Starting to workout is important. Staying with it is even more important. You don’t get any benefit by doing your activity/sport/fitness regime for a week. So, yesterday’s morning links intrigued me. OMWC gave us some insight on what keeps him going:

I had mentioned that WebDom and I are having a bit of a competition involving the Fitness app on our respective Apple Watches. Over the course of a week, the app totals up fitness points resulting from our activity. It also announces the daily winners. It’s a ridiculous thing, but we’re having fun with it.

So the other night, it’s getting toward midnight. Spud and I are sitting in the solarium having some alcoholic beverages. I check the status of the competition; the margin is slim but I am ahead, and the day is about to close out. WebDom and her boyfriend have gone up to her room to watch TV. I look again and she’s gaining points and the margin is shrinking rapidly. WTF? Suddenly it hits me. “THAT LITTLE CUNT IS KEEPING HER WATCH ON WHILE SHE’S FUCKING!” Since I am currently and perhaps permanently without a partner, I do the only reasonable thing: abandon my drink and start running around the block.

Cheaters never prosper. I won. Barely, but I won.

For OMWC, it’s all about competition. If not for the fear he was going to lose, he would have happily continued to tie one on with Spudalicious.

Plenty of people use trainers. That gives them predetermined days and times to exercise, a monetary commitment, and a social attachment. Sure, you can tell your trainer you aren’t coming in or simply skip a session, but there is another human being on the other side of it. You just feel bad for doing. So, you avoid those bad feelings by showing up.

I stay motivated through goals and outside stimuli. Most of my goals are tangible. I want to do so many pull ups or have a certain waistline or be able to see some specific physical change. The outside stimuli is various celebrities who I randomly come across on social media. There are those I admire and those who provide a life lesson.

Watching a trim, 78-year old Mick Jagger put on a two-hour show is inspiring. The same goes for Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend. Watching guys closer to my age, like Axl Rose and Vince Neil are some of life’s crueler lessons. In fairness, Axl is doing a bit better now. Seeing these guys, who used to be able to absolutely tear it up gasping and wheezing their way through their set reminds me they got there through sloth. I can avoid it by keeping moving.

What keeps you motivated GlibFitters?

This week’s music.