5 ms·

I went from a completely sedentary desk life to running a half-marathon in 7 months (includes a 1 month groin injury). On a treadmill, training myself. You can

I went from a completely sedentary desk life to running a half-marathon in 7 months (includes a 1 month groin injury). On a treadmill, training myself. You can do it, too, and the effect on mood is spectacular. In fact the effect on mood comes way before a half-marathon. So don’t get overwhelmed and think you have to do that much.

abzug 5y ago
Thanks, I have plans to exercise coming 2022.
- addnab 5y ago
  Don't wait till 2022 or even tomorrow. You need to train your mind to see good habits like exercising as something fundamental as breathing instead of a chore. Start today. It can be little as single push up or a 10 sec plank. Start tiny and work your way up. Churning out a quick 25 pushups will soon be easy and effortless in a couple of months time if you can only do 1 today. I'm not a fan of self help books in general but Atomic Habits really changed my mindset for good.
  - akavel 5y ago
    I heartily recommend the r/bodyweightfitness's Recommended Routine (https://old.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/wiki/kb/recommended_routine https://old.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/wiki/kb/recommend...). I found it extremely reasonable, convincing, and beginner-friendly. It has detailed progressions on what to start from if you can't do a pushup or other (all the way up to if you can do it on one hand or whatever), and is absolutely not condescending, instead gives amazingly practical advice. It doesn't ask you to do more than 8 repetitions of any major exercise ever in a series, regardless how advanced you are, and there's whole ton of explanations why it's enough and why physiologically the freaking breaks between exercises are important and must not be shortened. I found it amazingly anti-bullshit yet super approachable.
    - addnab 5y ago
      It's funny you suggested that because I use the r/BWF's Recommended Routine myself. I'm big on calisthenics and wish to do one arm push up and handstand pushups someday. BWF for the win because if a gym is closed because of a pandemic or if I'm on vacation, I don't want to feel my routine being disrupted.
- ColinWright 5y ago
  If something is a good idea, don't put it off. I don't understand people who make New Year resolutions and wait until the New Year to do them. If it's a good idea ... start now!
  - weaksauce 5y ago
    I want to add to this... i set a goal a while back of doing the equivalent point in duolingo every day of like 2 or 3 lessons. that didn't work in the long term and the streak went away and i lost the motivation to keep "stubbing my toe" so to speak every few days. I changed it to 1 lesson a day and the streak is almost 700 days in a row now and there is usually some motivation to do an extra few lessons or not once you get going. but just doing it and making the goals small will build those habits. I would say start really, really small in the goals and it will pay off. do 5 pushups or even if it's just one pushup it will add up and make it more manageable and more likely that you will stick with it.
    - ColinWright 5y ago
      What I've started this week is this: * One each of push-up, sit-up, burpee, star jump, squat, and run up and down the stairs; * Every week, increase by 1.
verst 5y ago
I'll add that virtually all running groups you find on Facebook or Meetup are very welcoming of new runners of all experience and ability levels. Having the regular schedule of a running group helps a lot with keeping up the regular exercise, especially when the weather gets questionable. Running groups seem intimidating to everyone - even reasonably fast amateur runners. Once you go however you will find you will meet lots of interesting people all working to stay healthy or challenge their own personal goals. It's absolutely not a competitive environment.
- TedDoesntTalk 5y ago
  They were intimidating to me so I never went. Add the weather variability, and knee wear when running on pavement, and I just stuck to the treadmill the whole time. Even for the half-marathons. I realize I missed out on the social aspect, but if you are running with headphones and huffing and puffing, how much socializing is there? I guess the socializing must happen before and after. Even still, maybe I’ll give it a try. Thanks for the tip.
  - verst 5y ago
    One of my weekly group runs is 4 miles followed by beers with the runners on an early week day evening. Monday nights another group offers options of 3 and 5 miles and we always wait for everyone at the half way point and finish point. Another one is Friday mornings at 6 am a 6 mile loop around the lake followed by coffee. Saturday mornings at 7 am one of my groups does long runs - those are especially cool because they provide many distance options (I usually go 13-18 miles) and people then group up based on pace. For the long runs I always run much slower than I would do otherwise - this is where it is really nice to have people to chat with. I would never get up so early if it weren't for these groups. Other than these running groups I actually don't have a friend group where I live. It's nice to consistently see a mix of regular and new people and do something healthy (except for your knees perhaps) together. By the way I really like wearing Hoka One One shoes for their extra cushioning. Definitely helps with pavement. If you are bored of pavement, at least where I live there are many trail running groups too. I just don't like having to drive far to start running.

abzug 5y ago

Thanks, I have plans to exercise coming 2022.

addnab 5y ago
Don't wait till 2022 or even tomorrow. You need to train your mind to see good habits like exercising as something fundamental as breathing instead of a chore. Start today. It can be little as single push up or a 10 sec plank. Start tiny and work your way up. Churning out a quick 25 pushups will soon be easy and effortless in a couple of months time if you can only do 1 today. I'm not a fan of self help books in general but Atomic Habits really changed my mindset for good.
- akavel 5y ago
  I heartily recommend the r/bodyweightfitness's Recommended Routine (https://old.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/wiki/kb/recommended_routine https://old.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/wiki/kb/recommend...). I found it extremely reasonable, convincing, and beginner-friendly. It has detailed progressions on what to start from if you can't do a pushup or other (all the way up to if you can do it on one hand or whatever), and is absolutely not condescending, instead gives amazingly practical advice. It doesn't ask you to do more than 8 repetitions of any major exercise ever in a series, regardless how advanced you are, and there's whole ton of explanations why it's enough and why physiologically the freaking breaks between exercises are important and must not be shortened. I found it amazingly anti-bullshit yet super approachable.
  - addnab 5y ago
    It's funny you suggested that because I use the r/BWF's Recommended Routine myself. I'm big on calisthenics and wish to do one arm push up and handstand pushups someday. BWF for the win because if a gym is closed because of a pandemic or if I'm on vacation, I don't want to feel my routine being disrupted.
ColinWright 5y ago
If something is a good idea, don't put it off. I don't understand people who make New Year resolutions and wait until the New Year to do them. If it's a good idea ... start now!
- weaksauce 5y ago
  I want to add to this... i set a goal a while back of doing the equivalent point in duolingo every day of like 2 or 3 lessons. that didn't work in the long term and the streak went away and i lost the motivation to keep "stubbing my toe" so to speak every few days. I changed it to 1 lesson a day and the streak is almost 700 days in a row now and there is usually some motivation to do an extra few lessons or not once you get going. but just doing it and making the goals small will build those habits. I would say start really, really small in the goals and it will pay off. do 5 pushups or even if it's just one pushup it will add up and make it more manageable and more likely that you will stick with it.
  - ColinWright 5y ago
    What I've started this week is this: * One each of push-up, sit-up, burpee, star jump, squat, and run up and down the stairs; * Every week, increase by 1.

verst 5y ago

I'll add that virtually all running groups you find on Facebook or Meetup are very welcoming of new runners of all experience and ability levels. Having the regular schedule of a running group helps a lot with keeping up the regular exercise, especially when the weather gets questionable. Running groups seem intimidating to everyone - even reasonably fast amateur runners. Once you go however you will find you will meet lots of interesting people all working to stay healthy or challenge their own personal goals. It's absolutely not a competitive environment.

TedDoesntTalk 5y ago
They were intimidating to me so I never went. Add the weather variability, and knee wear when running on pavement, and I just stuck to the treadmill the whole time. Even for the half-marathons. I realize I missed out on the social aspect, but if you are running with headphones and huffing and puffing, how much socializing is there? I guess the socializing must happen before and after. Even still, maybe I’ll give it a try. Thanks for the tip.
- verst 5y ago
  One of my weekly group runs is 4 miles followed by beers with the runners on an early week day evening. Monday nights another group offers options of 3 and 5 miles and we always wait for everyone at the half way point and finish point. Another one is Friday mornings at 6 am a 6 mile loop around the lake followed by coffee. Saturday mornings at 7 am one of my groups does long runs - those are especially cool because they provide many distance options (I usually go 13-18 miles) and people then group up based on pace. For the long runs I always run much slower than I would do otherwise - this is where it is really nice to have people to chat with. I would never get up so early if it weren't for these groups. Other than these running groups I actually don't have a friend group where I live. It's nice to consistently see a mix of regular and new people and do something healthy (except for your knees perhaps) together. By the way I really like wearing Hoka One One shoes for their extra cushioning. Definitely helps with pavement. If you are bored of pavement, at least where I live there are many trail running groups too. I just don't like having to drive far to start running.