hate exercising?

iamluce

i have seen so many people on here that went form not moving from the couch to being extremely active and you all seem to enjoy going to the gym or running so much and i just can't help wondering
HOW
how do you do it
i've always been a slack when it comes to working out but i was moderately active during high school (gym 3 times a week. dance lessons 3 times a week + gym at school) and yet i hated it
and i still hate it
and i can't bring myself to start again because i remember how much it sucks to work out
i hate the burn in the muscle, i hate running out of breath (i had allergy asthma growing up and can still have attacks from time to time) and i hate being exhausted and sore
does this happen to anyone else?
do you know of anything i can do to change that?
or am i just going to have to accept that i won't ever like working out and stick just to the diet ? (i'm sort of spoiled in the sense that if i don't like something, i just won't do it.)
any tips?

airangel59

I am totally there with you. So will be watching this thread for motivation and inspiration. I've been on/off diets for years, lost the weight (max 60 lbs) w/o any exercising but now have a lot more to lose than before as well as being a lot older now, and I know that exercising will tone/firm things up as well as might make the pounds drop off faster. But like you, if I'm not into it, it's not going to happen.

More about loss & exercise in this posting http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/683019-weight-loss-without-exercise

Pgarcia413

We have tricked ourselves into loving it.

Everyone is different, but for me, I hate the first week after being inactive awhile. But than I start loving the adrenaline rush more than the muscle soreness - which goes away as well. I don't get sore anymore. I feel sexy after a workout.

Maybe you gotta make it yours, you define what you do and when you do it. Than keep telling yourself you enjoy it until you believe it. A big part of it has to be attitude.

AllDIVA

Hi there. Most people that are not active and over weight do not like exercising. If we were active, we would not be heavy and/or out of shape. Not many people like brushing their teeth either but they have to do it. Sometimes you have to think outside of the box. Traditional exercise may not be your thing. I FOUND KICK BOXING AND LOVE LOVE LOVE IT. IT IS HARD but fun. I do still have to visit the treadmill which I do not care for but I listen to great music to get me through. If you go to a gym pick something you really want to master. I love the leg press machine because I like the progress I make. Plus it is a larger muscle group which can burn more calories. In addition to that I like pressing more than some guys. Try something new. Zumba... Hip hop dance... belly dancing... pole dancing... and work on those things that could improve our s_____ life. The food is harder for me than the exercise. At my heaviest I was 328. Now I am 229.4. Believe me, coming from doing nothing at all, If I can do you can do it. Believe it. You can do this!

gogophers

I've always kind of liked the day-after soreness feeling, but that's all I liked about weight lifting. With running, I hated it throughout high school and college (it was always used as a punishment for us in sports so I think that may have contributed to my dislike of it).

6 or 7 weeks ago I just decided I'm going to start working out and running. I hated running for about 4 weeks and could only do it 3 or 4 times a week because I would always find excuses not to . I didn't "hate" lifting, but I didn't really like it very much.

I just pushed through it because I knew it was necessary and people kept telling me to push through it because you will learn to like running and lifting. I've now run every day (except one-my ankle was sore and I was basically forced not to run by my parents) for the past 2 weeks. I think I'm getting to the point where I'm actually starting to enjoy it even during the run. I'm also enjoying weightlifting now, but I think that's mostly because I'm actually starting to see some definition and I have never seen definition before.

I would say just push through it for a while and see what happens. You can always pick a sport that you like and use that as your exercise, but the problem is that you generally need other people to play with so you may not be able to do that as often as you want (because now you need to coordinate schedules, etc...)

If you've never played racquetball, it's really fun and very easy to learn. The only issue with that (other than the fact that it requires a racquetball court) is once you start to get good, it doesn't provide a very intense workout because you know where the ball is going to be sometimes even before the other person hits it so you have a decent amount of time to get to that position.

Also, someone else in another thread mentioned DDR. There are so many things you can do that aren't done for the purpose of exercising, so you can just experiment. But with anything, you need to give it time. Rarely do people like doing things they aren't good at and the only way to get good at something is to keep doing it over and over again.

monicadiiorio

i absolutely hate exercising myself, however ive found different ways around it.... ill walk to the grocery store, or walk with a friend. Working out doesnt always mean building up a sweat. I also make sure to reward myself, a small handful of chocolate chips or an oreo cookie (not overboard) but it gives me the motivation to complete my workout!

mcrowe1016

Its easy...you pretend to like it til you actually do. Fake it til you make it.

meshashesha2012

find something you like and do it. once you find out what you like then also work in training to get better at that event.

for instance i hate running on its own, but i'm really competitive. a good friend of mine is also pretty competitive and also taking up running and we have a friendly competition going on. i will definitely run and train for races for the chance to point at myself and go WINNER and point at her to go LOSER :laugh: i'm sure that sweet sweet "I'm the winner and you're my run's b*tch" dance is also motivating for her .

weeblex

So don't hit the gym?

Walk up a mountain, get a bike and ride the local trails, learn self defense, go Kayak?

There are lots of ways to burn calories that don't have to be as boring as the gym. Cycling and Kayaking are a great way to burn some calories without that whole "I'm exercising" vibe

mbajrami

I used to HATE HATE HATE that aura/cloud of heat you get after working out where you can't cool of and you can't escape it, and soreness and all that too.

The only thing that changed for me is that I finally started seeing results and I wanted to keep seeing them. I found activities I like to do, like tennis...and other stuff, I find that I like it if I'm good at it. I still don't like jumping rope, because I suck at it. My sister jumps rope like a boxer and I can't stop slapping myself with the rope. Hate it. :explode:

Now I love sweating and get upset when I don't get sore. Lol

Find things you enjoy, and do those.

needles85365

I too hated exercising but if you want to be successful at weight loss you just have to do it. It took almost 8 months to get to the point where I actually like going to work out now. I just forced myself to go..sometimes all I did was 10 min on the tread mill, but I made other changes like taking the stairs most of the time, parting far from where I want to go. I only go to the gym 3-4 days but I can do 30-40 min now on the elipitical or the treadmill. I will never be athletic but I'm successful at my weight loss and exercise helped me get there, so I'll keep going. Start small and just do it.

Sasssy69

I hate exercising. Hate it. But for the past five months, I've gone 6 days a week. I love the feeling I get after. I love the way my legs, arms, and abs look. I love that I have more energy.

I have a work out partner, but on the days she can't go, I bring a book. A book that I only get to read when I work out. I make sure it's a good book, and I usually read a series.

I'm an avid reader, so finding a great book that I can only read while on the bike/elliptical has actually worked wonders for me. It's my reward. You could try something like that (a movie on your ipad if you have one, your favorite music on a work out play list, etc).

I refused to exercise for years. But then I felt like I was doing my body harm - I want to be healthy.

AmelodyAngel

Honestly, I hate exercise as well but I have learned that AIN'T NOTHING TO IT, BUT TO DO IT!!!!!!!

k8little

I hear ya...... I hate to exercise..... but u know what I hate more my fat! I am going to have to move this fat off me with exercise, LOL :laugh:

jazzylopez

In the famous words of Mr. Jack Lalanne

"It's a pain in the backside. I hate to work out. I hate it but I like the results."

gogophers

I bring a book. A book that I only get to read when I work out. I make sure it's a good book, and I usually read a series.

I'm an avid reader, so finding a great book that I can only read while on the bike/elliptical has actually worked wonders for me. It's my reward. You could try something like that (a movie on your ipad if you have one, your favorite music on a work out play list, etc).

I like this; I've never heard of anyone doing this, but I think it's a really great idea (and I'm actually kind of surprised that I've never heard this suggestion).

StarvingDiva

I think it's finding something that you love. I love kickboxing/boxing. Punching things for me releases so much stress. So this is something I love, I used to go to a gym specifically for it but I couldn't afford it after awhile and my friend bought a bag so now I go there and punch and kick. It's a great workout, I sweat and I feel like getting out all my aggressions. You just need to find a niche that works for you.

Gwen7121

I hate it. The only thing that I ever really didn't hate was the treadmill. I could read, listen to audiobook, whatever while walking up a really good incline. Unfortunately, I have messed up my feet with the treadmill. So I'm in other stuff, and hate all of it. But I do like the fact that I can take a couple of flights of stairs without getting winded. (I actually took the stairs at a jog the other day.) So I guess I'll deal with it for the benefits.

mandi9041

Honestly I only started exercising regularly so that I could eat more calories! Some days that is still my only motivation. Also, I've tricked myself into doing exercises that I find fun. I burned 710 calories at Zumba today.
:happy:

kcoftx

Look at it as an adventure. What can I try this week? Zumba? Racketball? Kyaking? Geocatching? Belly Dancing?

Once you hit on something you enjoy, keep at it and start looking at what you need for results.

Some things I now do for results and some things I now do because I actually enjoy it. In 6 months, the longest I've been on a treadmill is 10 minutes for a warm up.

Make a commitment to something for 30 days. Then brag about your accomplishments. Psych yourself up.

Basically it really does boil down to attitude. I was you--6 months ago. I'm now excited that my attitude has definitely changed for the better. I'm accomplishing a lot! But at the same time, there are things I do and days I have that I still just don't wanna. But like with our diet, sometimes we do it because it produces results.

But in the beginning, I just took it one day at a time. I told myself I would try a class. I did. It wasn't smashing success. I was a lobster when it was over but it was more fun than the elliptical (for me) so I promised myself I would try again. Before I knew it, I was adding another type of class. Then later after I saw I could commit to it, I started branching out. For awhile I was a mad woman with my fitbit (fancy pedometer that awards me addictive online badges) and planning active outings on the weekend. Let's face it--snorkeling beats gym equipment (unless water is not your thing).

Ocarina

I can totally relate. Hence why you find things you like to do.

I like the outdoors. So that's a start... I HATE running on a treadmill but found that I look forward to running outside. I'll even do it after a 9-10 hour day. We also literally live 5 minutes from a running path so it's STUPID to not take advantage of that.

I also enjoy hiking and exploring new trails. So we make that an excuse. Trails are so freaking close its ridiculous and it's a great place to get outside with nature.

I like biking... it can be boring but it saves gas & you can get places easier. Especially if you live in a busy area like myself were it's basically mandatory for transportation. We really enjoy exercising and going to church, entertainment, or for small errands.

You can also do sports which are always fun with other people. I enjoy golfing. 9 holes plus no cart is a great work out.

Exercise can be extreme. Snowboarding, skiing, long boarding, roller blading, or whatever. You get outside AND you do something cool as hell!

You can learn self defense. Karate, taekwondo, kick boxing. These things are bonus because you can fight and also get a great work out.

There is also exercises that are more relaxing and nicer on your body like swimming and yoga.

Do you prefer group exercise? Check out the options at the gym.

Rather go alone? Get some great music and headphones.

The options are limitless. You just have to do it.

BrianSharpe

That's because you're thinking of exercise as work when it should be play. You need to find things you enjoy doing (but keep an open mind you never know when you may grow to love something that you thought you'd hate) and have fun doing it.

You also have to make a decision as to what you're willing to do to achieve your goals. It's like everything else in life, you get back what you put into it.

walker54

I hate exercising too, but I've tried to lose weight just by changing my eating habits and it wasn't enough. I know I need to exercise in order to improve my health, so I started with the only thing that I was ever good at -- swimming. As much as I hate putting on the bathing suit, it helps me see every day why I need to do this. The first day I got in the pool I could only swim 400 yards. Within a few weeks I was able to swim a mile, just by pushing myself a little more each time.

I also joined a gym and signed up for some sessions with a trainer. He's showing me how to use the treadmill more effectively, and is helping me learn other things I can do to mix it up and keep from getting bored. After working with him a few times I realized that I really don't like perspiring. I just hate the feeling of being hot and sticky. I think that's why I prefer swimming -- I can't feel myself perspire because I'm already wet, and the pool keeps me feeling cool!

I'm tricking myself into exercising by doing things I can tolerate. I also go first thing in the morning before I can really think about it. It's becoming part of my routine, and once I get into the gym I see all these other people who seem to be really fired up and that's contagious.

I'm focusing on what I WANT (to lose 50 lbs and look better) instead of what I DON"T want ("I don't want to exercise.") Maybe that will help?