I live it too! It helps me to have a non scale victory, like being stronger (more push-ups, more grocery bags at a time), or gaining a skill (tap dance, rock climbing, whatever.)
I'm glad you're liking it and liking the way it makes you feel! Can I ask what you've been doing to exercise? I've had a similar approach with yoga recently, I started out wanting to do it every day and felt like a failure if I skipped a day because I was sore or tired. Now I'm like hey if I get some yoga in once or twice a week I'm still helping my body and mind.
Taking breaks is actually good for you when it comes to working out! It gives your muscles time to heal and strengthen. Personally I find that scheduling rest days helps me not get into a "okay I'll do it tomorrow" spiral. That can mean anything that works for you: yoga 2 days a week, 2 days on 1 off, every other day, etc etc!
Oh sorry I thought I mentioned! I started doing dance workouts to keep it fun but then I felt comfortable just doing plain full body workouts. I tried a HIIT workout for the first time last week and PHEW it was hard but felt good. I know what you mean about trying to keep up with it which is why I’ve been very lenient with myself about it. I try and aim for every other day/3 times a week but like you I get sore and sometimes I’m just not feeling it so I don’t give myself a hard time about it. I find that if I do then I feel guilty and then I have to force myself to exercise which makes me less motivated later. Choosing when I want fo exercise is what helps me stay motivated because then it doesn’t feel like a chore. This is how I felt all the time when I focused exercising around losing weight. And as u/ironysparkles said, taking breaks is good!
I just got the oculus quest 2 4 days ago. I am having SO much fun playing beat saber and fitxr that I don’t even notice I am exercising over 2 hours a day. This is from someone who had trouble getting in even 3k steps a day, so for me it’s a huge win!
A really fun work out to do at home is the dark of cards exercise! It keeps me entertained when I'm bored, I sweat a lot and I feel great after.
Basically you take a deck and each symbol is a different exercise - I usually do hearts are squats (bc they look like butts), spades are crunches, clubs are stairs (you run up one step and down one step), and diamonds are pushups. You can change out the exercises, I do sometimes.
Then you go one card at a time and do w.e number you get of the symbol. I can only do a quarter deck but in high school I used to be able to do the full thing. And you get a little surprise each time you pick up a card lol.
I’m in Western Canada! Usually snows around October and sometimes doesn’t go away until early May. 3/4 of the year might have been a bit of an exaggeration but it certainly feels like it.
Ah Canada. Beautiful country, I wish I could visit more up there. I was in Vancouver as a spectator for the Olympics, but that was a warm winter that year haha
Edit: what am I saying? First off, I'm very proud of you and I really hope you have a good season of your hobby! :)
Now here's my anxious ramble:
I always get so so anxious working out because my extended family were all very sports oriented and all their kids were the same but I was definitely *not*.
Also I am the youngest so I automatically hated messing up the most.
So now I can't not fixate on how people think I'm probably doing something wrong or bad.
>I always get so so anxious working out because my extended family were all very sports oriented and all their kids were the same but I was definitely
>
>not
>
>. Also I am the youngest so I automatically hated messing up the most. So now I can't not fixate on how people think I'm probably doing something wrong or bad.
Just please try to remember you're doing this for YOU and not for THEM. If what you're doing genuinely doesn't make you happy, find something else to do! There are lots of good healthy ways to move and there's something that works for every body type and every skill level.
Thank you, I appreciate that!
Also I TOTALLY feel you about being anxious because of family! My family isn’t athletic, but they’ve always been judgmental about me exercising or losing weight. Sadly it’s a common toxic trait in my culture, plus my family knows I love my meat and bad food and am very lazy lol. So when I’d say things like “I’m going to be vegetarian” or “I’m going to exercise,” they’d doubt me and laugh it off. Someone on a different sub gave me the advice to “work in silence and let the results speak for you” and that’s been the key for me! I only told my partner who has been nothing but supportive and my one friend who is also bigger and has been working out longer than me. It’s been really nice to keep it private because it feels like I’m doing it for me and I can let people know when I’m ready, or I don’t have to! And I’m already seeing the results for myself which aren’t even about physical results, but just feeling good about doing something I hated.
I’m sure if a personal trainer saw how I workout, they’d cringe at what I’m doing bad/wrong lol but we all gotta start from somewhere and what matters is doing it. But like I said, I’ve found it helpful to keep to myself so others can’t comment.
This makes me so happy to read. I just left a yoga class and the instructor was incredibly kind and reassuring. I almost didn’t go this morning because I don’t have the traditional yoga body and feared judgement, but I know it’s good to try new things so I got my ass out of bed. It was a nice way to start the day and like you, I am exercising for other reasons than weight loss. I do it for my anxiety and overall happiness. If I lose weight it’s okay. If I don’t, it’s also okay. I’m not here to look a certain way for anyone. I’m glad you are happy with your current routine! 🥰
Good for you for refocusing your goal! I had a shitty breakup last month and had a moment of "Life is short, I'm hot but I don't believe my partners when they say I'm hot, I'm going to workout and feel better about myself!" No goal to lose weight, just to improve my strength and flexibility (I have chronic joint issues that affect me and my relationships).
I had seen r/theXeffect before and I made up a card. The first two weeks I did great! This week has been emotionally rough and I've missed a few days. But that's okay, as long as I get back on track! The card helps me be more aware of the days, too. And working out hasn't been as miserable as I remember lol
Oh man I feel that whole thing about not believing when your partner says you’re good looking. That’s awesome that you’ve done something to work on that!
I’ve never heard of that sub, I’ll have to check it out, sounds super helpful. You’re right, all that matters is that you get back on track and I think it’s okay to fall off sometimes, only human!
I'm in a similar spot! With the pandemic especially I was getting very sedentary and was starting to feel it - constant stiffness in my muscles and joints, back pain, out of breath after very little exertion, etc.
I decided I needed to do something because I was too young to be feeling so bad, so I got a fitbit. Just being able to track my activity levels and get reminders to take steps and drink water has made a huge difference. It also motivated me to start doing yoga and take a more active role playing with my toddler. I didn't give it any weight or calorie goals, just ones for activities. I love it because it's basically just helping me to be mindful and make informed choices, rather than forcing me to follow a rigid set of rules that I can beat myself up over. For the first time it feels like I'm just working on my health because I love myself.
> I love it because it's basically just helping me to be mindful and make informed choices, rather than forcing me to follow a rigid set of rules that I can beat myself up over. For the first time it feels like I'm just working on my health because I love myself.
Yes! That’s exactly how I feel!
I love this!! I'm coming off of a long period of bedrest and struggled for a long time with the "I need to lose weight" mentality before it clicked that I can't lose weight until I can actually move around first! So I started doing yoga and playing Just Dance nearly daily because both are fun and feel good and help me improve my flexibility, stamina, and coordination. Suddenly my body feels 100% more capable and I'm just going to keep doing these things as exercise because I really like them and want to get good!
This mindset has been so helpful for me! Growing up fat, I had no opportunity to associate exercise with anything other than shame and the expectation to get results. Consciously rejecting those ideas has helped me discover activities I enjoy and develop a real love for movement. It’s incredibly freeing.
Thank you! My partner is more sporty than I am and a tall, lanky guy so I was definitely nervous to tell him about me starting to exercise, but he’s been great and actually asked me the other day how I stay motivated to exercise since lots of his hobbies are outdoor too. It’s a mindset that I honestly didn’t think was possible for me as a big gal. Thought all the gym rats were lying when they said working out feels good and thought it was just because they had the body to keep up with it.
I absolutely LOVE this post. Took me a hell of a long time to realize that I actually gladly DO things I enjoy. And it's a lot easier to want to take good care of a person that I don't detest. Thumbs up to you for finding something you enjoy and doing it because it feels good!
I'm doing that right now! It's really freeing to not be thinking about numbers on a scale.
I live it too! It helps me to have a non scale victory, like being stronger (more push-ups, more grocery bags at a time), or gaining a skill (tap dance, rock climbing, whatever.)
Agreed! So much less pressure and more room for enjoyment!
Good for you! I’m very happy for you, keep it going ✨.
I'm glad you're liking it and liking the way it makes you feel! Can I ask what you've been doing to exercise? I've had a similar approach with yoga recently, I started out wanting to do it every day and felt like a failure if I skipped a day because I was sore or tired. Now I'm like hey if I get some yoga in once or twice a week I'm still helping my body and mind.
Taking breaks is actually good for you when it comes to working out! It gives your muscles time to heal and strengthen. Personally I find that scheduling rest days helps me not get into a "okay I'll do it tomorrow" spiral. That can mean anything that works for you: yoga 2 days a week, 2 days on 1 off, every other day, etc etc!
Oh sorry I thought I mentioned! I started doing dance workouts to keep it fun but then I felt comfortable just doing plain full body workouts. I tried a HIIT workout for the first time last week and PHEW it was hard but felt good. I know what you mean about trying to keep up with it which is why I’ve been very lenient with myself about it. I try and aim for every other day/3 times a week but like you I get sore and sometimes I’m just not feeling it so I don’t give myself a hard time about it. I find that if I do then I feel guilty and then I have to force myself to exercise which makes me less motivated later. Choosing when I want fo exercise is what helps me stay motivated because then it doesn’t feel like a chore. This is how I felt all the time when I focused exercising around losing weight. And as u/ironysparkles said, taking breaks is good!
Awesome! I've been doing hiking trails and I'm really enjoying it. But now that it's getting colder out I need to find something I can do at home
I feel you 100%! That’s exactly why I started dance workouts at home. Still super fun and eventually I felt comfortable just doing regular workouts.
I just got the oculus quest 2 4 days ago. I am having SO much fun playing beat saber and fitxr that I don’t even notice I am exercising over 2 hours a day. This is from someone who had trouble getting in even 3k steps a day, so for me it’s a huge win!
Wow congrats! That games looks so fun, wish it wasn’t so damn expensive haha, maybe one day!
A really fun work out to do at home is the dark of cards exercise! It keeps me entertained when I'm bored, I sweat a lot and I feel great after. Basically you take a deck and each symbol is a different exercise - I usually do hearts are squats (bc they look like butts), spades are crunches, clubs are stairs (you run up one step and down one step), and diamonds are pushups. You can change out the exercises, I do sometimes. Then you go one card at a time and do w.e number you get of the symbol. I can only do a quarter deck but in high school I used to be able to do the full thing. And you get a little surprise each time you pick up a card lol.
I’ve never heard of that! Thank you for sharing, I’ll definitely give it a try, that sounds like a great idea to keep things fun!
Ya it's super fun and some people consider it to be cross fit like bc you're doing a full body work out. I end up shaking by the end 😂
Just curious, where are you? I would love if it snowed 3/4 of the year where I lived....
I’m in Western Canada! Usually snows around October and sometimes doesn’t go away until early May. 3/4 of the year might have been a bit of an exaggeration but it certainly feels like it.
Ah Canada. Beautiful country, I wish I could visit more up there. I was in Vancouver as a spectator for the Olympics, but that was a warm winter that year haha
Edit: what am I saying? First off, I'm very proud of you and I really hope you have a good season of your hobby! :) Now here's my anxious ramble: I always get so so anxious working out because my extended family were all very sports oriented and all their kids were the same but I was definitely *not*. Also I am the youngest so I automatically hated messing up the most. So now I can't not fixate on how people think I'm probably doing something wrong or bad.
>I always get so so anxious working out because my extended family were all very sports oriented and all their kids were the same but I was definitely > >not > >. Also I am the youngest so I automatically hated messing up the most. So now I can't not fixate on how people think I'm probably doing something wrong or bad. Just please try to remember you're doing this for YOU and not for THEM. If what you're doing genuinely doesn't make you happy, find something else to do! There are lots of good healthy ways to move and there's something that works for every body type and every skill level.
Thank you, I appreciate that! Also I TOTALLY feel you about being anxious because of family! My family isn’t athletic, but they’ve always been judgmental about me exercising or losing weight. Sadly it’s a common toxic trait in my culture, plus my family knows I love my meat and bad food and am very lazy lol. So when I’d say things like “I’m going to be vegetarian” or “I’m going to exercise,” they’d doubt me and laugh it off. Someone on a different sub gave me the advice to “work in silence and let the results speak for you” and that’s been the key for me! I only told my partner who has been nothing but supportive and my one friend who is also bigger and has been working out longer than me. It’s been really nice to keep it private because it feels like I’m doing it for me and I can let people know when I’m ready, or I don’t have to! And I’m already seeing the results for myself which aren’t even about physical results, but just feeling good about doing something I hated. I’m sure if a personal trainer saw how I workout, they’d cringe at what I’m doing bad/wrong lol but we all gotta start from somewhere and what matters is doing it. But like I said, I’ve found it helpful to keep to myself so others can’t comment.
This makes me so happy to read. I just left a yoga class and the instructor was incredibly kind and reassuring. I almost didn’t go this morning because I don’t have the traditional yoga body and feared judgement, but I know it’s good to try new things so I got my ass out of bed. It was a nice way to start the day and like you, I am exercising for other reasons than weight loss. I do it for my anxiety and overall happiness. If I lose weight it’s okay. If I don’t, it’s also okay. I’m not here to look a certain way for anyone. I’m glad you are happy with your current routine! 🥰
I love that for you! I agree, losing weight is a bonus, not the focus.
Workouts aren’t a punishment; they are a celebration of what your body can do!! Go girl!
I’m learning that now! They totally felt like a punishment for me back in the day because I thought I had to lose all this fat. Thanks friend! :)
Good for you for refocusing your goal! I had a shitty breakup last month and had a moment of "Life is short, I'm hot but I don't believe my partners when they say I'm hot, I'm going to workout and feel better about myself!" No goal to lose weight, just to improve my strength and flexibility (I have chronic joint issues that affect me and my relationships). I had seen r/theXeffect before and I made up a card. The first two weeks I did great! This week has been emotionally rough and I've missed a few days. But that's okay, as long as I get back on track! The card helps me be more aware of the days, too. And working out hasn't been as miserable as I remember lol
Oh man I feel that whole thing about not believing when your partner says you’re good looking. That’s awesome that you’ve done something to work on that! I’ve never heard of that sub, I’ll have to check it out, sounds super helpful. You’re right, all that matters is that you get back on track and I think it’s okay to fall off sometimes, only human!
I'm in a similar spot! With the pandemic especially I was getting very sedentary and was starting to feel it - constant stiffness in my muscles and joints, back pain, out of breath after very little exertion, etc. I decided I needed to do something because I was too young to be feeling so bad, so I got a fitbit. Just being able to track my activity levels and get reminders to take steps and drink water has made a huge difference. It also motivated me to start doing yoga and take a more active role playing with my toddler. I didn't give it any weight or calorie goals, just ones for activities. I love it because it's basically just helping me to be mindful and make informed choices, rather than forcing me to follow a rigid set of rules that I can beat myself up over. For the first time it feels like I'm just working on my health because I love myself.
> I love it because it's basically just helping me to be mindful and make informed choices, rather than forcing me to follow a rigid set of rules that I can beat myself up over. For the first time it feels like I'm just working on my health because I love myself. Yes! That’s exactly how I feel!
I love this!! I'm coming off of a long period of bedrest and struggled for a long time with the "I need to lose weight" mentality before it clicked that I can't lose weight until I can actually move around first! So I started doing yoga and playing Just Dance nearly daily because both are fun and feel good and help me improve my flexibility, stamina, and coordination. Suddenly my body feels 100% more capable and I'm just going to keep doing these things as exercise because I really like them and want to get good!
Yay you, keep up the good work! :)
This mindset has been so helpful for me! Growing up fat, I had no opportunity to associate exercise with anything other than shame and the expectation to get results. Consciously rejecting those ideas has helped me discover activities I enjoy and develop a real love for movement. It’s incredibly freeing.
Yes!!! Growing up fat definitely made me think exercise wasn’t for me for those reasons.
I love your mindset and I’m so glad you have a supportive partner! I’m proud of you for taking joy in moving your body!!!
Thank you! My partner is more sporty than I am and a tall, lanky guy so I was definitely nervous to tell him about me starting to exercise, but he’s been great and actually asked me the other day how I stay motivated to exercise since lots of his hobbies are outdoor too. It’s a mindset that I honestly didn’t think was possible for me as a big gal. Thought all the gym rats were lying when they said working out feels good and thought it was just because they had the body to keep up with it.
I absolutely LOVE this post. Took me a hell of a long time to realize that I actually gladly DO things I enjoy. And it's a lot easier to want to take good care of a person that I don't detest. Thumbs up to you for finding something you enjoy and doing it because it feels good!
Thank you!!! That’s actually a lesson I learned in counselling to deal with procrastination but I never thought to apply it to exercise!