Per Don Y:
When I used to run, the guys I thought were most successful at getting it done and enjoying it at the same time were a group of six-or-so salesmen who ran together.... talking all the time.
That's not "me"... but I can see it's probably the optimal wrapper for exercise running if one can do it.
I tend to "zone out" when walking -- as if "I don't want to
*be* here, let me take my mind elsewhere". I try to avoid times of day when folks will be outdoors (e.g., getting in/out of their vehicle on way to/from work) as those present lots of distractions -- folks wanting to shoot the breeze (a few minutes here, a few more there, etc.). Unscheduled "pit stops" don't help keep the heart rate up!It's even worse when I'm grocery shopping -- it's a supreme effort to even nod my head in acknowledgement of friends/neighbors that I casually encounter, there ("I just want this over and done with...")
When she's hiking (in the desert), SWMBO doesn't even want to bump into others on the trail! ("I'm here to be alone with the desert and its wildlife; I could have stayed home if I wanted to be around
*people*!")
I don't mind the "effort" -- there's no real discomfort involved. But, I *do* resent the time "lost" to that effort. Seven hours a week that could be spent on something else. That's the potential appeal of the pre-cor elliptical: if I can DO something while my body gets its exercise, then it's not "time lost".
I think you have to find your own "motivation" and "style". Otherwise, all of the cajoling and "scare tactics" will be useless and just foster resentment.
It's like hounding a smoker to quit: he/she quits for whatever reason(s) at whatever time makes sense to him/her, no sooner -- regardless of all the medical research, inconvenience (smoke outdoors, not within 20 ft of any doorway, not around kids, etc.) and cost (apparently cigarettes are like $4-5/pack? So, friends who smoke 2 packs daily are dropping $8-10 every day?? OTOH, folks who frequent Starbucks are probably spending just as much for their "fix"...)
Per Don Y:
Exactly.... each person is different.
I tell people that they have to fiddle it around until the pleasure exceeds the pain. It can be unpleasant for short periods of time - until you figure out how to fix it... but, unless you're a highly-competitive tennis player or something... i.e. somebody who will endure *anything* to win the next match... it has to mostly feel good or you will not persist.
If somebody's there, I *can* talk... but my preference is to go internal and either feel whatever music I might be listening to or feel the cadence/stride of whatever I am doing.
When it's 110F, I'm not happy. When its raining, I'm not happy. I'm not really "happy" when conditions are *perfect* (cuz it's not something I want to be doing). But, I'm an adult and I've learned to eat my vegetables.
I watch too many folks around me (this is a "come here to die" sort of place) that are infirm, inflexible, in chronic pain, etc. and figure any effort I can put in to defer that inevitability (?) is effort well spent.
[Of course, there've been cases of folks killed while walking on sidewalks -- by distracted/impaired drivers (did you take your meds today, gramps?) -- so this effort COULD actually kill me! :> ]When I bump into neighbors who are walking, they are usually "strolling". Maybe that counts as exercise (at least they aren't sitting in front of the TV!). But, my heart rate drops to "resting" almost immediately when I pull alongside them.
A friend is always pestering me to "let him know when I'm going to be out walking so he can join me". Well, my schedule is pretty variable -- "whenever I *feel* like it -- and the temperature, sun, wind, etc. are "right". So, it becomes a scheduling issue ("I'm in the middle of cooking dinner; can you wait an hour?").
[Additionally, he's had a few too many "controlled crashes" (helicopter in the service) so has some pretty significant back issues that affect how aerobic his activities can be]One couple I encounter often husband has lost a leg (at the knee) and his prosthetic no longer fits. So, he rides his powerchair while his wife walks alongside. Hint: most powerchairs are dog slow! Won't even keep up with an average 3MPH walking pace (mine is 4).
Another couple are both "mobile" -- though he has heart problems so he doesn't push too hard. Often winded in a few blocks while I'm wondering when we're going to "pick up the pace".
Also, sidewalks here make it hard to walk more than two abreast. So, I typically end up in the roadway while the "couple" walks ( or rides, as the case may be) on the sidewalk.
I.e., it's just easier to head out and "get'er done" than it is to deal with meshing with the schedules and capabilities of others.
He's right.
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