(no subject)

[shadesofmauve]

I'm really bad at fitting regular exercise into my schedule when I'm not biking, which includes things I really ought to be doing to keep my bad knee at optimum functionality. Over the last year I made several attempts at making myself exercise regularly before bed. It worked for a month at most, then I'd have a few late nights -- get home at 11 after a gig, or stay up too late gaming -- decide to hit the sack without working out, and fall off the wagon.

I don't think I'm magically going to get more willpower anytime soon, so instead I'm trying a different approach. I'm going to try to make a half hour of exercises a morning thing, before I go to work, on the theory that the morning time slot is more reliable than my evenings.

The one problem is that I've been waking up later and later over the last few years, but waking up earlier is a goal in and of itself. For Christmas my parents gave me a wake-up light alarm clock, which seems to be helping -- not a miracle cure or anything, but a start. I've been setting it for the same time as always, but I wake up better -- I haven't yet hit snooze in my sleep (which I managed repeatedly with my phone alarm) and I've gotten out of bed on average a half hour earlier than I was, which is a start.

The next part is making myself do the exercises even if it means getting to work late (I have a lot of schedule flexibility, so this just means I end up staying at work late, too). So far, so good. I did 3 sets of 10 of each of my four knee-xercises yesterday, and 2x5 core-type leg lifts and 2x25 diagonal crunches this morning. Tomorrow I'll do arms. I still need to either get better crunch form or learn a core exercise that hits the sides like diagonal crunches but doesn't make my shoulders miserable, though.

I want to keep track of my weights (for kneexercises and arms) and reps, this time. I didn't before, but I think seeing improvement should help with motivation. I think I may use the kitchen garden calendar westrider's mom gave to me, if I can figure out where I stashed it 'for safe keeping' when I cleaned the house a few weeks ago.

EDIT to add: I know quickly abandoned New Year's exercise resolutions are a truism, but this one is really more about the wake-up light and schedule rearrangement. I'll consider it a success if I can keep it up for even a few months. By then the weather will be warm enough (and my knee tough enough) to get back on the bike.

Comments

[westrider.livejournal.com]

Keeping records really helps. The only times I've managed to keep an exercise thing going for more than a week or so on my own, I've kept track on my calendar.

Best of luck with it!