Those who didn't/don't like exercising, how long until it became a habit for you?

Sued0nim

It snuck up on me

I now hate not getting gym time

Perhaps 3-4 months

xxHelenMartinxx

Well after about a week/ten days I no longer dread going. But after a month I want to go. After about 3 months I disliked not going and end up doing light exercise on rest days

Expatmommy79

About a month to 6 weeks.

samthepanda

Took a couple of months for it to become a habit, longer before I thought of it as something I could enjoy. As others have said, find something you like,and be honest about what support you need. I soon realised gym classes were good for me because if I didnt aim for a set time I would keep putting if off and not end up going. Now it's part of the weeks routine. Tomorrow morning I will be at gym at 8am. I will groan when the alarm goes off but I will get up (on the second ring!) and I will be there for running,and if its too wet to run I will be in the gym.

yesimpson

From when I first took up swimming to get fit, it took me about a month to stop finding it really physically challenging (to the point I was almost too tired to walk home from the pool) and to get over my self consciousness and feel like I had just as much right to be swimming laps as everyone else.

7 years on I exercise 5 times a week and walk as much as possible, and it feels wrong to sit on my backside like I used to. I get so fidgety at work when I get stuck in front of the computer for more than an hour.

callsitlikeiseeit

i started last year by taking short walks around my neighborhood. then id go to the gym once or twice a week with my neighbor. after about a month of this, i wanted to go for longer walks, and wanted to go o the gym more often than once or twice a week. so i got my own membership. within a month or so of that, i was at the gym 5-6 times a week.

now, i do the gym in the morning and a jog in the evenings with one of my dogs.

i go first thing in the morning (7 30). i put on my workout clothes when i get up so im already 'dressed' for it.

losing weight, having a 'cuter' body, and just feeling better overall have been the biggest motivating factors

middlehaitch

I don't think it will ever be a habit for me.
Exercise isn't something I love so I have to shove myself out the door 6 days a week.

Been doing this for 6+ years.

I have tried lots of things and the best I can say is I like doing some things more than I like others- but love -no.

I keep doing it because I love what to makes me able to do outside the gym, and I like what it had done for my body.
I want these things to continue into old age so I will keep donating an hour a day to a fitter healthier body.

Cheers, h.

BethWilliams24

I don't think I've developed a habit as such - it's more the dogs have developed a habit of being walked twice a day and they irritate me into submission!

But I'm working on building working out up to being a habit! It's just slow progress! X

ObsidianMist

I had to bite the bullet and join a gym to get myself to work out. that way, because I'm spending the money, I'm motivated to go so that the money doesn't go to waste. I don't just work out on my own either, I go to specific classes at my gym so that way it's just a regular part of my schedule and it helps me hold myself accountable for going. plus it's more fun (for me anyway) when there's socialization involved and other people grunting along with you and the person running the class egging you on. I find it all highly motivating plus I have to push myself to keep up with the class, so I know I'm working hard.

middlehaitch

@ObsidianMist, I own a membership to our local rec centre and can use the gym and pool whenever I like, but as soon as I find my enthusiasm flagging I will sign up for a class for the very same reasons you do. I won't waste the money, and the social aspect makes it more fun. It is always nice when you walk into the next seasons session and get a warm greeting.

Cheers, h.

determined24girl

I got a gym membership 3 years ago and from the first trip i was hooked. I loved it!!! Then we moved and I never made it back. I couldn't get a babysitter and the gym was 25 miles away. I miss it so much.. I got back on the workout band wagon last December with the 21 day fix and by week two I was hooked again. I would still prefer to be in the gym but it just isn't possible right now.

KJLaMore

I have struggled with consistency in my work outs, my whole life. I am the girl, who joined track in high school to lose weight (I only weighed about 115 lb) and spent my conditioning runs, jogging to the donut shop for a donut and eating it on the way back to the track. The most success I have had with consistency has been when I have been working out with a partner/friends. I need the accountability. Last September I won a free 12 week challenge at our local Fit Body Boot Camp. I was hooked on the work-outs the minute I pulled into the parking lot on the first day. It was dark outside at 5am, but the lights were on and the music was pumping out into the cold, dark morning air; and it reminded me of being at the dance clubs when I was younger! The 12 weeks were successful (I lost 25 lbs), but had to say good-bye to that place. $135/month is more than my budget will allow for my fitness!

stealthq

A couple of months of lifting - I needed to see the weights increase steadily and feel stronger to want to go. I find lifting fairly boring (challenging, yes, but still boring).

About a month of running - I had some early problems with shoe fit so it would have been sooner if I hadn't had to find better shoes and take some time for my knees to feel good again.