Question for you PNWers
HowardRose
Posts: 138 Member
Now that its both colder and darker outside, what are you doing to keep motivated and active in your excercises? I find it harder to get out and do my walks these days.
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It's been a challenge since I moved to PT, actually!! I enjoy the cooler weather, but I find I need more to motivate me. ( Like SUN!)
I've started going to some yoga classes at two studios here in town. Being around other like minded folks helps to keep me motivated. Also, taking stock at the beginning of the week and writing on my calendar what my workouts are for each day helps. I get up, have coffee, put on my exercise clothes and head out, or jump on my elliptical, etc.
Maybe trying a new running/walking route will help...do you have friends (or a spouse) that works out with you?0 -
Now that its both colder and darker outside, what are you doing to keep motivated and active in your excercises? I find it harder to get out and do my walks these days.
Hi Howard,
Well first off, congrats on 76 pounds lost! That is awesome. I also find this time of year to be a bit trying at times too. I have two primary activities that I do. I have a treadmill at home that gets used fairly regularly but it is my fall back. I try and play racquetball 3 - 4 times a week. There is a learning curve with this sport but once you begin to pick it up, you'll find it is one of the best cardio sports out there. I have gotten my HR up over 200 but normally I average around 145-150.0 -
I hate treadmills and though there is a track inside my local YMCA I get self-conscious because I sound like a herd of elephants passing through. I work graveyard. 11pm-7:30am. I also work weekends. Weekends it's dead at my workplace so I take advantage of going outside for 30-45 mins @ 2am for a fitness break. I also sometimes go right after work. The darkness and cold are my friends. I just bundle up and go. I find the colder weather time is better for me than warmer weather. Just yesterday I did my best 1 mile ever 11:03. Before that the fastest I ever did 1 mile was 12 mins. and that was when I was 17 and in high school. I weighed 275 lbs. then.
Besides that I find it motivating to sign up for 5K's. I've done 3 so far and have improved my times each time. Next one I am doing is Nov. 20th. Green Lake Turkey Gobble 5k. I'm not shooting for a time just to complete it all w/o taking any walking breaks.0 -
the cold doesn't bother me so I will still run outside in the morning, if it's raining I just take it inside. I'm lucky that I have room for exercise equipment at my home though so it's easy for me. Punching bag, treadmill, spin bike, weight bench, pole.....I've got it covered. I see people running in the pouring rain near my house too, I think they're nuts!!!0
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This year I'm doing a couple of things to stop me from retiring to the couch for the next 6 months (believe me, that has happened before!!)
Firstly, I hired a trainer a couple of times a week. He has set up a workout plan for me, and because I'm paying him a lot of money (and I'm mostly pretty cheap), I follow it. It also forces me to the gym at least twice a week, and once I actually get there, I do really enjoy it.
The second thing I did was enlist the help of a hyper backpacking friend. He is like the energizer bunny - never stops. So, he and I go out at least once or twice a week for a long walk (5-7 miles) or a dayhike...rain, snow or shine.
Finally, I rewarded myself. I have a trip to Hawaii booked for next month for a few days, a dive trip to the Caymans for April, and somewhere in the middle, the hyper buddy and I are planning a couple of days of backpacking in Moab or Joshua Tree, just to get away from the wet.0 -
I find that a lot of people ignore the cold - after all it doesn't get all that cold here compared to other places. Just wet.
This year I might invest in some rain boots that have a good tread on them for mild hikes in the wet weather.
Our YMCA doesn't have a track, but the one in Everett has an awesome indoor track!0 -
Yeah, I had to buy a jacket that keeps out the water, and good dry hiking shoes. This has made a big difference. Layering is also key, with some moisture wicking fabric like nylon next to your skin.
If you are doing fitness only stuff outdoors, you'll only be out for an hour or two, so being in the rain really isn't a big deal. You just have to keep up your routine, because once you start slacking, it's tough to start again.
I always look forward to my hot cuppa tea or soup when I get back. So conforting. I always have some homemade soup in the fridge in the fall/winter.0 -
I'll run rain or shine but it's the dark that gets me...
This time of year it's dark when I leave for work and dark when I get home so I gym it. I'll still take off for a run on Saturday or Sunday though. Gotta get my road miles in. Just put on lots of breathable layers. I find more than anything I need gloves- running in the cold and wet my core and legs are fine my little fingers freeze and turn ominous shades so for me gloves are a must.
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Thanks everyone for your ideas.
Bottom line looks like I just have to get out there and do it regardless of the weather, or the darkness.0 -
I like the cold and wet doesn't bother me unless its coming down really hard. I do my walks at work during lunch and lift 3x's/week at home. Considering getting a swim pass at our rec center so we can go on the weekends.0
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I still try to get out and walk every work day at lunch time. Some days are wetter than others, but a good coat & hat, and a nice pair of waterproof shoes, and I'm good to go. I kinda need that time and fresh air to reset my head and get through the rest of the day. If things get really nasty, my backup plan is to do laps in the parking garage beneath the building. Better than nothing, I guess.0
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I'm still trying to get used to the rain.... thankfully It's better than the last 2 years but I find it so hard to do anything but curl up under a blanket and read a good book to escape the grey drizzle. Sunshine in winter has got to be what I miss most about Prairie life..... I forgot how much the grey ceiling weighs on you.
I am trying to go mall walking, use the wii, yoga classees, go for a swim at the pool, I have yet to jump on my treadmill.0 -
It's pretty cold in Spokane right now. I prefer to be outside walking, but don't have the gear for it. So until I can get that, it's to the basement and the elliptical machine. I'm also fortunate that my work place has a gym. I do yoga 3 days a week during lunch hour and can walk at lunch on the treadmill if I'm too lazy to get up at 5 am and exerice at home.0
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Had a friend last year give me some good advice as far as walking outside in the PNW. He told me to invest in some rain gear
I did, and before I had to stop due to an injury, I liked walking in the rain, not nearly as many people out and I could just enjoy the quiet.0 -
Hit the weights hard, and treadmill for cardio.0
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I invested in some tights and a water resisitant jacket that has removeable arms(so it converts to a vest). Also grabbed some thin Under Armor gloves(I agree with the person who mentioned gloves...it's rough on your hands out in that cold!). Personally, I'm running outside so the coldness doesn't bother me as much overall, if it's wet I think I'll keep it on my treadmill. I tried to be crazy last Friday and run in that storm that blew in....and well it was a learning experience. Learned that I don't like it. :laugh: Dry cold is pretty comfortable to run in though, I enjoy how the sweating is minimal.0
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the hyper buddy and I are planning a couple of days of backpacking in Moab or Joshua Tree, just to get away from the wet.
Went to Moab earlier this year. What a beautiful place! Believe it or not it did rain while my boyfriend and I were going through Arches National Park! Didnt get all the hiking in that we wanted. You will love it there!0 -
For my winter workout approach the last couple of years, I will go inside for indoor cycling - because I won't push myself as hard by myself (such a wuss), I go to a place in Seattle (Cycle U) where they do instructor led workouts - my regimen for the winter is two weekdays (circa 1 hour workout) and a Saturday (1 1/2 2 hour workout) - having a "coach" and other participants seems to motivate me to work more intensely than I would do solo. There are other places around Seattle that also do similar workouts with more or less levels of sophistication. On the off days I will try to walk briskly for about an hour but that is not as intense as the cycling. My bride, however, walks every day - she says the only effect the weather has on her is to define what clothes she will wear. As you might expect, she is built of sterner stuff than me!0
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I've been doing the Jillian Michaels ripped in 30 DVD, went to spin last night (AWESOME! easy 1,000 calorie burn there!) and went mt biking saturday for 3 hours (my telemetry strap said i burned 3500 calories!!!!).
Mt Biking rocks, got SUPER muddy but it was great.
Hiking is also aweosme, especially with this dry weather we've been having.
the biggest obstacle i've had is not the temps or the weather but the daylight! its dark when i get to work and dark when i get home
thinking about getting a bike light for some night biking 0 -
indoor cycling
walking (bundled up)
but i have definitely been less motivated and had more days of having no exercise calories to eat
i feel your pain!0 -
I have a ful gym in my home. Machines, free weights and an elliptical and recumbent bike. I still like to walk at lunch and on the weekends. I just bundle up. I will walk unless there is ice on the ground or we are having Ark-worthy rains.0
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It's tough to get out when it's cold/wet/dark, but whenever I do, (and I hope this doesn't sound too corny), I feel like a warrior, and that motivates me to get it done. It's not comfortable to be wet and cold, but it only hurts for the first mile or two, and then everything's fine and the endorphins start to kick in.
A favorite quote of mine: "Today I shall do what others wont, so that tomorrow I can do what others can't."
I have a great Black Diamond LED headlamp and I use that for running in the dark. I hit the trails at least once or twice a week and try to ignore the weather and darkness. It can be a little creepy out in the woods at night, but it's also solitary and beautiful--nighttime brings its own special kind of beauty to nature. I love it.
So in short, just getting started in the face of temporary discomfort is the hard part. Once you're out there and warmed up, all is good.0 -
I work out when i get home and next week im going to start another round of P90x. If any one wants to add me feel free to im bucifan202 you can add my wife she is tcrp19820
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I actually enjoy being outside in the rain, as long as I'm not cold. If I'm warm, I can stay out for hours. I really like doing the Stanley Park Seawall in the rain, as it keeps most of the tourists away and is much less clogged Where it gets sketchy is when the temperature is close to 0, because then the back half becomes frosty, and you're going along fine and then walk straight onto some black ice. Luckily that doesn't happen too often! But I also recently invested in a treadmill for when I can't bring myself to go outside. 0
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