What motivated you to get into fitness?

[pastorguice]

I’m a 50F, divorced, not dating, no kids, just me and my two cats. Happily living a newly quiet life after a lot of drama, and now I’m looking for motivation to get up and workout before work. I work 10 hour days as a nurse so it’s difficult to workout after work. There is a planet fitness by my hospital but not safe to walk to in the early morning, and way too crowded after work for my anxiety. I’m have a home rowing machine, weights, and bands (no TV, just my iPhone).

 

[liz869802]

@pastorguice Countless numbers of things…mainly, I didn’t recognize or feel like the person I knew I was. And I was 25 years old at the time. I’m now 60 and have spent 35 years in the fitness space and when I DON’T workout, I feel completely off. Eating well and healthy, moving my body and lifting weights is truly who I am before anything else. My daily living revolves around getting my workouts in…regardless of what that workout is. I love myself more for being disciplined enough to make sure my health is taken care of. I’m not particularly motivated…I am disciplined to live a life of health and well-being. I also make no excuses or apologies to anyone for living this way. Many people don’t understand…and that’s ok. They don’t have to.

 

[proteinshake25]

@pastorguice My BP was 210/134 on a visit to the ER for a problem with swallowing food. I felt fine. I was immediately admitted. I decided to join a gym. 3 years later, I just turned 58 in October & I'm in better shape now than in my 20's. Consistency is key. Good Luck to you.

 

[laughingtony]

@proteinshake25 Great Job.. I did the same with my BP and it's gone from 210/150 to 120/70 in 3 years and am off meds. I feel better than ever in my life. All good. Congratulations again!

 

[proteinshake25]

@laughingtony TU

 

[katherinewkingston]

@pastorguice I was diagnosed with a fatty liver after some blood tests. Realised that at 50 I needed to sort myself out. I dieted to drop my excess weight and then joined a gym that I've been attending 3 times a week for over a year now. Liver is much better.

 

[sanj79]

@pastorguice I work out at home to with pretty much the same setup that you have. Anyway, once I found out what sarcopenia was I got really motivated! Strength training has also been proven to reverse diabetes. Oddly enough of the people I know who have diabetes NONE of them do any type of resistance/strength training.

 

[otoko]

@pastorguice I realized at my age and what changes are going on
I needed to do something
Cardio wasn’t doing much
I started with light dumbells and now am up to 12lbs!
I do random vids from you tube, mostly look for my age appropriate!!
I’ve lost 25lbs!!
Also I watch everything I eat, I make sure it’s clean food and am staying away from sugars and carbs(processed)

 

[larry9madison]

@pastorguice XL t shirts were tight.

 

[tiger2727]

@pastorguice I had pain from being overweight and out of shape.. back, knees, even my feet. I just decided enough was enough and the benefits have been faster than expected. I didn’t focus on weight loss.. that just came with the activity.

I joined a group class that makes it a bit of fun and meets at a regular time so it makes me get out the door.

 

[jeanebee]

@pastorguice Watching a parent waste away to nothing due to inactivity and untreated (yet treatable) illness and then die too early is my motivation. Muscles are so important, and atrophy accelerates with age. I recommend the Peloton app for home workouts.

 

[adiel]

@pastorguice I want to age nicely! I'm lucky I don't tend towards diabetes or heart disease but I want to drop 25 lbs to give my knees a fighting chance. I know people say it's diet, but diet alone doesn't work for me. I like going to a gym to get rid of distractions and I LOVE swimming. Strength training and swimming go hand-in-hand.

For working out at home, there's the minimalist workout on Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/wiki/minroutine/:

1. plank
2. squats/lunges
3. rows/pull-ups
4. push ups.

Don't overthink it, just do!

 

[bethany35]

@pastorguice I cannot even begin to tell you how improved my mental health is with daily exercise. It is like a miracle drug for my brain.

Focusing on that and divorcing the concepts of exercise and weight in my mind has been the secret I wish I had learned long ago.

 

[2kindsofsorrow]

@pastorguice Diagnosed with high cholesterol at 49. Lost almost 100 lbs. about five months into the weight loss I realized I didn’t want to be “skinny fat” and started swimming three days a week. A month later I started lifting. They made a huge difference in my body recomp as I lost the rest of the weight. I’ve kept it up because frankly I was always fat, even as a teenager, and I don’t want to find the weight again. It also enables me to do the things I love. Right now I’m working on finishing the sections of the Appalachian Trail in VA. Today my dog and I went on a 12 mile hike, finished in a little over five hours. I couldn’t have imagined achieving that two years ago, and I love it!

*edited for spelling

 

[damseremie]

@pastorguice Quality of life

 

[bfg33]

@pastorguice Starting to hike on much rougher terrain than I was used to began my long-term weight loss.

In the past several years, it's been looking for post-retirement routines that got me started on regular gym-going. Seeing progress in building muscle in the last 18 months has been really fun.

 

[emosoundlogic]

@pastorguice Motivation. 1. Seeing relatives who lost mobility due to illness. 2. Seeing what happens to friends who don’t work out(obesity, sickness). 3. Vanity.

 

[klonopin48]

@emosoundlogic Same here!

 

[stray727]

@pastorguice For me, last February I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and put on insulin and Metformin. I decided I didn't want to take shots and prick my finger 4 or 5 times a day, so I went on a diet and lost 50 lbs. I also decided to use the treadmill that's been sitting unused for years in my garage. Around July I bought some dumbbells and a bench, and I've been working out 3 days a week ever since. I still could stand to loose another 15 lbs, but I'm no longer a diabetic. I went from an A1C of 10.1 in February to an A1C of 5.6 in October.I'm 64 yrs old now, and I have a connective tissue disorder that gave me bad joints, so I do have to be careful lifting. Some lifts I just can't do, but between the treadmill and my weights, I'm in better shape then I've been in for a good 30 years. Getting off the couch and moving was the best decision of my life. I just wish I'd done it when I was 30 instead of waiting until my 60's, but better late than never!

 

[janetpotter1]

@pastorguice HabitNest app and eat a lot