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> At no point did we actually... go to a gym You really don't have to go to a gym if you don't like it , or do something "hard" that many people dislike like r

> At no point did we actually... go to a gym You really don't have to go to a gym if you don't like it , or do something "hard" that many people dislike like running. You can simply walk briskly for 150 minutes a week (which is the recommended dose, and which 80% of Americans and other Westerners don't meet). That is time outside (vitamin D) + moving your entire body - less chronic pain, better joints, better bones etc. I think even this alone without resistance training (which is important) could be enough to help most people with morbidities and depression. Our machine is simply not meant to remain stationary all day and be bombarded with social media and TV, there's no wonder neurosis is off the charts.

joe_mamba 8mo ago
>You really don't have to go to a gym if you don't like it ... You can simply walk briskly for 150 minutes a week I don't like flossing and brushing my teeth either, but yet I still do it regularly. In fact, I never met anyone who brushes they teeth out of enjoyment, but out of habit. Similarly, the habit of exercise(and other health related activities) needs to be cultivated, you don't have to like it, you just do it because it's what's best for you. If you take no accountability over your own actions and agency and expect life is about doing only the things you enjoy, then no amount of SSRIs or expensive therapy sessions will fix this.
- weatherlite 8mo ago
  I'm with you up to a point. If you have time watch Dr Liberman's video about why people resist exercise so much despite wanting to do it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vzS7-MtObo& https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vzS7-MtObo& There's nothing new here, we all know this, but he brings the point home very well. I think brisk walking is within the realm of possibilites for most people. Running and lifting - idk. I personally love it but so many people I know have such a huge psychological resistance to doing it. So I say lets get people to at least walk!
  - joe_mamba 8mo ago
    >why people resist exercise so much despite wanting to do it: I don't need to watch a video, I can just do introspection and I know why I resit exercise. In fact, most people will watch the self help videos and learn the exact same things they already knew, if only they'd be honest with themselves about their issue and not try to avoid accountability. But it's easier to accept things when a professional specialist tells them to you, often for money. The problem is many people want for someone to tell them that the issues they have are not their fault, so they can feel better about not doing anything to improve their situation. > I think brisk walking is within the realm of possibilites for most people. Walks are good except when you live in a concrete hellhole full with busy traffic. That's why I avoid telling people exactly what exercise they should do, as that depends on their health, location, financial situation and lifestyle.
    - weatherlite 8mo ago
      > I don't need to watch a video, I can just do introspection and I know why I resit exercise Well just if anyone reads this , Liberman's point is that we are biologically programmed to NOT want to exercise unless there's a clear biological incentive - like getting food, or a social incentive - like a tribe participating in a dance or children playing. Since for millions of years we couldn't tell when the next calory of food would come - exercising for the heck of it was insanity and you wouldn't survive. You expended so many calories just gathering and hunting you mostly rested when you could. So basically our biology does not fit into the world of calory abundance we live in.
      - joe_mamba 8mo ago
        Because the concept of exercise is a very modern and unnatural thing for humans. We've been moving all day to make a living for most of our history, only when we switched to sedentary desk jobs did we discover the need to do exercise to maintain our health, but that's like the past 50+ years compared to 50K year history of being hunter gatherers. It doesn't take a prestigious scientist to connect these dots.
- bubblewand 8mo ago
  Maybe I’m an odd duck, but my key trigger to brush my teeth is an aversion to how gross my mouth is if I don’t, not habit. The reward is immediate, and the task fast. Noticing my mouth is gross catches any failure of the habit of teeth brushing in my routines. The habit developed from repetition but is very much not necessary to get me to do it, there’s an actual, natural, reliable trigger for it independent of the habit.
- hn_throw2025 8mo ago
  I’ve tried various kinds of exercise over the years, and I think the key is to keep experimenting until you find something sustainable that you actually like. And make it as frictionless (in terms of getting started) as possible. I use a walking pad at home. Each night after dinner, I’ll go into that room and watch a movie (or half) on my iPad when I’m walking on it. I did over 3 miles last night (at a moderate pace), and that’s pretty typical. Not because I’m trying to work out, just because I’m into the movie and don’t want to stop. If I had friction of needing fresh gym clothes, having to drive somewhere, or thinking about if the weather is nice enough for an outside walk, I would probably be too lazy to walk most evenings. If I didn’t have the entertainment of the movie, I would probably find the exercise boring and not feel incentivised. I do it because I’m looking forward to the movie and I know I’ll feel great afterwards. As they say, you need to design your habits for the laziest, most unmotivated version of yourself.
- bulbar 8mo ago
  When you suffer from a clinical depression, no amount of accountability will fix this. Also, when you are low on mental resources, don't try to do something that you dislike to begin with just because you believe it's optimal. Instead, do the thing that's potentially non optimal but sustainable. For example, start to do regular walks instead of going to the gym. To be honest, I am kind of shocked of the comments here on HN regarding this topic.
staticassertion 8mo ago
I actually do exercise. What I'm suggesting here is that there was never anyone helping me to build that habit forming, it has been entirely "self serve".

joe_mamba 8mo ago

>You really don't have to go to a gym if you don't like it ... You can simply walk briskly for 150 minutes a week I don't like flossing and brushing my teeth either, but yet I still do it regularly. In fact, I never met anyone who brushes they teeth out of enjoyment, but out of habit. Similarly, the habit of exercise(and other health related activities) needs to be cultivated, you don't have to like it, you just do it because it's what's best for you. If you take no accountability over your own actions and agency and expect life is about doing only the things you enjoy, then no amount of SSRIs or expensive therapy sessions will fix this.

weatherlite 8mo ago
I'm with you up to a point. If you have time watch Dr Liberman's video about why people resist exercise so much despite wanting to do it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vzS7-MtObo& https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vzS7-MtObo& There's nothing new here, we all know this, but he brings the point home very well. I think brisk walking is within the realm of possibilites for most people. Running and lifting - idk. I personally love it but so many people I know have such a huge psychological resistance to doing it. So I say lets get people to at least walk!
- joe_mamba 8mo ago
  >why people resist exercise so much despite wanting to do it: I don't need to watch a video, I can just do introspection and I know why I resit exercise. In fact, most people will watch the self help videos and learn the exact same things they already knew, if only they'd be honest with themselves about their issue and not try to avoid accountability. But it's easier to accept things when a professional specialist tells them to you, often for money. The problem is many people want for someone to tell them that the issues they have are not their fault, so they can feel better about not doing anything to improve their situation. > I think brisk walking is within the realm of possibilites for most people. Walks are good except when you live in a concrete hellhole full with busy traffic. That's why I avoid telling people exactly what exercise they should do, as that depends on their health, location, financial situation and lifestyle.
  - weatherlite 8mo ago
    > I don't need to watch a video, I can just do introspection and I know why I resit exercise Well just if anyone reads this , Liberman's point is that we are biologically programmed to NOT want to exercise unless there's a clear biological incentive - like getting food, or a social incentive - like a tribe participating in a dance or children playing. Since for millions of years we couldn't tell when the next calory of food would come - exercising for the heck of it was insanity and you wouldn't survive. You expended so many calories just gathering and hunting you mostly rested when you could. So basically our biology does not fit into the world of calory abundance we live in.
    - joe_mamba 8mo ago
      Because the concept of exercise is a very modern and unnatural thing for humans. We've been moving all day to make a living for most of our history, only when we switched to sedentary desk jobs did we discover the need to do exercise to maintain our health, but that's like the past 50+ years compared to 50K year history of being hunter gatherers. It doesn't take a prestigious scientist to connect these dots.
bubblewand 8mo ago
Maybe I’m an odd duck, but my key trigger to brush my teeth is an aversion to how gross my mouth is if I don’t, not habit. The reward is immediate, and the task fast. Noticing my mouth is gross catches any failure of the habit of teeth brushing in my routines. The habit developed from repetition but is very much not necessary to get me to do it, there’s an actual, natural, reliable trigger for it independent of the habit.
hn_throw2025 8mo ago
I’ve tried various kinds of exercise over the years, and I think the key is to keep experimenting until you find something sustainable that you actually like. And make it as frictionless (in terms of getting started) as possible. I use a walking pad at home. Each night after dinner, I’ll go into that room and watch a movie (or half) on my iPad when I’m walking on it. I did over 3 miles last night (at a moderate pace), and that’s pretty typical. Not because I’m trying to work out, just because I’m into the movie and don’t want to stop. If I had friction of needing fresh gym clothes, having to drive somewhere, or thinking about if the weather is nice enough for an outside walk, I would probably be too lazy to walk most evenings. If I didn’t have the entertainment of the movie, I would probably find the exercise boring and not feel incentivised. I do it because I’m looking forward to the movie and I know I’ll feel great afterwards. As they say, you need to design your habits for the laziest, most unmotivated version of yourself.
bulbar 8mo ago
When you suffer from a clinical depression, no amount of accountability will fix this. Also, when you are low on mental resources, don't try to do something that you dislike to begin with just because you believe it's optimal. Instead, do the thing that's potentially non optimal but sustainable. For example, start to do regular walks instead of going to the gym. To be honest, I am kind of shocked of the comments here on HN regarding this topic.

staticassertion 8mo ago

I actually do exercise. What I'm suggesting here is that there was never anyone helping me to build that habit forming, it has been entirely "self serve".