Does anyone else dislike exercise?

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Francl27
Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I keep seeing people who love working out, doing dvd programs etc... 1.5 year later I still don't. I force myself to do it, typically really doing half of it because I can't keep up. I've tried lots of different things. . None of that 'exercise high'. At this point I realize I just don't want it hard enough.

Is it just me?
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Replies

  • corksterfl87
    corksterfl87 Posts: 33 Member
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    I'm In the same boat! I have to force myself everytime to work out. I think this Is why I haven't met my goal yet :/
  • wonderwoman234
    wonderwoman234 Posts: 551 Member
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    Our bodies were made to move, not be sedentary. That is why people feel better when they move. Moving does all kinds of good stuff to your body. I bet that if you tried the following, you might increase your chances of learning to enjoy exercising:

    1) Allow yourself the time to build your fitness slowly and at a pace that feels comfortable for you. This means NOT comparing yourself to anyone else. Instead of trying to run for 20 minutes off the bat, walk first, then alternate running and walking, then slowly add in more running and less walking.

    2) Experimenting with different forms of exercise to see what you enjoy. For example, hiking, tennis, swimming, walking, ultimate frisbee, etc. You don't ever have to do exercise videos if you don't like them. Let's say you discover that you love tennis. You might then want to do other exercises to help you get better at tennis (strength training or some cardio). If you love tennis, it might just motivate you to get stronger and fitter.

    3) Explore how you think about exercise. You may have a fear of it, think of it in a negative way, etc. HOW you think about something greatly impacts your experience. You may need to reframe your negative thinking to something more positive.
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
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    Nobody loves exercise. We do it for the benefits. It's part of being an adult, doing things we'd rather not.

    That said, I am never sorry after a work out. But I am almost never pumped to go beforehand. It's always the reward afterward that makes me glad I did it.
  • stephanieluvspb
    stephanieluvspb Posts: 997 Member
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    I really, really dislike exercise, but like previous comment, I feel awesome when I'm done and so glad I did it. I have however, found a LOVE for lifting!! thanks to some great people here on MFP and my personal trainer :)
  • RHachicho
    RHachicho Posts: 1,115 Member
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    This is the kind of thing that happens to you when you are really really unfit. I should know I was there. If you push through it you will quickly learn to love exercise in a few weeks.

    Thing is you have made such a habit out of being sedentary that your bodies set point for perceived exertion is ridiculously low. You do a tiny amount of exercise and feel like crap. And you never get to feel good because of that.

    Trust me and push through it. It will get better. In fact it will get great. And if you keep going the way you are going you WILL have health problems. Like the last poster said your body was not meant to be as sedentary as you are.
  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,831 Member
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    Our bodies were made to move, not be sedentary. That is why people feel better when they move. Moving does all kinds of good stuff to your body. I bet that if you tried the following, you might increase your chances of learning to enjoy exercising:

    Technically, you are correct -- however, so is the OP. I feel my body was intended to lie on a chaise and be fed bonbons by a staff of eunuchs. I am currently in a recliner feeding myself blueberries and will force myself to move later because both of you are correct. I hate exercising and it makes me feel better. Dammit.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,725 Member
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    Nobody loves exercise. We do it for the benefits. It's part of being an adult, doing things we'd rather not.

    That said, I am never sorry after a work out. But I am almost never pumped to go beforehand. It's always the reward afterward that makes me glad I did it.

    I love exercise. I take Les Mills classes and I'm something of an addict.

    I'm also taking up running. Less of the love there but sometimes I have to hold myself back from going on a run (need a rest day, etc)

    There's nothing wrong with getting ten minutes or half way through a DVD, OP. Just keep looking for something you like and do as much of it as you can or want to. As time goes on , you'll be able to and/or crave doing more
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    I never used to enjoy it, but then I started seeing results, and found some workouts I really enjoyed - insanity and then p90x3.

    Don't get me wrong, sometimes I do my workout because I should, not because I want to, but as the saying goes 'I really regretted that workout, said no one, ever!'
  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
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    I hate some exercise...but love some of it also. It is why it is so important to find something that you love doing.

    I hate those videos...I am not fond of weight training (force myself to do it) but I love walking and hiking. So those two are what I look forward to doing...well...when it is not 100 degrees outside.

    I look for exercise that will help me live the life that I want. If it will benefit me as I age...allow me to stay active...I do it.

    My biggest waste of time...doing exercise just because the are the most popular.

    Find what you enjoy...you will stick with it if you do.
  • trojan_bb
    trojan_bb Posts: 699 Member
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    Nobody loves exercise.

    Umm, it's my favorite time of day. I am absolutely pumped beforehand. I go to bed anxious for the next day's workout.

    I know most other guys into bodybuilding feel the exact same. Surprising comment coming from a bikini competitor really.
  • sussexbythesea
    sussexbythesea Posts: 1,335 Member
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    That's why I just do a daily walk though in the winter I do a few Leslie sansone indoor walks but find it gets boring! I like to be outside and I made goal nearly a year ago
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,725 Member
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    Nobody loves exercise.

    Umm, it's my favorite time of day. I am absolutely pumped beforehand. I go to bed anxious for the next day's workout.

    I know most other guys into bodybuilding feel the exact same.

    I've had nightmares about sleeping through my classes! :laugh:
  • nmcrosier
    nmcrosier Posts: 268 Member
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    I'm sitting here with a broken ankle, blisters & a bunch of callus on my hands - not to mention blisters in my armpits...I'd LOVE to be back to where I left off before breaking my ankle on a friends boat - jogging 2 miles every other day
    :(
  • SpeedGibson
    SpeedGibson Posts: 17 Member
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    I would have said that 15 years ago, and I still do with one glorious exception: outdoor walking. In 2002, then on my city's Zoning Commission, I thought it would be at least useful to walk and see every street in our 9 square miles. I colored in each walk on an old zoning map, soon found I could easily do 5 miles, often 10 or more. After that, I did another city. And another 20 cities including the Minneapolis (58 sq miles). I'm now about 60% done with St. Paul (56 sq miles). It's amazing what you can done even in winter months. So explore options - swimming, sports, martial arts, yoga, you might find your own exercise you like.
  • MrsBooBear
    MrsBooBear Posts: 12,619 Member
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    Our bodies were made to move, not be sedentary. That is why people feel better when they move. Moving does all kinds of good stuff to your body. I bet that if you tried the following, you might increase your chances of learning to enjoy exercising:

    Technically, you are correct -- however, so is the OP. I feel my body was intended to lie on a chaise and be fed bonbons by a staff of goegeous fit men catering to my every whim *rubs thighs* I am currently in a recliner feeding myself blueberries and will force myself to move later because both of you are correct. I hate exercising and it makes me feel better. Dammit.

    Fixed that for you. :flowerforyou: :laugh:
  • kiarafitjourney
    kiarafitjourney Posts: 33 Member
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    Funny, in school days i always hated exercise. Probably because my metabolism was fast those days and no matter how much i ate, i wont get fat.
    Now however, is a different story, i wished i started to exercise back then.
    Long story short, i learned to love it. And now im proud to say i love lifting weights :)
    P.S : i dont "love" cardio, but i'm still learning to.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
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    Nobody loves exercise. We do it for the benefits. It's part of being an adult, doing things we'd rather not.

    That said, I am never sorry after a work out. But I am almost never pumped to go beforehand. It's always the reward afterward that makes me glad I did it.

    not true.... a lot of people enjoy exercising. And there are also people who don't. I've even seen a scientific study that shows that some people enjoy exercise far more than others. Most people find that they like some kinds of exercise but hate others... I love skating and hate running, for example. But in terms of health, they're just as good as each other and I don't see any point in forcing myself to run, ever. I stick to exercise that I enjoy.

    OP - If you really hate *all* forms of exercise - any activity that gets you moving around and/or carrying things will benefit your health. It doesn't have to be anything that you would formally categorise as "exercise". Brisk walking is sufficient to keep your heart and lungs healthy. What's important is that you're not sedentary. You can make walking or other physical activity functional if you find it hard to ever do it for enjoyment... e.g. walking to places instead of taking the car/bus; taking the stairs instead of the lift; carrying your shopping bags in from the car; anything that's going to get you moving. Using cardio machines while watching TV might help in distracting yourself from the fact that you're exercising, because you're focused on the TV. Try different ways of being active until you find something that works for you.
  • levitateme
    levitateme Posts: 999 Member
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    I really enjoy exercise now but I used to hate it. I'm pretty sure that my opinion changed partially because I am more physically fit than I was when I started and partially because I found something I enjoy doing. I used to do 30 mins of cardio 4x a week and hated it. Then it got easier to do as I lost weight and I grew to tolerate it. I started lifting in March and really love it. I still do some cardio, but only as a brief warmup to lifting and one or 2 short workouts a week on days I don't lift.

    If you don't like exercise, maybe you just haven't found one that you like to do yet.
  • SpeedGibson
    SpeedGibson Posts: 17 Member
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    One more suggestion: get a FitBit. I wear a FitBit Zip on my belt 24/7 minus sleep, uploads to my PC via Bluetooth, and you can set it to update your MyFitnessPal account automatically as well. Move enough, and MFP will grant you extra budget calories. Even if you don't exercise formally, you might find it interesting what your baseline activity is like. Neat thing is that FitBit gives you credit for everything you do, like parking at the edge of parking lots. FitBit is the only exercise tracking I do and it's automatic.
  • PennyVonDread
    PennyVonDread Posts: 432 Member
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    Nobody loves exercise. We do it for the benefits. It's part of being an adult, doing things we'd rather not.

    That said, I am never sorry after a work out. But I am almost never pumped to go beforehand. It's always the reward afterward that makes me glad I did it.


    Nobody loves exercise?
    Speak for yourself. Exercise can be fun. Go-go dancing, aerial arts, parkour, moshing, and kayaking are all exercise and I love doing all of those things.

    I think the key is to find activity you actually enjoy. Some people aren't gym rats or cardio bunnies and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. If you don't like the gym, don't go. No one is obligated to just because it's a common method.

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