Exercise is NOT a torture or punishment! :) Motivation for t

merzback

Remember when you were younger, as a kid, when you LOVED to be outside and ride your bike and run around. That was called PLAY, not TORTURE. I remember when I was a kid, me and my friends would ride our bikes around the corner and time ourselves. We weren't thinking of calories lost (I dont' think I knew what a calorie was, lol) , but just for the FUN of it. Now I realize I grew up in the 70's before video games, 5000 tv channels and parents that didn't have the worry of their kids being outdoors for hours like now, but I used to LOVE to play with the neighborhood kids, playing volleyball over a fence, a makeshift game of baseball in the street, and bike riding. I loved playing tennis against the garage door even by myself. It's amazing that this same very active child became morbidly obese as an adult.
When does that all change? When does exercise change from being play to being torture? Sure my body is a lot older and bigger now, I have a herniated disc that as a child I didn't have. . Why do most adults consider exercise as a torture? I think because it is put in our heads that way. Also, I do believe that as adults, we tend to not do the workouts that we like. We do not consider it fun because if you don't do what you like, you will not do it.
You have to find what you LOVE. If you HATE a treadmill, don't go on one. I absolutely can not stand step aerobics- not one bit. So I stay away from it. I love to play tennis and raquetball, love turbo jam/kick, and sometimes find it fun to be on the elliptical listening to my favorite songs. I also love to dance- no one who dances at parties or a wedding thinks they are exercising but the truth is that they are!

If you ask children to exercise they will turn up their nose. If you tell them we are going to have a dance party, they want to be a part of it. Tell yourself that you are going to your own PARTY, to have FUN. Find your favorite work outs. It may be just putting music on and dancing to it, or using Wii fit, or playing a game of tennis. What is YOUR fun?

Goal_Seeker_1988

You are right bout that. Especially when it comes to doin the exercises that we like. Somedays I don't feel like working out so I force myself to go to the gym. But if it were something like goin for a hike or doin "1000"steps which is a side of a mountain made outta steps where I live. I'd be all excited (just wouldn't do either thing right now too damn cold!!!) but if it's something like doin the stairstepper @ the gym that can be pretty damn boring.

LauraSS

Excellent Post Mer. Every word of it is so very true.

I know I started not liking exercise when I was in highschool in Gym Class. I hated those ugly blue one piece uniforms they made us wear and I could never, ever do a push-up so I would always be chastized for it instead of having someone actually show me "how" I could do this properly. I still hate them, but at least I can do them now! :laugh: Of course they didn't have really cool gym teachers back in the late 60s, early 70s. Thank goodness they do now.

MaximalLife

Exercise became torture when we grew up and stopped playing.
I just don't do certain exercises that are hell.
Indoor cardio like the treadmill - "dreadmil" or stationary bike, elliptical....
I'd rather be tied and beaten in the town square.

No, for me it's either fun, or count me OUT!

I do a lot of weird things for cardio like military march, boxing type training,
dancing, floor rolls, squat thrust intervals and the good ole jumping jack while watching MMA.
And I jog, swim, play tennis, fast walk and bike.

Lost 70lbs and nearly 20% body fat - it works for me.

LovingCruz

Love this post!! and I am with you got on the elliptical the other day and for the first time in years I did not like it, so guess what I won't be getting on that anymore...lol I do love Zumba and I love running outside, on days i can't get out because of rain or something I go to our gym and run. Again, Love this post!!

eve7166

i was walking with my mom last night (got her motivated to do some excersize) and we were talking about just that! I told her how much i missed walking on grass! I swear i was outside everyday until late night that we all got called in .running around and riding bikes or skates... i kinda really miss those days! Imma have to set up a game of freeze tag or kickball with my friends soon! lol

merzback

Excellent Post Mer. Every word of it is so very true.

I know I started not liking exercise when I was in highschool in Gym Class. I hated those ugly blue one piece uniforms they made us wear and I could never, ever do a push-up so I would always be chastized for it instead of having someone actually show me "how" I could do this properly. I still hate them, but at least I can do them now! :laugh: Of course they didn't have really cool gym teachers back in the late 60s, early 70s. Thank goodness they do now.

Most of my gym teachers were brutal!! Did I ever tell you, Laura, about my first experience with real exercise? It was at a fat camp when I was 14. They used exercise as a form of punishment. Fortunately, I always loved how I feel when I am done working out so it was never really a punishment to me. I remember when I was in grade school in the 70's, those blue uniforms but I was little then so I didn't mind it. I would have HATED them if I had to wear them in middle or high school. The one nasty gym teacher I had in 7th grade scoffed at my weight in front of the WHOLE class. I was 5'6 and 150 lbs at 12 years old. I wasn't really fat just not as cutesy small as the other kids. Ahh what scars you as a kid?? Sad that teachers can be that way!

Oishii

I've started to use exercise as a reward! I love to run, so I realised it's a better pick-me-up than cheap chocolate.

I think school sports are often done in such a way that only the best get to really enjoy them. Plus, as you get older it gets harder and harder to feel good enough to join a team.

bcattoes

The problem is that I don't have time to play for hours anymore. Now I have to sit on my *kitten* for 8-9 hours at a desk, and another hour a day comuting to that desk. And I don't know why, but my 75 yo mother started refusing to do my laundry and cook and clean for me many years ago. I've tried the lottery, but that b**** that pulls the balls hates me.

Thanks to Zumba I do have fun working out again. Except for those (*#(@& weights I force myself to do a couple times a week. Those are NOT fun. Those suck!

jobie4153

I love your post. I just re-joined the gym today but still don't have an activity that I am passionate about. We never had gym in my school (small, private school) but we played outdoors all of the time....swimming (summers), hoola hooping, roller skating, walking, running, jump roping and in the winter, it was playing out in the snow (I remember my Mom telling us once we came in, we were in for the day...so we didn't come in often). I hope in the next few weeks, I can find some sort of exercise that I love to do...but for now it was the treadmill and bike.