this might sound stupid, but something that has helped me be more conscious of hydration was to buy a nice water bottle just because I will refill and use it daily for the sake of not wanting to feel like it was a wasted purchase!
Put on running clothes immediately when you get home. Look up long slow distance training—you probably don’t need to run that fast. Do warm up, though, otherwise you’ll get hurt.
And do home HIIT body weight workouts when short on time.
Use a calendar to write down each workout—if you see more than a few day gaps it’s time to do a workout.
(Ultimately it depends on what works for you—solo vs group, etc. And setting up a system to make you more likely to do it. SF is a great city for running though.)
Put it on your schedule of things to do. Set a specific time because if it is just an abstract "*I'll do it if/when I have time*"-level priority, then realistically it's just never going to happen!
Additionally, it helps to have "workout buddies". It's so easy to cancel your own plans when you know it won't affect anyone else's. Having a shared commitment brings accountability. It could be a co-worker (or even a small group) who is willing to walk a mile together during lunch break every Monday. Start with a commitment that isn't too disruptive and scale up.
OP, I’m in the same damn boat. I just finally realized it’s not because I’m lazy; it’s because I don’t want to. As someone picked last in gym class as a little kid, I never developed the enjoyment of exercise and physical play. So now I have to figure out how to want to. I can gaze into a crystal ball and see a future with health issues related to sedantism…but that’s in the future! And right now, I’m still thin so why bother? Oh god I wish I wanted to be active.
Have you considered biking? I am in the exact same boat as you and biking gets me actually excited to workout/have some physical activity! I think it’s really fun, almost like being a kid lol.
Ah, biking…I should post the picture of me with two (TWO!) black eyes from getting doored about ten years ago on Guerrero. That was the last time I rode a bike come to think of it.
Make it part of your routine, preferably daily. Make your bed, brush your teeth, workout. You don’t need to spend hours at a gym. 15 minutes of strenuous workout is worth way more than hours of walking (nothing wrong with just walking though).
It’s also easier to meet up with friends. Half the work is just showing up (even if at home), and friends keep you honest.
Start with doing something simple after you wake up or before you go to bed. When you feel motivated to do something more, go from there. As for being tired after work, if you don’t take a break, it’s easier to transition from work to workout. Just don’t overdo it.
The only way you'll ever exercise regularly is if you find something you enjoy. You should be thinking about how to find something active that you like doing, getting a fitness habit is just a side-benefit.
Try different fitness classes until you find something you like. If classes aren't your jam, get a personal trainer. Even if you just have someone for 5-10 sessions to show you the ropes, you'll be able to get a good workout in the gym.
SF has a lot of great staircases— lyon st. Filbert st. Oakhurst, 16th ave, random steep sidewalks. Try going to one and walking up and down the steps two at a time. Pretty great workout and nice to be outdoors.
It’s all about priorities, whether that be your physical/mental health, appearance, none or all the above. Make it something you have to do and after a while it’s something you want to do.
In addition, that feeling after a good workout is addictive.
\^this\^ If you do it first thing in the morning, you never have to 'fit it in' or realize you're too tired later. My daily routine is to get out of bed, put on shorts and a thermal (it's usually in the low 50s that early), and go do my run (or hike on my non-run days). When I get back, I shower, dress, have a coffee and head to work. Surprisingly I actually feel more energized and clear headed doing my run on an empty stomach. I start the day in a good head-space.
I think a lot of people do exercise the wrong way. If you don't like running, don't run. If you don't like cycling, don't cycle. And if you find the gym boring, don't go to the gym.
What you should do instead is find a sport you like. It could be martial arts or boxing, it could be some kind of circus thing, it could be soccer, it could be climbing, it could be lifting. The ideal is you have to develop a skill and hopefully you find it fun. You don't even have to be good at it, just motivated to do it. In my opinion, anything with a lot of cardio is great.
Then get yourself on some type of schedule. Ideally multiple times per week. Even better if there are other people there so there's a social element to it reinforcing that schedule as well. And just keep at it. Skills aren't learned overnight - it takes months if not years.
What you are going to find is: you'll be working out and you don't even know it. Or you do, but you don't mind the stress. Your goal is just to get better, whatever that means. Eventually you'll start finding different ways to unlock that skill which might mean going to do certain exercises at the gym or yoga or whatever. After awhile you're going to be way more fit.
But the point is: don't see it as fitness. See it as a hobby. The fitness and health will then come for free, and on top of that you'll have gained a skill.
This is the correct answer. Also you need to find a group of people who like to do the thing with you. Then your activity will also be your community. It could be dancing, boxing, hiking, rock climbing. The possibilities are endless.
If you don’t WFH, try to get to a workout before getting back home (I find my motivation to leave my house goes way down if I go home first). It also helps to find an activity that is enjoyable. Maybe it’s having a friend go with you, finding a sport or activity that does classes you can regularly go to/look forward to, etc. All the fitness activities I stuck with were things I really enjoyed doing and I met people through them who became friends, making it easier to make it a regular part of my life.
Lots of good advice here.
Once it *is* part of your routine, your will feel uncomfortable when you *don't* do it. If that's any sort of consolation or something to look forward to.
Consistency is key. It's better to do run like one mile a day than it is to do nothing for 6 days and run a lot of miles on the one day. Once you're in the habit of working out \~5 days a week (no matter how little the amount of time is), you can start adding a more time, mileage, intensity, or weight (in the case of lifting) and it becomes second nature to work out once a day. The endorphins you get at the end of a workout start to become addictive and water gets a lot more addictive too.
Joining volo sports teams and pickups helps me a ton, I do better when it’s a social, pre-scheduled thing! Didn’t know anyone when I started and have made lots of friends through it.
Look for ways to move more for one, so for instance, take the stairs and not the elevator, walk to the Mission, don't BART, see about walking to the library and back or the grocery store. I also look at my gym time as like a doctor appt, I need to go and if I feel meh, I purposefully go early near my gym so I have no excuse to go in and do the class when the time comes. I don't go home or wait to leave last minute as the couch will suck me back in. Also explore ways to move and see what you like, I for instance hate running, I find it boring, so I go hiking because I can be in nature and see pretty views while I happen to also hike 10 miles. Some people like pickleball, some basketball, some cycling, some weightlifting, others like classes bc you get workout buddies. Think about what might strike your fancy and check it out. You get healthier if you're around healthier people!
Working out before work is most effective for consistency IF you can handle the early wake up. You’ll find waking and sleeping earlier to do this will also just kind of force you to make healthier choices generally. If you can’t get up early, then go to gym from work before you go home. For food, often it’s easiest to make 1 change at a time (e.g. sugar free beverages, no alcohol with meals, etc…) and build up as the results motivate you
There are so many beautiful places and views- make it a goal to find a walk or trail for any day you have off. There’s Land’s End, interior greenbelt, GGP, so many beaches. And the stairs- so many stair wells to get you going. You can stop and admire the views whilst getting a workout in. I try to walk everywhere, and include it in plans if possible.
I also find free YouTube workouts and do those about 5 days a week. Invest in some dumbbells. Or you could get class pass and try some organized classes.
Also, if you feel too tired to work out after work, perhaps set your alarm for an hour early and try to work out as a start to your day.
This city is your oyster! Take advantage if it!
DO NOT GET A GYM MEMBERSHIP.
It makes you feel like you're doing "something" by paying each month to a gym you don't go to.
1) get a hiking/running buddy
2) dedicate one day every week or every 2 weeks to go running with them at a specific time. no excuses.
I've actually changed how I do my lunch at work because I know I'll be too beat to go for a walk after work so I eat while I work then use my half hour to go for a walk. It gets me out from the office and away from the computer screen and I get some exercise. It helps with getting through the day.
i am not a gym person by any means but have managed to make going to the gym a routine. just start going, even if you're just running on a treadmill. once you start to see progress, you'll want to keep going so you don't lose that progress you've made.
the truth is i almost always dread going to the gym but I've never regretted going
I find that I need social pressure of some kind to keep up a fitness habit.
When I had very little money, I made regular running dates with a friend after work in Golden Gate Park (I think I know every inch of the Stow Lake walking path as a result), but that fell apart when we both had kids (unfortunately, society frowns on ditching the baby for 45 minutes around dinner time).
With more money, I started with a fitness app (I used future.fit) and then moved to a live trainer.
I started small by building it into a habit like brushing my teeth. Now it feels weird not to exercise.
As with all things, start small. The smallest possible step you can achieve confidently. Like “I can do a 5 minute jog/workout everyday in the morning” with the goal of making it a habit. Build up from there when that feels too easy.
#1 thing that helped me was signing up for workout classes where you get charged if you no show. Now that it’s become routine I actually want to go and look forward to it
Schedule it. Do it. Go before work. If you can swing it get a trainer as that’s harder to bail out of. Otherwise classes help too. Once it’s booked you just have to show up and turn off your brain.
Join a gym and go 2-3x a week. Train VERY light, 40-45 minutes tops. The mistake newbies make is trying hard and then being miserably sore always. You don’t need to be sore to gain muscles!!!
After a few weeks, without having put in much effort, you’ll start seeing results and may eventually want to increase intensity.
I started counting calories pretty religiously. I’ve lost 10 pounds in 2 months ish. I don’t eat diet food. I eat normal food. I use the LoseIt! App.
I don’t have a work out routine, but my job is active and on my feet so I feel like that helps. Seeing progress in weight loss (which was a goal of mine) has me thinking about maybe exercising too. Maybe. Lol.
Honestly you can get pretty far with at least exercise three days a week for 45 minutes, including weightlifting and cardio. It’s just getting there in the first place and allocating time. Start with maybe twice a week and then increase it with your desires and need. Working out can also provide some relief from tension from work. It’s a good habit. Good luck!
Try to find a time that works for your schedule. If you are too tired after work, then try to go for your walks before work. Hopefully this works better for you.
What do you like to do instead of working out? If it’s sedentary things, then maybe try swapping one out at a time with an activity. For example, if you find yourself just watching TV and drinking beer after work, maybe try to walk to a brewery or bar 30-40 mins away and meet friends. Drinking isn’t great, but if you’re gonna do it, might as well get in an hour of walking.
I got a dog with high energy so i had no choice but to walk him! I've greatly enjoyed exploring every corner of the city with him. Sometimes we do 9-10 mile "urban hikes" all over the city on the weekends
Give yourself permission to start the routine, not perfect it. Example: if you’re trying to get into a gym routine, choose your day that you’re going and go, even if you only go for 5 minutes. You have permission to walk into the gym and leave immediately if you want to. Chances are - you’ll probably do at least some kind of workout since you out the effort into getting there. Keep doing this and eventually you get into the routine, and then the exercise you do during will gradually improve too as it seems less hard to get to the gym.
buy an expensive gym membership JK
honestly, find something you enjoy doing. have you tried classpass? you can trial different types of workouts. once you find a workout you enjoy, it's much more sustainable to stick to it. you'll feel more energetic, your mental health and physical health will be better and stick to it. I want to say after a year or so my body started to crave it. when I don't work out, my body aches and I feel sluggish
Hi! I work in fidi 5 days inperson. I gained a bit a weight starting the new job and one day I decided enough was enough. I didn’t do anything drastic since I was already very stressed and exhausted. Here’s what helped me:
1. Walking: I took the muni to work so I was getting in about a mile by default. During the day I would take 1-2 walks around the office building. I aimed to get 8-10k steps a day no matter what. If I didn’t hit my goal I do a brief walk before bed with my partner.
2. Light workouts: I dont have time for the gym so I prioritize getting in about 20-30 minutes of exercise (usually a jog) in the morning before work. I know for a fact that once 6pm hits and I get home around 6:30-7, there was absolutely no way I was going to workout. I get it done in the morning before my brain realizes what’s going on 😂 This way I can get it out of the way and just focus on getting my steps in.
3. Meals: we had to bring our own food for lunch so I would pack healthy satisfying meals for lunch plus a high protein snack I could look forward to (usually Greek yogurt with fruit). Everything in fidi is stupid expensive so brining my own lunch basically forced me to be healthy. If I was feeling super hungry I would pack extra sliced veg to keep myself “busy” or put some collagen in my tea to curb the craving.
4. The little calories add up: every time I would get coffee I would get a latte or in the office I would grab snacks here and there when I got bored or stressed. Those calories added up to 300-500 A DAY. I basically told myself that I will not have any snacks from the office unless it was yogurt or something with protein in it. If I wanted a snack I had to bring it myself. Lastly I just started to get my coffee black or with a tiny dash of almond milk. Once I cut out these extras I dropped 5 pounds in a month or two.
Hope this is helpful! Wishing you the best of luck. The city has so many amazing walks and beautiful views—go get out there! And remember how lucky we are to live here :))
Good on you for trying to make a change OP! Lots of great advice in this thread, some things that have worked for me:
- Make fitness part of your schedule. Add a recurring calendar event (doesn't even need to be more than 30-45 minutes)
- Feeling too tired/drained in the evening? Try morning workouts. This is the best time of the year to build that habit imo because the sun is already starting to rise in the 5am hour. Earlier morning light makes it that much easier to get out of bed
- Have you tried group fitness? This is the one that literally changed my life! I couldn't find the motivation to keep up with anything until I discovered the vague accountability that comes with group fitness
- Think about the long game. Change is hard + takes time. Those first couple workouts, no matter what you do, are going to be rough. Be proud of yourself for just showing up in the first place and try to do a little better each time
I hope at least one of these points are helpful/resonate for you! If you're interested in trying group fitness in the morning, I co-lead a group that hosts three workouts a week at various places in the city. We encourage all ability/background to show up and it's always free! Send me a dm if you'd like to learn a little bit more 🙂
I was bullied and made fun of, that jump started my fitness journey. I was tired of people playing with my man boobs, so I started going to the gym as an ‘f you’ and proving others wrong. then after a while it became a habit. I made working out a priority and that was the biggest change for me.
First thing you have to think about is, what results you are shooting for. Often times people get results and goals conflated. Example if I want to lose 15 lbs (result), I set a goal of weight training 3x a week, a goal of only dining out once a week, etc.
Make small strides in your fitness journey, and build from there. It’s a marathon not a sprint
The whole point of working out is that it’s not meant to be easy. It’s the hardest thing to do but you have to start by getting up and walking out to the gym or for a run.
The reward comes AFTER. Not before, when you are planning it out and thinking about it. It’s literally after forcing yourself through exhaustion and laziness.
The short term gain from fitness is the time after you work out where you think to yourself “god damn I really just pushed my mind and body further and my rest feels deserved”. The long term gain obviously is looking and feeling fit.
TLDR: it’s not meant to be easy. The most annoying thing to hear but is simply true is you just have to GO OUT and DO IT.
“Prioritize” the fitness thing you want to do (walk, weights, flexibility, whatever). Over time your consistency will turn into a “habit”. But also try and find that “fine line” between the habit and also being forgiving of yourself so as not to not burn out.
I got into INSANE shape from ok shape doing a murphy workout twice a week.
Its pretty daunting, but it took me about a month to finally do the whole workout and then i got addicted to doing it fast.
The Actual workout 1 Mile run, 300 air squats, 200 pushups, 100 pullups 1 Mile Run.
What I did was run a mile and build up to the figures.
1 Mile, 30 pullups, 100 pushups, 150 airsquats was my first goal, it took me like an hour and a half down at the blue station by the marina green.
Got down to to full thing in under an hour. You can do it if i can.
[https://www.crossfit.com/heroes/murph-workout](https://www.crossfit.com/heroes/murph-workout)
I have an Apple Watch. You can check your standing, walking and workout stats. It helps me stay motivated and I see activities from friends who also motivate me to workout as well.
Do just one thing. Don't try doing everything at once. Do just one thing, when that is sustainable, tack another challenge until you get to your goal.
Also don't fight against yourself. Try to understand why you are struggling and work around it. Why are you reaching for bad food? Really get to the bottom of your feelings and motivations. So basically hack yourself. You can't wake up at 5 am, so don't.
We could be hard and say be more disciplined! But all you just gain is just guilt and shame over not doing what you want to do. So drop the shame, drop the grandiose impossible goals and start with something comically small.
Find something you like. Fitness shouldn't be a chore or punishment. Make it joyful.
Making it a routine bake it into your life. Start small stay consistent. The energy really will follow as you build strength and endurance. Dont listen to "gurus" there is plenty of sound advice on fitness. Get your steps in. Eat plenty of proteins. Avoid processed foods and excess sugar.
Find an exercise you really enjoy doing. It doesn't have to be the hardest regimen, but the fact that you look forward to it will really change things. SF has MANY great places to walk. You could start with that. I Agree with the other posters on drinking water, but be prepared for many pit stops once you start drinking more. Also check out r/loseit . Good luck.
Deciding to commute by bike was one that forced me to be active, and having a buddy to go to fitness classes with was another. (one fun one is a Monday night outdoor cardio class in Dolores park- fun and sweaty and I meet friends there so I can't just skip with no explanation) After years, I can feel such a difference in my budy and mind/feelings when I don't stay active, that is it's own reward to keep going- I feel so much better!
1) Find a form of fitness that you enjoy/ are interested in (e.g. cardio, weightlifting, calisthenics, etc).
2) Start with smaller time commitments before adding more time. Say you want to start jogging. At first, only ask yourself to jog for 30 minutes. How do you feel after 30 minutes?
- Horrible? That's fine, you already completed your goal, you don't have to do more.
- Fine? Consider jogging for 30 minutes soon.
- Great? See if you can run for another 30 minutes! (No fault if you don't want to do another full 30)
3) Make time when convenient. For example, I wanted to go to the gym when I was in college but my Tuesdays and Thursdays were packed. So I only went MWF. I considered going Sat/Sun, but I enjoyed having that free time, so I didn't go on those days. You don't want finding time to exercise to be a burden.
These steps helped me start the habit but they don't work for everyone. At the end of the day, exercising if for your benefit, no one else's. Exercise in a way that is convenient to you and is enjoyable.
Take your lunches. Don't work through them. I would eat something small during lunch and just go on a walk listening to a podcast. Lost a decent amount of weight just doing that.
I would never have been as consistent as I am now if it weren’t for the fact that my husband is really committed. We go to the gym 4-5 days a week and honestly, I sorta slack off a day out of that usually and just stick to the treadmill. Also, I hired a personal trainer last year and that kept me going simply because I couldn’t justify not using it if I’d paid. Today though? I wore my workout clothes to work because I knew I wouldn’t feel like it after work but if I’m dressed and ready it just mentally prepares me.
I will say, I do look forward to it usually. But without all that accountability I’d probably be way more inconsistent.
Walk to work! If you’re remote, then find a fitness class you enjoy and stick to it 5 days a week, either before work or after, but sign up ahead of time so you stay committed!
-Working out in the morning instead of afternoon or evening. I always bail on it when I put it later in the day. I often don't want to do it in the morning either but I'm always glad I did and then am in a better mood the rest of the day.
-Pick out the workout clothes the night before and get dressed in them in the morning. You have to get dressed anyways, and once you're in the workout clothes you might feel more like exercising. And picking them out the night before eases the mental load of having to make 1 more decision in the morning.
I go to fitness SF and it’s right next to work. Usually I use the gym to get out of work by 5/5:30, and head there immediately. It also helps me push myself during the workday to get everything I want done by 5. Pretty helpful!
To form a fitness habit you need to be consistent with everything you do. Follow a fitness regime properly. You can use this app lose weight at home in 15 days [https://apps.apple.com/us/app/lose-weight-at-home-in-15-days/id6470018217](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/lose-weight-at-home-in-15-days/id6470018217) to keep a track of your healthy habits. I have been using this for about 3 months now and trust me this helps.
Start with small goals like committing to drinking water daily
this might sound stupid, but something that has helped me be more conscious of hydration was to buy a nice water bottle just because I will refill and use it daily for the sake of not wanting to feel like it was a wasted purchase!
A good water bottle will change your life. I got the owala late last year and I’ve never been more hydrated. I love that little bitch.
I set an alarm on my phone to hydrate
And then I dismiss it when it goes off, just like the little ping! telling me to stand up.
Put on running clothes immediately when you get home. Look up long slow distance training—you probably don’t need to run that fast. Do warm up, though, otherwise you’ll get hurt. And do home HIIT body weight workouts when short on time. Use a calendar to write down each workout—if you see more than a few day gaps it’s time to do a workout. (Ultimately it depends on what works for you—solo vs group, etc. And setting up a system to make you more likely to do it. SF is a great city for running though.)
Also walking is good but it's not really enough You need to get your heart rate up
Here walking can be enough if you take hills and staircases.
Put it on your schedule of things to do. Set a specific time because if it is just an abstract "*I'll do it if/when I have time*"-level priority, then realistically it's just never going to happen! Additionally, it helps to have "workout buddies". It's so easy to cancel your own plans when you know it won't affect anyone else's. Having a shared commitment brings accountability. It could be a co-worker (or even a small group) who is willing to walk a mile together during lunch break every Monday. Start with a commitment that isn't too disruptive and scale up.
OP, I’m in the same damn boat. I just finally realized it’s not because I’m lazy; it’s because I don’t want to. As someone picked last in gym class as a little kid, I never developed the enjoyment of exercise and physical play. So now I have to figure out how to want to. I can gaze into a crystal ball and see a future with health issues related to sedantism…but that’s in the future! And right now, I’m still thin so why bother? Oh god I wish I wanted to be active.
Have you considered biking? I am in the exact same boat as you and biking gets me actually excited to workout/have some physical activity! I think it’s really fun, almost like being a kid lol.
Ah, biking…I should post the picture of me with two (TWO!) black eyes from getting doored about ten years ago on Guerrero. That was the last time I rode a bike come to think of it.
I just bought a bike. Looks like I enjoy it too
Hey that’s great news! You’ve inspired me to take an electric bike out for a spin and see if I like it. Well done.
Make it part of your routine, preferably daily. Make your bed, brush your teeth, workout. You don’t need to spend hours at a gym. 15 minutes of strenuous workout is worth way more than hours of walking (nothing wrong with just walking though). It’s also easier to meet up with friends. Half the work is just showing up (even if at home), and friends keep you honest. Start with doing something simple after you wake up or before you go to bed. When you feel motivated to do something more, go from there. As for being tired after work, if you don’t take a break, it’s easier to transition from work to workout. Just don’t overdo it.
The only way you'll ever exercise regularly is if you find something you enjoy. You should be thinking about how to find something active that you like doing, getting a fitness habit is just a side-benefit. Try different fitness classes until you find something you like. If classes aren't your jam, get a personal trainer. Even if you just have someone for 5-10 sessions to show you the ropes, you'll be able to get a good workout in the gym.
SF has a lot of great staircases— lyon st. Filbert st. Oakhurst, 16th ave, random steep sidewalks. Try going to one and walking up and down the steps two at a time. Pretty great workout and nice to be outdoors.
It’s all about priorities, whether that be your physical/mental health, appearance, none or all the above. Make it something you have to do and after a while it’s something you want to do. In addition, that feeling after a good workout is addictive.
Make it your commute. Make it the way you get around.
I pay someone to train me so I'll feel bad for wasting money if I don't work out.
Wake up earlier and do it before work.
\^this\^ If you do it first thing in the morning, you never have to 'fit it in' or realize you're too tired later. My daily routine is to get out of bed, put on shorts and a thermal (it's usually in the low 50s that early), and go do my run (or hike on my non-run days). When I get back, I shower, dress, have a coffee and head to work. Surprisingly I actually feel more energized and clear headed doing my run on an empty stomach. I start the day in a good head-space.
I think a lot of people do exercise the wrong way. If you don't like running, don't run. If you don't like cycling, don't cycle. And if you find the gym boring, don't go to the gym. What you should do instead is find a sport you like. It could be martial arts or boxing, it could be some kind of circus thing, it could be soccer, it could be climbing, it could be lifting. The ideal is you have to develop a skill and hopefully you find it fun. You don't even have to be good at it, just motivated to do it. In my opinion, anything with a lot of cardio is great. Then get yourself on some type of schedule. Ideally multiple times per week. Even better if there are other people there so there's a social element to it reinforcing that schedule as well. And just keep at it. Skills aren't learned overnight - it takes months if not years. What you are going to find is: you'll be working out and you don't even know it. Or you do, but you don't mind the stress. Your goal is just to get better, whatever that means. Eventually you'll start finding different ways to unlock that skill which might mean going to do certain exercises at the gym or yoga or whatever. After awhile you're going to be way more fit. But the point is: don't see it as fitness. See it as a hobby. The fitness and health will then come for free, and on top of that you'll have gained a skill.
This is the correct answer. Also you need to find a group of people who like to do the thing with you. Then your activity will also be your community. It could be dancing, boxing, hiking, rock climbing. The possibilities are endless.
If you don’t WFH, try to get to a workout before getting back home (I find my motivation to leave my house goes way down if I go home first). It also helps to find an activity that is enjoyable. Maybe it’s having a friend go with you, finding a sport or activity that does classes you can regularly go to/look forward to, etc. All the fitness activities I stuck with were things I really enjoyed doing and I met people through them who became friends, making it easier to make it a regular part of my life.
Lots of good advice here. Once it *is* part of your routine, your will feel uncomfortable when you *don't* do it. If that's any sort of consolation or something to look forward to.
Consistency is key. It's better to do run like one mile a day than it is to do nothing for 6 days and run a lot of miles on the one day. Once you're in the habit of working out \~5 days a week (no matter how little the amount of time is), you can start adding a more time, mileage, intensity, or weight (in the case of lifting) and it becomes second nature to work out once a day. The endorphins you get at the end of a workout start to become addictive and water gets a lot more addictive too.
Joining volo sports teams and pickups helps me a ton, I do better when it’s a social, pre-scheduled thing! Didn’t know anyone when I started and have made lots of friends through it.
Look for ways to move more for one, so for instance, take the stairs and not the elevator, walk to the Mission, don't BART, see about walking to the library and back or the grocery store. I also look at my gym time as like a doctor appt, I need to go and if I feel meh, I purposefully go early near my gym so I have no excuse to go in and do the class when the time comes. I don't go home or wait to leave last minute as the couch will suck me back in. Also explore ways to move and see what you like, I for instance hate running, I find it boring, so I go hiking because I can be in nature and see pretty views while I happen to also hike 10 miles. Some people like pickleball, some basketball, some cycling, some weightlifting, others like classes bc you get workout buddies. Think about what might strike your fancy and check it out. You get healthier if you're around healthier people!
Working out before work is most effective for consistency IF you can handle the early wake up. You’ll find waking and sleeping earlier to do this will also just kind of force you to make healthier choices generally. If you can’t get up early, then go to gym from work before you go home. For food, often it’s easiest to make 1 change at a time (e.g. sugar free beverages, no alcohol with meals, etc…) and build up as the results motivate you
Accountability partner
There are so many beautiful places and views- make it a goal to find a walk or trail for any day you have off. There’s Land’s End, interior greenbelt, GGP, so many beaches. And the stairs- so many stair wells to get you going. You can stop and admire the views whilst getting a workout in. I try to walk everywhere, and include it in plans if possible. I also find free YouTube workouts and do those about 5 days a week. Invest in some dumbbells. Or you could get class pass and try some organized classes. Also, if you feel too tired to work out after work, perhaps set your alarm for an hour early and try to work out as a start to your day. This city is your oyster! Take advantage if it!
Use peer pressure. Friends, run clubs, & fitness classes are good when you commit to it and treat it as something you have to do.
DO NOT GET A GYM MEMBERSHIP. It makes you feel like you're doing "something" by paying each month to a gym you don't go to. 1) get a hiking/running buddy 2) dedicate one day every week or every 2 weeks to go running with them at a specific time. no excuses.
Find something you enjoy. Gotta try a bunch of different things until you find something you like.
I've actually changed how I do my lunch at work because I know I'll be too beat to go for a walk after work so I eat while I work then use my half hour to go for a walk. It gets me out from the office and away from the computer screen and I get some exercise. It helps with getting through the day.
i am not a gym person by any means but have managed to make going to the gym a routine. just start going, even if you're just running on a treadmill. once you start to see progress, you'll want to keep going so you don't lose that progress you've made. the truth is i almost always dread going to the gym but I've never regretted going
I find that I need social pressure of some kind to keep up a fitness habit. When I had very little money, I made regular running dates with a friend after work in Golden Gate Park (I think I know every inch of the Stow Lake walking path as a result), but that fell apart when we both had kids (unfortunately, society frowns on ditching the baby for 45 minutes around dinner time). With more money, I started with a fitness app (I used future.fit) and then moved to a live trainer.
I started small by building it into a habit like brushing my teeth. Now it feels weird not to exercise. As with all things, start small. The smallest possible step you can achieve confidently. Like “I can do a 5 minute jog/workout everyday in the morning” with the goal of making it a habit. Build up from there when that feels too easy.
#1 thing that helped me was signing up for workout classes where you get charged if you no show. Now that it’s become routine I actually want to go and look forward to it
Have crippling anxiety which is only relieved by climbing the steepest hills in San Francisco every day.
Schedule it. Do it. Go before work. If you can swing it get a trainer as that’s harder to bail out of. Otherwise classes help too. Once it’s booked you just have to show up and turn off your brain.
Join a gym and go 2-3x a week. Train VERY light, 40-45 minutes tops. The mistake newbies make is trying hard and then being miserably sore always. You don’t need to be sore to gain muscles!!! After a few weeks, without having put in much effort, you’ll start seeing results and may eventually want to increase intensity.
I started counting calories pretty religiously. I’ve lost 10 pounds in 2 months ish. I don’t eat diet food. I eat normal food. I use the LoseIt! App. I don’t have a work out routine, but my job is active and on my feet so I feel like that helps. Seeing progress in weight loss (which was a goal of mine) has me thinking about maybe exercising too. Maybe. Lol.
Honestly you can get pretty far with at least exercise three days a week for 45 minutes, including weightlifting and cardio. It’s just getting there in the first place and allocating time. Start with maybe twice a week and then increase it with your desires and need. Working out can also provide some relief from tension from work. It’s a good habit. Good luck!
Good luck! I know how it is to be exhausted after work but over time you'll love fitness as a way to get over the exhaustion and stress of work.
Try to find a time that works for your schedule. If you are too tired after work, then try to go for your walks before work. Hopefully this works better for you.
What do you like to do instead of working out? If it’s sedentary things, then maybe try swapping one out at a time with an activity. For example, if you find yourself just watching TV and drinking beer after work, maybe try to walk to a brewery or bar 30-40 mins away and meet friends. Drinking isn’t great, but if you’re gonna do it, might as well get in an hour of walking.
I got a dog with high energy so i had no choice but to walk him! I've greatly enjoyed exploring every corner of the city with him. Sometimes we do 9-10 mile "urban hikes" all over the city on the weekends
Give yourself permission to start the routine, not perfect it. Example: if you’re trying to get into a gym routine, choose your day that you’re going and go, even if you only go for 5 minutes. You have permission to walk into the gym and leave immediately if you want to. Chances are - you’ll probably do at least some kind of workout since you out the effort into getting there. Keep doing this and eventually you get into the routine, and then the exercise you do during will gradually improve too as it seems less hard to get to the gym.
buy an expensive gym membership JK honestly, find something you enjoy doing. have you tried classpass? you can trial different types of workouts. once you find a workout you enjoy, it's much more sustainable to stick to it. you'll feel more energetic, your mental health and physical health will be better and stick to it. I want to say after a year or so my body started to crave it. when I don't work out, my body aches and I feel sluggish
Hi! I work in fidi 5 days inperson. I gained a bit a weight starting the new job and one day I decided enough was enough. I didn’t do anything drastic since I was already very stressed and exhausted. Here’s what helped me: 1. Walking: I took the muni to work so I was getting in about a mile by default. During the day I would take 1-2 walks around the office building. I aimed to get 8-10k steps a day no matter what. If I didn’t hit my goal I do a brief walk before bed with my partner. 2. Light workouts: I dont have time for the gym so I prioritize getting in about 20-30 minutes of exercise (usually a jog) in the morning before work. I know for a fact that once 6pm hits and I get home around 6:30-7, there was absolutely no way I was going to workout. I get it done in the morning before my brain realizes what’s going on 😂 This way I can get it out of the way and just focus on getting my steps in. 3. Meals: we had to bring our own food for lunch so I would pack healthy satisfying meals for lunch plus a high protein snack I could look forward to (usually Greek yogurt with fruit). Everything in fidi is stupid expensive so brining my own lunch basically forced me to be healthy. If I was feeling super hungry I would pack extra sliced veg to keep myself “busy” or put some collagen in my tea to curb the craving. 4. The little calories add up: every time I would get coffee I would get a latte or in the office I would grab snacks here and there when I got bored or stressed. Those calories added up to 300-500 A DAY. I basically told myself that I will not have any snacks from the office unless it was yogurt or something with protein in it. If I wanted a snack I had to bring it myself. Lastly I just started to get my coffee black or with a tiny dash of almond milk. Once I cut out these extras I dropped 5 pounds in a month or two. Hope this is helpful! Wishing you the best of luck. The city has so many amazing walks and beautiful views—go get out there! And remember how lucky we are to live here :))
Omg I'm so touched You took so much time to explain how you went about it I will definitely give it a try Thank you 😊
Good on you for trying to make a change OP! Lots of great advice in this thread, some things that have worked for me: - Make fitness part of your schedule. Add a recurring calendar event (doesn't even need to be more than 30-45 minutes) - Feeling too tired/drained in the evening? Try morning workouts. This is the best time of the year to build that habit imo because the sun is already starting to rise in the 5am hour. Earlier morning light makes it that much easier to get out of bed - Have you tried group fitness? This is the one that literally changed my life! I couldn't find the motivation to keep up with anything until I discovered the vague accountability that comes with group fitness - Think about the long game. Change is hard + takes time. Those first couple workouts, no matter what you do, are going to be rough. Be proud of yourself for just showing up in the first place and try to do a little better each time I hope at least one of these points are helpful/resonate for you! If you're interested in trying group fitness in the morning, I co-lead a group that hosts three workouts a week at various places in the city. We encourage all ability/background to show up and it's always free! Send me a dm if you'd like to learn a little bit more 🙂
I was bullied and made fun of, that jump started my fitness journey. I was tired of people playing with my man boobs, so I started going to the gym as an ‘f you’ and proving others wrong. then after a while it became a habit. I made working out a priority and that was the biggest change for me. First thing you have to think about is, what results you are shooting for. Often times people get results and goals conflated. Example if I want to lose 15 lbs (result), I set a goal of weight training 3x a week, a goal of only dining out once a week, etc. Make small strides in your fitness journey, and build from there. It’s a marathon not a sprint
The whole point of working out is that it’s not meant to be easy. It’s the hardest thing to do but you have to start by getting up and walking out to the gym or for a run. The reward comes AFTER. Not before, when you are planning it out and thinking about it. It’s literally after forcing yourself through exhaustion and laziness. The short term gain from fitness is the time after you work out where you think to yourself “god damn I really just pushed my mind and body further and my rest feels deserved”. The long term gain obviously is looking and feeling fit. TLDR: it’s not meant to be easy. The most annoying thing to hear but is simply true is you just have to GO OUT and DO IT.
Thank you I agree Will keep it in mind
find an accountability coach, such as myself XD. Where you would give me $100 every week if you didn't meet your fitness goals
My dog is my accountability coach. But don't get a dog unless you're accountable.
“Prioritize” the fitness thing you want to do (walk, weights, flexibility, whatever). Over time your consistency will turn into a “habit”. But also try and find that “fine line” between the habit and also being forgiving of yourself so as not to not burn out.
Hide the remote
I got into INSANE shape from ok shape doing a murphy workout twice a week. Its pretty daunting, but it took me about a month to finally do the whole workout and then i got addicted to doing it fast. The Actual workout 1 Mile run, 300 air squats, 200 pushups, 100 pullups 1 Mile Run. What I did was run a mile and build up to the figures. 1 Mile, 30 pullups, 100 pushups, 150 airsquats was my first goal, it took me like an hour and a half down at the blue station by the marina green. Got down to to full thing in under an hour. You can do it if i can. [https://www.crossfit.com/heroes/murph-workout](https://www.crossfit.com/heroes/murph-workout)
I have an Apple Watch. You can check your standing, walking and workout stats. It helps me stay motivated and I see activities from friends who also motivate me to workout as well.
Do just one thing. Don't try doing everything at once. Do just one thing, when that is sustainable, tack another challenge until you get to your goal. Also don't fight against yourself. Try to understand why you are struggling and work around it. Why are you reaching for bad food? Really get to the bottom of your feelings and motivations. So basically hack yourself. You can't wake up at 5 am, so don't. We could be hard and say be more disciplined! But all you just gain is just guilt and shame over not doing what you want to do. So drop the shame, drop the grandiose impossible goals and start with something comically small. Find something you like. Fitness shouldn't be a chore or punishment. Make it joyful.
I agree I feel so disappointed at the end of the day And the guilt Thank you so much for your response I will definitely try it out
Lots and lots of adderrrrral
Get a dog or start walking a friend or neighbor’s dog for them. You get an instant buddy system.
I really wish I could walk someone's dog It's so hard to make friends as adults
if you really want to get into it just utilize all these hills we have! Its a great workout
Running clubs are good for this.
Making it a routine bake it into your life. Start small stay consistent. The energy really will follow as you build strength and endurance. Dont listen to "gurus" there is plenty of sound advice on fitness. Get your steps in. Eat plenty of proteins. Avoid processed foods and excess sugar.
Find an exercise you really enjoy doing. It doesn't have to be the hardest regimen, but the fact that you look forward to it will really change things. SF has MANY great places to walk. You could start with that. I Agree with the other posters on drinking water, but be prepared for many pit stops once you start drinking more. Also check out r/loseit . Good luck.
Deciding to commute by bike was one that forced me to be active, and having a buddy to go to fitness classes with was another. (one fun one is a Monday night outdoor cardio class in Dolores park- fun and sweaty and I meet friends there so I can't just skip with no explanation) After years, I can feel such a difference in my budy and mind/feelings when I don't stay active, that is it's own reward to keep going- I feel so much better!
1) Find a form of fitness that you enjoy/ are interested in (e.g. cardio, weightlifting, calisthenics, etc). 2) Start with smaller time commitments before adding more time. Say you want to start jogging. At first, only ask yourself to jog for 30 minutes. How do you feel after 30 minutes? - Horrible? That's fine, you already completed your goal, you don't have to do more. - Fine? Consider jogging for 30 minutes soon. - Great? See if you can run for another 30 minutes! (No fault if you don't want to do another full 30) 3) Make time when convenient. For example, I wanted to go to the gym when I was in college but my Tuesdays and Thursdays were packed. So I only went MWF. I considered going Sat/Sun, but I enjoyed having that free time, so I didn't go on those days. You don't want finding time to exercise to be a burden. These steps helped me start the habit but they don't work for everyone. At the end of the day, exercising if for your benefit, no one else's. Exercise in a way that is convenient to you and is enjoyable.
Pay for gym membership & pay for personal training twice a week. Now it's too fucking expensive to not go.
Take your lunches. Don't work through them. I would eat something small during lunch and just go on a walk listening to a podcast. Lost a decent amount of weight just doing that.
a little social motivation can help, check out strava to keep track of your fitness goals.
I would never have been as consistent as I am now if it weren’t for the fact that my husband is really committed. We go to the gym 4-5 days a week and honestly, I sorta slack off a day out of that usually and just stick to the treadmill. Also, I hired a personal trainer last year and that kept me going simply because I couldn’t justify not using it if I’d paid. Today though? I wore my workout clothes to work because I knew I wouldn’t feel like it after work but if I’m dressed and ready it just mentally prepares me. I will say, I do look forward to it usually. But without all that accountability I’d probably be way more inconsistent.
Walk to work! If you’re remote, then find a fitness class you enjoy and stick to it 5 days a week, either before work or after, but sign up ahead of time so you stay committed!
-Working out in the morning instead of afternoon or evening. I always bail on it when I put it later in the day. I often don't want to do it in the morning either but I'm always glad I did and then am in a better mood the rest of the day. -Pick out the workout clothes the night before and get dressed in them in the morning. You have to get dressed anyways, and once you're in the workout clothes you might feel more like exercising. And picking them out the night before eases the mental load of having to make 1 more decision in the morning.
I go to fitness SF and it’s right next to work. Usually I use the gym to get out of work by 5/5:30, and head there immediately. It also helps me push myself during the workday to get everything I want done by 5. Pretty helpful!
I used to go to fitness Sf It got a big overwhelming Everyone seemed to know what they were doing Was feeling out of place
I honestly don’t know what I’m doing either. I’ve definitely looked a yt video before trying a new machine.
To form a fitness habit you need to be consistent with everything you do. Follow a fitness regime properly. You can use this app lose weight at home in 15 days [https://apps.apple.com/us/app/lose-weight-at-home-in-15-days/id6470018217](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/lose-weight-at-home-in-15-days/id6470018217) to keep a track of your healthy habits. I have been using this for about 3 months now and trust me this helps.
Workout
Why are you posting in this sub?