4 ms·

Nobody credible. The real question is how do you get people of their ass and start exercising? This includes me, I feel much better on days I make it to the g

by tomjen3 10y ago

Nobody credible. The real question is how do you get people of their ass and start exercising? This includes me, I feel much better on days I make it to the gym.

_Wintermute 10y ago
Stop treating it as exercise and take up a physically active hobby. Hill walking, cycle touring, squash etc.
- xarope 10y ago
  I think treating it as part of one's lifestyle, as you are probably alluding to, and not as an exercise routine/diet/etc, is the key.
- dv35z 10y ago
  I agree with this. The "trick" for me was squash. Was never a "sports person" but always thought ping-pong was fun. Approached squash like it was a fun, goofy ping-pong hobby (as its basically fun with no skill whatsoever). Ended up feeling the competitive drive kick in. Got a few lessons so I felt confident that I was making progress. Now I've been doing it several times a week for over a year, gone to a few tournaments, and have a good roster of 10-15 people (now friends!) whom I play regularly. I think as technology people, we often grew up missing the athletic / team / social aspect associated with sports, which helps make it actually desirable to keep as a lifestyle activity. I now have a good group of friends from this one hobby (where before, I'd have been more likely to just have video game buddies, drinkimh buddies, etc).
eyan 10y ago
> The real question is how do you get people of their ass and start exercising? You don't. You wait for them until they decide and act on their decision.
- pizza234 10y ago
  That is not an effective strategy. Decisions are backed by the environment (in a broad sense), so it's important to understand (for the sake of effectiveness) which changes can be done to the environment, to stimulate taking such decision[s].
  - eyan 10y ago
    I was being kind, sir. What I was trying to say is: I don't give a flying raccoon if people want to exercise or not. So yeah. No strategising from me.
    - pizza234 10y ago
      Depending on the social structure, problems of individuals may have a socialized cost; if this is the case, also people who don't give a flying raccoon or not, do actually pay for that.
  - CalRobert 10y ago
    Well, you can change your own environment. This is personal, but what has worked has been one of: * Have a gym close to work (i.e. 5 minute walk or less) and a corporate culture that lets you take 45-60 minute lunch breaks. Bonus - I find this makes my afternoons much more productive. * Live 6+ cycle-able miles from work and ideally have a shower at work * Be a student with a gym near your classes and an hour or two to kill between them When one of these things is true I always manage to get a decent routine going. Without that I have always failed. Moving away from southern California to a place where I walk and cycle everywhere has helped.
  - dv35z 10y ago
    I'll say one thing - my dad is 70, doubtful he's ever had a gym routine. But, as he's gained wait, he's had interest in better diet, losing weight. He told me he'd consider exercise. So I took him to his nearby gym, wrote down two checklists (an "A" day, and "B" say) and showed him the exercises, how weights & machines work, got him familiar/comfortable/unafraid of it. I think a big "friction" is people thinking "I have no idea what I'd even do in the gym". So having a plan helps that. That was a few weeks ago, and he's been in the gym a couple times a week in the morning. Super proud of him - as you can imagine, getting my older stubborn dad to learn a new truck is a tough sell!
bakul 10y ago
For me a buddy system works well. Agreeing to meet a friend at a certain time at the gym and calling one another when starting out for the gym works wonders for me on days when I'd rather do something else.
beaconstudios 10y ago
make it more convenient to go than to not go - hack your routine. Once you're there, you'll be less likely to resist the small amount of effort to actually work out. Leave your work access card (or some other daily essential) in a locker overnight if they'll let you, so you have to go to the gym in the morning no matter what. Take pre-workout in a morning or before you leave work so you have too much energy to _not_ go to the gym. You only need to bootstrap the habit. Then it becomes natural.

by tomjen3 10y ago

Nobody credible. The real question is how do you get people of their ass and start exercising? This includes me, I feel much better on days I make it to the gym.

_Wintermute 10y ago

Stop treating it as exercise and take up a physically active hobby. Hill walking, cycle touring, squash etc.

xarope 10y ago
I think treating it as part of one's lifestyle, as you are probably alluding to, and not as an exercise routine/diet/etc, is the key.
dv35z 10y ago
I agree with this. The "trick" for me was squash. Was never a "sports person" but always thought ping-pong was fun. Approached squash like it was a fun, goofy ping-pong hobby (as its basically fun with no skill whatsoever). Ended up feeling the competitive drive kick in. Got a few lessons so I felt confident that I was making progress. Now I've been doing it several times a week for over a year, gone to a few tournaments, and have a good roster of 10-15 people (now friends!) whom I play regularly. I think as technology people, we often grew up missing the athletic / team / social aspect associated with sports, which helps make it actually desirable to keep as a lifestyle activity. I now have a good group of friends from this one hobby (where before, I'd have been more likely to just have video game buddies, drinkimh buddies, etc).

eyan 10y ago

> The real question is how do you get people of their ass and start exercising? You don't. You wait for them until they decide and act on their decision.

pizza234 10y ago
That is not an effective strategy. Decisions are backed by the environment (in a broad sense), so it's important to understand (for the sake of effectiveness) which changes can be done to the environment, to stimulate taking such decision[s].
- eyan 10y ago
  I was being kind, sir. What I was trying to say is: I don't give a flying raccoon if people want to exercise or not. So yeah. No strategising from me.
  - pizza234 10y ago
    Depending on the social structure, problems of individuals may have a socialized cost; if this is the case, also people who don't give a flying raccoon or not, do actually pay for that.
- CalRobert 10y ago
  Well, you can change your own environment. This is personal, but what has worked has been one of: * Have a gym close to work (i.e. 5 minute walk or less) and a corporate culture that lets you take 45-60 minute lunch breaks. Bonus - I find this makes my afternoons much more productive. * Live 6+ cycle-able miles from work and ideally have a shower at work * Be a student with a gym near your classes and an hour or two to kill between them When one of these things is true I always manage to get a decent routine going. Without that I have always failed. Moving away from southern California to a place where I walk and cycle everywhere has helped.
- dv35z 10y ago
  I'll say one thing - my dad is 70, doubtful he's ever had a gym routine. But, as he's gained wait, he's had interest in better diet, losing weight. He told me he'd consider exercise. So I took him to his nearby gym, wrote down two checklists (an "A" day, and "B" say) and showed him the exercises, how weights & machines work, got him familiar/comfortable/unafraid of it. I think a big "friction" is people thinking "I have no idea what I'd even do in the gym". So having a plan helps that. That was a few weeks ago, and he's been in the gym a couple times a week in the morning. Super proud of him - as you can imagine, getting my older stubborn dad to learn a new truck is a tough sell!

bakul 10y ago

For me a buddy system works well. Agreeing to meet a friend at a certain time at the gym and calling one another when starting out for the gym works wonders for me on days when I'd rather do something else.

beaconstudios 10y ago

make it more convenient to go than to not go - hack your routine. Once you're there, you'll be less likely to resist the small amount of effort to actually work out. Leave your work access card (or some other daily essential) in a locker overnight if they'll let you, so you have to go to the gym in the morning no matter what. Take pre-workout in a morning or before you leave work so you have too much energy to _not_ go to the gym. You only need to bootstrap the habit. Then it becomes natural.