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Are you struggling with having your loved ones to start exercising?

Dydo said:
John K, What a Turkey :)
There was no communism there.
I'll give you a joker. A small country but with some of the best Olympic weightlifters in the world in terms of number of medals since this sport has existed. Even the greatest Turkish weightlifter was born and raised in my country, who for political reasons emigrated and started competing for Turkey. May God forgive him.
Even a type of squat is named after my country :)
In Turkey, service in the army is quite tough. At least that's what I know.
But you don't have to be so familiar with these facts and the geographical location of countries that are small and far from the US. No problem.
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Българин ли сте?

More on topic, I have limited belief in motivating anyone to be more physically active by nagging.
Trying to convince someone to to something they are not motivated to do, is likely to tear on both your own and the "collective" energy in the long run. And if someone insists on a completely sedentary lifestyle, well, then I foresee disagreeing with them beyond the tolerable on other important values and areas too.
 
Yes, you guessed the country :) Bulgarians, Greeks, Turks, we are always next to each other.
But since we've been given a note to deviate from the topic, let's continue with it anyway. I agree with you that these things don't work if we try too hard to force them on someone who clearly doesn't want to do them and opposes them in every way.
 
I can only worry about me, my diet, my exercising, my rehab and my lifestyle. You can't control what other people do. You can make suggestions, but anything other than that you're wasting CO2
 
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Ege said:
I have heard many stories in this forum about forum members who couldn’t convince a family member or a loved person, friend whoever to start a fitness journey.

I also shared the envy about stories about couples practicing KBs together.

Anyways; my mom and girlfriend recently started exercising consistently.

If one asks I am more than happy to give details however I believe the real outcome / learning for me is:

It is quite difficult to convince someone to exercise consistently.

One solution might be is to find a form of exercise that the person would enjoy and view it something like fun, something like a “game”

So the answer to the question of “how can I convince …?” Might lie in changing the question it self in to “How can I help this person to explore and find something that they will enjoy? “

Hope that all who wants to “convince” a loved one to exercise will find a way to do so, cause it bothers you if you care them…

Ps: Mom who did not exercise in any form except daily quite long walks in the last 50 years, started joining community centre fitness classes for women. Because she love socializing. So she became religious about her fitness classes in no time. The idea was from my girlfriend who knows my mom loves to make new friends. Mom asked me my thoughts about classes, I, who failed many times in “convincing her”, just asked the names of the classes, and then told her that those are perfect! To encourage her, there is no need to try to push her towards an “ideal” cause it just does not work.

My girlfriend is like a boy when she plays things, so I bought a pair of pickleball rackets, now she drags me to play pickleball 2-3 times a week (we are the only people that plays pickleball in the city we live). She also found a yotube video of a very beautiful looking middle aged woman who is demonstrating pilates. She is doing her routine a few times a week. From her looks it is clear to me that the woman is on a very strict diet plus she is doing a fair amount of hypertrophy work, but that is okay, my girlfriend does pilates as I write this long message.
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I never offer unsolicited advice.
 
Sore subject for me.

There is nothing you can do to motivate someone else. Trying to do so typically breeds resentment in them.

... but, watching someone you love deteriorate, when you know it is 100% preventable, breeds just as must resentment in you.

It's a lose-lose scenario. Having lived in both, I'm honestly not sure which is worse.

It's nice to see a few success stories on here.
 
There are victories and defeats
My son is my success, using stick & carrot and means of rusty soviet authoritarian tools, I got him where I want him to be, better than 90% of his class, strong enough to make me proud.
My wife is a different story. When she has less workload, I hooked her on kettlebell swing & jogging, and results were amazing, unfortunately, her working schedule has grown to enormous amounts, meeting on meeting, so every now & then I take her for a (forced :D) long walks, or put a kettlebell in her way, so she lifts it & moves to safe space :)
Daughter is still a defeat, no desire for sports whatsoever, nothing to do but to keep myself being good example. One day.
 
Ege said:
I have heard many stories in this forum about forum members who couldn’t convince a family member or a loved person, friend whoever to start a fitness journey.

I also shared the envy about stories about couples practicing KBs together.

Anyways; my mom and girlfriend recently started exercising consistently.

If one asks I am more than happy to give details however I believe the real outcome / learning for me is:

It is quite difficult to convince someone to exercise consistently.

One solution might be is to find a form of exercise that the person would enjoy and view it something like fun, something like a “game”

So the answer to the question of “how can I convince …?” Might lie in changing the question it self in to “How can I help this person to explore and find something that they will enjoy? “

Hope that all who wants to “convince” a loved one to exercise will find a way to do so, cause it bothers you if you care them…

Ps: Mom who did not exercise in any form except daily quite long walks in the last 50 years, started joining community centre fitness classes for women. Because she love socializing. So she became religious about her fitness classes in no time. The idea was from my girlfriend who knows my mom loves to make new friends. Mom asked me my thoughts about classes, I, who failed many times in “convincing her”, just asked the names of the classes, and then told her that those are perfect! To encourage her, there is no need to try to push her towards an “ideal” cause it just does not work.

My girlfriend is like a boy when she plays things, so I bought a pair of pickleball rackets, now she drags me to play pickleball 2-3 times a week (we are the only people that plays pickleball in the city we live). She also found a yotube video of a very beautiful looking middle aged woman who is demonstrating pilates. She is doing her routine a few times a week. From her looks it is clear to me that the woman is on a very strict diet plus she is doing a fair amount of hypertrophy work, but that is okay, my girlfriend does pilates as I write this long message.
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My wife and I went for sessions together with an SFG2 not far from us, but kettlebells never really were her thing. I even built a great home gym with lots of options: kettlebells, barbells, dumbbells, Concept 2 and so on. Even so, she really wasn't consistent. Then an MD/trainer starting a women's lifting group at the local gym and climbing place. She loved it and I encouraged her to do her thing. Getting out of the house and sharing her experience with other women was just what she needed. She goes by herself and has support groups of other women and occasional group lessons on line. She has been consistent 4 times a week lifting with machines and dumbbells since September. It is not what I would have chosen, but I am not criticizing because she is doing it and getting results. Personally, I find the Iron Cardio and Kettlebell AXE are much better an avoid the sore muscles that go with a traditional gym routine, but I am not pushing my way of doing things on anybody. People have to choose their own way and follow a plan. My wife and I are doing that in very different ways, but we are both happy.
 
I find the more I encourage/hassle the less they want to do it. My son’s an exception thankfully as he’s watched his father his whole life. My partner on the other hand is one of those people I envy & find very aggravating at the same time. She’s naturally strong, actually she’s unnaturally strong. I’d even say freakishly strong. So is everyone in her family. Hates exercising in any fashion. All I see is the wasted potential. I tell her with a little training & her genetics the sky’s the limit. She then quotes her father “when you’re more than strong enough for life what’s the point “. Her father who on his 70th birthday casually rose out of his chair picked me up out of my chair (all 90kgs of me) put me on his shoulder & walked to the fridge got us both a beer then placed me back in my chair & sat back in his. All because I teased him that I’ll get the beer as he’s to geriatric now.
I’m seriously getting aggravated now just writing this post. What is wrong with these people.
 
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