Haven’t been in a mood to exercise for nearly a month. And I’m a reluctant exerciser even at my most motivated. I’m basically not a gym guy but am either too old or not suitably situated for the sports I used to enjoy being mediocre at (swimming, ultimate, ping pong, briefly squash).

My small apartment pool prohibits lap swimming. I can only easily swim when I travel to decent hotels or to parents home in India these days (their apartment has a decent pool)

I first realized I was getting old when I briefly tried to join an ultimate league in Rochester ~2007-08 when I was mid 30s. Just couldn’t keep up with the young people. There were a couple of super fit older people who played but most were in their 20s. That was ~17y ago.

In LA I lived right next to Griffith observatory and that hike was something I looked forward to. Here in Kirkland there’s a nice trail but it’s entirely flat so not really exercise unless I go for hours.

My theory on people who are able to exercise consistently (in non-sport ways) and even perhaps enjoy it is that they have non-narrative mindsets. Psyche strongly shaped by current state rather than memories/history.

They also tend to eschew theorizing past and future. They view past as data and future as blank canvas for planning. They don’t see the two as strong,y connected by a theorizable narrative logic.

I can only exercise consistently in particular narrative phases. Otherwise even minor things can derail me.

Blogger at ribbonfarm.com, running summerofprotocols.com, host of /gloom ☀️

Kinda rhymes with my experience. Enjoyment of non-sport exercise became a thing for me when the drive for explicit outcomes (look, weight, PRs) dissolved. I began to enjoy the literal experience of being embodied and in motion. Like the pleasant vibe from a stroll but multiplied.

maybe we can Katy-pill vgr lol
her new book announced today is pretty on the nose
https://www.uphill-books.com/exercise/

in motion | founder, researcher, scout, storyteller | into computing, communication, complex systems | building subset.network | all the things: msweet.net

🔭🔎 scouting near and far :: thought follower

Katy is OG, has been writing and YouTubing for a long time. She’s the one who came up with `movement snacks` which is all over now if you are in movement bunny holes

tldr version of the book is prob to move more by habit stacking but that’s me guessing since it’s not out yet

her blog might be enough of a quickstart. aimed more at moms maybe but the moves are good 
https://www.nutritiousmovement.com/exercise-advent-2024-heads-up-24-moves-for-your-head-neck/

Ooo new book! Biggest concept I picked up from her was not trying to satisfy all movement needs / wants in 1hr of a 24hr day and instead habit stack and build a life conducive to movement.

💯 with you there

after decades of workout mentality, for me making this switch has been slow but feels imp and kinda fun too. no-grind mindset. wu-wei ftw. aka “what if this were easy”

How do you fit that in with work that requires long periods of sitting around like writing or editing?

What @msms said sounds good. Would add that for me thinking ultradian rhythms has been helpful… if a day can pass by with the focus shifting up in roughly 90 min cycles with different kinds of short breaks, I end the day in better shape. Can still lock on for longer periods when needed or the mood hits but when I do am also vaguely aware that I’m dying lol aka turning into sludge

Wondering what a real writing stint looks like for you. Could imagine 4-6 hour stints not uncommon. 

You prob saw that post by Stephen Wolfram who set up a chest carrier for a laptop to walk and work? #lifegoals lol

Typical work environment is arranged for physical convenience. Look for rearrangements that intro physical inconvenience but aren’t significant enough to trigger context switches/disconnects from ongoing work.

It’s custom per setup/person but some samples:

- sit/stand desk and set up protocols for alteration. Eg AM vs PM, on calls vs not, change at every food/beverage instant, switch at set times
- distribute devices/thinking tools around the space and at different heights. Eg store things on v. high/low shelves, put a tablet on the floor across the room
- have a few bands or tools or movement snacks around and/or listed and integrate them into dead/slow time of current work. Eg instead of sitting and pondering a thorny problem, do a movement and noodle over it.