How do you motivate yourself to leave your console?
MikeWanzuk
Posts: 34 Member
I am a pc player and I have an addiction where I can be on the computer all day and night but I've been working out more often lately and I wanted to know how you get yourself away from the computer to get yourself into fitness.
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I tried and failed the past couple of weeks due to H1z1, and my lack of willpower to put the keyboard down >.>
However, I try to justify working 12-13 hour shifts that require me to be on my feet 3 times a week (albeit I no it's not a good excuse.)
I'll be interested to hear some good tips myself.0 -
I never cared about my weight or health even though I was stupid huge and ridiculously out of shape for most of my 20's. I was addicited to gaming. I played the hell out of FFXI for the PC. Unless I was at work, asleep, or meeting up with friends to go to the movies, attend cons, etc etc, I was at home playing. What motivated me to change f was in my late 20's I discovered I had a plethora of health problems. Type II diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol, and problems sleeping. I was tired all the time and would fall asleep day or night. I quit FFXI cold turkey and slowly became more active. I didn't want to be on medications and possibly needing a CPAP machine for the rest of my life.
Few years later I am off all the meds, no longer diabetic and lost quite a bit of weight and sleep fine now. I still have another 80-90 I'd like to drop but I'm taking my time. My focus isn't weight loss anymore but getting physically getting stronger and faster. It's gonna sound cheesy but wanting to look like comic book superheroes motivate me quite a bit and eventually I'd like to get into cosplay and I want to look great doing so.
I still play games too, I just reduced from playing 8 to 10 hrs a day, everyday to now 3 to 4 hrs a week. Though I love playing MMORPG's, I don't play them anymore. It's too much of a time sink that I just can't afford.1 -
I don't. I just eat in a calorie deficit to lose weight and it works. But if I did want to exercise, I think I would set myself up a rewards system. Tell myself 'no more Civ 5 until I've gone swimming!' or something. Then I'd want to play so bad that I'd go swimming just to kick Alexander the Great's butt with a diplomatic victory.0
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I play RPGs and love the exploration aspect. I want to be able to explore in real life. Geek alert: when I hike, I pretend I'm a ranger (Lisen is my ranger character). My motivation is to get into shape enough to hike/backpack again, especially since we live in the Canadian Rockies! So, after exploring in game I remember how awesome hiking here is and I need to get in shape to be able to hike again.
Less specific suggestions:
1. Exercise before gaming. Once you are into the game, it's harder to break off for an hour to exercise. Make it a rule: I have to do at least x minutes fitness before gaming. The number of minutes required could depend on day. If you've just finished a12 hour shift, maybe make it ten minutes. On non-work days, maybe make it 30.
2. Another trick I had when I used to work an 8-hour day and belonged to a gym: don't go home between work and gym. If I went home first, nine times out of ten I didn't make it to gym.
3. Set a timer when gaming. Maybe once an hour you walk around block. Or once every 30 minutes you take stairs from basement to top floor and back.
4. Gamify fitness. I use Fitocracy, a free app, and I can't say enough for community. If you go that route, my user name is Lisenden there too. Let me know so I'll spend more time giving you encouragement! I've been thinking of giving Nerd Fitness, which is more RPG! a go, but right now I feel like I've got enough apps/communities going on for now. If anyone finds that a more appealing route, let me know and I'll join that too.
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I'm not a shining example of what to do, but I always leave my gaming for the last thing of the day to do, always get my exercise done and my platforms of choice allow me to move while playing.
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MikeWanzuk wrote: »how you get yourself away from the computer to get yourself into fitness.
I agree with lisenden, gamification can be very useful. I've got a daily template for tasks to do in a t-file, but it works like a checklist. My main metric is "hours of planned activity" vs. my main waste of time, reading random crap on the Internet.
I don't use any fancy systems otherwise, but there are a lot of systems out there people are doing with RPG-style progressions and stat tracking.
I actually have to force myself to play games! I enjoy 'em once I get going and I have a huge respect and interest for the medium and know they enrich my life, so I make a point to do them. But they're intellectually "hard" to do, and if I'm tired, the momentum is definitely against playing anything.
Back to exercise: the main thing though, is you need a strong "why". Without that, you're just messing around. Your "why" of exercising needs to be stronger than the "why" of sitting on the computer, or forget it.
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Oh yeah Fitocracy! I use it every now and then. There's also a free app game for Android and Apple smartphones called Ingress. You pick a faction, walk around "capturing" landmarks for your team, attack and take control of areas controlled by the opposing faction.I play RPGs and love the exploration aspect. I want to be able to explore in real life. Geek alert: when I hike, I pretend I'm a ranger (Lisen is my ranger character). My motivation is to get into shape enough to hike/backpack again, especially since we live in the Canadian Rockies! So, after exploring in game I remember how awesome hiking here is and I need to get in shape to be able to hike again.
Less specific suggestions:
1. Exercise before gaming. Once you are into the game, it's harder to break off for an hour to exercise. Make it a rule: I have to do at least x minutes fitness before gaming. The number of minutes required could depend on day. If you've just finished a12 hour shift, maybe make it ten minutes. On non-work days, maybe make it 30.
2. Another trick I had when I used to work an 8-hour day and belonged to a gym: don't go home between work and gym. If I went home first, nine times out of ten I didn't make it to gym.
3. Set a timer when gaming. Maybe once an hour you walk around block. Or once every 30 minutes you take stairs from basement to top floor and back.
4. Gamify fitness. I use Fitocracy, a free app, and I can't say enough for community. If you go that route, my user name is Lisenden there too. Let me know so I'll spend more time giving you encouragement! I've been thinking of giving Nerd Fitness, which is more RPG! a go, but right now I feel like I've got enough apps/communities going on for now. If anyone finds that a more appealing route, let me know and I'll join that too.
https://www.ingress.com/
The drawback of it though is if you live out in the middle of nowhere, it may not be as fun since there are less things to interact with but the game developers make it so you can submit things to add into the game.
If you own a Fitbit, you can also check out FitRPG app. It takes your Fitbit data and translates it to a RPG game. Level up your character, do quests, etc etc.
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Ingress is intriguing, but I'm one of those who lives in the middle of nowhere. Definitely going to check out FitRPG app!0
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HabitRPG works similarly, without the Fitbit. You can set tasks and habits for yourself, and your character levels up as you complete tasks and takes damage when you don't. You can also party up to take on bigger quests for better loot. I personally like it a lot.1
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I also plan out my play time and save it as a reward for getting my chores/exercise done.
I'm intrigued by the fitness RPGs though...might have to check those out.0 -
Like others have mentioned, I won't game during the week until exercise and other chores are done. It's my "end of the day relaxation" activity.
On the weekends, I may game for a bit in the morning, so I set a time so I have to stop and go do chores, etc.
I also have a "bedtime" alarm set on my phone so that I don't stay up too late at night. Once it goes off, I have to stop gaming and get ready for bed.0 -
Sold them all0
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MarziPanda95 wrote: »I don't. I just eat in a calorie deficit to lose weight and it works. But if I did want to exercise, I think I would set myself up a rewards system. Tell myself 'no more Civ 5 until I've gone swimming!' or something. Then I'd want to play so bad that I'd go swimming just to kick Alexander the Great's butt with a diplomatic victory.
This is just what I've started doing after all last year fighting on again-off again motivation to get out of my comp chair. It's just easier and less stressful (and less disappointing when I fail to exercise) to eat for the sedentary level.
I admire (and envy) the dedication of those who are able to keep up with exercise as well.
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lacroyx, checked out Ingress, pretty cool! We only have three portals in my hometown, but I could do it in the nearby Big City.0
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I had a problem when i was modding Skyrim. I was getting in from work at 6pm, modding till about 3am, getting up for work at 6.30 rinse and repeat. I did this every day for about 2 months!! I was even using my spare time at work to research what i was going to do next lol0
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Like what others have said, I make sure I get my exercise and housework done first, then I don't feel so guilty about gaming.0
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I make a deal with myself. One hour at the gym and then I can play as much Xbox as I want when I get home
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HunterKiller wrote: »I had a problem when i was modding Skyrim. I was getting in from work at 6pm, modding till about 3am, getting up for work at 6.30 rinse and repeat. I did this every day for about 2 months!! I was even using my spare time at work to research what i was going to do next lol
Did you have any mods on Steam Workshop or Nexus? Totally curious if I added any of yours. 0 -
Honestly, sometimes I don't leave my gaming to make better choices.
But like Troutsy, if I'm getting exceptionally bad, I'll make a deal with myself. My last deal I made (not gaming related but could work just as easily for that) was that I had to earn "football credit" by working out. So in order to watch a football game (with an on-demand kind of program), I had to workout and earn my hours for the games to watch. Sometimes when I notice MMOs/games are taking up too much of my time, I will tape some paper on my monitor and can't use it until I workout. Just a friendly reminder to myself when I wake up that I set a goal for myself the night before and should probably not flake out on it.
I mean, if I can easily game for 12 hours in one day, I can find at LEAST 30+ minutes to workout. I just guilt myself into it a lot. XD0 -
brandiuntz wrote: »HunterKiller wrote: »I had a problem when i was modding Skyrim. I was getting in from work at 6pm, modding till about 3am, getting up for work at 6.30 rinse and repeat. I did this every day for about 2 months!! I was even using my spare time at work to research what i was going to do next lol
Did you have any mods on Steam Workshop or Nexus? Totally curious if I added any of yours.
I have not created any myself just using what other people have put on the Nexus. Christ if i started creating mods myself i'd have even less of a life lol
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I have the same problem at times, but nowadays I've realised that the anxiety I get from skipping an exercise in order to play makes gaming boring.
(The first month of WoD was quite hopeless though.)0 -
Your pretty much asking for the answers to the universe.
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I haven't been motivated much before until now, but have been this last month. I have a very wild imagination and I started thinking, "Wouldn't it be nice if I could free run like Arno?" Or "Man, I wish I do *insert cool move from any game here*! Wow!"
But then it dawned on me that 1st, I'm no free runner lol and 2nd, I will never be able to attempt to be as active as my digital friends, if I don't get off of my @$%. I realize that I won't be able to do everything, but if I try and stay active and get off the console, I can at least get cosplay ready.^^
I also set aside the time for myself. If I have gone to the gym or my homework is done, I give myself the time to play my vids. 1 -
I do what I need to get done before I allow myself on a game. I've always done this.
I'm a still ffxi daily player, but living near the Rocky Mountains (Canada) is plenty of motivation to haul my diseased carcass (I have many health issues that get in the way of real exercise, but I make sure to walk what I can every day) outside, and take a look around!0 -
I agree with most of the comments - work before play.
For weekdays, If I get my hour of morning exercise in (walking/jogging or kinect/wii fitness game), I allow myself 30min (30 WHOLE MINUTES!) to 1 hour of gaming after putting the kids to sleep each night. If I don't miss any days, I can stay up late and play video games on Friday nights.0 -
I agree with most people here, workout before play. I don't really find myself devoting my time to marathon gaming sessions, but back when I used to it was pretty bad and as long as I still went to the gym in the morning, I'd still lose weight.
And I didn't have any idea that FitRPG app existed! I've been wanting a FitBit, but decided to go with an HRM instead. The app sounds interesting...0 -
Ironically something I found that really works for me is Fitocracy because it has achievements! Albeit that they can be very lacking sometimes and I started to make my own and that seems to work. It can be super hard to get moving sometimes, and sometimes the best way to start is to do it BEFORE you even touch the pc, console, handheld, etc for the day so you are seemingly rewarding your workout with the game and not forcing yourself off the game to workout.0
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I try to work out first thing in the morning, before I can convince myself otherwise. 0
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I don't leave my console. I used the exercise/fitness "games" to get up and move. I compete with myself and can track progress. But if I don't use my console I grab my jawbone up and take my bike out for a ride for about an hour.0
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I use to be a hardcore gamer who would devote every moment of my life that wasn't for work or school to gaming. Then i became friends with some non gamers/ casual gamers and we would go out and have drinks and meet girls and have so much fun. So then i decided to take some of the time i put into gaming into my appearance. I lost a lot of weight and started lifting and started going out more and meeting new and exciting women, most of which enjoyed gaming occasionally.
I guess i just wanted to level up myself rather than my champ. If that makes sense ?0
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