Recent Facebook status thread re: exercise

Neal Schindler has the blues and kind of feels like jogging would be a good habit to cultivate. But how does one start?
7 hours ago · Comment · Like

Shoshana Billik
Just by doing! ;-)
6 hours ago · Delete

Neal Schindler
Spoken like someone who's already done it! :-)
6 hours ago · Delete

Shoshana Billik
Heh! ;-L
6 hours ago · Delete

Kimberly Stedman
here's the trick. Don't try to start a jogging habit AND try to start jogging WELL at the same time. 60% of the effort is building the habit.
Go out every morning or 5 minutes for 2 weeks. On the third week, make it 10 minutes. On the fourth week, make it 20. do it the same time every day even if you only go out for 30 seconds.
In a month, you won't remember what it was like not to jog every morning. In a month and a half, you'll be like: wth, if I'm out here anyway, I might as well get something out of it, and run harder.
6 hours ago · Delete

Kathlyn Albright Lewis
Kimberly's method totally works. I also tell myself "well, I'll just put my shoes on and go outside. If I don't feel like it, I won't do it" and I always end up thinking "well, I'm here anyway, might as well run a little..." For me, it's all about tricking myself into going. And remember, you didn't start walking more than four steps at a time either!
6 hours ago · Delete

Kimberly Stedman
haha-- hooray! Glad other people have also figured this one out.

Made a huge difference for me. No matter how late or cranky I am in the morning, I always have to do at least one push up and one sit up. :)
6 hours ago · Delete

Shaul Goldberg
how about a nice bike ride up to cloud city coffee?
5 hours ago · Delete

Rob Gardiner
I recommend swing dancing. Jogging is good exercise, but exercise by itself can be a chore. It's hard to motivate yourself to do it.

But *dancing* isn't just exercise -- it also provides entertainment, socializing, and a creative outlet. In other words, it would be worth doing even without the exercise.

I got myself into shape through what I call "incidental biohacking" -- exploiting the positive health benefits of activities (Italian cooking, swing dancing) that I undertook for reasons completely unrelated to health.

http://www.centuryballroom.com/ Swing dancing with DJ Freddie, tonite at 9:30, $7. Swing dance lesson at 9, included w/ admission.
5 hours ago · Delete

Catherine Dean
I totally second the recommendation to dance rather than jog. Jogging can be very hard on your knees. And as someone with a good ear for music (and a former marching band member!) you should pick it up great!
4 hours ago · Delete

Shaul Goldberg
when was Neal in a marching band?
4 hours ago · Delete

Catherine Dean
High School. Hope I haven't let a terrible skeleton out of the closet!!!!
3 hours ago · Delete

Shaul Goldberg
I want pictures!
3 hours ago · Delete

Catherine Dean
That I cannot do. :)
3 hours ago · Delete

Daniel Shiffner
a lot of books suggest starting with a combo of running and walking. walk a block, run a block, walk a block, etc. always walk until you're fully recovered before running again. try to keep yourself out for about half an hour at a time, not more than three times a week. i started in september and went from fat/lazy/never run before to almost a 5k in two months. it seemed like every time i went out i was able to go further, especially at the beginning. if you can find someone to run with who is at your level, it definitely helps.
2 hours ago · Delete

Elias Kass
couch to 6k is a good starter program.
2 hours ago · Delete

Meg Deighton
good luck!
about an hour ago · Delete

Neal Schindler
Wow! You guys are fantastic! Thanks so much!

I might try some of the jogging tips, though I agree that it's hard on the knees. Ever since the mostly-repressed horrors of middle school, I've had a tendency to dislike exercise. I fenced in high school, but I remember having to push myself psychologically to go into the gym each time -- I didn't ever reach a threshold after which I didn't need to push myself.

Anyway, I've done waterobics and softball and kickball and biking, but waterobics is very low-impact, softball and kickball don't have enough running to really work me out, and biking in Seattle makes me want to die thanks to the demonic hills. (Biking in the flat Midwest, on the other hand, I liked.)

Dancing sounds good. I've always been massively shy about dancing because the gentleman is supposed to lead, and I'm not fond of playing that role. That, I'm sure, is something I could stand to work on, too. (Symbolically and literally, though, wouldn't it be ideal to know how to both lead and follow? Maybe I just spent too much time at Oberlin.)

I'm quite low on funds right now, Rob, but I'll try to come to a few dances. My mind and body go into holy terror mode whenever I break a sweat (did I mention I associate exercise with all things horrible?), so I'm not sure how it'll go. But there's no harm in trying, right? Thanks again to everyone for being so supportive and helpful. You're the best.
2 seconds ago · Delete