Ask Lemmy

I jiggle my mouse every 5 minutes.

I do not. It is very easy.

I took up ice hockey as an adult.

If you try hard, it's an insanely good workout.

Simple calisthenics and stretches every morning. Hip extensions, shoulder rotations, toe touches, etc. Quick and easy and feel much better after. I do these during breaks throughout the day.

After work it depends on time of year and weather. Kayak, mountain bike, snowboard. Hiking or rail trail is fine too.

Going to the gym is so boring for me. I ended up finding an activity that I enjoy doing that also happens to be good exercise and started kickboxing about 9 months ago. The people there are very friendly and they text me if I don't show up for a while, so there's more accountability that I would typically have.

I refuse to drive or take any form of public transport, unless I am going to be traveling far.

I walk or bike everywhere I go. I get to where I am going and I get exercise along the way. I barely think about it anymore, it has just become normal to me.

Doing step challenges and tracking steps keeps me walking. I try for 10k steps a day and use Samsung Health's monthly challenge on my phone as gamification to keep walking daily.

Lifelong lazy person here. I got a Fitbit. At first I just used it for counting my steps and heart rate, but after a while I decided to I crease my cardio load. Being able to see the data of my progress really helped. The steps goal is a big one too (I also work a desk job). It helped me keep mindful of how much I need to move. After a few months it was so much easier.

Being active is so important to your health. Take where you're at and just build on it. One thing I always tell myself is that things won't get better if I don't act on it. Yeah, I want to loose 10 lbs so I'll start exercising and eating less. Tomorrow. Nope, it's got to start now. And give yourself some grace. Changing habits is hard and you will backslide. Don't beat yourself up, just awknowledge the slip and say you'll try to do better.

I was fortunate enough to get invited to a ballroom dancing class in high school and fell in love with it. It's exercise and a social experience all in one fairly affordable package. Where I live an hour long group class is $10 a head. I wouldn't do private lessons for these purposes. And if you like it, there are so many subcultures! There are entire groups dedicated to certain dances like West Coast swing and Argentine tango. Regular social dances on the weekends in addition to classes. YMMV based on where you live, but dancing with the stars has brought ballroom into the mainstream and there are quality studios in most decent sized US cities as far as I know.

Bicycle commuting, but it sounds like you might be WFH. I am a 100% remote worker, but I keep an office and workshop to keep the day job out of my tiny living space. When I still worked from my boat (where I live), I would go for a bike ride through varying loops before and after work just to have that separation of mental states.

When we're on a passage or anchored out, yoga, calisthenics, dumbbells, TRX (body weight training system), and swimming keep us fit. Among my peers, there is a 1:1 inverse relationship between who does yoga and who has pains of inflexibility.

Another great book for keeping your range and flexibility is "Ten Golden Exercises" by Daniel Philpot.

15 minutes a day, the only thing you need is a stopwatch.

https://bookshop.org/p/books/royal-canadian-air-force-exercise-plans-for-physical-fitness-two-books-in-one-two-famous-basic-plans-the-xbx-plan-for-women-the-5bx-plan-for-men-royal/16885677?ean=9781773237756&next=t

I basically live in an M. C. Escher painting so I just go walk outside which no matter where I go it's uphill both ways.

I have two huskies. If I don't walk them they get destructive. I got them to help keep myself active and they're doing their job.

Also took up Ultimate (frisbee). Such a great game, but so much running!

Walking my dog, anxiety, pessimism, and existential dread mostly.

Juggling. It’s not too intensive or anything but does keep me somewhat active.

I suggest everyone learn to juggle! It’s not TOO hard once you get over the hump and everything clicks. I also find it somewhat meditative.

I'm lucky to have a relatively nice bicycle lane network in my city so I use it whenever I have to get groceries or whatever. Not that I have a car, but I wouldn't want to drive anyway. Cycling is also a hell of a lot better than the bus.

Sometimes I don't need groceries and just feel like a slug or whatever, so I do a bunch of jumping jacks until I start breathing hard.

Aggressive foreplay followed by prolonged vaginal intercourse.

I'm disabled so I spend like 16 hours a day in my chair, but I try to do 30 minutes on my exercise bike every morning.

60ish min in the weights room 5 days a week, 6 days a week 30 min zone 2 cardio. That's it.

I alternate between spin bike and weights 6 days/week throughout the year, but with the weather getting nicer, I’m getting back out on my road bike on weekends and playing tennis with some friends after work. It helps to live in a city with a nice park!

I found a gym-quality elliptical on Craigslist a couple of years back, and if I walk/run at a pace between 50-60 rpm’s, I can walk about 2.5 miles in 30 minutes.

Job has a lot of walking. If can't get lucky and combine....

Do some body weight exercises in between another task. Like oh I'm about to smoke a bowl do push-ups until collapse.

Started walking to work but again this is not a universal fix for everyone.

You can find instructions online for stretches and exercises, but that doesn't hold my interest. I bit the bullet and joined a gym, going a couple of times a week to keep loose. Maybe I could do the stuff I do there at home (after purchasing some equipment), but I think the environment is worth the expense. I don't talk to anyone else except to greet the staff, but I like the fact that other people are around and it's a space dedicated to working out.

I got a personal trainer at a small local gym to do strength training. I meet with them twice a week and then go by myself a third day during the week; all three days I go before work. Pros are that I'm much stronger than I was 2 years ago, cons are that it does cost money and I do have to get up earlier to be there, but it's pretty easy to get up early when you paid someone for their time to meet you there.

My dogs demanding to be walked. Which is one of the many reasons I wanted a dog in the first place. It worked. 😌

Gave up on gym membership already. Switched to home workouts (check darebee website and youtube) I feel way better with this compared to the gym. You cant have noodle arms also, so get reasonable dumbbells to grow your arm muscles (they are effective and easy to store also)

It s 40min at most daily from home workouts so you need less mental energy to get to it (compared to: prepare backpack, go to gym, interact with people, go back). I am on the Avatar Upgrade program.

I add early morning walks and occasional hikes to spice things up.

Lately by talking ~3 mile walks.

Climbing! I've never been fond of weightlifting, but lifting myself up on the wall is way more fun! It's incredibly physical, and there's an equally important mental problem solving aspect to it. Most cities have a climbing gym these days and it's a lot more approachable than most people think. Bouldering especially only needs shoes and maybe a chalk bag. Just short but hard climbs that are usually only a few challenging moves. No ropes or harnesses, just big squishy mats to land on. It can also be pretty social with most gyms having a good community, and if you really take to it there's always room to grow into actual outdoor rock climbing.

Biking for commuting and errands is great as others have mentioned.

Running too. Just needs shoes and some comfy clothes. Even starting at a one km run doesn't seem like much, but you'll be surprised how much further you can go if you stick with it.

I do yoga multiple times a week, use a rowing machine twice a week, and walk/hike my dogs.

Yoga is the best especially if you are sitting all day. And it's a nice "third space" where you see the same people every class and make weak links with them that aren't at home or at work.

I ride an electric bike instead of driving, gentle exercise but I'm sure it makes a difference. Pokemon go walks, yoga 4x a week at a group class, weightlifting less than once a week. Yardwork too, hauling things around. I got running shoes but have not deployed them yet, I'd like to run once a week only. I do move around a lot. I read somewhere that if you wanted to be fit after you are 50 you really need to exercise 3 hours a day, and it seems true. Not like lifting for 3 hours every day but if I was retired I'd do cardio every morning, lifting every noon, yoga every evening except one day totally off everything each week.

Also, keep a glass of water at your desk. Get up to fill it, drink, get up to pee, repeat. So that you aren't sitting for too long.

Assuming you work from home the real answer is that you just get up every few minutes and move. It doesn't matter what. Some squats, pullups, pushups. Even a few hundred steps works wonders.

The key is to make the barrier to entry as low as possible. Then you actually do it more often.

Besides that, find a sport you think would be fun. Just try a bunch of trial lessons or join some people you know.

my work involves walking and carrying stuff, and i lost weight, eventhough im kinda below normal weight as it is.

A rebounder/indoor trampoline is fun and easy to use for a few minutes and then go back to what you were doing.

During lunch at work, I find I usually eat pretty quick and under the required amount of time for my break so after, I just start running. It gives a nice break from staring at the screen and keeps me healthier.

Treadmill desk

I have an active job. I still need to add some sort of exercise to my routine.