Finally got back into handcycling for my cardio workouts
...and I just have to say that I'm not sure why I ever stopped.
I mean, intrinsically I do know, but it amazes me how something that is so good for us can be just as easily fallen out of, as far as habits go.
I find that when I do exercise, that it feels me with this sense of accomplishment and self-worth that is really hard for me to attain in any other way. It's like I'm simultaneously benefitting both my physical and mental health (which I know I am).
A question for all of you though:
Have you ever fallen out of doing any exercise-related activity, only to pick it up again later and remember why you loved doing it so much in the first place?
@sereneSunset26
Hey there!.... Great job to you on getting back to doing activity that you enjoy and keeps you motivated for more!... I think thats the key to enjoying our workouts. Is to find something that we like, love, enjoy, and keeps us motivated.
I have never personally tried this particular workout myself, but will surely have to look a little more into to it, as I'm always looking for something different to try and incorporate.
As far as your question about "falling out of an activity" etc.....I have certainly fallen out of doing a thing or two. But not necessarily because I didn't enjoy it. It was more because life may have gotten in the way at a particular time, or... it could have been something that I was paying for that I no longer could afford to invest in at the time. But I can understand being away from an activity or workout that you love and have a great passion for! And how exciting and motivating it can be to be able to do it or try it again after a long time of being away from it!... It really is an awesome and amazing feeling!
Not too mention, that its ok for us to take a break or get away from doing the same things, so that we don't become "bored" of what we are doing. And to take the opportunity to try out other things in the meantime. I have found that when I've done that, that it makes me appreciate what I like to call my "Soul-mate" workouts even more!
@PoliteOcean
Thank you for your reply!
What you said about life getting in the way really resonated with me. I feel like there's so much stuff that goes on in our lives everyday that it doesn't take a whole lot for something to alter our course or change our habits.
You also mentioned taking breaks so as not to get bored. I hadn't really thought of that in the context of exercise, but I can see your point. It truly is interesting to me that there are sometimes where my brain will, for whatever reason, all the sudden feel like doing something. And then, at other times, just the opposite.
I do believe that consistent self-care is necessary everyday for us to continue thriving, so here's to one at a time in sticking to our good habits. :)
@sereneSunset26
Regarding your question
"Have you ever fallen out of doing any exercise-related activity, only to pick it up again later and remember why you loved doing it so much in the first place?"
Yes. And I've learned several lessons from those types of situations to fix it.
When I "fall out" of doing an activity,
I found it can be for several different reasons:
-
Reason 1:
I've been doing it too much
or the wrong way
and it caused injury
and became painful.
So I had to stop.
Solution:
after the injury has heals, I:
a) fix the root cause
b) re-start the habit.
To re-start the habit,
I now use the simple
"tiny habit" approach.
"After I _____,
I will _____".
It's sort of a rule-based approach to habits.
The key I found was that
the "After I" trigger situation has to be very consistent.
Also, the "I will" activity has to be tiny and pre-determined
to get me doing-it. No thinking required. Just do it. It's the right choice.
Then the habit can re-form quicker and lock-in for me.
-
Reason 2: It became boring.
Novelty wore off or it became monotonous.
Solution:
I pick activities that keep me "in the zone"
where it's challenging
but not too hard or too easy.
I pick activities that start easy
and then get more complicated
as the minutes go by.
-
I wasn't keeping track of my results.
If I don't keep track of my results,
then my habit can derail due to other distractions.
Solution:
I keep score of my daily minutes active.
I can see the score because it's in a very visible place.
Seeing it motivates me to want to stay on track.
I feel good every time I do my activity
and add to the score for the day.
-
Reason 3: I wasn't refining and improving my activities.
I was doing things somewhat randomly and not improving them.
Solution:
I started being mindful of what I was doing and the result.
Keeping notes in my journal helped me get more ideas almost automatically.
That process ignited a mindfulness in me to be more observant and thoughtful in my life.
I think a lot more now about what I'm doing and look for ways to improve it.
That becomes a very rewarding cycle I like to keep repeating.
@7motivation
Thank you so much for your wonderfully detailed post!!
I'd love to briefly touch on the three things that I internalized from what you wrote:
1. Setting up those tiny-habits, as you put it
I thought this in particular was pretty ingenious because it creates a nice convenient feedback loop of sorts (the habit) that feeds into itself via the second part of the equation.
2. Keeping track of your progress
I feel like, as humans, being able to make a record of our progress does two things for us. One, it keeps us accountable to ourselves by keeping that written record. And two, it allows us to literally visualize our progress, which has a direct correlation on our motivation.
3. Mindfulness
I could probably type a manifesto at this point on mindfulness itself and how it's helped me in my life in many different ways. But yeah, just being consistently and perpetually aware of our mental state, especially as it relates to exercise is so important.