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Exercise and going to the gym can seem like work to me on certain days, but it's my chance to get away from the house and family and have some "me" time. Overall, I really enjoy what I do, but it's a brutal workout. Some days I feel like I'm about to puke after I'm done. Other days, I just feel rejuvenated - like I've just shaved off 10 years of my life (meaning I'm back to being 31 and not 41 years old.)
When I don't workout, I start to feel like Jabba The Hutt. It becomes ingrained in me that it's just something I do like brushing my teeth every day.
I'm older, and know people who can't exercise any more, or who can only exercise in very limited ways.
Also, I broke a bone a couple years ago, and endured the long, tedious work of restrengthening a limb weakened by being in a cast.
So now when I feel like blowing off a workout, or feel like the workout will "never end," I just ask myself how I'd feel if I became unable to work out. I am pretty sure I would long to be able to do the (sometimes boring and uncomfortable) moves again.
But on a serious note.
Personally, I sort of always wanted to exercise. I also always wanted to weight lift. I am 61 now, I started at 15 in the country with practically no gyms and body building banned. I seriously started at 27 and practically built a gym from scratch, machines included. Crude but functional.
I had my 10 year lapse and was back to routine in 2003.
It's simply part of me. I do little cardio, it is simply not my thing, but I know how to do weights cardio style.
I have it "figured out" and know how to, quoting other poster, "to get most out of least".
I have no mental effort to go to gym. It's part of me, it's like putting clothes on and eating. I do not imagine life without exercise and active style - as in, I do a lot of mobile things at any opportunity.
But this is not what I want to say.
What I want to say is - mental effort precedes any success in any exercise. Properly directed mental effort with provide proper results. As it sends focus and energy into what one wants to accomplish and then that responds with changes.
You can go dummly into gym and move weights thoughtlessly and you will accomplish nothing. But if you go there and focus your mind on what you do - you will accomplish a lot.
I've been getting back into exercise lately. I'm a notorious couch potato, though naturally very slim, so I've never needed to work out to lose weight. Working out for me is just an additional layer of trying to be a healthy human being.
Because I don't need exerice to lose weight, I often find myself hard to motivate. I like running because I can track my runs on my Nike app and achieve goals, beat my run times, etc. But I still sometimes have a hard time doing it.
For example, I should have gone for a run last night. I even got home and put on my running clothes and still didn't go. I ended up doing other things around the house and procrastinated the whole time. I just changed out of running clothes to my pajamas and sat on the couch all night watching Breaking Bad.
I am going for a run tonight, and likely will go tomorrow night too.
When you first make up your mind to start an exercise program you are generally excited and committed. Then, it becomes work. You have to get ready, you have to go somewhere (out the door, to the gym), you have to spend time you would rather be doing something else
This can be prevented by not going to the gym until in the later parts of the day, like in the evening. That way you are already well fed and rested and have probably already taken care of everything else that matters.
Also, if you hate going to the gym and are only doing it because you want to look good then you are doomed to fail regardless. I LOOK FORWARD to going to the gym, because it's something I like doing.
I only look forward to going to the gym because I like seeing weight coming off and clothes getting bigger. I had excellent results when I went to a gym near me from 2001-2003. At 45 years old I lost 25 pounds and looked firm, trim & healthy. I couldn't wait to get to the gym, it became a mild addiction.
Then life got in the way, the gym I loved closed, husband died, I was diagnosed with cancer and over the next 13 years I gained the 25 lbs back and things got flabby again. I rejoined a gym 6 weeks ago and am not seeing any results despite 30 minutes of treadmill at 3 mph and 20-40 minutes of weight machines. I've been increasing the weight until it is hard but still doable. I feel a little stronger but I'm getting a little discouraged because I'm not seeing anything firming up yet. Maybe I'm expecting too much at my age (61) and for only going 6 weeks. I go three days a week with a week in there I didn't go because I was sick. It is 10.6 miles one way and sometimes that prevents me from sneaking in another work-out. Funny thing is another gym opened up 2 minutes away right after I joined the other gym! :-(
For those of you who started working out at an older age how long before you saw results? BTW I eat healthy these days and the 12 lb weight loss from eating healthier is what prompted me to get back to the gym.
I eat healthy, workout 6 days a week, and I do not hesitate to flaunt in the summer when I've reached my goals. Swimming is my favorite workout on summer weekends.
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