I hate exercise - help

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  • leilaphoenix
    leilaphoenix Posts: 839 Member
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    @backinthenines

    Hmmm....

    There is no way I'm every going to find running intellectually stimulating and there are plenty of things I would rather be doing. I'm sure this is the case for most people. This doesn't stop determined people succeeding.
  • mblanch
    mblanch Posts: 81 Member
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    You're not the only one that feels this way I hate exercise too! I tried running last year and hated it. Thought I would enjoy it once I got going but really didn't and I had signed myself up for a 10k race and had to do it :(

    Have you got a wii or xbox? It may be good for you to investigate some of the fitness games out there. I've got my fitness coachy (dance workout) for the wii and I actually really enjoy it. It's boxing mixed in with latin. And the great thing is that it tells you how many calories you've burned which makes it easier for logging on here.

    The programme it puts you on starts out slow (only burning 50 cals) but soon picks up (im on 350 cals a session) and it only takes about 30 - 40 mins :)
  • girlinahat
    girlinahat Posts: 2,956 Member
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    well, since you hate things labelled 'exercise' how about hunting for things that secretly make you exercise? You say you get the bus to work - well, on dry days get off a few stops earlier and walk the rest.

    use the stairs not the lift, go to shops further away and walk there, do the housework (I know, I know), rather than pick up the phone to talk to colleagues, go find them and talk face to face.

    I definitely find that if I am exercising towards something - like walking into town for an evening out, then I don't get bored of it.
  • kayelkay
    kayelkay Posts: 40
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    I suggest investing in a wii and getting games like "just dance". I can play that game for hours without realizing how sweaty/tired I am. It's so much fun!
  • leilaphoenix
    leilaphoenix Posts: 839 Member
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    Well people I'm going to my first Zumba class tonight after all this. AND I'm going to cycle (in the rain) to get to the class.

    HAPPY!!!!??!?!?!?

    :P
  • Louiselesley
    Louiselesley Posts: 166 Member
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    I have a suggestion and that is simply music or a film!

    I always put my headphones in for whatever exercise I'm doing and it really helps!
  • oysterboy
    oysterboy Posts: 31 Member
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    Cycling is great. Get yourself out on a nice long bike ride on your day off. Local councils are really keen to encourage it and mine sent me some free maps of local cycle paths. Also if you're in the UK check out betterbybike. It's great for finding the best cycle route to somewhere. I've been cycling at least 80 miles a week for the last 5 months and my legs look great. Just the tummy left to fix.... :huh:
  • jessicamichalski
    jessicamichalski Posts: 45
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    I totally agree with you! I hate the word exercise which is why I could never commit to anything before now. I joined my local YMCA and they all sorts of classes you can try. I tried kickboxing and afterwards, I was so sore for a week I never went back. So I recently tried Zumba and fell in love and want to keep doing it!! You have to find something you love for you to want to do it and keep doing it! I also hate running, so instead, I use the elliptical! You really just have to find something you like, even if it means trying things you think you wouldn't like. That's my advice... :) GOOD LUCK!!
  • Marjorielk
    Marjorielk Posts: 202 Member
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    me too but the Leslie Sansome exercise DVD's are easy to do.. she has 3 that I like, 1 mile,2 mile, 3 mile.
    actually called 'walk away the pounds'. you can get them on amazon for about $22.00. I have the VHS tapes but just ordered the DVDs for my daughter.I think I'll uprade to the DVDs myself soon.
  • Ally_Clare
    Ally_Clare Posts: 355 Member
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    Some times you just have to do it.

    Think of how great it will at the end when you are fit and healthy, hopefully this is the motivation you need to get started. Good luck
  • backinthenines
    backinthenines Posts: 1,083 Member
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    Well people I'm going to my first Zumba class tonight after all this. AND I'm going to cycle (in the rain) to get to the class.

    HAPPY!!!!??!?!?!?

    :P

    As long as you come back and tell us you feel better for it. :wink: :flowerforyou:
  • chickybabe05
    chickybabe05 Posts: 48
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    Maybe you need to look at something a little out of the box? Dancing, of any sort could work. I personally love Zumba, was hard at first but you get the hang of it eventually and it is enjoyable. Some ladies i know do pole dancing, its good exercise lots of fun and could be useful too lol all i can suggest is try a few different things til you find what works for you!!
  • CasperO
    CasperO Posts: 2,913 Member
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    You have a bike. Do you like to bike? I love to bike, so I bike a lot. If you can find a nice 10 or 12 mile loop that you can bike in about an hour, and you do that every day,,, you will have fun and cardio up and it's just great. And you will burn up beaucoup calories and drop serious tonnage.

    For me biking doesn't feel like exercise, it feels like playing, and I love it. It's almost time,,, :-)
  • ingeborgv
    ingeborgv Posts: 175 Member
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    I used to be just like you. I "hated running". I "was too weak for push-ups". I would plan on going to the gym, but something "important" came up.

    Then I started seeing working out as part of the job of being me. I figured out that I should be able to run 30 min without stopping - after all, I hadn't yet turned 30 (I'm turning 32 in just over a week now, this was a couple of years ago). I started to find running fun and - you will never believe it - intellectually challenging. Because I made my own fitness level into a project.

    A year ago, I hired a personal trainer. And what do you know, litle old "weak" me turns out to be the strongest girl she has ever trained. I just hadn't pushed myself enough to understand I enjoyed the challenge. Now, we do monthly tests for something - I've had a 10k running project, weight lifting projects, interval training projects. And it works - I can now run a 10k in 50 minutes and do 40 push-ups.

    You can do it if you decide to. And you will certainly have a better time of it if you find something you enjoy to do. But for me, the mindset part was the trick - hitting the gym 4 times a week is part of the job of being me. No options. No excuses. It works.
  • micklepickle61
    micklepickle61 Posts: 73
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    I think a goal and accountability are important.

    I set a goal to run a half marathon and then set about preparing and training for it. In the meantime, I told everyone that I was going to run a half marathon. Often when the weather was bad, or I didn't feel like going for a run, I would think about having to go back and tell everyone that I did not run the race, I had quit. I hate the idea of quitting. So, I put on my shoes and went for a run. 5 years later, I'm training for my first marathon, and I've told everyone (including you).

    Your goal doesn't have to be running related. It could be to ride a stationary bike for a certain amount of time without stopping, or to complete the P90X workout series. It could be to complete a session of Zumba. I set some big goals because I knew that I wouldn't be able to slack off and the great feeling once I finished would be its own reward.

    Mike
  • petey49
    petey49 Posts: 58 Member
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    Don't think of it as exercise. Think of it as extra food or treats to eat. If I want an ice cream, I know that 30 minutes of vigorous movement will allow me to eat it without guilt. I only have so many calories in the daily budget, so if I want to go over I have to earn them. Sort of like real life, if you want to stay out of debt.
  • CatseyeHardcast
    CatseyeHardcast Posts: 224 Member
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    Another good idea is walking. I know it can be boring at times so perhaps download some audio books and listen to them as you walk. Before you know it you are walking further, losing weight and have "read" all those classics you should have but never got round to.

    *Stephen Fry did this and managed to lose a considerable amount of weight*
  • derbygirl90
    derbygirl90 Posts: 38
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    I think forst and foremost you need to change your attitude about exercizing.
  • kjc7
    kjc7 Posts: 14
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    leilaphoenix,

    If you don't like exercise, don't do it. Instead find an activity that is fun! Whether that is dancing, competitive shopping, hiking, taking a dog for a walk or playing Red Rover. I'll bet when you were a kid you loved to be outside playing tag or running around with friends in some way. Exercise should not be drudgery. It should be fun. Find some way to move around while having fun. But most importantly, move around.

    Good luck.
  • SaraTonin
    SaraTonin Posts: 551 Member
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    I know how you feel. I HATE HATE HATE running, and with the weather below freezing for a good section of the winter here (7th coldest city in the United States), it's even dangerous due to ice and snow. Plus it's cold and windy and depressing.

    I recently started jumping rope and I LOVE it because not only do I not have to run, but it burns nearly 150 calories in just ten minutes. Pretty amazing! You can search Youtube for videos of different exercises to do too.

    Thought I'd share another idea that requires even less travel. No outside for me!

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