Ask HN: What keeps you from exercising? - <AUTHOR> We all know that exercise is good for us, yet many of us fail to either start or continue. Why?
Like many of you, I sit in front of a computer far too much during my days. I blame my inactivity on everything: not enough time, family obligations, an I'll do it tomorrow attitude, it won't work for me because of my genetics, I don't know what I should do so better not do anything and get injured etc.
Do you do the same? What keeps you from exercising or what made you start exercising in the first place? How do you keep it up? <comment><USER3> I used to start & stop exercising regularly...meaning I'd start going to the gym for a few weeks and then stop out of laziness / lack of motivation.

That changed 1 year ago, when I stopped aimlessly 'exercising' and started goal-oriented 'training'.

I discovered powerlifting. Its principles and techniques really resonated with me. I was no longer exercising to be 'fit' but 'training' to beat my numbers (I don't do competitions) and see how good I can possibly be.

I've never been more consistently active over time, never been stronger, and never felt better. Now, I can't imagine living without lifting.

Powerlifting is what I chose, but you choose what you want. Learn the technique, set a schedule, set goals, and beat them...over and over and over and over again.

Then you won't think about activity as 'just exercise', but as something much more significant.

<comment><USER4> 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.

<comment><USER5> "Incredibly healthy" is a stretch when it comes to power-lifting. In fact, while power-lifting helps to rapidly gain and develop muscle, it's extremely unhealthy to your joints and poses a high risk of injury. For those looking to get similar exercise and results to powerlifting, check out body-building. Emphasis on slow and controlled form and muscle gain (aesthetics).

Some good sources: [http://scoobysworkshop.com/](http://scoobysworkshop.com/) [http://www.bodybuildingrevealed.com/](http://www.bodybuildingrevealed.com/)

disclaimer - I've used SS with great results, however this is not a program for everyone, keeping in mind we are on a science/tech forum

<comment><USER6> I've dabbled in both constantly (3 times a week) for the past 15 years. Although body building can sculpt a body, I never felt really as fit and as strong as I do with power lifting, with an equivalent physique. Something about isolating muscles seems to 'erode' athleticism power/strength. YMMV.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER7> For me, it was finding a _purpose_ to exercise.

Initially, it was _weight control_ (I ended up dropping 30+ lbs. This process was not just exercise - it had to be paired with proper diet (otherwise, you don't see any lasting results or you end up flattening out in your weight loss graph).

After I got to my target weight, it started getting kind of boring. But then, the thing that really did it for me, was getting into surfing. I _love_ surfing, and do it multiple times every week. This is not exercise - it is just pure fun. However, you end up getting tired after paddling for sometime. The purpose of the gym changed for me. It was about improving my surfing. Squads, cardio, push-ups, lifting weights become just a way for me to improve my pop-ups, paddling endurance, etc.

As a nice side-effect, I sleep better than ever before. Would definitely recommend it :)

<comment><USER8> I love cycling, but always end up trailing off after a while. In 2014 I decided to try to bike every street in my city. This made a huge difference. I just needed a goal, as it turns out.

But now that I'm nearing the end of that project, I've been trailing off again.

<comment><USER9> Just a suggestion that goes along (slightly) with your theme. Pick up hiking and hit all the trails you couldn't with your bike?

<comment><USER8> It's gonna have to be something like that or I'll be forced to move to a new city :)

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER10> I have to exercise or I feel like shit. I think that people that don't exercise have accepted feeling like shit as the "default" and somehow don't mind it.

For me, the difference in my mental and physical health, to say nothing of my alertness and mental clarity, is night and day when I'm running every day. I run 3 miles a day (been running since I was 12 years old, sometimes competitively -- at my best, I was one of the top high school runners in the state of Pennsylvania); it takes only 20 minutes a day, relieves stress, and I feel very relaxed and lucid afterwards. I also noticed that the same amount of sleep takes me farther when I'm exercising than when I'm not. The resultant energy boost tops caffeine.

When I find that I can't run (because of weather, scheduling issues, traveling, etc.), I just do some simple yoga stretches for 15 minutes, and even that really helps my attitude and alertness.

EDIT: Growing up, I was always the scrawny nerdy computer hacker kid that got picked last in gym class who couldn't even catch a ball who was so fed up with it all that I trained and worked my way up from last place runner to state- caliber athlete, so if I can do it, you can, too. I still can't catch a football though.

<comment><USER11> This is a fairly boring example of the typical mind fallacy. Or, the typical body fallacy, if you wish. I exercise and it doesn't have any significant effect on "feeling like shit" for me. I sometimes lose mental clarity from exercise, feel more tired, have less energy. The benefits are absolutely not obvious in my case.

Unfortunately, this fallacy seems to be present every single time this topic is brought up. It's very hard to discuss fitness without moralistic arguments showing up, which is why the field is wrought with so much misinformation and cargo-cultism.

<comment><USER12> If you exercise and are more tired, then you need to eat more. And stay off the sugars and carbs.

<comment><USER13> This was the case (being tired by training), and eating properly, in the proper time before exercies, was what totally changed the situation, for me.

Not sure about the carbs though (except sugar, which I try to avoid taking in excess).

I read up that before e.g. running, 3-4 hours before, I eat a heavy full- component meal, and 1-2 hours before, I eat something lighter, with mostly carbs. The effect is light night and day compared to when not thinking about the eating. Can't be reiterated enough, I think.

<comment><USER12> I agree... I always eat before exercising.

I would, however, caution on a carb-heavy meal pre-workout. Studies have shown:

1) Consuming carbs pre-workout reduces the fat burned during workout.

2) Consuming protein pre-workout helps preserve muscle protein during exercise.

3) Consuming carbs pre-workout restrains growth hormone release.

4) Carbs elevate serotonin which increases exercise-related fatigue.

5) Higher fat meal will allow more free fatty acids for muscles, and will increase intramuscular triglyceride levels.

All this stuff is from the best book out there: Natural Hormonal Enhancement by Rob Faigin.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER14> There's no such thing as "not enough time"; we all get the same amount of time for everything.

What there is, what people actually _mean_ when they say "not enough time", is "things I'd rather be doing".

Consciously or unconsciously, you prioritise your list, perhaps by Maslow's hierarchy of needs or in other ways, then whatever consistently drops off the bottom at the end of the day ends up mentally filed in the "not enough time" bucket.

In my case, I find exercise for the sake of exercise mind-numbingly tedious, so my "things I'd rather be doing" includes "playing cookie clicker again", "afternoon nap", "staring into space dumbly" etc.

After filling my day with all those things, oddly enough I never seem to have time to go out for a jog.

Looking at what made it into the bucket and what didn't is a fine source of guilt.

(I keep thinking it's time for Propcycle to make a comeback now we have VR helmets...)

<comment><USER15> > _There 's no such thing as "not enough time"; we all get the same amount of > time for everything._

Technically correct.

> _What there is, what people actually mean when they say "not enough time", > is "things I'd rather be doing"._

True; I'd rather be taking my child to daycare, and picking her up, and spending time with her. I'd rather be commuting 45 minutes to a job I enjoy rather than moving next-door to it and suffering a 200%+ rent increase, or working next door to where I live as a much lower-income grocery store clerk.

Other people might rather spend time managing a chronic medical condition. Or taking care of a family member. Or doing any number of things that is out of their control.

We all get 24 hours in a day, but we don't all get an equal allotment of choice in how we spend it.

<comment><USER16> It's true that some are busier than others, but the vast majority of us can find 20-30 minutes to exercise 3-5 days per week. Cant get to a gym? Work out at home.

People simply chose to do something else instead.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER17> Most recently, what's made me start exercising (more) is room-scale VR.

Gyms are boring. Cardio in gyms is incredibly boring.

Trying to beat my highscore on Holopoint whilst hologram samurai rush at me and I'm dodging missiles flying from all directions is not boring.

( And now I'm developing room-scale VR games, that goes double.

I'm currently covered in sweat in the middle of a work day after spending an hour balancing a miniboss in Left-Hand Path ([http://store.steampowered.com/app/488760](http://store.steampowered.com/app/488760)). )

<comment><USER18> > _Gyms are boring. Cardio in gyms is incredibly boring. Trying to beat my > highscore on Holopoint whilst hologram samurai rush at me and I 'm dodging > missiles flying from all directions is not boring._

There's a big benefit gap between working up a little sweat playing a video game in your living room versus doing actual weight training at a real gym. They are no substitutes.

<comment><USER11> There's a big drawback to trying to create a big divide between those who do not exercise at all and those who devote their life to exercise. I've seen this a lot where a person who starts out doing some form of exercise immediately gets criticized for not doing more. That's not how it works.

Working up a sweat playing a game is more than most people do and will already bring benefits. It's a whole lot better than nothing. It may become a catalyst for better things.

And, yes, weight training is not going to be replaced by cardio, because it's weight training... it's not like every person who exercises does weight training, there are quite a few pure runners on here.

<comment><USER19> I used to have a small little app which tracked my sit-ups and push-ups, counting loudly in a voice you could choose. It challenged me enough to do something. Then my girlfriend made fun of me in front of others and I stopped doing this.

<comment><USER17> That's really cool. Did you ever release it publicly?

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER20> First, I don't like it. Most of the time, it is awkward stuff, and horribly boring, exercising just to exercise. I'd rather do so much other stuff.

Second, I don't usually find the gains to be motivating. I have trouble sticking with it after a month or two.

Third, I'm not really willing to spend money on equipment or go out of my way to a gym. I'd rather not be seen.

<comment><USER21> >First, I don't like it. Most of the time, it is awkward stuff, and horribly boring, exercising just to exercise.

It doesn't have to be this way. The best way to stick with an exercise is to find one that you enjoy. For some people that's lifting weights, or running distances. Others like biking or yoga. I play ultimate frisbee, which I find to be a lot of fun and a great exercise. I'll be the first to admit that I should do more, but chasing a piece of plastic through the air for two hours a week is a whole lot better than sitting down at home. Try seeing what sports leagues are in your area, maybe you'll find something you like.

<comment><USER22> > > First, I don't like it. Most of the time, it is awkward stuff, and > horribly boring, exercising just to exercise.

> It doesn't have to be this way. The best way to stick with an exercise is to > find one that you enjoy.

The mistake you're making is assuming that everyone enjoys at least one form of exercise, much less would prefer to do it other than something else.

My short-term analysis is, 'why would I want to be sweaty, sore and out-of- breath when I can be perfectly happy at home, doing what I want?'

My _long-term_ analysis, of course, is that I should exercise in spite of hating every single minute I spend on it.

<comment><USER23> Exactly. For some people its not about finding the right sport.

What i did for myself was searching for a gym where i waste the least time, found one that has a 45 minute programm and went for it. Not that this works well motivation wise, but it was the first time it did not sound like wasting to much valueable energy and time.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER24> Nothing stops me. I'm usually in the gym for 1-2 hours everyday after work. It's what I look forward to more than anything all day. I think when you start eating healthy and working out regularly, it gets addicting.

Getting to that point is probably the secret. Get some small wins, see some results in the mirror, get a compliment or two, and then it will be a self fulfilling prophecy.

/r/fitness is probably a good place to hangout if you're trying to get motivated. Lots of success stories, before/after pictures, and learning. Really helpful folks over there.

<comment><USER25> This is really the best answer in my opinion. You have to do it long enough and consistently enough to learn what routine is for you, and to get into that routine. Once you do it'll feel weird not to go to the gym (or do whatever) and you'll have to use very little willpower to stick with it.

But in order to get to that point you'll need self discipline and patience, it'll probably take a few months to get into the groove. No way to do it but just to decide it's time and start.

I strongly sympathize, I was allergic to organized exercise until my late 30's. But at the end of the day there's no secret, except that it does get way way easier once it's in a routine.

<comment> atom-morgan I agree as well and to be honest, I think it's no different than any other activity. When people say they eventually give up on exercising, it's always very early on in their exercising "career". It's no different than someone who gives up on learning piano after a month of playing the piano. It's really hard to practice when you suck. This applies to the exercise as well.

When you come home after an hour in the gym, you're exhausted. You wake up the next morning and you can't see a difference. After a month of doing this, you get depressed and give up. It takes the maturity to realize you have to make a habit out of it long enough to the point that you are good, practicing regularly, to reach the point where going to the gym is something you look forward to. Going to the gym X times a week is _practice_. Practice enough and eventually you will be good with the physical difference to motivate you.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER26> 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.

Another striking contrast I've found in rock gyms is that there's a greater sense of community and camaraderie. I've had strangers point out where I was going wrong on a particular route, advise me on my technique, and let me borrow chalk/tape when I was out.

<comment><USER27> > 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.

</comment></comment><comment><USER28> Exercise is like keeping a feather aloft with your breath. At any point, you can choose to stop, or blow again. Blowing works for a short amount of time, you see some short-term results, and then you're back at the head of the loop.

Basically... like most anything that takes effort you either have to make "the switch" and make it be a defining characteristic of who you are, or it will never matter more than a passing fad. In order to make "the switch" happen, find things other than pure exercise to reinforce the cycle. Find a team game to play like ... volleyball or something and don't be apologetic about sucking at it. Just keep showing up. Once your social circle includes healthy active people you'll go do healthy outdoorsy things to stay with them.

<comment><USER29> > Just keep showing up. Once your social circle includes healthy active people > you'll go do healthy outdoorsy things to stay with them.

Would those people not resent you for showing up and making them lose?

<comment><USER28> Social leagues are all about goofing off together. Of course everyone still wants to win--social or not it's still a sport--but at that level it's really about getting you off your couch.

Finding more obscure sports can help, too. For example there was recently a guy on the news desperate for people willing to play bicycle polo. "If you can ride a bike, come play with us we'll show you how to play!".

Even if you join an amateur competitive league you'll still be fine because you'll sit on the bench during "real" games but you'll play during practice until you're needed or better than the alternative.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER30> It was to hard to get started (running 1km if you never ran is a demotivating experience) and most of it was boring (running, going to the gym, etc) or filled with culture I didn't like (football and the gyms is full of "bros", climbing and running is full of "hipsters")

I wanted my own pace, without people around I didn't pick myself and something easy to get started without much effort to keep it going.

So I started lifting weights at home in februrary. Bought a barbell, two dumbbells, 100kg of weights and a squat rack (later a power cage + 40kg extra weight).

Now I can train in my bedroom 3 times a week without talking to any people and I don't even have to leave my flat, so no excuse like "I don't wanna ride to the gym" or "I don't wanna go outside". Since I'm working remote from home, I even can do it in my break in the afternoon (if it isn't too hot) and shower at home.

Also, I stopped riding the underground and get everywhere by bike now so I get cardio 3-5 times a week.

</comment><comment><USER31> On Friday, wife made plans that required me to be home with the kids. I wasn't able to get to the gym.

On Wednesday, wife was home sick from work. I took care of the kids and couldn't get to the gym.

I try to go M/W/F, so far I've only had one week in a month where that's happened.

Family keeps me from the gym. It's ok, I love them.

<comment><USER32> I know not everyone can but a home gym is very, very nice. Same with a treadmill desk (typed as I'm on one...)

<comment><USER31> I reaaallllyyy want to put a power rack somewhere in my house. I have the space for it, but I'm conflicted because I'm trying to downsize my possessions. While the convenience of a home gym is appealing, having more stuff to worry about is not.

<comment><USER32> I was in the same position as you. I grabbed a rack off craigslist with the thinking it'd be pretty easy to sell off if I didn't need it. Wound up using it 1-3 days a week and now it's 3-5. I really like it for when I've got some repetitive tasks or compares running since I can do sets while waiting.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER33> Complete and total lack of motivation here.

The main problem for me is that my only motivation for working out would be to gain muscle for the purpose of looking more attractive to the opposite sex. I'm married and my wife is happy and during a two-year stint in my 20s when I actually took it seriously (personal trainer and everything), I ended up getting almost no visible results (gained strength but I need only enough to tap keys). For whatever reason, I struggle to gain weight the same way people struggle to lose it (though, admittedly, it's a lot easier to have my problem). I've been underweight since High School with the warning given to me by my friends/family that "it'll catch up with me when I'm 'x'" (where "x" is an age I've passed already, and y, and z). I get yearly physicals and have my cholesterol levels (and others) checked. They're all where they should be (or better). I've had a lot of other things checked, too -- always happens when I get a new doctor and he starts inquiring about my diet -- which, we'll just say, includes a 40-oz chocolate milk shake[0] most nights and goes downhill from there.

Having "bigger muscles", which wouldn't serve much of a purpose for me, isn't nearly enough motivation and I don't particularly enjoy working out. And having no _other_ reason means I have zero motivation.

[0] I know the precise size of the milkshake because that's the size of the cup. I joke that I own one of those health-nut blenders with the pretty "running girl" on the front drinking a likely-tasteless smoothy. I bought it because I hated cleaning the big blender every night and fill it with things that would warrant a different looking person on the box.

Edit: 64 oz didn't seem right so I looked at the container, it was 40 oz.

<comment><USER34> Eat more.

Eat 5,000 calories a day.

<comment><USER33> I really wish that would do it. As part of a request from a doctor, I kept a food diary for a month. I was supposed to eat like I typically do, but once you start writing things down, you tend to alter things slightly -- I tried _really_ carefully to keep things "typical". I was always above 4,000 calories and some days I broke 7,000.

I didn't share much about my diet because it's _embarrassing_. The calories I consume are the _worst_ kinds if current medical dogma is to be believed. I eat a _lot_ of refined sugar/high-fructose corn syrup containing foods and otherwise love my carbs. By every measure, I should be overweight or otherwise unhealthy the way I eat. But the "big" health indicators (liver, pancreas and heart numbers) are all fine or exceptional and my weight is normal/below normal (140-145 lbs at 6')[0].

Here's a "typical" day for me:

Starts off with cereal or eggs, the former being more common due to convenience. Cereal is two _large_ bowls (which I purchased because I _love_ "kid cereal" and with four children, we always have some handy). Those bowls hold 3-4 servings depending on the cereal. Otherwise it's 6 hard-boiled eggs (and I often add in a bowl of cereal after that for "11sies"). The calorie count varies but over 500 isn't unusual. Lunch varies a lot, but a typical one for me is a whole frozen pizza, clocking in at 1,000 calories. I don't eat that every day but that represents the amount of food I'm used to consuming for lunch. Dinner is prepared by my wife almost every night and it's quite sensible because she cares about her diet so it's usually high protein, low/medium carb (and always tasty). Those are the meals. I mentioned four kids... we have an unlimited supply of snacks and I don't regulate myself _at all_ with this. I've been known to kill an entire bag of Reese's Penut Butter Cups at 1,990 calories (my wife hides candy from me). I've knocked one off today and if I had another, I'd be starting into it. I drink a lot of liquid but only about half of it is water, the rest is around 900 calories of a variety of juices/sodas that I love. And that chocolate milk-shake (not included in the "liquids", it's more of a snack) clocks in at 1100 calories on its own.

I'm not certain why I don't gain weight. My parents/friends will tell you that "I'm always moving" (I have a "jimmy leg") but there's no way I'm burning enough calories that way to offset all of that. I've had so many tests done in this area to rule out a variety of physical problems but they've all come out fine. And at the end of the day, it's a good problem to have (I'd like to be less skinny, but I'm old enough that I've accepted that this is the way I am).

I've also tried a variety of other diets, including high protein (which was effectively _nearly no carbs), calorie restriction, fasting and other things all as personal experiments over the last decade and a half and I 've failed to change my weight in any substantial way (though I felt the most healthy on the high-protein diet and I occasionally get in a kick and do that when I can afford it).

I know the data varies, but I'm a believer that genetics has a lot to do with it. My dad ate nearly this bad and -- in his 60s -- he's in the thin range as well (though his cholesterol numbers are terrible compared to mine, so I may have to adjust at some point).

[0] And I forgot to mention I actually _own* an ultrasound body fat percentage device from back when I was trying to gain muscle. Back then, prior to working out, I was on the low side. I have no idea where I am today, but moving some furniture last week was about as difficult as I'm used to.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER35> I lost my motivation to exercise a few years ago. My body type is "skinny/decent" without exercise and I can generally eat whatever I want with little consequences. That said, I don't really eat a lot. I only eat when I'm hungry. I would say I'm of average fitness currently.

I used to be in amazing shape, 6pack, big muscles, big chest, perfect legs, etc. My goal was motivated to get the most attention I possibly could and to show my body off. I achieved it, and got a lot of attention. My life revolved around going to the gym every day, having a personal trainer, drinking tons of protein shakes, eating "healthy", and reading muscle/workout blogs. At night I would go out to the club and dance, usually with my shirt off, and on the weekends I went to circuit parties.

I hung out with only pretty people, and used my body at work to get what I wanted. I had plenty of one night stands, and enjoyed flirting with people and making others jealous. I reveled in my own beauty and self-confidence.

At some point, it all just got really boring. I realized that the attention I was getting was because of my body, and not because of "me". Sex became a routine, there was no longer a thrill of trying to land someone hot when you've already had hot so many times. I felt like a machine. In the end, I was no longer willing to sacrifice hours of my life each day in a gym for my own vanity and for that of others. I realized the club/circuit scene is actually for losers (albeit pretty ones). And most important I realized that getting in shape and looking pretty isn't that hard if you just go to the gym, and it certainly doesn't make you unique.

I would like to come back to a healthy balance, because I did enjoy working out. I just fear if I go back to it, it will take over my life again and ruin the introverted time I now spend reading, on my side projects, etc.

</comment><comment><USER22> a) Most importantly, I would rather program, browse the web, watch TV or play games than exercise: any of these is a more enjoyable experience than exercising.

b) Even ignoring my preferences, exercise is miserable. It is painful, unpleasant and sweaty. So not only would I rather do something else, I would rather not exercise. I know that some folks disagree, and that's fine. I don't, myself, want to spend an hour panting & sweating like some wild animal instead of engaging my brain like a human being (I'll admit that this is a character flaw, because it is).

c) I must get ready for and clean up after exercise, which is adding insult to injury: when changing & showering I'm getting no benefit from exercising, and yet not engaging in any activity I enjoy. So, in order to exercise I must devote even more time to doing something other than the items in (a).

I _do_ exercise, because I ought to, but I hate, loathe and detest it immeasurably. If medical science would invent a pill which I could take and which would cause my muscles, organs &c. to undergo the proper chemical changes that exercise causes, I would take it religiously.

<comment><USER36> I think a lot of people feel like this, but perhaps not as much as you - <USER2> things you mention are what most people have to push past to do anything. Certainly I do - although I do enjoy sport.

I don't however think that sport doesn't involve engaging the brain. It depends what sport you do.

Do just go for walks? [1]

The other things are Yoga, Thai Chi or Martial Arts which have a lot of philosophy to them to learn, so you're using your brain.

      [1]: http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-27186709

<comment><USER22> > the things you mention are what most people have to push past to do anything

Well, I enjoy programming, browsing the web, watching TV and playing games for their own sakes, without having to push past any lack of desire. If anything, _not_ doing them is tough (well, I can take TV or leave it).

> Do just go for walks?

Honestly, that's my favourite form of exercise, because at least then I am able to think, and I don't sweat. And it's nice to see the flowers, smile at attractive MOTOS, smell the air. But it's not terribly good _exercise_ so I do other stuff as well.

I'd rather sit in front of a computer though.

<comment><USER36> Sorry I meant 'any kind of sport' instead of 'anything'

Walking is actually is genuinely beneficial as exercise in itself [1] [2]. Just do more of that. I don't think it would help if you're overweight, but if it's maintaining fitness over decades then it sure works.

      [1]: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/magazine/mag-17exercise-t.html

      [2]: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/01/21/stressed-at-work-try-a-lunchtime-walk/

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER37> What made me exercise in the first place: I saw bathroom scales at department store and randomly decided to buy them. Back at home, first time stepping on them I realized I'm not just a little overweight, I'm way overweight. I started weighing in every day and writing down the number. Always knowing my exact weight was a motivator to change diet and start exercising.

Around that time I also read Murakami's "What I Talk About When I Talk About Running". It was inspiring, and I started doing 5K runs each morning.

Next few years a big motivator to work out was seeing my results improve in amateur bike races. In the biggest local cross country amateur racing series, I went from finishing in top 500, to top 100, then 30, then top 10.

<comment><USER38> I have that book in my Amazon Wish List - is it worth the buy?

<comment><USER37> Yes!

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER39> If you want to exercise, you have to cut something else out - the time you spend exercising is time you're not watching tv/eating/sleeping/doing any of the billion things that are more fun than sweating.

For me that was the first thing I needed to get my head around. Once I kind of, well, knew the space was 'there', it was more of a case of missing the gym rather than missing doing something else for the gym.

Secondly it was the realisation that missing exercise because I'm too busy with work is a false economy. After exercise I work harder and think sharper. The hour exercise costs me is more than made up for with productive work. In the times I've ditched exercise for multiple days / weeks, the compounded cost (slower work, worse sleep, etc) become even more evident.

Other than that, it's just discipline and a good routine. Habits are hard to form and easy to break. Get to a point where you're upset with yourself when you break the routine.

<comment><USER40> >If you want to exercise, you have to cut something else out - the time you spend exercising is time you're not watching tv/eating/sleeping/doing any of the billion things that are more fun than sweating.

There are some routines you can do while watching TV. And there are almost no routines you can't do while listening to a podcast, audiobook or some music. If these things are part of your routine already, you don't have to cut them out at all.

</comment></comment><comment><USER41> Time and energy. I used to exercise a lot. Last year I ran a mile a day and this year I was going to the gym three times a week and regularly played basketball after work.

However when I got back home after a workout, all I could do was sit down and relax for the rest of the evening. I didn't have the energy to get behind the computer and work on any side projects.

For the past two months I've given up exercise for multiple side projects. I'll probably switch back again since I tend to get anxiety and the only cure for it has been running.

</comment><comment><USER42> 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 found stuff that actually interest me. Weights never interested me that much - my reward for being able to lift X pounds is moving on to lift X+Y pounds. To me, that is boring (but if you're into that, go for it. We are all different). But with bodyweight fitness, my reward is moving to the next step and being able to do something with my body that I couldn't before (new kind of pushup, new kind of pullup, etc)

I guess my takeaway is that it completely psychological. Fitness is a big world and there is likely something, somewhere that will interest you, whether it's a sport or martial arts or whatever.

Last point: For programmer and scientist types, we can waste too much time trying to find the "optimal" workout, figuring out reps, weight, etc. Do not let the perfect be the enemy of the good here. Pick something interesting and get to work.

Edit: Also, if you start with one activity and get bored with it, find another! You aren't committing to a lifetime of doing a single things. It's ok to change your mind.

<comment><USER43> "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.

</comment></comment><comment><USER44> It is not FUN.

My toddler goes to a gym, it is fun, they have ball pits, slides, climbing stuff, ladders, on and on. Adult gyms are SO boring, like incredibly mind numbingly BORING. Oh let me walk on the spot watching 24 hr news. Yawn.

Where is the FUN adult gym? Where I can go and unashamedly go on a slide, climb on the play equipment, dick around in the ball pool, and so on? That's right it doesn't exist.

There are no fun gyms for adults, just boring harmonious gyms. The closest thing to a fun workout for adults is paintball.

<comment><USER45> This is the reason I too find Yoga pretty difficult to consistently do.

After realizing this, I've started doing physical things that I do enjoy, that do count as FUN to me: running, swimming and cycling. The last two are pretty much entertainment to me, with the health benefits just a small side effect, while running is 50-50 on both sides, which is good enough for me.

I do find Yoga works on and improves a lot of odd corners of my body that these fun things don't seem to work on, so I'm trying to find a way to make that too an appetizing thing to look forward to.

</comment></comment><comment><USER36> I went to swimming club until age 13 to help with my athsma. I then did nothing beyond a bit of football (soccer) until University.

At University I started rowing, then doing triathlons and cycling from 1998 until 2008. The last thing I did (cycling 120 miles / day for 7 days) caused a lot of damage to my knees (which were already too painful to use rowing machines). Also I've had a flair up of eczema since then that causes my skin to get very red and itchy (that drives me insane, and ruins any concentration for trying to work) if I sweat at all.

I've since had a daughter who's now 3 and I'm responsible for picking her up and dropping off to school (school starts at age 3 in Belgium) which is a half hour drive away. So I have 9 - 12 to work on Mon / Wed and 9 - 3 to work on Tue, Thu and Fri. Plus I'm perpetually disorganised and stuggle to use what little time I have effectively.

The only things I do now:

\- Yoga (about 2 minutes to do the sun salutation twice) x 2 per day. This keeps most back problems at bay

\- Occasional 20 minute walks

\- Occasional cycling (once per month)

Two things got me training when I was healthy:

1\. signing up for things - I'd sign up for the London Triathlon which you typically do 9 months in advance. Then the panic monster kicks in at some point to get you to train.

2\. Join a club. All the sport I was inspired to do was either at a rowing club or training with much better triathlon / iron man nutters (in a good way) from work.

</comment><comment><USER46> I'm biased because I'm one of those people who feels like he can't live without going to the gym at least every other day. But there are some things to make it easier, putting on my UX hat:

* Put your workout clothes on the floor right in front of your house door - can't walk out to work without taking your gym clothes

* Find a convenient gym - is it on the same bus/train/car route as you are already taking to get to/from work?

* Go to the gym on that route as part of your morning/after work routine. If you have everything you need to workout with you and you're passing by that gym, you have no excuse. Now you just have to get in the gym.

* Pick an activity you think you'll enjoy. Or at least try a bunch and see which ones suck the least. Some people like to run, some people like to swim, some people like to lift weights.

* Pick a routine for that activity that has a logical progression. Now that you can't avoid the gym and know what you want to do, then pick a routine so you have no question as to _what_ you have to do when you're in the gym. Get a routine as pre-planned as necessary, so you can just go in, do what the routine says, and get out.

If you follow the above steps, it should drastically reduce the cognitive effort and strain required to get yourself into the gym.

</comment><comment><USER47> I started exercising again mainly because it helps avoid or delay many of the conditions that come with age. At fifty, I can really hear that clock ticking. It also doesn't hurt that being in better shape allows me to keep up with my daughter (now twelve) as we hike, ski, and engage in other active pursuits. Or that I sleep better. Or that I look better, though frankly that would never have been enough all by itself. Wasn't planning to be a model anyway.

The key, for me, has been to tap into both my inner geek and my competitive nature. There was no way I could do this half way. As inanuthshellus put it, I had to make it part of my identity. I committed not just to running, but to _being a runner_. Starting out, I did a ton of research on techniques and equipment. I run more often than just about anyone I know. I obsess over form and metrics. I work hard to stay on leaderboards for various "segments" or "courses" that I run around town, each and every month (including winter). I'm loud about my running, to reaffirm my identify as a runner. At this point, quitting or slacking off would mean becoming less of something I have striven hard to become, so I keep going even on days when every other factor would point toward not bothering.

This might not be the healthiest attitude in the long term, as my performance will inevitably start to decline _some_ day and that will be hard, but so far it has worked for me. Fortunately, at least in running, there's still plenty of opportunity to compete within one's age group instead of being thrown in with all those twenty-somethings, so even if I do decline I can still hope to decline less than my rivals and my ego can remain intact.

</comment><comment><USER48> I've exercised consistently since 15, I'm now 39 and have conquered my beer belly. I'd ride 9 miles each way in to work, was very muscly and a reasonable standard high school basketball. Here's my advice.

.

Understand just what the overall reaction of the body to exercise can be.

* Some people are super responders, some people are super not-responders. Find out where you are and make peace with it.

* There is a tradeoff between tiring yourself out and replenishing your energy. Don't overtrain

* There are two types of muscle short explosive muscle for strength and bulk and lean muscle for duration / marathon

* Muscle training works by tearing the muscles a little bit. This needs to recover and regrow. Segment the muscles you train. Biceps and Triceps one day. Shoulders the next, then legs the following.

* A lot of exercise is boring. Treadmill esp. Consider watching a live sport while treadmilling... that keeps it more interesting. ( Get outside and use communal facilities )

* Exercise releases endorphines, which registers as pleasurable to you brain and body. However they are weak and only slightly addictive. Get to a place where your body craves the endorphin release of exercise. Remove caffeine and sugar from your diet which are much stronger than endorphines and erase the addiction.

* The body adjusts to any exercise and you get diminishing returns often. Switch your routine to incorporate different body parts.

.

Understand yourself.

Exercise within reasonable boundaries of what is possible for your body type

I'm 6"2' and 100KG I just can't do rock climbing easily, altough I look at American Ninja Warriors with envy.

Do you need a Personal Trainer to get motivated ?

Are you best in the morning or after work?

Things change with age. I used to be able to exercise in the evening. Now it has to be the morning.

.

Ignore The Noise

Fashions, drinks, creatin, powders, straps, gadgets, expensive gyms and personal trainers. Ignore them all.

Exercise can be a mild meditation. Encourage that via having a rythmic routine, yet still including variety.

</comment><comment><USER49> 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 uncomfortable ways. I haven't tried any kind of briefs yet, as I find them very constructive and also uncomfortable. Suggestions welcome.

3\. Finding a good exercise program that I can do at home. So far, I've had best luck with the 21 Day Fix, but this is focused on weight loss, which isn't really what I'm interested in; I don't have enough availability that I can go to a gym, and equipment isn't cheap. I have no family living nearby, so it's really tough to find someone I trust to watch my kids while I go work out, not to mention it's remarkably expensive. (My kids go to a school 2 days / week and it already costs more than rent in a 3k sq ft home.) So, let's just call this one time AND money..

<comment><USER31> I have some suggestions that have helped me:

#2. Boxer-briefs: They're the best of both worlds. Once I switched, I never looked back. There are many comfortable varieties, the best are the Under Armor kind that breathe really well and don't get swampy.

#3. I have a few simple items at home that make good workouts possible:

\- A sandbag, wrapped in duct-tape that weights about 52 pounds. I use this for squats and overhead lifts.

\- A pull-up bar that goes in the doorway.

\- A kettlebell (mine is 35lbs, a pretty good starting weight).

\- A jump rope. This is one of the athletic ones, not a toy. You can find them on Amazon.

This equipment all fits in one corner of the closet and I can do a whole lot with it. Variations of bodyweight exercises can give you varying degrees of resistance as well, eg pistol squats, diamond pushups, etc.

I hope this helps, good luck! Staying fit as a developer with kids is definitely a challenge.

</comment></comment><comment><USER50> I needed a clear understanding of why I needed to exercise (thorough, comprehensive, detailed, etc). I also needed to have everything set up so I'd be able to naturally fold into exercising (it has to seamlessly fit into the day, and there can't be any difficulties that would make me not consider doing it). Finally, I still haven't begun exercising regularly, but I figured out a strategy that would work for me:

\- Calisthenics (such that I can exercise at home) and free weights

\- Proper supplementation (Acetyl L-Carnitine, L-Carnitine L-Tartrate, etc depending on what I'm trying to do)

\- Brainwave entrainment (and affirmations) to help "program" myself into doing what I'm trying to do

\- Not making things too difficult (lay everything out and simplify everything, so I can exercise whenever I get the time and energy)

\- Proper dieting (eating properly (for me mainly blending vegetables in a Vitamix and consuming them with cold pressed organic oils and lean means (ketosis as well)) essentially eliminates the need for chronic exercise, relegating it to initial fat burning, catalyzer, and maintainer)

</comment><comment><USER51> I just don't seem to have time. I spend 4 hours commuting by train every so it's really a choice between sleep and working out most days. I used to get up early to work out but it just became too much.

<comment><USER52> Why do you spend that long commuting? Are there no closer/remote jobs, or can you not move closer?

<comment><USER36> It's not uncommon for a commute to take two hours (certainly around London) especially if there are changes between trains / metros involved. Although a good friend of mine had a mental breakdown which I think was brought on partially by that length of commute.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER53> The only exercise forms I've found that I actually enjoy doing regularly are biking and swimming.

I move around a lot and I can't count on having a swimming pool anywhere near me, and I don't really want to spend time commuting to my exercise location.

Biking strenuously while staying safe and not stressed seems to require getting out of the city. I do enjoy stationary bikes, but I generally loathe gyms (too many TVs, bad music, expensive, etc) and again, I move too much to have my own gear.

I don't like running because it's painful and boring. I don't like yoga because it seems to require subtle understanding to avoid doing things wrong, and all the videos I've seen go too fast, or are annoying in some other way.

I suspect I would enjoy lifting, but again I need a gym, and where I'm now I don't have any friends who can teach me.

Getting exhausted by doing physical labor that actually has a point is my favorite kind of exercise, but that doesn't come around often for me.

</comment><comment> 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"

</comment><comment><USER54> I used to do olympic weightlifting, and compete in amateur boxing, brazilian jiu-jitsu.

I used to be hardcore at watching my diet and working out. Just because I like to compete. Also the dating scene was more forgiving when your athletic.

But I stopped doing all of that during my second year when I realized it will never pay my bills and will not help me out financially.

Now, I'm a recent grad. 80% of my employable skills I've taught myself. I feel like there are many things I should know to become a really really good developer and to catch up for not starting programming earlier. As a recent grad, it feels like you need to learn everything in a very short amount of time. Furthermore, I only got serious about programming this past year.

By skills I mean:

The language and library you'll be using

Frontend (Android, Swift, Javascript)

Middletier (node,golang, frameworks)

Backend (sql,nosql)

Devops

Algorithms etc.

Design (non-programming)

Unity

But, I've started doing exercising, meditating, eating well, hanging out with friends alot as it helps improve the of my quality of life.

</comment><comment><USER55> My 2 cents (as a former gymnast and now omnivorously active person) is that many people see exercise as a chore or something they have to do. If you want to have the benefits of exercise in your life, you have to find a way to enjoy it. If running isn't for you, try a dance class. Try biking, or hiking, or Starting Strength, or one of those at home videos by Jillian Michaels or yoga or boxing. Keep trying things until you find something you actually like. Try going with friends, or joining a run club.

As Harvard professor of Public Health Frank Hu said: "The single thing that comes close to a magic bullet, in terms of its strong and universal benefits, is exercise." In my view, there is such value in being physically fit that it is absolutely worth trying every possible thing until you get to something you genuinely like.

</comment><comment><USER56> You just need to find something that you like doing and doesn't feel like a chore. For me it's soccer - I would play every day if given a chance (too bad that my wife wouldn't agree with that though). It's so much fun that I play even if I'm injured and know I shouldn't.

I also go to the gym 4-5 times a week. This is harder to get into. What works for me is going over lunch time. It's a 10 minute walk to my gym and I spend about 35-40 minutes there lifting weights. I would probably go less if I had to go after work as I am usually tired and I have a 40 min commute. If you're looking into starting to lift weights I recommend doing StrongLifts 5x5 - It's beginner friendly.

</comment><comment><USER57> Having a kid really killed it for me. I was very active before fatherhood. Hopefully things will change for the better in the next few months.

I don't sleep well because I tend to my kid a couple times a night and have a hard time falling back asleep. This causes me to not only go to bed later than I'd like, but also have broken sleep. I'd wager that I get an average of 2 hours less sleep every day since becoming a father. This DESTROYS my motivation to do anything in the morning except ingesting caffeine and going to work.

When I go home from work, I have to pick up my kid and watch her alone for a few hours. I've tried to lift weights, take her to Jiu Jitsu with me, etc, but she just cries a lot and gets into things. This kills any kind of joy I usually get from exercising, so I basically stopped for now.

To stick with it, pick an activity that you like to do. I feel a lot of people really don't like going to gyms to begin with. They like the results they get, but don't enjoy the act of doing stuff like running or using an exercise machine (I don't anyway), so they stop after a while. Most people think that doing "gym stuff" is what they need to do to get into shape, because it dominates our society so much. There are gyms all over the place with TV/radio ads, and infomercials running all the time marketing the newest fitness gadget, supplement, or routine. I've stuck with Jiu Jitsu for over 10 years because I actually enjoy it.

Sometimes obstacles get in the way. For me its been fatherhood, a work schedule that isn't conductive to attending Jiu Jitsu classes, lack of transportation, and lack of funds. These have all caused me to take breaks from exercise. Its always very hard for me to start up again once conditions improve, but once I start again the momentum picks up quickly.

Another interesting side effect of doing activities you like is it starts to influence other aspects of your life. I started eating healthier because I wanted to get better at Jiu Jitsu, whereas when I was going to the gym to lift weights I didn't care if I ate some nasty fast food lunch. I didn't care as much about getting better at weight lifting or running as I did about Jiu Jitsu.

</comment><comment><USER58> For those addicted to exercise, I am curious to know the course of your "disease."

(a) "I've always loved exercise." Clearly genetic then, or tied to some childhood environmental factor. For there are many people who hate it.

(b) "I got roped into a sport at a young age, because my friends were doing it, and after a couple years got addicted and just have never stopped."

(c) "I never worked out much until I was 35 years old and 60 lb. overweight. I decided to get serious, tried many different things and hated them all -- until I tried ___________, which I love and can't stop."

</comment><comment><USER59> One reason I do strength training is that I'm terrified of getting old. I want to hit my 50s/60s (currently 29) with plenty of strength because:

1) I never want to be unable to get out of a chair

2) If I do get cancer (and as medicine improves it's ever more likely cancer is what will get us), I want a buffer to help stall cachexia ie muscle wastage which can lead to death.

The other reasons:

\- it's fun

\- the feeling of beating last week's numbers.

\- As well as improving your physical attractiveness, it signals to others that you have the willpower and motivation to set goals and see them through.

</comment><comment><USER60> 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 depressing. I'm not even 30 yet. I guess I just get fat until I die now.

<comment><USER61> 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 work yourself up to two-minute rounds. Then bump up the intensity, and add auxiliary exercises between rounds to make it harder once you get in shape.

[1] [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AQ6X9GU/ref=oh_aui_sear...](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AQ6X9GU/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

<comment><USER62> > 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.

<comment><USER61> "Aim for low impact, low height, and short contact with the jumping surface. Be light on the balls of your feet."

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER63> I blame my inactivity on the same things you do. And I probably have more excuses: I don't want to go to the gym because I think I'll be judged and/or discouraged by people who are in better shape than me. But I have a treadmill and a weight bench in the basement that I never use, so that's a shitty excuse.

It's easy to say, "Oh, I work 10 hours a day then I have to go home to my family", yet I still find time to play stupid phone games, browse HN, and watch the Olympics.

Sometimes I get on a kick: I biked to work (~8 mi.) a couple days a week in the spring. I've started Couch-to-5k a couple times. I did muai thai for about 6 months. But it peters out. Apparently the gym downstairs at work has a personal trainer, and I've been _talking_ about setting that up for months. I feel anger (and let's be honest: guilt) any time anyone tries to "motivate" me by encouraging me to go to the gym or exercise.

Recently, I've had luck with biking on local errands. It's easy enough to throw on a backpack and pick up groceries 0.5 mi away rather than drive. And walking the dog forces me to at least go outside.

So clearly I haven't cracked the problem. But know you're not alone. And the best suggestion I have is to do _something_ , _anything_... then try to do it again the next day.

</comment><comment><USER64> By the time I've taken care of the baby in the morning, I'm getting a late start for work. By the time I feel like I've gotten a good amount of work done, my wife expects to have dinner. By the time dinner is done, I'm exhausted.

Also, the joint pain doesn't help, but it comes and goes. The regular issue is that I'd have to sacrifice time on work--work that I love and find incredibly fulfilling--to exercise, as there is no other place in which time could be subtracted.

</comment><comment><USER65> Sometimes the starter is something like breaking up with your partner and finding yourself both single and perhaps out of shape. That might kick you into the gym but it is not going to keep you there on the long run.

To keep going on you have to have a goal oriented mindset. Mine was to get toned at the beginning. After losing some fat and gaining the initial muscle, then I decided to have a six pack. I realized it is a lot harder then I though. I started to bulk and cut. It takes about 6 months or so, then I realized it was not enough, and I needed some more muscle, so did it again. Another 6 months (4 bulking, 2 cutting), and now I am at the best shape ever.

Now I can't not even think on staying too long without working out. 2-3 times a week minimum, and I always feel awesome after a work out (lifting). And this feeling lasts for 2-3 days. I think cardio doesn't have the same after effect feeling that proper weight lifting does.

1\. Goal oriented, (i.e lose 15 lbs of fat and gain 10lbs muscle). Or get to 13% body-fat and be strong at the same time. Or get a 6 pack.... whatever it is.

2\. Reward yourself by buying new/well fitted clothes, enjoy the positive attention you get when you get really fit

3\. Keep doing it for long enough (6 months at least), and it becomes who you are. You wont even think on not going to the gym for too long.

</comment><comment><USER66> 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.

</comment><comment><USER67> What keeps me from exercising? Right now, I have a severely sprained ankle and cannot even walk!

That said, I've had a few exercise habits in the past, I'll talk about each in turn.

Usually I like to cycle up mountains. What has stopped me from doing that is moving to crappy cities for that (Bangkok, London) or crappy parts of cities for that (Hollywood, LA). Also, sometimes having no bike after moving (historically I moved cities very often). The best features of cycling are that it doesn't depend on much equipment, anyone else, or have a high minimum time commitment. You are getting sun, better air, and if you make it to nature like I do: away from humans. I like to slot it in on the end or start of the day, my usual ride is 1.5 hours, in a flat, very steep climb, descent, flat configuration.

Another habit was sailing. That was great but it's seasonal even in a nice climate, highish buy-in, the minimum time commitment is pretty huge, storage overheads can be a ton and if you live too far from water you're screwed. If anyone's keen to have a look at this, I highly recommend [http://wetamarine.com/](http://wetamarine.com/) \- great boats, very modern and fast, with apparently a decent scene in SF too.

I have tried a few times and it's better than no exercise at all but personally _I can 't stand gyms_... they make me feel like a rat in a cage.

About the "genetics: it won't work for me" comment, although it helps I do not really think I am motivated at all to exercise by body image, but rather for overall health, mood and energy.

</comment><comment><USER68> It's never too late to start exercising. What you have to realize is that you're not just a brain on a stick. A neglected body will eventually be a drag on your brain. A fit body will improve every aspect of your life. Whatever your excuses, they will all be wiped away when you realize how much more energy you have when you're fit.

I was a sedentary working-from-home consultant, so sedentary that my appetite disappeared. The doctor couldn't figure it out, but I did and prescribed myself a bicycle. Biked myself to exhaustion every night until it took too long to reach exhaustion. Now I bike, rock climb (mostly in gyms) and do yoga (I've done enough classes that I can do it at home by rote now).

I recommend rock climbing as an ideal geek exercise (unless you're obese): never boring, because it requires mental focus, planning, determination, etc. It starts easy, and you see results if you do it once a week, amazing results if more often. It most often requires a buddy (who needn't be at the same level) so you get a bit of human contact. Also the gyms are packed with hot bodies, and you can be one of them!

You'll never know which exercise is right for you until you try a bunch. One of them is sure to keep your interest.

</comment><comment><USER69> After spending years trying to stay committed to the gym, though only doing cardio, I discovered strong lifts.

Basic powerlifting with progressive overload completely changed my perspective on the gym. After 3 months of that I started to mix up my routine and add more accessory lifts.

I'm now 8 months into powerlifting and I go 5 days a week.

Gym isn't something I do because I sit at a desk all day. Gym is now something I look forward to, because every workout is a new challenge.

</comment><comment><USER70> I've been working out on and off for the last 8 years but found a groove recently by going to the gym and thinking about the following four things:

1\. Music / Podcasts - I actually think I've Pavlov's Dogged myself into associating that blissful feeling of a new song with the endorphins of working out and now I can't get enough. Podcasts are also a highly productive pairing.

2\. Mental health - If I'm feeling drained or a little down, it's almost always cured by 30 mins of cardio. Once I figured that out, I starting craving workouts and now have a hard time avoiding them even when on vacation.

3\. Social - The gym is another social circle outside of the workplace that's great for meeting people. I've met fellow programmers, metal heads (as in music), and know many a romance that began there.

4\. Physical Goal - I like the idea of sculpting my body or at the very least having good posture and minimizing the 'inner tube' on my belly. Seeing the changes manifest over time truly does motivate you to keep going.

Final piece of advice - don't beat yourself up in the beginning! If you only workout once or twice a week, that's a start. Just be consistent and try to let it snowball.

</comment><comment><USER58> I don't have a long history of steady exercise, but I think I am making progress. Two of the obstacles were:

(1) Tedium. For my heart, I thought I had to run. For the other muscles, I thought I really should be doing 30 different exercises, split across three days, every week. Otherwise my body would become imbalanced from training some muscles and missing others. Some people enjoy this sort of thing. But for me it is mindnumbingly boring, and on top of that, physically uncomfortable. Boredom is one thing, and pain is one thing, but this kind of thing is boring and painful at the same time.

(2) Threshold. Once in a blue moon, I would feel motivated to exercise that much, but most days of the week, I didn't. Those days, I might have been willing to go for a short walk or do one or two exercises. But I thought, such a small amount of exercise isn't much better than nothing at all. Plus I'll have to shower. If instead I spend the next 30 minutes working, running some errand, or even just unwinding, that will make a difference. Therefore I will do one of those things instead of lightly exercising.

So the two things that are maybe helping me overcome those obstacles are:

(1) Exercise programs like the StrongLifts 5x5 (which is _not_ 25 different exercises). It is "the Squat, Bench Press, Deadlift, Overhead Press and Barbell Row. You do three of these exercises each workout, three times a week, for about 45 minutes per workout. You Squat every workout, three times a week" ([http://stronglifts.com/5x5/](http://stronglifts.com/5x5/)). I haven't dived fully into the program, but the prospect of a few "compound exercises" is enticing, especially if they each develop several muscles at a time, so that with just these I will work out my whole body. This is a time-tested program, recommended by many people, and invented by the guy who trained Arnold Swarzenegger.

(2) Finding out that walking is good enough. Even the gym rats say that the best way to lose weight is walking, especially before breakfast. Okay, I sort of enjoy walking (sometimes). So if I feel like walking, I will! I have, and it is sort of addicting. Unlike running, which makes me never want to do it again (the same goes for all other intense activities that certain people consider fun, like swimming, HIT, surfing, rock-climbing, soccer, football, and so on.)

</comment><comment><USER71> I always felt that working out was a hassle. My parents tried forcing me to work out with a trainer multiple times and it never worked out. Then one summer I worked out with a friend a few times and that got me going to the gym a few times a week for about 2 months where I abruptly stopped. Fast forward 3 or 4 years and my parents, being worried about my health, got me to start working out with a trainer. What was different this time is that I built a friendship with the trainer, and I was paying with my own money and didn't want to waste it.

I don't care much for socializing while I work out, but knowing people there and having friends who I can workout with, discuss weightlifting with, and do competitions like warrior dash and tough mudder is what really made the difference to me. It wasn't an easy start and required a lot of self discipline to show up. But if you have the discipline and can motivate yourself to get in the routine and make friends while doing it, it becomes much more enjoyable and the chore quality goes away.

</comment><comment><USER72> I absolutely loathe working out in the gym. I hate the stale air, the incessant cable news shows on the TVs, and the thought of contracting MRSA or something like it from lying on a bench. Also, I hate commuting in a car (boooooooring!) or train (gross!). The only exercise I get nowadays is my bike commute, but that seems to be enough. I have to ride 9 miles each way, 5 days a week. I live in Chicago, so the weather can be disagreeable, but I've gotten more and more tolerant of things like that (I ride unless it's below 20F, above 100F, or if there's snow on the ground). Not only does the bike commute save me from having to go to the gym, but it also saves me from sitting in car traffic during my commute! It really helps that my employer supports bike commuters by hosting a secure bike cage and showers.

Also, just throwing this out there, but having a healthy diet is just as important, if not more important, both for losing weight and for just general health. I've taken a nerdy approach by considering the microbes in my poop and the ecology that I establish for them. I hate to get all pseudosciency, but essentially I feel like the more bad food you eat, the more you microbial community will be composed of microbes that feed off of that crap food, perpetuating a cycle of increasingly unhealthy eating habits. Eat lots of fiber! It'll make your crap factory hum like a well-tuned machine, while also helping you lose weight! Roast veggies (chop 'em to about thumb-size, toss 'em with olive oil and salt, then put 'em in the oven @ ~400F for like half an hour or more, flipping them every ten minutes or so), eat lots of raw veggies with hummus, whole grain bread, fresh fruits, and drink lots of water. I also try to stay away from sugar and alcohol, but that's not so easy for me. I try to replace alcohol with weed, but that just increases my sugar consumption, of course.

</comment><comment><USER73> I've lifted pretty consistently for the past 10 years. Its gotten to the point for me that I feel like I'm lazy after a day or two off. I think people generally need to get their bodies conditioned to the point where if they dont exercise (bike, run, lift, w/e) it makes them FEEL a lack of something in their life. I feel like this can only happen overtime.

</comment><comment><USER74> For those who complain about not enjoying exercising, pick something that doesn't appear to be exercise at face value. While I do exercise 5-6 days a week, I find that hiking 5-6 miles gets the job done, without even realizing it. Just find somewhere with decent elevation changes, and your cardio will skyrocket, while actually doing something enjoyable.

</comment><comment><USER75> If anything stops me from going to gym (I do weightlifting there - usually 4-5 times / week ) it's usually something that's worth skipping gym.

In my recent lasts that has been either \- social activities that I value more then gym (doesn't happen that often) - you can normally scedule that part of your life

\- Work that pays off that well that skipping gym is worth it. For example , I have a small company w/ a friend (full stack development) and we got this new customer who was paying really good and who what a lot of connections - so I ended up working 18h/day on that project for like 2 weeks. But was totally worth it.

In general I can recommend weight lifting to anyone who spends most if his time siting in front of a computer (I thing most of us here are) - for me it's totally fun (I love to push myself to that point where I'm 100% exhausted) and great for compensating other stuff.

Try it for a few weeks - you might actually enjoy it! And you'll enjoy the results for sure.

<comment><USER76> It looks like you have a good routine going on. When you say weightlifting, do you mean dumbbells, bench presses, squats, machines or all of the above? Do you have any book recommendations (I've read the Arnold S body building book to learn about muscles that may exist inside me)? I travel a lot so am frustrated that there are too many different machine combos. Makes me lose any kind of routine.

</comment></comment><comment><USER77> > How do you keep it up?

Philosophically, to me, it is a way of being faithful.

To me, keeping oneself in top physical condition (fitness, weight, grooming, dress) is an act of being faithful to one's self but also especially one's spouse. This has rung true to me even when I did not have a partner at the time.

It is definitely more than a just-for-myself thing. Doing something only for yourself is too mutable, too subject to whim and mood. We can all think of times I'm sure where we have justified letting ourselves down ("I'm too tired/lazy/slobbish/etc to do this today"). But I cannot justify letting her down. I will always be in good form for her (and someday, for my family).

Also philosophically, there's some appeal to it that I can't quite name. There is some thing like pride in doing something that 99% of people try to actively avoid, in trying to run up a mountain, over and over. In overcoming, I guess. I wish I had the words for it.

</comment><comment><USER78> I used to fail at sticking to a routine because:

1) Time. I used to work 60-80 hours/week. By the time I got home, I'd eat, it'd be late, and I just wanted to sleep or waste a couple hours on a video game.

2) Motivation. My exercise was undirected towards anything other than "being fitter" or "losing weight" (better done by diet, anyways).

3) Pain. I used to have terrible shin splints when I ran. This made it difficult to stick with.

4) Insecurity/vanity. I felt like I should have known how to exercise at the gym (say weightlifting), but knew my form was bad. Or was embarrassed by the idea of only lifting the bar. Or thought that I was too fat to get in the pool and swim a few laps each day.

I have stuck to it for the last 2 years because:

1) Time. I reclaimed my time. I work 40 hours/week almost every week. I stopped playing video games. I stopped watching cable TV. I still watch TV shows, but typically only 3-4/season. I watch movies in the theater regularly, but that's a treat on the weekend.

2) Motivation. I started playing soccer, I'd get a bit fitter, but then the season would end and I'd start over the next season. I started running for that. I took up BJJ and wrestling and dancing. I added in strength and condition exercises to improve my performance at those (dancing is surprisingly physically exhausting).

3) Reduced pain. My running form improved on the soccer field, which meant that it also improved when I ran long distances. Shin splints gone, it was easier to get into. Summary version: Start easy, work up to the hard stuff.

4) Security/vanity. I got over how I looked doing things I didn't know how to do before. I got over being fat and having man boobs. My goal was to get in shape, to look good, to feel good, and to train for the activities I enjoyied.

</comment><comment><USER79> I haven't found something I enjoy, mostly. This feeds into not prioritizing it, as other people have already noted, _" Preferring doing just about anything else"_, which leads into feeling like there isn't time for it...

In theory the trick is finding something I enjoy, but I haven't had a good track record there.

</comment><comment><USER80> _For me_ , once you getting going it's easy to maintain. But, then something like one vacation and you're completely off your routine.

The hard part is always getting started. I'll make up excuses like, "Ugh, I don't have the time to workout tonight" or "I'll just sleep in and feel better once I'm caught up on sleep". While the truth is exercising regularly makes me feel like there's more time in the day AND I end up having more energy to do things.

I found the three biggest things to help kickstart are:

* Friends who work out (social accountability)

* Eat really healthy and clean, not just cut back (small wins)

* Take progress pics of yourself every single day. Then move to 1 week, 1 month, etc. (self accountability).

Once I'm started, I find setting fitness goals becomes A LOT easier. Just my two cents.

And.. Now I'm motivated to work out tonight. Thank you OP.

<comment><USER80> Edit: I'm also going to add that having a routine at the gym helped me a lot too. If you go to the gym and are unsure of what you're working out, it's harder to go or even do a decent workout. Look into a program so at least you know what you have to do everyday too.

</comment></comment><comment><USER81> Nothing. I exercise all the time.

I think what demotivates a lot of people is calling it "exercise" and treating it like a chore.

I have a ton of fun riding my bike everywhere, skiing, trail running, and hiking through the mountains. Technically I get a ton of exercise, but I go out and play; I never "go exercise".

</comment><comment><USER82> What's keeping me from exercising right now is a recovering ankle sprain. It shouldn't be -- there is a lot I can do that will not aggravate the injury, but none of this is part of my routine. Habits and routine seem to take some amount of time to establish, and the overhead for making new ones is hard to find time for.

Before the sprain, I was training to play roller derby. because it is competitive, I'd focus a lot on the skills improvement. The exercise turned into an afterthought. Now I am thinking it would be wiser to have some similar routine, equally intense and with the same mastery of skills reward system and less likelihood of injury.

I don't know that I could go back to lifting, at this point. My drive to be faster is so much more powerful than my desire to be stronger ever was.

</comment><comment><USER43> The best thing I found was having a concrete goal. In my case, I wanted to join a local festival drum crew * , who were known for performing in very little clothing, and for having a high standard of physical fitness. At the time, I weighed about 235lb and the most exercise I'd done for about a decade was a gentle walk. I knew I wouldn't have a chance of keeping up.

So, I got a workout program for Kinect and started doing a bit of very gentle exercise every morning. After a while I started adding my own exercises that I'd read about or remembered from karate classes as a kid. I discovered running, and slowly built my way up to running 5K. When a gym opened under my work, I started going there every lunchtime to run, or to lift weights. A year later when the big festival happened, I'd lost about 50lb and discovered how fun it was to feel strong and fit.

The downside is what happens when the goal disappears: I was with the crew for three years, and when I stopped, I no longer had a reason to work out. Now, a couple of years later, I've regained a lot of the weight, although the nice thing is that I've still got a decent bit of the muscle, so I know I'll never be starting from scratch again :)

The hardest thing was to make exercise a really high priority - to make it a routine part of my day, rather than something I just did when I felt like it. You need to get to the point where it hits training time, and you just automatically reach for your gym/running shoes because that is the Thing You Do at that time. That's where the strong goal-motivation comes in. As soon as that motivation goes away, it's so easy to say "well, I could go to the gym at lunch - but I'm a bit behind on work, so I'll go in the evening", and of course you never do.

Best of luck with training. It really is worth it :)

* the Beastie Drummers: [https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=beastie+drummers+beltane&s...](https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=beastie+drummers+beltane&safe=off&source=lnms&tbm=isch) \- note: probably NSFW ;)

</comment><comment><USER83> I'm afraid to take the time away from my desk job or side projects. Logically I know exercise will improve both of those long-term, but emotionally, the fear holds me in check. I end up only exercising after completing intermediate goals. Help.

</comment><comment><USER84> There's no reason to feel bad about not exercising. If you don't like it, just don't do it. Sure, it might somewhat increase your life expectancy, but hey, so can other things. There's no way I'm going to do it unless I'm getting 10+ years or some very tangible benefits that are otherwise unobtainable. There's absolutely nothing enjoyable about it for me. I feel much worse about missing my daily Dual N Back session than about never exercising [0] in my life. Just let it go.

[0] Well basically, I did attend a gym regularly with my brother for a few months, which was perhaps only fun for social reasons (and the SPA part of the gym :D).

</comment><comment><USER85> I play sports that I love, so it's not really exercise but fun times.

I do weight training also, and unfortunately I do it only for the result and don't enjoy the process, as you can guess, that hasn't gone too well.

</comment><comment><USER86> for me, it's boredom. running on treadmill like a hamster, lifting weights repeatedly like a machine are the dumbest ways of spending time.

I thought about solving this with vr making exercise fun and social like games.

</comment><comment><USER87> Nothing.

When I was a coder I was riding my cheap bike to move in the city everyday in Montréal (even by -35°C). And bike is very good for cardio which is a main way of staying in shape. I was taking 30 min to skate from time to time in winter near jobs, and running in summer on the mont royal.

Thanks to this I have free gym 12hr/day in my new work as a mover that I got by looking in shape.

Your body is as much an asset as your mind. Invest in it because else you will have debilitating pain sitting on your chair when you will be ~40 yo.

</comment><comment><USER88> I go every weekday morning with my wife. We exercise separately but motivate each other to go. I'm 62 and feel better. I'm overweight and out of shape but have lost weight (also low carb diet). there are days that I would just fine with sleeping in. I go to bed early because sleep is good.

We get up at 4:30 and are there by 5:20. One hour. If she wasn't pushing me I'd probably not go as much.

I find it boring so I listen to podcasts and when on the bike, watch youtube videos.

</comment><comment><USER89> Conviction... We all "know" the right thing to do but we are not convicted within ourselves to do it. Once you find the conviction you will do it. I think that the conviction is hard because most of the threat and risk from not exercising is so far into the future or maybe won't be realized if you have particularly good genetics in a certain area. We are always optimistic about how healthy we are unless we are actually sick (even then...) .

</comment><comment><USER90> What keeps me from it?: the fact that i don't enjoy anything about the process.

How do i keep it up?: by weighing myself every day and being unhappy when the number goes up. By turning sideways and seeing how big my gut is getting in the mirror. I dislike those things more than i dislike exercise.

that being said, i don't exercise ENOUGH, but i figure some is better than none. and some + watching my intake seems to be _slowly_ making the number go down.

</comment><comment><USER91> I know that i will slowly start to go mad if i do not do something active regularly. Madness (while mostly sane) is a strong negative motivator.

I don't know what "makes" me do it. I tell myself I'm going to do something and then I have to do it. It's easy to say I'm going to do something but once it's said I must follow through. I call it writing a check with my mouth that my body has to cash.

</comment><comment><USER92> I exercise and work at the same time for 45 minutes a day. I installed a workstation on my treadmill, but unlike most worker's treadmills I use it for aerobic exercise, not a slow walk. I can type because I set the treadmill on maximum incline and walk at less than 3 mph. So in effect I am using it like a stair-stepper.

I've been doing this every day for 15 years and I couldn't imagine stopping.

</comment><comment><USER93> The AMT tax bill!!! What, this wasn't about exercising stock options? :)

For me, getting myself to exercise is about having a goal. I'll get bored of a routine. Right now, it is to lose the weight I gained from working at a startup that offered free lunch (literally full applebees meals for lunch and dinner) On top of that, I'm currently assessing if a 6pack is attainable or worth attaining.

</comment><comment><USER12> The problem is that people feel they need to be motivated in order to get to the gym. This is the wrong approach. How can you get motivated before you start exercising? The key is just to get yourself to the gym, don't think about motivation... just get to the gym. And as you start to warm-up and start your lifts, the motivation will just happen. This is my experience anyway.

</comment><comment><USER94> I start each spring bicycling, trying to get in 500 miles before the end of July. Then I ride 400-500 miles in one week (my big exercise effort for the year). Then I don't look at the bike again until next Spring. So motivation is a big deal for me, and creating it can be as simple as putting a large flag on the calendar that will kill you if you're not ready for it.

</comment><comment><USER95> The music they play at the gym. I also don't like putting headphones over it and destroying my hearing...

I like exercising but I hate the appearance obsessed, shitty EDM culture of gyms.

I..actually don't want goals. I want a place I could go to quietly and mindfully exercise just to keep myself fit during the years.

But that is the extreme opposite of what they offer. I probably ain't their focus audience.

<comment><USER96> Get headphones that block out noise and then play your music at a normal volume.

</comment></comment><comment><USER97> Procrastination and excuses - "I'm tired, I'll do it tomorrow, I have to do things x and y, this deliverable has taken all my energy out of me."

What has helped me the most is going to the gym first thing in the morning, before work. If I just get up and focus on getting my workout out of the way before coffee or anything else I'm much less likely to put it off.

</comment><comment> Jean-Philipe First there was the "start-up culture" of my company, working until midnight on things that turned out to be useless pretty soon.

Then, my better half would not let me go (a consequence of the crazy start-up time where I used to come home very late).

Oh, and babies.

This year I finally managed to work out twice a week. Negotiation is key (I get to work out, you get to work out another day...)

</comment><comment><USER98> One big reason is the weather. I run outside all summer, and then it gets very cold where I live from December through February. I'm not insane enough to run outside on icy roads, etc.

We finally got a trainer for a road bike we can use during the winter, but it's not the same as running outside so I usually get burned out on it.

</comment><comment><USER99> Just to follow up on this question, is there anything in particular for those that do not exercise, that would get you to exercise? There are so many products and services out there that try to get people to exercise. What do you need to get started that isn't already out there? So what would make you exercise?

<comment><USER100> Finding something that I actually enjoy doing and doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Oh, and not having to either be active before waking up properly or work a second shower into my schedule.

I might consider a treadmill or stationary bike desk if I didn't have to commit to buying it before knowing if I'll like/use it. Or didn't have to figure out how to build one myself (in a carpeted NYC apartment with a hammer and screw gun but no saw) and then somehow lug it to work on public transit.

</comment></comment><comment><USER27> I actually like exercising. I like being physically powerful. However, falling into a day job has kept me from exercising as much as I want. So I insisted on a standing desk at work. I just work standing up for approx. 7 hours and can do my usual exercises on the weekend.

</comment><comment><USER101> Heat. It's too hot in the summer. I train in the winter and get slowly fat during the summer.

<comment><USER102> Right now that's how I'm feeling in NYC.

</comment></comment><comment><USER38> I had been going 3x a week for a couple months, but started working full time, and just stopped. I've also started eating poorly again. No real excuse aside from finding time outside of work.

Normally I work 8-5ish then come then have other things I need to get done after.

</comment><comment><USER103> Well I play football soccer as some call it. It's tougher than it seems when you play for more than 30 minutes and playing with friends makes it fun rather than working out alone. Now I'm totally addicted in playing and also it keeps me fit.

</comment><comment><USER104> I work from home and hate leaving the house. So i hired a personal trainer to come to my house a couple of times a week.

I prepaid for the sessions, so he's coming whether I want to or not.

more expensive than a gym, sure... but i actually do the exercise this way.

</comment><comment><USER105> I'm lazy, I also have a condition which prevents me from breaking down glycogen to produce energy.

One limits my ability to get started. The other limits my ability to continue once started which is demoralizing and adds to laziness in future.

</comment><comment><USER106> I used to work 10am-6pm+ and workout after. I would skip all the time. I shifted to 7am-330pm and haven't missed a day. There's no reason that shift would make any difference (I did it for other reasons) but it did.

</comment><comment><USER107> I don't do intense exercises. Just pushups.

I made a simple rule, I can't touch or untouch my bed without ten push ups.

Ever since I have had a good balance with my exercise and work. I now plan to add another exercise on top of push ups.

</comment><comment><USER108> Nothing - My drive to stay fit, and move constantly keeps me going. I can't sit still - an office is like death to me. So, the gym is easy.... The gym keeps me sane.

</comment><comment><USER109> I found that minimizing the emotional effort to begin exercising helped a lot. When the gym was at my workplace or incredibly close, it didn't seem as difficult.

</comment><comment><USER110> Having a baby and not having family in the area to help out.

</comment><comment><USER111> Having kids and total lack of energy in the evenings. I work from home and do try to exercise a bit in the mornings but I am not satisfied with my routine.

</comment><comment><USER112> I'm lazy and don't feel motivated to exercise. I wish I could post a longer more meaningful comment but that's all there is.

</comment><comment><USER113> Hi HN'ers,

Do any of you have back problems or have had a disc prolapse?

If so, would you advise to goto gym? If yes, what kind of training should one undergo ?

Thanks for your time!

</comment><comment><USER114> Whenever I decide I want to take up exercising, I can't keep it up. Because deep inside, I just don't want to exercise.

</comment><comment><USER115> I got rid of my car something like 9 years ago. I have no choice but to do a lot of walking. Problem solved.

</comment><comment><USER116> what keeps me from exercising is me.

i think it helps to have a partner or group to exercise with.

example, i am more inclined to exercise when my workmates or relatives invites me.

it also helps to have a purpose in exercising.

example, i dislike the commute home. public transit is crowded. traffic is congested. so i jog home. :)

</comment><comment><USER117> depression keeps me from exercising. ironically i know i am not alone in this.

</comment><comment><USER118> I just recently worked back into shape and so I'll tell you what I've done. I lost about 45 lbs in less than three months. Not that losing weight rapidly was my goal, it just happened to be the result. I don't think it matters that you lose it fast, you need to feel healthy while doing it.

I started off following the Maffetone two week test:

[https://philmaffetone.com/2-week-test/](https://philmaffetone.com/2-week- test/)

I found that I had the symptoms he describes of CI. After the two weeks I slowly introduced some carbs, only whole fruit type not any processed. Currently my daily diet is usually this:

Breakfast: Scrambled egg (Costco) recipe from The Four Hour Body book, I only use salt, pepper and parsley for spices. Add salsa and quacamole. Coffee (Aero Press)

Lunch: Chicken breast (Organic three pack Costco) pan fried with olive oil and butter. Usually spice with garlic salt, greek spices or barbecue type spices. Microwave in a small pyrex bowl the normandy vegetables (Costco) and add butter, salt and pepper. I'll also do steak and fish. Usually I'll cook the steak in a Sous Vide as I like the way it turns out and it's easier for me to achieve a great steak.

Dinner: Green smoothie in a vitamix: Water, orange, banana, honey, vanilla extract, spinach, frozen pineapple.

Snacks and to deal with the carb demons: Raw unsalted cashews (Costco), cheese (sliced variety pack from Costco), Coffee (Aeropress both hot and iced / cold press method).

The coffee has helped me kick the soda addiction, along with carrying an insulated water bottle (zojirushi)

I usually do a free day on Saturdays, but not always. Sometimes I'll skip it especially if I had a couple of cheats during the week or my weight seems to creep up.

Workouts: I workout six times a week, I use the maffetone fat burning cardio training method three times a week for 30-40 minutes each with a heart rate monitor (works like magic for me, I don't have horrible cravings as I've had on other kinds of workout plans): [https://philmaffetone.com/180-formula/](https://philmaffetone.com/180-formula/)

The other three days a week I do Starting Strength with the iphone app. I've found the app to be invaluable in following it on my own. I have read most of the book and watched his DVD. I found starting out slow and really working on form helped a ton.

I feel a thousand times better on this program and it's worked well for me. I was at a 32 BMI and brought it down to 25. I was about 250 lbs and now stay close to 200. Everyone comments on how different I look and I've noticed much better muscle definition and strength. I'm not trying to do muscle building or any extreme stuff, I just want to be fit and feel great. I've achieved that goal and with fairly minimal effort. I spend a lot less on food as I rarely eat out and I find it takes less time to make it myself.

It took a couple of hard weeks to change habits and get with the program. Once the habits were in place it's been very easy. I naturally look for low carb and food that is close to the diet I'm trying to stay with. Whether it's called slow carb, or paleo or whatever doesn't really matter. Just figure out which foods work for maintaining your healthy weight and fitness level.

I think remembering how awful I felt about 100% of the time helps me to stay motivated with my diet and exercise. I think you really need both to make it work. If you focus on one and neglect the other you are likely sabotaging your effort. You could maybe get away with only focusing on diet, but it depends on your normal activity level. Given my sedentary job I need the workouts.

</comment><comment><USER119> My laptop.

</comment><comment><USER11> I think most people do not exercise because it's truly not a very rational thing to do in most contexts. Exercise in the modern world, when not part of your core occupation, is a bit of a luxury - it means you have the time, the energy, the money, and the health to do it. Many people don't. People who have more balanced lives tend to exercise more and I think the causality is in the opposite direction than most people think.

You can't "make time". You can only prioritize something else lower and replace it with exercise. This doesn't mean you ever had time. This is literally what not having enough time means. Most people don't have a nicely allotted slot for exercise in their lives. Taking it up may mean losing something rather substantial, even if it doesn't "seem" substantial. If we wanted people to exercise more, the first thing we would do is absolutely give them more time.

When I was in college, I played lacrosse. It would seem that this was very important but it was not. It resulted in falling grades for me and heightened depression due to falling grades. I dropped lacrosse because my grades were far more important. The reported mental benefits of exercise, however significant they may be, will not override the benefits of spending a lot of extra time on studying and then resting from studying. In the long run, improved grades facilitated me getting to a position where I could then afford the luxury of exercising. No amount of exercise could have done the same. Exercise is always, always secondary to being able to make a proper living and staying sane (unless exercise IS your way of staying sane, but it is not for many), and those things may very well eat up all your time. Before exercise can improve things, there needs to be something to improve.

I think this is a choice people make subconsciously, repeatedly. Exercise sounds like this thing you should always do because people perceive it as not having a cost, but it absolutely has a cost, and it's not very cost effective compared to many, many things. The people you see who are doing really badly in the physical department are probably hurting on time even more than you are and the solution is not for them to start exercising but for them to have a more balanced schedule so it's not so terribly difficult to fit exercise in it.

OK, there was my monologue. Now I'll move on to how and why I exercise.

I mostly exercise for a somewhat medical reason: I have a very fast resting heart rate if I don't do some exercise once in a while, combined with hereditary tachycardias. I would rather exercise than take questionable medication, and having a high resting heart rate is not very pleasant in general.

How I do it is pretty simple:

1\. I've made peace with the fact that I'm not going to go very far in the exercise department and that I'm doing it primarily for the basic benefits. I'm OK with not being great at it, occasionally not doing it, not doing that much of it, not growing too much, etc., because it's still a lot better than not doing it at all, and it gets the job done with regards to heart rate. This took a lot of pressure off because I used to have a lot of issues over not doing anywhere near as well as everyone around me was.

2\. Given 1, I stopped worrying about developing some amazing regimen and decided to just look for a lazy, efficient way to fit exercise into my schedule. I chose to join a kickboxing gym for a wide selection of reasons:

\- I don't have to research or manage it. I just show up to the class and the instructor takes care of things;

\- it's in a closed gym. This is important because having to worry about weather used to really mess up my running schedule, due to high heat or thunderstorms;

\- it's scheduled, so I either have to go do it or not do it. I can't "do it later". Combined with it being expensive, I don't want to not go do this thing I spent a lot of money on;

\- while scheduled, it's still flexible enough that I can somewhat adjust to wonkiness in my schedule, but not too much;

\- it's very efficient for time spent compared to most other forms of exercise I've seen;

\- it's relatively well-rounded so I'm not doing either just cardio or just weights;

\- it's social so there's the added effect of performing a bit better because other people are around, the coach is watching you, etc.;

\- it scales off of everything so it's trivial to branch out if I want to add more cardio, lifting, etc., to it;

\- kickboxing gyms are not rare so if I move somewhere I'd probably still be able to find one.

Cons: it's expensive. I can afford it, a lot of people can't.

</comment><comment><USER120> Habit

</comment><comment><USER121> I have been going to the gym, mainly doing weightlifting, for 4 years now.

Whenever I don't go it's due to a lack of free time and energy. This is because I commute two hours a day to and from work, and I have a very active social life. I hit the gym on an average of 3 times a week, though my goal is 5 times a week. I wish my office had a gym.

Your life improves drastically if you exercise. If you really realize how much it benefits you, you will find yourself impatiently waiting until the next time you go to the gym. Not because you want to go to the gym, but because you want the reward that comes out of it.

</comment><comment><USER122> For me, I just despise everything about working out in the usual ways. Gyms are pretty disgusting for a number of reasons. People who don't wipe down the machines, people judging each other, the smell, etc. It's also boring AF. I can listen to music or a podcast, but they usually have 3 TVs on all tuned to either sports, which I don't enjoy, or politics, which I don't really want to share with people at the gym. And the 24 hour news channels are basically just death and yelling 24 hours a day. Don't need that.

Working out at home means either buying a big expensive piece of equipment I don't have room for, or prancing around the neighborhood. I'd rather not do either.

Also, it makes me feel gross. I'm not at all out-of-shape. My weight/BMI/whatever is in the "good" zone. My eating habits are reasonable and my cholesterol and other levels are fine. I walk regularly, use a standing desk for a portion of the day, etc. I don't like how I feel when or after working out.

Doing it or discussing it with other people makes me sad. So much pseudoscience, so much bad technique, so much judgement. Fuck it. I've got better things to do.

<comment><USER18> > _People who don 't wipe down the machines_

Just wipe it down before you use it.</comment></comment>