Is this you? It was hard to exercise, but you finally made it a habit. HALP!

[bertha katzenengel]

Have you had a hard time making exercise a habit - but now it's a habit?

I need to exercise. I have started to exercise many, many times in my life, but I quit after a few days. The longest I ever went was when I played softball in college. (Rec league softball doesn't count.) That's twenty-four years ago.

I could really use some help. I don't know how you can help, but if you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

Thanks.

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

1. Join a gym and take a buddy

On my own I'd be lucky to make it to the gym once a week. Now that Mr. DTBK has joined, we go almost every night.

[bertha katzenengel]

2. *grin*

Mrs. V. has just joined a gym. She was having PT on her leg to help with her knee, and it's quite a workout. Realizing that she'd have to keep up the muscle work to keep her knee safe, she joined the gym.

I'm going to go with her this Saturday. I have a horrible track record with gyms. I really, really want to make it a habit but it is very hard to overcome history.

(I know that part of the reason Mrs. V. joined that gym was to try to set an example for me, and to encourage me to get some exercise.)

[pitohui]

3. you have to do it every day

since i started when i was 12 maybe i'm not the most helpful example but if you want to make something a habit do it every day

want to be a drunk? drink every day

want to be fit? exercise every day

to my mind, the key is to have exercises that you can do without special equipment so that you get into your work out gear, five minutes, walk/low impact aerobics for 30 minutes without stopping, shower and dress -- so you have a basic exercise routine that you can do at home or in the hotel -- if you rely on a gym and you have to drive to the gym, it ain't gonna happen because it's too much trouble, i see it over and over with people who join a gym

also good to have some equipment at home, even if it's only light free weights, i think a certain amount of weight training 3 times a week is important for women's bones

but the basic thing is to do it every day, when i worked in an office, this meant actually getting up early and doing it before work, because otherwise "stuff" happens -- you get invited to happy hour, you work late, and so on, the routine breaks down

for the first month especially DO IT EVERY DAY -- no, you can't do weight training every day, but do SOMETHING every day even if it's only a brisk walk

good luck, and i hope it helps

personally if i relied on gyms and a buddy, i'd work out three times a year like my buddy does, but i don't really have a network of people who work out in my immediate circle -- having someone supportive in your household may make the gym work for you, again, good luck

[demmiblue]

4. Use a pedometer

There is a site online called, "American on the Move," that lets you log in your steps in order to complete a trail (such as the Oregon Trail).

The only problem with the site is that not many people use it (and you need to submit a lot of personal info to register).


Good luck! :bounce:

[Lars39]

5. You have to get your body addicted to the endorphins.

The personal trainer at the hospital fitness center gave me this advice: If you're walking: 10 minutes slow walking to warm up,then as many minutes as you can fast walking(maybe only 10 or 15 minutes if you're really out of shape like me),then 10 minutes slow walking to cool down. You may be habit-forming resistant...it takes about 5-6 weeks for me to take on any new habits.
I finally got a treadmill, and am using an mp3 player with music that supports the different paces I set.

[khashka]

6. Yoga

You can do it whenever you want. Limbers you up, keeps your muscles in tone. And when you feel like doing some heavy exercise, you'll be less likely to pull a muscle or tire yourself out. (And it makes sex better!)

Khash.

[Patiod]

9. But be careful if you're a big gal like me

I'm about 6' tall, and pushing 200 lbs, and I'm sitting here with an ice pack on the tendonitis I got from doing side planks (where you're on your side, balancing on one hand and one foot - the shoulder takes all your weight).

I'm going back to class as soon as PT gives me the okay, but will try to keep my weight off my shoulders!!!!

[Dora]

7. Do something you enjoy.

I don't enjoy gyms, but I enjoy walking and yoga.

Khashka suggested yoga, and I 'll repeat that suggestion. I recently finished a beginner's yoga series of classes (8 classes, 4 weeks), and the class frequency helped me to set the yoga habit. But I didn't notice it until my fourth week. So you really have to persist through the first few weeks for the habit to happen, whatever the exercise is.

I enjoyed it a lot and learned so much that I'm now doing my own "freestyle" yoga at home, without going to class. I also discovered yoga classes via video podcasts - a wonderful invention! I still go to yoga classes when I want to and when I have the time, but I enjoy doing it at home.

I've seen the yoga pay off in how I feel about myself (improved), how strong my body feels (much stronger), and how I manage everyday events (less reactive, woo!).

[Chan790]

8. Kind of...

I never really made the decision to start exercising. I made a decision to use stairs and park as far away as possible when I went out in order to get more exercise because I needed it and I didn't really have the drive to make myself exercise. After a while...I'd feel off if I didn't get enough exercise in, so I actually had to start taking a daily walk.

So I am a "made exercise a habit" person, but I backed into it.

[mikeytherat]

10. Keep it close to home and you're more likely to get it done.

I agree 100% with the posters who have indicated that working out at home is by far the best method for daily success. Mrs. Rat and I work out six days a week at 5:30 every morning, and I recommend exercising early in the day - at the end of the work day + 1,000,000 commitments + being tired and burned out + a 20-minute drive each way to and from the gym = "f**k exercising." While you will definitely get more variation with the equipment at a gym, the time commitment (get to the gym, wait for a machine to open up, etc.) is usually the killer.

In our basement we have a Soloflex and a Nordic Track, and we alternate each day (aerobic and anaerobic workouts) so we are never "competing" to use the same machine. Also, around here we have a place called "Play it Again Sports" where you can get used sports and exercise equipment for a song.



mikey_the_rat

[Patiod]

11. Lots of good suggestions here

If it gives you any encouragement, I was going through the same struggle once I stopped swimming (which I loved, but which did not love my shoulders)

Like everyone has said, it's a matter of finding something that works for YOU - and finding exercise that is enjoyable for YOU. Other folks have suggested Yoga (or Pilates) - I fell in love with weight lifting. I bought the book "Body Sculpting for Women", which provides an ever-changing mix of weight-lifting routines that I LOVE. I finally found something that made I enjoy doing, makes me stronger, and changed the shape of my body. I didn't follow the diet in the book and haven't lost a pound, but my clothes fit better and I look and feel better, which is what I really want. Plus I look forward to it and look forward to how good I feel when I'm done. You can't beat that.

A lot of my friends find the eliptical machine far kinder to older joints than the treadmill. YMMV as they say on the internets.

Also, make the peripherals a treat - I have a iPod and download lots of good free NPR stuff off of iTunes - so during my workouts I listen to "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me" and "Fresh Air", which I don't get to listen to otherwise. Or bring a fun magazine and prop it up on the bike (the stationary bike that is - magazines not a good choice with mobile bikes!)

Good luck!

[hvn_nbr_2]

12. Give yourself permission to skip a day, but only if...

On days that you just don't feel like exercising, do five minutes anyway. After five minutes, if you still don't feel like it, skip it that day. But what happens is that almost always after five minutes you feel like going on. Someone said that in a talk somewhere and I tried it; sure enough it works for me.

[logosoco]

13. I kinda tricked myself into the habit

I was having a hard time keeping up with my 73 year old mother one day, so I decided I needed to start exercising everyday like she does.I got up one morning before work, and before I was fully awake and aware, I got on the floor on a mat and started doing stretches/yoga type exercising. It eventually became a habit. I haven't lost weight, but i feel like I am in good shape for my age (43).

[graywarrior]

14. Spinning classes.

You won't be able to live without them. They are so much fun, you will have to force yourself not to go everyday. Plus you can burn up to 800 calories a 45 minute class. You build strength AND aerobic conditioning. The music they play is what makes it so much fun.

[momto3]

15. You have to find something you enjoy.

I was the same way. I belonged to a gym, went regularly for the first couple of weeks, got bored and quit. I started taking karate classes with my daughter. I love it! I take regular classes 3 times a week and work out at home. As I said before, it is important that you find something that you enjoy doing. Otherwise you will not stick with it.

Peace.

[Critters2]

16. Get a dog.

My first dog had a stroke because I let her get fat. I now walk the beagle at least once a day in the winter, and twice to three times a day in the summer. Not so much for me as for her. But I benefit from it, too, obviously. My I'm more committed to her health than my own. Don't know what that says about me, but there you are.

[BlondieK143]

17. Been there, was the QUEEN of there

I've always had weight issues and tried exercising, but never stuck with it. I lost a bit of weight on my own then decided to do a gym membership. I've been working out for 2 months now, and I'll never go back to not exercising again. My butt was in that place EVERY SINGLE day that first month, and I've only missed a total of 5 days in 2 months. As much as it sucks and hurts and no matter how much you want to give up, you have to stick with it. Now if I miss a day, I feel 10 times worse than the hardest workout. Everyone else has said it, but find something you like to do. Beware of the yoga/pilates classes though. I'm a big girl, and I didn't walk straight for a week! No kidding. Eventually when I get where I want to be, I'll try again. I know that some people don't like the gym thing either, and that's fine, but if you're having a hard time disciplining yourself, this is a good way to go. I also opted for a personal trainer that way I could get one on one attention from someone who knew my limits and when to push me further. He has been essential in staying motivated.

Whatever you chose to do, GOOD LUCK. Like I said, I've been there and done that many times in my life. Losing weight/getting fit/exercising for whatever reason is a huge choice to make. It's not just about doing an activity here or there, it's a commitment you have to make for yourself. :)

[DarkTirade]

18. Just need to find some activity you can do on a regular basis.

I'm still looking right now. Unfortunately the one I had is seasonal, and summer and spring are not the right seasons. :(

[yellowdogintexas]

19. for the past 2 years I had workout equipment at my workplace and

I went to the treadmill with my book every day. My doctor wanted me to walk daily, and on level surface; this was the best way to guarantee it would be level and not too fast. As she put it..if I am walking slowly enough to read, I am not going to injure anything. I was having major major back problems. Right this minute I am not working but still get to yoga at the Y 2 to 3 times a week and do the yard work. Now I have to get myself out of the house to treadmill @ the Y on all the days I don't yoga, or I will start to regain the weight I lost. Can't afford that. Then when I go back to work, hope I have facility in the workplace, or else just go straight to the Y before going home.

The key truly is to find something you really really like. If that is walking a treadmill while reading a book, then you will be more likely to do it.

[taterguy]

20. Get rid of your car

Walking or biking to work is a great way to exercise.

Helps the environment too!

[CBHagman]

21. I needed a mortality wake-up call.

After a pretty active childhood -- bike riding, swimming -- I really got out of the exercise habit as a teenager. In college I sometimes jogged, but the habit never really took. In my 20s and early 30s I mostly got exercise through cycling and walking.

But in my 40s I had an unexpected heart attack (No, I was neither a smoker nor a diabetic), and my cardiologist prescribed regular exercise, plus a change of diet, plus meds and regular check-ups. I went through cardiac rehab, which is exercise by prescription (some type of aerobic exercise, plus weights, plus warm-up and cool-down, all monitored by nurses).

After cardiac rehab, I knew the medical team would be checking up on me, so I was motivated to keep up the habit.

My technique now is simple. I keep a written record of my exercise right on the kitchen counter. I mark down what I've done each day -- say, for example, a walk, riding a stationary bike) -- and that way I can see when I've kept up the regular habit.

The nurses tell me the current guidelines are for exercise about five times a week, rather than the usual three times a week, so that too has motivated me. I know I have to get it done, and while I may slack off a couple of days, I have to get back into it or lose the habit entirely.

So my technique, besides quaking, quivering fear, is keeping the written record. The weight loss has been an added bonus.

[murphymom]

22. Another suggestion

Get to know your body rhythms and find a TIME of day that works for you to exercise (as much as you can with work schedules, etc.) My husband likes to exercise after work (go for a walk, bike ride, whatever) as a way to wind down. For me, that's the worst time and I do much better trying to exercise first thing in the morning as a way to wake up and get energized.

I hope exercising with Mrs. V works out. Having an exercise buddy or going to classes helps reinforce the exercise habits. However, if it doesn't work out, don't beat yourself up about it, just keep trying different activities until you find something that you truly enjoy and can stick with. I found I really liked water aerobics - very easy on the joints, especially if you are heavy and out of shape. I gave it up because I think the chlorine in the pool was aggravating my eczema and I really miss it - need to go back.