Ask the Readers: Exercise Goals and Obstacles

Tad Says:

April 1st, 2008, 19:58 pm

I base my exercise goals by what kind of shape I am in. If I haven’t exercised in a while, I will start slowly and work towards an easy goal to accomplish. This way, my workout is not so strenuous I quit.

If I have been working out for a long time, my goal is to increase the intensity of workouts. I have created a LOT of different workouts based on what I did when I played baseball in college and when I worked out with professional athletes.

I talk a lot on my blog about how I overcome my obstacles. The most important thing you can do is to just begin working out. Once you make a habit of it, you will want to work out everyday.

Tad
http://growingintoyou.com/

texafornia Says:

April 1st, 2008, 19:58 pm

An Ironman a year until I die.

Liara Covert Says:

April 1st, 2008, 20:00 pm

Exercise inspires me to open my mind in other ways. great post!

pavs Says:

April 1st, 2008, 20:09 pm

1) I set my goals in differant ways than most people do. My goals are ussually very hard to meet. My argument behind this is, that even if I don’t meet my goals and come close to 75% of it, it will be very admirable as the goal was very difficult to begin with. That doesn’t mean I never meet my goals. I do, and that’s when It’s the icing on the cake. I propel when not only do I challenge myself, but I challenge others in to doing something. For instance, My april’s goal is to challenge my friend into achieving six- pack abs. I have done it before but during winter I slack off, and the fact that most of my work is desk-related doesnt help. So the whole one month my only goal in excersize would be to get my six-pack back. Funny thing about ab exercise is that you can’t necessarrily just work your abs without having to do a whole body work out.

2) My main obstacle is procastination. So instead of setting a certain amount of time in the day to work out, I work out throughout the day. I work from home like you, so in my home office, I also keep a set of dumpbells, an exercise mat, a light barbell. So whenever I get stuck in to programming something or need a break from work. I just pick up my weights and start working out for 10 minutes.
I do this 3-4 times a day, and it works great. On my off-days when I don’t work on my computer, I do a complete set of 45-60 minutes work out. So basically I work out 7 days a week.

Trevor Says:

April 1st, 2008, 20:12 pm

I keep myself motivated by keeping a fitness blog, separate from my main blog, at http://fitness.trevorfitzgerald.com/

I try to write a daily post about my physical activity for that day. I hate to miss a day!

Ann M. Says:

April 1st, 2008, 20:14 pm

I’m training for my first 5K. I’ve never been a big runner except for forced running in sports practices and some occasional running, again for sports. Since I signed up for a 5K I’ve made myself train.

For strength training I really enjoy weight lifting. I’ve always enjoyed it more than cardio work when working out. Check out http://www.gimme20.com for workouts and I’m sure there are tons of other online places for ideas, how-tos, and motivation.

Good luck Leo!

PS - Still working on that running article, it’s gonna be good though.

Tom Stine Says:

April 1st, 2008, 20:21 pm

1. Exercise for me is gentle: walking, yoga, qigong, body-weight strength training (Hindu squats!). I find long walks to be as beneficial as shorter runs.

2. My biggest challenge has been ME! Just consistently scheduling the time has been challenging. That is the obstacle I’m working on. Not much of an obstacle, but it is my unique one. Cheers!

TJ Says:

April 1st, 2008, 20:23 pm

I’ve recently gotten back into strength training after a long hiatus. I’ve been reading for a while, but now I’m commenting for the first time to give you credit for some excellent advice. I have always encountered a lot of resistance to exercising that shows up just before I’m scheduled to head to the gym. I would just start to get a mild dread, and start thinking about how I’d rather take a nap, even though I always enjoy lifting once I’ve started. So after reading Zen Habits, I made my new weight routine something simple, and focused on doing it twice a week for a month. The habit has really stuck, and seems to have rewired my feelings about going to the gym. I look forward to it almost every time now.

Another thing that helped me, not just in getting to the gym, but in seeing some good results, was to choose a simple routine with only a few lifts, targetting large muscle groups. Examples are squats, bench press, barbell rows, military press, and pull ups. Having only a few lifts makes it easy to get in there and hit your goal, and exercises targetting large muscle groups give you the most bang for your time in the gym. A simple routine takes less time, so it makes going to the gym less likely to conflict with other things.

I’ve gotta give props to another excellent blog (not mine), stronglifts.com. The stronglifts 5×5 beginner’s program is great.

Now that I’ve gotten back into the habit and rebuilt some old strength, I’m going to add in a day of hot-room yoga for flexibility and a kettlebell routine to add something more dynamic and hit smaller muscle groups.

Thanks Leo, and best wishes in all your endeavors.

Vered Says:

April 1st, 2008, 20:30 pm

I bike and do weight training and pilates. I pretty much have those under control and am happy with my routine.

My big challenge is skiing. I ski blue runs comfortably. My next goal is black runs, but I am just plain scared! I guess I have control issues, because steep slopes make me feel out of control. The main work that I need to do is not physical, but rather emotional. I need to work on the “I can do this” mentality and shake off the nagging “this is too hard” thoughts.

Luckily, my wonderful ski instructor happens to be a clinical psychologist, which makes him quite adept at gently handling my fears and helping me conquer them. I am back on the slopes in two weeks… hopefully I can make more progress before the season ends.

Vered Says:

April 1st, 2008, 20:33 pm

@pavs: I really like the idea of mini-workouts. I may try that. Sometimes it’s difficult to devote an hour or two to exercising, but a 10-minute mini workout is always doable. Thanks for the tip. :)

John R Says:

April 1st, 2008, 20:47 pm

Motivated by ZenHabits, I have been walking/jogging along the beach almost everyday for at least 20 minutes. I also have been going to the Gym on my days off for sometime on the bike and some light weight training. I am starting off slow and shooting for consistency. In the past I would push my self a lot harder but I would fall off the wagon and it wouldn’t become a habit. I want to make exercise a part of my daily routine. Thanks for the inspiration.

Courtney Moore Says:

April 1st, 2008, 21:16 pm

I’m committed to my Bikram yoga practice. Beyond the daily goal of getting myself to the studio, I have smaller goals for each individual pose. For instance, I told myself I would get into a full camel pose by this May — and I’m almost there! As far as having trouble getting myself to work out, I rely on friends and teachers to call me, make yoga dates, and remind me of why I need/love it. I also make plenty of my own lists to remind myself of these things when I forget!

Star Straf Says:

April 1st, 2008, 21:19 pm

I walk 10,000 steps a day - started at 4,000 a day and added 1,000 a month until got to where I wanted to be. I use Walker tracker to track my steps
http://walkertracker.com/StarStraf

Corey - Simple Marriage Project Says:

April 1st, 2008, 21:21 pm

The wife and I used to have an agreement with each other regarding working out. We each had to work out/run/exercise for x minutes a day at least x number of times a week or we contributed $5 at the end of the week to a jar. At the end of the year, whoever put in the least money, got the jar to spend as they wished. Worked great.

Brought us closer together as well.

Michael Henreckson Says:

April 1st, 2008, 21:31 pm

Scheduling is always the problem. I’m in college and things are pretty hectic. It’s really hard to find time to run just because there are always deadlines pressing and it feels like I should be putting time on those projects.

Jeff - ScienceSays.net Says:

April 1st, 2008, 21:49 pm

CONSISTENCY!~ That’s my only goal. I start in the morning, and I’ve got my fingers crossed. I just want to make sure I do SOMETHING every day.

Jerod Says:

April 1st, 2008, 22:09 pm

Last fall I decided to do something ultra crazy that I’ve never done before - a marathon. You could even say “running” because before I decided to do the marathon, I’d not run even a mile in 10 years. You could call it a quarter life crisis (I’m 21) or whatever, but I was just bored and wanted to live a little. I started training on October 30th and finished my first marathon February 17th (Austin/ATT). It really wasn’t that hard to train for mentally because it was this huge golden carrot out in front of me that I really really really wanted. I had a few people tell me I was crazy and couldn’t do it in that short of a time span and this and that, and those only made me want to prove them wrong.
Well like I said, I finished and now I’m a “marathoner.” Having said that, I’ve run only once since the 17th of February. I want to get my time down (I did 4:56:21 - I’d like under 4 hours), but it’s no longer this huge golden carrot that it was. I’ve already run a marathon, so just doing it faster isn’t as big of a deal. I’m not going from never-runner->marathoner anymore.
So, in long, my trouble has been motivation.

Eti Karim Says:

April 1st, 2008, 22:29 pm

Hi Leo,

I am currently 31 weeks pregnant.

When my husband and I decided to try for a 3rd child, I joined a gym near my office and work out during lunch time since I keep an 8-5 job, 5 days a week. I managed to maintain quite a regular exercise regime (though not such an impressive one compared to yours) by my standards before I was expecting.

My exercise goals before I was pregnant was:

1) Must exercise at least twice a week

2) Must try to be fit enough for my pregnancy so as to avoid morning sickness during the 1st trimester of pregnancy

Now that I am heavily pregnant my goals are:

1) same as 1) above

2) must maintain my fitness level so that I would be in a good condition during my delivery

Since I am a working mom, it really is quite difficult to juggle everything, plus maintaining an exercise routine.

That is why I find that squeezing sometime to exercise during lunch hours are really great. Usually I hardly ever can find the time to exercise in the evening after work cause when I reached home in the evening I would have to cook and also check on my kids homework and also spend some brief quality time with them before putting them to bed.

On Saturdays, my daughter has a swimming lesson at the club, so while she is attended to by the coach and my hubby swims with my 4 year old son, I also managed an hour at the gym, that way noone is left behind and I still get my exercise for the weekend!

When I go back to work after my delivery, the lunch hour workout would be perfect since, I will hardly have time to exercise at home with the new baby to attend to, but that’s fine with me as long as I keep to my gym visits at least twice a week.

p/s great blog by the way Leo, I’m new but I’m not leaving.
all the best with your book writing!! keep on blogging though!

The Daily Mind Says:

April 1st, 2008, 22:53 pm

Leo - this article might help you here:

How Lance Armstrong Beat Cancer by Not Quitting

The site has a lot of hardcore articles about exercise motivation and inspiration with a lot of lessons from the greats.

TDM

George Z Says:

April 1st, 2008, 22:54 pm

My current goal is to better my round trip at the Pikes Peak Marathon. I decided on this about 3 minutes after doing it last year and it left me … broken.

Obstacles? There are no obstacles. Only things that I think are obstacles.

GZ
http://georgezack.blogspot.com

Eric F. Says:

April 1st, 2008, 23:05 pm

My main problem for getting in shape is finding a good routine. It’s mainly a question of time, hence of priority, to

1. Set a meeting with a professional to design the said routine.
2. Practice on a regular basis the established routine.

Israel Says:

April 1st, 2008, 23:54 pm

I just plan on getting in at least 20 to 30 minutes a day of heart pumping activity.

~liz Says:

April 2nd, 2008, 0:12 am

Wow these are great comments I want to print them all and re-read them. I am having trouble getting back into an exercise program. Right now I am doing nothing. =C It’s been freaking me out a lot but not enough to do anything about it. My main obstacles have been lack of motivation, demoralization (ie a loss of faith in myself that I can be successful) weight loss resistance and no energy (which duh would be increased if I would just get up and do something) I haven’t figured out how to overcome these yet.

Marc Says:

April 2nd, 2008, 0:37 am

My exercise goal is easy: I walk 45 minutes to and 45 minutes from work every weekday. You could say the goal in the morning is to get to work on time so I keep my job and in the evening back home to make dinner. Quite the motivation! ;)

Obstacles: on those rainy, cold days in winter (west coast of Canada) it is hard to avoid the temptation of hopping on a bus to go to work or back home - I try to avoid doing so, unless it is pouring down in buckets. Walking in the rain is actually quite nice, if you are dressed for it. Other obstacle was when I strained my ankle - I had to take the bus for a week, but was I glad to get back to my walking routine. I really miss it if I have to skip it for a few days.

For those of you that do have the option of living close enough to your workplace to commute on foot, give it a try! According to my pedometer, I usually walk about 17000-18000 steps per day during my commute and the bit of walking I do at work.

Ravenwood Says:

April 2nd, 2008, 0:55 am

Fitness goals, in order of importance:

1) Combat fitness. I want to be able to defend myself and my allies. Functional strength, cardio endurance, explosive cardio, flexibility. Want to get into martial arts at some points, am training handgun shooting already, although not the tactical variety I would like to do.
2) Longevity. I want to to optimize my chances of healthy survival until life extension technologies become practical.
3) General well-being. Endocrine system - mood, libido. Immune system - shrug off viruses and bacteria. Better sleep.
4) Lookin’ good :)

Falselyconsummate Says:

April 2nd, 2008, 1:25 am

I’m in college, freshman, and I’ve found a great thing about college scheduling is that it can be at any time I want. This has allowed me to have an early 8am class (dreadful) and then work out for an hour or two, four times a week. I end up running a mile and then sprinting 400m, I plan on joining track again next year. I think that in college it’s good to have a morning class and then the next class be about three hours later, if a workout is desired.

beth Says:

April 2nd, 2008, 1:27 am

My main obstacles in getting (back) into running are that I’m too ambitious and tend to overtrain; and that I have some biomechanical issues with my body.

In the second case, I’ve made improvements by finding the right kind of running shoes and making changes to the way I use my stride as I run.

For both obstacles, there is one really excellent solution: cross-training. Some days I’m just itching to go on a run, but I’ve scheduled a light day or a rest day. So instead, I take a hike or a bike ride, or I ice skate or go to roller derby practice.

Another thing that has helped a lot is variety. When I’ve taken up running in the past, I ended up running the same distance, on the same route, every day. This year though, I make a point of varying my runs. So instead of 3 3-milers, I do a 2-miler on trails, a 3-miler on neighborhood sidewalks, and a 5-mile or more long run on yet a third route. Mix, match, repeat.

beth Says:

April 2nd, 2008, 1:32 am

Another thing -

I’ve found there are two keys to whether I’ll stick with an activity (exercise or otherwise): Community, and challenges that you can celebrate overcoming.

A team sport easily provides both: community from your teammates (to encourage you, keep you coming back, and so you know someone will miss you if you don’t make it) and challenges in the form of games.

It’s harder to get the same elements in other sports, but whenever I do, I wind up loving it. To add those elements to running, I’ve marked some races on my calendar and am trying to find some partners to run with.

Jan Tore Noreng Says:

April 2nd, 2008, 2:10 am

I have admitted to myself that when I’m tired or trying to get up in the morning, and I’m trying to motivate myself with an inner dialogue, is a lot like talking to a child.

And as I have some experience in talking to children it all gets a lot easier when I don’t think that my inner dialogue is with a grown up version of myself.

So I try to be gentle with my inner child, trying to get him to at least go to the gym - “and then we’ll see, maybe just a few excercises”, and of course I end up doing the whole thing. Firm but loving seems to work well with my inner child.

Great site, by the way. It’s a source of inspiration!

Amy Says:

April 2nd, 2008, 2:46 am

I know it sounds wimpy, but my current goal is just to get to the gym twice a week. I don’t care what happens once i get there, but I just have to go.

It’s actually been very successful for me. I had a real emotional block and a fear of getting into a regular exercise pattern, so I decided to lower the bar and make my first fitness goal simple to accomplish.

I found a really fun gym and have a circuit I do there once a week on the weights and bikes. I also attend a yoga class once a week. This is so far above and beyond what I was doing previously. Feels great!

Heimdall Says:

April 2nd, 2008, 3:07 am

I have always found it difficult to gain weight. My goal at the beginning of this year was to get from 65 to 72 kg (143 to 159 lbs) by the end of 2008, and further on to 75 kg (165 lbs) in 2009 - combined with sports and workout to maintain a good shape, and to improve my health.

I used inspiration from Zen Habits :-) and tracking on Joe’s Goals. I changed my nutrition and eating habits. I try to do at least some mini-workout (5-10 minutes) each day, and 2-3 larger workouts, runs etc. (30-60 mins) per week.

I just started and continued, and after lazy days (that came often!) I started again, and again, and again …

Today I have already exceeded my goal, standing at 73.5 kg (162 lbs) - and it seems really easy! Plus I have not been sick for a single day, and my health status has greatly improved. *knocks on wood*

So thank you all, especially Leo, for all the inspiration, and carry on with your worthwhile goals and quests! :-)

Eugene (Editor, Varsity Blah) Says:

April 2nd, 2008, 3:25 am

For me it’s all about having a good reason to be healthy in the first place. It’s a lesson I learned in Get the Edge where Anthony Robbins often talks about “why” coming first and “how” coming second.

My reasons for living a healthy lifestyle are simple. I want to look as good on the outside as I feel on the inside. Keeping that in mind is the reason I’m able to exercise regularly, even on days I’d much rather stay cuddled up in bed. It’s also the reason I’m able to avoid all those tempting chocolate bars at the supermarket checkout, as much as is humanly possible!

Palesa Says:

April 2nd, 2008, 3:48 am

1) I started exercising again in earnest a month ago - and initially my fitness goals were just about losing weight. (I’m a 5 ft 6 woman and I weight 14 stone 6 - or 202 pounds. I’d like to lose a few stone)

However, as I’ve progressed, the weight loss (although steady and satisfying) is being superseded by other goals - I love the way I feel stronger now, when I do weights! So I want to feel stronger, fitter, more powerful.

My other goal is wellbeing - when I exercise 5 times a week, I feel good. I’ve lived with depression in the past, and exercise really is the best antidepressant for me. The rush after a big workout is fab!

2) Two major obstacles for me - the first is time. Going to gym, getting changed, working out, showering and walking there and home - that all eats up two to two and a half hours a day. That’s a lot. Mind you, I watch less television so that’s got to be good :)

The second obstacle is minor injuries - I have biomechanical issues and am often plagued by minor injuries - tight calves, sore knees, tight ITB bands. Stretching has helped immensely - both before and after workout. As have orthotics - but I’ll always have to be careful, I guess.

Stanley Says:

April 2nd, 2008, 3:50 am

Hello Leo!
I’ve been reading ZH for a few months and it changed my life a lot. One of these changes is that I started to run everyday (except Tuesdays - I go to swimming pool). At the beginning it was 5 minutes, later 10 and now it’s 20. And I’m still getting better. My goal is to run marathon. I don’t know if I will manage to do this in this November (there is marathon in my city then) or in he next but I’m sure that more important is exersing and preparing to this.

My main obstacle is getting up in the morning. I run in the mornings before studies and work and sometimes it’s really hard to get up. How do I motivate myself? I’ve got something funny to say about this issue! Once I heard my alarm clock but I didn’t want to get up (it was in my 2nd week of running) and I fall asleep. And then You, Leo, appeared in my dream and said: ‘It’s the worst thing you can do - to set up your goal and not even try to achieve it!’. I got up immediately. And every time I’ve got problem with motivation I remember about this.

Thanks for your writing Leo, thanks for all your ideas and for motivation in changing my life. Greetings from Poland :)

Pixel Kid Says:

April 2nd, 2008, 4:16 am

I base my goals on a mental image of how I want to look. I do a mixture of cardio and weightlifting and have a particular physique I want to achieve. As I monitor my progress and see my body change and get closer to that goal I find it incredibly motivating.

Obstacles, as others have said I would agree finding time to workout is a big one. I workout 6 days a week though and having got into that routine it has become a habit that I find difficult to break now. But if I do miss a session it annoys me so much that I try harder next time not to miss out.

Pete W Says:

April 2nd, 2008, 5:21 am

1. To run 2-4 miles and do mild strength training every 3 days, and to stretch out properly every day.

2. When I first got into it, the biggest problem was self-consciousness, and a lack of any kind of disciplined routine or planned method. For the first, I decided bugger it, and just got on with it. For the second, I created a plan based on what I used to do when I was dancing, and then adapted it slightly to focus more on running and moderate strength training and conditioning, rather than for straight power.

Btw, if you’re interested, you can see the training plan I follow at crossdrivenlife.com/scripts/fullbodyworkout.pdf

andrea Says:

April 2nd, 2008, 8:32 am

After the birth of two children and years of stress and no exercise, I am trying to get back into exercising. I am finding several things are helping me.

1. I have been setting my exercise goals based on how my body looks and how much weight I would like to loose. My goals right now are to do yoga 3 times a week (This is my favorite thing), take a brisk walk every day and do sit ups, push ups or other strength exercises 5-10 minutes every hour during my work day.

2. The hardest thing for me has been to make the commitment. Running my own business, I can always find excuses for not exercising. There is always something else to do. For now, I have set up a strict schedule and I am trying to be ridged about sticking to it. I realize that the only person who is going to be able to accomplish these goals is myself. No one else is can help me do it.

I also find that taking a big chunk of time to exercise is sometimes stressful for me,. Because I am fortunate enough to work from home, I set a timer and every hour and I take a 5 - 10 minute exercise break. It is really helping me to get stronger, but it is also helping me to maintain my energy throughout the day.

Leigh Ann Says:

April 2nd, 2008, 8:44 am

My main obstacles are the usual excuses - not enough time, blah blah blah. But one real obstacle I’d like to overcome or at least deal with, is the realization that I probably have a metabolic disorder which makes it very hard for me to run very long at all. My daughter has a documented metabolic disorder, and it’s passed through the mother, so I probably have it. This explains my poor performance in gym and sports as a kid, and now I have to set goals for myself, without comparing them to others - ie. jogging for 2 minutes without stopping would be a major goal. The lack of progress is not very motivating.

andrea Says:

April 2nd, 2008, 8:49 am

After rereading all of these posts, it is very inspiring and energizing.

I thought of one other great thing that has been helping me to exercise and has been keeping me consistent. I do my walk everyday with my husband after the kids are off. It gives us a chance to talk about things without many distractions. He also motivates me to walk farther than I would normally walk.

The reason I decided to dedicate myself to exercise is also an interesting story.

I recently met a man. He looked reasonably fit for his age. We were at lunch together at a Chinese restaurant and he ordered spinach and tofu soup. He then began to explain that just one year ago, he had a health scare.

He had gone to the doctors for tingling in his legs and was told that he had diabetes. He immediately went out and hired a physical trainer and a nutritionist to help him. He works out 6 hours a day and eats no carbs or sugars. Within 6 months, he went back to the doctor who told him that he no longer had diabetes. The doctor told him that he was the only patient that he had ever seen make that kind of change. The man that I am talking about was 64 years old.

What inspired me about his story was his dedication to making this change to his life. Now I can’t afford to hire all these people and spend 6 hours a day exercising, so I figure, why wait until I am 64 and have diabetes to make these changes to my life. Why not make a smaller life change now and avoid having to be so drastic!

Maria - Never the Same River Twice Says:

April 2nd, 2008, 9:10 am

I take an approach different from straight-line goal setting in just about everything, but I have found it especially helpful in fitness.

One of the things I’ve struggled with in the past is WHY I’m working out. As an example, let’s say I set a goal to lose 10 pounds. Well, why do I want to do that? None of the traditional reasons (looking better, reaching my ideal BMI, etc.) would be motivational enough to keep me going.

I finally realized that I work out best when I organize my exercise around DOING something that is exciting to me. During the summer I love to kayak, so I organize my workouts around developing the strength and endurance I need. During the winter I play a lot of indoor tennis, so my workout needs change. Knowing that I’m working out so that I can DO something makes all the difference.

@Leo: Running a marathon obviously was a great goal to motivate you to run. Now you want to do weight training, but WHY? What will it get you in the end? If you can answer that in a compelling way, you won’t have any trouble motivating yourself to lift.

Julie Says:

April 2nd, 2008, 9:14 am

Since my exercise takes the form of martial arts (karate), my goal is to learn at least 1 new thing every class — even if it’s something as simple as a better way to do a move I already know. Sometimes, I “learn” to shrug off the pain and keep moving: that happened yesterday. *grin*

Though my eventual goal is to move up in belt ranks, this is only a side-goal, since it’s not something I’m in control of. If I just keep coming and learning, it’ll happen on its own.

Canaan Says:

April 2nd, 2008, 9:22 am

I’m currently training for the Oklahoma City Memorial 1/2 marathon. It’ll be my second one and I can hardly wait!!

I ran Chicago last year and unfortunately got plagued by an injury and completed 1/2 of it. (It was my 1st)

My goal right now it to remain injury free. Runnning is addicting - I totally understand your comment about wanting to just get out there and run this week! So, for me, I have to not over-do-it like I did when I was doing the full marathon training.

Patience. Patience. Patience. That’s what I have to tell myself. If I can get through a couple of these injury free, then I can move onto a full marathon.

One way I stay motivated is to get people around me involved. I love that some of our non-running friends have taken it up and see how rewarding it is physically and mentally. Best wishes for upcoming races to everyone!

Dot Says:

April 2nd, 2008, 9:40 am

Being 61 years old with fibromyalgia, arthritis and sciatica, I suspect my comments will be pretty different from the others. Fibromyalgia is a disorder that causes your body to overreact to things. For instance, the slight muscle damage caused by daily wear and tear leaves us as sore as if we exercised a lot, so we are tired and sore all over pretty much every day. Any exercise effort has to be very gently accelerated or there will be major pain and fatigue. My current goals are to do my two sciatica stretches daily, learn the healing qi gong form called The Eight Piece of Brocade and practice it daily, and try to incorporate some brisk walking into my week. So far I have only accomplished the first, and the motivation for that is the severe pain I get if I don’t do it. :-)

korinthe Says:

April 2nd, 2008, 9:41 am

Single goal: to get at least three half-hours of exercise a week. Life is better when it happens (sleep better, eat better… better mood).

I absolutely hate doing the same workout over and over again, so it helps to have different weekly activities. So one of those sessions is an hour-long floor hockey game, every week (followed by pizza and beer with my teammates). The other two sessions are harder to get in, especially in winter. Now that the weather is nicer I can start biking to work again which makes the 3-session goal almost effortless, as it’s 12 miles to work each way (and hilly). In winter I try to swim and get to the gym, but it’s just not a strong habit.

The other hindrance is my right knee. I have to be gentle with it, so absolutely no running or other “pounding” workouts. But I do make sure to get my heart rate up, albeit more slowly.

Don Schenck Says:

April 2nd, 2008, 9:46 am

1. I’m using the Body For Life plan. My goals are: Weight 175 with a 31-inch waist (I’m five feet seven inches tall), be able to be 50 pushup, be able to do 10 pullups. Not bad for 49 years old.

Every Sunday my dear bride and I set our five goals for the week; mine always includes “exercise six times”.

2. Motivation is not a problem for me. I’ve always been athletic and love to lift weights. I keep myself motivated for cardio (HATE cardio) by constantly trying to beat my Personal Record on the bike (currently 6.21 miles — I ride 20 mintues). My mini-goal is seven miles.

Tom - Ponderosa Design Says:

April 2nd, 2008, 11:15 am

Strange you ask… my wife is completing her certification in personal fitness right now… A two-year program for post-grads, no matter what they did as under grads.

The funny thing is this question is the main focus of their entire program… what’s in the way of beginning / continuing exercise… what are your obstacles…

For me: Time is first. Pain is probably second. And personal motivation.

I’m on a trek to get them out of my way… starting with your “early bird” post on waking up earlier to enjoy the day.

I’m up to 6:45am… and on my way to 5:00.

Thanks for asking, and for the motivation that “early” has it’s perks above “late.”

Take care.

Piankeshaw Says:

April 2nd, 2008, 11:25 am

I am currently training for the Heartland 100, which is a 100 mile ultramarathon. Believe me, I would have thought that impossible several years ago. It all started with two telephone poles.

I said to myself in 2002 at 215 pounds, “I’m going to run this next two telephone poles.” It was at that moment that an Ironman triathlete was born. I just built very gradually on those two telephone poles. Starting running more, got a bike, started swimming and here six years later and 45 pounds lighter, I have completed two Ironman triathlons, six marathons, and am training for an ultramarathon.

There are ALWAYS excuses!!! The ducks will never line up neatly in a row. Set a time of the day for training and DO IT. The training will give you the energy and vigor to take on more during the rest of the day. Think of it as an investment in YOU. ENJOY!!!

d.a. Says:

April 2nd, 2008, 12:13 pm

Seconding what TJ says about stronglifts.com’s program. The program uses compound movements, and is challenging. I’ve worked with weights on-and-off over the years, and this is the most fun program I’ve ever used. Quick, too!

Like others, I keep a fitness blog for my personal entertainment, and it’s fun to update. I also use Joe’s Goals (joesgoals.com) and of course the zenhabits.net forums to help me stay on track. I’m in the process of alternating run days (using C25K) and weights days, with Sunday for resting.

Zhongyi Says:

April 2nd, 2008, 12:37 pm

climb, swim, run, gym

1) do a one-armed chin-up
2) do a free handstand press-up
3) learn butterfly stroke
4) learn back stroke

yeah.. some of my goals this year

Maura Says:

April 2nd, 2008, 13:03 pm

My general goal is always to keep my body healthy. After watching my father deteriorate for 20 years with a relatively young-age onset for Parkinson’s, I have learned to appreciate good health. Never before athletic, he would have short bursts of “freedom” from shaking or frozen states, and would have little “crazy” boughts of activity just from pure pleasure of being able to do it.

I have a harder time setting “bigger” goals (ie, running a race) - or maybe it just hasn’t been a priority for me.

Obstacles - I am really a creature of habit, so establishing and maintaining an exercise routine is critical (when, what and how I do it). When major life events come up and interfere with my routine, everything sort of falls to pieces until I’m able to establish an equilibrium of sorts again. Another obstacle - boredom… with routine comes boredom, so I have learned to make small, continuous adjustments to the routine to keep it interesting and to help stave off injury, and from time to time just drop the whole thing on purpose, and start from scratch establishing a new routine.

Liz S Says:

April 2nd, 2008, 13:56 pm

1) I am trying to walk 2-3 miles at least 4-5x a week. My knees won’t tolerate running, and I don’t like running anyway.
2) If I am unmotivated, I give myself a ridiculously small goal like “Today, I will put on my walking sneakers.” Usually if I can get started, I will follow through. On the rare days that I don’t do anything besides put on my sneakers, I congratulate myself for doing that much!! Getting down on myself never helps.

Tim Says:

April 2nd, 2008, 14:11 pm

Hey Leo, I just wanted to congratulate you on all of your hard work. I’ve been into personal health since I was a senior in high school. At the time I was tremendously overweight and have worked hard the past 5 years to completely change my body. I’m not very healthy, very strong and have low body fat. Keep working hard and you will never regret it. The body strengthens along with the mind, and before you know it, your mind is in control of a very complex and powerful machine.

Much love to you and keep working hard! You have tons of support from countless individuals!

dinkie Says:

April 2nd, 2008, 19:05 pm

Hi Leo your article and everyone’s comments are inspiring. I have been taking time off running because of knee and hip pain an as a student I can’t afford expensive physio - however I recently saw an article about physio that you can do or yourself at home which I want to try - hopefully it will help my knee pain and get me back into running again! Here’s the article - http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/wellbeing/story/0,,2269824,00.html
I’ve been trying to do fast walking instead but getting sciatica pain as well! I read about some exercises called the “5 Tibetan Rites” which are essentially a short set of yoga exercises and have been doing these twice a day fora month - I don’t believe all the “spiritual” stuff that is talked about them but they are certainly helping with my general level of physical fitness and a good way of getting back into exercise after injury and illness I think. Also it fits in with the Zen Habits principle of cutting down - they are simple exercises requiring no fancy equipment that you can do by yourself.
Thanks everyone for al the tips and ideas - I am inspired to get back into it - not a marathon yet but one day maybe!

metroknow - AlmostFit.com Says:

April 2nd, 2008, 19:18 pm

@Liz S: I love the shoe idea. I’m definitely going to try it.

For me, my goal this month is to get back to a walk/run routine that is essentially 3 miles, 3 times a week. Once I get that established I’m adding in a 6 mile run on the weekend. That is my starting goal.

My biggest obstacle right now is staying up too late. For a while I was getting up really early (per the suggestions here!) and I was really starting to enjoy it. In that span of time our baby was born, and her sleep patterns were ultimately determining mine. She is now reaching a point where she sleeps through the night, so I am regaining control of my own schedule, but I’m back to the lifelong habit of minimal sleep. Gotta fix that. Second biggest factor is foul weather here in Oregon — running at 5AM in 38-degree drizzle takes some serious motivation, which I haven’t found consistently yet…But the weather’s changing, so I am too.

Leo Says:

April 2nd, 2008, 19:29 pm

Thanks for all the great answers everyone!

@Maria: Why do I want to get into strength training? If you want absolute, brutal honesty, it’s for a very selfish reason: I want to look good for my wife when we go on our Thailand honeymoon in June. ;)

And don’t worry, I have no problems with motivation for this goal! lol

gerryc Says:

April 2nd, 2008, 20:37 pm

My goal is also 10,000 steps per day. After years of being sedentary it took quite a while, months, to actually get to 10,000 for the first time. i started because i knew i had to keep up with my new grandaughter. it’s a good thing i did because my granddaughter is now 2.5 years old and one of her nicknames is Energy Girl. I am keeping up with her, have lost 30lbs and feel great. using a pedometer and checking into the forum here helps.

Mark Sinderson Says:

April 2nd, 2008, 20:50 pm

I’m a little late to this but here are my thoughts.

I set my exercise goals around specific events that I want to do. That makes it easier to stay motivated as I have something specific to train for. Currently my goal is to get my body used to riding for a longer time period so I can comfortably complete a century ride the 3rd of May. I’ve ridden a lot of centuries but it has been almost three years since the last one. I ride a lot, just not longer distances.

The biggest obstacles to me now are some nagging injuries. My left ankle has some tendinitis that comes and goes so I have to be sure to ice it every day. I am also extremely inflexible so stretching has become a huge part of my routine.

I feel good overall about my fitness and conditioning. As long as I can stay injury free I’d like to do some longer distance rides (double century) later this year or next.

Jamie Says:

April 3rd, 2008, 8:51 am

@Texafornia: That’s a lofty goal, Texafornia. Do you ever get tired of training for Ironman?

@Zhongyi: Also a lofty goal, to learn butterfly, but I’m impressed with that ambition! Please let me know if you need help with the swimming (one of my goals is to do an unassisted pull-up, so I can’t help you there).

My primary goal right now is to win my age group (or at least to place) in my priority A race this year, which is the Shawnee Mission triathlon. Along with that goal, I have pace goals for my races.

I work in the fitness industry, so motivation isn’t usually a problem for me; I actually have the opposite problem. When my body doesn’t want to train, I tell myself, “Well, it’s my job,” and that makes me do it. That kind of motivation is not necessarily healthy, though, and has led me into some overtraining.

Kudos on your (second) achievement, Leo! No matter how many times you do it, it’s never really easy.

Hirsch Says:

April 3rd, 2008, 9:07 am

My exercise goal is to ultimately run a marathon one day. My wife and I started running about a year and a half ago as we began our weight loss plan - we both ultimately have lost over 50 pounds each and totally changed our lifestyles, and along the way we became serious runners. We ran a 5K last October, and that was when the racing bug bit us. We just ran an 8K, and are planning on running a 10K this October. Between now and October, our goal is to build up our endurance by lengthening our routine runs. And then after October, we’ll do the 8K again next March, followed by a 10-mile run in May and hopefully a half-marathon by the next October.

elizabethb Says:

April 3rd, 2008, 9:48 am

My fitness level is shot to pieces. I have enough energy and fitness to walk around normally but have not had much more than that. So I am determined that I am going to be fit enough to run a mile. I have been losing weight and I hope that my efforts to reach a mile will mean that the weight continues to come off. But by focussing on a mile I can focus on my fitness rather than weight loss. And I can see tangible results as I reach intermediate goals: I have set myself targets of being able to run 100m (already done) 200m (done for the first time last week) 400m, 800m and then a full mile (1.6km) I don’t have target dates for hitting these distances - it takes as long as it takes to get to them. But, unlike weight loss, the distance targets are within my control and produce tangible signs of increased fitness.

Adrian Says:

April 3rd, 2008, 11:43 am

My main exercise goal has always been simply to lose weight and improve my overall fitness. I won’t be running any marathons anytime soon, but after sympathy eating through 3 of my wifes pregnancies I’d be happy to lose 25 lbs.

My main obstacle for years has been work. Traveling to conventions throws my diet & exercise schedules off.

For the past couple months I’ve doing better though, which I attribute to the home gym I setup in our garage. Commuting to the gym has always been a struggle, and often I would just give up on it. So we shelled out a couple grand and put together a very well equipped gym of our own, which I now use 5 days a week. I spend most of my time on the treadmill & ellip, but a couple days a week I lift and do some boxing.

Now if I can just develop more consistent discipline when it comes to eating small meals throughout the day I should be able to achieve my weight loss goal.

Kate Says:

April 3rd, 2008, 12:56 pm

The key for me is finding activities I enjoy and then being consistent. I’ve always hated working out and gym workouts bore me silly, so I’ve accumulated a number of videos I can do at home, including cardio, strength, yoga, Pilates, etc. I also keep a log so I can track my progress. The biggest obstacles to consistency are inertia and traveling for work.

Dan Bailey Says:

April 3rd, 2008, 13:20 pm

Okay…so here’s the thing. I’m an athlete…well, a geeky athlete. I’ve been racing bicycles for two decades now — road, mountain, BMX, and cyclocross. This year, I’m adding track (velodrome) racing to the repetoire. So I know a lot about setting up a set of goals for the next season, and how to make time for the training.

As far as setting up goals, at the end of the season, I revert to just what I call “maintenance training” for a month or so. I need downtime — I work on keeping my strength, doing cardio work, and letting my body recover from a season that runs from mid-April to mid-November. Then I take a trip to the sports lab and get a full work-up.

I sit down and look over my racing/training log from the previous season and identify where my strengths and weaknesses were. Then I look at my sports lab data as a way of validating those impressions.

Once I have all that, I figure out what my weaknesses are after a season of racing. Was I weak on the climbs? (Probably.) Did I have a hard time bridging up to breakaway groups? Was my sprint lacking that little extra “oomph”?

Then I contemplate which events I really want to target for the upcoming season, and figure out how they play to my strengths and where my weaknesses will hurt me. From that, I build my training program, with the mindset that I want to preserve my strengths while training and improving on my weaknesses.

The most important thing is to set concrete, measurable goals. For example, as a former marathoner myself, I used to set the goal of “finish Marathon X in less than 3:15″…

(There’s a guy named Joe Friel who has a series of Training Bibles — I use the cycling one, but the running one would probably be good for you. I’m also using his virtual coaching system, trainingpeaks.com, which manages a lot of the stuff above.)

The thing is, when setting these goals, you need to be realistic. This will be my first year racing the track — a world championship title would be highly unrealistic.

Your second issue seems to be more one of motivation, rather than time management. I think that having a clear set of goals is the most important thing to do — as an endurance athlete, you can’t just torture yourself for the sake of torturing yourself. You need to have a clear reason as to why you’re dragging yourself out of bed before sunrise. In addition, the mental aspect is the first thing you’ll notice when you’re overtrained. If you’re overtrained, a one- or two-day break can be a great thing for your state of mind.

Anyway, I’d say check out the book. Be prepared to start training with a heart rate monitor and to have very structured workouts. But it’ll help you grow as an athlete.

Julie Says:

April 3rd, 2008, 13:43 pm

Last year I signed up to do a 1/2 marathon with the leukemia lymphoma society. I was a pure couch potato at the beginning. But our coach gave us a slow steady progression to the work out, which allowed me to be able to complete the 1/2 marathon. Each month the schedule got a little longer in time spent on the road. Meeting with the team each Sat for the long workout made me get out of bed.
A suggestion made to me in the middle of the training was to have another goal for after the marathon. I did not head this advice and found myself slipping back into couch potato realm.
So I am now using our old calanders to get ready for the Nike 1/2 in SF. It is a little harder without a cause or a team, but it does feel good to be back out there moving.

Anand Says:

April 4th, 2008, 5:44 am

>1. What are your exercise goals? And how do you decide what they will be?

My excercise goals have been evolving with age and the passage of time.
At age 20, my goal was to be amongst the biggest and most muscular boys in my circle. And I would just goahead and do squats with 220lbs. with ease.
But with getting into a career and with less and less excercise time, It gradually reduced from extreme weight training to moderate strength training and at present, I am 32 and concentrate a lot on stretching, running and moderate weight training ot keep myself fighting fit.

My goal for 2008 is to go from waist size 38 inch to 36 inch.

>2. If you’re having a hard time getting into exercising (or back into it), what are your main obstacles? How are you trying to address those obstacles, or how have you overcome them?

This normally happens when I miss excercising for more than 2 weeks. Then a third week is wasted mostly trying to get up and get going!
My ‘most used’ mechanism to motivate me is to write in BIG LETTERS and paste it infront of me, a reminder to get up and get going.

Erin Martin Says:

April 4th, 2008, 9:46 am

My exercise goals used to be:
strength train 2 days a week
run one interval, one speed, and one long run each week, outside and add at least 1-2 more days of other cardio
also stick to a strict diet which was essential for my running.
my only obstacle was time and energy:
I have a sleep disorder and worked about 45 hrs a week which made it hard sometimes to get my routine in, however I usually managed it, cause I love both strength training and running.
I could leg press almost 5 times my body weight, which isn’t bad for a woman my size( I’m pretty small).
Now my goals have changed cause I’m just over 13 weeks pregnant (yea!!!)
my goals now are:
to lift twice a week and to run 2-3 days a week. My runs are just runs. I try to run at least a couple of miles at whatever pace I feel comfortable at. No speed work, no long runs(at least nothing too… long), no interval. I was training for a half which is this sun. but not anymore. I’ve done a few 5K’s but just for fun. I also try to get in walks with the dog, swimming once a week and the arc trainer or elliptical once a week. I also try to take as many yoga classes as I can, usually about 2 per week.
My obstacles now are more in quantity and severity. I’m still working overtime at work, so that combined with pregnancy makes me very tired. I also can’t take my meds for my sleep disorder because they could hurt the baby. Now I’m absolutely exhausted all the time so when I do have time (which is very little) for exercise, I am tired and it’s hard to do. I’m still trying though, I like it, it makes me happy and it’s important for the health of the me and the baby.
Snaps to everyone in their goals and the ways you achieve them. Keep up the good work!

JMann Says:

April 4th, 2008, 14:19 pm

I just started back doing jujitsu, and the key for me is consistency. I could actually go 4 times a week, but then if I miss a day, I would be frustrated and feel like I failed. So I keep it “simple”, once a week, until I get back in shape to handle more. If I miss a week, the key is to get back into it the next time I can. My biggest hurdle is showing up… you had written a great comment about that.. to go running, make sure you make it out the door… the rest will just happen. :-)

Cely Says:

April 4th, 2008, 16:36 pm

I do high-intensity yoga, and boxing fitness classes. The classes are very challenging, so for me, the key is to get to class as many times as possible. I keep a small calendar in my desk and at the beginning of each month, I put down a target number of workouts for that month. Usually that number is the days in the month minus two.

After I work out, I circle the day and note which class I took. In months where I fall behind due to illness or laziness, I make up the workouts by doing both yoga and boxing on one day. If I can hit my goal number each month, I definitely see and feel results.

Joe Banks Says:

April 7th, 2008, 10:34 am

one set of 50 pushups and one set of 50 situps a day. Thats it. Sometimes I do more but I make it a point to never do less. I found that the real harm in having an exercise regime is setting goals too high then not having time to do them so you eventually give up. Just set minimums for every day that you know that you can do and complete at 5 minutes to midnight when you are dead tired. You can always do more if you feel it - and you be surprised how often you feel it once you don’t feel the pressure to have to do it.