I started lifting for self improvement and quickly got hooked on progression and getting stronger. It didn’t take long to become a habit and now it’s the thing I most look forward to after a long day of work. With no more than three hours per week you can completely transform yourself…
Lift heavy things! If you keep lifting them then you can lift even heavier things!
No joke, this is my favorite aspect too. It gets to a point where you start to enjoy the soreness.
It’s IRL character advancement. That’s the trick if you’re into RPGs. Sometimes you gotta grind for that XP.
A lot of the fitness apps have tracking for weightlifting. You get a little badge or animation when you hit a new max… I think there’s a missed opportunity here for a weightlifting RPG like walkscape is for walking…
Yes and then tracking, in great detail, exactly how heavy the things were and how much heavier they were than last time. Just incredible stuff
A couple ideas:
One of the best things you can do to be active is walk/run/use cardio machines for long stretches of time. So,
- Get some wireless headphones and catch up on some podcasts, albums, or audiobooks you’ve wanted to check out.
- If you have a convenient way to set it up, you can try to get an excercise bike or treadmill in front of a TV screen, and watch or even game while you’re active
- Find some trails nearby. It’s more fun moving around if your focus is on sightseeing and exploration, instead of exercising
But also, gamification can be fun. Stuff like,
- Last time I did 3 sets of 12 reps of 100 lb, can I do more this time? Get an app and keep track, aim to increase either reps or weight when you can
- Last time I went a half mile in 20 minutes, can I do it faster this time?
- Yesterday I walked for 5 minutes, can I handle 6 today?
- Can I piece together a workout from some exercises that I don’t hate? One that gives me push/pull/legs? One that covers certain muscle groups? That planning can be kinda fun
- Likewise with diet, get a calorie counter app and try to eat with intention. Think of it like a strategy game for min/maxing numbers. Can I get a slight surplus? Deficit? Can I get xyz grams of protein a day, or stay below xyz grams of sugar?
I’ve recently taken up swimming. I’m much more inspired to do it if it’s an indoor facility, so the city rec center pass is inexpensive and then I’m inspired to go. Even if all I do is fart around on a pool noodle for an hour, I’m still moving, and the water makes the impact on my bad knee go away.
Boxing. Constant movement, hell of a work out, and you get to punch shit
Anything competitive works for me. Boxing, BJJ, rock climbing…
Actually “competitive” is the wrong word. It’s any sport where I’m not in control of how much effort I’m putting in. Eg running doesn’t work because as soon as someone beats me, I just stop trying
By doing physical activity that’s intrinsically rewarding.
If you enjoy bike riding, go ride your bike, and don’t even bother thinking about it as exercise. Enjoy, and get into it.
The fitness part is just a side effect.
I’ve never enjoyed gyms or traditional workouts, but yoga clicks with me.
I have to walk the dog, so I get myself out. Once I’ve started walking doing a little longer than the bare minimum is not too bad. If the weather is nice it’s actually quite enjoyable.
Soccer
If you’re looking for a “life hack” to make any exercise instantly enjoyable, then that’s really not going to happen.
But you sound like you’re motivated to start exercising so that’s great. You can add this in layers to make this genuinely enjoyable:
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find something you like (for me: weight lifting and squash are fun. Running and swimming are hell)
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Decide on a fixed time (for me: 10pm every day is designated for exercise)
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Make it as simple as possible and remove as many barriers as possible (for me: I don’t sit to watch TV or play video games close to exercise time, otherwise I know I’m not going to get up again. I put on exercise clothes when I get home from work so I’m already ready when the time comes).
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Add something else that’s really enjoyable (For me: I have a TV series that I only watch when I’m in the gym. So if I want to find out what happens next, I’ll have to go to the gym tomorrow.)
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Make this routine (once you’re habituated to doing this regularly, then it stops taking will power to force yourself and is just embedded in your routine)
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Forgive yourself for missing sessions (any time you miss a session, it doesn’t matter, you’ll start making progress again any time you start exercising again)
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Make it social (some people love this and you can do exercise with someone. I personally hate that and I love the meditative solitude of exercise time)
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Pick up an outdoor hobby like disc golf, tennis, pickleball, golf, something that you can enjoy with other people. You can usually find an amateur league of various sports/games and that’ll keep you going when they ask if you’re coming or you’re signed up to play on a team for the season.
You may even enjoy the company of those people and do other sports/activities together.
Turning it into a game can also help.
Remember, it’s more about slowly creating a sustainable habit of moving your body that’s important. You don’t need to run a 10K tomorrow to be successful.
Maybe you can make a map of the parks around your city and put a fun sticker on each park after you visit for 30 minutes, regardless the activity. Idk, just kinda throwing stuff out there.
I take my canoe out on a lake that’s 8 minutes from my house. Relaxing, and the exercise is a side effect.
I’m also delusional enough to think I can box so I hit the punching bag for 40 minutes some days. It’s a joke but makes me feel badass.
Flow arts
A doctors note telling me I don’t have to. :)
When you have a heart attack, they enroll you in a program called “Cardiac Rehab”, it’s like physical therapy for your heart.
Had the first heart attack, started the program, doing the workouts, felt pretty good. Actually, while using the machine, it felt like I could do it all day.
Then they’d have me stop, cool down, drink some water, my blood pressure would crater and I’d pass out. :(
Doc said “Yeah, I don’t think Cardiac Rehab is productive for you…”
Had the 2nd heart attack. “Well, that was 5 years ago, lets try it again!”
Sure… Same deal.
I used to hike. You can get really fit from hiking or even just going for a walk every day.
Nowadays I don’t exercise because even a shower is exercise. Pro tip: don’t get Lyme disease and Long Covid together.
Personally, I like a treadmill.
For years I planned to get one, and all the runners in my family would talk about how awful they are, how no one ever uses it once they have it, and getting outside is so much better.
I finally got the treadmill a couple months ago, and I use it several times per week. Some weeks I use it every day. It’s convenient, I can control the temperature in the room, I can watch something on my phone while I run, and I like being able to set a consistent pace.
