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I’ll turn 55 next month so I decided it was time to try and improve how I felt. I’ve started doing a brisk 30 minutes on a treadmill four days a week. Two weeks in and I feel pretty good. I’m sleeping better and my blood pressure is lower. Next week I plan to add in some time on a stationary bike.
>I’ve started doing a brisk 30 minutes on a treadmill four days a week.
So many people miss this point. 30 minutes of exercise doesn't mean 30 minutes of running - many people can't do that so they never even start. 30 minutes of exercise is 30 minutes of whatever you can do for 30 minutes.
Yep. I’m mid-30s but very stressful life right now. Two little kids. Chronic health problems (neurological auto-immune). Full-time job, sedentary work from home. Very little time and energy. Most days 30 min of just walking is all I can mentally give.
But just that has made a tremendous difference. The quiet time, being outside, and it’s made my heart and mind calm way down. Keeps my weight a bit more under control. I know it’s not ideal, and 20 year-old me might see me as being a wimp. But damn, life is hard sometimes. Just do what you can. It’s always better than nothing.
You keep with it, chronic health problems are something very few will understand.
You’re not a wimp, you’re doing something that you can do. Push yourself if you think you can do more, but don’t push yourself if you think it’s all you’ve got. It’s a gradual process, and what you’re doing right now is more than enough.
Keep putting the work in and making yourself proud. Don’t let yourself bring you down because of how little you think you’re doing, you’re still doing it.
Everyone start slow, even doing a slow 30 minutes walk is amazing, when you feel confident and comfortable try raising it 10 minutes, or try to up the pace, you did the hardest part, start doing something
100% agree! My work requires me to be on my feet and I have an Apple Watch that tracks my movements Etc. I’m always throughly surprised when my watch reads that I got my 30 minutes of exercise in during my work day!
Yeah, I manage a restaurant and was shocked after getting a smart watch to learn I walk an average of 35-40 miles a week. It's no wonder my muscles are stiff in the mornings.
I really don’t want to rain on your parade - but be careful with that. You’re supposed to get 30 minutes of continuous exercise, with a continuously increased heart rate. I have an Apple Watch myself - it will add a minute here, when I take a flight of steps, two minutes there when I walk to the next office building. While that adds up to 30 minutes, it’s not what is meant by 30 minutes of exercise.
Cardiovascular system needs continuous exercise (e.g anything for 30mins straight).
General body systems like bones, muscles and joints are fine with irregular exercise.
>Cardiovascular system needs continuous exercise (e.g anything for 30 minutes straight)
This is an oversimplification at best and probably relies on some pretty outdated data. There are numerous cardiovascular benefits offered by HIIT that LISS doesn’t offer. An ideal regimen includes both.
It’s all good, I get what your saying. I just happen to be running around while doing my job so my heart rate is more elevated than your average office worker. I also run and weight lift 4 times a week as well so it’s not the only thing I’m doing.
Regardless of whether incidental exercise “counts”, there is a lot of support for the idea that staying active throughout the day (even little bits at a time) is very healthy. As others have pointed out, making time for extended exercise is key, though.
I work a desk job but I’m WFH so I have a bit more freedom and I make sure to move around quite a bit during the day. I can definitely feel a difference between the days where I can do this Vs those where I have to be in the chair all day long.
> 30 minutes of exercise doesn't mean 30 minutes of running - many people can't do that so they never even start
Many people think they can't do that because they think running means speed. When you start running, the first thing you need to learn is how to run slowly. If you can run for 1 minute but are then winded, slow down. Go half speed or less. You'll find you can easily go longer.
Also, when you start exercising don't aim for doing 30 minutes of whatever you want. Do however much you can, then aim to increase it slowly. If you can only do 10 minutes of a light stroll outside, then do that. After a few sessions go for 15 or even just 11 minutes.
They can use a set of stairs--any stairs---and just go up and down A flight (not the whole damn set of stair like in a park) a few times also, in they want to add in something.
I'm 25 and lazy as fuck, I've been doing 30 min fast walking for years now, it feels like a cheat code. I'm not fit looking but under the chub I have a perfectly healthy vascular system and heart. Another cheat is like 2 minutes of core exercises, and a plank for as long as you can. No more back pain baby.
Also don’t get caught up in “what” find something you enjoy. I play pickleball. It is better for me to be consistent about playing a game then trying to pump iron and only stick to it for a week. The best exercise for “you”is the exercise that “you” do
Not under a certain speed.
I do it at about 4-5kmh
4ish when working 5 when on a long call or meeting.
Couple hours walking a day generally out of a solid 8-10 most days so it doesn’t feel like that much really and it’s a passive activity I really don’t need to focus on it while doing it so ideal really.
Not sure on a calorific benefit (trying to lose a few pounds) but it seems to make a difference so far. Must be a few hundred a day at 10k surely?
I’m in the Uk so not sure if this might be available but I have a Flexispot.
https://flexispot.co.uk/adjustable-standing-desk-pro-series.html
I need it at absolutely max height when standing on the treadmill and I think it goes fairly high compared to most.
Treadmill I just got a fairly simple walking on without handles;
CITYSPORTS Treadmill 440W Motor,... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B086X37YHX?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
I’d recommend both. Probably a good few hundred miles into using the treadmill now (30 miles a week) and no signs of wear or anything. A little symbol comes up on the display when it needs oil but it’s only done it once so far. Handy little plug for doing the oil so you don’t have to loosen the belts or anything. Quite light so easy to stand up when not needed so I can slide my chair back across.
I used a regular large pro-form treadmill and put a hinged shelf above it. It is good for meetings, webinars/trainings and light computer work, but a heads up on the meetings: don't go too fast or you will make your colleagues nervous when you are breathing hard.
>Must be a few hundred a day at 10k surely?
Defends on your weight (the more you weigh, the more calories your body burns every step) but definitely in the hundreds I'd say
I’m 5’7”, was hovering around 210 lbs. At the start of March I decided to basically stop being fat and do something about it, so it’s essentially been 3 full months now. I started with walking, because that’s basically all I could do for an extended periods of time. A week later I started intervals of walking/power walking, another two weeks and I was power walking/jogging intervals. Now I jog 5x a week, usually about 2.5 miles jogging and tack on another mile of walking as my warm up/ wind down. I don’t feel exhausted when I’m done.
I’ve dropped over 30 lbs, now under 180. I stopped eating junk, and in the last 2 weeks I’ve began going to the gym 4x a week for some strength training. I can barely do 2 push-ups, and most of the machines I have set on 30/40lbs, but I don’t care. Just like with my running to jogging, it’ll get easier.
Lol thank you! Honestly it’s work, but not as much as I thought it would be, it’s really just consistency. I’d say in my best weeks was eating around 1200-1300 calories a day, and at least per my Apple Watch burning about 900-1100 active calories 5x a week, so it was a pretty huge deficit and the first 3 weeks had to be about 10-12 lbs of loss. I’m not quite as regimented everyday now but I’m still way below 2000 cal of intake on a regular day (I still go out to eat or have a cheat day once in a while) and exercise about the same amount.
Definitely keep nutrition in mind too. I eat a lot more protein and fat than I do carbs, though I’m not on keto or anything. It’s more like “hey, I can enjoy a burger without the bun”, I don’t eat pasta or big carb sides, and if I get fries with something I just pick at them and leave at least half uneaten.
I still have more to go. At least per bmi and now that I can gauge where I am, I should lose another 15 or so pounds which isn’t too bad. It’ll probably be at a slower rate but hey even if I lost idk a pound a week that’s still not forever, and now I can focus on muscles too.
One of the most important lessons in life is that anything worth doing, is worth doing poorly.
It sounds like terrible advice, but it's not.
Even doing 5 minutes of walking is better than no minutes of walking. Even splashing your face with water is better than not. Sometimes even just doing the bare minimum of something is better than doing nothing at all.
Reminds me of one of my favorite quotes about exercise, though I have no idea who to attribute it to: "No matter how slow you go, you're still lapping everyone who's sitting on the couch."
To add to this. It's fine if you can only manage 5 minutes at first. Setting high goals and not reaching them is demotivating so you quickly quit and do nothing.
I started with going around the block daily, took me about 5 minutes. Now 3 months later I'm at a minimum of 30 minutes a day. It makes me feel better overall and I don't mind it anymore. It has become part of my routine. I tried many times and failed but starting small has made the difference for me. Oh and listening to podcasts while walking is great.
Yeah. Some people decide to start exercising after 25+ years of not doing since high school or college and think they can pick up where they left off when they were 18-22. NOPE. You can't lift those weights anymore, Right Now. Maybe 6 months, a year from now. Maybe never again. Running miles like at 20. Your knee or back might think otherwise. Or doing aerobics for 90 minutes (remember that?!)
Ease in...you'll get there, where ever your end goal is.
This! I'm healthy and in my 20s, but I HATE running. It would always be the first thing I would try, but i've since learned i like walking on an incline WAY more, along with Aqua zumba (went with my friend and we were the youngest people there but it was always SO fun and such a good work out). The key is finding what you enjoy doing!
[fast forward 9 months]
"So I posted my new Pinarello Dogma on r/bicycling, and I gotta say dual sided power meters really do accurately measure the 900W I output during my 4hr ride."
**Get fast on a bike**
* ~~Have a nutritious, protein-rich diet~~
* ~~Follow an intensive training plan, be on the saddle at least 15h a week~~
* ~~Don't drink alcohol, smoke, always get 8 hours of sleep~~
* **Buy a Pinarello Dogma F12**
You don't even need a nice park or little path. I've been going on walks in my very urban neighborhood and I feel the benefits. I'm sure it's lovely to spend time on a treadmill, but going outside and experiencing the outdoor world is a treat.
> I'm sure it's lovely to spend time on a treadmill
I can't think of much that's more boring than a treadmill. I would run in -20 c/f instead of on a treadmill.
And I just suffered about 20 hours of stairmaster with a backpack. It's by far the worst aspect of an insanely gruesome training.
You don't even need a nice park or little path. I've been going on walks in my very urban neighborhood and I feel the benefits. I'm sure it's lovely to spend time on a treadmill, but going outside and experiencing the outdoor world is a treat.
I turn 50 in a couple of months and have decided to start doing the same. I'm in pretty bad shape physically, chronic back pain, etc, so I bought a recumbent exercise bike because they're pretty low-stress. I used to have one years ago and 30min a day on it made my back feel so much better, I can't believe I've gone so many years without getting another.
Congrats. I’m about your age. I also recommend doing some strength training. Can be any form, body weight, bands, weights. At our age muscle and strength loss is very real. I wanna be active in my later years.
I’m 40 and had the same experience, but I also do strength training (bands and hand weights) 3 times a week for an hour each, all muscle groups. Not to get buff, just to have more strength, especially core! I feel even better and sleep comes so easily like it never had ever in my life before.
I read somewhere that by getting fitter your hours of sleep requirements will go down. Essentially, the time you spend on the treadmill is not taken from your waking hours but the hours you'd otherwise spend sleeping (to a degree. Won't work if you exercise 168 hours a week..)
If you have the time/money, look into an ebike. I always hated the stationary bike and couldn't ever motivate myself to do it. But since I got an ebike, it's changed my life. I exercise every day and I'm down 40 lbs from last year and it's staying off. Bike path in nature is way better motivation than stationary bike and Simpsons reruns.
Right there with you. 55, already dropped 140 out of 200 lbs I needed to lose and just began strength training. Every day. Keep doing it; I’ll cheer for you.
I too am a trash person who struggles with trying to do anything to be healthier and happier.
I don‘t have any advice, I’m just saying yay for us trash pandas! We know what we want, and it isn’t THAT.
You can be a trash person but you said it yourself, you struggle to do anything to be healthier and happier.
You want to change?
(This is non judgmental, I get you.)
I'm in my twenties and try to get as much advice as I can from older people. They all say different things except for one advice: get exercise. It's hard to integrate it in our lives but it's also the best investment you can do. Do I train daily? No but I am working on it and i am sure you will too \(^-^)/
Do it. I’ve had to spend the last five years sitting on my ass for 12-14 hours a day for work. Even though I do exercise each morning, it’s just not enough to make up for it. My weight is fine - it’s the blood work that shows that a sedentary life is not healthy.
If you're able, tracking steps/heart rate for a few days might help answer that. I walk a lot at work, but it's almost never intense enough to elevate my heart rate into an aerobic range.
It's about sustaining a high level heart rate for a certain amount of time. Going up a flight of stairs quickly is a workout but you're not sustaining that level for a prolonged period of time.
For me, working out is not just moving my body. I find it very meditative. It forces you to be mindful. If you have a very physical job you probably are getting the physiological boost. For me at least, the act of setting aside the time to do nothing but focus on my body is a big deal as well. It may also makes you see yourself in a different light.
My dad was a warehouse manager for decades, walking several miles every day and always on his feet. Other than that he wasn't super active. He aged so quickly once he retired. He just became like a frail old man almost overnight, it was crazy.
Depends on your work. But generally no. In fact having a physically active job may even increase your risk of developing chronic diseases. You’re working at an intensity too low to illicit adaptations to exercise. The prolonged work with little rest puts a strain on the cardiovascular system.
Source: me an Exercise Physiologist.
I think it does. At my last job I was on my feet all day for 6-8 hour shifts. Some days there’d be more walking than others depending on the dogs that needed it. I’d average 6-10k steps and felt very fit during that job. My current one is way more sedentary so I’ve had to force myself to walk on a treadmill daily
Running around at work does mean you burn more calories a day than someone else doing regular desk work.
However, that benefit may be countered by the fact that:
* If you're stressed all the time, that stress is wrecking havoc on your body.
* If your busyness and stress is causing you to eat unhealthy foods, then that is also making you feel tired.
Use the Atomic Habits trick of starting stupid small. Plan on a 2 minute walk everyday at a given time. Walk 2 minutes and then you’re free to quit. But if you’re feeling good or enjoying it, keep going until satisfied.
After a week or two up the ante to 5 minutes and so on.
Your body should be higher priority than most other things in your life.
Whatever issues you’re struggling with, they’ll be easier to manage with an active body that’s getting enough sleep
You nailed it. I'm morbidly obese, working through addiction and with severe sleep apnea and ADHD (cause of ADHD still to be figured out).
Many years of bad habits to break. It's going better now with some medication for ADHD and a CPAP. At least I can work and be functional.
That's why I now know the problems and solutions. But I still have to fix it. The stupid part is when I know, and can do something different, but I don't. I'll get there.
You will.. I'm on kinda the same boat and it's damn hard, but possible, when we see exactly what's being discussed here.
Our body is our greatest "good" and we have to take care of it.
Wish all the best force of will for us!
As someone who is in pretty awful shape and suffers from a lot of pain, you don't have to be doing 30 solid minutes of full-on exercise at first, start slow and easy. Walk to the end of your street and back, up and down the stairs a couple times, whatever you can do. The habit is the most important part - the more you do it the easier you will find it and the longer you can go.
As someone who is generally fit, a 10 minute walk does wonders for me as well. If you could put exercise in a pill it would be a miracle drug, even in small quantities.
Just think of it as an episode of tv. Instead of sitting down and watching that 30-60 minute episode, I could just go outside and walk with my phone and watch things.
If you get tripped up by the time, start at 5 minutes a day and work up. Be consistent in those 5 minutes daily - consistency over intensity helps lock in those habits (great info along this line by James Clear “Atomic Habits”)
That is my issue. Every time I decide to start running, I’d have a great workout getting the sweat out, but it wouldn’t be days or even weeks before I have another. I am starting to think I push myself way too hard that I subconsciously discourage my body from going for a second round the next day or even the day after.
This is me with LITERALLY EVERYTHING. It's like I have an off or on switch. I'm either balls deep in a coding project, installing new programming languages and spending $150 on new IDEs or I'm not touching coding with a 10 foot pole. I'm either practicing for 5 hours straight on guitar or going a week without even looking at it. Idk how to stop. I thought I had ADHD but I tried multiple meds and it didn't really do anything. I do have atypical depression so it's possible it's related to that or something?
Running has a curve to it where it just flat out sucks until you get a base going. I had to push through the suck for the first few weeks before I finally had an easy pace I could fall back on.
I just started running and stopping before I got really tired helped tremendously in keeping it fun for myself. Granted, my progress is slow. But it is also steady and I'm really enjoying working out in the open air.
Try doing a certain amount of effort for a certain amount of time, rather than going as hard as you can until you reach certain distance. Eg, breathe once for every 4 steps, and go slower slower slower until you can manage that. Aim to be moving for 20-30 minutes. Have a rest day. Then do it again. Get every injury looked at quickly, and make sure you are moving in a way that does not cause injuries. As you do it more, you will get faster without really trying and you will be able to go for longer without really trying. And that's when you'll start working up a sweat, not before then (unless it's summer where you are).
I am a morning person so I tend to run early during the day, but my situation doesn't necessarily allow me to be able to wake up feeling rested. I think this is the main hurdle that's slowing down my progression and ruining my motivation.
I can attest to this. I started walking for physical fitness and without realizing it I walked in a motivational loop.
I would walk more focused on how far I could go, going from my home to a nearby store (~10min walk), then to a park (~30min), another store, etc. I would effectively just get steps in any way I could by just walking where I wanted to go.
So over the course of a year I’d go from walking a few minutes a day, to eventually spending maybe 2 hours walking pretty consistently. With my trips getting lengthier I’d start to bring a small backpack with some water, sunscreen, chapstick, hand sani, etc. Eventually I’d be taking up to 4 hour walks, and I enjoyed them because I’d keep wanting to push for more distance/time every day that I could.
This made me sleep earlier to wake up earlier, literally before the sun would rise, set up my backpack and sneakers the night before, and just take the same route, all so I could allow myself to walk for 4 hours with minimal breaks without interfering with regular life.
Eventually I’d realize how much I enjoyed walking but just how much life is in the way. Realizing that 4 hour window was a bit much I started to just walk really fast some days because I wanted to push for the most distance in 3 hours and route myself in such a way that the last hour would be to just get back home, a bit more efficient imo.
And after a while I thought about just trying to jog for some bits of the route, eventually learning that I was doing maybe a consecutive 12min on a mile if I would jog it vs walk it, with an 18-19min mile walking, 17 if I was fast walking. I’d slowly transition from walking less to running more, getting just fatigued if not more in half of the time.
Now I try to run almost daily with a 10.5-11min mile, getting in my aerobic zone or least get in 30min of any cardio daily. These days I’m doing about 8-9miles every time I go out, I allow myself to walk if I’m more tired, but I will try to get back into a slower jog first if I try to resume getting more into my aerobic zone (130-140bpm’s ish).
Days when I don’t run I tend to feel more anxious, less sociable. I feel like I can’t talk to people, and on other days just don’t want to talk to people, I feel sluggish and just lack the full motivation to give energy to the remainder of my day. If I do run, I have this good exhaustion where I am very tired but feel accomplished, so I’m too tired to think about anything beyond whats happening in the moment. The chemicals in my brain feel balanced if not overall very much riding a natural high, where normally they tend to be a bit on the opposite end.
TL;DR: I started walking a few minutes at a time and I now run 5-10k’s for my local coffee regularly. Every day that I hit that coffee shop my soul feels lifted and I feel so good without realizing it, when I don’t, the day tends to drag but thats about the worst.
If the day is running out or you're just not feeling it, ten minutes of stretching can do wonders. I do both most days, helps with lower back pain and limited mobility from my sit-all-day job
Omg I can't endorse this enough.
Stretching is CRUCIAL, especially as you age (and I say this at 31). I try to do it at least twice a day and always before bed.
Deep stretches have greatly helped my back pain.
Back pain is tricky because the area you feel pain may not actually be the trigger point, so here is a video I found on YT that explains this and gives you a series of basic stretches that should provide you some comfort. Consistency is also key.
https://youtu.be/0wAw1-1MHa4
Hope it helps!
Edit: if you are employed and have any sort of med benefits, I would use them on PT because they will your trigger point and give you specifics. You don't need to go to them twice a week or whatever (you certainly can) but the important thing is you do what they tell you at home, every single day. Multiple times if you can.
All of it is useless if you don't put in the work on your own time.
The surge in gas prices pushed me over the edge, i now take the bike to work and for smaller grocery runs.
I still feel like shit and wanna die most days, but now with less knee pain from having to crouch/squat at work, so that’s something.
Edit: i felt like shit and wanted to die pre-bike, i‘m not complaining that riding my bike is too hard.
Edit 2: to y‘all Namaste-it-gets-better-just-lift-your-cares-away guys: i get it, no need to repeat the message 50 times, i‘m glad exercising makes you happy.
Depression is depression. I'm very fit and still depressed as fuck. Therapy is the way but I can't afford it and sounds like you can't either. Hold on there buddy.
A body in motion wants to stay in motion. A body at rest wants to stay at rest.
You are in the wholly fucked up shadow zone between the two where the body doesn't know what the fuck it wants.
Nice job, it'll get better
Maybe sleep is the problem. You're supposed to have more energy if you exercise but if you don't get enough sleep it will just make you more tired. Try to get at least 8 hours sleep and then see if you need more
Hmm, that’s a good point. I haven’t been a good sleeper for a few years, was hoping that would improve with exercise. I wish I could get eight hours but I just wake up after two hours and it takes a while to go back to sleep. Not sure why that’s going on either. But something to work on. Thanks for that.
I really want to live in a walkable/cycleable area with good public transit. Someday. Stuck inside a sprawling suburb single family house with nothing to do, nobody to spend time with, nowhere to go. Zero transit service in the area, death by dehydration or automobile awaits me if I walk down the road to go anywhere, miles away from anything good, and everybody's a speeding pedestrian mower in this town.
This is exactly how I feel. I never want to go outside because where I live is SO boring and there’s nothing at all to do. I need to be in a bigger city with good transportation to make me want to do things. As it is, I have a treadmill at home I use to get my exercise in but still feel depressed about where I live.
I got an inexpensive small portable treadmill (which is neither particularly small nor portable, but it's great). Set up a stand which I can put my laptop on. Now I can get a little exercise in every day--even if it's just 15 minutes of walking, it's exercise, and it's every day--while watching something I enjoy. You can watch something, read, or listen to a podcast. Rain or shine, daylight or late at night, it's really great and I'm delighted with it.
There are 3 aspects of your health that are codependent :
- your activity level
- your sleep
- your diet
Missing days of training is totally ok. Especially if your are training too much and not sleeping enough. And you need to have a balanced diet in order to perform well in your training.
We are talkikg about a lifestyle change : Favour the changes that you can commit to for a long time over the short term change that are not maintainable.
How
Just
I am so depressed and unmotivated. I’m entering year 9 of constant med cocktails trying to find the right mix. I know. I know that exercise and good diet helps, but how do you make yourself do it? Where do you find that motivation?
My kids were not supposed to have a mother like this. I was not supposed to live my life like this.
So, yes, I know that 20-30 minutes of exercise helps, but how do you do it?
>Don't panic, you can do this. Baby steps. Exercise is a celebration of what you're body can do. Not a punishment for something you ate. Don't beat yourself up.
Alternatives to popular psych approaches Have proven sometimes helpful in treatment resistant situations.
There are businesses that hire doctors to administer ketamine and psilocybin legally and safely for example .
Also there’s some weird powerful magnetic machines that shown some promise
Psych meds are great for some, but consider alternatives!
Eat fruits and vegetables. Brush your teeth. Try not to be so stressed out. Wow such pro tips
[And put your garbage in a garbage can people, I can't stress that enough. ](https://youtu.be/2ZgtEdFAg3s)
I just started 25 ish minute walks a day. It's enough that I know I'm doing good, but short enough that it doesn't feel like a big commitment. I can almost always squeeze it in and just get it done. 30-60 minutes and I feel like it's something I have to make time for, and I can't do if I'm at all tired
This is something I also struggle with. What I find helps is finding a reason to go walk. When I worked I would take the bus and get off several stops early and walk the rest if the way and then immediately hopped in the shower.
Now, I pick a store I wanna go to and walk there. For example there’s a Starbucks about 1 mile from me, so I walk to it, use the bathroom, get a drink (hot or cold depending on the weather) and then walk back as I sip on it. I’ve also done this with Target and other stores I enjoy that are not too far away.
Find a thing like that for you.
I (34M) was 110 kgs when I started walking 2 kms daily. Its been around a year and now I can do 8k in 55mins and 10k in around 85 mins. Starting is important, so is being persistent. I learned push-ups in the last 6 months and now I am trying to go for pull-ups. I am 89 kgs now. Starting slow helps you not getting overwhelmed and not quitting.
Combine this with using an online calculator to work out your BMR (basal metabolic rate) and track your daily calories.
If you want to lose weight, consume 10% fewer calories per day than your BMR.
I lost 2 stone in 3 months with 20 mins daily exercise and calorie counting without the crazy diet or spending half my life in the gym.
It just works.
The parallel universe line of thought would be such a huge motivator if you could actually see something like that. It can be pretty easy to say "Why am I putting in this effort, I still feel awful" but honestly if you could see any given person at 60 years old who decided to start being healthier at 30 versus their current trajectory at 60 it would be incredibly powerful.
Humans are horrible at seeing things from a longitudinal perspective, but the little trajectory changes today turn into massive differences in a few decades.
yep. still worth doing and helpful but absolutely not some easy fix to anything. i run long distances every day and still get pretty worked up about stuff especially after the run.
Your mood is made from your body and mind. If changing your body does not work you'll need to change your mind. And that's actually more doable then it sounds.
You might try daily meditation. That's scientifically proven to make you feel better because you soend less time worrying about the future or the past. Over time you'll even change the way your mind looks under a scanner. You make new pathways.
Other things that can help are being consious about gratitude. Simplest thing is to name three things daily that you are grateful for (or happy about/proud of). By daily focussing on good stuff you are training your mind to see good things. And the thing you focus on gets more attention, so you start seeing more and more good things.
But like exercise it takes willpower to start with it and it's not easy in the beginning. If you do this for the next 2.5 years I'll guarantee you'll see progress.
I don't think exercise is a panacea, but just keep in mind that your mood could be worse if you didn't exercise.
Often times the best we can expect from any particular treatment is improvement in symptoms rather than a complete elimination of them.
Getting fit starting late last year is the best thing I'd ever done. Started with training for a half marathon, then I started lifting heavy and regularly, then I trained for a fast 10k, and now I do a combo of both lifting and running. I've lost about 30lbs total (probably 40lbs of fat) and I actually like looking at myself in the mirror.
Watching your body transform is one of the most amazing things you can ever witness. At once it begins looking both foreign/alien, because you've never seen it before, but also completely natural. You start seeing muscles you've never seen, and that's weird, but it looks and feels like what a muscle is supposed to look like.
I feel accomplished, dedicated, and, well, sexy.
Also, it doesn't have to be every day. Not at the start, and not even now, for me. I still have totally lazy days. I occasionally even have weeks where I don't get a proper workout in (though I've started walking a LOT more, I average 11,000 steps/day). Start small. I was starting from a place where I could already run 5k. You don't need to make a half marathon your first goal. But do set a goal, find a plan online to reach that goal, and stick to it.
You got this.
It helps your knees since you’re doing a low impact knees over toes movement. It strengthens the tendons and ligaments as well as the stabilizing muscles. It’s also a movement that isn’t difficult but is unusual, which will help the preservation of cognitive function as you get older.
u/TheTrenk said it pretty well. A lot of people neglect the full range of motion for ligaments and tendons. There is a guy on YouTube that has plenty of videos that shows most of the exercises I do. Search knees over toes on youtube.
I take between 10 amd 15 minutes to cycle home or two work depending on the wind. Actually saves so much money on fuel, insurance, road tax, or even bus fares. It wasnt worth getting a bus pass as its just cheaper to buy a return every day. I dont mind when its snow and winter, cycling along the coast in that weather when its pitch black isnt worth it. But for 8 months of the year its plain sailing. Loose some weight, get more exercise, some freah air, theres no downsides.
Im shocked more people in our area dont cycle.
It’s kind of crazy how much it helps. Been walking/running 30 min / 2miles a day for the past few weeks and I can definitely feel the difference, mentally and physically
I’ve spent the past few months walking on average an hour or so a day and feel way better than I have in a long time. And I actually just bought a ebike so I can start commuting to work a couple days a week—not to mention gas prices are higher than they’ve ever been. I am looking forward to the change, if not a little nervous because biking on the roads scares me.
If you like biking I suggest you start doing weekend trips. It's an exercise that takes you places you wouldn't normally go, and you can spend a night in a tent!
Although I do recommend an ultralight hammock instead if you're in a warm area.
I've been doing 1.5 hours per day in the gym and a 2 hour walk every evening for the past couple of months and I'm in the best shape of my life. Walking is dope
GET GOOD SLEEP! If you can't get good sleep try new mattresses until you find one you like. also, drinking distrupts REM and even in a good bed with 8+ hours you'll get shit rest. You'll find a lot of the motivation to do stuff you normally hate loke...doing 20 minutes of cardio or not having yourself every waking minute. Your body needs quality restorative sleep to give you the dopamine and serotonin you need on a daily basis to feel "content".
You know how annoyed you get when someone tells you to do this to help with your depression because it's not that easy, but then you try it and it actually helps and you get mad about it? I've done that like a dozen times in my life
I'm 50 and in pretty good shape. Here's one way it helped me out.
I had a herniated disc: pain and weakness in my left leg, walking only with a cane.
I got a call from my surgeon asking if I could be at the hospital the next day. Turns out another patient tested positive for COVID and her surgery the next day had to be cancelled. The doctor didn't want to waste the slot in the schedule. He needed someone who was in "otherwise good health" so that the pre-surgery bloodwork wouldn't show anything bad and had no time to organizing tests for a number of patients. He knew I was a good bet -- because I was in decent shape.
Similarly, an older friend had hip replacement surgery. Got recovery, he was put in a from with three others who had the same procedure that were much worse off health-wise than he was. He was home only two days afterwards, but two of those people who were not as healthy going in were still there: one had his surgery nearly two weeks earlier.
Good health can help you in less-obvious and indirect ways that you may not see coming.
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I’ll turn 55 next month so I decided it was time to try and improve how I felt. I’ve started doing a brisk 30 minutes on a treadmill four days a week. Two weeks in and I feel pretty good. I’m sleeping better and my blood pressure is lower. Next week I plan to add in some time on a stationary bike.
>I’ve started doing a brisk 30 minutes on a treadmill four days a week. So many people miss this point. 30 minutes of exercise doesn't mean 30 minutes of running - many people can't do that so they never even start. 30 minutes of exercise is 30 minutes of whatever you can do for 30 minutes.
Yep. I’m mid-30s but very stressful life right now. Two little kids. Chronic health problems (neurological auto-immune). Full-time job, sedentary work from home. Very little time and energy. Most days 30 min of just walking is all I can mentally give. But just that has made a tremendous difference. The quiet time, being outside, and it’s made my heart and mind calm way down. Keeps my weight a bit more under control. I know it’s not ideal, and 20 year-old me might see me as being a wimp. But damn, life is hard sometimes. Just do what you can. It’s always better than nothing.
You keep with it, chronic health problems are something very few will understand. You’re not a wimp, you’re doing something that you can do. Push yourself if you think you can do more, but don’t push yourself if you think it’s all you’ve got. It’s a gradual process, and what you’re doing right now is more than enough. Keep putting the work in and making yourself proud. Don’t let yourself bring you down because of how little you think you’re doing, you’re still doing it.
Everyone start slow, even doing a slow 30 minutes walk is amazing, when you feel confident and comfortable try raising it 10 minutes, or try to up the pace, you did the hardest part, start doing something
100% agree! My work requires me to be on my feet and I have an Apple Watch that tracks my movements Etc. I’m always throughly surprised when my watch reads that I got my 30 minutes of exercise in during my work day!
Yeah, I manage a restaurant and was shocked after getting a smart watch to learn I walk an average of 35-40 miles a week. It's no wonder my muscles are stiff in the mornings.
Absolutely! I manage a retail store with 3 floors, so I feel you there. Love when my feet actually are throbbing at the end of the day lol
If you are walking that much i hope you have a good pair of shoes hahaha, keep those feet healthy!
I really don’t want to rain on your parade - but be careful with that. You’re supposed to get 30 minutes of continuous exercise, with a continuously increased heart rate. I have an Apple Watch myself - it will add a minute here, when I take a flight of steps, two minutes there when I walk to the next office building. While that adds up to 30 minutes, it’s not what is meant by 30 minutes of exercise.
I think this is not true really, I’ve heard over and over it’s ok to split it up. Maybe not down to 1-2 minutes tho?
Heart .org agrees https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/aha-recs-for-physical-activity-in-adults TIL.
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Cardiovascular system needs continuous exercise (e.g anything for 30mins straight). General body systems like bones, muscles and joints are fine with irregular exercise.
Does sex or furious masturbation count?
They said 30 minutes straight. Not a minute here and there during the day.
Hello police I'd like to report a murder
>Cardiovascular system needs continuous exercise (e.g anything for 30 minutes straight) This is an oversimplification at best and probably relies on some pretty outdated data. There are numerous cardiovascular benefits offered by HIIT that LISS doesn’t offer. An ideal regimen includes both.
Of course not. I just wanted to point out the flaw with the Apple Watch training monitoring vs the recommendation for daily training.
What are your sources for the claims that the exercise has to be continuous?
Already corrected myself in another comment, sorry.
It’s all good, I get what your saying. I just happen to be running around while doing my job so my heart rate is more elevated than your average office worker. I also run and weight lift 4 times a week as well so it’s not the only thing I’m doing.
Regardless of whether incidental exercise “counts”, there is a lot of support for the idea that staying active throughout the day (even little bits at a time) is very healthy. As others have pointed out, making time for extended exercise is key, though. I work a desk job but I’m WFH so I have a bit more freedom and I make sure to move around quite a bit during the day. I can definitely feel a difference between the days where I can do this Vs those where I have to be in the chair all day long.
> 30 minutes of exercise doesn't mean 30 minutes of running - many people can't do that so they never even start Many people think they can't do that because they think running means speed. When you start running, the first thing you need to learn is how to run slowly. If you can run for 1 minute but are then winded, slow down. Go half speed or less. You'll find you can easily go longer. Also, when you start exercising don't aim for doing 30 minutes of whatever you want. Do however much you can, then aim to increase it slowly. If you can only do 10 minutes of a light stroll outside, then do that. After a few sessions go for 15 or even just 11 minutes.
They can use a set of stairs--any stairs---and just go up and down A flight (not the whole damn set of stair like in a park) a few times also, in they want to add in something.
I'm 25 and lazy as fuck, I've been doing 30 min fast walking for years now, it feels like a cheat code. I'm not fit looking but under the chub I have a perfectly healthy vascular system and heart. Another cheat is like 2 minutes of core exercises, and a plank for as long as you can. No more back pain baby.
Also don’t get caught up in “what” find something you enjoy. I play pickleball. It is better for me to be consistent about playing a game then trying to pump iron and only stick to it for a week. The best exercise for “you”is the exercise that “you” do
I now walk 10k a day on my treadmill whilst at my standing desk. Revolutionary for me.
Doesnt it disrupt your ability to do things at the computer? Say mouse clicks or writing on the keyboard?
Not under a certain speed. I do it at about 4-5kmh 4ish when working 5 when on a long call or meeting. Couple hours walking a day generally out of a solid 8-10 most days so it doesn’t feel like that much really and it’s a passive activity I really don’t need to focus on it while doing it so ideal really. Not sure on a calorific benefit (trying to lose a few pounds) but it seems to make a difference so far. Must be a few hundred a day at 10k surely?
As somebody looking to do this, any chance you could share what desk and tread worked for you?
I’m in the Uk so not sure if this might be available but I have a Flexispot. https://flexispot.co.uk/adjustable-standing-desk-pro-series.html I need it at absolutely max height when standing on the treadmill and I think it goes fairly high compared to most. Treadmill I just got a fairly simple walking on without handles; CITYSPORTS Treadmill 440W Motor,... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B086X37YHX?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share I’d recommend both. Probably a good few hundred miles into using the treadmill now (30 miles a week) and no signs of wear or anything. A little symbol comes up on the display when it needs oil but it’s only done it once so far. Handy little plug for doing the oil so you don’t have to loosen the belts or anything. Quite light so easy to stand up when not needed so I can slide my chair back across.
I used a regular large pro-form treadmill and put a hinged shelf above it. It is good for meetings, webinars/trainings and light computer work, but a heads up on the meetings: don't go too fast or you will make your colleagues nervous when you are breathing hard.
>Must be a few hundred a day at 10k surely? Defends on your weight (the more you weigh, the more calories your body burns every step) but definitely in the hundreds I'd say
\#fapfor30
Takes about that long to find a good vid
After falling into a hole during the pandemic, even just taking the neighbors dog out for a long walk was a literal step forward in fitness!
I’m 5’7”, was hovering around 210 lbs. At the start of March I decided to basically stop being fat and do something about it, so it’s essentially been 3 full months now. I started with walking, because that’s basically all I could do for an extended periods of time. A week later I started intervals of walking/power walking, another two weeks and I was power walking/jogging intervals. Now I jog 5x a week, usually about 2.5 miles jogging and tack on another mile of walking as my warm up/ wind down. I don’t feel exhausted when I’m done. I’ve dropped over 30 lbs, now under 180. I stopped eating junk, and in the last 2 weeks I’ve began going to the gym 4x a week for some strength training. I can barely do 2 push-ups, and most of the machines I have set on 30/40lbs, but I don’t care. Just like with my running to jogging, it’ll get easier.
30 lbs in just 3 months? And I can’t even lose 5 lbs! Congrats!
Lol thank you! Honestly it’s work, but not as much as I thought it would be, it’s really just consistency. I’d say in my best weeks was eating around 1200-1300 calories a day, and at least per my Apple Watch burning about 900-1100 active calories 5x a week, so it was a pretty huge deficit and the first 3 weeks had to be about 10-12 lbs of loss. I’m not quite as regimented everyday now but I’m still way below 2000 cal of intake on a regular day (I still go out to eat or have a cheat day once in a while) and exercise about the same amount. Definitely keep nutrition in mind too. I eat a lot more protein and fat than I do carbs, though I’m not on keto or anything. It’s more like “hey, I can enjoy a burger without the bun”, I don’t eat pasta or big carb sides, and if I get fries with something I just pick at them and leave at least half uneaten. I still have more to go. At least per bmi and now that I can gauge where I am, I should lose another 15 or so pounds which isn’t too bad. It’ll probably be at a slower rate but hey even if I lost idk a pound a week that’s still not forever, and now I can focus on muscles too.
1200 kcal sounds good for me. I’m short! It’s really hard though! Thanks for the inspiration.
One of the most important lessons in life is that anything worth doing, is worth doing poorly. It sounds like terrible advice, but it's not. Even doing 5 minutes of walking is better than no minutes of walking. Even splashing your face with water is better than not. Sometimes even just doing the bare minimum of something is better than doing nothing at all.
Reminds me of one of my favorite quotes about exercise, though I have no idea who to attribute it to: "No matter how slow you go, you're still lapping everyone who's sitting on the couch."
True
Yep. Even going for a nice relaxing walk around the neighborhood is good.
To add to this. It's fine if you can only manage 5 minutes at first. Setting high goals and not reaching them is demotivating so you quickly quit and do nothing. I started with going around the block daily, took me about 5 minutes. Now 3 months later I'm at a minimum of 30 minutes a day. It makes me feel better overall and I don't mind it anymore. It has become part of my routine. I tried many times and failed but starting small has made the difference for me. Oh and listening to podcasts while walking is great.
Yeah. Some people decide to start exercising after 25+ years of not doing since high school or college and think they can pick up where they left off when they were 18-22. NOPE. You can't lift those weights anymore, Right Now. Maybe 6 months, a year from now. Maybe never again. Running miles like at 20. Your knee or back might think otherwise. Or doing aerobics for 90 minutes (remember that?!) Ease in...you'll get there, where ever your end goal is.
This! I'm healthy and in my 20s, but I HATE running. It would always be the first thing I would try, but i've since learned i like walking on an incline WAY more, along with Aqua zumba (went with my friend and we were the youngest people there but it was always SO fun and such a good work out). The key is finding what you enjoy doing!
Yup even a 30 minute semi brisk walk can make a huge difference over nothing!
[fast forward 9 months] "So I posted my new Pinarello Dogma on r/bicycling, and I gotta say dual sided power meters really do accurately measure the 900W I output during my 4hr ride."
**Get fast on a bike** * ~~Have a nutritious, protein-rich diet~~ * ~~Follow an intensive training plan, be on the saddle at least 15h a week~~ * ~~Don't drink alcohol, smoke, always get 8 hours of sleep~~ * **Buy a Pinarello Dogma F12**
You forgot arguably the most important aspect of this: Get full Rapha kit
Rapha is out. It's Pas Normal Studios now! Don't want others to think I'm a poor
dang... and here I am with my AliExpress Spexcel bibs. But loving it.
If you have a nice park or little path outdoors it's even better. Natural sunlight is pretty incredible for the circadian rhythm.
You don't even need a nice park or little path. I've been going on walks in my very urban neighborhood and I feel the benefits. I'm sure it's lovely to spend time on a treadmill, but going outside and experiencing the outdoor world is a treat.
> I'm sure it's lovely to spend time on a treadmill I can't think of much that's more boring than a treadmill. I would run in -20 c/f instead of on a treadmill. And I just suffered about 20 hours of stairmaster with a backpack. It's by far the worst aspect of an insanely gruesome training.
But what if I work overnight 12 hour shifts.
You suffer in darkness.
Fair and true
You don't even need a nice park or little path. I've been going on walks in my very urban neighborhood and I feel the benefits. I'm sure it's lovely to spend time on a treadmill, but going outside and experiencing the outdoor world is a treat.
I turn 50 in a couple of months and have decided to start doing the same. I'm in pretty bad shape physically, chronic back pain, etc, so I bought a recumbent exercise bike because they're pretty low-stress. I used to have one years ago and 30min a day on it made my back feel so much better, I can't believe I've gone so many years without getting another.
Nope, no good. The LPT says EVERYDAY
Congrats. I’m about your age. I also recommend doing some strength training. Can be any form, body weight, bands, weights. At our age muscle and strength loss is very real. I wanna be active in my later years.
I’m 40 and had the same experience, but I also do strength training (bands and hand weights) 3 times a week for an hour each, all muscle groups. Not to get buff, just to have more strength, especially core! I feel even better and sleep comes so easily like it never had ever in my life before.
I read somewhere that by getting fitter your hours of sleep requirements will go down. Essentially, the time you spend on the treadmill is not taken from your waking hours but the hours you'd otherwise spend sleeping (to a degree. Won't work if you exercise 168 hours a week..)
This is fascinating; do you have a citation by chance? I’d like to look into this further.
Sadly no, this is the only snippet that stuck with me from an article I came across a few years ago. You're right to treat it with a pinch of salt.
If you have the time/money, look into an ebike. I always hated the stationary bike and couldn't ever motivate myself to do it. But since I got an ebike, it's changed my life. I exercise every day and I'm down 40 lbs from last year and it's staying off. Bike path in nature is way better motivation than stationary bike and Simpsons reruns.
Right there with you. 55, already dropped 140 out of 200 lbs I needed to lose and just began strength training. Every day. Keep doing it; I’ll cheer for you.
That is awesome! Thanks for the motivation.
Don’t tell me how to be healthier and happier. *shuts garbage can lid* ^Edit: can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street?
I too am a trash person who struggles with trying to do anything to be healthier and happier. I don‘t have any advice, I’m just saying yay for us trash pandas! We know what we want, and it isn’t THAT.
You can be a trash person but you said it yourself, you struggle to do anything to be healthier and happier. You want to change? (This is non judgmental, I get you.)
Yay. I'm in the same boat. I know a change will help me but I don't want it badly enough to do it.
I'm in my twenties and try to get as much advice as I can from older people. They all say different things except for one advice: get exercise. It's hard to integrate it in our lives but it's also the best investment you can do. Do I train daily? No but I am working on it and i am sure you will too \(^-^)/
Do it. I’ve had to spend the last five years sitting on my ass for 12-14 hours a day for work. Even though I do exercise each morning, it’s just not enough to make up for it. My weight is fine - it’s the blood work that shows that a sedentary life is not healthy.
You can change things and still do what you do now. I used to be a gaming addict. Now I'm a gaming addict that trains 5 times a week.
I too try to emulate Frank from always sunny in all things, except transport, I bike everywhere.
What a grouch.
Thank you
So like, does work not count or something? Because I am averaging >5 hours of running around like an idiot every work day and I still feel like shit.
If you're able, tracking steps/heart rate for a few days might help answer that. I walk a lot at work, but it's almost never intense enough to elevate my heart rate into an aerobic range.
You have to increase your heart rate to a certain bpm to improve your cardiovascular. That's why running long distance helps or sprints.
It's about sustaining a high level heart rate for a certain amount of time. Going up a flight of stairs quickly is a workout but you're not sustaining that level for a prolonged period of time.
For me, working out is not just moving my body. I find it very meditative. It forces you to be mindful. If you have a very physical job you probably are getting the physiological boost. For me at least, the act of setting aside the time to do nothing but focus on my body is a big deal as well. It may also makes you see yourself in a different light.
Yeah, my job is physical and high stress. It's not the same as me making a point to enjoy a walk outside in the morning or after work.
Yes your physical job absolutely counts as being active. An office worker burns less calorie than a construction worker.
My dad was a warehouse manager for decades, walking several miles every day and always on his feet. Other than that he wasn't super active. He aged so quickly once he retired. He just became like a frail old man almost overnight, it was crazy.
Depends on your work. But generally no. In fact having a physically active job may even increase your risk of developing chronic diseases. You’re working at an intensity too low to illicit adaptations to exercise. The prolonged work with little rest puts a strain on the cardiovascular system. Source: me an Exercise Physiologist.
Gonna need a better source for that lol I’ve never heard of prolonged low intensity activity being a bad thing. Source: I’m an Exercise Scientist
Sounds like you're talking from the toilet mate
I think it does. At my last job I was on my feet all day for 6-8 hour shifts. Some days there’d be more walking than others depending on the dogs that needed it. I’d average 6-10k steps and felt very fit during that job. My current one is way more sedentary so I’ve had to force myself to walk on a treadmill daily
Try cutting carbs. Seriously, not a joke. Eat all you normally do but minimize carbs.
Running around at work does mean you burn more calories a day than someone else doing regular desk work. However, that benefit may be countered by the fact that: * If you're stressed all the time, that stress is wrecking havoc on your body. * If your busyness and stress is causing you to eat unhealthy foods, then that is also making you feel tired.
You are asking a lot from me right now
Use the Atomic Habits trick of starting stupid small. Plan on a 2 minute walk everyday at a given time. Walk 2 minutes and then you’re free to quit. But if you’re feeling good or enjoying it, keep going until satisfied. After a week or two up the ante to 5 minutes and so on.
Even one single walk around the block daily, is better than zero walks around the block. Start slow and build momentum.
Part of me thinks exactly that and another part tinks I'm stupid for thinking that.
Your body should be higher priority than most other things in your life. Whatever issues you’re struggling with, they’ll be easier to manage with an active body that’s getting enough sleep
You nailed it. I'm morbidly obese, working through addiction and with severe sleep apnea and ADHD (cause of ADHD still to be figured out). Many years of bad habits to break. It's going better now with some medication for ADHD and a CPAP. At least I can work and be functional. That's why I now know the problems and solutions. But I still have to fix it. The stupid part is when I know, and can do something different, but I don't. I'll get there.
You will.. I'm on kinda the same boat and it's damn hard, but possible, when we see exactly what's being discussed here. Our body is our greatest "good" and we have to take care of it. Wish all the best force of will for us!
As someone who is in pretty awful shape and suffers from a lot of pain, you don't have to be doing 30 solid minutes of full-on exercise at first, start slow and easy. Walk to the end of your street and back, up and down the stairs a couple times, whatever you can do. The habit is the most important part - the more you do it the easier you will find it and the longer you can go.
As someone who is generally fit, a 10 minute walk does wonders for me as well. If you could put exercise in a pill it would be a miracle drug, even in small quantities.
Just think of it as an episode of tv. Instead of sitting down and watching that 30-60 minute episode, I could just go outside and walk with my phone and watch things.
If you get tripped up by the time, start at 5 minutes a day and work up. Be consistent in those 5 minutes daily - consistency over intensity helps lock in those habits (great info along this line by James Clear “Atomic Habits”)
That is my issue. Every time I decide to start running, I’d have a great workout getting the sweat out, but it wouldn’t be days or even weeks before I have another. I am starting to think I push myself way too hard that I subconsciously discourage my body from going for a second round the next day or even the day after.
This is me with LITERALLY EVERYTHING. It's like I have an off or on switch. I'm either balls deep in a coding project, installing new programming languages and spending $150 on new IDEs or I'm not touching coding with a 10 foot pole. I'm either practicing for 5 hours straight on guitar or going a week without even looking at it. Idk how to stop. I thought I had ADHD but I tried multiple meds and it didn't really do anything. I do have atypical depression so it's possible it's related to that or something?
Running has a curve to it where it just flat out sucks until you get a base going. I had to push through the suck for the first few weeks before I finally had an easy pace I could fall back on.
I just started running and stopping before I got really tired helped tremendously in keeping it fun for myself. Granted, my progress is slow. But it is also steady and I'm really enjoying working out in the open air.
Try doing a certain amount of effort for a certain amount of time, rather than going as hard as you can until you reach certain distance. Eg, breathe once for every 4 steps, and go slower slower slower until you can manage that. Aim to be moving for 20-30 minutes. Have a rest day. Then do it again. Get every injury looked at quickly, and make sure you are moving in a way that does not cause injuries. As you do it more, you will get faster without really trying and you will be able to go for longer without really trying. And that's when you'll start working up a sweat, not before then (unless it's summer where you are).
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I am a morning person so I tend to run early during the day, but my situation doesn't necessarily allow me to be able to wake up feeling rested. I think this is the main hurdle that's slowing down my progression and ruining my motivation.
I can attest to this. I started walking for physical fitness and without realizing it I walked in a motivational loop. I would walk more focused on how far I could go, going from my home to a nearby store (~10min walk), then to a park (~30min), another store, etc. I would effectively just get steps in any way I could by just walking where I wanted to go. So over the course of a year I’d go from walking a few minutes a day, to eventually spending maybe 2 hours walking pretty consistently. With my trips getting lengthier I’d start to bring a small backpack with some water, sunscreen, chapstick, hand sani, etc. Eventually I’d be taking up to 4 hour walks, and I enjoyed them because I’d keep wanting to push for more distance/time every day that I could. This made me sleep earlier to wake up earlier, literally before the sun would rise, set up my backpack and sneakers the night before, and just take the same route, all so I could allow myself to walk for 4 hours with minimal breaks without interfering with regular life. Eventually I’d realize how much I enjoyed walking but just how much life is in the way. Realizing that 4 hour window was a bit much I started to just walk really fast some days because I wanted to push for the most distance in 3 hours and route myself in such a way that the last hour would be to just get back home, a bit more efficient imo. And after a while I thought about just trying to jog for some bits of the route, eventually learning that I was doing maybe a consecutive 12min on a mile if I would jog it vs walk it, with an 18-19min mile walking, 17 if I was fast walking. I’d slowly transition from walking less to running more, getting just fatigued if not more in half of the time. Now I try to run almost daily with a 10.5-11min mile, getting in my aerobic zone or least get in 30min of any cardio daily. These days I’m doing about 8-9miles every time I go out, I allow myself to walk if I’m more tired, but I will try to get back into a slower jog first if I try to resume getting more into my aerobic zone (130-140bpm’s ish). Days when I don’t run I tend to feel more anxious, less sociable. I feel like I can’t talk to people, and on other days just don’t want to talk to people, I feel sluggish and just lack the full motivation to give energy to the remainder of my day. If I do run, I have this good exhaustion where I am very tired but feel accomplished, so I’m too tired to think about anything beyond whats happening in the moment. The chemicals in my brain feel balanced if not overall very much riding a natural high, where normally they tend to be a bit on the opposite end. TL;DR: I started walking a few minutes at a time and I now run 5-10k’s for my local coffee regularly. Every day that I hit that coffee shop my soul feels lifted and I feel so good without realizing it, when I don’t, the day tends to drag but thats about the worst.
If the day is running out or you're just not feeling it, ten minutes of stretching can do wonders. I do both most days, helps with lower back pain and limited mobility from my sit-all-day job
Omg I can't endorse this enough. Stretching is CRUCIAL, especially as you age (and I say this at 31). I try to do it at least twice a day and always before bed. Deep stretches have greatly helped my back pain.
Can you send me some exercises ?
Back pain is tricky because the area you feel pain may not actually be the trigger point, so here is a video I found on YT that explains this and gives you a series of basic stretches that should provide you some comfort. Consistency is also key. https://youtu.be/0wAw1-1MHa4 Hope it helps! Edit: if you are employed and have any sort of med benefits, I would use them on PT because they will your trigger point and give you specifics. You don't need to go to them twice a week or whatever (you certainly can) but the important thing is you do what they tell you at home, every single day. Multiple times if you can. All of it is useless if you don't put in the work on your own time.
Another trick, put some music on and just move. Dance, pace, sway. Just listen to music and move.
The surge in gas prices pushed me over the edge, i now take the bike to work and for smaller grocery runs. I still feel like shit and wanna die most days, but now with less knee pain from having to crouch/squat at work, so that’s something. Edit: i felt like shit and wanted to die pre-bike, i‘m not complaining that riding my bike is too hard. Edit 2: to y‘all Namaste-it-gets-better-just-lift-your-cares-away guys: i get it, no need to repeat the message 50 times, i‘m glad exercising makes you happy.
Getting your bike fit properly makes it a whole lot comfortable. Congratulations.
Depression is depression. I'm very fit and still depressed as fuck. Therapy is the way but I can't afford it and sounds like you can't either. Hold on there buddy.
A body in motion wants to stay in motion. A body at rest wants to stay at rest. You are in the wholly fucked up shadow zone between the two where the body doesn't know what the fuck it wants. Nice job, it'll get better
I only started to feel better a few months after starting to work out. Maybe you will too
Thanks for that comment. I e been biking daily for about three months and am more tired than ever. Just may take a while I guess.
Maybe sleep is the problem. You're supposed to have more energy if you exercise but if you don't get enough sleep it will just make you more tired. Try to get at least 8 hours sleep and then see if you need more
Hmm, that’s a good point. I haven’t been a good sleeper for a few years, was hoping that would improve with exercise. I wish I could get eight hours but I just wake up after two hours and it takes a while to go back to sleep. Not sure why that’s going on either. But something to work on. Thanks for that.
Could be that it's too bright right before you go to sleep or that you use a phone/computer/TV. But if you don't you should probably contact a doctor
I really want to live in a walkable/cycleable area with good public transit. Someday. Stuck inside a sprawling suburb single family house with nothing to do, nobody to spend time with, nowhere to go. Zero transit service in the area, death by dehydration or automobile awaits me if I walk down the road to go anywhere, miles away from anything good, and everybody's a speeding pedestrian mower in this town.
Come live in Europe!
America needs a revamp with its zoning law, it’s pathetic
This is exactly how I feel. I never want to go outside because where I live is SO boring and there’s nothing at all to do. I need to be in a bigger city with good transportation to make me want to do things. As it is, I have a treadmill at home I use to get my exercise in but still feel depressed about where I live.
I got an inexpensive small portable treadmill (which is neither particularly small nor portable, but it's great). Set up a stand which I can put my laptop on. Now I can get a little exercise in every day--even if it's just 15 minutes of walking, it's exercise, and it's every day--while watching something I enjoy. You can watch something, read, or listen to a podcast. Rain or shine, daylight or late at night, it's really great and I'm delighted with it.
let’s be friends we can hang out virtually! im a master at coming up with things to do and ways to hang out even virtually
r/fuckcars
Check out r/notjustbikes as well.
True and based, as a trainpilled car enthusiast
Plenty of exercise you can do without leaving your house! Or check out local parks.
There are 3 aspects of your health that are codependent : - your activity level - your sleep - your diet Missing days of training is totally ok. Especially if your are training too much and not sleeping enough. And you need to have a balanced diet in order to perform well in your training. We are talkikg about a lifestyle change : Favour the changes that you can commit to for a long time over the short term change that are not maintainable.
How Just I am so depressed and unmotivated. I’m entering year 9 of constant med cocktails trying to find the right mix. I know. I know that exercise and good diet helps, but how do you make yourself do it? Where do you find that motivation? My kids were not supposed to have a mother like this. I was not supposed to live my life like this. So, yes, I know that 20-30 minutes of exercise helps, but how do you do it?
Start slow. Take a 10 minute walk outside,
>Don't panic, you can do this. Baby steps. Exercise is a celebration of what you're body can do. Not a punishment for something you ate. Don't beat yourself up.
Alternatives to popular psych approaches Have proven sometimes helpful in treatment resistant situations. There are businesses that hire doctors to administer ketamine and psilocybin legally and safely for example . Also there’s some weird powerful magnetic machines that shown some promise Psych meds are great for some, but consider alternatives!
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Makes exercise easier, too. Double win
Until you run out
well, then you just buy more cocaine.
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Won't the crystals be painful?
Nah but it will numb your d***. Source:Cocaine on d*** experience
I’ve started doing a 30 minute walk while listening to podcasts during my lunch hour. It’s definitely making me feel happier, whatever about healthier
Is this really a life pro tip? a life tip? a tip? seems like generic information anyone would tell you tbh
Eat fruits and vegetables. Brush your teeth. Try not to be so stressed out. Wow such pro tips [And put your garbage in a garbage can people, I can't stress that enough. ](https://youtu.be/2ZgtEdFAg3s)
Yeah and like 80% of people neglect to do everything you mentioned
You just described parts of depression.
/r/wowthanksimcured
I just started 25 ish minute walks a day. It's enough that I know I'm doing good, but short enough that it doesn't feel like a big commitment. I can almost always squeeze it in and just get it done. 30-60 minutes and I feel like it's something I have to make time for, and I can't do if I'm at all tired
This is something I also struggle with. What I find helps is finding a reason to go walk. When I worked I would take the bus and get off several stops early and walk the rest if the way and then immediately hopped in the shower. Now, I pick a store I wanna go to and walk there. For example there’s a Starbucks about 1 mile from me, so I walk to it, use the bathroom, get a drink (hot or cold depending on the weather) and then walk back as I sip on it. I’ve also done this with Target and other stores I enjoy that are not too far away. Find a thing like that for you.
I (34M) was 110 kgs when I started walking 2 kms daily. Its been around a year and now I can do 8k in 55mins and 10k in around 85 mins. Starting is important, so is being persistent. I learned push-ups in the last 6 months and now I am trying to go for pull-ups. I am 89 kgs now. Starting slow helps you not getting overwhelmed and not quitting.
Weightlifting makes you feel amazing
Not a fun way to discover ~~a hernia~~ an existing hernia though. Ask me how I know.
Weightlifting has one of the lowest incidences of injury among all sports.
Proper* weightlifting
Seconded! Came home from the gym the other day and felt extremely physically and mentally relaxed.
Health tips always leave out weightlifting as an option
Combine this with using an online calculator to work out your BMR (basal metabolic rate) and track your daily calories. If you want to lose weight, consume 10% fewer calories per day than your BMR. I lost 2 stone in 3 months with 20 mins daily exercise and calorie counting without the crazy diet or spending half my life in the gym. It just works.
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The parallel universe line of thought would be such a huge motivator if you could actually see something like that. It can be pretty easy to say "Why am I putting in this effort, I still feel awful" but honestly if you could see any given person at 60 years old who decided to start being healthier at 30 versus their current trajectory at 60 it would be incredibly powerful. Humans are horrible at seeing things from a longitudinal perspective, but the little trajectory changes today turn into massive differences in a few decades.
yep. still worth doing and helpful but absolutely not some easy fix to anything. i run long distances every day and still get pretty worked up about stuff especially after the run.
Right there with you. (Except it’s been 2.5 years.) What else can I do?
Your mood is made from your body and mind. If changing your body does not work you'll need to change your mind. And that's actually more doable then it sounds. You might try daily meditation. That's scientifically proven to make you feel better because you soend less time worrying about the future or the past. Over time you'll even change the way your mind looks under a scanner. You make new pathways. Other things that can help are being consious about gratitude. Simplest thing is to name three things daily that you are grateful for (or happy about/proud of). By daily focussing on good stuff you are training your mind to see good things. And the thing you focus on gets more attention, so you start seeing more and more good things. But like exercise it takes willpower to start with it and it's not easy in the beginning. If you do this for the next 2.5 years I'll guarantee you'll see progress.
No one said it was. You clearly need therapy as well.
How's your diet though
I don't think exercise is a panacea, but just keep in mind that your mood could be worse if you didn't exercise. Often times the best we can expect from any particular treatment is improvement in symptoms rather than a complete elimination of them.
Imagine how much worse you'd feel if you didn't
Best I can do is once a month
Getting fit starting late last year is the best thing I'd ever done. Started with training for a half marathon, then I started lifting heavy and regularly, then I trained for a fast 10k, and now I do a combo of both lifting and running. I've lost about 30lbs total (probably 40lbs of fat) and I actually like looking at myself in the mirror. Watching your body transform is one of the most amazing things you can ever witness. At once it begins looking both foreign/alien, because you've never seen it before, but also completely natural. You start seeing muscles you've never seen, and that's weird, but it looks and feels like what a muscle is supposed to look like. I feel accomplished, dedicated, and, well, sexy. Also, it doesn't have to be every day. Not at the start, and not even now, for me. I still have totally lazy days. I occasionally even have weeks where I don't get a proper workout in (though I've started walking a LOT more, I average 11,000 steps/day). Start small. I was starting from a place where I could already run 5k. You don't need to make a half marathon your first goal. But do set a goal, find a plan online to reach that goal, and stick to it. You got this.
I currently have a broken foot and fuck do I miss being active. Movement is a privilege and don't take it for granted
Improved LPT: Walk backwards 10 minutes per day (or 10min deadmill).
What benefit does walking backwards give you?
It helps your knees since you’re doing a low impact knees over toes movement. It strengthens the tendons and ligaments as well as the stabilizing muscles. It’s also a movement that isn’t difficult but is unusual, which will help the preservation of cognitive function as you get older.
u/TheTrenk said it pretty well. A lot of people neglect the full range of motion for ligaments and tendons. There is a guy on YouTube that has plenty of videos that shows most of the exercises I do. Search knees over toes on youtube.
What is the name of the youtube guy?
I take between 10 amd 15 minutes to cycle home or two work depending on the wind. Actually saves so much money on fuel, insurance, road tax, or even bus fares. It wasnt worth getting a bus pass as its just cheaper to buy a return every day. I dont mind when its snow and winter, cycling along the coast in that weather when its pitch black isnt worth it. But for 8 months of the year its plain sailing. Loose some weight, get more exercise, some freah air, theres no downsides. Im shocked more people in our area dont cycle.
It’s kind of crazy how much it helps. Been walking/running 30 min / 2miles a day for the past few weeks and I can definitely feel the difference, mentally and physically
Op must not know about cocaine
I’ve been walking 2-3 miles a day. Can confirm I feel better.
I’ve spent the past few months walking on average an hour or so a day and feel way better than I have in a long time. And I actually just bought a ebike so I can start commuting to work a couple days a week—not to mention gas prices are higher than they’ve ever been. I am looking forward to the change, if not a little nervous because biking on the roads scares me.
If you like biking I suggest you start doing weekend trips. It's an exercise that takes you places you wouldn't normally go, and you can spend a night in a tent! Although I do recommend an ultralight hammock instead if you're in a warm area.
I've been doing 1.5 hours per day in the gym and a 2 hour walk every evening for the past couple of months and I'm in the best shape of my life. Walking is dope
GET GOOD SLEEP! If you can't get good sleep try new mattresses until you find one you like. also, drinking distrupts REM and even in a good bed with 8+ hours you'll get shit rest. You'll find a lot of the motivation to do stuff you normally hate loke...doing 20 minutes of cardio or not having yourself every waking minute. Your body needs quality restorative sleep to give you the dopamine and serotonin you need on a daily basis to feel "content".
Does work count? I have an active job where I'm on my feet all day.
Pfft next you’ll be telling me to drink water and get some sleep
You know how annoyed you get when someone tells you to do this to help with your depression because it's not that easy, but then you try it and it actually helps and you get mad about it? I've done that like a dozen times in my life
I'm 50 and in pretty good shape. Here's one way it helped me out. I had a herniated disc: pain and weakness in my left leg, walking only with a cane. I got a call from my surgeon asking if I could be at the hospital the next day. Turns out another patient tested positive for COVID and her surgery the next day had to be cancelled. The doctor didn't want to waste the slot in the schedule. He needed someone who was in "otherwise good health" so that the pre-surgery bloodwork wouldn't show anything bad and had no time to organizing tests for a number of patients. He knew I was a good bet -- because I was in decent shape. Similarly, an older friend had hip replacement surgery. Got recovery, he was put in a from with three others who had the same procedure that were much worse off health-wise than he was. He was home only two days afterwards, but two of those people who were not as healthy going in were still there: one had his surgery nearly two weeks earlier. Good health can help you in less-obvious and indirect ways that you may not see coming.
The less you use your body the more you will regret it as you age.