I hate it, I hate it exercise. I hate it!

most of my friends in Sydney are couch potatos..
when I ask them why dont they want to come for a swim or a cycle with me they usually say: I dont like it...I am not a good swimmer..I cant..

when I tell them "it doesnt matter" they look at me as if I were crazy...
It seems to me that most people associate exercise with sports and the 2 -in my humble opinion- cannot be further from eachother..

I think of my exercise time as my "playground time"
just like when we were young and were let loose at 10am from home and only went home to use the toilet or to eat we were outside active...walking- running- climbing things.just having fun
I view my gym time as "indoor playground time" I have stuff there which are fun (rower, kinesis wall, TRX, the "pokie" etc etc even the treadmill can be fun from time to time) and I have about an hour to forget about the worries of the world and just move my body...that is exercise..

if you find something that you actually enjoy - just do it

I lost about 50 lbs from mostly just walking. I started off just taking my dog for walks 2x per day, about 20 minutes each. As the weight started melting off, I upped my pace and my distance. At my fittest, I was walking at the HS track about 5x per week at over 4 MPH. And to answer your question . . . Yes. I grew to LOVE it.

I think you have to stop saying "I can't do this or that because..." And start thinking about what you CAN do. You can eat at a deficit and lose weight, but you won't achieve long term success. You need to make lifestyle changes, which include eating healthier and getting regular consistent exercise.

Good luck!

I need help, I don't understand how some people can go from doing no exercise to exercising all the time and love it.

I hate hate hate exercise. I have tried spinning, took me longer to recover from the extensive pain of my *kitten* hurting and not being able to sit down.

I never learned how to ride a bike, nor can I swim.

I can't run for 2mins without my ears feeling like they about explode, my head tightening up and my vision going blurry.

I can't join a dance group like Zumba etc...as none run on the times I need around my work schedule.

I've tried playing tennis, but no one to play with

I have tried home workouts and youtube and they are just booking and predictable

I know it sounds like I'm moaning, but I would like to know if anyone else has felt the same and found a way to get fit and lose weight, because if all I can do is going walking 30 minutes a day that would be great, but apparently u have to do high intensity cardio to get rid of my freaking tummy that I just can't shift.

If anyone has lost weight by just walking, that would be great, I do things like the London ummm london route thing that Boris has set up so I walk 5miles or more on the weekends and walk everywhere during the week. That's all I can manage to do without feeling like fainting all the time. Oh I'm anaemic by the way so I nearly fainted in a dumbbell class and I had only be there for 10minutes.

Honest question; is there any physical activity that you want to learn?

You don't know how to swim, would you like to learn? Sign up at your local community center and learn to swim. Then you can build on that.

You said you can't run for 2 minutes; if you want to learn to run start with a Couch to 5K program and work at it. It will be hard at first but you will find you will progress. And personally speaking I have been over 260 lbs and completed a 5k. Fat girls can run.

Can't dance; does this mean that you want to? Look into places that teach dance that you are into. You're 24 do you go to college? Most schools have dance classes and often weekend dance meetups. (my sister dragged me to a Tango Milonga at her college once)

I think the key is finding something you like and doing it. Keep it challenging and don't get complacent.

I think my name and my ticker say it all. The key for me was really great music to walk to. After a while it was addictive because having two kids, husband and a house full of pets I never get a moments peace. Walking was my moment. Also, I really did alot of my weight loss through diet, especially the last 35lbs! I am super competitive, so when I walked at the track I would try to lap people or try to keep up with a fast walker. If on my tread climber I would challenge my self to amount of calories burned in my allotted time I had available to walk. If you don't make it fun you will hate it and won't do it. Now I am starting to weight lift and isometric toning and I really like both, but I have to have the great motivating tunes... if only to drown out the craziness of my home!

Some really great ideas here! I totally agree about watching a tv show/movie while working out, little mini exercises like squats before sitting down,leg lifts while sitting and listening to audio books while walking. Keep something you really like and only let yourself use it when exercising, perhaps a favourite show that you can only watch while exercising no exceptions.

Absolutely agree about the audiobooks. I listen to one while working out every time.

A big time problem people have is going too hard, too fast...it isn't enjoyable and they otherwise burn out. Maybe take it down a notch...you don't have to go from zero to 100 and really, that's not advisable anyway.

I personally started with getting my diet in order (that is the most important thing for weight loss) and then just walking for my fitness. I started out walking 3 days per week for about 1/2 hour...then bumped that up to 5 days per week...then I alternated between 30 and 60 minute walks.

As I started to lose weight and got my body used to moving I started doing other things like incorporating running into the mix, etc. I tried to press the issue and be a runner, but ultimately decided I didn't really like it...I did discover that I love to get out on my bike and I love weight lifting and I love going out for hikes on the weekend and I still love my nice walk in the park just to move a little.

If I had started balls to the wall, I can pretty much guarantee you that I wouldn't have kept up with any of this for what has been about 15 - 16 months now.

X2

This is excellent advice.

I hated exercise too. So started with walking. A do more now, but it took me a while to get to that point. Don't beat yourself up, OP. Just work on your eating, and do some walking. You might like other things in the future.

I started out with just walking and was successful. Regarding your "freaking tummy", I'm leaving this link here. You don't have to make yourself miserable.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1161603-so-you-want-a-nice-stomach

I need help, I don't understand how some people can go from doing no exercise to exercising all the time and love it.

I hate hate hate exercise. I have tried spinning, took me longer to recover from the extensive pain of my *kitten* hurting and not being able to sit down.

I never learned how to ride a bike, nor can I swim.

I can't run for 2mins without my ears feeling like they about explode, my head tightening up and my vision going blurry.

I can't join a dance group like Zumba etc...as none run on the times I need around my work schedule.

I've tried playing tennis, but no one to play with

I have tried home workouts and youtube and they are just booking and predictable

I know it sounds like I'm moaning, but I would like to know if anyone else has felt the same and found a way to get fit and lose weight, because if all I can do is going walking 30 minutes a day that would be great, but apparently u have to do high intensity cardio to get rid of my freaking tummy that I just can't shift.

If anyone has lost weight by just walking, that would be great, I do things like the London ummm london route thing that Boris has set up so I walk 5miles or more on the weekends and walk everywhere during the week. That's all I can manage to do without feeling like fainting all the time. Oh I'm anaemic by the way so I nearly fainted in a dumbbell class and I had only be there for 10minutes.

I lost most of my weight without doing any exercise at all. As I started transitioning into maintenance I started walking a mile a day, then two miles. I loved walking, mostly because it gave me a break from my lovely children :laugh: Then I started adding a bit of running-like I'd literally run the distance of three mail boxes and then walk for a minute, run the distance of three mail boxes and then walk again. Got up to running a mile without walking and then I'd walk a mile back.

Then crappy winter MI weather hit so I started doing an at home strength training program 3 days a week/30 minutes a time (Mark Lauren's program, from his book Body By You). LOVE it! Never in a million years would I have thought I'd enjoy doing this type of thing, but it's fun and dang, I'm looking pretty good now And then I got a rebounder for Christmas (ie a mini trampoline). This thing is ridiculously fun to use and I'm getting a much more intense cardio workout on it, then what I was getting with the walking and running. I'm currently doing this twice a week for 3o minutes a time. I'll pick up walking again when the weather gets nice, but I'll probably stick to the rebounder and skip the running.

I counted calories to lose over 50lbs. I now exercise while in maintenance because it gives me new goals to work towards, and it's also fine tuning the appearance of my body. But, I will never ever do exercise that I don't love doing and I'll keep switching it up as I get bored with something!

eta: my profile pictures are BEFORE I started strength training-my flat stomach was due to losing enough weight, getting my bmi to around a 19 and then at that point I was walking/running around 6-8 miles a week. Now, after doing strength training for a couple months, my stomach still looks the same but it's not as soft anymore and when I bend over I don't get a pooch anymore (courtesy of having three kids).

I need help, I don't understand how some people can go from doing no exercise to exercising all the time and love it.

I hate hate hate exercise. I have tried spinning, took me longer to recover from the extensive pain of my *kitten* hurting and not being able to sit down.

I never learned how to ride a bike, nor can I swim.

I can't run for 2mins without my ears feeling like they about explode, my head tightening up and my vision going blurry.

I can't join a dance group like Zumba etc...as none run on the times I need around my work schedule.

I've tried playing tennis, but no one to play with

I have tried home workouts and youtube and they are just booking and predictable

I know it sounds like I'm moaning, but I would like to know if anyone else has felt the same and found a way to get fit and lose weight, because if all I can do is going walking 30 minutes a day that would be great, but apparently u have to do high intensity cardio to get rid of my freaking tummy that I just can't shift.

If anyone has lost weight by just walking, that would be great, I do things like the London ummm london route thing that Boris has set up so I walk 5miles or more on the weekends and walk everywhere during the week. That's all I can manage to do without feeling like fainting all the time. Oh I'm anaemic by the way so I nearly fainted in a dumbbell class and I had only be there for 10minutes.

I lost most of my weight without doing any exercise at all. As I started transitioning into maintenance I started walking a mile a day, then two miles. I loved walking, mostly because it gave me a break from my lovely children :laugh: Then I started adding a bit of running-like I'd literally run the distance of three mail boxes and then walk for a minute, run the distance of three mail boxes and then walk again. Got up to running a mile without walking and then I'd walk a mile back.

Then crappy winter MI weather hit so I started doing an at home strength training program 3 days a week/30 minutes a time (Mark Lauren's program, from his book Body By You). LOVE it! Never in a million years would I have thought I'd enjoy doing this type of thing, but it's fun and dang, I'm looking pretty good now And then I got a rebounder for Christmas (ie a mini trampoline). This thing is ridiculously fun to use and I'm getting a much more intense cardio workout on it, then what I was getting with the walking and running. I'm currently doing this twice a week for 3o minutes a time. I'll pick up walking again when the weather gets nice, but I'll probably stick to the rebounder and skip the running.

I counted calories to lose over 50lbs. I now exercise while in maintenance because it gives me new goals to work towards, and it's also fine tuning the appearance of my body. But, I will never ever do exercise that I don't love doing and I'll keep switching it up as I get bored with something!

eta: my profile pictures are BEFORE I started strength training-my flat stomach was due to losing enough weight, getting my bmi to around a 19 and then at that point I was walking/running around 6-8 miles a week. Now, after doing strength training for a couple months, my stomach still looks the same but it's not as soft anymore and when I bend over I don't get a pooch anymore (courtesy of having three kids).

Love this post!

I am pretty crippled up and many exercises just plain hurt me. I swim and do water aerobics, and in turn it is making it easier for me to do things such as walk without intense pain. I'm also now doing land-mammal Zumba (as opposed to Aqua Zumba) safe in the privacy of my own home. Find what you love, and the rest is easy!

I need help, I don't understand how some people can go from doing no exercise to exercising all the time and love it.

I hate hate hate exercise. I have tried spinning, took me longer to recover from the extensive pain of my *kitten* hurting and not being able to sit down.

I never learned how to ride a bike, nor can I swim.

I can't run for 2mins without my ears feeling like they about explode, my head tightening up and my vision going blurry.

I can't join a dance group like Zumba etc...as none run on the times I need around my work schedule.

I've tried playing tennis, but no one to play with

I have tried home workouts and youtube and they are just booking and predictable

I know it sounds like I'm moaning, but I would like to know if anyone else has felt the same and found a way to get fit and lose weight, because if all I can do is going walking 30 minutes a day that would be great, but apparently u have to do high intensity cardio to get rid of my freaking tummy that I just can't shift.

If anyone has lost weight by just walking, that would be great, I do things like the London ummm london route thing that Boris has set up so I walk 5miles or more on the weekends and walk everywhere during the week. That's all I can manage to do without feeling like fainting all the time. Oh I'm anaemic by the way so I nearly fainted in a dumbbell class and I had only be there for 10minutes.

1- You don't have to exercise to lose weight.

2- You will get in better shape by exercising and in the long run feel better. Start slowly and work your way up though.

Just a thought, but depression really affected my enjoyment levels with exercise. When I was pretty depressed all the time, I HATED exercise. I never did get that endorphin rush you're supposed to get, that runner's high, that heightened sense of wellbeing, that extra energy... none of it. It just sucked all the time and was horrible. I always gave up after a month or so because it sucked and I hated it.

Now that my depression is under control, exercise isn't quite so bad. It's amazing what the chemicals in your brain do. When your brain is working right, healthy things of all sorts are more appealing or at least easier to do. Not just exercise but being social, eating good food, sleeping, self care, etc etc. I don't know if you have depression or not, obviously, but I just wanted to share my experience in case it helps you in some way. Feel free to message me (anyone can if interested) to hear what I found most helpful in fighting depression.