Why do you excercise, really?

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  • askeates
    askeates Posts: 1,490 Member
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    Growing up I was always active.... My grandmother (who assisted in raising me) had a very simple rule, if it was nice outside you played outside. All I had to do was stay within earshot of her whistle. I rode my bike everywhere, I walked, I ran, I played football and soccer.... I can even remember going outside for some activities in the rain. As I got older, I continued with that. My mother's second husband was a weight lifter, and I started doing that as well. I loved how I felt after all this exercise.

    I'm not sure where I lost that, but somehow/where I stopped being so active. It's easy to blame the kids and not having time, or my car accidents that left me with back and nerve issues, but really I think I just stopped making it a habit and forgot how good it made me feel.

    I'm slowly but surely adding daily exercise back into my life and making it a habit instead of a chore! I love how I feel afterwords.... well for the most part (right now the pain is bad) and the energy I have when I'm done is just incredible. It is without a doubt the best "drug" ever :wink:
  • angledge
    angledge Posts: 13 Member
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    My partner works at a skilled nursing facility. Many of her patients are post-stroke patients. Some of them are quite young - as young as their mid-50s. Their bodies show the effects of years of mistreatment (smoking, poor diet, little to no exercise). They are paying the price for neglecting their bodies.

    So - I exercise so I won't end being one of my partner's patients. :-)

    Also, I really love swimming, especially outdoors.
  • jerendeb
    jerendeb Posts: 55 Member
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    I am an addict. In 1978 I was drinking alcoholically at age 23 in the USAF. I had to run my annual 1.5 mile annual test. 15 minutes was the maximum time allowed. I made it in 13. It was awful. I was 208lbs & should have been 185. First thing I did was start running. That helped. Then in December of that 78 I quit drinking. Then things took off and I've been more on than off ever since. I am now 58.

    It's not all roses and victories though. I've been injured and depressed and drank again and got sober again. The key is that I am always drawn to running & now cycling (on a bike and in my moods!!!), body workouts, good eating, etc.

    It's addiction POSITIVE or NEGATIVE.

    So I exercise to tame the beast within me.
  • LilithElina
    LilithElina Posts: 18 Member
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    I started running because I felt the need to get out and move more after spending all day working in front of a computer. My boyfriend tried to urge me to be faster, run longer etc. but I couldn't see the fun in it. I don't run to exhaustion, I just want the air and the movement and some time off.
    Then I got my FitBit and suddenly steps and competition matter more. I found out I could be better than I thought if I tried and still have fun. I guess you have to find the right balance between training and fun, and then you'll be fine.
  • _Resolve_
    _Resolve_ Posts: 735 Member
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    I do it because I never thought I could before. Now that I know i can.. i cant stop! I love biking, its not a competition unless you make it one. I plan on doing my first century next year and will be training like crazy for it but will still love to ride the rail trail to relax.
  • Siege_Tank
    Siege_Tank Posts: 781 Member
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    If you do this for pleasure, do it for pleasure.

    I would say that if you are looking to lose weight or be more fit, you should not consider this bike ride your "work out," rather consider it your fun time or cross training for your real work out. And then start doing something else more intense for your work out. It helps to mix things up. Also, yes, I like resistance training and I think it should become part of the routine.

    ^ That

    What you see when you perform the same exercise week in and week out is that your body adapts to the movement, it becomes more efficient at it. When you have amazing endurance from training for a marathon-like-thing, leisurely efforts are no longer a challenge for you.

    This is why I hate cardio. Specifically, running. There's no way to progressively overload your body and shock it into repair, get it to raise your metabolic rate. When you become a running machine, when your endurance is exceptional, your calorie burn stops by about the time you catch your breath.

    The only way to increase the workload, continuing to challenge your body and make it adapt, make it rebuild and strengthen, is by increasing the duration. You can add incline or a weighted vest to add more progression, but then you'd have to do it in a gym with an incline treadmill, or find a mountain to run up.

    I'm sorry, I don't have hours and hours per day to waste in the gym doing cardio properly so that I get a good burn.

    At some point, exercise becomes less about weight loss and more about achievement. I started out doing crossfit, but when it made me *just* sore enough to stop me from lifting the next day (I'd x-fit on my tue-thur non lift days) I said screw it, gotta lose it.

    If you want to train for a marathon, run! enjoy it! If you want to train for a triathlon, go for it! If you want jessica biel's a** then start weight training, grow your muscles to fill out the skin that sits atop them.

    If you want to join a sport, like tennis or soccer or something that requires flexibility, endurance, speed, agility, then start doing high intensity sprint intervals and functional drills to improve your coordination.

    However, if you want to count your leisurely ride through the park as exercise, know that it won't give you any results, you won't see a change. The body doesn't WANT to change, it wants to adapt to new stimuli. You aren't giving it any.

    Set a goal, reach for the stars, and then meet your goals. I spend 20 minutes in the gym 3x a week, and that's all the time I need to lift 3 sets with as much weight as I can, making me sore, moaning, and unable to walk properly.

    http://jasonferruggia.com/how-to-get-a-body-like-jessica-biel/

    hdnp.jpg
  • atb0821
    atb0821 Posts: 458 Member
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    I do it because I like to lift really heavy stuff and make mean faces and grunt.
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
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    I exercise:

    1) to save lives, if I didn't have a release I'd go ballistic about 3 times a week
    2) to have fun
    3) to feel accomplished
    4) to be challenged
    5) to set a good example for my son
    6) to sleep better at night
    7) i lift because a) cellulite and b) so that waving isn't a full arm experience
    8) I cardio because: food
  • Pinkranger626
    Pinkranger626 Posts: 460 Member
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    I started working out because I was sick of hating my body, and feeling like crap. Now I workout because it's become my passion. It's also my job (but I don't count my classes as my workouts). I workout because its the only way I know how to release tension without turning to food or becoming a big emotional mess. It keeps me sane, it keeps be driven, it keeps me happy, and I'm addicted to it. It's also become a lifestyle and I wouldn't know what the heck to do with myself if I couldn't workout anymore.

    Also, I wish i could describe how freakin awesome it is to do something that challenges you, something that may make you a little nervous, and you might doubt yourself a little bit. Then when you look back and see bhow much you rocked it, even when things got tough, it's amazing and I'm constantly amazed by what my body can do when I demand so much of it.
  • BlueBombers
    BlueBombers Posts: 4,065 Member
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    At first I was exercising to lose weight. Now I do it because it is a huge stress reliever for me and it is my "alone time". I love it!!
  • professorRAT
    professorRAT Posts: 690 Member
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    At first I was exercising to lose weight. Now I do it because it is a huge stress reliever for me and it is my "alone time". I love it!!

    ^exactly! How you feel about something can change over time. I used to be very sedentary and I hated exercise. I hired a trainer three times a week in order to force myself to go. I was never really overweight, but wasn't fully happy with how I looked. I hated every minute of it for over a year, but stuck with it anyway. Now I love working out and I am in the gym five days a week on my own. I get annoyed when something comes up that makes me miss my gym time. I never would have predicted that, so you never know. I feel great and I am a MUCH happier person now. There is a satisfaction that comes with setting goals and working towards them, and you might even find that you start to love the process along the way.
  • justal313
    justal313 Posts: 1,375 Member
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    I started exercising to have more calories in my calorie budget. Then something happened. I discovered that exercising felt good (for the most part) and I have become more active and I am generally not limited by my body when I try to do something (though I occasionally attempt something I know is probably beyond my capabilities). I've been running up a storm, doing obstacle courses, you name it, AND I LOVE IT. That's why I exercise.

    and for the extra beer calories :drinker:
  • gobonas99
    gobonas99 Posts: 1,049 Member
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    I've been bicyling for years.
    <snip>
    I have found another female of about my speed to ride with and we have very pleasant although not especially vigorous rides.
    <snip>
    Instead of just dawdling along with chit chat, we started to ride with intent. We added miles each time out and made sure our speed didn't drop off. We also found that the fun was over after about 50 miles. It wasn't that we were exhausted, but that we were just over it after three or four hours.

    We have now made peace with the bikes once again and are back to our leisurely ways and cycling has become fun again. Lately we have come under some benign criticism (call it chiding) about our lack of focus and purpose when we ride. We both need and want to loose weight and get more fit but maybe we are wasting our exercise time by not buckling down to burn as many calories as we can and to get better, faster, stronger. To those who are making this argument to us, it's as if cycling is a metaphor for life, and not striving to achieve and improve is some sort of character flaw.

    Based on how I felt after that big training effort before the MS ride, I fear that all that so called purpose will kill all the joy of riding. I know I'm pretty lazy. I suspect that my concern about spoiling the fun of cycling is just a cover for not wanting to work hard at anything. But this is pretty much the only exercise I get consistently.

    Do I need to start cracking the whip on myself?

    I think it is great that you and your friend are bike riding consistently and enjoying it :smile:

    And I totally "get" how you were feeling after training for the MS ride. To be perfectly honest, feeling "over it" after 3-4 hours of continuous riding is NOT uncommon (even for people training for half and full Iron Man triathlons - 56 and 112 mile bike rides, respectively). One of my goals is to do a half Iron Man before I turn 40, and I am NOT looking forward to training for a 56 mile bike ride, even though I LOVE cycling (and frequently ride for 60-120 minutes while training for my sprint and Olympic triathlons - 12-18 mile and 22-25 mile bikes respectively).

    BUT...I do think it would be in your best interests fitness-wise to pick up the pace a bit. "dawdling along with chit chat" would never count as exercise **for me** (just like I would never count cleaning, or shopping, or a leisurely walk around the block with my fiance). With a rare exception (such as a very easy ride or run the day or two before a race), I'm always looking to beat my previous best time (being biking or running)....even if I don't beat it, I try to.

    Now...you don't need to start training for another super long distance race and riding 50+ miles or try to break time records. Just pick things up a bit. :smile: If right now, you're riding for 8-10 miles in an hour....start working to increase that to 12-14 miles in an hour...or, stick with riding 8-10 miles, but try to finish in 45 minutes. Still well within a pace that will allow you to chat (maybe a bit breathlessly), but it will get your heart rate up more and you WILL burn more calories. Start out slowly - time yourself on Day 1...then the next ride, try to beat that time by 15-30 seconds....then the next ride, try to beat your best time by 15-30 seconds, etc. As you increase your fitness, you will naturally get faster.

    Since you did the MS ride, you definitely have the capacity to get more out of your rides, but still maintain the social aspect that obviously keeps you motivated to keep riding. :flowerforyou: No whips needed :wink:
  • BarbellApprentice
    BarbellApprentice Posts: 486 Member
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    This is not my blog but it pretty much sums it up...

    http://ramblingsofincessantthoughts.blogspot.ca/2013/08/why-do-i-lift.html
  • Rose_bee
    Rose_bee Posts: 226 Member
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    I exercise because I don't want to be obese when I'm older.

    I exercise because I want to be in shape so I can be active & enjoy life.


    I've found that my elliptical is an exercise machine that I can tolerate. On occasion, I actually like it. It's easy on my knees, and I get a good workout. If my asthma flares up I can just hop off & rest if I need to (hard to do when you're outside 2+ miles from home).

    I think someday I'll need to keep up with the elliptical, but for now it's a promise I make to myself. I workout & I get extra snack goodies. :)
  • lmo0183
    lmo0183 Posts: 41 Member
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    Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people don't kill their husbands. They just don't.

    Love it and so true!!! My walks have released so much anger that doesn't get taken out on my husband!
  • _namaste_
    _namaste_ Posts: 246
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    I exercise because I am a better person mentally, physically and emotionally when I do. I am stronger, have more energy, am a better mother and wife when I exercise. It makes me a better person all around. I don't see a time when I would ever be able to stop. Even on days when I am sick, I find a way because I inevitably always feel better after I am done. I hardly ever have a true "day off" from exercising preferring instead to have "active rest" days because not doing anything is just not me anymore.

    That's why, for me.
  • footiechick82
    footiechick82 Posts: 1,203 Member
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    To look like this
    <

    and for my health...

    oh and because the young guys eat that *kitten* up! LOL...
  • StheK
    StheK Posts: 443 Member
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    I exercise because I have to. I try to find exercise that I enjoy doing, but to be honest, if I didn't have to exercise for my health, weight, and to offset my desk job, I would happily not. There are a ton of other things I would rather do with that time.

    I'm obviously not counting fun that also happens to be exercise- of course I love kayaking with friends on vacation, for instance, but that isn't exercise for the sake of exercise, which is what I do every day.
  • 1princesswarrior
    1princesswarrior Posts: 1,242 Member
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    Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people don't kill their husbands. They just don't.

    A++++

    No husband to kill, but definitely love that endorphin high, that's my newest addiction.

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