What / how do you do to find time to work out

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letsdothis720
letsdothis720 Posts: 2 Member
edited January 1 in Introduce Yourself
Happy New Year All!!

I’m a 50 yr old male with a desk job. I want, actually need, to workout now that I’m older & sitting on my butt for 8-9 hrs a day. My struggle is getting up and extra 1.5-2 hrs earlier to work out for 45-60 min. This puts me in the late 4 O’clock or early 5 O’clock hour. After work the last thing I feel like doing is working out. I think mornings would actually be better. Just need to find the motivation to get up and actually work out. I have all the free weights, resistance bands etc and a smith machine along with an elliptical at home for just about any exercise as I live in a rural area at the base of the mountains and commute M-F.

I’m curious what you all do to motivate yourself to get up and workout.

Thanks!

Best Answer

  • britbuzzard
    britbuzzard Posts: 37 Member
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    Having done lots of sports/exercise in my youth it took me a long time to get out of the mindset of "if I can't work out for at least an hour it's not worth doing". If you're just getting started on your fitness journey I would suggest scaling back on your workout time. Maybe start with a 15-20 minute workout, which shouldn't get you up so early. Once you're doing that consistently for a few weeks I bet you'll start to feel good and want to do more = your motivation! Good Luck, and keep us posted on your progress.

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  • letsdothis720
    letsdothis720 Posts: 2 Member
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    Hey thanks! That’s an interesting and good way of looking at it. Think I’ll take your advice!
  • BillyAZ
    BillyAZ Posts: 76 Member
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    Completely agree with Brit! I used to apportion an hour for the gym and dreaded it then started skipping it. Now I’m far more frequently in there for 20-30 minutes and it’s far less of a chore! Good luck!!
  • NVR2OLD1961
    NVR2OLD1961 Posts: 28 Member
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    2.5 years ago I switched my workouts from after work to before work. Initially I found that I needed to set up my home gym with things that inspired me for those days where I really had no motivation. It became a place I wanted to be in. Early on there were days where I would hit the snooze or I’d end up crawling back into bed. After pushing through and building a habit it just became something I needed to set me up for a more successful day. I never regret making the switch, it has enabled me to be very consistent in getting my workouts completed. I’m a 62 yo male I wake up m-f at 03:30 to start my workouts by 04:00 and I work from 07:00-16:00 and I also have a predominantly sedentary job as well. It also helps if you have a dog they will learn your new sleeping habit and be helpful in getting you up for those early mornings;)
    Good luck finding the best routine for you lifestyle
  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 9,056 Member
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    Second the thought about the dog "helping" you get up, lol! Unfortunately, they don't understand the difference between getting up early on weekdays and sleeping in on weekends...
  • meganlea33
    meganlea33 Posts: 40 Member
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    I am in a similar boat. I primarily work a desk job that I love. It is mentally draining and come 5 my brain is dead. I have been working on getting up earlier to make time for a jog or some kind of exercise. It is crazy hard some days but I try to stay committed.
  • britbuzzard
    britbuzzard Posts: 37 Member
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    I've seen several articles recently noting how bad it is for us to be sitting for most of the day, but that's a typical working day for many of us. Before I retired (in 2017) my company invested in sit/stand desks. It made quite a difference being able to stand for portions of the day while working on the computer. I actually lost a few pounds from doing that alone. If that's not an option at your company would they allow you to set up your own. There are several adjustable standing desk converters available now that sit on top of a regular desk.

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