Help this busy office worker stick to an exercise routine!?

January 18, 2009 10:46 AM

Help this busy office worker stick to an exercise routine!?

Hello everyone!

Here's my dilemma. I love exercising, but only when I have unlimited time and there are zero obstacles. Every time I have a flexible schedule--like when I was in grad school--I get into amazing shape. I'm one of these people, who if I were independently wealthy, would work out two hours a day. However, I'm so tired and busy from work that exercise is the LAST thing that I want to fit into my hectic day. I guess I'm a picky exerciser. I love running outside but I hate the gym with a passion. (Since I live in the northeast I can only run for half the year at most. Every winter I turn into a couch potato.) My work schedule is very busy and I have obligations after work 3 days per week.

These are the options I've considered thus far:

--Getting up early and do exercise DVDs at home before work. PROS: Cheap, convenient. CONS: I am a night owl and it's hard enough for me to even wake up as it is, let alone an hour earlier.

--Joining a cheap gym right near me and do the elliptical or treadmill (they only have machines, no classes) after work on my free days and weekends. PROS: Cheap, convenient. CONS: I expect to hate it and I'm also afraid I wont stick to it since I'm so tired after work.

--Joining the gym at my office. PROS: It's tiny but cheap and I could go at lunchtime if I'd get to work a bit earlier. This would be a great pick-me-up. CONS: I'd go back to work sweaty (no shower) and it would surely be dull as all get-out.

--Joining a fancier, spa-like gym. PROS: Would be pleasant and have lots of classes; maybe the cost and the environment would inspire me (guilt me?) into going on a regular basis. CONS: expensive and won't be convenient to home OR office.

Are there ideas I have overlooked. What has worked for you? Which of these sounds like the best option for a lazy exerciser?

posted by limonade to health & fitness (19 comments total)

I take boxing lessons, two evenings a week, with a private trainer. It is a HELL of a workout and I'm learning how to do something. I burn so many calories during these sessions that I probably don't need to do any other exercise.

But -- in order to improve and get the most out of my training, I get up in the morning, and jumprope, do crunches and shadowbox. This takes about 15 minutes max, and requires me to do nothing but move my coffee table out of the way in the living room.

I find a way to fit it into my life, because it's not just exercise, it's becoming a hobby -- something where I want to improve.
posted by pazazygeek at 11:00 AM on January 18, 2009

I used to wake up early, do a Pilates/Yoga DVD for about forty-fifty minutes, go to work, come home and run two miles at night outside.

It was a gentle way of waking up and at night it helped me blow off energy and get out in the fresh air and also get my mind in zen mode for sleep - I was in Seattle so I ran downtown and along the pier, beautiful. Plus, you get in strength training, flexibility and cardio all in one day and it felt REEEEALY good to stretch the morning after a hard run.

But I also hate the gym. I only ever go if there is a competitive-swimming / Olympic pool and those are hard to come by.
posted by HolyWood at 11:03 AM on January 18, 2009

...only when I have unlimited time and there are zero obstacles.

You must make the practice (exercise routine) the utmost priority in your life. It must come before work... perhaps literally, like at 5 or 6am.

I suggest a "30 day challenge" to seal the commitment, to establish the momentum of the routine, to show your face to another group of people, to silently express "I'm going to be here frequently." Sticking to a class time that executes with discipline (eg, door closes, no late passes) will help you arrive on time.

I've only done so-so with gyms (also, see recent thread regarding "gym membership" on this site). I personally need something that begins early in the day, with inferred peer pressure, with an instructor watching me and telling me what to do and to do more of it.
posted by ezekieldas at 11:12 AM on January 18, 2009

Workouts you can do at home:
with little or no equipment (lots of YouTube videos demonstrating technique)
with a sledgehammer (No experience with this, but the lifehack community recommends this as a quick form of exercise that's designed to hold the interest of people who don't like the gym).

Solution to the workplace no-shower problem:
Rocket Shower (I've been using this at school to solve the same problem for about 6 months. It's designed for people who commute into work via bike or running. It's worked wonders for me - you spray it on, dry wipe it off, and it kills all of the bacteria that comes onto your skin in your sweat. Dries scentless. This and a stick of deodorant are all I need.)

Solution to the dullness problem:
Get into podcasts! All sorts of recommendations on AskMe, and it's just as good if not better than watching TV.

By all means, don't pay for a gym if you don't have to - either go at work, or do some basic floor exercises at home in front of the tube.
posted by l33tpolicywonk at 11:16 AM on January 18, 2009 [1 favorite]

I would forget about the gym - if you hate it, you won't do it. Especially the office gym. Tiny and showerless. Bleh. Also, as a fellow night owl, I wouldn't try to do the morning workout. I know people for whom that is the only thing that works, but it's way too easy for me to mash snooze.

The only thing that has ever worked for me is going immediately after class/work/whatever is the last thing of the day before I go home. You don't mention how late your after-work obligations go, but would it be feasible to run right after them? You could keep your shoes and clothes in your car, perhaps. As for not being able to run half the year - have you tried it? I used to run year-round in Iowa, which is colder than New York but not quite as cold as, say, Caribou, Maine. I'm a lot more resistant to cold than most people, but I was out there in shorts, a stocking cap, and a sweatshirt, which I ended up unzipping halfway through my run most of the time. If you decked yourself out with some proper cold-weather running gear, I bet you could do it.

On preview: l33tpolicywonk's recommendation of shovelgloving is also great. I did that for awhile, too, but it was too hazardous to my possessions in a studio apartment with a ceiling fan. If you've got space, it's a lot of fun.
posted by McBearclaw at 11:25 AM on January 18, 2009

If I don't get my workout in first thing, I don't do it at all. I hit the gym around 5:30 or 6. Hard at first, but it gets easier. Plus you have that fun feeling of smug superiority working out with all the Type As at the gym. What helped me: eating a banana and drinking a cup of caffeinated tea before I went.

I also joined a 4-week fitness bootcamp that started at 5:45am. I hated life at 6am, but loved it at 7 -- I'd made it through another session! (Again: smug satisfaction.)

Can you watch TV/movies on your iPod at the work gym?

My brother bought a used treadmill on Craigslist, stuck it in his electrified outdoor man-cave, and now he and his wife run every day, watching TV. (Sadly, I have no man-cave nor do I have room for a treadmill.)
posted by mdiskin at 11:29 AM on January 18, 2009

You sound like me. I struggled with schedule & picking a workout activity for years, before figuring something out. Unlike you, however, I hated exercising. HATED it, but I needed to get in shape and lose weight in a big way. My schedule was insane and I tried to shoehorn working out into my after work hours but things like overtime at work & social events happened that would eventually sabotage that routine. I am also a night owl and the thought of getting up crazy early was appalling to me, but my situation was only getting worse.

So, I sucked it up and tried getting up in the wee hours of the morning out. Once I had readjusted my sleep schedule (going to bed much earlier) so I could get my 7-8 hours, getting up at 5AM (or 5:30 if I'm feeling lazy), became okay. Since I have some hardcore goals in mind, I aim for going every morning, but tend to go 5 times a week, which is definitely working and having 2 mornings to wake up more leisurely or sleep in can be a godsend. I do know that if I don't go more than 2 days in a row, it is harder to get back into the swing of things. Basically, I think the key is to establish a routine and stick to it. It sucks at first, I'm not going to lie, but you do adjust and, in the end, the benefits are enough motivation to keep going.

As for activity, I wasn't a fan of the gym either, but my work pays for it & it's climate controlled. If you're a runner, I think the treadmill seems like a pretty good substitute, especially if you challenge yourself by varying speeds and inclines. I do about 30 min. of weight training followed by 30 min of cardio, which is usually powerwalking on the treadmill and it works out well. I need my iPod to get through the cardio, but my progress keeps me coming back. My point is that nothing is perfect & you can find pros and cons to everything, but once it becomes part of your daily routine, you'll find it more enjoyale & easier to fit in your busy life. Good luck!
posted by katemcd at 11:36 AM on January 18, 2009

I swear I'm not in the pocket of Nintendo, but I bought a Wii specifically so I could "play" WiiFit. When I get home, I work out, no matter how tired I am. Before I read my mail, before I start dinner, before I turn on the cable box. Walk in, get out of the work clothes, put on some sweats, do the yoga programs, do some cardio (running in place, boxing), do some strength work (pushups, crunches), do some balance work, maybe do a little more if my scores weren't as good as the day before.
posted by Etrigan at 12:17 PM on January 18, 2009 [1 favorite]

Bike to work. Find information on Bikeforums.net.

They have sections on both commuting and winter riding.
posted by BeaverTerror at 12:24 PM on January 18, 2009 [1 favorite]

Second the cycling. Depending on terrain, 5 miles (10 round-trip) is easy, 10 is medium, 15 hard. I used to do 11 each way. It was great. I used to eat tonnes of junk and never put on an ounce.
posted by rhymer at 12:35 PM on January 18, 2009

I love exercising, but only when I have unlimited time and there are zero obstacles.

You should change your approach. I suggest creating a 20-minute home bodyweight routine that you can stick to every day. Or joining that gym nearest to your home.

I found out that doing 15-20 minutes of yoga or bodyweight daily makes a huge difference. Much better than trying to stick with a 2 hours a day workout plan that you only manage to do once a month.
posted by Think [Instrumental] at 12:36 PM on January 18, 2009

Since I live in the northeast I can only run for half the year at most.

Whoa whoa whoa now. That is entirely incorrect. Seriously, all you need is the right clothing--base layers, insulating layers, and shells--and you'll be fine. I mean, it gets cold here (I'm in Philly) and all, but it's really not that bad, certainly no upper Midwest. Maybe one or two weeks per winter where it's in the single digits, most of the rest of the time comfortably in the 20s-30s. I cycle year round, and with running you have the benefit of less wind chill and (generally) higher heart rate.

Anyway, if you love running, you can certainly run all year round in the Northeast. Check out Runner's World's "What to Wear for Runners" applet. For example, here's what to wear in 0 degrees Fahrenheit, 20-30 mph wind, and snow.
posted by The Michael The at 12:59 PM on January 18, 2009 [1 favorite]

We got a decent elliptical trainer or $600 and use it all the time. If you have room in your home, I'd definitely suggest getting one. This has saved my household a LOT of money in unused gym memberships.

I load TV shows onto my laptop and watch those while I exercise. I find that a 45-60 minute stint on the elliptical goes by fast if I am engrossed in watching something.
posted by pluckysparrow at 12:59 PM on January 18, 2009

Thirding cycling. Since I started doing it, it has fundamentally changed my relationship to exercise.
posted by Happy Dave at 1:13 PM on January 18, 2009

"spa-like gym"
"lazy exerciser"

Aren't these oxymorons?

Learn some barbell exercises, go to the gym in your office, and who cares if you come back sweaty.
posted by tiburon at 1:36 PM on January 18, 2009

Get a dog. Having a pal to walk or run with before/after work is loads of fun. And sad puppy eyes provide all the guilt you need to motivate you to do it. Bonus: pretty cheap if you rescue (please do!) and comes with a side order of happy adoration of every fiber of your being. Biggest con is the occasional SBD farting but this is easily waved away. I love being tugged around the neighborhood for an hour by my three!
posted by hecho de la basura at 1:57 PM on January 18, 2009

Great ideas above, but here are a few more habits that work for me:

If you want to simultaneously improve your aerobic and anaerobic capacity, try Tabita squats, no equipment necessary.

If you don't have room for weights, get a heavy Thera-band and do resistance training wherever you want.

If you spend any amount of time in front of a screen watching TV, YouTube or movies, get a rebounder bounce your lymphatic system into shape.

Good luck!
posted by aquafortis at 5:23 PM on January 18, 2009

Two days a week, go directly to the gym from your office. Do not stop. Do not pass go. Arrive at gym, put on headphones, exercise. Then go home. Make this a part of your routine and go no matter what. Think of it as just part of your job. Upside of this is that you will be much less stressed by the time you get home, since you will have worked off some stress at the gym.
posted by charlesv at 5:56 PM on January 18, 2009 [1 favorite]

Upon arising, jump rope intervals (alternating balls to the wall skipping as fast as you can for 15 seconds with more moderate pace for 30 -40) for 5 minutes.

At your desk in your office every hour on the hour, 50 one handed dumbbell swings or snatches (25/ hand, alternating hands). This should take you about 1:30.

These exercises are great for having a high cardiovascular impact. Short and intense. Work it in with the above suggestions. Enjoy!
posted by Barry B. Palindromer at 10:47 AM on January 20, 2009