If you to live a long and happy life, you’re going to have to find some way to move your body, eat well, and stay active.
That sounds like a life sentence.
As of today, there’s no way around it
You’re going to have to do this for the rest of your life.
That’s all great if you love going to the gym, and you love exercising, and you love feeling that sweat after a good workout.
But what happens if that’s not you?
Are you doomed to a life of being unhealthy?
I saw this on Reddit recently, is this you?
Truth is: I can’t stand 90% of exercise
Although no one believes me when I say that
They say:
“You’re an ex-athlete.”
“You’re so fit.”
“Of course you love to exercise.”
Yeah but very specific things only.
The idea of running on a treadmill for an hour or hopping on a bike really bores me.
Lifting weights gets repetitive really fast.
BUT
I love a good hike
I’ll practice things like slacklining, muscle ups, and handstands.
There are a few things that I’ll do happily at the drop of a hat.
this pretty much sums it up for me
(btw, I’m not saying that running, biking, or lifting weights is objectively boring. Of course that’s not true. They just don’t seem to work for ME)
Maybe having Exercise ADHD is a thing?
I’m always looking for some new and interesting workout.
Sometimes I’ll see a program, and it will get me excited. I feel a rush of motivation and energy.
(This one is on my eye right now)
(And you know where this is heading…)
…I’ll get the program, go at it for a couple of weeks, plateau, hit a wall, lose motivation and stop.
And then the program just sits there gathering dust…
…BUT that’s not the end of the story
Over time, I’ve built up a fun library of programs
Through the years of trying out different programs, I curated a selection of things that I enjoy doing again and again.
I might not do them all year round, but sooner or later, I end up coming back.
Here’s my personal favorites:
- Messing Around on my Slackline
- Hiking (this one specific mountain)
- GMB Elements (Basics of Locomotion)
- Working on my Handstand
- Working on my Muscle Up
- Stronglifts 5×5
And I currently have my eye on these two:
(** Any time I can own the program for life, that works out well for me— it takes the pressure off and lets me use the program when the time is right)
My Sweet Spot: 5 week cycles
Over time I’ve discovered that the perfect amount of time for me to work on something is about 5 weeks.
It usually looks like this
- Weeks 1-2: Full of excitement, eager to train, learning a lot
- Week 3: Starting to lose novelty, still making progress but it’s slowing down
- Week 4: I’m starting to skip workouts, If I’m not careful I might get injured
- Week 5: Practice a bit, But focusing more on reflecting, learning, and planning the next cycle.
So for anything above, I’ll do it for 5 weeks at a time.
Usually it depends on external factors too
- I only slackline when I’m at the beach for the summer (May or June)
- I prefer to hike when the weather is cool (Jan to March)
- Stronglifts needs a gym, and it’s great to be in airconditioning during the summer (Apr, May, or June)
They also
BUT you might ask:
Do you make any real progress on any of these exercises?
The Cook and Simmer Framework
The answer is “yes I do”
But it takes way longer than you think…
If I do handstands 5 weeks a year, it takes a long time to get good.
BUT
The progress is there! it’s just slow and steady.
I call this the “Cook and Simmer” Framework
Why?
Because while I’m actively “cooking” one skill for 5-weeks, the other skills can “simmer” in the background.
Don’t try to do everything at once! Focus on one thing— and let the rest simmer.
When I eventually get back to doing my handstands, I’m not back to zero progress. I still have some of my skill.
Through the ups and downs— It’s been simmering the whole time
Reject Short Term Success— Focus on Long term PLAY
I’ve been playing on the slackline since 2015
I’ve been working on my handstand since 2019
I’ve been practicing the muscle up since 2021
Oh and by the way, I’m not particularly good at any of them 😂
I can walk back and forth on the slackline, but no tricks.
I might hold a short handstand, but I’ve never hit 10 seconds.
I haven’t even gotten my first muscle up yet!
But that’s not the point!
Remember: My goal is not to have a perfect handstand
My goal is to move for life.
Learning the handstand just happens to be one of the lifelong pursuits that can HELP ME stay moving for life.
Even if I never ever get the handstand, I’m not going to stop practicing.
I find it fun. I’ll do it for one or two 5-week cycles in a year.
And that’s already winning for me!
Let’s sum it up
- Boredom, Losing Motivation is Normal
- Find Inspiring Programs — Own Them Forever
- Curate your Personal Fun Exercise Library
- Cycle them for life! (Cook and Simmer)