After I hit my target weight, I found it quite hard to maintain through diet alone so decided exercise was the next best thing. I find it hard to fit going to the gym into my schedule for various reasons although when I was able to go, I really enjoyed it and was there five or six times a week.
Instead, I started using the Wii for exercise and have also found a couple of exercise DVDs that suit me so that I can do 30mins decent exercise five times a week at hime and still fit in everything else I need to do. This is helping me maintain my weight and also to work on muscle tone which is part of the “appearance” plan - at my time of life, everything’s giving in to gravity and I’m trying to slow the descent.
I have Wii Fit, which comes with the console, game and balance board. A lot of the stuff on the programme requires the balance board but I think the console set is now relatively cheap (at least it is here in the UK).
The programme has a yoga section and also muscle-strengthening exercises, plus it has a bunch of balance games to play. The part I use most is the aerobic section - that has boxing, jogging and step programmes amongst others. The more you use it, the more exercises you “unlock” so when you start, you have to do a lot of the same things in order to unlock longer times or more advanced versions. I started doing the step programme and progressed up to the point where I’d got the “free step” section unlocked. That eventually let me run a 30-minute step session which was what I used most often.
I started exercising because I wanted to gain weight, look/feel better, needed to be more active, and I had the spare time. It later transitioned into a full-blown hobby which forced other lifestyle changes, mostly in my diet and mental, but also other areas of health.
After gaining the weight/strength I wanted, I took up other challenges, mostly consisting of muscle endurance and cardio. But even then, discipline, drive, and overcoming mental hurdles which I placed upon myself, proved to be the biggest areas growth. Few things like it.
So now, my motivation comes from the attempt to balance my mind and body, improving both types of health.
Same here except I marked “The word “addiction” comes to mind.” I’m thinking that endorphin addiction might be an issue for me.
I’ve got in 4200 miles cycling so far including two century rides. I also did one half marathon, but missed out on two others after busting a toe. And this is an off year! My wife throws me out of the house and makes me go on a ride if I haven’t been on one lately and I’m getting grumpy.
I exercise because I have to look good for work. Yep, I know it sounds ridiculous, and it is, but I give a lot of presentations and pitches for new business and the difference between getting a contract or a project and not is how well your presentation is received, and sometimes that comes down to how well you and your team look in comparison to other companies’ teams who came in to pitch for the same work that day.
Would I let myself go if I didn’t have to look good for work? No, but I certainly wouldn’t exercise every day.
That doesn’t sound crazy to me. I don’t know what you do for a living, but if you were in field sales in my company, there’d be an implicit expectation that you look good.
That said, I didn’t leave out your reason; you could have voted “I have to for work.” No ice cream for you today.
I exercise because I don’t have anything better to do. If I just work and then veg out in front of the TV and go to bed day in and day out…shit, that’d be awful.
I got myself to get up and get going by telling myself I was out of excuses. I had WAY too much free time. Better put it to use or go crazy.
I also use it to help keep me from the heart attack monster, like sevenwood. I don’t think many of my kin made it past 60. I’ve got this knowledge - I should do something with it.
You left out one of mine (other than target weight and feeling good) - fighting old age. The only way to slow down the aging process is to get regular exercise. It keeps the joints loose, keeps the heart healthy and pumping, improves your stamina and all kinds of other good things.
(I didn’t read the whole thread, so apologies if this has already been mentioned).
Roddy
I had a minor heart attack while riding my bike in 2000 at the tender age of 46. After feeling the pain, I rode another 25 miles on some steep hills then 35 more miles the next day before going to the ER. No history of heart problems in my family. Doc said that collateral circulation from aerobic exercise made my recovery much faster than most.
Two years later I crashed in my last bike race and broke a rib and punctured a lung. Wonder why it was my last race? Wife won’t let me race any more.
In 1993 I was hit by a car while riding. :eek: Got off cheap on that one.
Every ambulance ride I’ve been in was a direct result from cycling. And one of my surgeries from running (knee scope). All this physical fitness is probably going to kill me.
I love how “strength” and “fitness” and “fun” were not given as options in the poll for “why do you exercise”.
But “losing weight” is on there twice – three times if you count “six pack abs”, which are solely a function of body fat percentage. And yet body weight is controlled through diet, not exercise. Exercise is good for other things. Like “physical fitness” and “fun”. And, if you train properly, “strength” and “endurance”.
But really, it’s because that’s what people do. It’s like asking fish why they swim. It’s just what they do. We’re animals, and our meat machine bodies will fall apart if we don’t get out move them around every now and then.
This, by the way, is the best approach I’ve yet found to maintaining an exercise regime: make it no more than a part of life. Instead of saying, “I’m gonna go walk for an hour,” think of it as “what you do.” “I am a walker.” Get to the point that not walking for a few days feels unnatural.
And, definitely, yeah! Fitness, strength, and fun!
I do it to stay healthy. I have pretty good blood pressure, and I want it to stay that way. Same for eating healthfully. It’s not always easy, but it’s worth it.
I picked target weight, target appearance, and you left out my reason.
As for the last:
my parents are in poor health, and being heavy exacerbates their issues. I don’t want to end up needing a c-pap for apnea like they both need, don’t want their pain issues, and have promised myself to stay fitter than they were at my age.
you know how they say “most” hyperactive adults outgrow their excessive energy by 30? I still haven’t. I sleep better and just feel more together if I get some activity every day.
In my experience it is inaccurate to say body weight is controlled by diet not exercise. I lost 30 pounds by adding exercise and not changing my diet, and so far have kept it off for almost three years.
Indeed. I lost ~60lbs by exercise without changing my diet. I’ve since improved my diet, but that’s been over 16 years of keeping up with the exercise to maintain my desired weight.
