How did you get from the couch to the gym?
kgillis87
Posts: 43 Member
As I was walking through the park today, there was this guy doing plyometric training on some of park equipment. And he looked like he was really having a great time! My reaction was "oh god, how can you possibly enjoy that?" but it made me think - why not me? How can I go from hating the idea of anything more than a moderate walk to doing plyometrics in the park? So I thought I'd ask you, MFP community: how did you get started? And what advice do you have for someone who would rather sit on the park bench than jump onto it repeatedly?
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Replies
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Find your motivation and use it to amp yourself up. I know my buddy and I will do these retarded park workouts like that, when we get ready for those little mudruns. Explosive hops on picnic tables and benches. All kinds of stuff the average person would laugh at. But it just comes down to being motivated and excited, probably stating the obvious, my apologies. For me personally, i just get excited to jump up and climb stuff, lol. When i play pickup rec soccer, i'll run up and grab the frame of the soccer goal as though i were dunking a basketball. Then just hang or do a pull up. Just because. I don't know. What motivates you?0
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C4 or N.O. Xplode combined with walking or a vehicle.0
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I drove. Then I did it again.
There's no magic, just DO it. Then repeat. Soon, it will be a habit.0 -
My Car.0
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Yeah, just get up and go. Then get up and go again. And again. Then, you will feel great when you go. Then, you will feel it missing when you don't.
The first week or so could be difficult, but after that... !0 -
I think it's the endorphins after the work out that makes you love it. Plus also when you start getting results from your training you want to see more. For me it's all about the routine, if I don't got to the gym I seem to forget how good I feel afterwards and then it becomes this mindset of "oh I'll go tomorrow" etc
I think also you need to find something that you enjoy, some people it's team sports, others it's a gym and for someone else it will be boot camp or swimming. Everyone is different,
For me exercise is my release, without It I tend to get grouchy, stressed and more tired. It gives me the extra energy to get through my 12 hour work days and in general makes me a happier person.
Plus the extra cals your burn will make a big difference to your weightloss goals
Honestly - you just have to start and once you start getting those endorphins going it's hard to go back to doing nothing or jhust walking0 -
i walked0
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C4 or N.O. Xplode combined with walking or a vehicle.
Assume for a moment that I'm a complete noob, and I have no idea what any of those things are aside from walking... Which is exactly what is happening haha
What do you mean, exactly...?0 -
My Car.
the gym is 10 miles away...i could be a bad *kitten* and run there, but i'd rather hop in the car.0 -
My mom drove me0
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Wait. I just caught on. All of you people are telling me you took your car to literally get to the gym... Bahaha! I'm actually not usually that slow, so, well played MFP. I'm sitting here thinking like "maybe vehicle and drive are synonyms for cardiovascular machines...? Is this new gym lingo? Am I that out of touch?" Thanks for making me smile 0
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I started with those silly on demand exercise routines, I made myself do not less than 15mins every day, what is 15mins? I told myself that laziness was not going to win and that if I wanted to be able to stay active well into my "old" age, I HAD to move. This turned into a habit and then I decided I was going to learn how to love running. First, it was once around my block, then twice and a few more, then I found C25K and soon I was addicted. Now I run at least 4-5miles 3x a week and a long run (8-10miles) on Sunday.
Lastly, I never want anyone to look at my husband and wonder "What the h$ll does he see in her?" And IMO you should always stay sexy for your significant other, man or woman!! If you don't have a significant other, stay sexy for YOU!! Because YOU are important!! Never stop growing, never stop going up the stairs. When you do fall down those stairs, stand up, brush yourself off and start again.
Eat healthy and clean, but allow yourself an ice cream cone once in awhile. Do something you never thought you could do. Tackle a mud run or walk that 13.1 half marathon.
OK, off my soap box now.0 -
i started working out more and harder; then i realized that i can do it; that my body is strong enough to lift weights and that made me want to do more.0
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I hated exercise, but I hated being morbidly obese even more.0
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For me, I started walking to maintain my sanity/for the anti-depressant effects during a rough time.
Then, I started hula hoop dancing and it got me back into dance, which I used to do from the time I was little through college and just sort of let fade out of my life. When I started hooping, I realized I couldn't practice very long without getting really tired, so I started to add running into my routine (in like 10 second bursts at first!) to improve my endurance. Then I started to notice certain tricks and techniques I was trying were really hard to do with my weak muscles, so I started working on some strength training.
For me, tying my fitness routine to a hobby I enjoy has been fantastic! If there is any sport or physical activity you are interested in, it makes a great jumping off point to get started and then cross-train to improve. Now between hooping, dancing, running and strength training I am working out all the time and I'm loving it!!0 -
Put the exercise bike or treadmill in front of the TV - makes the time go much faster :laugh:0
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Just start.0
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Round where I live there's an "outdoor gym" that I stumbled across with my Mum... I thought "wow that's a great idea!" but its in a not-very-nice part of where I live, so I probably wouldn't do that...
I workout in front of the TV... its given me more confidence to go to the gym because I'm confident that I won't keel over!0 -
My SO said I wouldn't have to do certain things anymore.
That was all the motivation I needed.0 -
As I was walking through the park today, there was this guy doing plyometric training on some of park equipment. And he looked like he was really having a great time! My reaction was "oh god, how can you possibly enjoy that?" but it made me think - why not me? How can I go from hating the idea of anything more than a moderate walk to doing plyometrics in the park? So I thought I'd ask you, MFP community: how did you get started? And what advice do you have for someone who would rather sit on the park bench than jump onto it repeatedly?
1) wait for the zombie apocalypse
2) try not to get eaten by zombies
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Awesome, thanks ya'll! What I'm hearing is just make it happen, kind of fake it till you make it. Which is excellent, since I was fairly certain I was missing the gene that codes for motivation. Very happy to hear that I have to build that up at the same time as my fitness. Reassuring, and inspirational. Again, thanks 0
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For me it was starting to see a personal trainer that did it. The first step - finding her - was easy because a friend recommended her. So no particular courage required there. Then of course I had to do very little in our sessions except move the way she told me to. Easy! Exhausting of course, but easy in that no particular motivation or brain power was required. And we met in the park too so we were using park benches, play equipment, etc, for most of our work outs.
Then as someone said above it just became habit, routine, and once I started seeing results THEN the motivation to work out 6 days a week, in addition to seeing my trainer, kicked in and now I just get in the gym every night, on auto-pilot, and Just Do It.
Good luck 0 -
My husband got me a gym membership. I didn't want to waste our precious money, so I went.
However, what really did it for me was being challenged to do an extreme workout (P90X). I said, "Hey, I can do that. Even if I can't do all of it or every move perfectly, I can try." And I did. I bought the workout and worked out hard to prepare for it. Then I did it. Morning sickness made me quit early, but I was over half way when it hit, and I was feeling better than I ever had before. I loved working out with the videos.
Now, you maybe don't need something that drastic (P90X has an X for Extreme, and it i!), but if you can find something that is fun--whether it's a class, where people will miss you if you don't show, or a video that you really think is fun to do, or something, then it could make all the difference. I'm currently working from a "prescription" in a book, and it's doing pretty well for me. Though I'm getting tired of doing the same thing every day (this phase is cardio and strength combined in one workout), and when I finish the 4 weeks, I'm going to do something else. But that's what keeps me going--changing things up, trying different things.0 -
As I was walking through the park today, there was this guy doing plyometric training on some of park equipment. And he looked like he was really having a great time! My reaction was "oh god, how can you possibly enjoy that?" but it made me think - why not me? How can I go from hating the idea of anything more than a moderate walk to doing plyometrics in the park? So I thought I'd ask you, MFP community: how did you get started? And what advice do you have for someone who would rather sit on the park bench than jump onto it repeatedly?
1) wait for the zombie apocalypse
2) try not to get eaten by zombies
Or this. This also looks very motivational.0 -
It's really hard to get started, but once you get started, you get excited about how good you feel and that's your motivation, so that's probably why he was enjoying it. I'm sure he didn't enjoy it the first time!0
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I started with just walking around the neighbourhood. Did that, lost a bit of weight and got really interested in kettlebells, so I bought one and added a few days of kettlebell training to my walking. After a few months of kettlebell, I'd lost more weight, got a bit stronger, and decided I really wanted to get back to lifting. Joined a gym. I walk to and from the gym, still work with kettlebells at home (got a couple more now), and lift heavy at the gym.0
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At first I hated exercise. I would look at the timer (I forced 30 minutes 5 days a week) and moan, "I still have 15 minutes!?" UGGH! But back then it hurt to do jumping jacks, and I would feel like I would die after 5 minutes. Then I started getting stronger and stronger. The stronger I got, the more fun it got. Now I have started running (outside! in front of people!) and I am getting addicted to it. For me, I just had to get through the initial, "OMG I am going to die" stage. Now I look forward to my work outs and rather enjoy them. Especially when I knock time of my running records.
Good luck and it will happen to you too!0 -
Pre-workouts that turn aC4 or N.O. Xplode combined with walking or a vehicle.
Assume for a moment that I'm a complete noob, and I have no idea what any of those things are aside from walking... Which is exactly what is happening haha
What do you mean, exactly...?
day into a 
day and you'll be in a bad place if you don't have an outlet to burn off that energy. 0 -
For me, it was realizing it was ok that I hate cardio, that I never had to force myself to jog or run another lap. So I started with pushups and the nerdfitness beginner body weight routine. It was stuff I could do in the privacy of my own home in whatever state of undress I preferred. All of the sudden, I could do 10 then 20 pushups, I could go through the entire nerdfitness routine with relatively little effort, and my little hand weights were weightless, even if I used both of them in one hand. Now I love going to the gym and picking up the weights and putting them down. And since I'm doing heavy compound lifts, it takes no where near the time that I used to spend doing myriad isolation machines. Plus, I'm actually seeing real results, both in strength and in body shape and feel.0
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As someone else posted "I walked". Walking started all of this for me. First there were at home walking DVDs (Leslie Sansone) and then I started walking outside. After that I discovered workouts like 30 Day Shred, Zumba, and Hip Hop Abs. Now 2 1/2 years into my weight loss/fitness journey I have joined a gym, I go almost everyday and take group classes several times a week. Somewhere in there I went from hating exercising to looking forward to my daily walk or my nightly exercise video! It's a lifestyle change and hopefully you'll find a workout that makes you excited about doing it. I really think it comes with time.0
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