Fitness - motivation, how to do it

[mrcharly-YHT]

DrMekon said something I found quite interesting (probably because I agreed with it <confirmation bias>)

TL:DR - don't rely on will power. Change your environment so that good habits* are sustained by default, and self-monitor rather than put your head in the sand.

I used to express this as "Build exercise into your life, don't bolt it on".

Many of us as cyclists are pretty good at doing a base level of exercise built into our life.

Getting older, I'm concious that cycling isn't enough and I need to do more, look after my core.
   
I have always had a motivational problem doing things like <shudder> homework. When on some motivational self-discovery course one day I made a personal revolutionary discovery; the secret to getting the vile dreaded stuff done was to do it. Ugh. Or to put it another way, when I thought about doing it, do it there and then. Don't plan to do it later. Just do it.

So I'm not even a fan of 'going to the gym' anymore. That's too much of an option to put things off, unless there are other factors in your life that mean that 'going to the gym' is very enticing. Build the exercise into your life, make it so easy to do that when you think of doing those squats/yoga stretches/planks etc you can do them.
   
I'm going to sign up to Kajsa's sweat pledge initiative. I have a goal in mind for this year; I want to get my core strength back to the point where I can do a squat with 100kg again. I started working on it last night.

[Kim]

I'm finding that I have a surprising amount of willpower for short, miserable mostly-urban winter rides at the moment, because if I want to get this ankle back to a decent level of stamina it's either that or the turbo trainer, and the idea of not being able to do proper bike rides in the summer is a strong motivator.

I've never found fitness in itself to be a source of motivation for anything, as opposed to being able to do some future thing without dying horribly, which has on occasion motivated me to get out on my bike when I normally wouldn't be arsed.  Often this decision has taken the form of a spontaneous "is there a good reason *not* to go for a ride?", which fits with the 'just do it' logic.

I find physiotherapy pledges are easier than sweat pledges, as there's a short-term, tangible goal.  Boring as hell, though.

And on that note, I should go and ride my bike...

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

Insulating and lining the roof space.  All sorts of exercise involved.  Am looking forward to finishing the bits where I have to crawl around in confined spaces.

[DrMekon]

DrMekon said something I found quite interesting...

A first! I'm putting that on my gravestone.

[Polar Bear]

I have been looking for something to give me motivation to exercise more.    I've managed to build up a group of local cycling friends, some of whom are retired.   The plan is to get out for three rides a week and aim for a minimum 100 kms per week this year.   Not massive but better than we usually manage as an annual total.

I also will be going for a walk of at least 5kms two or three times a week.   I can often work these walks in to coincide with other tasks so I will be going out anyway, just taking a longer route.   

[velosam]

I struggle with this as well, but am motivated by fear. Its taken me four, difficult year, just to get to this level of fitness (not great, mind) and I really do not want to witter it anyway. I seem to be making lots of choices from fear of loss, but this is a separate subject

[mr ben]

TL:DR - don't rely on will power. Change your environment so that good habits* are sustained by default, and self-monitor rather than put your head in the sand.

I started cycling to work because I HAD to. On the first day I was a wheezing mess. It got easier every day, despite my crap bike and inappropriate clothes. Now I am fortunate enough that I live somewhere with a good bus service, and I can afford a nice bike and clothing. So I don't do it everyday, because I don't have to. Which is not what I want at all. But it requires a 'non-essential' type of motivation, which I'm not very good at.


   

I have always had a motivational problem doing things like <shudder> homework. When on some motivational self-discovery course one day I made a personal revolutionary discovery; the secret to getting the vile dreaded stuff done was to do it. Ugh. Or to put it another way, when I thought about doing it, do it there and then. Don't plan to do it later. Just do it.

I usually trick myself into doing housework, by thinking "I'll just quickly clean the sink" and then do more once I've started. If it thought "I need to clean the whole house" I'd never start.

[ian]

If you make exercise is optional there's a danger you'll take the option not to. Building something into a daily schedule works well because it's always there and if you don't do it then there's a conspicuous hole. You're consciously having to take the option not to do it. I schedule a swimming session each lunch time in my calendar and if I'm not travelling it's non-negotiable. After a decade or so, if I don't go, I feel shit. It also means that if I'm travelling, I have to do something in lieu, even if it's the grim hotel gym treadmill experience. Exercise is a component of my day, it's no longer about motivation, it's like getting up, going to bed, eating dinner. It's just there.

I confess that finding the motivation for cycling is more challenging this time of year. Fortunately, being dependent on Southern trains often gives me little choice.

[DrMekon]

If you make exercise is optional there's a danger you'll take the option not to. Building something into a daily schedule works well because it's always there and if you don't do it then there's a conspicuous hole. You're consciously having to take the option not to do it. I schedule a swimming session each lunch time in my calendar and if I'm not travelling it's non-negotiable. After a decade or so, if I don't go, I feel shit. It also means that if I'm travelling, I have to do something in lieu, even if it's the grim hotel gym treadmill experience. Exercise is a component of my day, it's no longer about motivation, it's like getting up, going to bed, eating dinner. It's just there.

I confess that finding the motivation for cycling is more challenging this time of year. Fortunately, being dependent on Southern trains often gives me little choice.

I think that's pretty much how I feel. I've found starting to do rest days so I can do more intense intervals really hard - it's weird having a day without exercise, and feels more cognitively demanding to manage. Still, I've always said "treat exercise like a GP appointment - it's not optional whether you turn up on time, so put it in your diary". I've started using Today's Plan, and that automagically puts your prescribed workouts in Zwift and pops an entry in your Google Calendar. It's worked like a charm for me - I've not missed a single session since I started in October.

[mrcharly-YHT]

The other thing that helps me is to make it convenient.

I have a goal that revolves around building up my core strength. I could have joined a gym. But I'm pretty certain I'd have conflicts with family, trouble with motivating myself to getting out etc.

So I'm using a powerbag. It sits in the garage not taking up much room. A basic set of exercises takes (at my basic level) about 10 minutes. So if the thought crossed my head to go and do the exercises, I go do them. No special clothes, no special arrangements. No special space or mats. I'm sure I'd get better results with a gym membership and schedule. I'm not sure I'd stick to it or keep going.

Keep it simple and convenient.

[LEE]

I've just signed up to 2 Wattbike sessions per week.

I find that, if there are people expecting me to be there, even at 06:30 in January, then I'll be there.  If it's just me then I won't.

Cycling isn't my issue though, flexibility is.  Addressing that is way more painful than cycling...and hence why I've put it off all my life.

[L CC]

I find that, if there are people expecting me to be there, even at 06:30 in January, then I'll be there.  If it's just me then I won't.

Me too.

Cycling isn't my issue though, flexibility is.  Addressing that is way more painful than cycling...and hence why I've put it off all my life.

Sign up for a yoga class?

[LEE]

Sign up for a yoga class?

I think I'll meet half way and try to get back into swimming, I love it and it does help a bit.

[phantasmagoriana]

I find that, if there are people expecting me to be there, even at 06:30 in January, then I'll be there.  If it's just me then I won't.

I'm the same. Sure, I could do stretching and core exercises and whatever at home...but I don't. Similarly, I've tried setting my alarm to get up early and go for a run - doesn't work. However, I don't seem to have a problem getting up for early morning gym classes, so I try and do that a few times per week. A bit of weights, a bit of resistance stuff and a bit of yoga, depending on what's on that day.

I also can't do turbo training - I need to be shouted at, so I go to spin classes instead.

[LEE]

I also can't do turbo training - I need to be shouted at, so I go to spin classes instead.

The amount of suffering I'm willing to endure at a Wattbike class would be physically, and mentally, impossible if left to my own devices on my home Turbo trainer.

[Ham]

I've just signed up for a trial month at Miss Ham's gym (she's a PT these days). Thus far I have been three times, once for an assessment and twice for each of the personalised plans (A & B) which I am now expected to rotate. I would have gone today but the last time I went summat went Ping as I was doing walking lunges with 5Kg in each hand. I am VERY reluctant to injure myself in advance of my NZ trip at the end of next week. Summat tells me I may not be cut out for this gym lark.

[mrcharly-YHT]

Walking lunges need to be done *very* carefully, it is easy to step too far and overstress things.

I expect in a few years they will viewed with horror, in the same way that full situps are viewed now.

[Greenbank]

I have always had a motivational problem doing things like <shudder> homework.

I've always suffered from the problem that I leave things to the last minute, but rarely ever fail to pull it out of the bag and, most annoyingly, it's good quality stuff I can produce at the last minute. The peak of it was when I started my Bachelors dissertation 3 days before the deadline, took 5 days (so lost 9% handing it in 3 days late) and still got a first for it (but not the whole degree).

However, since doing lots of exercise related things (Audax, swimming, running, etc) it's impossible to apply the same method and expect anything other than a really shit time (and often outright failure). This is slowly curing my procrastination but it's taking its time transferring to non-exercise related activities.

Being a bit of a nerd I'm motivated by data, so exercising generates something I'm interested in which helps me go out and get more of it. It's also nice to see the very slow and steady progress towards becoming fitter/lighter/stronger/faster/etc.