Need Motivation

I

imp

Senior Member
As time progresses, and the aches & pains progress along with it, I find personal motivation more and more difficult to secure. As a young adult, I lifted weights very regularly.

Do folks here have any ideas regarding "psyching" one's self up? Do you exercise regularly, or just when feeling up to it?

Thanks for any ideas! imp
 

Imp, I exercise daily. If it's tough for you to begin try gentler exercises like yoga or tai chi and qi gong which emphasize slower easier movements and will open your chakras which should make you feel better in the long run and more energized to weight train if that's what you want to do.

Weight training is awesome exercise because you see results quickly, but if your body is protesting try to encourage it with a gentler alternative. As long as you're moving and your blood is flowing, you'll benefit from any exercise program. And that's the idea isn't it.
 
I struggle with this a lot every day. I find myself wondering why I'm beating up on myself at this late date. I guess part of the answer is that it's hard to teach an old dog new tricks. Another part of the answer is that I've been taken in by the age deniers who preach that eighty is the new sixty. On the other hand I feel I have made some progress accepting the shortcomings that old age has brought to my life. This is definitely something I want to come to terms with and sooner rather than later.
 

Imp, my motivation lately was just to remain mobile and flexible in my old age. I'm doing fine so far, and I want to keep up my strength, bone health, etc. so I don't become frail when I'm older. I take daily walks regularly, and other exercise I do a few times a week when I feel like it or have the time.

Just stretching daily will help so much with keeping limber, something I need to do more of. I really believe in that saying 'use it or lose it'. I think your joints get tighter if you don't exercise at least with walking. Certain back and neck stretches can rejuvenate the fluids between the bones in your spine, etc.

Weight bearing exercises really help to keep bone density, avoid osteoporosis (or lessen it), and it raises the metabolism to help lose some weight. So, that's enough incentive for me anyway, I want to be able to care for myself as long as possible, hopefully till I pass on.
 
Imp, you've been given good advice already. I worked out and use weights off and on since 40, but when I saw 60 looming I got very motivated. Since then - I'm now 63 - I've faithfully worked out. During a normal week (not traveling, no guests in the house) I will do muscle building workouts about 4 - 4 1/2 hours a week, and cardio 2 1/2. I physically feel more like 40. That keeps me motivated.
 
With my 50th high school reunion coming up next month and the burning desire for several of my fellow male graduates to say to themselves "WOW! LOOK WHAT I PASSED UP!", I started on an exercise regimen a few months ago, mostly walking. With a very nicely-equipped workout room here at the RV park, I've been working out on the machines and walking almost every day for the past 7 weeks. I've lost 15 pounds, I've gone down a size (and maybe even 2) and my arm-dangles no longer flap like flags when I ride my bike (which is good, because it was frightening the squirrels something awful).

Unfortunately, I don't have the time or the money for extensive plastic surgery, so I'm pretty sure I'm still not going to get the reaction I'm looking for. Bummer.
 
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jujube said:
With my 50th high school reunion coming up next month and the burning desire for several of my fellow male graduates to say to themselves "WOW! LOOK WHAT I PASSED UP!", I started on an exercise regimen a few months ago, mostly walking. With a very nicely-equipped workout room here at the RV park, I've been working out on the machines and walking almost every day for the past 7 weeks. I've lost 15 pounds, I've gone down a size (and maybe even 2) and my arm-dangles no longer flap like flags when I ride my bike (which is good, because it was frightening the squirrels something awful).

Unfortunately, I don't have the time or the money for extensive plastic surgery, so I'm pretty sure I'm still not going to get the reaction I'm looking for. Bummer.
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Congrats! Well done! :)
 
My motivation is to stay mobil and weigh less. The more weight the harder to carry around and the harder to breathe and get around. I use a small pedal device, rubber bands, and when I feel like it, I walk. I psych myself up every week.
 
Imp, if you need motivation to get started, here's how I do it.

Find a quiet place---go sit in the woods or a park. Have a serious talk with yourself along these lines....
Name all the good reasons you should do this. Tell yourself you have been thinking about doing this for X months. If you had started X months ago, look what a good place you would be in now. You don't want to be in the same place a year from now. So today is the day to start, not tomorrow. Then run back to the house and start, immediately. :)
 
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When I was 59 and working out on my own and using my judgement in regard to food, I found it wasn't working very well. So I joined a free online diet forum, started counting calories. Every day I would list my foods, calories, what workouts I did. We'd all pat each on the back and give each other lots of support. I found that really helpful.
 
SeaBreeze said:
Imp, my motivation lately was just to remain mobile and flexible in my old age. I'm doing fine so far, and I want to keep up my strength, bone health, etc. so I don't become frail when I'm older. I take daily walks regularly, and other exercise I do a few times a week when I feel like it or have the time.

Just stretching daily will help so much with keeping limber, something I need to do more of. I really believe in that saying 'use it or lose it'. I think your joints get tighter if you don't exercise at least with walking. Certain back and neck stretches can rejuvenate the fluids between the bones in your spine, etc.

Weight bearing exercises really help to keep bone density, avoid osteoporosis (or lessen it), and it raises the metabolism to help lose some weight. So, that's enough incentive for me anyway, I want to be able to care for myself as long as possible, hopefully till I pass on.
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Excellent comment on all points SeaBreeze!

I started being motivated back in my forties when we got the horses (for our girls) and I've kept it up ever since.

I don't know how old you are Imp, but maybe some videos of old folks who are fit would inspire you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Clk6r8tjlno&spfreload=10

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUtv4slpm-U&spfreload=10

and this one I found really interesting as it talks about high intensity interval training for anti-aging benefits, 10 minutes, 3x per week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzJRipnfitg

I read about this a few months ago and began doing the high intensity stuff and I feel fabulous. The only downside is that I put so much into it when I work out, I very often feel like I seriously need a nap later in the afternoon. But generally speaking, I feel so much stronger and fitter! And then combined with a seriously good stretch after the workout, I'm feeling better than I did when I was in my forties. Hope you find something to help you get motivated because it is so worth it!
 
imp, relaxing in a hot tub at 100* or so for 15 minutes provides instant rehabilitation from muscle and joint aches and pains. I think about the hot tub while running or lifting and it makes it easier! The only problem is that I can never seem to find my swim suit when I'm headed for the hot tub.
 
Agman said:
imp, relaxing in a hot tub at 100* or so for 15 minutes provides instant rehabilitation from muscle and joint aches and pains. I think about the hot tub while running or lifting and it makes it easier! The only problem is that I can never seem to find my swim suit when I'm headed for the hot tub.
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No problem! Hell, I ain't even GOT one! Gotta go, someone waits.....
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imp
 
For me, I'm motivated to exercise because I want to stay active and flexible as long as possible and I know that if I don't MOVE now my joints will just get worse. Having been involuntarily inactive back before my hips were fixed and hating every minute of it, I want to do all I can to keep on moving. I also know that every pound I might gain increases the stress on joints and I don't want that to happen.

My sweet dog Bonnie is my personal trainer. She gives me accusing looks and threatens to call the Humane Association if I don't take her on her daily long walks. She is an older girl, too, and has a touch of arthritis, so we work on it together. Bonnie is also trying to drop a couple of pounds she gained by being inactive before I adopted her.
 
Imp, try to find something that is fun to do. Make working out play and not work. Personally I mix it up and try to keep my workouts fresh. In any given week I may lift weights, mountain bike, swim or run. If it's fun, you will be more likely to stick with it. I noticed that you live south of Laughlin near the Colorado river. Find something fun to do on the water like fishing or rowing. Go hiking in those beautiful mountains that surround the river valley. The activity doesn't matter, just as long as you're moving. Good luck!
 
Imp, I need motivation too. I need to lose at least 50 pounds and exercise. I have some exercise dvds I can use when it's cold out. I don't know how to psyche myself up either. I've been saying I want to exercise for a year now and haven't done it. I hope to at least start taking longer walks at the park with my dog once the weather is nice again. I like to walk with her and she loves it, too. I'm always afraid my knee is going to start acting up like it did before when I was trying to walk more. It is stabbing excrutiating pain so it's scary. I may just take an anti inflamatory before I go out walking. That should help. Best wishes to you with getting motivated!
 
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My motivation is "If you don't use it, you will lose it." And since I haven't been using it...I am losing it. My Medicare plan comes with a free Silver Sneakers gym membership though and there's and excellent gym right down the street from us that is on the list. It has an indoor pool too. My plan takes effect tomorrow and that gym is going to be one of the first places I go check out before I head to the store to buy me some gym workout clothes. I want to tone up and strengthen my body but most of all I want to know that I am doing the best I can to be the best I can be while going through my senior years.
 
I joined the gym that is right by my house and picked up a few sessions with a personal trainer. I have to say she is killing me. but for me what has helped on the non trainer days, is a schedule. I have it into my daily routine that at x o:clock I go to the gym and do my thing. I started off at just going for 20 minutes. But some movement is better than 0 movement. I slowly am working my way up to more and more. I do NOT aspire to be an athlete at this age, just want to "tone" be more flexible and have a healthier body. Once my sessions end with my trainer I will pick up odds and ends of what she has taught me, along with the cardio and continue to feed and fortify my body.
 
imp said:
As time progresses, and the aches & pains progress along with it, I find personal motivation more and more difficult to secure. As a young adult, I lifted weights very regularly.

Do folks here have any ideas regarding "psyching" one's self up? Do you exercise regularly, or just when feeling up to it?

Thanks for any ideas! imp
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Boy oh boy, I hear you. I'm in the same place.
 
Last year my motivation was the doctor telling me that I should go on statins because my cholesterol was up, so that got me started. I'm also motivated because there's lots of heart disease on my mother's side of the family. Lord knows I've worked too hard to have a heart attack just after retiring. Joined a gym at the beginning of the year and am now going regularly. It's close to the house which is important.

I do think that in terms of motivation, as others have said you need to work up to it so that it become part of your routine and that you need to start slowly. Work up to something over a period of weeks so you don't get discouraged by lack of progress or the pains that can come from doing too much too soon.
 

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