I just got done exercising by choice for the first time since 2016.

I'm entering my late 30s, and my body isn't taking care of me because I have not taken care of it for most of its adult life.

I went rollerskating on a local trail/walking path. Skating is much more fun than running; I absolutely hate running when it's not to save my own life. It was not very smooth, so it was particularly difficult. It was pretty though, and I feel great now. I went 3 miles in all. I had fun, 8/10, would do again, but on a smoother path next time.

Lately (past 3ish years) I have been struggling with finding the motivation to do the simplest of tasks, but my partner went to work and I was bored. I figured, "why the hell not?" baby steps.

Maxo996,

Good on you mate. I started running again in the past few months. Doing thr couch-to-5K program. Trying to get my stamina back to keep up with my 2 year old daughter who has unlimited energy

Lells,
Lells avatar

As somebody entering their mid-40's now (where the hell did the time go, I'm still young on the inside!), the longer I go without exercise now, the more everything HURTS! Definitely keep up the baby steps with exercise, good for you!

CoderKat,
CoderKat avatar

I bought an under the desk bike. It's not perfect as it's still hard to get into using it and I don't e joy how exercise feels, but it does help with removing the barriers that make it easy not to exercise.

KBSez,
KBSez avatar

Learn exercises and techniques to strength and protect your back. This will serve anyone as they get older.

Every study has shown exercise is the key to mental and physical health going forward. Not only cardio but strength and muscle and bone building.

Find something you like to do. I hate exercise but I like walking along the water paths so I do that at a VERY brisk pace with a weighted vest.

AnakinSandlover,
AnakinSandlover avatar

I'm the same at 29, started back in November. Just walking on a treadmill. When it started to get too easy I put on a rucksack and some weights. It can be quite punishing if I'm feeling adventurous (10kg weight as a small guy) but I'm losing weight for the first time in years.

667,
667 avatar

About running. I generally thought that I hated it, too. What I really hate is the feeling of breathlessness and fatigue that comes with overexertion and poor fitness. The running itself I'm ambivalent about. I stayed away from running for 20 years until last month. I got a smart watch and heart rate monitor–any will do (chest strap for improved accuracy); I use Garmin. Get a metronome app, too. You'll use it for setting a running pace. 160-180spm is what's recommended. It might seem "fast" at first, and you'll see your heart spike pretty quickly and then take a while to taper back down, but that's ok. Progress is built over time.

Start off slow. Really slow. I'm talking about keeping your heart rate on average at 120bpm for 30 mins. That might be a brisk walk for you, or it might be a gentle stroll. You might have to walk real slow. All of this is fine. Whichever it is, do that for only three to four times per week. Your watch will almost certainly support bracketing a particular heart rate. The distance you do doesn't matter–it's all about your heart rate.

On May 11 I run/walked 2.4mi. That was 38 minutes of walking and 6 minutes of running. Just a few hours ago, I run/walked 2.9mi; 30 minutes of walking and 14 minutes of running; and today was really special because the for the first time in a month, it took more than 60 seconds before my heart rate hit the upper end of my target and I had to slow down.

My efforts are nothing special. I'm no super athlete. I'm just trying something different than I've been doing over the last 20 years and I'm seeing some progress.

It seems counterintuitive to start running by walking, but really that's what it takes.

Hank,

I gained the basic fitness for jogging by burning fat on a bike. I just reached my goal distance of 10 miles which I want to do at least twice per week. As you said, I'm still very slow but now that I manage the distance i can focus on getting faster.

667,
667 avatar

Great job mate. Take the small wins as they come and keep your eye on that next little goal. I'm about about a breath away from running 5k in 45 mins–which is awful for my age group but a pure win for effort.

52fighters,
52fighters avatar

Any advice from those of us that are in great physical shape but get mine numbingly bored when running? My strategy up to now is to run hard 20 minutes, do half my lifts, run another 20 minutes, do the other half, then run the final 20 minutes.

No music or podcast makes it any better and a running partner only moderately improves the boredom.

I'd love to see what others do to fight the boredom.

LunarVanguard,

So this might come off as a "just don't get bored". But I like to either zone out or mediditate on problems I'm currently having like how to solve an issue at work or what changes I may want to make to how I run my team.

Another option is something like I think it's called zombie run bassically it plays a zombie apocalypse story set to your run work out so like "oh no you're chased run hard now"

667,
667 avatar

I went off my usual path today for the aforementioned run and basically did a trail run. It was interesting in a distracting way, and even has me looking at other trail runs I could do once I’m back home.

Try running with a group.

Do night running.

Identify potential challenges to go further, or faster. Hell, just getting near 5k has me a little excited.

Boredom is a symptom of insufficient goals.

syphe,

I'm reasonably active, but mainly into biking, being quite tall, I find running is somewhat tough on my knees, and I'm just very slow. What I've found though is that a good walk is all I need to keep my fitness up, this week my bike has a broken spoke so I've been walking to work, 30mins in the morning, 30mins home in the afternoon. If it wasn't walking to work, I just make sure I go for a 30mins walk with the dog, and to be honest, this is all I need, so if you're ever worried about making that first step and going for a daunting run, just go for a walk, listen to a podcast, you'll enjoy it

eatmoregreenfood,
eatmoregreenfood avatar

Mid 30s. Pretty fit comparatively, but I hired a personal trainer recently and it's been brutal in the best way. I love it

b00m,
b00m avatar

Late 30s you really have to work for every little bit of exercise it seems. I love running and the high it gives me but just getting up and out the house takes the most effort

ANuStart,

Yep, just getting started is the real workout

Helium,
Helium avatar

Congrats! What a coincidence, I just got back into the gym today after a long absence. Being in shape is hella worth the effort!

unfnknblvbl,

I was really, really hoping to say "username checks out" here, but I can't.

I guess I'll have to wait a few hours...

PrunesMakeYouPoop,

Don't worry, I pooped before I left. xD

Skyler,
Skyler avatar

Congrats! Anything you can do to stay in shape is totally worth it.

Take it from this elder Millennial who is still playing DDR.

PrunesMakeYouPoop,

I never liked DDR. I have zero rhythm, and a game that makes me exhausted without being fun to play is just cruel haha

Pseu,
Pseu avatar

Heck yeah! Good job on getting out there. I've found that consistent exercise really helps with my mental health on top of my physical health. Even just a little bit every few days can go a long way for me.

atypicaloddity,

I bought myself some rollerblades for exercise recently too! I used to skate to high school back in the day, so the muscle memory is still there, but I got hella winded from pushing myself too hard.

I'm loving the boa lacing system, which I'd never seen before. Being able to turn a dial to tighten all the laces at once is so convenient.

PrunesMakeYouPoop,

That sounds convenient. My rollerskates are like a regular boot and takes a few minutes haha.

atypicaloddity,

Oh I absolutely hate skate-style laces. I can never seem to get them to the right tightness, especially in a cold rink.

PrunesMakeYouPoop,

I wear boots just about every day at work, so it's no bother for me.

SoupOfTheDay,

During quarantine I finally started exercising again, ended up riding my bike every day for almost a full year. Lost a bunch of weight too.

The hardest part is building the habit. Don’t make excuses and set up a routine if you can. I also hate running and found that listening to podcasts really helps pass the time. I can zone out into the podcast, but still be aware enough not to get hit by cars.

Good work, keep it up!

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