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I tricked myself into working out 3 times per week

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Re: I tricked myself into working out 3 times per week

#71

Post by SoftTalker »

watwut wrote: post #63
SoftTalker wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Also, how your body feels after a run, is one of the best motivators to do it again. Not everyone feels like this. I hate running, and hate the way my body feels afterwards. I just want to go to bed or sit down and do absolutely nothing. It wrecks my productivity for hours. I tried to get into running a few times because of the supposed "high" that you eventually start to feel. Never once felt it, even after severa…

Genuinely curious, why would you force yourself into daily run for months when you feel bad after it? I mean, there are many sports, chances are one of them you will like. So why forcing yourself into obe you hate?

I made this same point in another response.

To answer your question, I was sedentary, not particularly overweight but I knew it was unhealthy, and I wanted to do something to get in better shape. I knew some people who were into running and they talked about how great it made them feel. I tried it, kept at it for a while despite what a miserable an experience it was, in the hope that there would be a "breakthrough" at some point and I would start enjoying it.

I now do weightlifting, and it's something I've been able to stick with for a few years. I don't "love" doing it but it's tolerable.

Re: I tricked myself into working out 3 times per week

#72

Post by Moodles »

Tarsul wrote: post #29

I read a HN comment a while ago wrt running that said that motivation might come from saying "I want to see this beautiful place again" (where the running leads to.) instead of saying "I need to run because I want to lose weight" (or whatever). I'd like to say it works, but actually what was even more important for me was to change my thoughts about running. If you feel like running is a chore, you will never motivat…

I’ve exercised probably 90% of days for the last ten years. Days when I don’t are just rest days or travel days. To be honest, I think it’s best just to make it a habit like brushing your teeth. Working out is just what you do, and it’s a weird day if you don’t. Being highly motivated is kind of fleeting and just boring routine is more important.

Re: I tricked myself into working out 3 times per week

#73

Post by pgwhalen »

DIVx0 wrote: post #45
Tarsul wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

but is it really exercise with an ebike? I'd like to see others chip in on that (or studies ;).

Either this is a flippant response or you've never been on an ebike. They are not motorcycles and require effort from the rider. The effort can be as minimal or as strenuous as you desire. If you measure by duration the effort is the same. If you measure by speed than one may exercise less overall but folks tend to make more ebike trips so there could be an offset there. It is ridiculous to question if there is any e…

This reply doesn't assume best intent. I've ridden many ebikes and the effort is so clearly lower, to the point that it feels about the same as walking 1-2 mph. Maybe I ride it differently than everybody else somehow.

Re: I tricked myself into working out 3 times per week

#74

Post by prirun »

I started working out 6 months ago for the first time, with a personal trainer. I had tried a few times to do it on my own or with a friend, but with a friend it's too hard to coordinate schedules, and without a pro, it's too easy to get hurt (tore my shoulder up the first day and it took a year to sort of heal).

Hiring a good trainer has lots of advantages:

- you don't have to think about what you need to do

- they show you safe vs unsafe movements and keep you safe during training

- it's an appointment, so you're less likely to miss. My trainer doesn't normally charge for missed appointments (too nice IMO) but I pay by the month so I have to pay if I miss

- my trainer creates several circuits of 3-5 exercises and they are done 3-5 times each. The circuits are designed so that different muscles are used in each exercise, ie, "active resting", so an entire workout can fit in a half an hour for example.

If you have the funds, highly recommend hiring a trainer. Now I actually enjoy working out 4x a week for 45 minutes.

Re: I tricked myself into working out 3 times per week

#75

Post by mikrl »

Tarsul wrote: post #29

I read a HN comment a while ago wrt running that said that motivation might come from saying "I want to see this beautiful place again" (where the running leads to.) instead of saying "I need to run because I want to lose weight" (or whatever). I'd like to say it works, but actually what was even more important for me was to change my thoughts about running. If you feel like running is a chore, you will never motivat…

> how your body feels after a run, is one of the best motivators to do it again

Last summer I stupidly went hard on one or two of the hot AF days (30C) and went 5-6 miles or so then got home feeling like I’d had the wind kicked out of me.

Needless to say, for the next few weeks my body would feel… scared(?) to go for a run and I had to skip more than a few just from the feeling of apprehension. Now I try to run slow and get home feeling moderately exerted and I actually look forward to my runs.

In fact, if I run in the morning, I get the blues after work because I don’t have a run to go on anymore!

Re: I tricked myself into working out 3 times per week

#76

Post by perihelions »

Tarsul wrote: post #29

I read a HN comment a while ago wrt running that said that motivation might come from saying "I want to see this beautiful place again" (where the running leads to.) instead of saying "I need to run because I want to lose weight" (or whatever). I'd like to say it works, but actually what was even more important for me was to change my thoughts about running. If you feel like running is a chore, you will never motivat…

For a month now, I've been getting up at 5am every day to go cruising around my empty city on a skateboard, as a complete noob. It's changed my life substantially for the better. I've been very interested to figure out where I found this implausible level of... motivation? self-discipline? I'm not the sort of person to expect such from myself. Where did this unexpected success come from, and how can I attempt to continue it -- what does its forward extrapolation look like?

Your comment resonates with me as very plausible. All the places I skate, for practical reasons, happened to be nature-rich parks that are the most aesthetic and pleasant places to be around. The sort of places that I'd lounge all day in, if I had an *excuse* to, if it made any sense to sit around all day on a park bench in the autumn chill. The sort of places my phone is stuffed with random photos I take of. (God-rays through the tree leaves! Cool squirrel!) Maybe I shouldn't discount these minor psychological factors, this atavistic familiarity with nature? Maybe it does have an outsized influence on my actions. I wonder.

Re: I tricked myself into working out 3 times per week

#78

Post by NicoJuicy »

I didn't work out the last 5 years to my regret. I had a ski accident and my back hurt severely the previous 2 times.

I changed my behavior again, i was working too much to actually "want to do/start it".

I'm at 3 hours per day ATM. ( Back seems to be ok! ). Next step is to change to weight training and reduce the amount of hours, since the current slow-paced cardio phase is not sustainable. But i hope it helped me for my back as a transitioning phase...

Re: I tricked myself into working out 3 times per week

#79

Post by cowmoo728 »

Tarsul wrote: post #33
endisneigh wrote: post #23

I'm happy for the author, but I've always found these sort of tricks to be a chore. I bought a cargo ebike and use it for 99% of my traveling, including a 20 mile commute to work (~40 minutes each way). Now you can exercise for free, no tricking necessary. Sadly you aren't going to become super muscular riding around a bike, but I assure you, you'll be in excellent shape even with an ebike. Maybe it's because I'm laz…

but is it really exercise with an ebike? I'd like to see others chip in on that (or studies ;).

It depends on the bicycle. Some of them, at the right assistance level, the rider still pedals enough to be in light cardio range, which provides huge health benefits. Other ebikes, not so much.

Re: I tricked myself into working out 3 times per week

#80

Post by Retric »

SoftTalker wrote: post #51
Tarsul wrote: post #29

I read a HN comment a while ago wrt running that said that motivation might come from saying "I want to see this beautiful place again" (where the running leads to.) instead of saying "I need to run because I want to lose weight" (or whatever). I'd like to say it works, but actually what was even more important for me was to change my thoughts about running. If you feel like running is a chore, you will never motivat…

> Also, how your body feels after a run, is one of the best motivators to do it again. Not everyone feels like this. I hate running, and hate the way my body feels afterwards. I just want to go to bed or sit down and do absolutely nothing. It wrecks my productivity for hours. I tried to get into running a few times because of the supposed "high" that you eventually start to feel. Never once felt it, even after severa…

You need a significant base level of fitness and a long enough run at a good pace to feel a runners high. However, it’s not limited to running cycling, swimming, and rowing can provide the same rush.

Anyway if your feeling exhausted after a daily run then slow down, it takes more than one day to recover from heavy exercise so daily runs should stay casual.

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