Author Topic: How would you solve this? (Exercise)  (Read 12202 times)

secondcor521

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How would you solve this? (Exercise)
« on: July 19, 2014, 02:27:15 PM »
I have a medical condition that can either be treated with medication or with exercise.  Most days it's easier to take the pills, but I'd like to get off of them.

I've exercised regularly off and on, but never been able to make it "stick".

How would you motivate yourself to exercise every day for the rest of your life?

ch12

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Re: How would you solve this? (Exercise)
« Reply #1 on: July 19, 2014, 02:28:48 PM »
I have a medical condition that can either be treated with medication or with exercise.  Most days it's easier to take the pills, but I'd like to get off of them.

I've exercised regularly off and on, but never been able to make it "stick".

How would you motivate yourself to exercise every day for the rest of your life?

I'd probably use stickk to form the habit initially.

http://www.stickk.com/

Do that for the first 30 days. After that, exercising every day is a requirement, not a choice.

iamlindoro

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Re: How would you solve this? (Exercise)
« Reply #2 on: July 19, 2014, 02:53:44 PM »
I have a medical condition that can either be treated with medication or with exercise.  Most days it's easier to take the pills, but I'd like to get off of them.

I've exercised regularly off and on, but never been able to make it "stick".

How would you motivate yourself to exercise every day for the rest of your life?

The trick for a lot of people is to integrate it into your social life.  Join a charitable endurance sports group (Team in Training, Crohns and Colitis, American Diabetes Association, etc.) which will train you for a marathon, triathlon, adventure race, century ride, etc.  They'll give you structure, and you'll make friends which will help you form the habit of going to workouts.  Once you've completed the program, you will have the good habits, and a group of friends to call on to keep working out regularly while also socializing.  You'd also be surrounded by plenty of people who aren't necessarily super-fit to start with, so there would be no need to feel intimidated or out of place.

Mrs. Frugalwoods

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Re: How would you solve this? (Exercise)
« Reply #3 on: July 19, 2014, 03:25:23 PM »
I have a medical condition that can either be treated with medication or with exercise.  Most days it's easier to take the pills, but I'd like to get off of them.

I've exercised regularly off and on, but never been able to make it "stick".

How would you motivate yourself to exercise every day for the rest of your life?

The trick for a lot of people is to integrate it into your social life.  Join a charitable endurance sports group (Team in Training, Crohns and Colitis, American Diabetes Association, etc.) which will train you for a marathon, triathlon, adventure race, century ride, etc.  They'll give you structure, and you'll make friends which will help you form the habit of going to workouts.  Once you've completed the program, you will have the good habits, and a group of friends to call on to keep working out regularly while also socializing.  You'd also be surrounded by plenty of people who aren't necessarily super-fit to start with, so there would be no need to feel intimidated or out of place.
Similar to this, I suggest finding a way to add another motivator aside from just "I gotta exercise today." I work at my yoga studio in exchange for free classes, so I have to go in order to cover my shift and then I also get to take a class for free. It's kind of a triple incentive--I like the yoga, I have to be responsible and do my shift, AND I've made friends and become part of the yoga community. People will notice if I'm not there, which motivates me to keep going. Plus, I love the results!

zataks

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Re: How would you solve this? (Exercise)
« Reply #4 on: July 19, 2014, 03:44:29 PM »
Some great suggestions already.  For me, it's a matter of feeling good; exercise improves my self-image, feelings of self-worth, and helps keep me happy and healthy.  When I'm healthier, everything is better!  (same can be said for being happy!)

Additionally though, there are all sorts of gyms/clubs that need volunteers to help work with kids.  I haven't been to a single boxing gym where extra help wasn't accepted and appreciated.  I'm sure many other styles of gyms or community clubs (think volleyball, soccer, baseball, really any sport!) would love the assistance.

It also depends what you consider exercise.  Do you need to train like an athlete on a competitive level or just get the blood flowing?  I feel best when I surf a couple days/week and train in the fight gym 4-5 days/week on top of that.  Since finding MMM though, the gym is gone and will begin working out in my yard soon, I think.   If you don't need anything of that magnitude, get a scooter/skateboard/bike and do your errands/commute on it and that can be your exercise. 
Or take up gardening. 
Or sit on the floor more often. 
Or only use the hand-basket at the market so you're forced to carry your groceries.
Or do 5 squats before entering the bathroom and 5 pushups when you leave.


Tomorrow morning I'm meeting friends at 0700 and will be going surfing for a couple hours.  It gets my heart rate up and body moving but I don't consider it exercise.  Last week GF and I have a vacation that was 6 nights of camping/backpacking and almost 60miles of hiking.  That IS exercise but it didn't feel like working out because it had specific purpose. 
For me, "exercise/working out" is hitting the track/street and running.  I hate it but understand it as a necessary evil to maintaining weight, physique, and CP function.  As such, it's what gets the least focus.  Going into a gym, the garage, backyard, and hitting a bag never feels like working out and I always feel amazing.

tl;dr incorporating exercise into daily life is simple.  find a way to be active that doesn't feel like "working out" to you and you won't ever think about exercising again

Zelda01

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Re: How would you solve this? (Exercise)
« Reply #5 on: July 19, 2014, 03:49:31 PM »
I started this "Anything Counts Daily Exercise Challenge" in the YNAB forums -->  http://forum.youneedabudget.com/discussion/28282/anything-counts-daily-exercise-challenge

You could start a similar one here.  Or you could join that one.  I have exercised every day since Feb 1. 

The trick is that "Anything Counts," which takes away all excuses, and ultimately a person ends up doing more because they have done something every single day. 

viper155

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Re: How would you solve this? (Exercise)
« Reply #6 on: July 19, 2014, 04:08:11 PM »
I would just sit and think, really hard. As someone that has faced a pretty serious medical condition I can tell you that without your health nothing else really matter much compared to it. Exercise is simple. You have no excuse to not pursue this option. You have the time. You have the place. And you certainly have the motivation......get off your ass today!

chicknelump

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Re: How would you solve this? (Exercise)
« Reply #7 on: July 19, 2014, 04:37:32 PM »
It sounds like you already know, but if you have a medical condition where lifestyle modifications are actually working, it is always preferable to choose that option. (caveat is that it actually has to be working, you don't want to be mounting up years of damage while you hope your lifestyle modifications are working)

One of the things I found helpful is consistency. For example, once you make a routine to go to the gym and something comes up... don't fall into the trap of "oh i'll do it tomorrow". Even if you go for only 20 minutes instead of your usual hour (or whatever), you won't start that trap of letting yourself slip.

zataks

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Re: How would you solve this? (Exercise)
« Reply #8 on: July 19, 2014, 05:23:58 PM »
One of the things I found helpful is consistency. For example, once you make a routine to go to the gym and something comes up... don't fall into the trap of "oh i'll do it tomorrow". Even if you go for only 20 minutes instead of your usual hour (or whatever), you won't start that trap of letting yourself slip.

I agree with the consistency bit.  Another piece of advice that really helped me was to put on your gym/workout clothes THEN decide if you're going to workout.  Almost every time I go and get them on, before I've even finished dressing, I've resolved that I will train. 

Also, a great idea if you use any social media is to subscribe to fitness motivational based/themed people or accounts. 

Gimesalot

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Re: How would you solve this? (Exercise)
« Reply #9 on: July 19, 2014, 07:22:03 PM »
I joined gympact. It's an app on your smart phone. You make a monetary commitment for each workout.   For example $5 a workout 4 times a week.  If you don't make it, you owe $5 for each workout.  If you complete your goal, you get paid.  It also has an option for eating fruits and veggies

agent_clone

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Re: How would you solve this? (Exercise)
« Reply #10 on: July 19, 2014, 07:59:55 PM »
Find an exercise partner.  For example a lady at work runs with a friend in the morning several times a week.  It helps provide some motivation by having to meet someone rather than the "I don't feel like it today" factor.
I remember hearing/reading that often if you stick to going to the gym for 3 months you are likely to continue doing so in your life as well.

frugaliknowit

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Re: How would you solve this? (Exercise)
« Reply #11 on: July 19, 2014, 09:27:26 PM »
Step one is finding an activity or activities that is/are good workout(s) and that are enjoyable.  For me, it is cycling, weight training, and downhill skiing (which if I could afford to, I would do almost every winter day...and if you ski with me and my friends it is a huge 5 hour workout...and you will not get cold because your legs will be working so hard!).

For me, the motive is my well being and looking good (especially for my age).  If there were a choice between medication and exercise, I would choose the latter, though I do some form of workout about 5 days per week.  In the case of skiing and to an extent  cycling, they are social opportunities as well.  Skiing has to be done in groups to be affordable and I belong to a cycling club.

MBot

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Re: How would you solve this? (Exercise)
« Reply #12 on: July 19, 2014, 10:10:52 PM »
For your situation, do you have free time? Can you get a part-time or very casual gym job? Eg some side hustle $ cleaning or at the coffee counter or front desk? Maybe an evening shift?  That comes with a free membership as a perk? Then you have to be there already at least a few days a week, and you already "commit" time to being at the gym so actually working out before/after is easy.

Russ

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Re: How would you solve this? (Exercise)
« Reply #13 on: July 19, 2014, 10:26:16 PM »
Joshua Spodek, an occasional poster on the forums here, has written an extensive blog series on understanding our emotional systems and using them to make the life changes we want:
http://joshuaspodek.com/js_blogseries/method-series

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Re: How would you solve this? (Exercise)
« Reply #14 on: July 19, 2014, 11:06:57 PM »
For me, I make driving to work not an option, and then I am forced to integrate walking or biking to work. Perhaps you could do something like that?


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Re: How would you solve this? (Exercise)
« Reply #15 on: July 20, 2014, 07:35:06 AM »
This is a less Mustachian solution in that it involves spending some money, but I am in a similar situation and a Fitbit made a world of difference to me. I have been trying to figure out why a Fitbit motivates me when I have been trying to exercise my whole life, and I think that it is because counting steps is extremely flexible and can be adjusted around whatever else I am doing during the day, but also keeps track of what is going on so I don't have to. Times when I have tried to, say, have a gym membership...if my daily routine fell apart and I missed my gym "appointment" it was hard to get the day back on track. I'm not training for a marathon, but I am getting a lot more activity into my day and that is what the dr. asked for in my case.

These days there are enough people around who have tried them that you could probably get one by asking around.


samburger

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Re: How would you solve this? (Exercise)
« Reply #16 on: July 20, 2014, 08:04:33 AM »
Find a way to make yourself exercise for some reason other than exercise itself.

I got a dog. Pre-dog, I could make myself walk recreationally maybe once a week, if I was lucky. Once I had the dog, daily walks were not optional (we don't have a yard). The only well-behaved dog is a tired dog, so if we don't walk her, she'll literally chew up the hardwood floor. My wife and I walk 1-5 miles a day now, nothing crazy, but enough to feel the benefits of regular exercise.

tensile

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Re: How would you solve this? (Exercise)
« Reply #17 on: July 20, 2014, 10:29:25 AM »
The thing that turned me from a whingy 'don't wanna' excusebot into a 5-times a week exercise hero was to push my exercise bike in front of my Xbox.

Now when I play Xbox my legs are churning and I work up a light sweat. I call it 'xboxercise'.

(Would work with a playstation, too!)

jabber

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Re: How would you solve this? (Exercise)
« Reply #18 on: July 20, 2014, 03:08:33 PM »
The best recommendations I've had and would share are:

1) Make it necessary (in order to get to work, get your groceries) in order to complete necessary tasks.

2) Schedule it into your day where you do NOT allow yourself any other activity than exercise.

Regular exercise, as you are probably aware, will provide immeasurable benefits beyond getting off of this medication. 

Other than time commitment, exercise is free.  That, my friend, is Mustachian.

olivia

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Re: How would you solve this? (Exercise)
« Reply #19 on: July 20, 2014, 03:25:30 PM »
I would take any steps possible to make it easy for you to work out, whether it's forcing yourself to walk to and from work, choosing a gym that's directly on the way home and making sure you keep gym clothes at work or in your car, etc.  And find something you actually enjoy, whether that's a team sport, hiking, biking, etc.  Those are all things that work for me!

NeighborGuy

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Re: How would you solve this? (Exercise)
« Reply #20 on: July 20, 2014, 03:28:13 PM »
Is the prospect of avoiding being in chronic pain not enough motivation already? Yeesh.

It's been said already, but I'll repeat it: make it a priority in whatever way makes most sense to you. I have a whiteboard with three checkboxes for every day, each one representing some daily task that I must do before I go to bed. Just three things. One of those is exercise. That's my system, and it might work for you, or you might come up with something else. Many other people exercise first thing in the morning before doing anything else, otherwise they just keep pushing it back until bedtime and it never gets done.

LisaCO

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Re: How would you solve this? (Exercise)
« Reply #21 on: July 20, 2014, 05:29:47 PM »
I can totally relate to this.  Even though I know that exercise helps my medical condition and I always feel better when I'm leaving the gym than I do when I'm walking in, there are days when it's hard and I can easily talk myself out of it.  My first thing is that I never make it an all or nothing proposition.  For me personally, that is just too high of a bar and I'm likely to give up the whole idea when I miss a day.  The second probably sounds silly but it really works for me.  I keep track of my exercise with a spreadsheet.  I have it set up as a calendar and if I exercise, I fill in the cell with the bright green color and if I don't, I fill it in with bright red.  This has worked better for me than any other system that I've tried.  I guess it appeals to my inner kindergartner. 

JoshuaSpodek

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Re: How would you solve this? (Exercise)
« Reply #22 on: July 20, 2014, 05:32:21 PM »
Joshua Spodek, an occasional poster on the forums here, has written an extensive blog series on understanding our emotional systems and using them to make the life changes we want:
http://joshuaspodek.com/js_blogseries/method-series

I saw the traffic to my blog and found this post.

I take great interest in this topic -- how to start a habit forever. My big one is that I have a couple activities I do without fail daily. The main one is burpees -- I started doing ten a day in December 2011 and haven't missed one since. Now I do fifty a day in two sets of twenty-five. I plan on doing them every day until my body can't do them any more. I've done them drunk, hung over, busy, bored, etc. The other is that I post on my blog every day, which I've done daily for about 1,500 posts. I also do cold showers regularly, but not daily.

Russ's link to the series on the method is the most comprehensive (thanks for the link, Russ!).

Some quicker reads include this post -- How to begin a workout routine to last: start with joy -- which is part of this relevant series on burpees.

I've developed the concept of the Self-Imposed Daily Challenging Healthy Activity, or SIDCHA, which I've found one of the most helpful things to improve my life. That series might help too.

Sorry about so many posts to my blog, but I see the ability to start a new habit as a skill like walking or riding a bike that anyone can develop. Most people give up on them so they don't develop the skill and conclude they can't. I think they can.

On a personal note, it's been so long that I haven't exercised twice daily, I can't imagine life without out it. The discipline and health benefits have improved my life so much, the concept of deciding between something so helpful and drugs that no doubt cost money, need to be tracked, have side effects, and so on is borderline crazy. It's like asking "I have a choice between improving my life for free or paying to get punched in the face. How do I motivate myself to improve my life?" I hope the original poster comes to feel that way after making daily exercise a habit too. In all fairness, if I hadn't done it, I wouldn't have gotten to feel this way.

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Re: How would you solve this? (Exercise)
« Reply #23 on: July 20, 2014, 06:05:22 PM »
This past year I've tried to walk everywhere I could instead of drive.  Most of my trips are 0.5 to 1.0 miles anyway, so it's relatively easy (and I'm retired so I have a couple hours/day to walk).  Is walking sufficiently "exercisey" for your medical needs? 

I've noticed medical advantages to the consistent exercise, and hope to notice a few more from lab tests and BP readings at my next physical. 

SDREMNGR

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Re: How would you solve this? (Exercise)
« Reply #24 on: July 20, 2014, 08:48:35 PM »
I have a medical condition that can be cured with either exercise or medicine too.  It's called being fat.  It sucks to have it.

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Re: How would you solve this? (Exercise)
« Reply #25 on: July 20, 2014, 08:51:46 PM »
I've spent time as both a professional athlete (albeit not one that got paid much!) and a personal trainer and I can just say this: if you make friends with people who exercise, you will exercise. It will not even seem like exercise. After a while you'll get pissed if you *can't* get out and run/ride/lift/swim/etc.

Without the social aspect, very few people will stick with any kind of exercise in my experience. So you may need new/more friends who live the kind of life that will help you be healthy.

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Annamal

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Re: How would you solve this? (Exercise)
« Reply #26 on: July 20, 2014, 08:58:51 PM »
I've suggested this elsewhere but audiobooks have made my hourlong walk to work in the morning something that I whole=heartedly look forward to.


La Bibliotecaria Feroz

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Re: How would you solve this? (Exercise)
« Reply #27 on: July 20, 2014, 09:06:38 PM »
The FlyLady endorses and links to something called No Excuses Boot Camp or something like that. Even if you don't pay, you can get free checklists and things to help establish a habit. Good luck!

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Re: How would you solve this? (Exercise)
« Reply #28 on: July 21, 2014, 12:07:12 AM »
This is a less Mustachian solution in that it involves spending some money, but I am in a similar situation and a Fitbit made a world of difference to me.

Fitbit has worked great for me too. I lost 12% of my bodyweight recently just by tracking activity and calories with the Fitbit software.

Malaysia41

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Re: How would you solve this? (Exercise)
« Reply #29 on: July 21, 2014, 12:41:05 AM »
I've suggested this elsewhere but audiobooks have made my hourlong walk to work in the morning something that I whole=heartedly look forward to.
agreed

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Re: How would you solve this? (Exercise)
« Reply #30 on: July 21, 2014, 02:29:05 AM »
My dog is currently telling me to get off the computer and take him for his morning walk, so I am just about to do that.  No chance he'll let me off that hook: twice a day, every day, and I live on a hill so there is a steep uphill involved whichever way I take him.

When I was still working I scared myself about my state of health, and started running.  The main point for me was the complete lack of obstacles to doing it: get home, change into running gear, walk through the front door and run.  It was only 25 minutes, it was only 3 times a week, but it was enough to stave off the worst effects of an adult lifetime of sedentary jobs.  The key for me was running slowly - try this blog for advice on that

http://doctormama.blogspot.co.uk/2006/05/listen-up-maggots.html

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Re: How would you solve this? (Exercise)
« Reply #31 on: July 21, 2014, 03:55:05 AM »
For me, I make driving to work not an option, and then I am forced to integrate walking or biking to work. Perhaps you could do something like that?
I agree with this one (because it works for me). I don't own a car, so ride my bike every.  Also, I play two team sports (which can get expensive with registration/insurance/game fees), which also train twice a week for 1.5hours each. I'm still fat though, because I like chocolate, but I've got good cardiovascular health!

GuitarStv

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Re: How would you solve this? (Exercise)
« Reply #32 on: July 21, 2014, 06:07:59 AM »
1.  Make it as easy as possible to do.  If your gym is a 20 minute drive away from your house this is a disincentive.  Set up a home gym.  Bike or walk to work.  Put a chin up bar in your bathroom door and do a chin-up every time you use the bathroom at work.  Whatever is easy for you is a good way to get started.  When you're run down after a long day of whatever, the last thing you need is a roadblock between you and your exercise.


2.  Have clear and well defined goals, and keep records to see if what you're doing is working.  People tend to suck at this.  If your goal is to run a marathon and you get outside the first day and can't run for more than 30 seconds this is disheartening.  If you record that 30 seconds, then go 35 second the next day, then go a full minute by the second week there is clear progress that can be tracked.  You know that you're improving because you can't argue with recorded facts.

It is very common for people to start working out, do a bunch of different exercises until they feel tired each day, then quit in a few weeks.  Why are they quitting?  Because they have no goal to work towards beyond some amorphous "get exercise" goal.  Just making yourself tired is not a good motivator.


3.  As has been mentioned, the social aspect of working out can be very helpful.  It's easier to push yourself harder when there are others around.  It's easier to ask for help if you're unsure about an exercise.  It's easier to stay motivated when there are others around you who are motivated.  That said, if you're just comparing yourself to people who have been working out for years you'll feel like crap.  Remember that the only person you're competing with long term is yourself.

PloddingInsight

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Re: How would you solve this? (Exercise)
« Reply #33 on: July 21, 2014, 06:17:32 AM »
For me, reading Ultramarathon Man by Dean Karnazes and Born to Run by Chris McDougall made a big difference in my motivation.

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Re: How would you solve this? (Exercise)
« Reply #34 on: July 21, 2014, 09:27:03 PM »
Haven't read all the replies yet, but I can offer that being able to manage a chronic condition through exercise gives a great deal of empowerment. I still take a very small dose of anti-depressants, but without exercise I'd need a much bigger chemical crutch.

For me, it's biking. Pretend you don't own a car. Bike everywhere. It's awesome. Much easier to work exercise into your day when it is ALSO your transportation.

minkcar

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Re: How would you solve this? (Exercise)
« Reply #35 on: July 21, 2014, 11:13:24 PM »
I am biased towards lifestyle adjustment first, nutritional supplementation second, and pharmaceutical medication third. That said, I've seen people treat their mild depression with exercise and it not turn out well. The problem is that it depletes certain resources very slowly, so that over a few years it takes progressively more exercise to get an effect. Eventually it takes so much exercise that it's no longer feasible, or there's a significant injury, etc and they can't get enough exercise to treat.
(To be fair, lots of antidepressant meds suffer from similar long-term effects).
I try to find ways to exercise, but I find I can't always get sufficient exercise to rely exclusively on it for treating a medical condition, so I use nutrition as my primary treatment and use the exercise as a bonus. Depending on what you're treating YMMV.

req897

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Re: How would you solve this? (Exercise)
« Reply #36 on: July 22, 2014, 01:46:14 PM »
I have a medical condition that can either be treated with medication or with exercise.  Most days it's easier to take the pills, but I'd like to get off of them.

I've exercised regularly off and on, but never been able to make it "stick".

How would you motivate yourself to exercise every day for the rest of your life?

Find an exercise you enjoy. Walking, lifting weights, biking, rowing, etc