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15 Tips to Restart the Exercise Habit (and How to Keep It)

lifehack.org — It’s been two months since you ’ve seen the inside of the gym. Getting sick, family crisis, overtime at work and school papers that needed to get finished all kept you for exercising. Now, the question is: how do you start again?

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  • BillyParks, on 11/11/2007, -1/+27Much easier said then done, dugg for making me feel guilty! I really need to get back to that gym :(
    • jtbandes, on 11/08/2007, -2/+22$ exercise
      -bash: exercise: command not found

      :(
      • weeeezzll, on 11/07/2007, -0/+3Oddly enough I've been battling with this exact issue. Except it has been closer to 3 months. Very difficult. I went today, but I still have to figure out what weights I can safely lift again, and being in a new gym it will take me a month to get into a good routine again..
      • TheOther1, on 11/07/2007, -0/+2tar -xvzf excercise11_2007.tgz
        cd excercise11_2007
        ./configure
        make
        make test
        sudo -c make install
        exercise

        For you Ubuntu folks:
        sudo apt-get install exercise
        exercise
      • pankajsharma, on 11/08/2007, -0/+1search - exercise - Sorry no results found
        Google search - exercise - No results found for you. Try others - 1 billion results found.
    • krets, on 11/07/2007, -0/+2It is easier said that done just like anything else in this world that makes you successful. Going to college is easier said than done. Getting a good job is easier said than done.

      One thing that works well for me is going to the gym right after work. I find that if I go home first I tend to find other things to do and end up skipping the gym more often. Going right after work also helps me to forget about whatever might be stressing me out and energizes me for the night.
  • harpc, on 11/07/2007, -5/+3Great tips. Be prepared to get uncomfortable!
    • JLecker, on 11/08/2007, -1/+6Maybe I'm misinterpreting your comment, but if exercise makes you uncomfortable, then you are definitely doing something wrong.
      Unless, of course, you were talking about being UNCOMFORTABLY ENERGETIC.
      • GravitySpec, on 11/07/2007, -1/+6you will run as fast as KENYANS!!!
      • avisotin, on 11/07/2007, -0/+5Err... if exercise doesn't make you uncomfortable, then _you_ are the one going about it the wrong way. If exercise was comfortable, you wouldn't get any fitter. No pain, no gain.
        • hammerattack, on 11/07/2007, -0/+4Well, that's not absolutely true either - the "no pain no gain" part. Pain is your bodies way of saying "oh crap, something is damaged". It might be better to say "little pain, lots of gain". Ironically, to build strong muscles and bones, you have to break them just a little bit. Micro-tears in muscle fibers lead to new muscle cells. Microfractures in bones lead to newer stringer bones.
  • ruddy, on 11/08/2007, -3/+44step 1: take hammer to monitor
    step 2: pour water over pc
    • paulbyrnes, on 11/07/2007, -8/+8***** you
      • daliminator, on 11/07/2007, -2/+5what did poor ruddy do to deserve such a hateful comment?! alas, such an unfortunate soul.

        plydmi, on the other hand, can f*cking burn in the goddamn fiery pits of hell while being rectally violated with spiky tropical fruits and having "her" liver eaten for eternity.
    • Easirok, on 11/07/2007, -3/+7Step 3: ????
      Step 4: Profit!!
    • andycr512, on 11/07/2007, -0/+11. sudo echo "127.0.0.1 digg.com" >> /etc/hosts
      2. Can actually get work done now, including exercise
      3. Profit!
  • rAid135, on 11/11/2007, -3/+34 1. Don’t Break the Habit - The easiest way to keep things going is simply not to stop. Avoid long breaks in exercising or rebuilding the habit will take some effort. This may be advice a little too late for some people. But if you have an exercise habit going, don’t drop it at the first sign of trouble.
    2. Reward Showing Up - Woody Allen once said that, “Half of life is showing up.” I’d argue that 90% of making a habit is just making the effort to get there. You can worry about your weight, amount of laps you run or the amount you can bench press later.
    3. Commit for Thirty Days - Make a commitment to go every day (even just for 20 minutes) for one month. This will solidify the exercise habit. By making a commitment you also take pressure off yourself in the first weeks back of deciding whether to go.
    4. Make it Fun - If you don’t enjoy yourself at the gym, it is going to be hard to keep it a habit. There are thousands of ways you can move your body and exercise, so don’t give up if you’ve decided lifting weights or doing crunches isn’t for you. Many large fitness centers will offer a range of programs that can suit your tastes.
    5. Schedule During Quiet Hours - Don’t put exercise time in a place where it will easily be pushed aside by something more important. Right after work or first thing in the morning are often good places to put it. Lunch-hour workouts might be too easy to skip if work demands start mounting.
    6. Get a Buddy - Grab a friend to join you. Having a social aspect to exercising can boost your commitment to the exercise habit.
    7. X Your Calendar - One person I know has the habit of drawing a red “X” through any day on the calendar he goes to the gym. The benefit of this is it quickly shows how long it has been since you’ve gone to the gym. Keeping a steady amount of X’s on your calendar is an easy way to motivate yourself.
    8. Enjoyment Before Effort - After you finish any work out, ask yourself what parts you enjoyed and what parts you did not. As a rule, the enjoyable aspects of your workout will get done and the rest will be avoided. By focusing on how you can make workouts more enjoyable, you can make sure you want to keep going to the gym.
    9. Create a Ritual - Your workout routine should become so ingrained that it becomes a ritual. This means that the time of day, place or cue automatically starts you towards grabbing your bag and heading out. If your workout times are completely random, it will be harder to benefit from the momentum of a ritual.
    10. Stress Relief - What do you do when your stressed? Chances are it isn’t running. But exercise can be a great way to relieve stress, releasing endorphin which will improve your mood. The next time you feel stressed or tired, try doing an exercise you enjoy. When stress relief is linked to exercise, it is easy to regain the habit even after a leave of absence.
    11. Measure Fitness - Weight isn’t always the best number to track. Increase in muscle can offset decreases in fat so the scale doesn’t change even if your body is. But fitness improvements are a great way to stay motivated. Recording simple numbers such as the number of push-ups, sit-ups or speed you can run can help you see that the exercise is making you stronger and faster.
    12. Habits First, Equipment Later - Fancy equipment doesn’t create a habit for exercise. Despite this, some people still believe that buying a thousand dollar machine will make up for their inactivity. It won’t. Start building the exercise habit first, only afterwards should you worry about having a personal gym.
    13. Isolate Your Weakness - If falling off the exercise wagon is a common occurrence for you, find out why. Do you not enjoy exercising? Is it a lack of time? Is it feeling self-conscious at the gym? Is it a lack of fitness know-how? As soon as you can isolate your weakness, you can make steps to improve the situation.
    14. Start Small - Trying to run fifteen miles your first workout isn’t a good way to build a habit. Work below your capacity for the first few weeks to build the habit. Otherwise you might scare yourself off after a brutal workout.
    15. Go for Yourself, Not to Impress - Going to the gym with the only goal of looking great is like starting a business with only the goal to make money. The effort can’t justify the results. But if you go to the gym to push yourself, gain energy and have a good time, then you can keep going even when results are slow.
  • ikamos, on 11/08/2007, -6/+491. Stop reading stupid "15 ways" articles
    2. Get your ass out of that chair

    This is kinda like seeing a "15 ways to bang Jessica Alba" article on the front page.
    • jon30041, on 11/07/2007, -1/+16... Is there such an article? Link me, damn you!
    • StormTroopr, on 11/07/2007, -0/+2I can think up a lot more than 15 ways.
  • mojoe1185, on 11/07/2007, -11/+3Site almost dead,

    It’s okay, you can finally admit it. It’s been two months since you’ve seen the inside of the gym. Getting sick, family crisis, overtime at work and school papers that needed to get finished all kept you for exercising. Now, the question is: how do you start again?

    Once you have an exercise habit, it becomes automatic. You just go to the gym, there is no force involved. But after a month, two months or possibly a year off, it can be hard to get started again. Here are some tips to climb back on that treadmill after you’ve fallen off.

    1. Don’t Break the Habit - The easiest way to keep things going is simply not to stop. Avoid long breaks in exercising or rebuilding the habit will take some effort. This may be advice a little too late for some people. But if you have an exercise habit going, don’t drop it at the first sign of trouble.
    2. Reward Showing Up - Woody Allen once said that, “Half of life is showing up.” I’d argue that 90% of making a habit is just making the effort to get there. You can worry about your weight, amount of laps you run or the amount you can bench press later.
    3. Commit for Thirty Days - Make a commitment to go every day (even just for 20 minutes) for one month. This will solidify the exercise habit. By making a commitment you also take pressure off yourself in the first weeks back of deciding whether to go.
    4. Make it Fun - If you don’t enjoy yourself at the gym, it is going to be hard to keep it a habit. There are thousands of ways you can move your body and exercise, so don’t give up if you’ve decided lifting weights or doing crunches isn’t for you. Many large fitness centers will offer a range of programs that can suit your tastes.
    5. Schedule During Quiet Hours - Don’t put exercise time in a place where it will easily be pushed aside by something more important. Right after work or first thing in the morning are often good places to put it. Lunch-hour workouts might be too easy to skip if work demands start mounting.
    6. Get a Buddy - Grab a friend to join you. Having a social aspect to exercising can boost your commitment to the exercise habit.
    7. X Your Calendar - One person I know has the habit of drawing a red “X” through any day on the calendar he goes to the gym. The benefit of this is it quickly shows how long it has been since you’ve gone to the gym. Keeping a steady amount of X’s on your calendar is an easy way to motivate yourself.
    8. Enjoyment Before Effort - After you finish any work out, ask yourself what parts you enjoyed and what parts you did not. As a rule, the enjoyable aspects of your workout will get done and the rest will be avoided. By focusing on how you can make workouts more enjoyable, you can make sure you want to keep going to the gym.
    9. Create a Ritual - Your workout routine should become so ingrained that it becomes a ritual. This means that the time of day, place or cue automatically starts you towards grabbing your bag and heading out. If your workout times are completely random, it will be harder to benefit from the momentum of a ritual.
    10. Stress Relief - What do you do when your stressed? Chances are it isn’t running. But exercise can be a great way to relieve stress, releasing endorphin which will improve your mood. The next time you feel stressed or tired, try doing an exercise you enjoy. When stress relief is linked to exercise, it is easy to regain the habit even after a leave of absence.
    11. Measure Fitness - Weight isn’t always the best number to track. Increase in muscle can offset decreases in fat so the scale doesn’t change even if your body is. But fitness improvements are a great way to stay motivated. Recording simple numbers such as the number of push-ups, sit-ups or speed you can run can help you see that the exercise is making you stronger and faster.
    12. Habits First, Equipment Later - Fancy equipment doesn’t create a habit for exercise. Despite this, some people still believe that buying a thousand dollar machine will make up for their inactivity. It won’t. Start building the exercise habit first, only afterwards should you worry about having a personal gym.
    13. Isolate Your Weakness - If falling off the exercise wagon is a common occurrence for you, find out why. Do you not enjoy exercising? Is it a lack of time? Is it feeling self-conscious at the gym? Is it a lack of fitness know-how? As soon as you can isolate your weakness, you can make steps to improve the situation.
    14. Start Small - Trying to run fifteen miles your first workout isn’t a good way to build a habit. Work below your capacity for the first few weeks to build the habit. Otherwise you might scare yourself off after a brutal workout.
    15. Go for Yourself, Not to Impress - Going to the gym with the only goal of looking great is like starting a business with only the goal to make money. The effort can’t justify the results. But if you go to the gym to push yourself, gain energy and have a good time, then you can keep going even when results are slow.
  • genezorz, on 11/07/2007, -3/+5I have a ton of trouble staying motivated. I'm to poor to use a gym and I'm kind of a social workout kind of guy. I really benefit from other people being there to push me to continue or to just go and do it. When I started doing MMA boxing I found a reason to keep working out, but now my finances don't allow me that either.

    Above all though It's my own fault.
  • einstevo, on 11/07/2007, -2/+18tip #16: don't use those pink, foam covered 5 lb weights. they don't do any good for anybody.
    • jon30041, on 11/07/2007, -3/+6tip #17: ***** it, don't use anything less than 20 lbs. You'll look like a prick.
      • daliminator, on 11/11/2007, -2/+3Not everyone's looking for bulky muscle mass - and even for those looking to build muscle, lighter weights can be useful for endurance training or conditioning along with other exercises.
        • skyfire1, on 11/07/2007, -3/+1No. 5 pounds weights are pieces of ***** anyway. Start with 30 at least.
        • hammerattack, on 11/07/2007, -3/+1You'd be deluded to think that you could actually gain any significant muscle mass just by hefting around anything lower than 20 lbs. It takes hours of dedicated weight training, doing high weight at low reps until complete muscle failure - to get even respectable muscles. Bitch weights (anything under 15 lbs) are useless to all but the smallest framed women. People like you doom fitness newcomers to failure by building a fear of weight training based on the "you'll look like Ahnald if you do that" bs that you're pedaling. The fact it you will not be successful at fitness and weight loss if you don't do some muscle training. And if you're looking for a beach body, you'll need as much muscle training - if not more - than you'll need cardio.
        • krets, on 11/08/2007, -1/+5Meathead views like those held by hammerattack are one of the things that keep novices out of gyms. They think that if they can't lift massive amounts that the muscleheads will laugh at them or hold them in contempt. That's just not true in the majority of cases. Sure, there are some idiots out there like hammerattack but for the most part the serious lifters at the gym are just there to go about their business.

          Don't worry about how much you can lift at first. Worry about lifting properly and making sure you can do 8 to 10 reps. Keep to that and you'll start moving up very quickly.
          • hammerattack, on 11/08/2007, -0/+1Wow. Could you and your four dupe accounts be any less idiotic? For starters, don't ascribe judgmental attitudes to people when you can't even take the time to read their entire post. I was quite clear in my statement that moderate weight training won't lead to overbuilt muscles (which is what the parent poster was discussing).

            More pointedly, your advice is complete *****. You didn't qualify what the objectives of the poster (presumably delaminator, since that's to whom you were responding, though delaminator wasn't soliciting anyone's advice). So simply telling them "8-10 reps" is useless. Do they want to build muscle mass? Then they'll need to increase the amount of fast-twitch muscle fiber, which requires 8-15 reps of heavy weights. The weight selection should be based on a reasonable assumption that you won't have muscle failure sooner than 8 reps, but you won't be able to exceed 15 reps. In the latter case, you need more weight; less weight in the case of the former. However, if the posters objective is to increase endurance, then they'll want slow-twitch muscle fibers which are earned with low weights at high reps. They should choose a weight that will allow them to do between 22 and 30 reps, again based on the concept of "failure in range". In either case, they ought to do 3 to 5 sets of the prescribed number of sets, each time to failure, and allowing for 3 to 5 minutes of rest between sets.

            Bottom line, you should not be handing out advice. At all. The only good advice you gave was "lift properly", but you didn't even explain that, so people might not know what you really meant was "concentrate on correct movement and form to avoid injury."
        • gcauthon, on 11/07/2007, -1/+2Using 20 pound weights is not going to give you "bulky muscle mass".
  • Archon810, on 11/07/2007, -2/+12I hate to be the grammar police, but "What do you do when your stressed?" Come on.
    • jon30041, on 11/07/2007, -6/+3If you hate to be the grammar police, then why are you being the grammar police? Some people slip up. Deal with it.
      • hammerattack, on 11/08/2007, -1/+4Some people have standards. Deal with it.
      • ILikePants, on 11/08/2007, -1/+3Some people have spelling with grammar checks.
    • paulbyrnes, on 11/07/2007, -1/+1Grama copa
      • hammerattack, on 11/07/2007, -0/+1...culpa... but you get 10 lol points anyway.
  • ian937262, on 11/07/2007, -0/+12Start slow, but start. Don't over do it, keep it light and consistent. After quitting smoking 2 months ago, I try to do two sets of three exercises then go running for about twenty minutes. Never felt better. Only takes up three hours a week or so.
  • kindrobot, on 11/07/2007, -7/+2I know what keeps me from the local gym, and it rhymes with "Drug resistant staph"... I mean it IS drug resistant staph. Besides, I got sick of showing up urinating on twinks.com.
  • blizzok, on 11/08/2007, -4/+12I took 3 addralls today and i didn't eat anything. ._. does that count?
  • jon30041, on 11/07/2007, -0/+5On #14: When I first started going to the gym, I started small, so I guess it works. Then, one day, my friend and I decided to try using the bench (we'd stuck to cardio and machine lifting for a while). We didn't do a lot of weight. Then, the next time, we accidentally upped our weight by 20 lbs. Shocked, I pushed my bench weight as high as I could get with 10 reps per set. That night, I could barely lift my arms but, hey, I felt like I was king of the whole damned world.
    • aduzik, on 11/08/2007, -0/+1That's how it works. Start small, try something new when the mood strikes you. Keep switching it up. Push yourself a little harder when you start to get too comfortable. And before you know it, you'll look forward to going to the gym and you'll leave feeling better and better every time.
  • smurf22, on 11/07/2007, -0/+12Step 1 : Go to gym or buy weights
    Step 2: Use said weights.
    Step 3: Occasionally run
    Step 4: Actually care about your body, and not about being thin. Its about being healthy.
    • ian937262, on 11/07/2007, -0/+2Amen. A holistic approach, including diet and exercise. I don't want to be wearing a diaper and in a wheelchair if I make it to 60+
  • SilverhammerMBA, on 11/08/2007, -0/+11Personally, I can't stand the gym workout. The boring, stale environment, the hamster-like feeling of using exercise machines. Here's how I stay fit:
    1. Avoid fast food, junk food, and fried food entirely. This diet really isn't that hard to maintain.
    2. Never use elevators when stairs are available. In most cases, elevators are even slower than stairs so you'll feel good about getting the exercise.
    3. Why walk when you can jog? Why drive when you can bike? Unless you're wearing formal attire, why not get a little cardio exercise when you make short errands?
    4. Push ups and sit ups every day. Right before I shower at night, I do as many push ups and sit ups as I can (without breaks). It's an insignificant time investment but you'll be amazed at how quickly you start noticing improvement.
    • aduzik, on 11/08/2007, -0/+1Yep. Fitness is all about finding what works for you. If you hate exercising and you're only doing it to burn calories or look skinny, you'll quit. If you feel like you're denying yourself something by avoiding fast food, you'll be constantly tempted by it. If, on the other hand, you find something you enjoy doing and really want to do well, you'll stay with it. If you do a little investigation you'll find foods and restaurants you like a whole lot better and are much healthier for you.
  • JLecker, on 11/07/2007, -0/+2I used to go to the gym maybe once a week. I was in decent shape, thanks to taekwondo and the school musical (seriously, warm-ups were a bitch), but I wasn't buff by any means. When the other guys in the play and I (in a totally non-gay way, I promise), I would always feel sort of bad about my shrimpy arms.
    Now, I go to the gym three or four times per week. I'm not much more muscular, but I certainly feel a lot stronger. It might just be the endorphins, but working out makes me feel better about myself--even with shrimpy arms. In my opinion, it is definitely worth (re)starting the habit and setting aside a few hours each week to exercise. It'll make you feel good about yourself.
  • nathanwalker, on 11/07/2007, -2/+2:-) This article is right on time. I just got over two weeks of coughing up phlem from my chest. Now I can actually breathe. Now I have the difficult task of getting back into a workout routine. Good digg.
    • UltraMegaFilms, on 11/07/2007, -1/+2wait a minute... is Digg a personal blog? Damn it! I have been wasting all this time trying to make relevant comments!
  • ucffool, on 11/07/2007, -0/+4Community, and a good plan. Sometimes you can't get a workout buddy, but the 'internets' make with lots of buddies willing to motivate you. I've been working out for the first time in my life, for the past 6 months. How? I got involved in the workout. It wasn't something I had to do, it was something I wanted to do. I also hate gyms, so I got lucky and stumbled upon http://simplefit.org and haven't left since. I couldn't hang from a pull-up bar for 4 seconds when I started. 2 days ago, I did 2 pull-ups in a row. Impressive? no. Progress? hell yes.
  • AriaStar, on 11/07/2007, -1/+1When I get out of the "habit," I look at myself naked until I feel bad. This works amazingly well. But it's not something I can advocate.
    • whatever01, on 11/07/2007, -3/+7Yeah.. Looking at you naked probably wouldn't get me to the gym. :D
    • clothmonkey, on 11/07/2007, -1/+1If that's a picture of you in your account, I have to wonder what there is for you to feel bad about.
  • ibookfast, on 11/07/2007, -0/+1here are some exercises that apparently reverse the aging process.. http://www.10ac.com/five_tibetan_postures.htm no gym required, just effort and time.
  • Bua1, on 11/07/2007, -0/+0good tips
  • mleick, on 11/07/2007, -2/+2I've been lifting for about 6 years and id consider myself in pretty good shape (run 2-3 miles a day, bench press over 300 and bodyweight under 180 at about 8% bodyfat) at 20 years old and the best advice I can give is do some research before you go to the gym. Honestly my best resource was arnolds Encyclopedia of bodybuilding. I was very skinny and most people dont realize the caloric intake necessary to pack on muscle. High protein (1 gram per pound of bodyweight at least) , low carbs except in the morning and after workout and youll be fine.

    Even if you dont want to get huge and just want to be in better shape try bodybuilding.com as it has a lot of great diet, training, and motivation articles whatever your goals and place in life.
    • krets, on 11/07/2007, -3/+1You bench over 300 with a body weight under 180? I call serious ***** on this one. Especially since you're only 20 years old.
  • firefox3000, on 11/07/2007, -1/+1another way to get fit not mentioned:
    16. Have someone put you down and point out all your problems.

    You see, If you act like a slob and you have a beer gut and your friend points out how disgusting this is then it will hurt you and lower your self-esteem. But on the positive side you will be more motivated since you've become self conscious and even though you may feel bad at the time you will benefit in the long run.
    • clothmonkey, on 11/08/2007, -0/+3Or you go into a depressive spiral of doom. If your friends want to help you get in shape, they should drag your ass to a gym or something, and on a regular basis.
  • Cebo, on 11/08/2007, -0/+3Just this morning while going to work I was thinking how it's been a month and a half since I've been to the gym. And every day I say that today I'm getting back, but that day never comes. Hope this article helps.
  • whatever01, on 11/07/2007, -0/+3I ride my bike to work, and it's a time saver. Why? Let's say I plan to spend an hour and a half in the gym. Let's say my commute is 20 minutes each way by car, plus 15 minutes each way to get to the gym, including parking. That's 160 minutes per day. If my bike ride is 45 minutes to and from work, I've got an hour and a half in, saved 70 minutes, gas, gym fees, the aggravation of commuting in traffic, and made everyone else's commute a tad easier, their gas a tad cheaper, I see more sunsets and sunrises, birds and trees, I know what the phase of the moon is, when someone in my neighborhood is grilling or having a fire in the fireplace. I'm more in touch with the world, do more to reduce global warming than a Prius and have a lot more energy than if I sit in a car and stew. And frankly, with traffic in Silicon Valley, my 40 mile round trip commute is sometimes shorter by bike than by car. Gyms are nice, but they're not the only way to 'get fit'. For me, and maybe for you, they're not even particularly good ways to get fit.
  • avisotin, on 11/07/2007, -2/+1The fact of the matter is that exercise is not meant to be enjoyable. There is no gain where there is no pain and that's why "restarting the habit" is so hard. Unless you've kept it up on a regular basis in which case the endorphins do all the work, exercising is boring and difficult because it's demanding and uncomfortable. I, for one, would rather die younger than suffer through an hour's workout every day.
    • aduzik, on 11/08/2007, -0/+1Not true. I get cranky and irritable unless I get to the gym at least every other day. Going for a good run is relaxing because, even though my body is worn out at the end, the physical stress I accumulate is gone, too. Right now, it's one of the best ways to enjoy the cooler weather and changing seasons. Plus, I use my runs to check out new music. I've found all kinds of great new stuff that way.
      If you find something that you enjoy doing, you'll want to do it well. For me, it means going further and faster. I really *want* to get to the top of the hill, and when I do, it gives me a great sense of accomplishment. It's not a tradeoff; you can live a long, healthy life and also look forward to that hour's workout every day, too.
  • hammerattack, on 11/07/2007, -0/+2They left out #16, which is "don't rely on exercise to lose weight". You have to limit your caloric intake, eliminate junk foods and maintain a balanced diet. You also have to adjust what constitutes your caloric intake constantly, because as you lose weight your caloric requirements drop as well. A regular exercise routine will raise your basal metabolism slightly, and it'll also help you get more energy, but you won't automagically lose weight. (Most people actually gain weight when they start working out because they add muscle.) You should excercise for good health. You should diet for weight loss. You should coordinate the two for overall fitness.

    I'd also add #17, which is to measure yourself. Again, when you add muscle you'll appear to gain weight but your clothes may actually be looser. This is because muscle is denser than fat. Men should measure at the gut and neck to check their fat loss. Women should measure the hips, thighs, andles and wrists.

    I've lost over 200 lbs, doing it the wrong way (starving myself and killing myself at the gym), the right way (balanced diet and exercise) and the hard way (eating lots, and exercising constantly). It can be an emotional and physical roller coaster if you're not careful.
  • mebcuaosu, on 11/07/2007, -1/+1As has been mentioned, you have to find the activity you love and do that. You didn't overthink this one when you were a kid, did you? I spent most of my childhood summers playing roller hockey, baseball, and soccer as well as NES.
    But life can get in the way. Not to toot my own horn, but I'm 27, work full-time, attend a top 25 MBA program, consult on the side, and am getting married in May. *****'s crazy, but I still play year-round semi-competitive soccer. I HAVE TO.
    Last month I thought about "taking a session off." I didn't for several reasons. Most especially, it forces me to close the book, turn off the computer, and go see my friends, all while exercising. There are occassionally beers involved afterward. Hell, driving to and from the games are some of the highest quality time my fiancee and I spend together all week.
    It's funny to me now that I could find time to go to a bar and WATCH sports, but I felt that PLAYING was a strain.
  • sbgunn, on 11/07/2007, -1/+2Buried for using "your" instead of "you're" in #10, Stress Relief. Also, nothing special about the advice.
    • UltraMegaFilms, on 11/07/2007, -0/+1And "your" buried for being from Tejas.
  • SheilaNoya, on 11/08/2007, -0/+3Easy way to tell if you need more exercise:

    1. Stand naked in front of a full length mirror
    2. Jump up in the air once, then remain standing
    3. Count to 10, then look in the mirror again
    4. If your body is still bouncing up and down from when you jumped 10 seconds ago, then you need to get your blubbery ass into a gym.
    • clothmonkey, on 11/07/2007, -0/+210 seconds? At that point you might consider calling the Guinness Book of World Records crew in, and probably a doctor, while you're at it.
  • mark_in_bc, on 11/07/2007, -0/+2I go five times a week for about 45 minutes, 30 minutes on a rowing machine (with Ipod, very important) and 15 minutes with the weights. I've made it part of my day and I don't even think about it I just go, I've been doing it for years. The best tip is the first one "Don’t Break the Habit". Once in a while something will come up and I'll get out of my routine and end up packing on the pounds. Once I get back in the swing most of the pounds (not all) drop off and I start feeling great and wounder why I stopped going in the first place.
  • trshtehdsh, on 11/07/2007, -0/+0step 1: tools > extension > StumbleUpon > uninstall
    also cures insomnia, help cleans the house, and generally increases productivity.
  • kevintmckay, on 11/07/2007, -1/+3I agree with ucffool http://www.simplefit.org is great the main reason for me is that it is fun and quick free and the different levels give you a sense of progress. I am a linux sa so I sit on my ass all day, but with consistant fun workouts I am now at 40 in better shape than I was in high school
  • burdalane, on 11/07/2007, -0/+1Gym workouts are boring. I work at a university, so I take advantage of athletic hobbies and PE classes.
  • LeFlake, on 11/08/2007, -1/+0Get the season 1 DVD set of X (where X is Sopranos, Buffy, 24, etc) and hit the treadmill. Only watch the episodes while running -- 2-3x a week. The shows will bring you back quicker, and the time will fly. DVDs are available for free from the library, or use Blockbuster/Netflix.
  • andymate, on 11/08/2007, -0/+1I think motivation to exercise comes with results and hard work. You cant just say you are going on a diet or your going to start up a gym routine without some kind of goal.

    I think another tip is that people find the right exercise program as well, something they stick with. (currently im using one in the ebook truthaboutabs by mike geary and in 1 month ive reduced my fat and gained 2 kilos on my light frame and in the best shape ive ever been in whilst only working out 3 hours a week. (3 x 45 min - 1hour + 25 minute hill sprints). There is hundreds of sites and forums out there too which give good practical advise on exercising, just got to look.
  • weetwg01, on 04/10/2008, -0/+0great exercise habit , i just track progress building good habits in all aspects of life. see more about exercise http://www.fitness-equipment-site.com/
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