The I hate exercise crowd
TaraTaraTara76
Posts: 89 Member
On here looking for friends that well...hate exercise. I've done in 2 days in a row now but I hate it. I want to change that about myself and be the type of person who loved it. I don't know how to change my mindset. It takes me a ton of inner pushing upon myself to set foot on that elliptical. I don't enjoy being on it either and I don't feel that boost people speak of afterwards.. I'm just hot and out of breath. It's too dang cold to go outside for a walk or jog , it was -3 degrees today. Basically looking for people like me ...if you exist to be a motivator friend with me. We can cheer eahother on. Any tricks to change my attitude would also be great.
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Find an activity that you find fun it could be hiking or skiing or anything active. Build your exercise plan around things you enjoy.16
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I play ice hockey which is 100% of my cardio because I also cant stand elliptical or treadmills. gym time is all weights. give strength training legit shot.4
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Try out a bunch of different things until you find what you love, or is the least objectionable. I found that I love swimming (although I suck at it) and I love kickboxing (suck at that too). Although I'm not good at either, I enjoy both and so much more likely to do them. As a bonus, I know I have to get better!6
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I agree with the posters who say try different activities and / or exercises you might actually enjoy.
But confession time : I hate the gym. Hate it with a passion. I hate all physical activity in general. I'm an indoors curled up with a book and my cat type of girl. I don't want to hike or swim or God forbid run. But as much as I hate exercise and the gym I also realize I need to exercise for my health. So I go Monday - Friday before work, turn my music up, and work my *kitten* off.
But the girl practically sprinting through the gym doors at the end of her work out? Yeah, that's me.6 -
Here is a list of sports.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sports
Some may not be particularly physical (I think playing cards is on there), but I'm sure you can identify the more physical ones.
Try them!
Go down the list and try different things.
Personally, I like walking and it's great that I can do it as part of my commute and at lunch and sometimes after work. I'm OK with climbing stairs (I like the challenge, even if it is boring), and I can do it during breaks at work. I love cycling ... I'd do that all day long just about every day if I could. But I also enjoy hiking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, canoeing, weightlifting, a limited amount of kayaking and swimming. I just like trying things.2 -
I agree with everybody. I used to hate exercise but then I went through and particularly stressful period and I started running to release some of the frustration. It started as a walk/run thing, I start walking whenever I feel tired or I wasn't enjoying the run anymore, and the amount of time I would run became longer and longer. So that got me to start trying out other exercises like dancing classes or weights and now I exercise 5-6 times a week but it's taken 1.5 years to form the habit. The key is to find something you enjoy and start slowly like once a week and only increase it incrementally. Listen to your body too. Stop n rest when you get tired3
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I haven't stepped on my treadmill since last November. Being across the hall from my bedroom, I feel terrible passing it by so I avoid looking at it. Terribly lazy to plug the damn thing in n lace up my sneakers... gonna work on this issue soon.1
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Just thinking abt exercise makes me exhausted lol3
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Marieyeyeam wrote: »Just thinking abt exercise makes me exhausted lol
Drink a tall glass of cold water ... wait about 30 min to let it settle ... then go for a walk round the block.1 -
I want to know why when someone says that they hate exercise...are the people bound and determined to make us want to learn to like it and convince us to do it? Why can't you leave us alone and wish us luck on our journeys. I find it rather pushy of you and not very nice, no matter how well meaning.
Because we can't imagine life without activity ... we can't imagine not wanting to move.
It's just completely and utterly inconceivable to me that someone would want to spend their entire lives in one spot.
And from our experience, usually when people say they hate something general, they actually mean they hate one specific item, one specific aspect ... but it usually turns out that they tolerate or even enjoy another aspect.8 -
I want to know why when someone says that they hate exercise...are the people bound and determined to make us want to learn to like it and convince us to do it? Why can't you leave us alone and wish us luck on our journeys. I find it rather pushy of you and not very nice, no matter how well meaning.
Because we are advocates for weight loss AND a healthy body. Weight loss just takes self control.10 -
Because there are so many benefits to exercise!
Because exercise makes it so much easier to lose weight.4 -
I have been where you are now so like has been said try different things till you find a work out that you like..... surely there must be something out there that you can enjoy. I discovered skipping, aerobics and spin class i guess its the music in the background that makes me want to keep at it during a session.
Nonetheless start simple even walking or taking the stairs is good for you.... some people have lost weight without stepping in the gym but any form of exercise is good.1 -
I'll stick to what I like and never ask the "advocates" on MFP for help, ever. Unsolicited advice is just rude. I wish everyone luck...even if you think you know what's best for everyone.
What "unsolicited advice" are you referring to though? OP specifically says she is looking for people to cheer each other on to exercise. She apparently *wants* to be convinced, it's not like people are crashing a thread about hating exercise and being okay with never doing it.13 -
I want to know why when someone says that they hate exercise...are the people bound and determined to make us want to learn to like it and convince us to do it? Why can't you leave us alone and wish us luck on our journeys. I find it rather pushy of you and not very nice, no matter how well meaning.
Because the OP was looking for ways to change her attitude about exercise and become someone who loves it.9 -
I'll stick to what I like and never ask the "advocates" on MFP for help, ever. Unsolicited advice is just rude. I wish everyone luck...even if you think you know what's best for everyone.
If you don't want to hear opinions, don't post on a public forum. Especially one that focuses on weight and health. No one has told you what you have to do so chill out.13 -
I want to know why when someone says that they hate exercise...are the people bound and determined to make us want to learn to like it and convince us to do it? Why can't you leave us alone and wish us luck on our journeys. I find it rather pushy of you and not very nice, no matter how well meaning.
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Maybe you just haven't found an exercise you enjoy yet? also if you've not been used to doing anything its going to take time to form a new habit to workout.... try some other things and give them a chance
I wasn't much one for exercising myself, but in Jan 2013 all that changed as I committed to do 30 days of Jillian Michaels 30 Day shred - and since then I've worked out every week day before work. New habits eventually become the norm It usually takes around 3 weeks for any habit to begin to feel normal.2 -
To the OP: not sure how old you are or how many times you've tried to like an activity, but sometimes it comes down to just accepting that you won't ever "love" it and that's okay. As another poster mentioned, I to am also sit-on-the-couch kind of gal and curl up with a book. I am a voracious reader and I enjoy being somewhere quiet. At age 52, I have accepted that I will never LOVE a physical activity. And I've tried them all. It is an absolute chore just to get out the door or on a treadmill. I have a stern talking with myself each and every time. Some people are just not physical people. Physical folks tend to not be very understanding at all. My husband is a 3 time triathlete and has ALWAYS been active. He knows no other way. Guess what? The man cannot get through a book to save his soul! Just different strokes.
The difference is, for me, especially at age 52, I have come to know how important it is for the body to DO something. So I force myself to do something and just accept that I will never enjoy it. I want to, but I don't. But I am also very proud of myself when I accomplish something. I just finished a C25K program and it is the most jogging I've ever done in my life. My resting heart rate, over 8 weeks, has decreased by over 10 beats per minute. BP is down and so on. If that isn't enough to force me out there, I don't know what is. But hey, when you get in your 50s, you start getting a lot of clarity about things!!!
Anyway, I don't know how to change your mindset because I've never been able to change mine. I'm just not a physical person, and that's okay. I just think about it as "taking my medicine" and it's important for my health.11 -
I want to know why when someone says that they hate exercise...are the people bound and determined to make us want to learn to like it and convince us to do it? Why can't you leave us alone and wish us luck on our journeys. I find it rather pushy of you and not very nice, no matter how well meaning.
Listen, the human body was never meant to be sedentary, period. I am convinced that EVERYONE no matter their age or physical capabilities can find some sort of activity, sport, or routine which provides them the stimulation they need.
Tried one thing and hate it? Okay, no worries, try something else!
I for one also hate the elliptical just like you, OP. As a matter of fact I used to hate absolutely everything that is "cardio". Guess what? I love to play tennis and squash, I love to do trampoline fitness, I love just treading water and paddling around. I love weight lifting and gymnastics training as well as calisthenics.
For every one type of exercise i like, i have tried 5 others that i hate. Take time to experiment and find ways to workout that fit your schedule, preference, are fun, and don't feel like a chore to you. Keep in mind that for a healthy body exercise is not "optional".12 -
rainbowbow wrote: »I want to know why when someone says that they hate exercise...are the people bound and determined to make us want to learn to like it and convince us to do it? Why can't you leave us alone and wish us luck on our journeys. I find it rather pushy of you and not very nice, no matter how well meaning.
Listen, the human body was never meant to be sedentary, period. I am convinced that EVERYONE no matter their age or physical capabilities can find some sort of activity, sport, or routine which provides them the stimulation they need.
Tried one thing and hate it? Okay, no worries, try something else!
I for one also hate the elliptical just like you, OP. As a matter of fact I used to hate absolutely everything that is "cardio". Guess what? I love to play tennis and squash, I love to do trampoline fitness, I love just treading water and paddling around. I love weight lifting and gymnastics training as well as calisthenics.
For every one type of exercise i like, i have tried 5 others that i hate. Take time to experiment and find ways to workout that fit your schedule, preference, are fun, and don't feel like a chore to you. Keep in mind that for a healthy body exercise is not "optional".
A lot of folk in here should try sex...seriously. Calm down - its nearly Christmas
Currently single... so not right now. But done correctly it can be quite a nice workout.
But exercises is what people make of it. If a walk is all someone will and can do, great a walk it is. It's a struggle for me day in day out to get enough movement, but I try and I keep trying. I'm still hoping to find that one activity that I will love and keep going back to. The list is still long, in the meantime, I go to the gym 3x a week because I know my muscles need it. Don't really want to end up like most of my elder relatives...2 -
I don't enjoy intentional exercise, so I don't do it. Haven't had any problems hitting my weight or health goals without it.
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I want to know why when someone says that they hate exercise...are the people bound and determined to make us want to learn to like it and convince us to do it? Why can't you leave us alone and wish us luck on our journeys. I find it rather pushy of you and not very nice, no matter how well meaning.
Because we can't imagine life without activity ... we can't imagine not wanting to move.
It's just completely and utterly inconceivable to me that someone would want to spend their entire lives in one spot.
And from our experience, usually when people say they hate something general, they actually mean they hate one specific item, one specific aspect ... but it usually turns out that they tolerate or even enjoy another aspect.
Just because someone doesn't 'exercise', doesn't meant they're not active and are staying in one spot-that's just silly. People define exercise differently, and I think that makes these kinds of threads confusing because people aren't always talking about the same thing.5 -
crzycatlady1 wrote: »I want to know why when someone says that they hate exercise...are the people bound and determined to make us want to learn to like it and convince us to do it? Why can't you leave us alone and wish us luck on our journeys. I find it rather pushy of you and not very nice, no matter how well meaning.
Because we can't imagine life without activity ... we can't imagine not wanting to move.
It's just completely and utterly inconceivable to me that someone would want to spend their entire lives in one spot.
And from our experience, usually when people say they hate something general, they actually mean they hate one specific item, one specific aspect ... but it usually turns out that they tolerate or even enjoy another aspect.
Just because someone doesn't exercise in the traditional sense, doesn't meant their not active and are staying in one spot-that's just silly.
Bingo!
I didn't said anything about "exercise in the traditional sense". Any movement is exercise. Saying you hate exercise and don't want to exercise means you want to say in bed for the rest of your life and never move. The minute you get up and walk across the room, you've started exercising ... and you probably don't hate it after all.2 -
crzycatlady1 wrote: »I want to know why when someone says that they hate exercise...are the people bound and determined to make us want to learn to like it and convince us to do it? Why can't you leave us alone and wish us luck on our journeys. I find it rather pushy of you and not very nice, no matter how well meaning.
Because we can't imagine life without activity ... we can't imagine not wanting to move.
It's just completely and utterly inconceivable to me that someone would want to spend their entire lives in one spot.
And from our experience, usually when people say they hate something general, they actually mean they hate one specific item, one specific aspect ... but it usually turns out that they tolerate or even enjoy another aspect.
Just because someone doesn't exercise in the traditional sense, doesn't meant their not active and are staying in one spot-that's just silly.
Bingo!
I didn't said anything about "exercise in the traditional sense". Any movement is exercise. Saying you hate exercise and don't want to exercise means you want to say in bed for the rest of your life and never move. The minute you get up and walk across the room, you've started exercising ... and you probably don't hate it after all.
Okay, but when people say they hate exercise, they typically aren't saying they don't want to walk across a room (I hope). For many of us, the walking we're required to do in order to do our daily activities wouldn't count as "exercise" in any real fitness or health-enhancing sense. When people say they hate exercise, they're usually talking about those activities that go beyond the ordinary actions of living.
I get what you're saying, but I think it kind of misses the point. If someone's daily life *doesn't* include the activity that they want to increase their calorie burn or if they want to improve their fitness, their dislike of "exercise" is something they're going to have to grapple with in some way, either by finding something they can stand doing or accepting that they aren't going to meet those goals.3 -
crzycatlady1 wrote: »I want to know why when someone says that they hate exercise...are the people bound and determined to make us want to learn to like it and convince us to do it? Why can't you leave us alone and wish us luck on our journeys. I find it rather pushy of you and not very nice, no matter how well meaning.
Because we can't imagine life without activity ... we can't imagine not wanting to move.
It's just completely and utterly inconceivable to me that someone would want to spend their entire lives in one spot.
And from our experience, usually when people say they hate something general, they actually mean they hate one specific item, one specific aspect ... but it usually turns out that they tolerate or even enjoy another aspect.
Just because someone doesn't exercise in the traditional sense, doesn't meant their not active and are staying in one spot-that's just silly.
Bingo!
I didn't said anything about "exercise in the traditional sense". Any movement is exercise. Saying you hate exercise and don't want to exercise means you want to say in bed for the rest of your life and never move. The minute you get up and walk across the room, you've started exercising ... and you probably don't hate it after all.
When I hear the word exercise I think gym, using machines, running, intense biking, lifting weights, work out videos etc. I wouldn't consider everyday activities like walking, playing with your kids, gardening, household chores like shoveling, push mowing, sports etc as exercising-that's just living and being active Maybe OP could get away from the idea of 'exercising' and just focus on being more active? That's what I've done and it works well for me, because the term exercise actually has a pretty negative connotation associated with it (for me personally).5 -
I want to know why when someone says that they hate exercise...are the people bound and determined to make us want to learn to like it and convince us to do it? Why can't you leave us alone and wish us luck on our journeys. I find it rather pushy of you and not very nice, no matter how well meaning.
She asked for advice...said she wanted to change that about herself...see bolded below.TaraTaraTara76 wrote: »On here looking for friends that well...hate exercise. I've done in 2 days in a row now but I hate it. I want to change that about myself and be the type of person who loved it. I don't know how to change my mindset. It takes me a ton of inner pushing upon myself to set foot on that elliptical. I don't enjoy being on it either and I don't feel that boost people speak of afterwards.. I'm just hot and out of breath. It's too dang cold to go outside for a walk or jog , it was -3 degrees today. Basically looking for people like me ...if you exist to be a motivator friend with me. We can cheer eahother on. Any tricks to change my attitude would also be great.
I assumed that she started this thread in order to get advice on how to at least not to hate exercise.
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crzycatlady1 wrote: »crzycatlady1 wrote: »I want to know why when someone says that they hate exercise...are the people bound and determined to make us want to learn to like it and convince us to do it? Why can't you leave us alone and wish us luck on our journeys. I find it rather pushy of you and not very nice, no matter how well meaning.
Because we can't imagine life without activity ... we can't imagine not wanting to move.
It's just completely and utterly inconceivable to me that someone would want to spend their entire lives in one spot.
And from our experience, usually when people say they hate something general, they actually mean they hate one specific item, one specific aspect ... but it usually turns out that they tolerate or even enjoy another aspect.
Just because someone doesn't exercise in the traditional sense, doesn't meant their not active and are staying in one spot-that's just silly.
Bingo!
I didn't said anything about "exercise in the traditional sense". Any movement is exercise. Saying you hate exercise and don't want to exercise means you want to say in bed for the rest of your life and never move. The minute you get up and walk across the room, you've started exercising ... and you probably don't hate it after all.
When I hear the word exercise I think gym, using machines, running, intense biking, lifting weights, work out videos etc. I wouldn't consider everyday activities like walking, playing with your kids, gardening, household chores like shoveling, push mowing, sports etc as exercising-that's just living and being active Maybe OP could get away from the idea of 'exercising' and just focus on being more active? That's what I've done and it works well for me, because the term exercise actually has a pretty negative connotation associated with it (for me personally).
When I hear the word exercise, I think of the walking portion of my commute, my walk through the shops or to the botanical gardens at lunch, and my walks down to the beach after work with my husband. That's probably the bulk of my exercise most days.
Sure exercise can include long or intense bicycle rides, or strenuous hikes up a mountain, or a couple hours a gym, (which is fun too!), but exercise doesn't have to be that ... especially not every day. It can also be a casual bicycle ride up the cycling path, a stroll through a meadow, a casual canoe on a calm lake, running and playing with the kids in the playground, tossing the ball or frisbee around.
Exercise is all about becoming more active, living an active lifestyle, and hopefully doing things you enjoy.
In the OP's case, because it is cold where she is, she could, for example, go to her local mall and walk around. Spend an hour walking round and round, in and out of shops, even slowing up if she sees something she likes in some of the shops. That's exercise. She'd be moving. And maybe that's all she'd want to do for now, but perhaps when it warms up a bit, she'll want to do a bit more.6 -
crzycatlady1 wrote: »crzycatlady1 wrote: »I want to know why when someone says that they hate exercise...are the people bound and determined to make us want to learn to like it and convince us to do it? Why can't you leave us alone and wish us luck on our journeys. I find it rather pushy of you and not very nice, no matter how well meaning.
Because we can't imagine life without activity ... we can't imagine not wanting to move.
It's just completely and utterly inconceivable to me that someone would want to spend their entire lives in one spot.
And from our experience, usually when people say they hate something general, they actually mean they hate one specific item, one specific aspect ... but it usually turns out that they tolerate or even enjoy another aspect.
Just because someone doesn't exercise in the traditional sense, doesn't meant their not active and are staying in one spot-that's just silly.
Bingo!
I didn't said anything about "exercise in the traditional sense". Any movement is exercise. Saying you hate exercise and don't want to exercise means you want to say in bed for the rest of your life and never move. The minute you get up and walk across the room, you've started exercising ... and you probably don't hate it after all.
When I hear the word exercise I think gym, using machines, running, intense biking, lifting weights, work out videos etc. I wouldn't consider everyday activities like walking, playing with your kids, gardening, household chores like shoveling, push mowing, sports etc as exercising-that's just living and being active Maybe OP could get away from the idea of 'exercising' and just focus on being more active? That's what I've done and it works well for me, because the term exercise actually has a pretty negative connotation associated with it (for me personally).
When I hear the word exercise, I think of the walking portion of my commute, my walk through the shops or to the botanical gardens at lunch, and my walks down to the beach after work with my husband. That's probably the bulk of my exercise most days.
Sure exercise can include long or intense bicycle rides, or strenuous hikes up a mountain, or a couple hours a gym, (which is fun too!), but exercise doesn't have to be that ... especially not every day. It can also be a casual bicycle ride up the cycling path, a stroll through a meadow, a casual canoe on a calm lake, running and playing with the kids in the playground, tossing the ball or frisbee around.
Exercise is all about becoming more active, living an active lifestyle, and hopefully doing things you enjoy.
In the OP's case, because it is cold where she is, she could, for example, go to her local mall and walk around. Spend an hour walking round and round, in and out of shops, even slowing up if she sees something she likes in some of the shops. That's exercise. She'd be moving. And maybe that's all she'd want to do for now, but perhaps when it warms up a bit, she'll want to do a bit more.
Yes we can definitely call it exercise. But if someone wants to improve their cardiovascular health just by walking, they should walk at least at a brisk pace.0
This discussion has been closed.
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