I often have trouble getting motivated to exercise. It's so much easier to just... do nothing, isn't it? Occasionally though, something will spark a fire under my butt and I'll treat my body properly by giving it a little exercise. My initial motivation usually comes from feeling the clothes fitting a little tighter than they should, or my mind and body just not feeling well overall.
Saturday afternoon The Boy brought over his father's truck and I dragged him over to Dick's Sporting Goods. The goal was to buy an elliptical machine. Mission accomplished. I ended up buying a Horizon E401. It took approximately an hour and a half to assemble. It really wasn't tricky at all. The instructions were very simple to follow. I feel very comfortable on it and it has all the options I need. It also feels quite sturdy, which it should at 175 pounds! It shows time, calories burned, resistance, distance, heart rate, and speed. It also has several built in programs: manual, intervals, mountain, weight loss, cardio challenge, and endurance challenge.
Around 2:00 Sunday afternoon I headed downstairs to use it for the first time. Let me tell you, this thing kicked my ass. I lasted 22 minutes on the lowest resistance level. My heart rate was quickly off the charts. Pathetic. I knew I was out of shape since I stopped going to the gym last March, but I didn't expect it to be quite that bad.
The plan is to actually get up in the morning and do 20-30 minutes before work at least 3 days a week. And then find 20-30 minutes to do it on Saturday and Sunday (at least one day, if not both).
So far I am quite motivated. For some people, having such an abysmal first day may make them lose some motivation. For me, I think it increased my motivation. I know what I am capable of, what I was doing at the gym. I am motivated to get myself back to that place. I know how much I need these for my health. My main motivators will be to see the heart rate drop and be able to first, increase the time and second, increase the resistance level. Those things will make me happier than seeing the number on the scale drop.
Now let's just hope this motivation lasts more than a week!
What is your current exercise routine? How long have you been sticking with it? What motivates you to start/continue and exercise program?
I try to get my exercise in while I watch tv. When a commercial break starts, I jog in place, do toe touches or crunches or jumping jacks. Anything to build some strength, get my heart pumping, burn some calories. It took some willpower at first but it's a habit now! And as soon as my show comes back on, I get to watch, guilt-free!
Ha! Nifty idea. That's great that it's turned into a habit. I'm hoping the elliptical will become part of my normal routing and start becoming a habit rather than a chore. I am already seeing improvement in my stamina. :)
Staying fit and working out is something we all need to do but it normally stops there. We could have the desire but you will discover always excuses to not workout. Time and money are the big two but even if those aren't issues, we can normally find some. Aerobics can be a wonderful workout to increase your heartbeat and burn calories. You're not lifting heavy weights but repeatedly performing a high-energy motion. This is possible even at home from a simple video.
If you are consistent, you'll soon notice 1 of the first advantages of aerobic exercise, an overall boost in energy level. Normal cardio exercise causes this to happen since the body will adapt to cope with the added strenuous physical activity. You will be gratified to see that you'll tire much less and at the exact same time, you are able to expend much more physical effort.
If one were to choose to do only aerobic training for over one year, you would see increased overall cardiovascular health. The body would adapt to using fatty acids for energy and would target the development of slow twitch muscle fibers. Those that choose to train aerobically are your typical 5k, 10k and marathon runners. Aerobic training will create endurance and those that train aerobically will be able to maintain exercise at a certain level for a longer time period. What the body will not experience can be a gain in overall strength. Aerobic training won't give a person gains in overall strength, power or explosive strength abilities.