Exercise is good for you. But getting started and following your workout plan — not to mention dieting and getting enough rest — can be tough.
So, the Instagram account Fitness Motivation and Comedy is trying to bring a little bit more fun into the equation.
It regularly shares motivational memes that describe every step of the journey, allowing people to relate to one another through their achievements and struggles, making the whole experience more enjoyable and less isolating.
After all, it’s the process that counts, not the results!
More info: Instagram
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Karina Inkster, MA, PTS, who is a personal trainer and owner of K. I. Health & Fitness, has witnessed people make 2 mistakes that really hinder their progress.
The first one is maintaining an all-or-nothing mindset. "People often believe they have to be '100% perfect' on their diets at all times and nail every single workout without fail, otherwise they may as well quit," Inkster told Bored Panda.
"This is not sustainable (or fun!), and not even professional fitness nuts like me operate at 100% all the time. Instead, try fostering an 'always something' mindset. Aim to make 80% of your foods fit your health and physique goals. Aim for 80% consistency in your workouts. If you don't have an hour to work out, do 10 minutes. 'Always something,' not 'all-or-nothing.'"
I occasionally read the whiny texts of these Chads and I can say that they worked well as motivators. When I just can't do the last repetitions of the set or the wall hits me in the middle of cardio, I think about them and get new energy. If being in good shape repels certain types of childman, then it's a win-win situation.
Both are difficult tho— actually going to the gym is an accomplishment
The second mistake is relying on motivation to stay consistent. "Motivation is fickle. Some days we feel motivated, other days we don't. If you rely only on motivation to stay consistent with your fitness and nutrition goals, you're setting yourself up for failure," Inkster explained.
"Instead, teach yourself to stay consistent without motivation. Adapt your environment so it better supports your goals. Find workout accountability buddies. Prep large portions of food on the weekend to set yourself up for the workweek."
Until you get to the “one of the girls” bit….ffs, do we need that sexist bs?
Here and I thought it was making fun of toxic masculinity. It's really hard keeping up with what to be offended by every week. It's almost as if I need to get over myself and stop looking for things to get offended by. Maybe life is too short to be mad all the time.
Load More Replies...Omfg. Yes, it's sarcasm. Yes, it's meant to shame men. YES, it's misogynistic and unnecessary and an old, tired, stupid joke. Can you all get over yourselves, please, and move on to something, Idk... clever?
we had to move tables and my teacher said “girls, if the tables are too heavy have one of the boys do it” MAAM i could easily carry twice that weight
To remove sexism change to "one of the "kids" will be happy to help you. See how easy that was.
Actually this is is quite the clever joke. It‘s poking fun at certain toxic masculine jokes like ‚you‘re such a girl“ etc. And then it‘s making fun of these so called „strong“ men, that think girls are weak. But apparently the weak girlsare stronger than them.
No. Shaming people (BTW the sign doesn't specify it's aimed at men, you assuming that says a lot) who are perfectly strong to lift the weights and workout with them but too weak to put them back where they belong.
Load More Replies...Of course, physical limitations and health problems also play a part in prohibiting us from getting/staying in shape, since more than half of U.S. adults have some chronic condition.
Modern life deserves much of the blame, too, with long, sedentary work days and infrastructure that often makes it easier to hop in the car than walk or bike to where you need to go.
Furthermore, research has shown that people who don't make much money are less likely to exercise than wealthier people, in part because they may live in areas with fewer spaces where it’s safe and pleasant to be active.
And scientific findings suggest there's one more major obstacle: our brains don't want our bodies to exercise.
For most of our existence, we had to be physically active to carry out the basic functions of life, such as finding or growing food. So humans evolved to tolerate a high level of activity—but also to gravitate toward rest when possible, to save energy for when movement was either necessary or pleasurable, said Daniel Lieberman, a human evolutionary biologist and author of Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to Do is Healthy and Rewarding.
Wen you live on the 3rd floor and both your kids legs mysteriously stops working wen approaching the steps xD
Simply put, hunter-gatherers weren't out jogging to burn calories. From an evolutionary perspective, "that would be a stupid thing to do," Lieberman said. "You're wasting energy on something that's not going to give you any benefit whatsoever."
Now, many of us don't move much in the course of daily life, but the evolutionary instinct to preserve energy remains, Lieberman explained. "That disinclination, that reluctance, that voice that says, 'I don't want to [exercise],' is completely normal and natural."
But we need to fight that urge, as consistent exercise is good for our health and well-being.
The 2018 physical activity guidelines recommend that adults engage in at least 150 to 300 minutes per week of moderate exercise, 75 to 150 minutes each week of vigorous movement, or an equivalent combination of both intensities.
(Moderate physical activity is defined as walking, weightlifting, and lower-intensity exercise. Meanwhile, vigorous exercise is categorized as running, bicycling, and swimming.)
Soo true, In 8th grade there was boy in my class who got his arm sprained or something like that, when he tried to do one hand push ups. Another guys lifts dumbells and make reels out of them. This was all right after covid eneded and school opened. Those guys spent their free time doing things like this during those 2 and a half years. I kinda wish I thought of this at that time.
However, a 30-year study of more than 116,000 U.S. adults discovered that going beyond that substantially contributes to longevity.
Participants who performed two to four times above the recommended amount of moderate physical activity had a 26% to 31% lower all-cause mortality and a 28% to 38% lower risk of cardiovascular disease mortality.
Or they are a working mum of 3 and it’s literally the only goddam time they get to themselves. Don’t know if that’s revenge, but it’s something.
"Those who have achieved long-term results have trained themselves to operate without motivation," Karina Inkster added. "They do what needs to get done, even when they don’t feel like it."
"Real, lasting results take a long time to achieve. Instead of measuring outcomes you don’t have direct control over (like scale weight, your waist measurement, how much you can bench press, etc.), track the variables you do have control over. This includes the reps and sets you do in your workouts, your nutrition (calories and macros), recovery metrics like sleep and mobility work, etc. This way, you become attached to the process rather than the outcome, which helps you stick with your habits long-term."
What does it even mean "not a functional muscle group"? Every muscle in our body is functional.
When did 'going gym" become english. Or do gains erode your grammar.
As for "cheat days," Karina and her training team do not use the term. "It instills guilt, which is not a psychologically healthy construct to associate with food," she explained. "Instead, we say 'treat,' which is much more positive. The point is to enjoy these foods, after all! If you’re following the 80% rule (which is what I recommend for long-term results), you'll have treats built into your everyday life."
"I eat dark chocolate every single day, for example. Different things work for different people, but sticking to a strict diet plan during the week and then having a 'cheat' day on the weekend is not an approach we recommend."
So whether it's mineral water, memes, or treats, if you can bypass your caveman brain and get moving, you should reap the benefits and start feeling better!
Why is Ben Affleck’s head photoshopped on his body on that right oic?
I'm new to the fitness world. I'm trying to lose unhealthy weight and have tricked myself into motivation by signing up for a 10k and am following the 'Couch to 10k' training method. I'm kind of excited cause after 3 weeks, I was able to carry up two bags of 16kg soil bags (one bag each trip) up 4 flights of stairs and my legs didn't buckle and I wasn't gasping for air. I mean, I was breathing hard but I didn't die! Lol Im hoping to work more on my calorie deficit now that I'm not so busy I can actually sit down and plan. Anywho, yeah. I'm new here :)
The best part is, even if you stop working out one day, your body will remember. I had some serious injuries (not from working out) the last years and took a break from working out, even gained weight and felt terribly weak, but when I started working out again, it just took a few weeks to become quite strong again. Muscle memory effect is fascinating.
Load More Replies...I'm new to the fitness world. I'm trying to lose unhealthy weight and have tricked myself into motivation by signing up for a 10k and am following the 'Couch to 10k' training method. I'm kind of excited cause after 3 weeks, I was able to carry up two bags of 16kg soil bags (one bag each trip) up 4 flights of stairs and my legs didn't buckle and I wasn't gasping for air. I mean, I was breathing hard but I didn't die! Lol Im hoping to work more on my calorie deficit now that I'm not so busy I can actually sit down and plan. Anywho, yeah. I'm new here :)
The best part is, even if you stop working out one day, your body will remember. I had some serious injuries (not from working out) the last years and took a break from working out, even gained weight and felt terribly weak, but when I started working out again, it just took a few weeks to become quite strong again. Muscle memory effect is fascinating.
Load More Replies...