Almost everyone on the forums mentions exercise as a great tool in combating urges. It helps release energy and clear the mind. But, its always hard to make the time even when I realize how important it is. So I decided to start a thread specifically for exercise motivation and goal setting. We have a 90 day chart for the thing that matters most but why not also a thread for on of the most consistently recommended tools that benefits everyone on all levels of the struggle.

I'll start it off...

My goal is to exercise once ( a 20 minute run) before shabbos. 

You are spot on.  I have read pieces of advice from this website, and one of the suggestions they give is to exercise.  Especially at a time when we have a strong urge to watch inappropriate material.  The feeling after exercise is very good.

Count me in

Why don't we just all meet up in the park and have a jolly good game of football together. 

moish u.k. wrote on 04 Oct 2018 13:45:

Because you chaps play football with your feet (what a strange concept).

This is one of the times that I wish I lived in a frum neighborhood, and had a membership at a frum gym.  I was so disappointed when the JCC where I lived didn't care about such things as tzinut. Women and Men comingled without a care.  But I have an exercise video called "Fit Yid", which is frum and has its uniquely Jewish reason for exercise: to be healthy enough to be able to study Torah!

I used to have a kosher gym and it was really easy. 
Now I have to really live my life the way I want without that amenity. I run outside for like 20 minutes at night and sometimes do some pushups. Nothing as intense as the gym, but hey I am also spending more time doing more important things than making sure I have a perfect body. Even a small amount of exercise is super healthy.

Thanks for the inspiration.  I haven't been exercising, and I just made a move to nudge me in the right direction.  I've been traveling 4- 4.5 hours per day just to commute to work, and I just put in my 2 weeks resignation.  A little scary, but I believe necessary. I was supposed to doing a little cardio everyday but I haven't been.  

Does typing out 7000 posts, and hitting the "Thank You" button thousands of times count as exercise?

Another one for the rabbi

On gye Three is the winning number.

We know that 1st and 2nd look don't count. 3 or more do!

If we get the jogging pants on and because we are dead unfit, we take 3 steps and then collapse in a pile, does that count as a 90 mile lap????

Although i definitely agree to the idea that exercise can make you feel very good and take your mind off other matters,I sometimes get nervous about it being a trigger because of bringing up things from the past thinking of fitness as relating to inappropriate things i would look at ; and in general the idea of working out( not really the case of  jog on treadmill) is very much a concept of glorifying the body which can lead to...
anyone else with this hesitation or any ideas how to avoid it?

Something I learned about exercise is that the key is intensity. Once you get the intensity to a certain level, the exercise feels good, which motivates you to keep doing it

It's interesting that "spiritual exercise" works the same way. Prayer and Torah study are much more meaningful when you keep the intensity at a high level with focus and sincerity.

When one exercises to the point that one's heart rate is raised - which is usually the same point where one starts sweating, endorphines (calming chemicals) are secreted in the brain. These are the same endorphines which are released in the brain upon ejaculation. So physiologically, exercise is a healthy replacement for stress relieving masturbation. To avoid past memories of fitness center immodesty, bring along headphones and listen to a shiur, music, etc while on the treadmill. If one's intention is to be healthy - physically emotionally and spiritually, it would not be considered glorification of the body.

Hacker's diet exercise ladder. I haven't done it, but it's supposed to be 15 minutes a day, safe at any age, pretty well thought out:

https://www.fourmilab.ch/hackdiet/e4/exercise.html

Thanks guys!

So If taking down the sukkah counts then I accomplished my exercise by shabbos. Otherwise, last night I went for a longer jog. BH!

Next goal to go for another run before shabbos.

Anyone else have an exercise goal?