How long did it take you to settle in to regular exercise?

_L_A_

When going from doing little or sporadic exercise to doing regular exercise or a fitness regime, how long was it before it felt second nature or just felt like your life style rather than something you forced yourself to do?

I've just started a new fitness regime after being very sporadic with exercise and it becoming less and less frequent over time, currently I'm still super excited and motivated about it, maybe at some point it'll start feeling like a chore I don't know, but I'm looking forwards to it being "just what I do", part of normal life, not giving a thought about doing and just doing it, not begrudging it (most of the time) etc etc

delboy604

In my late teens and early 20's I used to run approx 5 mile four or five days a week. It just kind of progressed. I enjoyed coming home from work and going for a run. Now in my mid 30's , unfit and overweight. I'm gradually trying to begin walking again.! Hope your training goes well for you.

kathrynjean_

I think that for me, it had less to do with how long it had been and more to do with finding something that I actually enjoyed doing. Also, setting fitness related goals has been very helpful for me in making working out a regular part of my routine.

delboy604

I agree kathrynjean. I never really go by my weight. I tend to go by my clothes. Trousers to tight or not fit. Im just like saying to myself. Get a grip del this can't go on. Lol

jemhh

I started out liking exercise so I didn't really have to settle in as far as that aspect goes. However, I did still have to make it a habit and reprioritize in order to fit it in. That did not take too long. Maybe a month or two to get into the swing of it. It's still a balancing act but is part of normal life rather than a new thing.

piperdown44

Probably a few months for me.
Now I get irritated if something bumps my workout schedule even a couple hours. I'm itching to get to the gym for my planned workout days.

jdhcm2006

I decided to follow a program which helped me stay accountable. I started with T25 and that helped me to ease into working out regularly. It also helped ease me into being able to do Insanity, P90X3, Insanity Max 30, and spin. I no longer stick with those dvds regularly, but I will throw one in when I need a quick workout. I go in and out of bouts spin. Right now, I'm back into it.

Then I found a workout that I really loved, which is pole. Even when I fell out of logging, I still stuck with pole. Pole led me to doing other aerial classes like silks and trapeze and I make sure that I'm able to do those workouts at least once a week.

I would say it became a habit after a few weeks. I've finally have a good weekly routine that I find sustainable and enjoyable.

Shana67

I've been doing Jazzercise for 20 years now. It took a total of one class for me to be completely, totally, absolutely hooked.

middlehaitch

I had never exercised, I don't like to, so didn't give myself a time to settle in- I just committed to 3 evenings a week.

That was in 2008 and I still do at least my 3x a week (with time off during the summer for heavy duty gardening/outdoor building projects).

I don't think it will ever become something that is second nature to me, or excites me. I do however really love the real life benefits exercise gives me- so I will keep on doing it.

Cheers, h.

Machka9

I've pretty much always been active, active feels good ... I get cranky and restless doing little or sporadic exercise.

_L_A_

Machka9 wrote: »

I've pretty much always been active, active feels good ... I get cranky and restless doing little or sporadic exercise.

This is my aim I have been feeling really miserable and down the last few weeks and the main change is since mid July I've stopped regular exercise... So if exercise improves my mood maybe it'll finally click!

ShibaEars

Honestly? 5-6 years. I joined a gym when I was 20, would go regularly for a few months then quit for a few months. I did the on/off thing for several years until I found a trainer & training style I liked about 5 years ago. Now I workout at least 3x a week (with the occasional week off).

ETA: Something that helped was when I stopped looking at exercise as a way to lose weight & also to "punish" myself for eating poorly. If you can find something that is fun to do, it makes it much easier to keep up with.

NorthCascades

I've always loved riding a bike.

JustaJoe00

i think if you decide that its a permanent part of your life it helps a lot. If you think its just a thing for a while it will be hard to keep it going. 1.5 yrs ago i decided it needed to be permanent. I"ve only missed working out 1 week or 2 out of 18 mos...you do need breaks at times....but if you go 2weeks or more its really hard to get back to it.

janettles

I did a series of videos that came with a 12-week calendar of what to do when. By the end of the 12 weeks, exercising 6 days a week came naturally to me. Also, to prevent forgetting on busy days, I put a daily recurring exercise note into my calendar app -- it is a floating note so that if I don't exercise and check it as done, it floats to the next day and there will be 2 exercise notes for the same day.

canadianlbs

i've never been able to normalize cardio when i was adding it on top of my regular life. those people who work a full day, come home and set their keys down while they change out of office clothes, and then go out and run . . . just thinking about having to live in their skins fills me up with despair.

but bike commuting settles in and becomes just-what-i-do because i'm just doing something i already do: go to work and come home. all i did was modify how. i've stopped and re-started several times because i keep changing work locations, so from my experience around that: i set myself four weeks. that's about the work-in phase, where i may need to consciously make it non-optional. after that, it is usually just-the-way-that-i-roll, and i'm good.

lifting is my form of 'come home, set the keys down, change shoes, head out.' i'll do that and be happy with it. when i started to lift 2+ years ago, the trainer was beaking at me the entire time about how you 'have to stick with it' and 'have to do it every few days' and 'you won't progress if you quit' and so forth. clearly didn't think i'd ever do any such thing.

but lifting just works, for whatever reason. i LIKE it. so really no credit to me on that one.

peaceout_aly

I was on-and-off the fitness wagon for quite a while, always watching what I ate but only consistently working out for 4-6 months when an event was coming up. This time around something was different. After a month of staying extremely dedicated (5-6 sessions x week versus a previous 2-3 sessions consisting mainly of cardio) I could see extreme progress and improvement within my body and strength gained. That was the motivation I needed. It became a constant competition with myself to beat previous lifting records, to do a little more, to go a little harder. Gotta be in that mindset though.

BeckyD1105

I struggled with this for years and years. I couldn't stick it to because I was too tired, it was too late, it was too early, etc., etc. Once I found something that I really loved to do (that for me was group classes), I was going regularly. Once I started going regularly I built up a group of friends in those classes. Now I don't care how tired I am, if it's x time that's gym time.

Alidecker

I would think a month or two. I started with a trainer and saw him once a week, but he knew if I was there other times. After about 3-4 months, I would start getting restless if I missed more than one day in a row. I am 7 years into a very consistent workout routine, generally I still look forward to it, but occasionally I have periods of time where I don't want to go, but I do it anyway because I know I will feel better and it is a habit.

Lesley2603

Funnily enough I was talking with my trainer about this today, I started training in October last year at 57 years old. Had never in my life been to a gym prior to then, and was absolutely terrified, I started off training twice a week, I signed up for a course of 10 sessions. When the 10 sessions were over I reluctantly signed up for another 10 sessions, I wasn't really enjoying training but the results were good, about halfway through the second set of sessions I started to enjoy them, by the end of 20 sessions I was hooked

norie92

As a child I was put onto soccer teams at the local park. That stopped the beginning of high school and I took a break from physical activity. Then I did Insanity, which was awesome. Now I do videos, or I go to the gym and do a routine I randomly came up with and one I enjoy. No boring treadmill or stair stepper, if I'm having fun then it's easy for me to stay on a routine.

jessiferrrb

for me it really helps to have a set schedule
monday: post work lifting
tuesday: before work run
wednesday: post work lifting
thursday: rest but hit a step goal
friday: before work run
saturday: bodyweight exercises at home
sunday: cardio dvd

i tell myself that i only need to hit 5 of the days. but most weeks i hit all 7. i don't know why, but having the option to skip a couple guilt free makes the whole thing easier. this sunday i had a four hour long battle with myself on the couch about doing the cardio because my brain still wants to fight about exercising but in the end i just did it.

i also used to burn out after i would do marathons at the gym 3-4 times per week for a few hours each. i find 7 days at about 35-50 minutes is sustainable. and i'm always dividing things into increments, like if i have a 3 minute interval coming up i tell myself "you can do anything for 3 minutes" or in lifting "you can do anything for 5 reps" and i just think about that increment not the 4 after it. lol.

gothchiq

'bout a month.

lorrpb

I got into a regular routine right away because I was working with a trainer and desperate to lose weight. At the same time, 2+ years later, sometimes I still have to force myself to go to class.

bketchum1981

I go to a studio that has a ton of variety of group fitness classes. Highly motivating to be with positive like-minded people. Through this studio (I'm 53) I was convinced I could AND DID just run my first 5K last weekend. I feel the strength I've gained in the studio is directly related to being able to endure running.

Mental TOUGHNESS is key.

On vacation this summer I MADE myself run! Very rewarding to overcome that challenge.

Im even looking for more 5Ks to keep that extra challenge out there.

Even though I had been going to this studio for a year, I made it my personal challenge to TRY every class at least once. I've met that goal and find myself staying for two classes sometimes as a dare from others at the studio.

My next challenge is to participate in 24 events to collect the tshirts to have a quilt made.

Until two years ago, I had done a lot of different videos at home, walking,elliptical, treadmill running but the studio where I go now is FAR AND AWAY my best fitness discovery EVER!!

Rururiri

Everyone else is different but for me it took me 6 months to get into the lifestyle of working out frequently. Now, I can't stop working out. When I first start out, my husband kept on begging me on working out. He was some sort of bribing me to do it. It took half a year before I just do it on my own :P

STEVE142142

Exercise to me it's a mental thing. I tell everybody I know that 90% of your workout is walking into the gym and the other 10% is actually doing your workout.

For it to become a regular part of your life you have to enjoy it and it has to be physically but more importantly mentally challenging. To put things in perspective when it's nice in the summer and still warm enough in the spring and the fall the last thing I want to do is be in the gym doing cardio I'd rather be walking. Also I don't want to be in a swimming pool during the summer when I could be in the ocean.

It's like anything else if you would enjoy it you're going to get bored with it and tired of it and you're not going to succeed you'll quit. There's a lot of good stuff on YouTube as far as workouts and varying stuff. Personally I like the Tony Horton Beachbody workouts I like his concept of muscle confusion and change in the workout every month.

S2tupidAss

Despite on having maintained a consistent workout regime, I've failed multiple times to stand up and do something. However, I would advice you to start with smaller attainable goals before you jump higher. As for now, am on my 3week everyday workout. It becomes not an obligation anymore but something to do to make life interesting.

glassofroses

jessiferrrb wrote: »

for me it really helps to have a set schedule
monday: post work lifting
tuesday: before work run
wednesday: post work lifting
thursday: rest but hit a step goal
friday: before work run
saturday: bodyweight exercises at home
sunday: cardio dvd

i tell myself that i only need to hit 5 of the days. but most weeks i hit all 7. i don't know why, but having the option to skip a couple guilt free makes the whole thing easier. this sunday i had a four hour long battle with myself on the couch about doing the cardio because my brain still wants to fight about exercising but in the end i just did it.

i also used to burn out after i would do marathons at the gym 3-4 times per week for a few hours each. i find 7 days at about 35-50 minutes is sustainable. and i'm always dividing things into increments, like if i have a 3 minute interval coming up i tell myself "you can do anything for 3 minutes" or in lifting "you can do anything for 5 reps" and i just think about that increment not the 4 after it. lol.

I definitely agree on having a schedule. It stops you from trying to eek out of things when you shouldn't.

Mine looks a bit like this:

Monday: One hour kickboxing training session
Tuesday: Home kettlebell/medicine ball workout or Rest.
Wednesday: Two one hour kickboxing training sessions.
Thursday: Two one hour kickboxing training sessions.
Friday: Something fun but active and/or a one hour sparring session.
Saturday: One hour kickboxing training session or a 3.5-4mile run.
Sunday: Something fun but active or Rest.

Monday to Thursday is non-negotiable. I pay for a specialist MMA gym and I have to do four sessions a week to get 'value for money' so I do 4 sessions no matter what. Unless I'm really ill (I had a spate of illnesses in January including a chest infection and sinusitis and then a bad kidney infection in July), injured (my joints are ridiculous) or I have to take care of my parents (both very ill).

How I actually started though? An exercise DVD three times a week in my kitchen, firstly for 30 minutes then 45 and then 60. Then I added yoga once a week. Then I added KB twice a week and eventually dropped yoga/the DVD. By that time I was committed to training and upped my sessions to where I am now. Don't think that you have to go full steam ahead with exercise. Pick an achievable amount of times a week you can workout and stick to them no matter what. Forget motivation, that's *kitten*. Willpower is what gets you there. Commit and do it when you say you're going to. It took me probably 5-6 months to get into the routine I'm in now but my 'easier' three days a week routine was something I did from day one. Repetition is what makes exercise easy, you do it enough times you stop questioning when it's going to get easier because it just is. Good luck on your journey!