Does exercise ever get fun?

I hate exercise but it's a sure fire way of dropping weight if managed with a well balanced healthy diet

What they said. Pick something you enjoy. So I do Samba or Bellydance DVD's. After a couple of weeks of panting and feeling like I was going to die, you start to look forward to it, even miss it if you can't do it (because you start to feel better, sleep better, be more relaxed, and less stress after you start working out for a week or two). So got inspired to go further.

Picked a Jillian Michaels DVD (30 day shred) circuit training because it's only 20 minutes, and I know that in 3 years from now, I will still be willing to do a 20 minute DVD every day. I know that in 3 years from now I will NOT be willing to go to a gym, and certainly not do elliptical trainers or any machine like that. So I have started with things I am willing to do, either because they are fun or short enough to where the thought of it doesn't discourage me, and they have become things that I LOVE to do. So now I do more, and have tried things normally that would have really turned me off from exercise.

I even love doing the 20 min Jillian Michaels circuit training - I can't believe I like it - that's not me! But I do!. After a couple of weeks, you'll start to NOTICE that it is getting easier, then after the 3rd or 4th week, you start to see results in your body. That got me so excited I ordered another of her DVD's.

I have been essentially sedentary since 1996, but now I LOVE to exercise. Because I only do my quick 20 min every day, or something I love like dancing. Pick something you think you can maintain for a long time - years - then when you start to LOVE it, you will be inspired to do more/harder/longer.

It depends, really. I can dance for HOURS, and i mean hours cause I've had 8 hour dance training 3 days in a row before, and while i felt exhausted, I never got tired of it.

On the other hand, when its off season for my dance team, I have to run to keep my weight in a managable range without dying of starvation at the stuff I want to eat... and I absolutely hate running. I hate it, but I do it anyway.

So yeah, to sound like abroken record, just find something you like doing, and it'll be fun!

To me, exercise is always fun! I enjoy every bit of it whether it's yoga, meditation, swimming, cycling or anything else!
It will be fun for you as well when you will start thinking like; "I want to do this" instead of "I have to do this".

In my opinion, it's all mental and that is why so many people give up after a certain amount of time. I am definitely guilty of this. After I graduated high school and was no longer involved in sports and dance, I welcomed the lazy days I had. I quit exercising and gained a lot of weight.

After the first 40 pounds or so, I tried to start workouts again but I just wasn't into it. Nothing I tried was fun to me. I hated exercising. I dreaded my workouts (no matter what it was) and would rather play bingo in a nursing home than go to the gym. I gave up after 3 months.

Two years later, I found myself in the right mental state. I was super motivated to start up exercising again because I missed how I looked in high school. My best friend had just received her certification for personal training and was looking better than ever. I was jealous. I wanted to look amazing too. I started weight lifting and would push myself every single day to lift heavier. I surrounded myself with people who motivate me. I was constantly around college athletes and people who run multiple marathons every year, so that made me want to get active too. I want people to look at me and say, "Wow, I wish I had her body." That's what keeps me going back to the gym every day.

Like with anything, there's always going to be good days and bad days. Find something that you love, and then go from there.
Equally, exercise doesn't have to be in a gym. I love running, but I hate doing it in the gym. Would rather feel the wind in my hair and see changing surroundings than stare at the tv screens in the gym.

Only if it's skiing in the Alps, or swimming in the Med, tbh.

get a skipping rope (jump rope if USA i think)

every time you think about eating something you have decided your not going to, skip for a minute. or try intervals with it, do, 1 min, then 30 sec rest, then 2min then 30sec rest, then 3 min and rest and 4 and rest and five and rest and five again, then 4 and so on... this way you wont feel like your doing alot in those short burst, start of by maybe just going up to 3 mins and back down,

Yes, find something that you enjoy. I prefer the elliptical, and I also like the feel of synergy that I get from group exercise classes at the gym. I started doing deadlifts and kettlebell exercises yesterday, and although I am sore as hell, I am in love and addicted to them!

Someone said it doesn't get easier because they keep pushing harder...and I agree; to be effective it requires physical exertion beyond what you find easy, and that threshold will change...BUT I find it gets easier in some ways as well because a) once you have momentum, it's just mentally easier to do the work b) as you feel better physically, working your body can make you feel strong and proud of yourself c) ENDORPHINS! Work hard enough and these feel good hormones will be released and you'll feel good and you will crave that feeling.

And yes x10000000 to everyone who said find something you enjoy. I'd be bored to tears on a treadmill, but I love to hike.

Take up a sport.

My current addiction is tennis. If I only play it for an hour, I go home wanting more. This summer I was playing for up to 3 hours. I can't see me doing aerobics for 3 hours. I also enjoy rock climbing and climb until I cannot hold onto anything!

Lifting's an interesting one. It's the closest I get to "exercise" these days - abstract sets/reps/timings. I do it because it's a challenge and knowing that I'm getting stronger all the time gives me a real boost emotionally. Perhaps you can get that from running (by getting a quicker time for a set distance) or aerobics (by lasting longer in a session before you need a break)?

I completely agree with the "find something you enjoy". Some exercises are fun for me, others are purgatory. It's an individual thing. And for me, some exercises - a day-long walk or a fast cycle - can definitely be "day at the beach fun".

I also think that when you're overweight, some exercise is much more punishing than it is when you're a normal weight. Other things it has less of an effect. So running, for instance, the sheer weight on your legs is going to make that more unpleasant when you're heavy, even once your fitness has improved. Same is true for walking, dancing, aerobics etc. So I think these things will get a bit easier to start with as your fitness improves, but then will continue to get gradually easier as your weight goes down.

Cycling, on the other hand, is less affected by your weight because you're not actually holding your own weight up. Yes, extra weight adds pedalling effort, but it's less significant than the wind resistance (especially if you're going fast). Cycling getting easier is almost all a question of cardiovascular fitness and muscle strength, which can develop quite quickly if you're doing it regularly and you will arrive sooner at the point where it's not hurting any more. So I guess that would go for things like rowing or canoeing as well.

But this is a theory I have from my experience, and I don't know how much it's reflected in other people's experience.

Not sure - it depends on the person I think and how they react to endorphins. When people exercise they feel a sense of accomplishment and happiness (so it becomes like a reward high) and so people want to regain that feeling constantly. Also exercise is a reliever of stress (driving down cortisol levels which in the end assists in Not gaining weight. high cortisol over extended periods of time can lead to weight gain).

Anyway to keep exercise fun I think you may have to try out different things to see what suits you best:

Maybe finding in gym buddy and having someone to exercise with?
Joining some group fitness class??
Trying out different classes like Step, Dance etc.
Combining a variety of things (e.g. weights, different cardio equipment (slogging 60+ minutes on the one machine can be monotonous) - maybe mixing that up with swimming/boxing
Group sports (joining a netball/volleyball etc.) team
Running groups

You're probably already aware of all those options but it's about finding out something that works well for you and that will be something you can sustainably continue.

I have been working out for a week now- and I'm doing it but not liking it. I know I need to do it for my health and for weigh loss- but my question to everyone is:

Did you ever start liking exercise?
How long before it got "easier"?
What keeps you going back to the gym for more?

I always enjoy exercise because I choose to focus on exercises that I consider fun and frequently try new things.

For example most of my time exercising right now is spend on running, weight lifting (compound lifts such as squats, deadlifts, barbell rows, bench press and overhead press) swimming, cycling, yoga and calisthenics

I am not promoting a specific exercise (because I think each person will have different preferences) but I do promote variety.

If running is getting monotonous for you, add hill sprints with a weight vest or midnight trail running.

If cycling alone on a exercise bike is boring, try mountain biking outside or taking a spin class.

If you find weightlifting machines boring like I do, use free weights instead!

If you think kickboxing is boring, try brazilian jiu jitsu, karate or taekwondo instead

Exercise should be fun! If you are not enjoying it now, keep trying new things until you find something you enjoy.

yeah do something that you enjoy!
for example I really enjoy tennis and lifting and a little gym cardio so thats what i do
also things like zumba are great fun!