Would you exercise if you didn't have to?

kikityme
kikityme Posts: 472 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Ok. For all you gym lovers, good on you, get down with your bad selves.

I. I am NOT a gym lover. I hate the smell. I hate the chatters, I hate the non chatters. I hate the people who slam the weights down and I hate the tv channels. I hate running shoes and my shirt rides up uncomfortably.

I'm also Type 2 Diabetic (newly diagnosed.)

The thing is, since I started restricting my carbs to more reasonable levels, and started a drug regimen, I am dropping a consistent and pleasing amount of weight. I'm losing about 4 pounds a week which my doctor is quite pleased with as my nutrition plan is being followed.

So, if you didn't have to go? Would you? And can you tell me seriously why? I know for me it's mental and I will most likely eventually have to do it as the carb cutting won't be enough and I'm trying to mentally prepare myself.
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Replies

  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    You don't have to go to a Gym to exercise. if you hate it in all likelihood you wont keep at it long term. Maybe search out an exercise that you can do that you may enjoy that doesn't involve a gym.
  • AshwinA7
    AshwinA7 Posts: 102 Member
    I do other things besides running on the treadmill when I go to the gym - primarily rock climbing.

    But all of it boils down to two things - 1) a feeling of wellness afterwards and 2) mastery - feeling like I've accomplished something.

    A day spent hiking or mountain biking in the Sierra Nevadas will kill any bad mood instantly.
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    I run, and do lots of dance classes. Havent been inside a gym in a year. I run and dance cos I enjoy those activities.
  • d3mon4ngel
    d3mon4ngel Posts: 242 Member
    I don't go to a gym to exercise. I do Krav Maga classes twice a week, sometimes three, but that's because I enjoy it and getting fit is a nice side-benefit. At home I do yoga DVDs, use my kettlebells or run on my treadmill, which I was lucky enough to have been given :smile: Before I had the treadmill, I would just run on the streets or in the park.

    I do this because I want to be fit and healthy. I'm fed up of my asthma holding me back, and I want to overcome it.
  • whitebalance
    whitebalance Posts: 1,654 Member
    I'm a loner, only go to the gym when I have a trainer appointment or want to use a specific piece of equipment that only the gym has. I used to use the gym's weight machines, but also got plenty of exercise walking, running, climbing stairs, and doing body weight exercises in the stairwells between flights... and could have gotten it all that way if desired. Now I use free weights at home; my rack, bench, bar and plates are kinda cheap stuff, but they cost me a total of about $300 new. Point here is you don't have to go to a gym to exercise if you don't want to.
  • abadvat
    abadvat Posts: 1,241 Member
    Hold on a second, no one, unless medically required has to exercise!!?
    I don't have to but i am still training twice a day 5 days a week....
    I can't see myself not training for more than 2 days rest I take a week.
  • kikityme
    kikityme Posts: 472 Member
    Hold on a second, no one, unless medically required has to exercise!!?
    I don't have to but i am still training twice a day 5 days a week....
    I can't see myself not training for more than 2 days rest I take a week.

    My point is that the job is getting done right now without it. I'm trying to build myself up to going. But .... blargh .... I walk about 30 minutes a day now (and that 30 is a slow walking the dog walk), but that never seems like "working out" to me.

    But thanks for your answers.

    Twice a DAY? Seriously, ain't nobody got time for that! ;)
  • GertrudeHorse
    GertrudeHorse Posts: 646 Member
    I go to the gym because it makes me feel good and helps to release stress. I also like to feel powerful and dominant so exercise achieves that.
  • Harry_jazzhands
    Harry_jazzhands Posts: 16
    i cycle (mostly mountain bike) because i love it, any excersize i get from it is a bonus
  • Nicolee_2014
    Nicolee_2014 Posts: 1,572 Member
    Yes.
    I lost weight a few years ago, just by eating well. Which was great. I gained weight, had a baby, lost weight by eating well & exercising - the result the second time around was far better than the result the 1st time. My body changed shape & toned up. I was actually heavier on the scales the 2nd time but a smaller size in clothing & people always commented that I actually looked skinnier than I ever had before.
    So...I'm a huge fan of doing both, eating right & exercising. I don't go to the gym as such, I've got a personal trainer that I see twice a week in a studio environment, half the time it is just him & I...No mirrors, no people, no tv's. I love it! The other days I walk & do about 30-45 mins on the x trainer.
    You may eventually love exercise, or not :flowerforyou:
  • HollisGrant
    HollisGrant Posts: 2,022 Member
    You don't have to go to a Gym to exercise. if you hate it in all likelihood you wont keep at it long term. Maybe search out an exercise that you can do that you may enjoy that doesn't involve a gym.

    Great on the mark comment. I lost all my weight from walking to work and local errands instead of driving my car, plus hike on the weekend in nature. I've never exercised in a gym. Find something you like to do and do it.
  • crissi725
    crissi725 Posts: 82
    I am a loner by nature. So I go after 10pm. There's few people and more parking. Of course it helps that I don't have children and that my gym is down the street. Its also a truly awesome Anytime Fitness.
  • FruityLoops
    FruityLoops Posts: 138 Member
    If i didn't have to there is definitively some exercise that I would stop doing! I currently do some form of workout 5-6 days a week (usually cycling, kick boxing, zumba step, gym, exercise vids, walking) and I kind of feel like it's taken over my life, but I can't say I enjoy all of it. I would defo keep up the kick boxing and zumba step, and I'd keep cycling, tho for function rather than exercise, but I dont think you'd catch me in the gym again or running!! I love badminton too, but my doctor has banned me from playing it tho because of my p arthritis :-(

    All exercise doesn't have to be hellish, you just have to search for something you enjoy! For me I'm competitive so doing exercise with a partner I find enjoyable, but gym is just drudgery!
  • abadvat
    abadvat Posts: 1,241 Member
    Hold on a second, no one, unless medically required has to exercise!!?
    I don't have to but i am still training twice a day 5 days a week....
    I can't see myself not training for more than 2 days rest I take a week.

    My point is that the job is getting done right now without it. I'm trying to build myself up to going. But .... blargh .... I walk about 30 minutes a day now (and that 30 is a slow walking the dog walk), but that never seems like "working out" to me.

    But thanks for your answers.

    Twice a DAY? Seriously, ain't nobody got time for that! ;)

    Different optics I guess - I don't train to get the job done I train because this is the way i am, it is my passion, i need to train and no one is forcing me!
    Between going home and watching TV after work or a brutal workout? Bring the violence - anytime!
    Between going out with people and a brutal workout? First the violence - then the bender!

    All this to say, no one is forced to train, exercise, workout or which ever way you want to label your physical activity.
    Being active is a sensible decision in relation to your health - that's all.

    Walking the dog for 30 minutes is still better than not walking the dog for 30 minutes in my opinion!
  • Senneth12
    Senneth12 Posts: 72
    Maybe. Probably. It depends on your definition of "have to."

    Exercising isn't necessary for maintaining my weight, and it wasn't necessary for losing weight. And I don't love it OR like it. I manage to barely tolerate it. It's hard, it hurts, and it will never get easier or become fun.

    But it is necessary to keep my body functioning as much as possible. It keeps my joints more stable, it helps maintain endurance, and it improves my long term health outlook.

    I consider the above reasons as "have to." It's probably more important for me than for most people, but I think that some form of exercise is necessary for everyone to stay healthy. The type of exercise will vary depending on personal goals, but the necessity doesn't.
  • FIT_CANDY
    FIT_CANDY Posts: 4 Member
    Yes! Love it!
  • MissBabyJane
    MissBabyJane Posts: 538 Member
    You don't have to go to a Gym to exercise. if you hate it in all likelihood you wont keep at it long term. Maybe search out an exercise that you can do that you may enjoy that doesn't involve a gym.


    Agree. :)
  • Wonderob
    Wonderob Posts: 1,372 Member
    You don't have to go to a Gym to exercise. if you hate it in all likelihood you wont keep at it long term. Maybe search out an exercise that you can do that you may enjoy that doesn't involve a gym.

    You don't have to go to the gym to do cardio, but there's really no substitute for lifting heavy weights.

    I envy those that enjoy the gym as I only go because it really does do me good. 3 times a week for the last 8 years despite finding it a horrible, painful ordeal!
  • allotmentgardener
    allotmentgardener Posts: 248 Member
    I also hate the gym, not the equipment but being around other people as I'm very self conscious. I prefer doing stuff on my own. I do lots of walking (both with and without the dogs), we also walk as a family and I do other workouts at home (with only the dogs as spectators).
    For those who love the gym it is perfect, for those who don't there are lots of other options, I personally would always try to exercise though, it make me feel better both physically and mentally.
  • Catfriend25
    Catfriend25 Posts: 95
    Adorable horse! I'm sorry to hear about the diabetes *hugs* and it sounds like You hate the environment of the gym :'(

    I would not exercise the way I do if I wasn't fat (Insanity, 30 Day Shred, Killer EVERY day plus walking/cycling). It makes me dizzy and my body is in pain all the time but I have no choice because I am fat. If I were not fat, I would just do walking, cycling, and swimming, and not every single day through sick and cold.
  • lawwang
    lawwang Posts: 24
    Yes, when I lift, I feel as if I'm lifting all the weight of life's challenges off my shoulders. It has taught me to embrace these challenges and made me a (mentally and physically) stronger individual.

    I love the feeling so much that I look forward to going to the gym.
  • GillianMcK
    GillianMcK Posts: 401 Member
    I only go to the gym for my PT appointments and a weights class once a week, everything else is done outside, I run with the dog rather than walk, outdoor bootcamps (I get on with all the people that go so it's like seeing my friends for an hour we all just happen to be sweating).
    Yes I could lose weight just through my eating habits but they don't improve my cardio-vasicular health, I can now sprint for the train and recover now rather than still be huffing and puffing when I finally get to work.

    I don't like being inside though so I find outdoor activities that I enjoy:)
  • aronao
    aronao Posts: 112 Member
    At the moment I go to the gym to do classes- ShBam, BodyJam and Core. I love the dance-based class because a) it doesn't feel like exercise and b) it's a really good mental break as I'm so busy remembering the routine that I don't have time to think about all the stuff going on in my life. I think I would still keep going because I enjoy it so much, because there is a social element to it (seeing the other regulars) and I do it for mental health not just physical health.
  • Tillyecl1
    Tillyecl1 Posts: 189 Member
    Yep, but I don't set foot in the gym. I run, cycle and swim outside (swimming is in a lake) and I absolutely love it. I feel so great when I'm out, I would be miserable if I had to give it up.
    It's just a question of finding something you really enjoy, as soon as you do you won't even think of it as exercise, just as something you really enjoy doing. Good luck finding your new hobby :-)
  • Frood42
    Frood42 Posts: 245 Member
    I cycle commute, and depending on the weather, I will be doing anywhere between 20 to 60 miles in a day.
    Now the day is getting longer I can spend more time out in the evenings.

    I am not really one for getting up while it is still dark, but cycling gives me a mood lift, so it balances out a bit.


    It always make me laugh when I tell people I only live 4 miles from work but that I commuted 40 or 50 miles that day :laugh:
    .
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,605 Member
    Hold on a second, no one, unless medically required has to exercise!!?
    I don't have to but i am still training twice a day 5 days a week....
    I can't see myself not training for more than 2 days rest I take a week.

    My point is that the job is getting done right now without it. I'm trying to build myself up to going. But .... blargh .... I walk about 30 minutes a day now (and that 30 is a slow walking the dog walk), but that never seems like "working out" to me.

    But thanks for your answers.

    Twice a DAY? Seriously, ain't nobody got time for that! ;)

    Depends how you define 'the job'.

    If the job is losing weight, then no, you don't need exercise to do it. Obviously. You need a calorie deficit.

    However, if you want to be healthy, and ideally be healthy for the rest of your life, then incoporating activity, increasing your movement, is pretty much essential. Human bodies aren't designed to be sedentary.

    Moving about will also mean that you are less likely to regain the weight, and are more likely to recover well from your diabetes diagnosis.

    But of course, ultimately, it's for you to decide what your goals are and how you need to live to attain and (perhaps more importantly) maintain those goals.
  • Roaringgael
    Roaringgael Posts: 339 Member
    If you'd asked me last year I would have said,no I don't want to exercise. I am 55yrs old.
    Now 3 solid calendar months later I am reaping the benefits of exercise.

    I don't gym it, my knee injury last year dictated that I find something that wouldn't hurt my knee.
    Most exercise was out,
    so I took up swimming and what a wonderful decision that was.

    I now leap out of bed in the morning and hop to it!

    Before all my joints ached after being in bed all night and I used to gingerly get out and hope my feet and legs wouldn't hurt too much.
    Now I have slight thumb joint problems from arthritis and the rest of me feel 20 years younger.
    I've lost weight of course.
    Diabetes is in my family so I would have ended up with it sometime, exercise is an essential part of successful diabetes management, it prompts the body to do its job well - burn food like the furnace its meant to be.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    So, if you didn't have to go? Would you? And can you tell me seriously why?

    The only reason to go to a place to train is if it's a swimming pool, personally I loathe gyms and I'm not too keen on training indoors. I'm quite happy to go for a run for anything up to three hours or so, or cycle, and enjoy both.

    Weights, I'm bored in the space of 15 minutes and anything more becomes a chore.
  • misschoppo
    misschoppo Posts: 463 Member
    For me the answer would be yes because I enjoy it.

    There is plenty you can do at home with little or no equipment, loads of free workout videos online, walking/running outdoors, or maybe swimming or cycling if you have access to the right facilities/equipment. Or you could try classes, maybe something dance based, if you like that kind of thing it can feel more like fun and less like exercising.

    You have had loads of great suggestions on this thread so if your goal is not just to lose weight but to improve your general fitness and wellbeing then just try out a few different things and see what works for you, I am sure you will find at least a couple of things you quite enjoy :flowerforyou:
  • stuffinmuffin
    stuffinmuffin Posts: 985 Member
    I would do exercise if I didn't have to. I guess being at m goal weight for the last couple of years - I don't really have to but the reasons I do are....
    Because I love physically pushing myself.
    Because I love the fact that I get to eat loads when I work out.
    I love the endorphin rush you get with exercise.
    The sense of achievement from reaching goals or just doing really well at a workout.
    I love the people I meet through exercise.
    I love that wonderful 'really tired' feeling you get from a hard workout and some of the best sleep ever.

    From what you've written, I would say that you haven't found what you enjoy. Even walking is classed as exercise so maybe start with something gentle. I found as I lost weight it gave me more confidence to try other things out. I now have a really varied execs regimen which I love.

    Get out there and find what you will love - there is so much available.

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