How can I ENJOY exercise?

(Allan Misner) #61

There have been some great suggestions so far.

First off, stop calling exercise. Instead, take a moment to identify what fitness looks like for you and why you want to be fit. For example, I wanted to be fit so I could enjoy the activities my 20 year-old daughter was doing (crossfit and obstacle mud runs). I didn’t want to just watch her from the sidelines, I wanted to participate with her. My why was deep and emotional and my vision was reasonably clear.

Fitness is being able to do the things you enjoy. To be able to live the life you want. What does fitness look like for you and why does it matter (deep and emotional)?

Now, doing the work is actually just training to be that. To do the races with my daughter I needed to lose body fat (keto helped me do that). I also needed to build strength and endurance. That drove the activities I chose to do. Any time I didn’t feel like training, I asked myself, is this the person I set out to be? Is this the example I want to set for my daughter?

When we crossed the finish line of the Tough Mudder together, it made every bit of training worth it. Not exercise and not workouts. Training. Training to be the person I wanted to be.

(Empress of the Unexpected) #62

Well, @PetaMarie, I never! :rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

(Marianne) #63

I wouldn’t do it in heels. :upside_down_face:

(squirrel-kissing paper tamer) #64

Exercise AND supplemental income, @Regina!

(squirrel-kissing paper tamer) #65

Thanks Allan. I am a fan of education and training for a vocation, why shouldn’t training to be fit be the same thing. Thanks for helping to click my brain into place a little bit more!

#66

@PetaMarie, I’ve been thinking about this question ever since you first posted it. My main suggestion was what so many people here have mentioned, which is that if you connect (not just once, but frequently) with your reasons for wanting to exercise, it really helps. But there’s something else that I realized: there are some things that I now LOVE that I originally did because I thought I should do them, or because I liked how I felt afterwards. I started Bikram yoga ages ago, and my first few classes were sheer misery. I kept going because I thought it would make me more fit and also because I genuinely loved how I felt for the rest of the day. At some point I realized that I was actually looking forward to going, and then (more recently) I realized that I kind of loved being in class. I’ve said to my family, almost bewildered, “I’m now the kind of person who goes to yoga regularly - how did that happen?”
So it’s totally possible that over time you might find yourself turning into someone who genuinely loves to exercise.

(squirrel-kissing paper tamer) #67

Today I actually packed work out clothing and went on the way home from work so I couldn’t go home, eat and sloth the rest of my night away. It’s much harder to leave once you’re home. I did the same cardio as the last two times but even with the break yesterday my large muscles were struggling a bit. I think part of the fun will be doing it and thinking, holy cow, this doesn’t hurt anymore (like I did when I realized I could breathe and didn’t even remember to bring my inhaler in!)

(Edith) #68

That’s what happened to me with “running.” I use quotes because I still have a fair bit of walking intervals to keep in my correct heart rate zone.

I picked a goal and as I worked toward that goal and saw improvements I got to the point where I was looking forward to my runs.

I think any activity is going to “suck” at first because our bodies are out of shape for it or uncoordinated at it, but if we keep going, we get better and finally start to look forward to it.

(GINA ) #69

Just keep trying different things until you find something you like and fits in your schedule.

I like to swim, but the changing and the travel to a place with a pool made it too inconvenient to do very often. I like to hike, but don’t really have time except on weekends. I like to run, but the weather got in my way for a lot of the winter.

It turns out I like spin class. There is a gym close enough that I can get to a 6 AM class and back before work. Weather and darkness don’t matter (except the day there was a tree and power line down across my road and I couldn’t get there), and I can still do the more time consuming stuff I like when I have more time.

(squirrel-kissing paper tamer) #70

Update: I made it the gym four times this week. Once eagerly, once with an eye roll, once kicking and screaming and today I just hurried up and did it before I could form an opinion about it. Also, today was my first morning work out and first on an empty stomach and I think both may have made things easier.

I stopped on the way and scored a pair of running shoes for $40 at Dick’s. I hate how they look, but love how they feel. I stood there and bounced in numerous pairs and they (although they are men’s not women’s) felt the best and I could absolutely tell on the treadmill. My feet didn’t hurt afterward.

This will be one more helpful thing in my attempt to form an exercise habit.

(Marianne) #71

I give you credit for doing it! I am not there yet.

#72

I was not a fan of going to exercise, either. But, a couple things changed that. I had knee surgery that required some PT. Since I had similar surgeries before, the doc said, “well, you already know the drill, so if you want to just join a gym and do what needs to be done, I’m fine letting you off the hook with the normal PT here at the hospital.” So, that is what I did.
After I got the knee up to par, I started to experiment with some of the other machines at the gym…and discovered that elliptical and rowing machines were both fantastic, so long as I had my 70’s and 80’s playlists cranked. I also do walking outside when its nice out. But, regardless of what kind of exercise you choose, a little Bob Segar, Aerosmith, VanHalen alternated with some good old Motown does wonders to adjust one’s attitude about exercise. =)

(Doug) #73

I had never heard of Behemoth, but in checking out some videos on YouTube, it looks like good stuff for elevators and doctors’ offices.

(Little Miss Scare-All) #74

Elevators to Tartarus maybe.

(squirrel-kissing paper tamer) #75

I tend to lean toward the Ting Tings, Justin T (that’s right), the Strokes and AWOL Nation.

(Little Miss Scare-All) #76

Love that 1 Ting Tings song, and the Happy Birthday song from Yo Gabba Gabba. Also note, I have no children.

(squirrel-kissing paper tamer) #77
(Little Miss Scare-All) #78

Yes! I used to obsessively listen to that on repeat.

#79

Easy, weight training! We’re not hamsters and running on belts is no different than running in wheels. Same goes for ellipticals, stairmasters etc. Cardiovascular health is important but there’s just better ways. With weight training not only do you burn more, but you burn more LONGER! Plus whether it’s muscle soreness post workout or the weights going up, you actually get positive feedback and notice results faster which makes you want more. Plus we know that more muscle equals faster metabolism which helps us 10x more than eventually running into a wall over doing cardio and with a slow metabolism to boot.

(squirrel-kissing paper tamer) #80

This is probably going to sound really dumb but I never thought it was hard enough and that if I wasn’t suffering it wasn’t working. I have a lot of muscle (always have) underneath this fat. I get asked to lift stuff and move furniture by the guys in my life. So when I go to the gym and do the machines for 30 minutes (even if I do, say 12 reps and I can’t do another one) I’m not huffing and puffing and my brain says “you didn’t really do anything, go get on the treadmill until everything burns.”

The more I read about weight training, the more I think I will head in that direction. I haven’t been back to the gym in 7 days because I’m bored. I think I would like the challenge of trying a new thing!