8 ms·

Do not say you're too busy to exercise. Your productivity is much higher when you exercise. Do not say you're too old to exercise. The older you are, the mo

Do not say you're too busy to exercise. Your productivity is much higher when you exercise. Do not say you're too old to exercise. The older you are, the more crucial it is. Get in the habit. Start with even just 2 intense minutes a day. Once you're in the habit, you'll work out longer.

r_singh 9y ago
Precisely, one should quit all excuses! My father was prescribed to storvas (for cholesterol) over a decade ago... luckily he is an avid reader and soon found out what road the permanent meds lead to. He quit the meds and started working out consistently (never mind spondylitis which he combatted with bed rest) for 10 years (and still continuing). Today, he's over 50 and is killing it in every aspect in life. His mind is sharp, business is good and best of all he can run over 6kms in 30 minutes (plus all the weights and stuff)! He's now reducing running for his knees and cycles out youngsters half his age 3 times a week (with 3 times weight training). This could've been a very different picture if he continued with prescribed meds. After experiencing this, he's purchased workout plans for everyone in the family for 9 years straight and wants us to treat workouts like we brush our teeth (nevermind if we don't get competitive). I work way better if I exercise, it's like the clock for my life even in my 20s. Never want to lose the habit.
- ams6110 9y ago
  I just hate it. Not that I haven't tried. I've tried running, weights, walking. It's boring, and makes me feel tired and irritable. I just want to go to bed after exercise. Not my thing.
  - GiorgioG 9y ago
    Same here. But...being dead isn't my thing either so I supposed I should keep trying to make it a habit anyway.
  - tcoff91 9y ago
    What about hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking, stand-up paddle boarding, etc... Is there nothing physical you enjoy doing?
  - senorjazz 9y ago
    I cannot do it (excuses excuses I know) if there is no purpose. Exercise sake I find the most boring thing in the world and just don't do it although I know I should. Excercise to get somewhere on the other hand - not a problem. When I lived a 40minute bike ride from work, I enjoyed it and looked forward to it. When the daughter lived 30 minutes walk from school would walk her to school and run back (15 minutes - took a longer detour). Again, I enjoyed it. If I need to go the shops, I'll walk and enjoy it. All went to post last year when got a crippling injury and could barely walk. Now with the youngest child also needing to get to nursery not the time in the morning to walk daughter to school and I know work from home. Now that I have to force myself to do excercise for exercise sake, I do nothing
    - rsync 9y ago
      "I cannot do it (excuses excuses I know) if there is no purpose. Exercise sake I find the most boring thing in the world and just don't do it although I know I should." You owe it to your friends and neighbors. Never mind the health benefits or nicer looks or fitting into smaller clothes - you owe it to everyone around you to be able to: - run for help - carry a body - move debris or pull a hose or help push a car - (etc.) If you have any expectation at all of being taken seriously and held as an equal by the people around you, this is the minimum set of capabilities.
      - pc86 9y ago
        If for not other reason than the fact that attractive and in-shape people have more opportunities and there is a clear bias in their favor should be enough of a reason.
    - Corrado 9y ago
      I feel the same way - just exercising is boring. However, I found that doing other things in which my body moves is quite enjoyable. A couple of examples are martial arts and Zumba class. I took up martial arts in my 30's and after a couple of years I was able to take my shirt off at the 4th of July party without shame. My current drive is to got to Zumba dance class at the gym a couple of nights a week. I get to listen to some loud upbeat music and learn a couple of dance moves along the way. And since I'm at the gym anyway, I'll generally do a couple of the muscle machines too.
  - talklittle 9y ago
    Sounds like dehydration. Do you always drink enough water before and after exercise sessions?
  - secstate 9y ago
    Not meaning to be snarky at all, but have you tried reading about mindfulness first? I found that in my 20s running was awful and I was almost literally counting the steps until I got to the end. But as I've gotten older and embraced a more mindful worldview running, walking, swimming or any of the traditional "slog" activities has become a really nice quiet time where I can appreciate all the little motions and sensations of being awake. Sorry if that comes off as patronizing or hokey, but if you can stay in shape "enough" early, I've found that it becomes it's own reward as I've gotten older.
    - sametmax 9y ago
      Meditation does help a lot with appreciating using one's body, and in many other aspects of life. But it's a lot of work and take some time to get benefits. Plus the benefits don't arrive in the same order for everybody. So while this is probably a good advice, I don't think it should be the only solution applied. It's more like a long term advice.
    - holografix 9y ago
      Couldn't agree more and appreciate your constructive tone in the reply. Mindfulness really has become a focus of mine very recently and definitely something that I practice while swimming. The act of staying in the moment not worrying about the future or repeating the past in my head has significantly improved who I am. In practice this tends to be me very deliberately feeling the water, counting my strokes, paying Dill attention to my breathing.
    - holografix 9y ago
      Couldn't agree more and appreciate your constructive tone in the reply. Mindfulness really has become a focus of mine very recently and definitely something that I practice while swimming. The act of staying in the moment not worrying about the future or repeating the past in my head has significantly improved who I am. In practice this tends to be me very deliberately feeling the water, counting my strokes, paying Dill attention to my breathing.
  - codebolt 9y ago
    I used to hate any type of training for years, but I'm really glad I was able to coax myself into starting & sticking with it in spite of my resistance. Few things in life have so many upsides and so few downsides. Anyway, I think you have to commit to it long enough that you actually see some measurable results. Many people give up before they even reach that point. It takes effort and persistence, but not on some superhuman level. Pick a program and stick to it for a few months, while making sure your diet is on point.
    - criddell 9y ago
      Did you hire a trainer? I'm thinking that might be something that makes a difference for me. A bigger financial commitment plus a human being that is expecting me to show up would make it more likely that I follow through.
      - codebolt 9y ago
        No, but I did have a workout buddy for the first year or so that I was going, so that probably helped. But anyway, I'd still recommend a trainer as he might be able to identify any weak spots in your posture, mobility etc and give better personalized advice than what you'd find online. Had I had one early on, I might not have ended up as a hunchback with huge arms and chicken legs after my first few years of training (I've luckily been able to develop a more balanced physique since).
  - sillypuddy 9y ago
    How about sports? Soccer, basketball, tennis, dodgeball?
  - sametmax 9y ago
    Try sex, dancing, medieval sword fencing, playing with children in the parc, paintball, walking to the local grocery shop, avoiding elevators, laser tag, going to the beach, skying, boxing, gardening, bar fighting, historical rehersal, theater... It doesn't need to feel like doing sport. Moving your body is what's important.
  - treehau5 9y ago
    Try basketball at the local Y or park. Or swimming. Or Raquetball. I hate running and walking too, but I love competition and performing. The being in shape part is just a bonus.
  - Angostura 9y ago
    I don't know where you live, but it might be worth looking at whether there is a Parkrun close to you. http://www.parkrun.com http://www.parkrun.com I'm in my 50s, absolutely hated running - hadn't done it for 30 years. Started when my wife and kids started doing it, just to help out and got to really enjoy it. Weekly 5km run, hugely mixed ability field, nice friendly atmosphere, nice route. I rather look forward to it now. I also discovered a latent competitive spirit which means that while I puff around the course, I seem to be unable to not sprint for the last 100 meters.
  - Dolores12 9y ago
    It could be a symptom of chronic fatigue syndrome https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronic_fatigue_syndrome https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronic_fatigue_syndrome
    - jerf 9y ago
      I'll just file myself in under here and agree that contrary to the wave of "just try harder!" and "try this other thing!" comments that came in reply, that going in to an exercise program and finding that it makes your life worse is quite possibly the sign of a serious medical problem. I'm actually in that boat right now. For the last few years I have struggled with an exercise program on and off. I have consistently had the experience that it initially makes me feel better, but then I hit a plateau of a certain level of progress that makes me increasingly tired as I try to "push through" and prone to getting every cold that wanders by. Well... guess who's typing this while wearing a heart monitor for a month? My diagnosis is not yet complete but at this point I'm fairly confident I have a condition where my heart goes into some serious atrial fibrillation, only while I am asleep [1], resulting in me not being aware that I may have a moderately-serious heart condition probably for quite a few years (quite possibly decades) until quite recently. My point is not that you may have this exact problem I have. Delores12 is also correct that this is a known effect of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and as documented on HN that has recently been getting upgraded in the medical community from "ideopathic condition we're not sure we even believe in" to a real diagnosis with a real mechanism, and there are other things this can indicate. My point is "exercise actually makes me feel worse" is a potentially serious symptom of something, and rather than feeling guilty about it or getting moralized at by people who do not have this experience, I would strongly suggest going to a doctor, getting a physical if you haven't already had one, and finding a doctor who takes this seriously as a symptom if the physical doesn't find anything immediately. I wish I had gone to the doctor earlier. I have some other local health issues that mean that even now I can't actually say what I did was irrational per se, indeed I even found some other issues I had in the meantime, but now I'm in a position where my condition is sufficiently bad that I'm beginning to feel like I'm in some sort of sleep deprivation torture experiment some days, worse than when I was a new parent, and I'm not joking or exaggerating for effect. Unfortunately the medical system is hard to make move faster than it wants to. If you can find what your problem is before then, you'll be happier. [1]: I do not need people to pop up with the possible causes of this; I am currently engaged with the medical system and aware of the possibilities related to apnea, etc. (I have recorded myself at night and I do not seem to have a snoring problem, so if it is apnea it's the relatively unusual, but existing, no-snoring version. It may also simply be genetic as my mother is prone to it.)
  - nradov 9y ago
    Gamification and competition can be a good motivator. I use the Strava.com mobile app to track endurance exercises (swimming/cycling/running) and just started using the Jefit app to track weightlifting. When I see my friends have been working out and beating me it gives an incentive to get off the couch. There's nothing wrong with going straight to bed after exercise. You'll probably sleep better for it.
  - dbg31415 9y ago
    Soccer? Frisbee? I had a problem not wanting to do things if it wasn't competitive... and not wanting to play if I wasn't going to be good... Anyway I sort of got over that... but mostly I just have some dogs I walk now. We do a 5 mile loop before breakfast every morning. Made a big difference in my health and mindset. Plus... it means getting up early enough to do a 5 mile loop before breakfast, and since I'm competitive (even with myself) I started saying, "Ok, yesterday was 1 hour... can I do the same walk in 55 minutes today?" So that turned into jogging... and a few years into it I really started liking to jog. My morning feels off if I don't get the blood flowing before I shower. Think a dog or a stopwatch would help?
  - throwasehasdwi 9y ago
    I'm an adrenaline junkie and found my love of exercise in biking. You can go fast enough that it's a decent rush, and going out on trails can be really exciting. Once you get into good shape you can hit over 30mph for short times.
    - steve_adams_86 9y ago
      You can go even faster with some effort! The other day I was frequently hitting well over 50kph, maxing out around 62kph (30-38mph) and I was trying to conserve energy. It's a hell of a lot of fun. I'm not even that fast or fit - any half decent bike will absolutely fly on a good descent. https://www.strava.com/activities/954036327 https://www.strava.com/activities/954036327 (Shows top speed recorded by my GPS)
  - Pamar 9y ago
    Have you ever tried a Martial Art? It does not need to make you a "fighter", but (at least for me) actually learning and improving at has never been boring (28 years of Aikido and counting).
  - shrimp_emoji 9y ago
    You don't get that rush of endorphins which makes you feel godlike, if only briefly? Then try doing it harder. (And with better music.)
    - marssaxman 9y ago
      I have never, so far as I am aware, experienced any such thing as an endorphin rush, even though I do practically everything in life harder and with better music. Physical activity is great if it's part of something fun, but I've never been able to find anything intrinsically pleasant about exercise for its own sake.
  - 3pt14159 9y ago
    You just need to exercise every day for a couple of months. Bike everywhere, lift weights / do calisthenics / climb three times a week. After two months of this it starts feeling more fun because it's easier and you'll start seeing progress. Five years seems like such a very long time when you start. Five years ago I was smoking, consuming way too much sugar, and eating tons of processed foods. Small changes over time and I'm at around 10% body fat, unbelievable lung capacity, and a much stronger psyche and work ethic. I feel like I've gotten younger from 26 to 31, and I'm 32 in June.
  - cpeterso 9y ago
    I use running as an opportunity to listen to audio books. I've caught up on many classic books, thanks to Audible. I actually look forward to it. :)
  - samsonradu 9y ago
    Did you consider picking up a sport? Say squash, football, basketball, anything? I can see why weights are boring, running is also kinda meh imo. But sports is motivating for me, I see all those footbal stars on tv and I'm dying to try the moves, the drills and get better at it. Also if you pick up a singles sports you probably should get a coach to set you on the right path in the beginning, you'll like it even more.
  - MrFantastic 9y ago
    Climbing, dance, biking. You barely dipped your toe in the water.
- delecti 9y ago
  Is "to storvas" a typo? I can't tell what that is, and Google isn't helping. I don't understand what the result of those meds would be without know what those meds themselves are.
  - r_singh 9y ago
    Sorry, storvas is the brand name for Atorvastatin here in India. Similar to Lipitor in the states I think.
- 0xcafecafe 9y ago
  Just curious, what are the issues that he found with regards to the medication? I am asking because I was prescribed statins at 30 for the same issue.
  - r_singh 9y ago
    It caused gradual rise in blood sugar, which caused him to read about potential side effects after which he got cautious and decided that he wanted another way. Turns out rigorous working out was a good way to control cholesterol and he was determined he had stop the meds out of fear for future. You can read about side effects of statins like lipitor, et cetera, it just scared him off and lead to exercising; which comes with a whole lotta benefits. Tbh I'm not really sure the side effects might've even been that drastic, but he didn't wanna take chances. Side note: statins are a 20+ billion dollar industry. lipitor being a solid winner. Made my dad feel like there was no coming back once he was dependent on the statin.
Clubber 9y ago
I find that if I walk 30 minutes, 3 days a week, I feel significantly better. I've been going to the gym lately and feel even better than that. The point being, is we've become so lethargic that 30 minute walk, 3 days a week is a great start and easy to accomplish.
interfixus 9y ago
I can't really say I'm a fan of all the imperatives. I could even choose to consider them a bit on the rude side.
- kbutler 9y ago
  Instead, choose to consider them an exhortation for your benefit.
- pc86 9y ago
  What is rude about them?
  - interfixus 9y ago
    It's really just the general prescriptivism of the workout-crowd that gets me. I'm quite capable of handling maintenance chores on my own mind & body, thank you, but this newfangled evangelism keeps coming at me from all angles.
    - lawik 9y ago
      I get that. I try not to push people that don't actually want a push. And I know people that get really turned off of a thing if people are too enthusiastic about it or pushing it too hard at them. Sometimes I feel it too. I feel it is pretty common in tech, especially as people are used to pitching their "good" or "correct" solutions to people bringing up a problem.
    - pc86 9y ago
      Working out is good for you. That's an empirical fact. I don't think it does anyone any favors to pretend that it's not. Obviously if you have injuries you should modify and scale workouts appropriately. But not working out is making a conscious choice to be less healthy. That's fine if that's where your priorities lie, but it's still a conscious choice to be less healthy, not simply a difference of opinion. It's much closer to choosing to smoke cigarettes than it is choosing to use a different text editor.
- 9y ago
zeroami 9y ago
Shameless plug: I work at fitness startup, MoveWith (https://www.movewith.com https://www.movewith.com). We are focused on creating audio fitness classes by some of the best instructors. I know that sometimes I don't know what I should do so for me it has been really helpful to have an instructor in my ear guiding my workout, I am biased here of course ;). I have created a free gift trial for the Hacker News community (no credit card required) to try it out. Hopefully this motivates people to get moving! https://www.movewith.com/redeemgift/hackernews https://www.movewith.com/redeemgift/hackernews :)
- criddell 9y ago
  I took a look around the web site to see what MoveWith is and one thing jumped out at me right away - the photos are almost all of women (e.g. https://www.movewith.com/collections/getsweaty https://www.movewith.com/collections/getsweaty). It doesn't bother me, but it's also clearly intentional and I'm wondering what the reason is.
- efoto 9y ago
  I just tried low intensity audio workout. Some feedback: I quit after 3 minutes not being able to imagine any of the movements, crunch being an exception. It may be a neat idea for gym junkies, but useless for beginners.

r_singh 9y ago

Precisely, one should quit all excuses! My father was prescribed to storvas (for cholesterol) over a decade ago... luckily he is an avid reader and soon found out what road the permanent meds lead to. He quit the meds and started working out consistently (never mind spondylitis which he combatted with bed rest) for 10 years (and still continuing). Today, he's over 50 and is killing it in every aspect in life. His mind is sharp, business is good and best of all he can run over 6kms in 30 minutes (plus all the weights and stuff)! He's now reducing running for his knees and cycles out youngsters half his age 3 times a week (with 3 times weight training). This could've been a very different picture if he continued with prescribed meds. After experiencing this, he's purchased workout plans for everyone in the family for 9 years straight and wants us to treat workouts like we brush our teeth (nevermind if we don't get competitive). I work way better if I exercise, it's like the clock for my life even in my 20s. Never want to lose the habit.

ams6110 9y ago
I just hate it. Not that I haven't tried. I've tried running, weights, walking. It's boring, and makes me feel tired and irritable. I just want to go to bed after exercise. Not my thing.
- GiorgioG 9y ago
  Same here. But...being dead isn't my thing either so I supposed I should keep trying to make it a habit anyway.
- tcoff91 9y ago
  What about hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking, stand-up paddle boarding, etc... Is there nothing physical you enjoy doing?
- senorjazz 9y ago
  I cannot do it (excuses excuses I know) if there is no purpose. Exercise sake I find the most boring thing in the world and just don't do it although I know I should. Excercise to get somewhere on the other hand - not a problem. When I lived a 40minute bike ride from work, I enjoyed it and looked forward to it. When the daughter lived 30 minutes walk from school would walk her to school and run back (15 minutes - took a longer detour). Again, I enjoyed it. If I need to go the shops, I'll walk and enjoy it. All went to post last year when got a crippling injury and could barely walk. Now with the youngest child also needing to get to nursery not the time in the morning to walk daughter to school and I know work from home. Now that I have to force myself to do excercise for exercise sake, I do nothing
  - rsync 9y ago
    "I cannot do it (excuses excuses I know) if there is no purpose. Exercise sake I find the most boring thing in the world and just don't do it although I know I should." You owe it to your friends and neighbors. Never mind the health benefits or nicer looks or fitting into smaller clothes - you owe it to everyone around you to be able to: - run for help - carry a body - move debris or pull a hose or help push a car - (etc.) If you have any expectation at all of being taken seriously and held as an equal by the people around you, this is the minimum set of capabilities.
    - pc86 9y ago
      If for not other reason than the fact that attractive and in-shape people have more opportunities and there is a clear bias in their favor should be enough of a reason.
  - Corrado 9y ago
    I feel the same way - just exercising is boring. However, I found that doing other things in which my body moves is quite enjoyable. A couple of examples are martial arts and Zumba class. I took up martial arts in my 30's and after a couple of years I was able to take my shirt off at the 4th of July party without shame. My current drive is to got to Zumba dance class at the gym a couple of nights a week. I get to listen to some loud upbeat music and learn a couple of dance moves along the way. And since I'm at the gym anyway, I'll generally do a couple of the muscle machines too.
- talklittle 9y ago
  Sounds like dehydration. Do you always drink enough water before and after exercise sessions?
- secstate 9y ago
  Not meaning to be snarky at all, but have you tried reading about mindfulness first? I found that in my 20s running was awful and I was almost literally counting the steps until I got to the end. But as I've gotten older and embraced a more mindful worldview running, walking, swimming or any of the traditional "slog" activities has become a really nice quiet time where I can appreciate all the little motions and sensations of being awake. Sorry if that comes off as patronizing or hokey, but if you can stay in shape "enough" early, I've found that it becomes it's own reward as I've gotten older.
  - sametmax 9y ago
    Meditation does help a lot with appreciating using one's body, and in many other aspects of life. But it's a lot of work and take some time to get benefits. Plus the benefits don't arrive in the same order for everybody. So while this is probably a good advice, I don't think it should be the only solution applied. It's more like a long term advice.
  - holografix 9y ago
    Couldn't agree more and appreciate your constructive tone in the reply. Mindfulness really has become a focus of mine very recently and definitely something that I practice while swimming. The act of staying in the moment not worrying about the future or repeating the past in my head has significantly improved who I am. In practice this tends to be me very deliberately feeling the water, counting my strokes, paying Dill attention to my breathing.
  - holografix 9y ago
    Couldn't agree more and appreciate your constructive tone in the reply. Mindfulness really has become a focus of mine very recently and definitely something that I practice while swimming. The act of staying in the moment not worrying about the future or repeating the past in my head has significantly improved who I am. In practice this tends to be me very deliberately feeling the water, counting my strokes, paying Dill attention to my breathing.
- codebolt 9y ago
  I used to hate any type of training for years, but I'm really glad I was able to coax myself into starting & sticking with it in spite of my resistance. Few things in life have so many upsides and so few downsides. Anyway, I think you have to commit to it long enough that you actually see some measurable results. Many people give up before they even reach that point. It takes effort and persistence, but not on some superhuman level. Pick a program and stick to it for a few months, while making sure your diet is on point.
  - criddell 9y ago
    Did you hire a trainer? I'm thinking that might be something that makes a difference for me. A bigger financial commitment plus a human being that is expecting me to show up would make it more likely that I follow through.
    - codebolt 9y ago
      No, but I did have a workout buddy for the first year or so that I was going, so that probably helped. But anyway, I'd still recommend a trainer as he might be able to identify any weak spots in your posture, mobility etc and give better personalized advice than what you'd find online. Had I had one early on, I might not have ended up as a hunchback with huge arms and chicken legs after my first few years of training (I've luckily been able to develop a more balanced physique since).
- sillypuddy 9y ago
  How about sports? Soccer, basketball, tennis, dodgeball?
- sametmax 9y ago
  Try sex, dancing, medieval sword fencing, playing with children in the parc, paintball, walking to the local grocery shop, avoiding elevators, laser tag, going to the beach, skying, boxing, gardening, bar fighting, historical rehersal, theater... It doesn't need to feel like doing sport. Moving your body is what's important.
- treehau5 9y ago
  Try basketball at the local Y or park. Or swimming. Or Raquetball. I hate running and walking too, but I love competition and performing. The being in shape part is just a bonus.
- Angostura 9y ago
  I don't know where you live, but it might be worth looking at whether there is a Parkrun close to you. http://www.parkrun.com http://www.parkrun.com I'm in my 50s, absolutely hated running - hadn't done it for 30 years. Started when my wife and kids started doing it, just to help out and got to really enjoy it. Weekly 5km run, hugely mixed ability field, nice friendly atmosphere, nice route. I rather look forward to it now. I also discovered a latent competitive spirit which means that while I puff around the course, I seem to be unable to not sprint for the last 100 meters.
- Dolores12 9y ago
  It could be a symptom of chronic fatigue syndrome https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronic_fatigue_syndrome https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronic_fatigue_syndrome
  - jerf 9y ago
    I'll just file myself in under here and agree that contrary to the wave of "just try harder!" and "try this other thing!" comments that came in reply, that going in to an exercise program and finding that it makes your life worse is quite possibly the sign of a serious medical problem. I'm actually in that boat right now. For the last few years I have struggled with an exercise program on and off. I have consistently had the experience that it initially makes me feel better, but then I hit a plateau of a certain level of progress that makes me increasingly tired as I try to "push through" and prone to getting every cold that wanders by. Well... guess who's typing this while wearing a heart monitor for a month? My diagnosis is not yet complete but at this point I'm fairly confident I have a condition where my heart goes into some serious atrial fibrillation, only while I am asleep [1], resulting in me not being aware that I may have a moderately-serious heart condition probably for quite a few years (quite possibly decades) until quite recently. My point is not that you may have this exact problem I have. Delores12 is also correct that this is a known effect of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and as documented on HN that has recently been getting upgraded in the medical community from "ideopathic condition we're not sure we even believe in" to a real diagnosis with a real mechanism, and there are other things this can indicate. My point is "exercise actually makes me feel worse" is a potentially serious symptom of something, and rather than feeling guilty about it or getting moralized at by people who do not have this experience, I would strongly suggest going to a doctor, getting a physical if you haven't already had one, and finding a doctor who takes this seriously as a symptom if the physical doesn't find anything immediately. I wish I had gone to the doctor earlier. I have some other local health issues that mean that even now I can't actually say what I did was irrational per se, indeed I even found some other issues I had in the meantime, but now I'm in a position where my condition is sufficiently bad that I'm beginning to feel like I'm in some sort of sleep deprivation torture experiment some days, worse than when I was a new parent, and I'm not joking or exaggerating for effect. Unfortunately the medical system is hard to make move faster than it wants to. If you can find what your problem is before then, you'll be happier. [1]: I do not need people to pop up with the possible causes of this; I am currently engaged with the medical system and aware of the possibilities related to apnea, etc. (I have recorded myself at night and I do not seem to have a snoring problem, so if it is apnea it's the relatively unusual, but existing, no-snoring version. It may also simply be genetic as my mother is prone to it.)
- nradov 9y ago
  Gamification and competition can be a good motivator. I use the Strava.com mobile app to track endurance exercises (swimming/cycling/running) and just started using the Jefit app to track weightlifting. When I see my friends have been working out and beating me it gives an incentive to get off the couch. There's nothing wrong with going straight to bed after exercise. You'll probably sleep better for it.
- dbg31415 9y ago
  Soccer? Frisbee? I had a problem not wanting to do things if it wasn't competitive... and not wanting to play if I wasn't going to be good... Anyway I sort of got over that... but mostly I just have some dogs I walk now. We do a 5 mile loop before breakfast every morning. Made a big difference in my health and mindset. Plus... it means getting up early enough to do a 5 mile loop before breakfast, and since I'm competitive (even with myself) I started saying, "Ok, yesterday was 1 hour... can I do the same walk in 55 minutes today?" So that turned into jogging... and a few years into it I really started liking to jog. My morning feels off if I don't get the blood flowing before I shower. Think a dog or a stopwatch would help?
- throwasehasdwi 9y ago
  I'm an adrenaline junkie and found my love of exercise in biking. You can go fast enough that it's a decent rush, and going out on trails can be really exciting. Once you get into good shape you can hit over 30mph for short times.
  - steve_adams_86 9y ago
    You can go even faster with some effort! The other day I was frequently hitting well over 50kph, maxing out around 62kph (30-38mph) and I was trying to conserve energy. It's a hell of a lot of fun. I'm not even that fast or fit - any half decent bike will absolutely fly on a good descent. https://www.strava.com/activities/954036327 https://www.strava.com/activities/954036327 (Shows top speed recorded by my GPS)
- Pamar 9y ago
  Have you ever tried a Martial Art? It does not need to make you a "fighter", but (at least for me) actually learning and improving at has never been boring (28 years of Aikido and counting).
- shrimp_emoji 9y ago
  You don't get that rush of endorphins which makes you feel godlike, if only briefly? Then try doing it harder. (And with better music.)
  - marssaxman 9y ago
    I have never, so far as I am aware, experienced any such thing as an endorphin rush, even though I do practically everything in life harder and with better music. Physical activity is great if it's part of something fun, but I've never been able to find anything intrinsically pleasant about exercise for its own sake.
- 3pt14159 9y ago
  You just need to exercise every day for a couple of months. Bike everywhere, lift weights / do calisthenics / climb three times a week. After two months of this it starts feeling more fun because it's easier and you'll start seeing progress. Five years seems like such a very long time when you start. Five years ago I was smoking, consuming way too much sugar, and eating tons of processed foods. Small changes over time and I'm at around 10% body fat, unbelievable lung capacity, and a much stronger psyche and work ethic. I feel like I've gotten younger from 26 to 31, and I'm 32 in June.
- cpeterso 9y ago
  I use running as an opportunity to listen to audio books. I've caught up on many classic books, thanks to Audible. I actually look forward to it. :)
- samsonradu 9y ago
  Did you consider picking up a sport? Say squash, football, basketball, anything? I can see why weights are boring, running is also kinda meh imo. But sports is motivating for me, I see all those footbal stars on tv and I'm dying to try the moves, the drills and get better at it. Also if you pick up a singles sports you probably should get a coach to set you on the right path in the beginning, you'll like it even more.
- MrFantastic 9y ago
  Climbing, dance, biking. You barely dipped your toe in the water.
delecti 9y ago
Is "to storvas" a typo? I can't tell what that is, and Google isn't helping. I don't understand what the result of those meds would be without know what those meds themselves are.
- r_singh 9y ago
  Sorry, storvas is the brand name for Atorvastatin here in India. Similar to Lipitor in the states I think.
0xcafecafe 9y ago
Just curious, what are the issues that he found with regards to the medication? I am asking because I was prescribed statins at 30 for the same issue.
- r_singh 9y ago
  It caused gradual rise in blood sugar, which caused him to read about potential side effects after which he got cautious and decided that he wanted another way. Turns out rigorous working out was a good way to control cholesterol and he was determined he had stop the meds out of fear for future. You can read about side effects of statins like lipitor, et cetera, it just scared him off and lead to exercising; which comes with a whole lotta benefits. Tbh I'm not really sure the side effects might've even been that drastic, but he didn't wanna take chances. Side note: statins are a 20+ billion dollar industry. lipitor being a solid winner. Made my dad feel like there was no coming back once he was dependent on the statin.

Clubber 9y ago

I find that if I walk 30 minutes, 3 days a week, I feel significantly better. I've been going to the gym lately and feel even better than that. The point being, is we've become so lethargic that 30 minute walk, 3 days a week is a great start and easy to accomplish.

interfixus 9y ago

I can't really say I'm a fan of all the imperatives. I could even choose to consider them a bit on the rude side.

kbutler 9y ago
Instead, choose to consider them an exhortation for your benefit.
pc86 9y ago
What is rude about them?
- interfixus 9y ago
  It's really just the general prescriptivism of the workout-crowd that gets me. I'm quite capable of handling maintenance chores on my own mind & body, thank you, but this newfangled evangelism keeps coming at me from all angles.
  - lawik 9y ago
    I get that. I try not to push people that don't actually want a push. And I know people that get really turned off of a thing if people are too enthusiastic about it or pushing it too hard at them. Sometimes I feel it too. I feel it is pretty common in tech, especially as people are used to pitching their "good" or "correct" solutions to people bringing up a problem.
  - pc86 9y ago
    Working out is good for you. That's an empirical fact. I don't think it does anyone any favors to pretend that it's not. Obviously if you have injuries you should modify and scale workouts appropriately. But not working out is making a conscious choice to be less healthy. That's fine if that's where your priorities lie, but it's still a conscious choice to be less healthy, not simply a difference of opinion. It's much closer to choosing to smoke cigarettes than it is choosing to use a different text editor.
9y ago

zeroami 9y ago

Shameless plug: I work at fitness startup, MoveWith (https://www.movewith.com https://www.movewith.com). We are focused on creating audio fitness classes by some of the best instructors. I know that sometimes I don't know what I should do so for me it has been really helpful to have an instructor in my ear guiding my workout, I am biased here of course ;). I have created a free gift trial for the Hacker News community (no credit card required) to try it out. Hopefully this motivates people to get moving! https://www.movewith.com/redeemgift/hackernews https://www.movewith.com/redeemgift/hackernews :)

criddell 9y ago
I took a look around the web site to see what MoveWith is and one thing jumped out at me right away - the photos are almost all of women (e.g. https://www.movewith.com/collections/getsweaty https://www.movewith.com/collections/getsweaty). It doesn't bother me, but it's also clearly intentional and I'm wondering what the reason is.
efoto 9y ago
I just tried low intensity audio workout. Some feedback: I quit after 3 minutes not being able to imagine any of the movements, crunch being an exception. It may be a neat idea for gym junkies, but useless for beginners.