People dream it, they think it, but they are just not able to do it. Keeping fit requires lots of discipline and resolve. Sometimes they start out on a fitness regime only to drop it very soon. Keeping fit is a very good thing for the bodily function, and this is universally accepted. A good thing is to probably not to go at it on your own, a group approach is more advisable because the motivation factor will possibly be greater.
I have to say I prefer group activities to keep fit. It helps keep me motivated. I would rather spend a few hours playing volleyball and getting exercise than working out in the gym. I'll do that as well but my preference is the team aspect. I think when you make a plan to play sports two to three times a week it can be easier to follow through with than saying you'll go to the gym two to three times a week. I agree it takes a great deal of discipline to stick to work out schedule. With work and kids I find it hard to get to the gym so I will try and get active by playing with my kids which is a great workout in itself. We play soccer, baseball, football, swim. It's great fun and exercise.
I agree that it is not an easy task to keep fit especially when one lacks motivation and discipline. I remember a friend telling me not to try buying exercise equipment to be used at home because she has tried it before and it never worked for her because she only exercised whenever she felt like it. Unlike when she enrolled herself in the gym, she programmed her mind that she had to be present during her workout schedules. I guess we all have different ways to keep fit and the important thing is to find what works for you and stick to it.
I agree, it's not always easy to go for a work out and actually keep it up. I find that sometimes when the weather's not favourable and/or I'm tired from work, all I want to do is go home and veg on my couch LOL Plus it's also a lot easier to work out in a group because you spur each other on, compare notes and motivate each other.
True, when I was jogging with my friends I was motivated because we woke each other up first thing in the morning as well, then we would fetch each other at home one by one. Now that those days are long gone I am so not motivated to work out by my lonesome. Just sleeping and doing nothing seems more attractive to me, lol.
Hehe @sidney, I like your style.....very open and not apologising for it. You go, girl! I too am working out with a bunch of work colleagues. but I can only really do it when we're on the same shift. They meantime seem to be going hard at it. They even go after hours, or sometimes when they finish early, they'll go home but come back for the work out. I'm afraid I'm not that dedicated LOL
This is very true, starting an exercise regimen is easy but committing to it can be quite difficult. That's why I try to do workouts that I enjoy like walking, yoga or HIIT. After all, you cannot stay with something that you're not having fun with. Aside from that, there's dancing, swimming, zumba and running. All of these types of exercise can be quite fun to do but they also help keep your heart pumping and your body sweating. Change up your routine as well. That's one way of breaking the monotony so you won't get bored with just one exercise. Like you said, find people who you can exercise with. Talking with someone while exercising can be a wonderful way of not noticing the time passing by. Good luck everyone!
We are seniors, and along with our Medicare Advantage plan, we have a membership to the local fitness center. It has people of all ages and abilities there; so we do not feel as out of place as we would if everyone were young and already in great shape. We usually go 3-4 days per week on a regular basis, and we both enjoy it, although we do different things when we get there. My husband likes to work out with weights, and then he hits the steam room and the sauna afterwards. He wants to actively build muscle. One the other hand, I enjoy swimming ; so I usually spend some time on the treadmill, and then swim for an hour, and then we end up in the steam room together. It is enjoyable for both of us, and we help to keep each other motivated to go every other day.
I agree with you, @Briannagoddess! For me, I have to switch it up and keep it fun, otherwise it becomes a chore and I get bored. Once that happens, I become lazy and eventually stop altogether. I love aerobics and walking, jogging not so much! I need something else, but I have yet to get into something else that speaks to me. I've heard a lot of good things about Zumba, and it's something that I know I'd thoroughly enjoy. There's a class near me, but because I currently work on shifts, it's not doable. I just hope it doesn't become dated before I get my taste of it LOL
I think keeping fit is only an issue if you don't incorporate it into your life properly. If you change things about the way you live to make keeping fit an integral part of your life, you should find that it is a lot easier and you manage to keep it up for much longer. This is what I have found, anyway. I set aside specific times for exercise, and this means that it is always going to be a part of my day.
It's so hard for me to stay motivated. The last time I started working out, I went for a couple of months and then just quit. Maybe if my body didn't get so sore, I'd be more prone to keep going. But that's the hard part for me. Working out makes me feel really good and accomplished afterwards. I also have a tough time with keeping my food healthy. I'm a big junk food person so it'd be hard to discipline myself in that area. I would like to try it up again after my baby is born. This will be my third. But I also want to be able to set a good example for my family to stay healthy too. Especially since I'm the keeper of the home.
Taking the group approach is actually one of the great ideas to stay motivated, as long as you stay with motivated people. If majority of the people in your group are not motivated themselves, then they will drag you down. Another source of demotivation is when you don't see results so keeping track of your progress is also one of the things that keep you motivated. It is very satisfying to see your body improves from month to month or to see your numbers getting better and better so that can be a good motivation as well.
The first sign it's not for you.. if you don't want to do it lol. If it's torture or if you have to motivate yourself to even think about doing it, then it's not the right approach for you. There are a million and one ways to get exercise. Go with the ones that you love.. the ones that make you happy or you have fun doing. You do NOT have to lift weights or run on the spot to get fit. That industry, of course, will have you thinking so, but it's absolute nonsense. Go have fun! Then it won't feel like a chore and you won't need any cheerleaders to get you moving lol.
Lol, I hope you can squeeze in Zumba when you have the time! My MIL and her sister go to Zumba once a week. It's a free Zumba class run by our local community. They definitely find it fun and even encouraged me to go with them. But since no one can take care of my baby, I cannot go with them. So I think Zumba is still popular right now... Let me know if you do decide to try it! Good luck!
The group or partner thing doesn't work for me. A long time ago, when I first began to gain weight as an adult, a friend lost a ton on the Dick Gregory plan. She became a fanatic about working out and weight loss. While I was happy for her, I hated having a fake drill sergeant as a friend. Another friend made a big deal about having girl's night out on the walking path instead of the bar. At the time, my 70+ grandmother walked faster...and talked less. Being fit over 40 is no easy task, especially if it's to lose weight. Since my chemo, my knees can't tolerate much and I get tired easier. Nevertheless, I pick myself up at least 3x a week to engage in vigorous activity. It's just that the weight is coming off slowly.
I agree with this whole heartedly. I for one absolutely LOATHE working out. I despise it and if it were a person I would strangle them. With that being said I do understand that it is very important to exercise and stay fit. Having had six children I can tell you, a "you look like you just had six kids" body is not too appealing. I would prefer working out with others but exercising in front of others is embarrassing. I know it makes no sense but what can I say. I recently came across some easy dance workouts. This is good for me because I'm a beginner and I don't think it's a good idea for me to be dancing my 32 year old self around like I'm on Dancing With The Stars. Mama will pass right out. I love, love, love dancing even though I can't dance to save my life, your life or anybody's (so cruel) so I'm pretty sure I'll stick with it. On my way to a "What! You have six kids!!!" body.
I like to walk as my workout. I find that most people can not keep up with my pace which takes the fun out of it for me. My pace is normal for me and to slow down waiting for someone is not a workout so I take my walks alone maybe some music while I am walking.
I use to do a lot of charity walks just for the exercise. I tried jogging (alone) and felt silly. I liked it but I guess I was too self conscience about it. I did the power walking until I fell. Occasionally I walk on a trail at a park nearby. I prefer walking more than any other outdoor exercise. I also made up my own dance exercise routines indoors. There are not many places that I can go nearby without having to drive to get there so I try to be creative when doing tasks around the house.
There are may areas in my life where I do not have strong resolve. Fitness is just one thing amongst many that I wish I could commit to. I want to be healthy and fit, but most of the time I really can't be bothered to work out. I would rather vape some herb, kick back, eat, and watch some of my favorite TV shows lol. But I do love a good game of badminton. But even keeping that up to where ti is a regular thing is hard for me to do.
As far as I'm concerned, I don't enjoy working out in a group. I'm generally an introverted person so I prefer doing most of the things alone, and keeping fit is one of them. I only need my playlist to keep me going! Although I agreee that sometimes working out can feel like a chore, especially when you come home tired after a long day at work. However, if I force myself to work out when I don't feel like it, it actually gets me energised and I feel less exhausted,
