Would you exercise if you didn't have to?

I Completely agree with you about gyms! And I like your hate list

I lost weight a couple of years ago by eating 1200 cals a day (weekends I ate and drank what I liked) and I did no exercise. Now I'm trying to exercise it it off, but it's much slower. I'd always rather eat and exercise though, instead of not eating and not exercising.

i like going to the gym to lift. it's gotten fun. i used to be really really serious at the gym, but i've grown to have more fun with it, playing around and enjoying myself.

as far as cardio goes, i prefer my cardio outdoors, as often as possible.

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The gym you do not have to go to as I do not go to the gym. I have used youtube, fitness blender.com and Hasfit.com.
If I never had to exercise I wouldnt, I find the whole thing so tedious, and I cant say I enjoy it after a year of continuous exercise. But in saying that I like my new body, I like having more choice when clothes shopping (infact there is so much choice I get confused) I like not feeling tired all the time. I like not getting out of breath just walking up a few stairs. So I just decided to include it as part of my daily routine like bathing and brushing my teeth and going to work. You can do it.

Yes.

I rarely use an actual gym - I am going tomorrow for the first time in a long time, substituting my weekly 5k for the gym as I can use the exercise bike there and I am going to start training for a Triathlon soon.

Find something you enjoy, indoors, outdoors who cares if it's just walking, go for a long walk up some hills on a nice weekend.

I do CrossFit 3x a week (CrossFit gets a lot of crap I know) personally I love it, this morning I did a class (I have only been going 3 months) and I was told my form for a clean and jerk was really good (for someone who is 5ft 2.75in and never lifted before) this is a real achievement. I went heavier than I had done before, I mastered skipping last week, all of this helps dispel those Monday morning blues.

I really hope you find something you enjoy, as personally I find exercise to be the best mood booster and self confidence boost.

I don't go to the gym to lose weight. I go to the gym to stay fit. There's a difference. No calorie deficit will make me fit. But exercising will. And I like feeling like I've accomplished something.

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.

Interesting wording in your title: 'Have to'. I don't have to exercise. No-one's forcing me, I've not been medically advised to; I could lose weight through diet alone.

It would just be harder.

I personally find exercise beneficial for me because:
- when I'm active I eat better. Some un- or sub-conscious link where I crave for nutritious food. I think my body realises what it needs to replace after exercising? This has been an ongoing pattern I have noticed many times over the last 10 years as my activity levels have waxed and waned..
- when I'm active I have more energy. Might be related to the food thing, but the more active I become I am no way near as lethargic in the afternoons and I spend less time sitting around or feeling too lazy to get up for something.
- when I exercise, I sleep better. I go to bed, fall asleep quickly, stay asleep, have a less restless sleep, and wake up early. And I'm noticing an increasing number of instances where I bounce out of bed! :noway: I love my bed, I just can't stay in it for very long any more.
- Mood. I guess this goes hand in hand with energy levels, but I'm far less irritable and more helpful and patient.

I too am not a gym fiend. Not the gym-gym anyhow; cardio and weights machines. I find it unbearable tedious. I'm more a group exercise class person. I need someone yelling at me to motivate me. :laugh: My current forms of exercise are (trying to get) a ~3km (~1.8mi) walk in every day. I'm successful around 4 days a week. That and one dance class a week. That small amount of exercise is enough for me to see benefits.

So, for those reasons, I will continue to exercise. I don't really like to exercise, but I like the consequences of it. And the more I do it, the more I feel like doing.

I certainly don't gym it up but for the pat two-three months have been very motivated to be more active. Got a Fitbit which helped make me move quite a bit more - heck, last night I jogged for about half an hour in place after realizing I went a tad over on calories and wanted to get at least 7,500 steps in for the day. My job is 99% desk work so I have to find a lot of reasons to keep moving.

All in all I am really wishing that physical movement was something I understood the benefits of earlier. We did have gym in school but I wasn't given access to sports or other routine activities. I sure do like the way I feel now compared to how I did not that long ago and am glad I have always had a smattering of activity in my daily life, albeit self-directed. I also have a modicum of exercise fatigue. Hoping that gets better with time, too!

I don't have to exercise, (theoretically nobody does) but it's a huge part of my life and always has been, save for a few years I slacked off and didn't exercise as consistently as I should have.

I think too many people feel they have to do things they hate. There are TONS of ways to exercise, a person should be able to find something they enjoy. If the gym isn't your thing, then run. If that's not your thing then hike. If you don't like that, do dvd's, the list goes on.

I hate the gym too.

Like many people have said: The gym isn't necessary for exercise. Would I exercise if i didn't have to? Hell yeah! I currently ride my bicycle 2-3 hours/week, slowly building up to 6+ hours/week. Eventually, I'll be commuting to work and running all my errands by bicycle. How about that for enjoyable exercise?

Just work on finding an exercise you actually enjoy doing, then stick with that! If you hate your exercise, you won't do it.

I gym and swim, but I LOVE my swimming, I keep going all year round and wouldnt stop even if it had no effect on my weightloss :flowerforyou:

Totally!
i love the gym the body appereance is a plus

the thig you get is a feeling of power
union with your body
breaking of limits
laser like focus
calmness of the mind

I dont have to but i am. I really wanted the benefits but didnt want to do it at first but now i just cant sit still