(no subject)

[nny]

Fitness advice please?

I want to get fitter but I really give up horribly easy, mostly because I'm self conscious. What can I do at home that'll help?

Any thoughts muchly appreciated. ♥

Comments

[sixbeforelunch]

I had success with streaming fitness services that offer on-demand fitness videos. Goop.com has a write up of several that are on the market right now.

[bcgphoenix]

Try Darebee! It's centered around bodyweight exercises that involve little to no extra equipment -- so you can do everything in the privacy of your home -- and a lot of the programs have a very strong geek bent.

[naye]

I have no answers for you, but am so glad you posted this because I am the exact same way!

(I did the 100 pushups challenge for a while a couple of years ago, but I absolutely hated it. So that's not really a recommendation? But the increasing increments and having goals and a plan and whatnot can be helpful, and I'd definitely suggest it to anyone who hates pushups slightly less than I do.)

[soupytwist]

I am not anything like as good at keeping active as I'd like, but the one thing that I can really say has worked for me is that a small amount I'll actually do is better than an ambitious amount that I just give up on entirely. If the amount you'll actually do is just standing up and doing some stretches while watching TV, that's better than nothing and is great and should be celebrated.

*hugs* Good luck lady.

[lamentables]

What stops me from giving up is signing up for a class, so that I feel a commitment to get there, but so that I also get support and community as well as the exercise. I am self conscious and I'm not a natural at exercise (or any kind of body stuff) but I was introduced to a karate club with a pretty inclusive, supportive ethos and did that for about 7 years until it became impractical for logistical and health reasons. Now I go to a yoga class with a teacher who constantly offers alternative approaches and adaptations to match people's limitations. I often promise myself I'll do more yoga at home, but I never do - it's the class environment that makes it happen for me. That said, I know there are plenty of yoga vids available online and yoga practice has made a tremendous difference to my fitness and flexibility.

[attractivegeekery]

My favorite part of exercising is being done with exercising, so I've always kind of gravitated towards things that break exercising down into tiny chunks that I can cross off of a list.

100 push-up challenge (which I've never finished)
200 sit-up challenge (I've also never finished)
200 squat challenge (again, with the not finishing)

Couch 2 5K (Which I've done twice)

Daily yoga (which I sometimes remember to do)

And now that the weather is nice, I bike places. It's not as good a cardio work out as say jogging or even walking, but it makes getting around the city a whole lot more convenient. Like today I'm going to the grocery store after work, and will able to trek home with food more easily.

One thing that I use daily that's been a tremendous help just keeping things organized is Habitica (https://habitica.com).

Being accountable to a group helps me to a certain degree, and when it gets overwhelming I just "rest at the inn."

[vivien]

I have struggled with motivation. I actually don't do as well at home and I hate the gym or am to broke for classes I'd like, so I'm kind of screwed.

BUT

Having a FitBit/pedometer actually helps a lot. I can walk! I can get some more steps in! It is a motivating thing for me to see the number of steps I take and set goals to make sure I have a certain amount in.

My bike, though, was the best purchase I've made in regards to fitness. It may not be for you. What I love the most is that as I ride, I'm seeing things - often pretty things - and even when I'm on the same trails as I always take, I see something new in nature. That really motivates me, and the exercise is GREAT.

I have WiiFit in the winter when I can't go biking as much, and I tell myself "Okay, you can do 10 minutes of balancing exercise no matter how tired you are, so get the damned thing going, missy."

(Exercise Motivation Headvoice is stern and not amused, since it is often ignored.)

I think actually that's the key - do 10 minutes. It's better than 0 minutes.