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  1. #11
    Liziz is offline Emerald level (3000+ posts)
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    For pretty much my entire adult life, I'll get into a routine and exercise regularly for 3-9 months. Then, something happens, I get off-schedule and I'll stop (sometimes for just as long!). So I can't say I have found anything that keeps it being consistent long term, but the things that I realize do help me are:

    *routine - I'm not good at skipping days. If I tell myself I'm doing it every day (well, every week day), then I'm much better about sticking to it. If I allow myself excuses/reasons to skip days, then pretty soon I find I'm skipping all days....
    *morning - since having children, it's just impossible to consistently do it at any other point. If I don't do it right away, too many things could come up to change the plan, and once I'm off routine, I'm at huge risk for stopping all together. (pre-kids, DH and I used to go to the gym together in the evenings and I LOVED it. I look forward to some day, waaaaaay in the future, doing that again. But it's not going to happen anytime soon and that's okay!) Currently I'm getting up early enough to be finished before my kids wake up.
    *Sticking to things I like - I used to equate "exercise" with "running". I spent years trying to make myself run and be a runner. I've never, ever liked it, and anytime I've done it for a consistent amount of time, I end up with some (minor but not comfortable) injury or issue. Once I accepted that I don't enjoy running but there are other ways to exercise, it's been much easier and pleasant to stick with something. I enjoy weight work (primarily though workout videos with free weights), rollerblading (though I don't have a great place to do this right now), walking (fast pace/long distance), and biking. Like OP, I love swimming, but it's not realistic right now either.
    *Having a "buddy" - I don't like working out with other people, but it's extremely helpful to me that DH gets up to workout at the same time as me in the morning. We do it separately, but both getting up together is so much easier. Same with times when we used to go to the gym together -- we didn't even use the same parts of the gym usually, but knowing the other person was going makes it so much harder to just decide to skip for no reason.

    The two biggest benefits I find from exercise is that my mental health is better, and my nighttime sleep is also better.
    Lizi

  2. #12
    okinawama is offline Platinum level (1000+ posts)
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    For me, the secret is working out in the early morning. Everyone takes a piece of my time as the day progresses, and even with the best of intentions, inevitably, something creeps into the time I had reserved to work out. If I get my workout in while everyone else is asleep, I dont worry about someone else taking that time.

  3. #13
    wendibird22's Avatar
    wendibird22 is offline Red Diamond level (10,000+ posts)
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    Quote Originally Posted by okinawama View Post
    For me, the secret is working out in the early morning. Everyone takes a piece of my time as the day progresses, and even with the best of intentions, inevitably, something creeps into the time I had reserved to work out. If I get my workout in while everyone else is asleep, I dont worry about someone else taking that time.
    Yea this! I do yoga M-F at 5:15am and the run with a friend at 8am Sat and Sun. The rest of the day can go sideways but I’m assured of having gotten my workout in. And my yoga is 30mins max and my runs are an hour. I don’t spend hours upon hours. So it need not occupy a significant amount of time to have health benefits.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Mom to two amazing DDs ('07 & '09) and a fur baby.

    Gluten free since Nov '11 after non-celiac gluten sensitive diagnosis. Have had great improvement or total elimination of: migraines, bloating/distention, heartburn, cystic acne, canker sores, bleeding gums, eczema on elbows, dry skin and scalp, muscle cramps, PMS, hair loss, heart palpitations, fatigue. I'm amazed.

  4. #14
    smilequeen is offline Diamond level (5000+ posts)
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    I’ve been this way since dental school, we used to go as a group and it became routine and a way to burn off stress. There were some lapses during pregnancy and newborn stages, but I generally look at my week and come up with a rough schedule. I’m not going to beat myself up if a day turns out differently, but I know, for example, that this week I had lots of time today...cardio, very little time tomorrow...strength, etc. When my kids were remote, I bought a bike so I could bike with them on days when the remote schooling didn’t give me much alone time.
    Mama to my boys (04,07,11)

  5. #15
    essnce629's Avatar
    essnce629 is offline Red Diamond level (10,000+ posts)
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    I totally read the title as "if you exercise secretly!!!"

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    Latia (Birth & Postpartum Doula and Infant Nanny)
    Conner 8/19/03 (My 1st home birthed water baby!)
    Parker 5/23/09 (My 2nd home birthed water baby!)

  6. #16
    bisous is offline Red Diamond level (10,000+ posts)
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    Quote Originally Posted by essnce629 View Post
    I totally read the title as "if you exercise secretly!!!"

    Sent from my SM-A515U1 using Tapatalk
    OK this makes me laugh because I think making exercise "secret" IS kind of my secret! I do it at 5:00 and until recently (like today) I didn't realize that I do it in the dark. I didn't even think about it. It just feels natural--it is dark and my family is asleep. I use my phone so I don't need to put on any lights... Woke up this morning and started working out. Heard a horrifying loud nose and figured out it is my neighbors generator. Apparently the storm last night knocked out power out! It didn't even register for me until I heard that. Only then did I notice that it was darker than usual!

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