 2.) I've…

"Do not let the perfect be the enemy of the good" - very good point.

One amusing takeaway from the book Starting Strength:

The author spends a bit of time talking about why various fad exercise programs aren't a great way to get really strong. His gist is that there's a 'novice effect' where if you're not strong, doing anything will make you a little bit stronger, even if you're not even using the muscles you want to train. So, even an ineffective training program will seem to have results at first.

The corollary of that is: pretty much you do is going to have an effect! If you're not looking to be super efficient and train for massive ultimate strength, then you might as well just pick something you enjoy, and switch it up when you get bored. Better to do that, than to pick the 'perfect' workout, and quit after a month because it bores the crap out of you.

Re: Ask HN: What keeps you from exercising?

#75

Post by bluGill »

jonaf wrote: post #16

Note that these aren't excuses. But they make it more difficult for me to exercise. 1. Kids (2 under 2). If I'm not at work, I'm playing with or taking care of them, cooking, etc. there isn't much "me time" as all of it is spent at work. 2. This may sound weird, but I haven't found a comfortable way to keep my private area in place. Most loose shorts / boxers don't work because things move around in some rather uncom…

My kids (1 and 3) just love to help me exercise. "Bench press" the 1 year old while "kicking" my legs with the 3 year old hanging on. Be sure to turn them upside down and back. Be sure they "hit" each other. It is not a bad exercise and combines play time.

I've found that a double jogging stroller is a great investment (look for them used), go for a walk, then the kid is tired they get in and then the walk can speed up. Sometimes the kids are asleep when I get back.

Re: Ask HN: What keeps you from exercising?

#76

Post by alex- »

> How do you keep it up?

Personally I find routine to be key.

If I run 4 times a week on specific days at specific times, after a few (3) weeks I stop asking my self "Should I go for a run today?" and start telling myself "Monday is a run day"

Another very motivating mechanism is community. Have you thought about group sports?

I used to row in a crew of 8 people and the thought of letting down 7 friends and a cox/coach is very motivating. The only warning/drawback I would say about team activities is that, in my experience, your life starts to become more and more about the activity. I suspect football, crossfit, basketball, etc all have that sense of community.

Finally I don't like blaming external things. If I choose to prioritize doing extra at work/seeing friends over exercising that is my decision (and my right). Instead of "I don't know what I should do" choose a path forward "I am joining a class where can I learn about hurling safely"

Re: Ask HN: What keeps you from exercising?

#77

Post by dragonwriter »

harveywi wrote: post #68
farnsworth wrote: post #46

I'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…

> Also, skipping rope is really easy on the knees

Say what now? It's certainly great exercise, but everytime I've seen it discussed, the caveat to that has been that it is particularly hard on several joints, mainly the knees, hips, and ankles.

Re: Ask HN: What keeps you from exercising?

#78

Post by harveywi »

dragonwriter wrote: post #77
harveywi wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

> Also, skipping rope is really easy on the knees Say what now? It's certainly great exercise, but everytime I've seen it discussed, the caveat to that has been that it is particularly hard on several joints, mainly the knees, hips, and ankles.

"Aim for low impact, low height, and short contact with the jumping surface. Be light on the balls of your feet."

Re: Ask HN: What keeps you from exercising?

#79

Post by hifumi »

alexandersingh wrote: post #63

I 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. Anothe…

> I could see a lot of people on HN enjoying rock climbing. Each route you climb is essentially a puzzle to solve.

That must be why I love climbing so much. It requires such focus and determination, and there's an immediate sense of progression that isn't seen with weight-lifting. When I got home from college there wasn't a rock climbing wall near me and I don't live near mountains. So I started climbing concrete structures in the city parks. It eventually turned into a game about movement and finding the fastest route. Then I learned it was already a sport called Parkour.

Re: Ask HN: What keeps you from exercising?

#80

Post by falcolas »

Joint pain, from my youth spent doing competitive swimming without proper training. RSI built up over 14 years is a lot to overcome.

My shoulders, hips and knees are all pretty much screwed. This makes my limitations not dependent on my muscles, but my joints. This makes finding interesting exercises very hard, since very few challenge my muscles before they hurt my joints.

I do still get out and move on a regular basis via walks, but it's frustrating to be limited by poor choices and coaching in my youth.

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