Creating an exercise habit for the previously unfit

[Rural]

Do any of you guys use Fitbit or an app or a group (other than this little one🙂) to help track and motivate yourself?

I used to, but it died, and I'm too cheap to get a new one. The only time i felt it was helpful was when I was close to my goal near the end of the day. I'd do laps around my house to get the last 200 steps or so. So that was 200 steps more than i would've taken without it. But on the whole, after the novelty wore off, no, it didn't really help motivate me.

I have one, but only because work bought it as an incentive. Didn't do a thing for me and was more annoying to try to use than the pedometer I got at the dollar store. Currently I don't know where it is, in a drawer somewhere.

[OurTown]

Great thread, just what I need to kick myself in the ass.

Yesterday > mowed the yard with a push mower & weed eater.
Today > nothing so far.

[Freckles]

I've been using myfitnesspal. App or website. You can log all your food or your exercise or both. I was logging my food but I got sick of it so now I'm just logging the exercise. Not that I think stopping the food log is good, I am just too lazy for that shit.

[Erma]

Did 40 minutes of yoga yesterday. Fell asleep at the end of the session.
Today I walked for 30 minutes during my break.

[meadow lark]

Elle - I thought you were on bedrest this weekend.  You will not be the first person on bedrest I have taken away a Fitbit from.  (No, really.  Pregnant women in the hospital on bedrest making laps around the halls.)

Erma - nice!  I should download a yoga class.

Freckles - I got on Myfitnesspal but it does all this calorie counting crap.  Which pisses me off.  And reminds me of my childhood.  Which makes me want to rebel.  (I know this is my bad attitude, and it may work great for others.)

Ourtown - welcome!
Rural - one of my fears if I bought it!

I actually had one several years ago, but I wasn't in a healthy frame of mind and all it did was count steps.  Which didn't do anything for me.  Th other piece was I was walking at work so much I had a lot of foot pain, so I needed to be walking less to heal my feet.  So I was in a weird bind.  Took me about a year of not walking 12 hours at work, plus doing stretches to get rid of the foot pain.  Life is good!

DJstash - I agree.  Food is 90% of weight loss/maintenance in my experience.  So I have a food protocol.  But there are plenty of thin unfit people who are living about 20 years older than their age.  So I think exercise's role is about quality of life - and I want great quality!

Zony - you rock!

Everyone else - thank you for posting.   I need to run back to my RV because it is about to rain!

[meadow lark]

Forgot to post my stuff!
Yesterday I walked/jogged for 15 minutes.  I had planned on walking 45, but a cloud of bugs attacked me so I ran home.  (4 evil bites).
I skipped my calisthenics because my thighs were angry at me.  Will probably skip today too.
Walked up to Internet rock X11 (15 min hike.). Will comeback if it doesn't rain all day.

[Shinplaster]

This morning I had some errands to run at several strip malls.  I parked as far away as I could and still be in the lot, and crisscrossed back and forth instead of stopping at all the stores in the same area, then move on, etc.  Did a lot of extra steps that way, although anyone watching would have thought I was totally scattered.  : )     

This afternoon I am reorganizing a bunch of bookshelves on different floors of the house.  I am deliberately only bringing about half what I could carry at a time, so I go up and down more often.  My knees are not happy, but I feel like I'm doing something, anyway.

[OurTown]

I could take the stairs when I leave the office.  12th floor.

[ElleFiji]

Elle - I thought you were on bedrest this weekend.  You will not be the first person on bedrest I have taken away a Fitbit from.  (No, really.  Pregnant women in the hospital on bedrest making laps around the halls.)

Erma - nice!  I should download a yoga class.

Freckles - I got on Myfitnesspal but it does all this calorie counting crap.  Which pisses me off.  And reminds me of my childhood.  Which makes me want to rebel.  (I know this is my bad attitude, and it may work great for others.)

I don't have a Fitbit! And all I posted about was my walk to and from the elevator to do laundry.

And I bet those pregnant women were nurses or teachers.  Helping professionals are not so great at helping themselves

My doctor who ordered bed rest was a little vague about duration, so I took a patient today and back to a full load tomorrow. Walking to/from buses for a total of 40 minutes and an hour standing.

Back to a full load tomorrow, but I'm calling people for rides.  Aiming for fit to exercise in a week.

[Prairie Gal]

10 mins exercise bike (7 mins level 1, 3 mins level 2)

[Sailor Sam]

45 minutes gym. 15 min cardio warmup, 30 min bodyweight stuff.

Plus 3k steps.

[joonifloofeefloo]

Parked as far away as reasonable
Ran in the ocean (friend yelled "Baywatch!!!" at me)
Played tag in the ocean
Kayaked in the lowest key way possible

[Freckles]

Zumba! Hour long class.

[FrugalZony]

Today I had to give up Yoga after 10 min, but then at least I got a 30 min walk done.
The rest of the day was spent chatting with secondor while eating cheese and drinking wine.
I am pretty sure that all of this qualifies as exercise :)

[Erma]

As I don't have to work today I used the time for a 30 minute yoga session.

[Prairie Gal]

Ran in the ocean (friend yelled "Baywatch!!!" at me)

LOL!

[NinjaSalad]

I love this thread - just what I need to hold myself accountable!

Yesterday - I walked to work (1.75 miles) and took the stairs all day long. I got a ride home though because it was 92 degrees.

I also started on the C25K after dinner and put in another 1.87 miles (Yes, I run like a sloth).

[Rural]

Today I schlepped all over the damn Walmart, doing several different laps in search of things they no longer carry. Also I hauled 50-pound bags of dog food out to the truck, though, unlike my husband, I did not carry one in on one shoulder while casually bringing along a 20-pound bag of cat food in the other hand. But I can move a 50-pound bag from shelf to buggy and buggy to truck, which is a major improvement for me given my last couple of years of back trouble.


Aside from that, I herded cats from my computer - the semester will start in a couple of weeks and things are gearing back up.

[okits]

I walked 2.4 km (1.5 miles) with DS in the stroller today.  Would have been more but a storm came.  :(

This is the third day in my current streak of not drinking alcohol or eating junk food.  I badly want some alcohol and junk food.

[joonifloofeefloo]

Dansing. That's how I'll spell it. In the last week, two not-connected strangers told me I dance when I sing. I hadn't realized that. Now I do. So, I spent 90 minutes DanSing today. It's not vigorous, so I wouldn't call it exercise or cardio or anything, but swaying and stepping, so it counts here.

[LMBB]

Today I had a "walking meeting" at work. We walked for 45 minutes in 98 degree heat (not to mention dresses)

[FIFoFum]

I had a lot of Floof lifts (Floofifts?). There was also Floof toting (walk and carry), including flights of stairs.

[FrugalZony]

Ice cream run, 15 Min each way. Car is still in the shop, that helps I guess...and the motivation of ice cream does as well...

[Prairie Gal]

Yesterday:

11 mins bike
8 baby squats

[NinjaSalad]

August 1 - Walked to work again, 1.75 miles. I still haven't used the elevators in my building this week. And as an added bonus, whenever I needed a restroom break I went to a restroom on a different floor in my building. I work on the third floor of a 5 story building so it's not like I can go far in either direction but every little bit counts and my legs are getting sore!

It was raining when I got off work and continued to rain throughout the evening so no afternoon walk :(

[joonifloofeefloo]

whenever I needed a restroom break I went to a restroom on a different floor in my building.

Love!

[Freeme]

I have just retired and my new job is getting fit again. I have had a desk job for the last 16 years with long commutes this caused me to get really unfit. I've been reading younger next year and have been working on activity every day. Also just purchased a Fitbit and so far like it. Tracking my water, hourly movement, goal of 6 days of activity per week, and steps. So I'm in for this challenge.

[meadow lark]

I came here for the inspiration today. 
Freeme - we are in identical situations.  Well, I only had a desk job for the last 18 months, but pretty similar.

I think I am going to try going for a walk again. Covered in bug spray.  (I have been ill for 2 days after being attacked by bugs on my last walk).

And finally the weather is nice again.
Oh, I hand washed a huge amount of laundry last night and then carried it to the clothes line.  I would estimate well over 50 lbs (very wet).  So that is something.

[Freckles]

I did a little swimming last night. Today I plan on zumba again and more swimming. It's hot here. Sooooooper hot. Arizona and New Mexico hot. Desert hot, NOT PNW hot. HOT HOT HOT

[Erma]

Today I only walked for 15 minutes because it was too hot and I was too tired after the storm that woke me up last night.

[dcheesi]

I've gained fitness and lost weight just by moving into a fourth floor apartment in a walkable neighborhood. And also taking the stairs at work (I usually try to jog those) and the occasional walk at (or to) lunch. All of it done with practical purpose (even jogging up the stairs gets me where I'm going faster), no treadmill or "working out" for its own sake.

The only thing is that I'm still lacking upper body strength. And now I'm finding I have an occasional "practical" use for muscles that I otherwise never use in daily life (not covered in the usual grocery-hauling scenarios, etc.). I need to find ways to incorporate some of the appropriate movements into my everyday life, as I know I'm not very good at keeping up with dedicated activities like "exercise".

[FIFoFum]

I lifted Floofs and Poops.

[WhiteTrashCash]

Just a bit of advice: You can take advantage of other people's MLM misery and failure by buying old Beachbody DVD fitness programs for a pittance on eBay. I own four of them which I purchased for like $5 a piece. The fitness programs are really good and you can rotate them so you don't get too bored. I've saved a lot of money that I don't have to spend on going to the gym.

[ElleFiji]

Just a bit of advice: You can take advantage of other people's MLM misery and failure by buying old Beachbody DVD fitness programs for a pittance on eBay. I own four of them which I purchased for like $5 a piece. The fitness programs are really good and you can rotate them so you don't get too bored. I've saved a lot of money that I don't have to spend on going to the gym.

Oooh good idea. I think my old roommate inherited my insanity DVD s and those were a cool mix of fun and impossible. I need to learn how to e bay.

[joonifloofeefloo]

It's hot here. Sooooooper hot. Arizona and New Mexico hot. Desert hot, NOT PNW hot. HOT HOT HOT

Yep! Probably like you, I'm all, "HEY! I MOVED AWAY FROM THAT ON PURPOSE!!!"

Two hours of light walking today.

[Sailor Sam]

I did a little swimming last night. Today I plan on zumba again and more swimming. It's hot here. Sooooooper hot. Arizona and New Mexico hot. Desert hot, NOT PNW hot. HOT HOT HOT

So fucking hot. And humid. Why?

Gym today, and 6.5k steps.

I find the modifications I use for the bodyweight stuff fairly humiliating. I do it anyway. And I know the other people in the gym don't really care what I'm doing. But damn it sure does burn.

[FIFoFum]

I did a little swimming last night. Today I plan on zumba again and more swimming. It's hot here. Sooooooper hot. Arizona and New Mexico hot. Desert hot, NOT PNW hot. HOT HOT HOT

So fucking hot. And humid. Why?

No idea. I am traveling to southern florida, where it's actually forecast to be cooler (though not less humid, of course).

[okits]

Walked my usual Wednesday 3.2km (2 miles).

Fourth day in a row without junk food or booze.  I am getting slightly less desperate for it.

[Rural]

Climbed up and down ladders and over fences. Also herded more cats from my computer.

[FrugalZony]

It's hot here. Sooooooper hot. Arizona and New Mexico hot. Desert hot, NOT PNW hot. HOT HOT HOT

Yep, I was surprised that Boise was THAT hot. Similar to AZ!
But it does cool off at night at least, so we can turn off AC in the evening.


Today we walked a good 30 min in the afternoon heat to pick up our car from the shop.
I was exhausted by the time we got there and I do consider myself quite heat resistant.

I also started the day with 30 min of Yoga this am. It wasn't easy. I was squirmish, but I did not want to give up.
I'll try another video tomorrow.

[HappierAtHome]

Walked 5km yesterday (round trip to mums' group).

Today? Not sure yet...

[NinjaSalad]

August 2
Walked to work, forgot my building entry card and had to turn around. Luckily I was still close to home. 1.9 miles
Walked to a work meeting 1.0 miles
C25K W1D2 2.10 miles

[Jessa]

I went to yoga class last night, I am feeling it today!

[joonifloofeefloo]

Manual housework
20 minute mellow walk return trip to appts

[Cali Nonya]

Used to be rather fit many moons ago.  Life stuff and job stuff happened, I think this is the perfect thread to join.

A fellow MMM-person recommended the 7 minute work-outs for me and I am about a month into them.  It has definitely helped my energy levels.  Being of the female persuasion, I swapped out one of the upper body routines for 10# kettles bells.

Now I just need to figure out something to do in the evenings.  The scary area of the Bay Area I am in doesn't lend itself to walking or cycling.

[Shinplaster]

Combining shopping trips/errands and extra walking seems to work well for me.  Today I had a couple of things to pick up at a so-called Smart Center, with a WalMart at one end, huge parking lot, other stores, more parking lots, etc.  Center is maybe 4 city blocks long.  I parked at the back of the Walmart (where I was NOT shopping), and walked back and forth to the stores I actually needed to get to.  It takes more time to do it this way, but I'm retired, so why not?

Now I'm home and rearranging furniture and doing a deep clean in the basement.  I'm sweaty, so figure I'm getting effective exercise.  : D

[meadow lark]

Had a beautiful walk last night.  Shortened because there were 3 bears, but really, that can't be held against me.  And I think 2 hikes to Internet rock.

Also, emptied the RV's black water tank into a tote, then dragged it up a hill and emptied it into the septic outlet (inlet?  Whatever.). Basically dragged something heavy up a hill.

Today - 1 hike to Internet rock, calisthenics. 
I should look at eBay for videos - that is a great idea.  I also look for them at thrift stores.

[Rural]

Today I hauled lumber. I hauled tools, many of them very heavy. I climbed up and down ladders again. I stacked lumber, and threw it in and out of the pickup truck. I hauled trash, including lots of very heavy construction debris. I threw it in and out of the truck, too. I cleared and hauled brush. I hauled gravel in 5-gallon buckets (not full, though; I can't lift that). I leaf-blowered a lot of the smaller brush and dead leaves off the porch. I got a sunburn and mild heat exhaustion. I don't know if I could handle this sort of labor all the time, but man, it feels like more of an accomplishment at the end of the day than my desk job.


Also I herded cats, both literal and metaphorical, during my breaks.

ETA: Meadowlark: no bears for me today. You did right to turn around. Bears always have right of way. Hmm. You could carry a leafblower on your walks - I bet bears would run from the noise.

[okits]

Walked the 2.4km RT (1.5 miles) to the park today so DS could play in the splash pad pick up random debris and abandoned toys off the ground and put them in his mouth.

Did a 75 minute yoga class tonight.

I went to yoga class last night, I am feeling it today!

Right?  I always thought beginner's yoga would be relaxing and easy.  It's kind of relaxing and kind of easy now, only after I've done months of classes to improve my fitness level.  The stretching has always made me feel better (especially since I got started with yoga by doing prenatal).

Fifth day in a row without junk food or booze.  I still frequently want sugar as a means to make me happy or as a reward/bandaid for cruddy experiences.  I'm not shedding any of the initial water weight I expected to (might have to cut regular-food carbs for that, or maybe I won't simply due to breastfeeding); would have been nice to see it, even if it's not the long-term result I'm trying for.

[NinjaSalad]

August 3
Walked to work 1.75 miles.
Lots of stairs and a few quick walks around the block during the day (no idea how far, not tracking them).
Rode bike with my 6 year old 2.0 miles. It was getting late and he got too tired to go any further.