How to make exercise 'part' of life

Surion

Hey all,
My apols if this has been done/said before but, I was once upon a time much fitter but over the latter half of my 20's I finished my part-time degree and started to climb in my career.

All leading to an increasing sedentary lifestyle, I'm 32 now and exercise is well and truely gone, and I have beer belly to enjoy now...not at all happy. Decidedly unhappy as I'm sure we would all appreciate.

So, I joined pat Henry gym about 2 or 3 months ago, but have failed to continue going. Just can't muster the effort, inclination, application or any other word....

so question is how do you do it (you plural)? How are you able to make it a practical part of your life & continue regularly (never mind indefinitely)?

Surion.

Parsley

it just comes down to how much you want it. if you want to change badly enough, if you need to see results, you'll just do it. if it doesn't mean enough to you then no amount of people telling you to do it will help. it has to come from something inside telling you that you need to do it.

keane2097

Finding something you enjoy doing would help.

Like if you hate running, pounding a treadmill for 45 minutes is something you're going to find pretty hard to keep up, but you might have no problem playing 90 minutes of soccer because you like playing.

mikemac

You need a reason. This could be something great like my first marathon my first lift of x kg. Or something like I'm going to Spain in two months and I want to look great

Or on the other side, the weight creeps on and you just say "I'll start tomorrow" and "it's not so bad". And one day a friend will tell you straight, like a punch to the stomach, it hurts but you'll thank them for it later.

Thinking about it won't do much, it has to be something you feel in your gut and drives you

What kind a person are you? Like a morning person?

For example I'm good for getting up at 6am for whatever I'm doing.
But around 4pm in the evenings I start flagging and clock watching in work and I do little in the evenings.

Oh and if you plan to head home, get your gear and go to the gym you probably won't.
Bring the gear to work with you

ray jay

keane2097 wrote: »

Finding something you enjoy doing would help.

Like if you hate running, pounding a treadmill for 45 minutes is something you're going to find pretty hard to keep up, but you might have no problem playing 90 minutes of soccer because you like playing.

Exactly. If you were fitter before, was it because you were going to the gym or were you involved in a sport? Are there any events organised in work or among your friends like 5 a side or tip rugby? Including a social aspect can help a lot.

d'Oracle

Surion wrote: »

Hey all,
My apols if this has been done/said before but, I was once upon a time much fitter but over the latter half of my 20's I finished my part-time degree and started to climb in my career.

All leading to an increasing sedentary lifestyle, I'm 32 now and exercise is well and truely gone, and I have beer belly to enjoy now...not at all happy. Decidedly unhappy as I'm sure we would all appreciate.

So, I joined pat Henry gym about 2 or 3 months ago, but have failed to continue going. Just can't muster the effort, inclination, application or any other word....

so question is how do you do it (you plural)? How are you able to make it a practical part of your life & continue regularly (never mind indefinitely)?

Surion.

Depends on the "you".

I go to the gym because I love to lift and because I am probably physically better off, less joint pain etc. If I want to loose fat, I will adapt what I am doing in the gym along with my diet to loose fat. But I basically keep strength training because I like to do it.

But what's good for me may not be good for you.
I couldn't run distances. I hate it, I have tried and just not done it.

If you want to keep exercise up, you have to find something you enjoy or be one of those people who can do intently boring **** for little reward.

Don't rule out walking.

pinkypinky

I build it into my day - sometimes I go before work, if I'll be out later in the evening, but mostly I bring the gear with me and go straight there from work, then home. As someone else said, it's hard to leave home once you get there!!

dx22

I was like u started getting health concious after turning 30, after a decade of doin feck all. My advice is to keep doing it every day, it will feel like a chore initially but eventually will become a habit and you will feel tetchy if u miss a workout!

Also try different things i was doing weights for a while but now im into triathlon in a big way and enjoy every workout. Also set little goals to begin with whether its a 5k run time, or benchpress weight, reaching these small goals will lead to larger goals which in turn will lead to more motivation, confidence and most important- enjoyment

CK2010

I dunno how you could start getting into the habbit of going but i find that once i do start going regularly and see the results (definition, ability to lift more, more energy etc.) i want to go even more, its kind of a cycle- the more you go the better you feel/look, the more you'll want to go. something to keep in mind for once you get past the not wanting to go stage!

do you listen to music in the gym? i get more excited about going if ive new music downloaded for my next session.
it might also be an idea to set a goal so you're working towards something.

I prefer the gym to going jogging or something else outside. i just find it easier to have a fixed routine in a place specific to working out. some people prefer the freedom of just jogging outside wherever/whenever they want but if ive too much choice/freedom i just dont do it at all! but if i know ive to go to the gym til whatever time il just do it.

i used to go to the gym everyday for the three hours my daughter was in playschool (summer holidays now and havent been in three weeks ) and now because that routine is gone ive got no drive to go out for a run or anything (granted its mainly due to a lack of babysitters!). so once you do find a routine that works for you stick to it. its easy to fall out of habit but alot harder to get back into it.

The Guvnor

All been said above - key is to learn to love it - this can take a long time but once it happens it's a great feeling.

irishmanmick

How to you get to work OP?

I've ditched the car and found that it's a great way to get excercise into my day. I'm 8 miles from home to job and started cycling originally, but now run it 3 days and cycle the rest. Run it in under an hour and the cycle is only 25/30 mins. With traffic it's a 20 min drive anyway so not really losing much time which is important for me cos we have a 6 month old baby!

And with it being my only way of getting home from work it ensures that I do the excercise! Excellent motivation!

Saves me a fortune as well since I have dropped the gym membership as well as the petrol I'm saving

briano.de.rhino

Same boat, same age as OP.
I started static contraction training 3 months ago. Idea is to max out your muscles with heaviest lift you can and just hold it in yhour strong zone for between 5-15 seconds. You start off once a week and once you plateau you give 3 days extra rest between each workout. Im up to going oncve every 3 weeks now. I do 6 lifts of various types. takes about an hour cos takes a long time to lift 200 kg from machine to machine. But theres no endless reps and boringness. I enjoy it.I have more muscle now and strength which is hopefully good for my bad back.

But cardio is what I need so I started running a month ago. Havent lost the beer belly. Even if I run for 50 minutes twice or 3 times a week, I feel fatter now, haha. I think theres more to the body than I realise.
I really enjoyed the jog in the first few weeks but now feel lethargic about it.
Used to bike a lot and loved it, got fit without realising it. But cant think of a single sport Id like to do.Bad back rules out soccer.

GiftofGab

Go at the same time every day, it'll then become part of your daily routine and you won't think about it. Go straight from work before you go home and finish at the same time too

born2bwild

Yeah same...I started jogging an hour every other day...just got bored. Why don't pints of beer and kebabs make you thinner???

briano.de.rhino

In the beginning I ran in different spots, all scenic. Really motivated me. Never ran on the street. Getting out to different mountains or woods might motivate u to gget out and run too.

Vegeta

Join a social, team based sport.

If you lack the motivation to train alone then join a 5-a-side soccer league, tag rugby league, athletics club, swimming club, GAA club, rugby club, martial arts class, rowing club e.t.c

Friendship and social interaction are good motivators. If you enjoy your team mates company then often you will want to go training just to meet the lads. Guilt is another motivator. If a you are part of a team then often you are needed i.e. a 5 side soccer team needs 5 guys to play. If you don't go then the team are short.