help! I hate exercise!

Exercise is essential for a healthy life, but for weightloss, primarily it starts in the kitchen.

There are a few approaches to the exercise problem. One would be to find an exercise you like. Biking? walking? swimming? Gyms offer tons of different classes. Believe it or not, exercise CAN be fun! The other approach would be more along the lines of "Just do it!" Don't make excuses! If you only have 5 minutes in ya, do 5 minutes. But the next day do a little more and work you way up to 30-60minutes. You will create a habit after 3 weeks or so and it won't be so hard, really.

Also, keep in mind to make YOUrself a priority! Why are you wanting to get fit/healthy? Keep that in the forefront. If you are anything like me, I always willing to do what has to be done for my family/kids, (runing errands, chaeffeuring etc) which I don't WANT to do, but I do it. So sure, you may not WANT to exercise, but it's important for your health and YOU are important and worthy of it!

If motivating yourself to do solo activities is hard, or you don't have the stamina, a beginner's class in something you like would be perfect. Maybe something dance-oriented. Going with a friend can work, if you can schedule it.

I hate it, too. Pick the one you hate least and set a goal for yourself. It's less horrible if you have a challenge. Example: Go bike as long as you can. If you can only do it for 10 minutes, set a goal of being able to do it for 30 minutes. Can you only do 5 pushups? Make a goal of 25. That's what works for me, trying to beat myself.

What is it that makes you hate it and give up? Is it too hard? Do you get too hot and/or sweaty? Do you get bored?

If you get bored, try to find something you enjoy doing. Ideally this would mean swimming, or biking, or playing some sort of game/sport. However, even if it means using treadmill time to watch a tv show, that can work to get you started. When I first started exercising I seriously hated it because I was so out of shape. I'd walk on the treadmill at like 2.5 mph and be drenched with sweat and out of breath in about 5 minutes. But I picked out tv shows that I could only watch while on the treadmill -- tv shows with seasonal arcs, so I'd want to find out what happened on the next episode and could only do that by getting on the treadmill. As my endurance and strength increased, I needed that distraction less and less. And, btw, the overheating and excessive sweating slowed down a bit, too. Sure, now when I run 5 miles I get pretty drenched. But I can deal with that -- I'm not getting out of breath just walking, so I can push myself a little more now and then.

Great advice already in this thread. A couple things worked for me: Set a schedule and will yourself through workouts for two weeks (enough time to set habits), and find a cardio activity that you LIKE. I have a gym membership and I go once or twice a week to do weights, some cardio, etc.. I will expand that more later, I'm sure, but I keep two "sessions" a week open for an hour of basketball with a few friends and this week I added tennis, and I've been adding strength exercises to match the sports I play recreationally (leg presses, hip exercises, etc)..

There's a physiological and a psychological component too! If you're not sleeping well, or if you're feeling depressed or anything like that, you're going to have a harder time with your energy levels. And find the time of day when you feel MOST energetic to work out. Sports worked for me - kept me in good spirits and pushed me to work out hard, but I'm competitive and not shy even though I'm not often the best guy on the court. Not everyone can just go hit the trail and run three miles or do a workout video. The only other thing that helps is pushing out that last 15 minutes or even that workout you didn't want to do. Finishing one workout like that will give you some confidence.

find some kind of exercise or activity you enjoy. there has to be something. start with that and go from there.

I hate working out!! It bores the pants off of me.
So, I cycle. I give myself a reason to cycle. Like, I cant be arsed walking to uni, so Ill move far enough away that I cant.
Therefore I have to bike in.
I also struggle with motivation. So, Ill take the bike to the river. Sit in the park and cycle home again.

Find something you enjoy doing, and see if you can multi-task it with something else.

If you dont exercise regularly, even walking will keep you limber and mentally more active.

If this is the first time you are starting exercise, I wouldn't go for something regimented and daily. Start with a few days jogging or rowing and let your body get used to it. You'll start to enjoy the endorphenes - these eventually will get you more towards enjoying exercise like some of us do

Generally, build up to something hardcore from something regular but sustainable.

If you would like another friend, feel free to add me

Finding what workout is for you. Figure out if walking maybe your type of workout , maybe you'll enjoy that more get a friend or find a fitness group near you. If that's not for you maybe you'll enjoy cardio kickboxing and zumba. There are so many different types of workout there has to be on that you enjoy. See for me i can't do Pilates, yoga, and zumba I just can't get into it. Just experiment with different types you'll find your workout.

I have never rally consciously exercised until a few months ago, and I never thought I would enjoy it, but after joining the Y and realizing that I can hop on the elliptical or the bike and 'plug in' to the attached TV, my workouts have become more and more frequent.... An episode of a good show can make me forget that I am there to work out and before I know it 30 minutes has passed and I am sweating like hell :-)

I also use the thought of being able to treat myself to a few extra calories on the days I work out as additional motivation/reward. I am really in the mood to have a couple of beers this evening so I am on my way to the gym now to make room :-) (I know this can be taken to far, but if you are sensible about it I feel it is a great motivator).

Good luck and I hope you find something that fits....

I try and give myself some flexibility, so I have a few things I might do including 10 mins on several different cardio machines; a big session on one machine with a goal (30 mins, 5 k jogging etc); interval training on each machine; a long walk; a swim (again, here you can have choices, sometimes I include sprints, I might do lots of arms / legs work to improve my stroke etc); an exercise class or a home DVD. This way it minimises the excuses I can make about being too tired or not having the time and there's usually something I can do that is slightly less painful or boring than other options plus I don't get so bored. Even so, there are some days when I can't face it (like today after trawling two sulky teenage girls around a shopping centre and spending loads of money) so I give myself a free pass (but not too often).

I hate it, too. I know folks say that once you get into the routine, you crave it. I don't. I know it's not a good attitude, but I feel like exercise is torture. My husband and I started exercising regularly (3-6 or more days/week) back around March or April. Except for a two-week slide in June, we've been exercising at least 3, usually 5, days/week. At first we took turns on the treadmill watching tv shows. Then we got an exercise bike so we could both be working out at the same time. Then came the weight bench, then yoga dvd. Hate it all.

We have recently bought bicycles and have been riding on the weekends. That is much better for me. It's still hard at times.

That said, I still do it. What keeps me moving on my worst days is visiting my mom, who may eventually lose her leg to circulation problems. Always feel like coming home and hopping on the treadmill those days! I chant to myself, "C'mon blood, keep on flowing."

But some days, I exercise to eat. Sad, but true! We're having a big supper tonight. Even knowing this, I indulged in a bagel at work today. If they hadn't had Panera's asiago bagel, I'd have been fine...but...

Anyway, once I added it to my pre-logged info, I was -300 calories. I either had to look at the red number or exercise my way out of the hole.

I exercised, so I could eat.

I guess most of us hate to exercise, but like so many on here I find that if I watch something I love and make myself turn it off if I quit walking is enough to keep me going. Every tiger game I get on the treadmill.. I HAVE to go 30 minutes.. after that I can stop walking and still watch the game but I find that most of the time I just slow down a little and keep on going! I'll never love it, but it's so worth it.