How can I learn to like exercise

jacksonpt

More than likely, you can't/won't. You won't wake up one morning and suddenly love something that you've hated for most of your life.

There are a few things you can try that might help -

1. as suggested, try different activities. maybe you'll find something you do enjoy. You mentioned cycling...
2. if you can stick with it for a month or so, you *should* start to see some progress. perhaps you'll fall in love with the progress enough to make it worth while.
3. practice. being good at something usually makes it a little less awful.

localgrr

yeah thanks guys this is all so so helpful, I can't believe nobody has trolled yet ! What an amazing forum

LivingtheLeanDream

I would advise to keep on doing something most days, you will see great changes in your body and then you'll realise its worth it.

leahcollett1

localgrr wrote: »

Thanks everyone ! Wow overwealmed with the response. I would say the main reason I would want to exercise is so I can eat what I like again
Hmm what exercise do I like ?? I like any aerobics where the instructor actually picks good music... zumba is fun. I do like walking and cycling.

My main problem with the gym is its such a big chunk out of my day - by the time ive got there and back, worked out and showered - it's just precious hours out of my busy life.

The truth is I doubt I can find any sport I like more than hanging out with my cat or drinking with my friends - sad but true !!!

im a busy mum of a 2 and a 3 year old.. i too have limited time.. however i just adore body combat les mills. i dont have time to go to a gym and do it, so its much more convienent doing it at home. i buy the dvds on ebay or i watch a you tube video. i burn about 500 cals a time. i love martial arts.

its all about finding something you enjoy. once you do, it becomes easy to stick at it, because you love doing it.

i myself am struggling at the minute, im gaining each week, so ive lowered my calories and made my logging more accurate. im sitting here everything crossed for weigh in day.

Irishsugar

I hate it too... But I have noticed I do feel better and lose more weight so I try to do it. Maybe listen to a good podcast or audiobook? That way you are focused on what they are saying and not how much you hate it?? But either way keep at it.,. It will eventually not be so bad!! Good luck!!!

CassidyScaglione

If you like bike riding, then just use that... Up the intensity of your ride till you feel your heart rate come up, keep it elevated for 20-30 minutes. Good enough. It doesn't have to be complicated.

Joanna2012B

I didn't like going to the gym much until I went to my first spin class! I am now a gym junkie! It relieves my stress and I am sleeping better at night. I cycle in the summer when I can and I love it!! I haven't lost much weight, but I dropped 5 pant sizes. I feel fantastic and have ventured out, I have taken up running (not loving it yet), strength training. I find that I can't seem to sit for long now and am loving life!! It is recommended that you get 150 minutes of physical activity a week. It sounds like you are already past that...so don't stress it!!!

RollTideTri

I used to hate HATE running when I was playing sports growing up and in the military. Now I love it. Not just the result of it, but the actual act of running. What changed is I slowed down and stopped trying to break a personal record every time and wanting to puke at the end. Once I built up a little endurance where I could run without panting for air, it became very relaxing and enjoyable.

If you don't mind biking maybe try building up your bike fitness so it gets easier

blues4miles

What helped me was to schedule my workouts during my work day. Because getting up from my desk to go for a walk is a lot easier than getting up from a video game on the weekend to go for a walk.

Walking is where I start every time. I get audiobooks, or podcasts, and listen to them only when I'm walking. I look forward to getting away from my desk every day to get my walk in, don't need to change/shower after or anything.

kshama2001

blues4miles wrote: »

What helped me was to schedule my workouts during my work day. Because getting up from my desk to go for a walk is a lot easier than getting up from a video game on the weekend to go for a walk.

Walking is where I start every time. I get audiobooks, or podcasts, and listen to them only when I'm walking. I look forward to getting away from my desk every day to get my walk in, don't need to change/shower after or anything.

Ya, getting a break at lunch time was how I picked up yoga 20 years ago. Now I walk/hike/maintain trails at lunch. If I ever get bored with that I'll put some audiobooks or podcasts on my MP3 player. Lots of free audiobooks available for download at my library.

I really love getting the break at lunch and I am more productive and energized for it, and the energy boost carries over to the evening.

kshama2001

localgrr wrote: »

Thanks everyone ! Wow overwealmed with the response. I would say the main reason I would want to exercise is so I can eat what I like again
Hmm what exercise do I like ?? I like any aerobics where the instructor actually picks good music... zumba is fun. I do like walking and cycling.

My main problem with the gym is its such a big chunk out of my day - by the time ive got there and back, worked out and showered - it's just precious hours out of my busy life.

The truth is I doubt I can find any sport I like more than hanging out with my cat or drinking with my friends - sad but true !!!

Ok, there are lots of activities you like, you just need to commit to doing them. Would any of your friends be interested in doing any of them with you?

brenn24179

I love exercise, but I only like it when I do what I enjoy, for me it is zumba, biking, walking and get some great thinking in, hiking, I love physical stuff. But if you don't maybe walking is the answer.

drachfit

localgrr wrote: »

Thanks everyone ! Wow overwealmed with the response. I would say the main reason I would want to exercise is so I can eat what I like again
Hmm what exercise do I like ?? I like any aerobics where the instructor actually picks good music... zumba is fun. I do like walking and cycling.

I would suggest re-framing the problem in your mind. "Exercise" is a sweaty, difficult ordeal that is not too enjoyable. Exercise for the sake of exercise is not a motivating mindset. I suggest you find some greater purpose for your exercise. That way, the point of each session is not just to get sweaty, but to fulfill that greater, more meaningful purpose. Such a purpose could be:

1. training for a future athletic event, trip, or sport that you enjoy. (for example, your running right now is so that you can go on a long hiking/backpacking trip this summer in a beautiful national park. you are doing squats so you can go on that sweet ski trip out west. you like playing pick-up soccer games with your friends and want to get an edge. you want to be able to do cool party tricks like backflips at the BBQ this summer. etc. etc. etc.)
2. maintaining your health into old age so you don't have to depend on your kids to support you
3. setting a good example for your kids so they learn how to grow up strong and healthy
4. being able to play with any future grandkids
5. being hot for your spouse
6. being hot for your own self-confidence
7. having good health so that you are less likely to have costly health issues in old age that could have been prevented.

We do this all the time with a very similar activity - work. You might love your job, but sometimes work is still work and there are hard parts to every job but we go anyway. Nobody would go to work if the only reason was "to get work done." They are getting paid, and secondly, if they are lucky they find their work interesting and satisfying for some reason.

Why? For the same reasons I listed above - so you can retire in old age, so you can send your kids to college, so you can have nice things, or live in a safe neighborhood. Or, maybe you think your work is important to the world because you help people or invent new things.

My main problem with the gym is its such a big chunk out of my day - by the time ive got there and back, worked out and showered - it's just precious hours out of my busy life.

i would suggest that finding at least an hour or two out of every day to keep your body and mind in good working order should be pretty high on your priority list. if you don't have time now, will you have time to recover from heart surgery or a stroke when you are 50?

there are probably some ways to be more efficient with your day too (find a gym on the way home from work instead? build a home gym? take up running? watch 1 less netflix episode? =P )

The truth is I doubt I can find any sport I like more than hanging out with my cat or drinking with my friends - sad but true !!!

then your only choice is to accept the level of health, fitness, and aesthetic appeal that that lifestyle bestows upon you.

So all that gives you more reasons to exercise. As far as making the exercise itself more enjoyable, I suggest you find a style of exercise that you can make measureable progress at. Running is a basic example; you know that you are going faster and longer than the last time and that is satisfying. You can apply this to a lot of exercises, but to me stuff like Zumba is a lot harder to measure. You are just getting sweaty for a half hour - but maybe you will start to notice that you are doing the dance moves better, or faster, or more gracefully than before, or you're not as fatigued as before, and this will allow you to get a sense of the progress that you are making.

And there is always progress in losing weight and/or looking better!

drachfit

double post oooops

TheBeachgod

I've gotten into the habit of not exercising and saying " I hate going to the gym" and such. I'll gain weight, get a Dad bod, decide to do something about it so I start counting calories again to lose the weight and reluctantly start exercising again to get in shape, maybe even join a gym even though I know I'll hate it.

Then something happens.

I start losing some flab thanks to improved, mindful eating habits and I start seeing some results in my build after spending some time in the gym. Suddenly I don't mind the gym or other exercising and I actually look forward to it.

So the short answer on how to learn to like it: seeing results from it. Works for me anyhow.

localgrr

Brilliant stuff everyone, I'm already staring to think about exercising more posiitively. The diet is going so well, but I definitely feel weak from I guess halving my calorie intake - time to get off my butt!

robertw486

I think for some people, they might never really enjoy exercise, especially when they are first starting. As with anything else in life, we often aren't as good at it when we first start. So it's harder when you are slower, weaker, or it's just harder to do. As you improve, it becomes more fun, but only if you find the right things to do.

I used to hate most cardio. I think this had to do with the forced cardio from my military days. We had to do it in training, we got tested and it could affect our career and promotions, so we had to stay decent at it. But now that it's no longer forced on me, I enjoy it more. And I can go at my own pace, and even if my pace sucks it's not a career ending thing.

And similar to some others, when I see results it motivates me. Even though now I'm at a maintenance weight, I see improvements in times, or realize I can now go at that pace for XX time longer when I want. And at some point it actually becomes fun. There are days I'm a ball of dripping sweat and it's well worth it. I'm sweating my tail off but feeling accomplished.

And endorphins. Plenty of endorphins.