How do you do it?

[--tom--]

So here is my question. It is something that has bothered me all of my life.

How do you face an exercise program? I hear about people who talk about a “great workout”….HUH? I would rather go to the dentist, paint my house & garden in the snow than workout. When I am done with a workout I would like to slap a puppy & spit on someone’s shoes. What on this green earth gives you a mindset to tolerate these feelings along with the discomfort, and mind-numbing boredom?

I have lasted as long as a year doing workouts a few times a week, simply with the goal of being capable of hauling dive gear across the beach easier, but this has become an impossible sell to myself. Is there an obvious trick I am missing? Not so obvious of trick? How do you do it, week in and week out?

 

[JeffG]

When I do strength training. I love the feeling of "getting" stronger. So that by itself keeps it going.

But I do try and limit my strength training to about ~1/2 hr.

(I don't listen to tunes or watch TV while doing strength training.)


For cardio workouts, I make sure I don't do things that I hate. (like jogging). For the most part I use about 3 different machines (and once in a blue moon, a treadmill), put in the mp3 player and blast the tunes.

Sometimes I watch TV. This morning, I was watching the British Open while working out.

 

[fisherdvm]

I have a treadmill in front of the TV, and its easy to do 30 minutes when a show is on. When the weather is warm enough, a jog around the block is about 1 mile, I usually do 2 laps. We have a small lake behind our house, back and forth is about 0.75 miles, and I swim with a wetsuit when its cold. We go to the local gym and I do laps in the pool, run on the ellipticals, or work out on the variety of weight machines. I don't consider scuba diving an aerobic activity, unless we do 3 or 4 shallow dives and cover alot of ground.

I think the key is not to over do it, keep it mild, keep it varied ... and it is never too late to get 15 minutes or more on the treadmill.

 

[noladiver]

Mountain biking is my preferred way to stay in shape for diving. Knock out 20 miles on the trail and a 45 minute dive is nothing.

 

[TSandM]

Maybe I speak as shouldn't, because I haven't made a full year of a program yet, but when I just can't face going to the gym, or I'm halfway through the program on the elliptical trainer and the voice in the back of my head is saying, "Enough already", I just remember one of the last cave dives I did with Kevin and Richard, and tell myself, "This is why you are doing what you are doing." So far, it has worked.

 

[almitywife]

... How do you do it, week in and week out?

yesterday i was sitting in my car looking at my boot camp trainer, it was cold (its our winter) and wet and i was wishing i was any place else at than moment than where i was

but then i remember how i need to haul my fat *** up and down hills with gear for our shore dives and i need to fit into my suit and how everyone in my family dies young but hubbys family seems to live forever & as ive made him domestically stupid (ie he hasnt cooked or cleaned in 10yrs) i cant stand the thought of him living alone if i drop dead early, so i make myself get out of bed at 5.30am for my morning sessions because i rather do them sooner in my day than later and i also prepay my sessions to make myself go

god i had exercise - genetically its skipped my family gene pool entirely and we all hate it

 

[Tanked]

I look at a picture of myself from 2 years ago, and remember being embarased everytime i took my shirt off at the beach. Having the feeling that all eyes were on me. I think of all that, and how I never want to feel that way again. Thats how i push myself through another workout.

 

[SurDo2]

Sounds like your doing a workout you don't enjoy. Find an activity or a recreational sports league to combine a social aspect as well. It doesn't have to be a dreaded "work out". That being said, I do the crossfit work out every day.

 

[Cacia]

Have you tried a heart rate monitor? Because for some strange reason it keeps me focused--when you notice you are feeling so much better at the same rate, you feel encouraged.

Also, I would suggest you try cutting your time back to where you don't dread it so much. A shorter workout, maintained is much easier to do consistently if you stop trying to do so much. Just get a nice buzz in your target range and after 30 minutes, let yourself stop if you like. Often you will go longer, but play mind games with yourself.

 

[W3tWilly]

Good news for you, according to this exercise book mark I have from the local gym. Gardening burns about 340 calories an hour and I imagine in the snow only increase that amount. The bookmark doesn't mention painting a house, but what can you do? Doing the exercises you enjoy is key.