Exercise is my torture! Got tips?

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  • craigmandu
    craigmandu Posts: 976 Member
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    The best exercise program is and always will be the one you will do. You will need to do some experimenting to find out what that is for you. If there is literally no form of exercise that you ever find enjoyable, then it is a simple issue of willpower to keep doing it on a realistic schedule.

    I wish you great success in your journey!
  • littlebudgie
    littlebudgie Posts: 279 Member
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    I find just walking pretty tedious, so I bring my headphones and listen to an audiobook. It makes me way less likely to start going "am I doooone yet?", and I get to enjoy the weather and the scenery without wishing I was at home doing something more interesting.

    It's also a matter of finding what you like. I never liked team sports, which was mostly what we did in gym in school, so I always said I hated exercise. But I loved swimming - it was just so much fun I didn't consider it exercise. Now I box and lift weights both because I have so much fun doing them and because I love how I feel after, and I've gotten past my old logic of exercise = boring.
  • RunnerElizabeth
    RunnerElizabeth Posts: 1,091 Member
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    The trick is finding something you like. Things like biking and swimming will be nicer to your body. What about yoga, pilates or dance? Take a class, maybe the social aspect will make it more fun for you.

    I am a runner though, so I will defend it briefly. So when I was starting out, it was hard, but once I learned how to do it, it became easier. When I go out for an easy run these days there isn't any pain or discomfort, only when I do speed work.

    About the walking, I think maybe the problem is you started out with too much. If your not used to walking and you go out for an hour that could be very uncomfortable. I'd start with 15-20 minutes and build from there.
  • anniemarianas
    anniemarianas Posts: 49
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    think - what do you enjoy?

    it differs for everyone, but I now do yoga for 40 minutes on Sundays, running, biking and the crosstrainer and my gym on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and my little self-sculpted aerobics/yoga/dance routine every night for 30 minutes.

    I prefer to be on my own to exercise (then other people don't see me making a fool of myself and I can listen to my favourite music!) but as I said, everyone has preferences.

    Try everything, is what I suggest. I've been through dance classes, tennis clubs, athletics clubs, football teams, surf club memberships, i've done everything until I found what was right for me (and the eventual outcome ended up being quite cheap!)

    Try doing light stuff, and as you get better at it, up the stakes.
    When starting out with exercise it's always going to be hard but the more you work at it the better it gets.

    I'm a sprinter, I can't stand long distance running, so when my mother tried to get me exercising my running i thought 'is this it? is this what exercise is? cause I can't stand it!!'

    But don't let exercises you don't like stop you from doing exercises you DO like. There are so so so many sports and classes and exercises and gyms out there - swap everything up and see what works for you.
  • onwarddownward
    onwarddownward Posts: 1,683 Member
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    I agree with the others, find something you love enough to be obsessively passionate about.

    For me, it's swimming.
  • theycallyoumister
    theycallyoumister Posts: 222 Member
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    Yes. Not exercising is not an option. Being active, moving, etc. = quality of life now and down the road. Find an inner motivator and get through the mental barrier that it's tough and that you're body is going to hurt. :smile:
  • happydaze71
    happydaze71 Posts: 339 Member
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    60 minutes of walking when you're not used to it??? BOOOOOOOORRRRRRRIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!
    that's snoresville! There are about a billion and one different exercise dvds, a zillion different sports, and then there are exercise classes... so many in fact you could try a new one every day and see what you like.

    When you first start out, its horrible and you never think you are going to get used to it, let alone like it.

    I used to whinge and ***** just trying to walk around the block, I mean seriously carry on.... I'm amazed someone didn't smack me over the head and put me (and them) out of my misery!!!

    Now I'm a nutcase and wait outside the gym till the doors open at 5.30am so I can sweat and carry on and walk out feeling awesome!

    Weird but it happens.

    You may never love it, you just need to find something you mildly enjoy that's gonna help you change your life :smile:
  • IMD918
    IMD918 Posts: 49
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    I used to jog a mile or mile and a half on the treadmill whenever I could, and HATED it. My legs felt terrible, and my whole body felt like I had gotten beaten up. Could barely breathe. It was awful, but I thought I just needed to tough it out. It got a little easier over time, but the fact is that i just hate jogging. It's not my thing. I needed a different kind of cardio to go with my lifting. Then I heard suggestions to do just brisk walking at a pace where i could carry on a conversation. It takes a little more time in the gym, but I burn the same amount of calories and I don't feel miserable like I used to. I enjoy it enough that now I'm wanting to do it every day.

    As other people mentioned, you have to find something you don't hate, and burns, but doesn't hurt. The more you like it, the better, because you will want to do it. It isn't about killing yourself with exercise. Its about getting that exercise consistently.
  • wllwsmmr
    wllwsmmr Posts: 391 Member
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    Also, just remind yourself. It is a measly amount of time compared to 24hours in a day. Surely you could just make yourself get it done? Once you get used to it, it'll get better! And you will find that you are fitter and better at going through your daily activities since you're stronger :) And yes explore and find one you love (or hate the least!)
  • ohmscheeks
    ohmscheeks Posts: 840 Member
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    When I am doing a "painful" exercise, I usually zone out with music. Or even listen to my favorite tv show episodes. I am out of shape and lack strength/endurance, so exercise is definitely not at the "fun" stage for me, lol. I also drink a lot of water throughout which gives me a couple seconds to stand and recover.
  • peanutsbuddy
    peanutsbuddy Posts: 5 Member
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    Exercise was torture for me too but then I found "Walk away the Pounds" by Leslie Sansone. It's indoor walking with only 4 steps added (knee lifts etc). They are 30 minutes long and you can do anywhere from a mile to two miles in that time. My first exercise love though is the old 80's Richard Simmons "Sweatin to the Oldies" DVDs. it does feel like your exercising but your dancing so it's fun. I hated exercise at first but now I actually enjoy and look forward to it. You just need to find something that works for you. Maybe walking isn't your thing. Find something that is. If you have a Wii game, a good way to start is Wii fitness. It's not "quite" as intense and you forget your exercising because your playing games. That's how I started. I also started with 5 minutes and added 5 minutes more every so many days. 5 extra minutes doesn't seem so bad.

    I haven't lost a lot of weight exercising but I am getting toned so don't let the scale fool you. Toning and strength training are just as important.

    Good luck in finding what works for for you, just don't give up. Eventually you will probably like exercise. I didn't think I would either but eventually I did.
  • kaorumisako
    kaorumisako Posts: 4
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    I am so sure you will enjoy Pilates, most especially Blogilates. Cassey Ho is the best trainer for me!

    http://youtube.com/blogilates
  • maca416
    maca416 Posts: 142 Member
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    Got to find what you like for me it's biking & walking but I always hate the first 20mins but after that things kick in & I feel very buzzy I guess the body gets the chemicals pumping around.

    No good doing something you hate but whatever you try give it a chance.
  • jenstanley13
    jenstanley13 Posts: 194 Member
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    For me I did not enjoy exercising when I started but I did enjoy the time I got to myself (no husband, kid, work needing something). I could go for a walk put in my headphones and even though the walking was challenging until I got used to it the stress relief and music made it worth doing. If you hate walking try riding a bike, try dancing, heck I actually started by using a step in my room and telling myself I could only watch the shows I had dvr'd if was moving while watching them...it worked and got me started.

    Now my day does not start out right if I don't start it at the gym, I need that time to myself to focus my mind and get ready for the day...getting a better body and feeling better is almost just a bonus for me :)
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
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    your body is just lazy. that's okay. but sometimes you just have to tell your body "hey, this is happening. get over it."
  • JamBlaze
    JamBlaze Posts: 90 Member
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    I agree with what other people here have said, but I also reckon maybe you're pushing yourself too hard. I know that goes against a lot of people's beliefs when it comes to exercising ("No pain, no gain" and all that), but in my opinion, there's a lot to be said for NOT pushing yourself to the max, and instead work on just getting your heart-rate up a bit, getting a little bit of a sweat on, when exercising on a regular basis. I used to really push myself on runs (and occasionally still do), and I wasn't able to take in all the beautiful scenery and appreciate the niceness of being outdoors, because I was constantly thinking "Knackered. 20 minutes to go. 10 minutes to go." So now, I go a little bit slower, I'm a little less hard on myself, and it's so much more enjoyable! Now it's a nice hobby, not a dread. And because it's more enjoyable, you're more likely to stick with it!
  • 5n0wbal1
    5n0wbal1 Posts: 429 Member
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    Find something fun to do! Basketball, dancing, gardening, anything to get you moving! Exercise doesn't have to be boring and mainstream.
  • tndejong
    tndejong Posts: 463
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    it gets better. when i first started i only used my elliptical at home. i set little goals. 10 minutes at a time and increased. i have the machine in front of the tv with a fan. i could strip down and not look like a fool in the gym. after a month i got bored. joined the ymca. when i did that i had a friend who did too. we tried several classes. we would go in the cardio room and try everything. set goals of half and hour.. hour.. etc. i got head phones so i can play pandora on my phone. i have made many investments. arm wrap for my phone, better ear phones, etc. now here i am over 4 months later. i have tried everything and increased my resistances and times. i have different goals for different things i do. i suck at running. so im working on that. but i can kill it on the elliptical. i love spin class. i hate zumba lol. every person is different. but i make it my job. i read 30-45 min of activity a day is recommended by a doctor. so i aim for 45 a day and schedule it like work. and now i actually feel bad if i miss a day. i am now a member at two gyms. one has classes and a pool. the other one has tanning and is 24 hours. its crazy what you do in time when you start this!
  • TallGlassOfQuirky
    TallGlassOfQuirky Posts: 282 Member
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    Keep trying different things until you find something you enjoy (you're less likely to make excuses to skip it if you actually like it). When I started, all I could do was go for a walk because I was so heavy and out of shape. I did it because I needed to, but I didn't actually love it.
    Once I was in the habit of exercising, though, I started trying new things and discovered Zumba and one especially fantastic instructor. Even though I do *not* dance and have absolutely no rhythm, I had so much fun that I kept coming back. It taught me that exercise could be fun.
    Since then, I found a lot of other things I enjoyed - hiking, swimming, and lifting (although I am not allowed to do that anymore). You don't HAVE to run to be fit - if you hate it, you hate it.
    You can try lots of different things and if you find that the only way you can enjoy exercise is by, I don't know, doing Tae Bo in your skivvies in the basement, then do that. Do other stuff too, but keep looking until you find something you enjoy.
  • Ayirela
    Ayirela Posts: 204 Member
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    I don't know if this will help you or not? However, this is what I am trying now. I am the worlds worst for exercise! I'll start then be like erggg and stop. However, to get real results exercise has to be done. I always liked lifting (when I was younger and went to the gym) but right now with moving and college and a lot of other real life stuff going on the gym isn't an option. However, cardio was my biggest hate! So, I found this link that helps you train your brain to form exercise as a habit. So, naturally I wrote down on my calendar (since I see it every day) what exercise I'm doing that day so I can check it off. I almost religiously have coffee at least 1x a day so I am making coffee my "trigger" so after the coffee I get up and do my exercise. I still haven't found the "one" person I want to make the person I tell every single day...but the steps are starting to fall into place.

    If you don't enjoy running/walking find something you do enjoy. There are so many varieties available today, and if none of them meet your fancy look at some of the old stuff. I won't like Richard Simmons Sweatin' to the Oldies was a lot of fun in its day so I have gone back and done it on occasion (I found it online to stream). Right now I'm back doing Zumba (I have the dvd's) because I know it'll slowly rebuild my cardiovascular strength and it doesn't feel like a chore. I actually enjoy it. There are also video games these days that help make people move. My brother (who has always been in pretty good shape and enjoys running and that kind of thing) did some game with a friend on the xbox kinnect thing and he was so sore from using muscles he hadn't used in a while.

    So overall, I think it's all about finding something you enjoy doing and making it a habit. (I'm hoping the habit thing will work because it seems like a great plan) The link is http://zenhabits.net/4-simple-steps-to-start-the-exercise-habit

    Best of luck!! :)

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