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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

#101

Post by AlbertCory »

I actually wrote three articles on how and why I've been running for 50 years (https://albertcory50.substack.com/ the first three articles). The subject of motivation is considered deeply, since no trick, not even a wager, will keep you doing it more than a couple years (although maybe a bet with a relative will last a while).

The overall answer is "whatever works for you." One saying that I've found does impress people is:

If you can't find time to exercise, you'll have to find time to be sick.

Do you have time to wait on the Customer Support line for your health insurance provider, listening to "Your call is very important to us. Please stay on the line." for half an hour? Didn't think so.

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

#102

Post by mrexroad »

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…

“Action comes before motivation” is something I constantly tell myself. On occasion I remember this and I actually do the thing.

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

#103

Post by DougN7 »

patcon wrote: post #60

Nice! In case anyone is interested in the science of this effect and it's surprising power, this is an almost exact reproduction of an experiment, in the field of "connection science" or "social physics". (NOTE: The true value here is in the CROSS-INCENTIVIZATION with an existing social relationship, not just the money) The general truism that falls out of it is: When possible, always apply incentives to the social f…

I’m having a hard time understanding what you mean. Can you give some examples?

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

#104

Post by sufiyan »

I have always found myself more engrossed and wanting to run if I have a great podcast series or a great audiobook to listen to. Lately haven’t been getting any good recommendations and feeling like it is a chore to run.

Maybe having a bet like this with my sister who is also trying to become more active might help.

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

#105

Post by CalChris »

bilsbie wrote: post #97
CalChris wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I assume you meant VO2Max; the real thing costs money. I feel like such a shill but your Apple Watch estimates it based on your activity, heart rate and movement. It shows up in the Apple Fitness on your iPhone. It is an estimate but it goes up with a fair amount of effort. It gets harder to make progress the further up you go. But I'm here to tell you that 32 feels a LOT better than 25.5 did. The downsides to workin…

I get a ton of exercise but I still feel out of shape. I wonder how the Apple Watch would handle that?

The only thing trackers do is track. I found that, for me, just walking every day helped a lot (starting from a COVID couch potato). It got me to 30. But to get to the next level, you really have to stress. I had to start climbing stairs, sets of stairs. Five sets of the Cleveland Cascade in Oakland did it. I had to get my heart rate up for at least a minute at a time.

And again, the only thing trackers do is keep me honest with myself about daily effort. Works for me.

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

#106

Post by colechristensen »

What worked for me was making the accomplishment going through the door of the gym. Twice a week, sometimes just for five minutes, did a lot to get me into the habit and to the point where i did actually enjoy it and feel better (and spent gradually more time there)

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

#108

Post by SoftTalker »

zffr wrote: post #62
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…

Maybe the problem is that your are pushing yourself too hard. I think you will feel significantly less fatigued if you cut the intensity of your running workouts in half. From here you can work on slowly increasing your speed and endurance.

I did all that. When I started I could not run more than maybe a hundred yards. So I would run a little, walk a lot, run a little more, and slowly the ratio of running to walking changed and I could run a few miles without stopping to walk. I still felt just terrible and exhausted at the end of it. I never felt a high, or any other "good" feeling from it.

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

#110

Post by tomjen3 »

wpietri wrote: post #9
savanaly wrote: post #3

If this sounds appealing, but you want a nice UI to go along with it, check out https://www.beeminder.com/home . Not affiliated with them, just a happy customer for several years.

Huh. I like most of the idea, but there's no way I'm going to incentivize a company such that they do better if I fail.

They don't do better in the medium term if you fail. If you don't get any use of out Beeminder, you will stop being a customer.

I have been a customer of theirs since 2014. The few times I have had to interact with support they have always helped me (and to be clear I only remember having to contact support when I had a legitimate reason not to complete some work for a given day).

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