Exercise is my torture! Got tips?

MegSimmons7
MegSimmons7 Posts: 13
in Fitness and Exercise
First time exercising for an hour (just moderate walking) probably since last summer. Felt like my legs were going to fall off. I'm just curious how people get to the point of enjoying exercise? I used to exercise regularly, and I've ALWAYS hated it. I used to run, and I could never get into it for some reason. I just don't like pain.

I have some personal trainer friends, and they love exercising. How, I wonder. To me, it's like torture. Can they pass that pain-tolerant gene on to me, please? I want to start loving exercise!
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Replies

  • vixtris
    vixtris Posts: 688 Member
    When I started exercising I felt horrible too. Advil and Tylenol were common for me in the beginning. Now sometimes I still take a pain killer but nto nearly as often. After a month or so you will get used to it. Then you will start to WANT to do it (because you are seeing results hopefully), and it shouldnt be so painful after doing it for awhile. Walking and running isnt my thing though, it gives me headaches. If you really dont like walking, I would suggest another form of exercise if you can, maybe try a dvd out (although it will be more intense than walking).
  • Natihilator
    Natihilator Posts: 1,778 Member
    Find an activity that you hate the least, and do it. Then do it again. And again. And again.

    And then you will have a rest day or two and actually miss doing it.
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  • peniculala
    peniculala Posts: 81 Member
    I have to remember how I feel after it and I try to find something that I really enjoy, even if it's not the best workout. For me it's doing Zumba on my Wii. It makes me happy! So, I alternate that with days doing the harder stuff. But, I find now that if I have a headache when I start, it's gone by the time I finish. I have more energy and my skin glows. I wouldn't say I love it necessarily. More likely, I love/hate it. I hope you do better than me in that department.
  • white__wizard
    white__wizard Posts: 22 Member
    Get over the first few days (or maybe week or so) hump and you'll start to enjoy it. I hate running too. I bike instead. Just keep trying different things until you find something you like.
  • waldo56
    waldo56 Posts: 1,861 Member
    If exercise were as enjoyable as watching TV, there would be no fat people in this world.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    Find something you like to do. It doesn't have to be running. I love Just Dance and Dance Central games. Just keep trying things until you find something you enjoy.
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
    Do workouts that don't cause you pain. I hate working out, but that's because I dislike feeling sweaty and exhausted. Still no pain, though.
  • cng31183
    cng31183 Posts: 126 Member
    I despised it too in the beginning. My whole motto was "no f'ing way!" But I came to realkze it was a necessary evil. And I also came to realize that if I don't like to do something then there is no reason to do it. I hate running/jogging so I don't do it. In the beginning i just walked and at first it left me out of breath but eventually it got easy and I found myself wanting to do more so I progressed to body weight exercises. That progressed to kettlebells and that led to weight training. Its taken a few months but I like exercising and look forward to it... now if I could get my appetite under control id be all set...
  • Xiaolongbao
    Xiaolongbao Posts: 854 Member
    If exercise were as enjoyable as watching TV, there would be no fat people in this world.

    That's not true. I've always exercised lots even when I was fat. And I haven't owned a tv in years and years... but I still got fat.

    OP as everyone else says the trick is finding something you like. I'm an introvert and my exercises of choice (swimming, running alone, hiking without speaking to other people) all reflect that. If you're more of a people person how about joining a team of some sort?
  • bregalad5
    bregalad5 Posts: 3,965 Member
    I'm sure you can find something you like doing. Do you like playing any active games or sports? Do you like dancing?
  • tcraw15
    tcraw15 Posts: 223 Member
    Fortunately for me, I love exercising. But that's probably mostly due to the fact that I focus on WHY I'm exercising. It's more mental than anything else, really. Focus on the end result. Focus on what you will be able to do once you are stronger. Focus on how you'll feel about yourself once you are leaner and healthier. Eye on the prize, baby. Eye on the prize!!
  • musenchild
    musenchild Posts: 182 Member
    I agree with others, find something that you enjoy. I dropped 20 pounds without even trying when I started ballroom dancing every night. It doesn't have to be "exercise" in a gym.

    I thought of the funny "find your thing" ads from Kaiser. This is the website: https://healthy.kaiserpermanente.org/health/care/!ut/p/c4/FcpBDoMgEEDRs3iAyThGELqzhjO0uJsQaklkNEjs9av5u5ePM14Jn2nhmjbhFd_oQ5Qay-OTqsTjwNf97IWXzOhlg8DhG2_jUlNYI3pryU2d7UC5QQGRIzCq1TAOpn9OfWu0JtxzNr-xaf7QTNFW/
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
    Have you used a heart rate monitor? I've found that when I do things like biking my natural tendency is to push way harder than is needed, pushing my HR to 85% and up, which gets tiring quickly and is painful if you try to keep that up for very long. So I'm basically doing HIIT without intending to. When I wore a HRM and kept my heart rate at 65-85% the whole time, I rode for an entire hour and it was like taking a lazy stroll.

    Maybe you are pushing yourself harder than you need to, and maybe you'd actually enjoy cardio at the "right" pace. :)
  • WAnnB
    WAnnB Posts: 65 Member
    I don't think I will ever enjoy 'exercising' and I am always so happy to be done. I have found something that works for me and I am committed to doing it 30 min. 3x a week. I've lost 43 pounds since past October. I'd rather pull weeds but it doesn't have the same results as walking the TreadClimber.
  • AmberleyAngel
    AmberleyAngel Posts: 160 Member
    Like others have said, finding the thing that you like doing is important. Thinking of it not as 'exercise' can help too - which is easier when you like to do it.

    I absolutely love zumba. I love how I feel at the end of it. Some mornings I get up - stiff, sore, sometimes still tired and I think, gee I can hardly walk, how am I going to do zumba. But a few minutes into it and all those things fade away.

    There are so many choices to get moving so maybe look at activities/being active and not "exercise". Mindset plays a major part in it, I believe.
  • MegSimmons7
    MegSimmons7 Posts: 13
    Thanks guys. I actually have a bizarrely low heart rate. I was monitored for it once, but I guess I was either born that way or the docs don't know why it's so slow. They asked if I exercised a lot, and of course I had to laugh. I have the resting heart rate of a marathon runner. Hah. One side effect can be lightheadedness/fatigue, and that's kinda how I felt after an hour of walking. I drank lots of water, and that seemed to help.
  • BozGirl
    BozGirl Posts: 333 Member
    For my entire youth, I hated exercise and sports, and I couldn't understand why anyone would like it. Then I bought a bike about about 15 years ago, and I became obsessed with cycling. It is such a joyful feeling to be out in nature on a bike. It is not always easy, but I love to get out on my bike. I started jogging last fall when I couldn't get out on my bike due to weather and the sun going down earlier. Jogging is not quite as enjoyable and it has been a great challenge for me, but I keep at it, along with my weights and workout videos. I am interested to see where my jogging journey will take me. If you keep exercising, you will get stronger and it will get easier -- much, much easier and much more enjoyable. You'll like the changes exercise has brought to your body, and that will be very motivating and exciting. You will come to rely on exercise to relieve stress, and you will enjoy the hour each day that you have to yourself. Keep at it, it's a journey worth exploring.
  • jyneefur
    jyneefur Posts: 64 Member
    How did you feel after just 30 minutes of walking? Sixty minutes is a fairly long time.. your body would love you even if you only did 30 minutes. I know when I get the urge to work out, I try to push myself.. longer time, more distance, etc. And then my body hates me. So I hate exercising. So I stop. It's a vicious cycle. I've been learning that holding back and doing what my body is CAPABLE of right now will let me improve so I can do more later. Jumping right in to ANYTHING and expecting your body to handle it like someone who's been doing it for awhile will result in you hating exercise.

    I've never been a huge fan of walking/running, even when I was really active and played sports. My cardio of choice is the recumbent bike.. my fat butt doesn't hate me and my heart gets pumping. Lately I've been looking forward to walking/jogging, however, with the Zombies 5k app. (It's like a Couch to 5k program.) It's pushing me to run, but in small doses, all while keeping me entertained with the storyline of being in post-apocalyptic zombieland. (The first week's workouts are 10 min walking, 1min walking/15sec jogging repeated 10 times, then 10 min of free-form running or walking.. whatever your body can handle. It ends up being about a 35 min workout, and a SATISFYING one.. not a I-Hate-Exercise one!)

    Like most people have already said.. find what works for you! I played tennis as a teenager, so for awhile I was just playing a tennis game with the PS3 Move system.. I just actually MOVED like I was playing again, except without as much running. :D Something as simple as a fun game like that is a great way to burn some calories. Sports, biking, swimming (heck, even treading water!!), active video games, walking, jumping rope! There are so many possibilities.. you just have to stick with something past the initial body soreness (from your muscles not being familiar with being used in that way.. NOT from working too hard too fast!) and find what you like to do. :)
  • seabuckaroo
    seabuckaroo Posts: 85
    I just bought my daughter a dancing game on Wii, its actually really fun and I really worked up a sweat!
  • craigmandu
    craigmandu Posts: 976 Member
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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.

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