How can I ENJOY exercise?

#41

Include me with the others that don’t enjoy it but who do enjoy the feeling after exercising. The only thing I do find myself actively liking is walking around the neighborhood in the fresh air, because it’s not high-intensity and it gives me time to clear my head.

At the gym I primarily stick to three activities: weightlifting, which is tedious but necessary; biking, which I only really do to get my lower body trained so I can ride my actual bike when it gets warmer; and boxing, which is the highest cardio training I get, and it lets me get out my repressed anger in a healthy way.

But I don’t like going to the gym. I like the results, but the idea of having to go there feels like a chore, and that feeling never really goes away.

(squirrel-kissing paper tamer) #42

Starting it tonight!

(squirrel-kissing paper tamer) #43

Thanks everyone for your sharing your experience, tips and encouragement. I’m going to take a little bit of each and do some pondering. My goals are stronger body, feeling super capable and looking good wouldn’t hurt and less jiggly would be cool. Really I want to be someone who can get up quickly without fuss, or walk up a bunch of flights of stairs without the terrible “I’m going to fall down in public” thigh burn. I also agreed to do a mini marathon but said I would’t be running but I can fast walk pretty well.

(Chris) #44

Found the video that goes over the Arnold effect:

(Laurie) #45

I’ve struggled with this too. It’s a moving target, as even small lifestyle or health changes can require further tweaking.

I was going to offer a few suggestions, but most of them have been covered. I think the main thing is to be realistic about what you can and will actually do (sitting in a car is not walking), and do it–even if it seems like not much. The fitness results you have in mind will happen, probably quickly. The being less jiggly and so on might or might not happen. Good luck!

(Marianne) #46

Do you have Planet Fitness where you are? It’s a gym that is $10/mo. I detest exercise, however, ten years ago when I enjoyed several years being thin, I used to go to PF. They have a “30-minute workout” and that I really did enjoy. I liked lifting weights and the cardio was manageable (normally hate cardio and sweating). Thirty minutes and I’d be done and I’d feel absolutely great. The weights helped me so much and I saw a difference. I kept getting stronger and stronger and better at the stepping. One of my goals is to get back there, just for the thirty-minute workout. Good luck!

(squirrel-kissing paper tamer) #47

Yes, I have a PF membership, it’s where I go. What is this 30 minute work out you speak of? I’ll google it!

Edit: Ok, I watched a video and I’ve seen that section of the gym and never knew what it was for! I’m such a dummy when it comes to the strength training machines but I’m going to go look at them and see if I can figure them out. The last time I did an ab machine I broke my lower back (not really but it was jacked for weeks). I have a lot of respect for people who learn proper form and know good body mechanics.

(Jill F.) #48

I really like the 30 min workout section at PF. I have done that and switch it up from doing yoga several times a week. I find it more interesting that way. I know there is another thread on here about yoga, have you tried it? I never liked exercise before yoga but I literally plan my schedule around it now!

(squirrel-kissing paper tamer) #49

Yes, I learned vinyasa yoga in my 20’s and still practice it here and there. It’s a bit harder (scarier?) for me now. I got away from it for so long and can’t seem to get back into it but I do like it a lot!

(Windmill Tilter) #50

I don’t generally enjoy exercise, so I became an exercise minimalist. I do Dr. Doug McGuff’s Body by Science workout once every 6 days. It’s a dead simple weightlifting routine that takes just 15 minutes. All 5 exercises are done on machines that every gym has, and every exercise is done very slowly to minimize the risk of injury.

It’s amazing what it has done to my body in just a couple months. I feel 10 years younger, and I see and feel how much stronger I am. Strangely, enough I’ve actually started to enjoy it a little bit!

(Empress of the Unexpected) #51

The two things I have enjoyed are swimming. (No opportunities now) and Pilates reformer. Would love to be able to afford reformer classes now. But just doing the table and getting your legs all the way up in the air at home go a long way.

(shawn) #52

I’ve always really loved Cradle for the theatre and complexity. I know a lot of people that are really into early Norwegian Black Metal, thought they were sell outs, but I’ve always found them fun. And I love Dani Filth’s voice. He’s got a side project, Devilment, that’s kind of dancey. I did a metal Bellydance routine with a dagger to Devilment’s “Mother Kali.”
I’ll have to give math Metal a try. I’ve never heard any of the band you just mentioned.
I love some doom metal bands, like Candlemass, too.

(Little Miss Scare-All) #53

If you check out any, check out iwrestledabearonce, lead singers were two women (at different times), but youd never know by their growls. But the clean vocals are awesome. Late For Nothing is a great album. Thats when the other girl took over after the other girl got preggers and left to raise her kid. But I love both of them. Definitely very unique. 2nd favorite album is Ruining It For Everyonex Deodorant Cant Fix Ugly <3

(shawn) #54

:joy: That’s a great album title! I always wanted to be able to do screams and growls. I actually bought “The Zen of Screamin” an instructional DVD by Melissa Cross, a female voice coach, who teaches how to do it. I haven’t tried it yet, though. Thanks so much for the recommendation, I took a screenshot of this, so that I can check it out this weekend. :wink:

(Candy Lind) #55

Do you recall hearing about a big event in Cincy last May called “Geo-Woodstock?” Over 3000 people from all over the world convened in Cincinnati to celebrate geocaching. Most of the exercise I’ve gotten in the last 16 years that wasn’t work-related was geocaching. It’s a fun world-wide activity, a kind of “treasure hunt,” if you will, that gives you a goal to walk to. You can use your gps-equipped phone (at least at first), and you’ll be SHOCKED when you see how many caches there are in your area. I’ve lost over 120 pounds, then regained it and lost 80 again over those 16 years, with this being 90% or more of my exercise. Happy to say that keto will keep me from having to do it again! PM me or take a look at geocaching.com and give it a try.

PS a great music track makes ANY activity better!

(Cynthia Anderson) #56

I like to hike. I don’t get to go very often but when I go I can hike 2-4 miles with no problem.
I like to tube and play in the water

Find an activity you enjoy then it’s not exercise it’s fun.

(squirrel-kissing paper tamer) #57

Cindy, I think geo caching is so cool. I have a friend who did it for years around here (Cincinnati area) and I accidentally found one once. I forgot all about it. I’ll look into it, thanks!

(squirrel-kissing paper tamer) #58

Update: I went to the gym last night again and said a lot of positive talk to myself during the physical exertion. I think this will help build positive associations with it. I feel less grumpy at the prospect of going back this morning.

Plus, I have to say, I’m not getting as much post movement soreness on that elliptical as I thought I would. It really seems to agree with my body. The power walking, however, has my hip joints a bit stiff this morning. I’m taking an off day today because I’m notorious for hitting the gym way too hard, getting worn down and even sick from not taking rest days.

Once the weather becomes more agreeable I look forward to street walking.

(Little Miss Scare-All) #59

Thats awesome! Im really happy to hear this for you. Yeah it def takes time to build those positive associations, but its worth it. There will always be some days where we would rather swallow razors than go to the gym, but building up that base is key. Glad the eliptical is working out for you :heart:

(Marianne) #60

I really encourage you to try the 30-Minute Workout. You adjust the weights to your strength level with just the removal and insertion of a small rod. You only do 12 reps on each machine over one minute, then rest for 30 seconds, then step as much as you can for a minute. Half and hour and you’re done and you covered both strength training and cardio.