How do you feel when you exercise?

2

Replies

  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,474 Member
    I am on a natural high, tickled pink I must say. I LOVE CARDIO!!!
  • G33K_G1RL
    G33K_G1RL Posts: 283 Member
    There are days when it's hard to actually go to the gym. Just the effort of packing up your gear and going. Once I'm there, it's fun/challenging/rewarding depending on exercise, and after I'm really zen and content for the rest of the day.

    To get from the couch at home to the gym, my best trick is to pack my gear in my bag and put it in front of the door. It's there, it's ready, all I need to do is pick it up and head to the gym before work. After 3-4 weeks it's a routine and you don't need any mental resources or willpower. It's just habit to pack the bag the night before and leave with it in the morning.

    I just moved in a new area for a couple months and I am currently building that routine. Finding the gym, registering, figuring out commute (cycling? bussing?), best timing, time to get up, what to pack... so much work! But I know the result, both physical and mental, is sooo worth it!
  • robertw486
    robertw486 Posts: 2,399 Member
    For me, I feel dread, then I'm talking to myself because big girl wants to quit because it's to hard, and skinny girl wants out. Then it's like magic happens. I start to feel accomplished half way through and push myself because I'm already half way there. My tight muscles start to feel better, the pain ebbs away... Then it starts to burn! I start getting shakey, and really dig deep, and push my way to the end! Then I feel like I can accomplish anything, and I'm so happy! A few min later I wonder why I don't just do it again, I could totally do it again lol. Tomorrow I will, with its new challenges. :) So I'd like to know how others feel when they work out. Do you love it, hate it, does it always burn?


    Such a great thread, and very motivating. I especially like your use of the terms "big girl" and "skinny girl" in relation to your will to give up or to push on and succeed!

    When I was young I joined the Marines, and though I had worked some hard days in my life, it changed my attitude on what my body could do. If your mind is in it, your body can almost always follow. For me personally mental attitude is huge. If I can keep my head in the right place, all other distractions cease to exist.

    "Pain is weakness leaving your body."


    VioletRojo wrote: »
    "Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't shoot their husbands, they just don't. "

    I like the endorphins.

    Gulp..... I'm so glad my wife started a walking group with her friends. She has been watching a lot of the "murder mystery" type stuff on TV lately too. I think I need to get her a gym membership before it cools off!

    :)
  • SunshineBdoll
    SunshineBdoll Posts: 19 Member
    aggelikik wrote: »
    May I ask what you are doing as a workout? I understand you get the feeling of happiness/accomplishment once exercising, but do not look forward to exercise before starting, so maybe what you are doing does not work for you? "Forcing" yourself to do it even if you do not feel like it is great and shows dedication, but finding something you actually like and look forward to will make it easier on the long run. Maybe a different routine, or even a different gym would make it easier?

    Sure thing :) we have a personal trainer and gym at work. She makes up these exercises for me. I'm just trying to get some strength back. So push ups, crunches, high knees, jumping jacks, elliptical, dumbbell punches, curls, shoulder press, stationary bike, squats, jumping squats, and toe taps... Usually I do 4 or 5 things and it's in reps of time or quantity. I also started walking with a friend... I can only do 2miles so far. I'm terrible with dry land exercise and it takes so much effort. If I had it my way I'd be in the pool. I'm a swimmer at heart and that exercise is effortless. I get excited about going to the pool. I will pack my bag every night and never make an excuse, but I can't afford a membership at the Y at this time. I tried to talk the family into splitting the bill last year and they all bailed. So I do force myself to do what I have to, and I'm happy about it afterwards.
  • scyian
    scyian Posts: 243 Member
    It's my high. I'm currently stuck in the city on business and I haven't even been able to manage 1000 steps yet let alone 10,000 and I'm itching for exercise that I won't be getting until late this evening when I get home.
  • RAmelia63
    RAmelia63 Posts: 32 Member
    Personally I'm pleased to have reached that point when my workouts are something I look forward to. Some days I'm less enthusiastic than others but I certainly do not hate it.
    We have to start thinking of exercising as something we HAVE vs MUST do. It's the ultimate fountain of youth and once we look at it from that perspective, it takes a whole new meaning
  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
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  • Kidostud
    Kidostud Posts: 307 Member
    Most of the time I just feel as if I'm going to die and I wonder why I do this to myself - there must be easier ways to commit suicide. Afterwards, when I walk out all trembling, red faced and sweaty, I feel good about myself and feel I've accomplished something.
  • tank1539
    tank1539 Posts: 55 Member

    I was going to say that I read some of Arnold's encyclopedia at 4am before I hit the gym at 5 and when I start to feel sluggish I think of thinks that piss me off and get angry till I'm ready to rip something apart then rip off a crazy good set and won't stop till I'm dripping sweat and exhausted then pace around my area with an awesome pump feeling like the hulk then I'm re-energized.

    But IsaackGMOON nailed it with that scene from pumping iron! Haha
  • kraft_kris
    kraft_kris Posts: 157 Member
    jgnatca wrote: »

    This video is awesome!!!!
  • ashleesaid
    ashleesaid Posts: 50 Member
    Personally I love the way it feels when I'm halfway through my jog, I have the right music going to keep me adrenaline filled, I'm covered in sweat and I'm staring straight ahead, focused and my breathing is heavier than usual but not labored. I love the intensity of all of that together.
  • kraft_kris
    kraft_kris Posts: 157 Member
    For me, I feel dread, then I'm talking to myself because big girl wants to quit because it's to hard, and skinny girl wants out. Then it's like magic happens. I start to feel accomplished half way through and push myself because I'm already half way there. My tight muscles start to feel better, the pain ebbs away... Then it starts to burn! I start getting shakey, and really dig deep, and push my way to the end! Then I feel like I can accomplish anything, and I'm so happy! A few min later I wonder why I don't just do it again, I could totally do it again lol. Tomorrow I will, with its new challenges. :) So I'd like to know how others feel when they work out. Do you love it, hate it, does it always burn?

    I dread it too. I have to exercise in the morning before work or I won't do it later. I have to argue with myself to get up and out of bed every morning. I am almost always glad when I do.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I love to ride, and I love to lift...so my feelz are all good.
  • laineybz
    laineybz Posts: 704 Member
    I don't look forward to the actual workout but i love the feeling once i've finished. That motivates me.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    If I am exercising solely for the purpose of exercise, I generally see it as something I'm doing just because it needs done. Not fun, only necessary.

    If I'm exercising by doing something I'd do even if it weren't good exercise like hiking or gardening then I generally feel a gentle unwinding of all the stress of the day and at peace with the world.

    I try to structure my life so that I have much more of the second than the first.
  • saphin
    saphin Posts: 246 Member
    I go through phases depending on the activity. (kp = kilometre point):
    Cycling
    - kp 0 to kp 5; this is amazing, I could go forever
    - Kp 5 to Kp 10; I want to go home, like NOW
    - Kp 10 to Kp 15; ok, not so bad
    - Kp 15 to Kp 20; s&@t this hurts
    - Kp 20 to 1km from home; wow this is great, so glad I came out, how long have I got before I have to go home
    - Kp 1 from home (but only on weekends); I really want to keep going, why don't I just add that last 5km, 200m rise, three hill loop on
    - Kp 4 into that loop; why did I do that, my knees hurt so much I may never walk again
    - Home (and after shower and tiger balm massage); why didn't I do that last loop twice?

    Walking
    Kp0 to end; it's too hot, I should run tomorrow, have I done my 10k steps yet? Does that bus get me to Changi?

    Swimming (50m pool)
    - length 1 to 5; this is great, I hope that Lightning doesn't get any closer
    - Length 6 to 10; I'm just going to do 20, I shouldn't have come, where's that damned lightning
    - Lengths 11 to 38; this is great, I could keep going forever (occasional announcement closing the pool for lightning. It's in three languages, English last, so I play the dumb AngMo and get an extra couple of lengths in)
    - Length 39; I think I may drown, there is no way I can do this length
    - Length 40; whoop, whoop, what was my time? Did I beat yesterday?

    Gym
    - arriving in the car park; hey, the pools over there, why would I go to the gym when I can have a nice swim? I'll come back tomorrow and join (2 months on this routine, maybe this Saturday is the day I will join)

    Running
    - pulling on my shorts; I think I'll just go for a ride. Oops, wrong shorts.
  • joeyana7
    joeyana7 Posts: 179 Member
    Depends, kickbox and brisk walking make me feel alive and hyper and active but workouts like yoga and pilates make me feel like oww oww oww lol :D but anyhow it also depends on which day it is; someday i would feel more energetic than others :# but i always say to my self 'keep on going, the rewards will be fantastic ' :)
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    SueInAz wrote: »
    It completely depends on the day. Some days, 30 seconds into a run I know it's going to suck. I stick it out for as long as I can because I know the next run will be better. Some days, a few miles in and I start questioning why I think this is a good idea. I must be nuts! Some days it feels nearly effortless. Every day that I run I am glad I did it.

    This is me. Except that some days I start out so tired I know I'm going to be better off taking a rest day and tackling the same or longer run tomorrow. So I'll walk instead and do my best to get the sleep I probably missed out on the night before.

    I'm waiting for the easy days to come again - it's too hot here for anything to really be 'easy' right now.

    Last winter I there was one run where I broke my PB pace by over 40 sec/mi for several miles and I didn't even realize I was putting in more effort than normal. Love days like that.
  • MissPauling
    MissPauling Posts: 33 Member
    edited September 2015
    lol i know the pump arnie is talking about from doing squats :D it really is amazing. also i like it when i can flex my butt muscles. feels funny. in general i feel meh before workouts, its a chore i wanna get over with, but i do it anyway bc i love the results and i feel great after working out.
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    the shower and then eating. relaxed. better sleep. clear conscience. during workout i feel sometimes bad and sometimes good, depending on daily form. i can never estimate it before the workout. today i had a lack of sleep and didnt eat enough yesterday but did well. tomorrow it might be total hell. usually i enjoy insanity enough though to have some fun during and i always try to give my best since the workout takes max 2 hours, usually less, and i want to get as much out of it as possible and not cheat on myself by slacking
  • _lyndseybrooke_
    _lyndseybrooke_ Posts: 2,561 Member
    Back when I was doing nothing but cardio, I absolutely dreaded exercise. The feeling of accomplishment afterward was simply not worth the torture I had to endure to get there.

    Now that I've been lifting for a little over a year and a half, I can honestly say I look forward to working out pretty much every time. Most days I'm up before the alarm clock goes off at 4am, getting into my workout clothes, downstairs chugging my C4 and making my aminos, and it's out to the gym to kill it. Even if it's not a good workout, it's certainly better than no workout. I leave the gym feeling awesome, and it really sets me up for a good day.

    If I had to workout after work, even if it was lifting, I know I'd have a hard time looking forward to it. I'm best in the morning, and I forced myself to do evening workouts for quite awhile before discovering that.
  • kthompson601
    kthompson601 Posts: 174 Member
    I LOVE my yoga class, and when I'm doing yoga I feel strong and powerful. I really appreciate my teacher because she gives a lot of meditative instruction as well, and encourages people to focus on their breathing and to come inside themselves. I am a big overthinker, with constant mental chatter, and I find her classes help calm and relax my monkey mind, making exercise easier. I go twice a week to her class and twice a week to much less intense, more meditative classes, and it's amazing.

    Cardio is harder, because I get that mental chatter, so I tend to listen to audiobooks to block out my brain. I don't like sweating or feeling tired, but I always feel so accomplished when I'm finished. This probably sounds really stupid, but after every work out, when I look in the bathroom mirror before I shower, I congratulate myself. I say, "You worked hard and you're all sweaty and you burned calories. I'm proud of you." I know that sounds all wishy-washy, but I live alone and have no outside support on this journey, so it's important to give myself a lot of positive talk.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    stealthq wrote: »
    SueInAz wrote: »
    It completely depends on the day. Some days, 30 seconds into a run I know it's going to suck. I stick it out for as long as I can because I know the next run will be better. Some days, a few miles in and I start questioning why I think this is a good idea. I must be nuts! Some days it feels nearly effortless. Every day that I run I am glad I did it.

    This is me. Except that some days I start out so tired I know I'm going to be better off taking a rest day and tackling the same or longer run tomorrow. So I'll walk instead and do my best to get the sleep I probably missed out on the night before.

    I'm waiting for the easy days to come again - it's too hot here for anything to really be 'easy' right now.

    Last winter I there was one run where I broke my PB pace by over 40 sec/mi for several miles and I didn't even realize I was putting in more effort than normal. Love days like that.

    It's hot here in Tucson, too. I both love and hate the summer. I get so much slower because of the heat and the first few weeks of it I wonder what the heck is wrong with me. But, I know that once it finally cools down I'm going to be that much faster for putting in the miles when it's hot.

    It's funny... the day I posted that I'd had a horrible run that morning. Literally 5 steps in I felt like I'd already run 6 miles. I had had my rest day and my normal night's sleep so it was just one of those occasional "bad running days" and I cut the run short after 4 miles. I then decided to run again the next day (something I rarely do) and expected to have tired legs again but it went great; I felt amazing. Some times I just don't get it.
  • maillemaker
    maillemaker Posts: 1,253 Member
    I don't like it. I don't understand how it could ever be like Arnold says. I'm a hedonist. I'd rather sit around lounging.
  • jessef593
    jessef593 Posts: 2,272 Member
    I love it, it takes more dedication and will power for me to not go to the gym on rest days than it does to go on work out days. The only day I dread is leg day, knowing how tired I'll be by the end
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,989 Member
    Lol, depends on the day. Some days I feel like 51, others I feel like I'm 35.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

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  • GlenzioFitness
    GlenzioFitness Posts: 253 Member
    Pumped, unless its cardio, then f that
  • patrikc333
    patrikc333 Posts: 436 Member
    I think I've experienced all the feelings, from deep sadness to euphoria
  • PurexLover
    PurexLover Posts: 6 Member
    I love to hike I have a mountain near my house that I hike all the time. I sweat and most of the time. I dread the process, because my legs hurt. I get tired but once I reach the top I feel so happy and proud of myself. It takes about 45 min to reach the top depending on how many breaks you take. Plus if I exercise I get to eat more. I love walking and running., It frees my mind and helps me think.
  • Lynzdee18
    Lynzdee18 Posts: 500 Member
    On the treadmill? If I read, where did the time go! If my book is ho-hum? Torture! I love an elliptical. Just need one at home for the six months I'm there. We winter in a retirement community so workout time is social time too. Workouts whiz by with girlfriends to gab with! And it feels so good tyo finish. I prefer racquet sports for cardio.
  • nordlead2005
    nordlead2005 Posts: 1,303 Member
    edited September 2015
    It depends. Is my team winning? If so, I feel awesome. If we are losing, then less awesome and may realize I'm dragging my feet. It was pretty awesome this week when for the 2nd to last point I threw the frisbee perfectly down the full length of the field to the fastest player (it wasn't exactly fair). I even let out a loud "woooo!!!!". I took advantage of the fact that we hadn't tried that at all that day so no one was playing safety (while not a normal position is needed if the fastest player decides to streak down the field).

    When I'm lifting, I feel all sweaty (just as much as when playing Ultimate) and sore and tired. Then a sense of accomplishment as I set a new personal record in at least 1 lift (just dead lifted 205lb last night, it took a long time for me to be sure I had the form right and was comfortable). I then stumble upstairs and try to stretch. I've found that rolling with a lacrosse ball seems to help a lot and may have to invest in a foam roller.
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