Show HN: Simple tool to make a habit of exercising • Hacker News Board

Re: Show HN: Simple tool to make a habit of exercising

#81

Post by Timpy » Tue, Sep 03, 2019, 1:10 PM UTC

progman32 wrote: post #59

I see a lot of people here having success with goal-setting and gamification, but sometimes it's a struggle to come up with concrete goals. This is especially true if there's no obvious problem to solve at the moment (OK weight, good body image, stress managed, just not exercising). What's a good goal, then, for someone who simply wants to increase useful lifespan? "Run at least X miles every Y days" feels like "writ…

If your goal is "increase useful lifespan" the list of of fitness goals is nearly inexhaustible. You're optimizing too early, and your target goal is too abstract. Consider grabbing some more near-term goals (ones that will also contribute to "increase useful lifespan") and pursue those.

To share a personal example: signing up for a long race gave me concrete goals with a deadline, I could measure my progress in distance and time, and by the time I completed the race I began to enjoy running for the sake of running. Now I have an enjoyable hobby that also contributes to "increased useful lifespan".

Re: Show HN: Simple tool to make a habit of exercising

#82

Post by dominotw » Tue, Sep 03, 2019, 1:35 PM UTC

harrisonjackson wrote: post #68

dominotw wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is exactly why duolingo owl has so much power over me. Can't lose my 235 day streak and can't drop out of to a lower league after working so hard to get to that league.

Was/is Duolingo effective for you? How much have you improved since starting it and what was your skill level when you started? Asking because I've had a couple of false starts with it, but I'm feeling motivated again!

I am not sure how much it helped me since I haven't really used my spanish in real world yet.

I only knew 2 words in spanish. I go to cross english-spanish meetups and I can form basic sentences and ask questions ect and I can understand some if they speak very slowly and give me a pause to interpret it.

Re: Show HN: Simple tool to make a habit of exercising

#83

Post by Tangokat » Tue, Sep 03, 2019, 3:03 PM UTC

majewsky wrote: post #17

What I would like is a paid plan where you pay for each day where you don't exercise. See "loss aversion" on Wikipedia for why.

Just make a bet with a friend. Work out 4 days a week, for each day missed you owe him $100, same for him. Proof must be provided at the end of the month (most gyms allow you to get a list of your check-ins)

Re: Show HN: Simple tool to make a habit of exercising

#84

Post by nefitty » Tue, Sep 03, 2019, 3:19 PM UTC

r00fus wrote: post #62

cconcepts wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had a several hundred day streak on duolingo, lost it and haven't opened the app since. Why would I, all my hard work is lost? I didn't actively think about it until I saw this.

Perhaps something like a "moving average" would be better to motivate people to keep things going without creating an expectations bubble. "You did great for the past 4 weeks - perfect streak" or "you are doing really well - only missed one day in the past 4 weeks". You know, something a human might say. Start off with a x Days, then switch to x Weeks and then moving average.

A moving average is an amazing idea. I'm gonna mess with that idea today for my work tasks.

Re: Show HN: Simple tool to make a habit of exercising

#85

Post by dfsegoat » Tue, Sep 03, 2019, 3:28 PM UTC

andrewstuart wrote: post #39

No app will work. You just have to reprogram yourself to do it. Nothing else but ACTION will suffice for exercising. A very fit friend of mine said to me many years ago "I just don't give myself any choice about whether I'm going to the gym." You can talk and use apps and make plans and get trainers and coaches and excuses etc etc etc but in the end the ONLY thing that works is ACTION - go and exercise. Find an exerc…

This is the Jocko Willink approach:

YOU are responsible for making the best you.. and it always feels better if you have crushed out a daily workout before most people are awake:

https://www.businessinsider.com/retired-navy-seal-jocko-will...

Re: Show HN: Simple tool to make a habit of exercising

#86

Post by tarosnow » Tue, Sep 03, 2019, 4:33 PM UTC

krilly wrote: post #14

There's a great open source android app[0] which has most of the functionality here in a really polished package. [0] https://github.com/iSoron/uhabits

Is there an equivalent of this on iOS?

Re: Show HN: Simple tool to make a habit of exercising

#87

Post by luigi23 » Tue, Sep 03, 2019, 5:38 PM UTC

tarosnow wrote: post #86

krilly wrote: post #14

There's a great open source android app[0] which has most of the functionality here in a really polished package. [0] https://github.com/iSoron/uhabits

Is there an equivalent of this on iOS?

Working on something similar for iOS and watchOS for some time, planning to ship it this year.

Re: Show HN: Simple tool to make a habit of exercising

#88

Post by magwa101 » Tue, Sep 03, 2019, 9:39 PM UTC

Another thing to get in the way of working out.

Re: Show HN: Simple tool to make a habit of exercising

#89

Post by SNACKeR99 » Tue, Sep 03, 2019, 11:43 PM UTC

thekyle wrote: post #10

One critique I have is that it seems like it's binary whether you complete a task on any given day which doesn't work well if you only partially complete something. For example, lets say I set a goal to walk for 1 hour per day. But then I only walk for 30 minutes, how would the app handle that situation?

I recognized this when I built my own X-effect app. For me the hardest part was simply getting started each time, so instead of "run 30 minutes", my goal was "put on your running shoes". It worked just fine because once my shoes are on I'm already in the mindset of working out. (Note those shoes were only ever used for running.)

Re: Show HN: Simple tool to make a habit of exercising

#90

Post by sokoloff » Wed, Sep 04, 2019, 8:25 AM UTC

TeMPOraL wrote: post #73

andrewstuart wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Having said that - I think it's a great business to make apps for this stuff and there is big money in it. The reason is simply because people don't want to take action. They want to procrastinate and avoid and find ways of almost exercising and there's absolutely no better way to do that than to delegate all your emotional energy on the subject to some sort of app. Apps to encourage you to exercise are awesome busin…

(Assuming that reply wasn't sarcastic to the core.) > Apps to encourage you to exercise are awesome business - they just aren't a way to actually become an exercising person but who really cares about that. Moral human beings with any sense of self-respect. Trade is about voluntarily exchanging value. I give you something (like money), you give me something in return (like an app that does what I need), we're both ha…

Many people don’t want to actually do something hard and unpleasant but get value from feeling like they’re getting organized and making plans to do that unpleasant thing later.