Fitness!

[skybythelight]

I started working out seriously in November, shortly after beginning my first year of grad school, and I have to say it has made a HUGE difference in not only my physical health but also in keeping my sanity (relatively) intact! Right now I'm doing Chalene Johnson's new program PiYo. What does everyone else enjoy doing to stay in shape?

[spunky]

weight lifting at the gym 5x week + cardio (either 1h or half an hour, depending on the intensity) 6x week. my husband used to play hockey so he's got a good grasp of how to train and he's been helping me out.

 

to be very honest with you, i hate every minute i'm at the gym since the moment i get there until i leave. but i hate to be out of shape even more (especially during the summer) so i just suck it up and keep going. 

[bsharpe269]

Before grad school, I was a marathon runner, swimmer and did bikram yoga weekly. I have to say that my fitness has gone way way down since starting grad school...

 

Lately I workout about twice a week and each workout is usually a 3 mile run, 20 mile bike ride, or 75 min of bikram yoga. Other than that, I walk my dogs a 1-2 miles a day. I do need to workout more! I am bad about making time for it. I get so little down time to relax that the last thing I want to do during that free time is go to the gym!

[RunnerGrad]

I'm a certified group fitness instructor, so I teach fitness classes - everything from group cycle (spin) to Zumba to step to aquafit to stability ball, etc.  I teach about 5-6 classes per week.  I also run - I've completed 3 full marathons, over a dozen half marathons, and numerous shorter races.  I've also started participating in triathlons, and I've done two sprint triathlons so far.

 

Obviously, fitness is an important part of my life!  There are also many registered dietitians who are also group fitness instructors or personal trainers.  Fitness and nutrition nicely complement each other.

 

My husband and I go for our runs together, so it is "us" time - one of the things that we do together as a couple.  I also find that when I exercise regularly, I'm much more productive, and I retain material a LOT better.  I figure that for every hour I spend working out, I gain at least that much time in improved productivity, enhanced ability to concentrate, and improved memory retention. 

 

So I plan on continuing my fitness activities grad school.  Basically, I only have class three days a week, on most weeks, and four days a week about once a month.  I;m commuting, so I'll arrive on campus around 0730, but I don't have my first class until 0900.  That gives me plenty of time to go to the gym and either teach a class, take a class, lift weights, or go for a run.  Maintaining a fitness routine is important for my physical and mental health, and my overall sense of well-being.  It's part of who I am, and I can't imagine not being physically active.

[skybythelight]

Before grad school, I was a marathon runner, swimmer and did bikram yoga weekly. I have to say that my fitness has gone way way down since starting grad school...

 

Lately I workout about twice a week and each workout is usually a 3 mile run, 20 mile bike ride, or 75 min of bikram yoga. Other than that, I walk my dogs a 1-2 miles a day. I do need to workout more! I am bad about making time for it. I get so little down time to relax that the last thing I want to do during that free time is go to the gym!

 

I totally hear you! I honestly hate the gym. I would force myself to go use the one on campus because I had free access to it, but it was just always such a hassle to get myself to actually get up and GO. Have you ever considered working out at home? I use DVDs now and am head over heels in love with not having to make myself look presentable enough to actually go anywhere, haha

[S_Colorado]

I love strength training. I'm not big on cardio unless it is hiking or horse back riding but I really like lifting free weights. Some day I want to have a home gym for weights but in the mean time, I like taking weight lifting classes at the gym or just working machines by myself.

 

I always feel guilting doing cardio in the gym too because I think I could be out running with my dog instead and he'd love that! Unfortunately my knees and hips weren't built for running and I really dislike swimming so I just like to do a lot of long distance hiking. And of course riding horses!

[AAdAAm]

weight lifting at the gym 5x week + cardio (either 1h or half an hour, depending on the intensity) 6x week. my husband used to play hockey so he's got a good grasp of how to train and he's been helping me out.

 

to be very honest with you, i hate every minute i'm at the gym since the moment i get there until i leave. but i hate to be out of shape even more (especially during the summer) so i just suck it up and keep going. 

 

May I ask how to you manage to force yourself to do it? I've found myself in a similar situation innumerable times before. I know I need to get in shape so I try and go to the campus gym only to quit after maybe two weeks or so. I usually lie to myself saying things like "I don't have enough time this semester" or "once X or Y projects are done I will go back" but the fact of the matter is that I just don't like going, so I look for excuses not to go. And at the end of the day I'm the one who suffers because I'm just getting bigger and out of shape.

 

You seem to be capable to invest a lot of time in something that you dislike a lot and I wonder how you do it because I need to start doing it (or something similar) as well. 

[Gvh]

weight lifting at the gym 5x week + cardio (either 1h or half an hour, depending on the intensity) 6x week. my husband used to play hockey so he's got a good grasp of how to train and he's been helping me out.

 

to be very honest with you, i hate every minute i'm at the gym since the moment i get there until i leave. but i hate to be out of shape even more (especially during the summer) so i just suck it up and keep going. 

 

My feelings exactly. I've been going 4x a week cardio+strength training (total 2ish? hours depending on time) for a good few years now and still hate it. Though watching Netflix while doing cardio has made the process 1000x more pleasant! I use the time to watch documentaries or catch up on TV shows

[skybythelight]

May I ask how to you manage to force yourself to do it? I've found myself in a similar situation innumerable times before. I know I need to get in shape so I try and go to the campus gym only to quit after maybe two weeks or so. I usually lie to myself saying things like "I don't have enough time this semester" or "once X or Y projects are done I will go back" but the fact of the matter is that I just don't like going, so I look for excuses not to go. And at the end of the day I'm the one who suffers because I'm just getting bigger and out of shape.

 

You seem to be capable to invest a lot of time in something that you dislike a lot and I wonder how you do it because I need to start doing it (or something similar) as well. 

Finding the motivation can be a serious struggle for sure! Have you thought about working out at home? That's what helped get me to actually enjoy fitness.

[gellert]

I love running, cycling, and strength training.  I'm training for a marathon right now so that's eating up most of my workout time.  I don't have a gym membership atm so I can't get back into strength training until the school year starts, but I've been cycling on my running rest days which is sooo much easier on the joints!

[adela]

I started lifting weights in the last semester of my undergrad. I've had the past year off and have stuck with this whole lifting thing. I really love it. Usually I do it 3x a week. I would do cardio, but I usually hate it. :c 

 

I'm starting school back up in the fall wit this new program. I tend to feel way better after getting back from the gym, so I think it's a very positive addition and should help out with the upcoming stress.

[spectastic]

I should get that pull up bar setup on my door frame. they're pretty handy, only $30 bucks from amazon, and you mount it on your door; easy on easy off. I used to do 20 every morning to wake me up. only takes about a minute, and one of the best and easiest compound exercises out there. push ups are nice too, but where I used to live, the floor wasn't clean.. otherwise I'd have try to do 50 or so every morning to balance out the pull ups.

 

imo, there's no need to get a gym membership. even when I used to have free gym as a student, I mostly stuck around the power rack. If you want to get strong quickly, all you need to do is pullups (with variations), bench press (otherwise pushups with variations), squats (with good form), deadlifts (with good form). There's also a bunch of abs exercises that help your core as a runner. but if you're doing even two of the 4 exercises listed above consistently, you should already be in good shape.

[spectastic]

if you want to be efficient with your cardio training, I'd say go with running. It's more taxing on your legs, but it'll get your heart going way quicker than a bike could. I say this even though my only form of exercise nowadays is cycling. but I mean you can always get a cheap bike from craigslist and commute.

[skybythelight]

Pull ups and push ups are my least favorite things.

[spectastic]

oops i thought you were a dude. 

[spunky]

You seem to be capable to invest a lot of time in something that you dislike a lot and I wonder how you do it because I need to start doing it (or something similar) as well. 

 

well... i've been wondering since today in the morning whether or not i should answer your question because how i do it is not pretty, and i don't think i would recommend it to anyone but myself (i'm not even sure it would work in anyone else. i guess on some people, maybe).

 

as a disclaimer, i'm the least-likely person that you'd ever find in a gym. i have never been physically dexterous and i was always picked last for teams in PE. i also got bullied a lot. actually, one of the silver linings of the budget cuts in elementary/middle school was that PE was the first thing to go out the window. living a sedentary lifestyle plus not eating healthy made get heavier and heavier. i would always try to volunteer for people doing research in kinesiology and nutrition (i figured i could get a free personal trainer/dietitian) in order to get in shape, but the fact of the matter is that, regardless of what i tried, i always ended up falling off the bandwagon.

 

eventually i couldn't take it any longer and started doing something pretty sad: i fat-shamed myself. i would stand in front of  the mirror during the night, before going to bed, and would say horrible things to my reflection. sometimes i was so hurtful i made myself cry. after maybe a couple of weeks of doing that i stopped feeling sad and then i started feeling very, very angry. i was very angry at myself both for being so harsh and for not stepping up and *doing* something to stop it. it didn't take me long to start going to the gym rigorously, at 7am sharp, 2 hours monday to saturday. i'd learnt about proper nutrition from all my times as a research subject so i was also very strict with my food and knew what to get. if i felt a craving for stuff like ice-cream (which i love), it would trigger my anger and i would stop craving it. if i felt too tired to go to the gym, i would start feeling angry again and that would make me want to go. and long and behold the pounds started dropping and i started becoming thinner and healthier. eventually i didn't need to get angry anymore to do it because it had become a habit of my daily routine until i met my boyfriend (now current husband) who sort of took me by the hand to help me move forward in a healtheir way, emotionally. 

 

years after that he told me that i played a very dangerous game with what i did, because i could have developed an eating disorder or just sink in depression. maybe he is right, maybe he is not. but all i can say is that i'm glad things turned out well because i finally feel the way i've wanted to feel all my life. so my motivation to keep going to the gym is the fear of falling off the wagon again and the self-hatred that would come with it.

 

you be the judge of whether that works for you or not. 

[AAdAAm]

 

well... i've been wondering since today in the morning whether or not i should answer your question because how i do it is not pretty, and i don't think i would recommend it to anyone but myself (i'm not even sure it would work in anyone else. i guess on some people, maybe).

 

as a disclaimer, i'm the least-likely person that you'd ever find in a gym. i have never been physically dexterous and i was always picked last for teams in PE. i also got bullied a lot. actually, one of the silver linings of the budget cuts in elementary/middle school was that PE was the first thing to go out the window. living a sedentary lifestyle plus not eating healthy made get heavier and heavier. i would always try to volunteer for people doing research in kinesiology and nutrition (i figured i could get a free personal trainer/dietitian) in order to get in shape, but the fact of the matter is that, regardless of what i tried, i always ended up falling off the bandwagon.

 

eventually i couldn't take it any longer and started doing something pretty sad: i fat-shamed myself. i would stand in front of  the mirror during the night, before going to bed, and would say horrible things to my reflection. sometimes i was so hurtful i made myself cry. after maybe a couple of weeks of doing that i stopped feeling sad and then i started feeling very, very angry. i was very angry at myself both for being so harsh and for not stepping up and *doing* something to stop it. it didn't take me long to start going to the gym rigorously, at 7am sharp, 2 hours monday to saturday. i'd learnt about proper nutrition from all my times as a research subject so i was also very strict with my food and knew what to get. if i felt a craving for stuff like ice-cream (which i love), it would trigger my anger and i would stop craving it. if i felt too tired to go to the gym, i would start feeling angry again and that would make me want to go. and long and behold the pounds started dropping and i started becoming thinner and healthier. eventually i didn't need to get angry anymore to do it because it had become a habit of my daily routine until i met my boyfriend (now current husband) who sort of took me by the hand to help me move forward in a healtheir way, emotionally. 

 

years after that he told me that i played a very dangerous game with what i did, because i could have developed an eating disorder or just sink in depression. maybe he is right, maybe he is not. but all i can say is that i'm glad things turned out well because i finally feel the way i've wanted to feel all my life. so my motivation to keep going to the gym is the fear of falling off the wagon again and the self-hatred that would come with it.

 

you be the judge of whether that works for you or not. 

 

 

Oh wow. I mean… first, I want to say I think you’re pretty brave sharing all that. I think I can relate somewhat to what you went through (not as intensely though) but definitely the part about looking at yourself in the mirror and just not liking what you see. Some days it’s easier and other days it gets more difficult to ignore it.

 

I do have to say I don’t think I’m quite *there* yet in terms of harming myself emotionally in order to achieve my goals but, heck, you took something that was potentially very negative and transformed it into motivation that now gave you positive results. And, at the end of the day, all that matters is that you got there.  It’s just so hard to get started man.  

[AAdAAm]

Finding the motivation can be a serious struggle for sure! Have you thought about working out at home? That's what helped get me to actually enjoy fitness.

 

Haha, definitely! But, unfortunately, the gravitational pull of the couch or the bed is too much for me to resist if I chose to do anything home. I guess the gym had that added thing of "heck, I'm already here. I might as well just go through with it". 

[Gvh]

 

well... i've been wondering since today in the morning whether or not i should answer your question because how i do it is not pretty, and i don't think i would recommend it to anyone but myself (i'm not even sure it would work in anyone else. i guess on some people, maybe).

 

as a disclaimer, i'm the least-likely person that you'd ever find in a gym. i have never been physically dexterous and i was always picked last for teams in PE. i also got bullied a lot. actually, one of the silver linings of the budget cuts in elementary/middle school was that PE was the first thing to go out the window. living a sedentary lifestyle plus not eating healthy made get heavier and heavier. i would always try to volunteer for people doing research in kinesiology and nutrition (i figured i could get a free personal trainer/dietitian) in order to get in shape, but the fact of the matter is that, regardless of what i tried, i always ended up falling off the bandwagon.

 

eventually i couldn't take it any longer and started doing something pretty sad: i fat-shamed myself. i would stand in front of  the mirror during the night, before going to bed, and would say horrible things to my reflection. sometimes i was so hurtful i made myself cry. after maybe a couple of weeks of doing that i stopped feeling sad and then i started feeling very, very angry. i was very angry at myself both for being so harsh and for not stepping up and *doing* something to stop it. it didn't take me long to start going to the gym rigorously, at 7am sharp, 2 hours monday to saturday. i'd learnt about proper nutrition from all my times as a research subject so i was also very strict with my food and knew what to get. if i felt a craving for stuff like ice-cream (which i love), it would trigger my anger and i would stop craving it. if i felt too tired to go to the gym, i would start feeling angry again and that would make me want to go. and long and behold the pounds started dropping and i started becoming thinner and healthier. eventually i didn't need to get angry anymore to do it because it had become a habit of my daily routine until i met my boyfriend (now current husband) who sort of took me by the hand to help me move forward in a healtheir way, emotionally. 

 

years after that he told me that i played a very dangerous game with what i did, because i could have developed an eating disorder or just sink in depression. maybe he is right, maybe he is not. but all i can say is that i'm glad things turned out well because i finally feel the way i've wanted to feel all my life. so my motivation to keep going to the gym is the fear of falling off the wagon again and the self-hatred that would come with it.

 

you be the judge of whether that works for you or not. 

 

 

I put up pictures of celeb bodies that I really liked (and that were vaguely attainable for my body type) around my mirror for a few months as motivation. But ya know, that works too!

[rising_star]

May I ask how to you manage to force yourself to do it? I've found myself in a similar situation innumerable times before. I know I need to get in shape so I try and go to the campus gym only to quit after maybe two weeks or so.

 

I thought of this comment when I saw a newsarticle this morning about a new fitness device. Here's a link. And, for the link-phobic:

 

"If what you need to meet fitness targets is a device attached to your body that will jolt you with electric shocks, then a new company called Pavlok has just the thing for you. Founder Maneesh Sethi says the fitness-tracking wristband he devised can keep track of things like gym visits and steps walked in a day—and gives users a brief but sharp electric shock in the wrist if they fail, the Telegraph reports. The idea is to jolt people into adopting better habits, he says. "Research shows that consistency is the key to forming a habit," Pavlok says on its website. "When you use Pavlok to stick to your goals, you'll find that they become easier and, eventually, automatic.""

 

Sadly, it won't be on the market until next year.

[spunky]

I put up pictures of celeb bodies that I really liked (and that were vaguely attainable for my body type) around my mirror for a few months as motivation. But ya know, that works too!

 

there are like SO many positive things out there that work!!! a gym buddy of man (who's a HUGE fan of Wentworth Miller from 'Prison Break') said his motivation was saying "i wanna look like someone Wentworth would consider dating".

 

imagine how happy he was when Wentworth came out of the closet a few months ago

 

i think right now i just abide by John Lennon's maxim: "whatever gets you through the night... it's alright"

[Guest |||]

I jog two miles 5-7 times a week and do some basic body resistance work outs afterward

 

I remind myself that it will only take a small portion of my day.

[St Andrews Lynx]

I go to the gym about twice per week - I know I should get it up to 3 times...but I usually suddenly find myself at the end of the week and realise I've only been there once or twice.

 

In my case I quite like going to the gym. I enjoy exercising - it makes me feel good and gives me more energy - and I like the fact that it gets me off campus. I think the key is to find a type of exercise that you actually enjoy doing, and go stick at that. Be it cycling, yoga, salsa dancing, basketball, weight lifting, hiking - there has to be at *one* kind of cardiovascular/health-boosting activity that really fires you up!

[RunnerGrad]

As a fitness professional, I truly believe that there is some sort of physical activity that a person can enjoy, they just need to find out what it is.  Some people enjoy classes - they like having direction from an instructor, they feed off the energy of the class, and they enjoy the music.  Others prefer exercising alone - whether it is going for a walk, a run, a swim, a bike ride, etc.  Other people enjoy team sports - intramural teams are often welcoming and open to everyone, regardless of their ability.  Some people like to dance.  Some enjoy Pilates or yoga.  There are enough options out there that I truly believe that there is something for everyone.  Our bodies are designed to move, after all!

 

I was that chubby kid who was always picked last for teams in gym as a child.  I have lousy hand-eye coordination, so I was bad at most of the sports/activities we did in gym class.  When we had to do our required laps around the gym, I was always the last one to finish.  Yet I've now run 3 full marathons, over a dozen half marathons, and I teach group fitness classes.  I like to say that if I can be active, then anyone who is physically able to move can also be active.  If the kid who was always picked last during gym class, and who always finished last in any sort of sporting endeavour can be active and teach fitness classes, then just about anyone can be active.  It's all a matter of finding something that you enjoy, and not worrying about how you look or where you place.  I know my gym teachers would be amazed that I'm a fitness professional, and they likely wouldn't recognize me at all (I'm a healthy weight and fit).

 

I try to motivate people in my classes by reminding them how good it feels to be active, and how it can improve so many aspects of your life:  mental and physical health, sleep quality, ability to concentrate, etc.  It is also great stress relief.  I don't like to encourage people to compare themselves to others, to celebrities, or to how they "want to look" as that has been shown to be fairly ineffective.  Especially since so many of those celebrity photos are heavily photoshopped - the celebrities don't look like that themselves!  So it is practically impossible for anyone to look like the celebrities do in those photos - they aren't realistic.  I'm a firm believer in Health and Activity at Every Size, and that fitness should be pursued for health and enjoyment, and not for weight loss.

 

Some examples of how celebrity photos are altered:

http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/movie-guide/health/6431423/story.html?tab=PHOT

http://www.windsorstar.com/life/photos+stars+before+after+photoshop/6630599/story.html

http://collegecandy.com/2012/04/21/54-photoshopped-celebrity-before-and-after-photos/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/12/celebrity-photoshop-photos_n_3428033.html#slide=594057

[Gvh]

As a fitness professional, I truly believe that there is some sort of physical activity that a person can enjoy, they just need to find out what it is.  Some people enjoy classes - they like having direction from an instructor, they feed off the energy of the class, and they enjoy the music.  Others prefer exercising alone - whether it is going for a walk, a run, a swim, a bike ride, etc.  Other people enjoy team sports - intramural teams are often welcoming and open to everyone, regardless of their ability.  Some people like to dance.  Some enjoy Pilates or yoga.  There are enough options out there that I truly believe that there is something for everyone.  Our bodies are designed to move, after all!

 

I was that chubby kid who was always picked last for teams in gym as a child.  I have lousy hand-eye coordination, so I was bad at most of the sports/activities we did in gym class.  When we had to do our required laps around the gym, I was always the last one to finish.  Yet I've now run 3 full marathons, over a dozen half marathons, and I teach group fitness classes.  I like to say that if I can be active, then anyone who is physically able to move can also be active.  If the kid who was always picked last during gym class, and who always finished last in any sort of sporting endeavour can be active and teach fitness classes, then just about anyone can be active.  It's all a matter of finding something that you enjoy, and not worrying about how you look or where you place.  I know my gym teachers would be amazed that I'm a fitness professional, and they likely wouldn't recognize me at all (I'm a healthy weight and fit).

 

I try to motivate people in my classes by reminding them how good it feels to be active, and how it can improve so many aspects of your life:  mental and physical health, sleep quality, ability to concentrate, etc.  It is also great stress relief.  I don't like to encourage people to compare themselves to others, to celebrities, or to how they "want to look" as that has been shown to be fairly ineffective.  Especially since so many of those celebrity photos are heavily photoshopped - the celebrities don't look like that themselves!  So it is practically impossible for anyone to look like the celebrities do in those photos - they aren't realistic.  I'm a firm believer in Health and Activity at Every Size, and that fitness should be pursued for health and enjoyment, and not for weight loss.

 

Some examples of how celebrity photos are altered:

http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/movie-guide/health/6431423/story.html?tab=PHOT

http://www.windsorstar.com/life/photos+stars+before+after+photoshop/6630599/story.html

http://collegecandy.com/2012/04/21/54-photoshopped-celebrity-before-and-after-photos/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/12/celebrity-photoshop-photos_n_3428033.html#slide=594057

 

Agreed, but FWIW, my comment about using celeb bodies was more tongue and cheek than anything and also: I'd use the shots of them taken inconspicuously on the beach by paparazzi, where typically less photoshopping takes place