Do people actually enjoy working out?
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i will be honest, i love working out, weight-lifting, at the gym. it makes me feel so much better about myself, and after, i have so much energy. i love to sweat. the gym is full of men who are bulked-up and they inspire me. the women are heavy lifters, and i love to watch everyone out of the corner of my eye to get new ideas for new lifting routines. i work-out at a gym very close to my home, and they have free childcare, so i really don't have any negatives.0
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I also used to be majorly cranky about exercise- I was single, no kids, had a great job, commute was 30 min so not bad... so, totally lame.
I actually cried while working out once just bc I hated it SO much!! And all everyone ever says is how great the endorphins feel, blah blah blah. I wanted to punch all those people- WHO were they?! Skinny people, lol. I was very overweight at the time, but I just sucked it up bc that's what healthy adults do, and eventually I got my stuff together
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It still depends on the day. Today was good. Some days I feel like I'm running through molasses. Other days I am like Hallelujah!!0
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I don't like "working out" or "exercising".
I like training. I like having a goal and working with specific strength/hypertrophy programs to achieve that goal.
I'm not going to do a *kitten* burpee or get on a treadmill.5 -
I really just DO NOT enjoy it. It puts me in a terrible mood.
hah. i like you.
with that said, i wouldn't do what i'm doing if i didn't enjoy it. i hate the stuff that i hate far too much.
it's not like i'm constantly in a state of disney-princess bliss about it. i don't go into the gym escorted by little woodland critters and with bluebirds of joy circling around my head or anything. sometimes just stump in in a totally lunchbucket kind of mood. here i am doing what i do because it's what i do. but stoicism for me has never been the same thing as active hatred.
i still full-on hate all the forms of exercise that i hate. but idk if i could even tell you why i do the two things i enjoy, which are strength training and cycling. it's just some kind of weird 'click' thing between me and those two specific activities.
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With my desk job, I make sure to take frequent walk breaks. My goal is 10,000 steps per day outside of exercise.
I walk to the campus rec center or the yoga studio right after work. I change at the office. By the time I'm done and driving home, the traffic is much lighter.
I lift weights, do yoga, and cardio. I hike on the weekends. I love it all!0 -
I also used to be majorly cranky about exercise- I was single, no kids, had a great job, commute was 30 min so not bad... so, totally lame.
I actually cried while working out once just bc I hated it SO much!! And all everyone ever says is how great the endorphins feel, blah blah blah. I wanted to punch all those people- WHO were they?! Skinny people, lol. I was very overweight at the time, but I just sucked it up bc that's what healthy adults do, and eventually I got my stuff together
So, eventually it started to feel good? I'm not there, three years in, I've yet to feel any endorphins. I continue to hate exercise. I am jealous of those who feel good when, and after, they exercise. All it does for me is make me hurt and tired, and grumpy from the hurting and tiredness.1 -
Just wondering if the OP ever came back to read any of the replies/suggestions...
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How people "work out" is subjective to many people. For instance I've had many people do just yoga or Zumba and say it's the "best" workout ever. If that were all that were available, I probably wouldn't workout.
Weight lifting on the other hand..................................heaven. I work out just about every day doing some lifting and even on vacation when I go. That's how much I enjoy it.
It just sounds like you haven't found anything you like to do yet. Open your horizons. Self defense classes are great for many who have stressful commutes and jobs. Something about hitting something does it for them. My most stressed clients kickbox with me for 30 minutes.
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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I absolutely LOVE lifting weight. I honestly couldn't picture my life without it being part of my routine.
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Bookworm1860 wrote: »I also used to be majorly cranky about exercise- I was single, no kids, had a great job, commute was 30 min so not bad... so, totally lame.
I actually cried while working out once just bc I hated it SO much!! And all everyone ever says is how great the endorphins feel, blah blah blah. I wanted to punch all those people- WHO were they?! Skinny people, lol. I was very overweight at the time, but I just sucked it up bc that's what healthy adults do, and eventually I got my stuff together
So, eventually it started to feel good? I'm not there, three years in, I've yet to feel any endorphins. I continue to hate exercise. I am jealous of those who feel good when, and after, they exercise. All it does for me is make me hurt and tired, and grumpy from the hurting and tiredness.
What exercise do you do? Have you tried other things?0 -
Yes and no. Some days I just want it done, and other days I could spend an entire afternoon hiking a trail or sweating outside doing yard work. I especially love how I feel after a run.
My least favorite part is drumming up the motivation to do it on the days that I just want to go home, watch a horror movie, and stuff my face with beer or ice cream.
I've also had to get creative with my workouts, since in addition to working FT with a husband/kid and a 30 minute commute to and from work, I also go to school. I've mapped our building's parking lot, and one lap around is just over half a mile. I make 2 laps around at least once a day. And the building also has a tiny gym that I've started using before heading home (I just take a shorter lunch to make up for it on the days I use it). While far from ideal, it keeps me moving and working towards my goal.
Eventually I *will* be able to get to a gym or purchase my own equipment and I *will* start picking up heavy *kitten* and putting it down again.
Find something you love to do, and do it often! And on the days that it just needs to be done, but your big kid britches on and get after it. 0 -
I absolutely love to work out, seriously having been at the point where I couldn't walk across a room without crutches I fully appreciate everything I can do now. It's taken me a while to discover what I enjoy though, and it's not spending hours on a treadmill/stationary bike/elliptical. I love to challenge my body and push myself to new heights, I love lifting, trying to lift heavier than last month. I love to run longer distances (although I do run/walk intervals) and am always looking to the next challenge (marathon next year then maybe ultra year after). I love all the high intensity work I do in classes, learning to do burpees, press ups, mountain climbers (even though I *kitten* about how I shouldn't have learnt then I wouldn't have to do them). I love the way there's always something new to learn and master. But most of all I love the high I get after a particularly tough session, whether it be a high intensity class or a heavy lifting session or learning to hang from a bar (harder than it looks).0
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I loathe traditional gyms. I get bored very quickly with weights and cardio and that is part of the reason I packed on the pounds in my mid 30s. I discovered BJJ/MMA and was hooked instantly. I dropped 85lbs, kept it off for going on 3 years (15 lb creep around the holidays every year that come off in the spring) and am in the best overall shape of my life. I still don't lift and very rarely run. I get everything I need excercise-wise out of my training. I get antsy and eventually angry if I don't get these "workouts" in. It's as natural and necessary as breathing and eating to me.
You have to find something you love - not just a "workout."0 -
@Bookworm: yes, it has turned around for me a lot! Of course part of it was just losing weight so I had less to move in the first place, but I tried a bunch of different things along the way. Its a process. I liked strength training, and knew that I should try to lift a bit heavier than most of the other women I saw. So I did a circuit 1-2x a week, just to try it out. Then I got into C25K (which was torture; I failed several times around weeks 3-4 before I FINALLY finished the whole series of workouts, repeating sessions and entire weeks if I thought I needed to. When it was done, I think I could only run around 3.2 mph on the treadmill, even! SLOW wins. Then I joined a C25K type group in my town that was new- and finished that, started doing a few 5K races (yup- still "slow"). Added in some casual hiking, walks at work, and now I'm doing Spinning, yoga, and balance/strength training workout my new gym planned for me. The new gym is worth the extra $- I was NOT motivated staying at 10$/month gyms bc of the crowds, noise, etc.0
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PS those "endorphins" only kick in when you can do a "workout" for longer duration, so you need to build endurance to get there. No-one told me that before, and so I thought I couldn't handle it... Once I got to jogging and spinning and hiking for 45 minutes at a clip a few times a week, it started to fall into place. You shouldn't always feel hurt or in pain, either. Sometimes DOMS, but it doesn't need to be after or during every workout you do, that's for sure.2
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Yes, I really do love working out. It took a few years of quitting and restarting to get to this point though. And that doesn't mean I love it every day. Some days the thought of going to the gym sounds like torture, so you know what? I don't go those days haha.
Cardio machines bore me, and while I enjoy some weight lifting, I need circuit training, HIIT and cardio group fitness classes to get my heart rate up and get that endorphin rush. I will do DVD's or made up workouts at home if I don't want to drive the 25 minutes to the gym. Walking my dog and hiking outdoors are also fun & don't feel like exercise. In fact, I love working out so much that I now teach a group fitness class at my gym.
I totally agree with previous posters that you need to find an activity YOU enjoy. If you are serious about wanting to exercise, keep trying different things. There are so many options out there that there is bound to be at least one thing you enjoy.0 -
I loathe cardio, but lifting and yoga make me happy.0
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I really enjoy working out and that feeling when you're doing push ups and sweat is dripping from your nose on the floor hahaha. I feel super energized for the day after it.3
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Mostly, yes.
I did have to build up some base fitness, though. No exercise is all that fun when all you can think about is 'when am I done so I can quit aching and/or catch my breath'.
These days, the only time I don't enjoy my runs is when I start out exhausted - and even then I usually feel better by the time I'm done - and when the weather makes it miserable. 90+ degrees and 80+ humidity makes for a miserable run for me, 100% guaranteed.1 -
Just read this and hell ya I LOVE working out. For 15 years I forgot how much I did. Recently I decided to lose weight and get into shape again. Now that the noob DOMS are gone for most part it's a joy to lift. Those first few weeks were a *kitten* but now it's just a slight discomfort and my mood is so much better. I still get crabby but after a good lift session I am content and nicer to everyone for hours.1
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I don't. I am not one of those people who find joy in any type of exercise. Im not athletic or strong at all! However, I know I need to exercise for health reasons and for me personally, the release of endorphins helps my mood and helps me sleep. Yoga and PIYO is what works for me.1
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In my opinion, it's important to find physical activities that you do enjoy.
When I started trying to lose weight, I did it with diet only. That's the most important thing, obviously, but then I started adding walks just to burn some calories to earn some more food. I started feeling much better after I added some activity to my life.
Then I started doing some other physical activities that I enjoyed when I was a kid, like running, hiking, and swimming. Then I picked up juggling and poi, which I haven't done in years. Since then I have added some strength training, which is actually sort of fun in an academic sort of way.
Do I have fun on an elliptical machine? No. But if I'm already in the gym for other activities, and I have some calories to kill, it's an inoffensive and relatively efficient way to do it, so I willingly put up with it for half an hour or however long it takes to burn off those French fries.
So basically, even exercise I don't care for isn't as bad as it used to be now that I've picked up some exercise I do like.
EDIT: I, too, have a 45-minute commute twice a day. At this point I know that I'm going to go to the gym as soon as I get home and change clothes. It's an hour tops, I can definitely make time.
I'm definitely consuming less media than I used to, but having fun and getting healthier is worth the reduction in books and movies.2 -
Initially I really didn't, mainly because when I first started working out all I pretty much did was mindless cardio. While I lost weight, it was insanely boring. I got to the point where even with my massive library of music and literally dozens of music apps, I was sick of almost everything I would listen to during this time.
Back then I was too intimidated to lift weights, so I sat in the literally the very last treadmill at the back of my local Planet Fitness and trudged along aimlessly. I might still be doing that to this day if not for a chance meeting with a super cool dude in the locker room one day who subsequently took me under his wing. After getting over the initial sore as hell factor from the first couple of weeks on a weight program, I was hooked like a crackhead on rock. After that my level of intensity skyrocketed and I devoured any and every new weight program I could get my hands on.
I had a rather brief 3-4 month stint doing the CrossFit thing during this time period also, but I simply could not drunk the Kool Aide enough for those folks and I went back to traditional a traditional weight training/body building routine.
These days weight training is very much a catharsis of sorts for me. It gives me balance and focus in my life and allows all the other variables in my life to work in harmony. If that sounds incredibly cheese, I suppose it is, but it is how I feel nonetheless. People that view exercise as a chore are people that have not discovered a form of exercise which ignites their passion yet. Once they do, they will have a similar experience as me.4 -
Yes it's fun!
My workouts are fun, because I know every sweat and burn means I'm getting closer to my goal of being healthier and stronger!
If you don't like yours, try changing it up. There are a lot of different workouts to try1 -
What exercise do you do? Have you tried other things?
Resistance (machines, not heavy because it messes with my joints too much), zumba, yoga, treadmill, stationary bike and a little stair master. I can't be in the sun so anything outdoors is out. I do like to dance but even that leaves me hurting and tired. Changing the activity won't change that sweat feels like acid and hurts my skin, that I get horrific DOMS, or that it makes me really tired. It would if those were psychological but they aren't.PS those "endorphins" only kick in when you can do a "workout" for longer duration, so you need to build endurance to get there.
Longer than the @1 1/2 - 2 hours I'm usually in the gym is just never going to happen.
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I don't enjoy working out, am always checking the timer to see how long I have left
When Daniel (fitnessblendercom) says this workout is complete I am like YES
I am interested to hear why it puts you in a terrible mood though I haven't heard that before
I love the energy I get after working out and how strong and fit I have become1 -
Try Zumba Chica:) or swing dance and if you like a more HARDCORE workout then bust out some Zumba strong:) you can get on YouTube and bust it wide open in your kitchen if you want0
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Do people actually enjoy working out?
Absolutely!! 0
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