I just did 20 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise per day for 8 weeks.

It was pretty good, I guess. My fitness is much improved. 150 minutes per week is what all the public health information websites recommend that everyone should get, so according to them I’m almost doing the bare minimum for the first time in my life. I’m pretty old, so it took some time for it to start having an effect. It feels like it will probably take another 8 weeks before my body actually starts getting used to it and stops getting stronger so quickly as it still is doing for now.

  • watson@sopuli.xyz
    27·
    9 days ago

    I wish I had the willpower to do this. I’ve tried multiple times but I get so bored working out that I never stick with it.

    • tomkatt@lemmy.worldEnglish
      23·
      9 days ago

      Try Dance Dance Revolution. I’ve been weightlifting for years but hate cardio. DDR got me moving and sticking with it because it’s fun and gamified via scoring.

      ITGMania for the app and Stepmania Online or Zenius-I-vanisher for song packs.

      ———

      Edit - ITGMania is an In The Groove oriented application. There’s also Outfox which is available on Steam.

      I use ITGMania with XX Starlight theme which switches it to a DDR Max/Supernova style and scoring.

      If you’re new to DDR none of this will matter to you, but figured I’d add it just in case, especially since IIRC In The Groove may have tighter frame timing for steps, I forget. 🤷

          • OopsOverbombing@lemmy.world
            4·
            9 days ago

            My buddy in middle school modified some soft mats in the easiest way possible. Literally sandwiched between a piece of wood and some plastic that were screwed together. Bought everything at home depot and then boom you’ve got a cheap hard mat that works great.

            • tomkatt@lemmy.worldEnglish
              3·
              9 days ago

              I did similar. 1/2” sheet of ply board, staple down the mat edge trim with a staple gun, and tape down the edge with duct tape. Didn’t even need the acrylic sheet or whatever and I used that mat for years.

              Currently using the soft mat as is because I don’t have a lot of space and it’s nice to fold it up into the cube storage under my coffee table when not in use. I put some silicone grip tape under the arrows to keep it from sliding around much when in use, and it’s good enough up to around 8-10 difficulty.

    • VibeSurgeon@piefed.socialEnglish
      14·
      9 days ago

      It makes it significantly easier if you find an activity you actually enjoy, such that you don’t dread the activity or find it a chore.

      For me, the thing I dreaded was running, and the thing I enjoyed was cycling. I have since started liking running as well, but cycling was what got me into any form of cardio.

      • Bluescluestoothpaste@sh.itjust.works
        8·
        9 days ago

        I would think even more generally, like go fly a kite or a drone, play with a pet outside, go work on your car, like literally anything. It just doesn’t have to be any kind of actual sport or timed cardiovascular exercise. I think most people who don’t work out just dont like the idea of setting a timer and doing some fixed repetitive exercise, those people like me have to think outside the box.

    • PancakesCantKillMe@lemmy.world
      10·
      9 days ago

      I’ve put a tv in the room and put on youtube shows which keeps me distracted from the drudgery of the workout. Further motivation if I save my favorite channels for the workout. Works very well for me.