Do you Love to exercise or did you Learn to love exercise?

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HappyKat5
HappyKat5 Posts: 369 Member
edited March 2018 in Fitness and Exercise
This week has been a little tough for me because I couldn't exercise for a week due to a minor surgery. On day 2, I admit I was thinking about going against the doctor's orders and just taking a "chance" but I decided that if I got hurt then my down time would be longer. It got me thinking how much I really honestly love exercise. I know some people hate it and only do it to help with weight loss, but I actually enjoy it so much. I was wondering how many people would do it regardless of their situation or how many people loathe it and wish they didn't have to...
Just curious :)
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Replies

  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Considering how many self-inflicted injuries I've caused because I should have stopped or at least slowed down - have done it and would do it - but because of body transformation being stronger, able to do more, rarely weight loss.
  • bbell1985
    bbell1985 Posts: 4,572 Member
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    I didn't always love it. And I didn't LEARN to love it either. I just didn't realize what was out there. After I found powerlifting ,it was game over. Now I'm almost addicted to it.
  • musicfan68
    musicfan68 Posts: 1,136 Member
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    I love weight lifting. I'm physically disabled so upper body lifting is what I can do and I love it. I had to quit the gym last year because I didn't have time to drive 20 miles one way to the gym every other day, but I will be starting another job in another town with a gym, and I'm looking forward to getting back into it again.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
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    I hurt my lower back, and I'm having to rest a lot more than I like. Doctor says full recovery but I'm having to miss my spring classics, when I should be enjoying scenic 50 mile bike rides. :disappointed:
  • bbell1985
    bbell1985 Posts: 4,572 Member
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    I also dealt with a few injuries this year. I couldn't squat or deadlift for 7 months. I was crushed and really stubborn about adapting my training. I finally had to give in and do bodybuilding style training. Soon enough I did learn to love that, not in the same way as powerlifting, but I saw the benefits. I looked a lot better too lol.
  • Ready2befithealthy
    Ready2befithealthy Posts: 303 Member
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    I used to hate it in the beginning. It was something I had to do. Now I love it. I consider it my sane time. It's my therapy, it makes me feel good, I look forward to it and I always am proud of myself for doing it. Love those endorphins!
  • plythacur
    plythacur Posts: 32 Member
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    I thought I hated exercise until I tried enough types to find the things that I really like doing. Running, cycling, and most classes bored me out of my mind, but I love rowing and weight lifting. If you keep trying new things instead of latching on to one exercise you think you should do, eventually something clicks, it stops being a chore, and you start to really enjoy it.
  • canadianlbs
    canadianlbs Posts: 5,199 Member
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    it's one of those things i really like when i'm doing it, but when i don't do it for a long period it passes out of my mind. i've been an on-off bike commuter forever, mostly because i'm so lazy about looking for a new contract whenever the one i'm on ends. now waiting for tendinopathy to resolve itself, so not doing much/any of eiter thing.

    transition phases are a bit of a thing for a while. but tell the truth, i like both modes. there's other stuff i like doing when i'm not in the gym/ on my bike all the time, and stuff i enjoy thinking about when i'm not constantly ruminating about the next goal.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,988 Member
    edited March 2018
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    Don't love it and don't hate it but don't like it either.

    I just do it because it's necessary, like other things that I have to do even though I don't want to.

    It would be SO easy to just stop lifting and rowing, which currently are my main forms of exercise, but I know that if I stop that I will just get out of shape again and will have wasted all the time and effort that I devoted to losing and maintaining my weight over the past 2 years.

    It would also probably cause my cholesterol levels to rise to unhealthy levels again.

    At 67, I also know if I stop exercising that It will just make it that much more likely that I'll lose my mobility when I get even older and be forced to use a walker or wheelchair to get around.

    Fk that!

    So, I just force myself to do it, even though I don't like doing it because I know it's better for me to do it thsn not.
  • Rose18l
    Rose18l Posts: 147 Member
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    I don't love exercising but love the results it gets me. At the gym between 5-7 times a week.
  • rainbow198
    rainbow198 Posts: 2,245 Member
    edited March 2018
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    Once I found activities and workouts I didn't mind doing it made me want to keep going.

    As I kept going and got fitter and fitter, I found other things I liked which eventually made me fall in love with fitness.

    For the past few years I've been fitting in workouts and activities in as part of my daily routine and look forward to it.
  • lporter229
    lporter229 Posts: 4,907 Member
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    Over the years, exercise, or general physical activity, has become somewhat of an addiction for sure. I am not really sure what fuels it exactly, only that I am miserable when I am unable to exercise.

    Several years ago we rented a vacation home on the beach with 4 other families. After the first day, it became clear to me that the plan for the week was to sit on the beach and drink beer or sleep all day. It drove me nuts that nobody wanted to do anything that involved physical activity. So I rented a bicycle and explored the area. I ran on the beach in the mornings and took a sunrise yoga class. Everyone was asking why would you exercise when you are on vacation? My thoughts are "Why wouldn't you?". Since then, I make sure that all of my vacations revolve around exercise: hiking, biking, kayaking, repelling, paddle boarding, trail running. I love ending the day with a well earned night cap after spending all of my energy exploring nature and trying new things. I think I am somewhat addicted to the feeling of physical fatigue, if that makes sense.
  • fb47
    fb47 Posts: 1,058 Member
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    I learned to love it. Initially when I began lifting, it was more of a chore to go to the gym, but I wanted to change the way I looked so badly, that I didn't care if I enjoyed it or not, as long as I got it done. Nowadays, I just love it.
  • 2baninja
    2baninja Posts: 511 Member
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    When I haven't exercised in a while it's always a chore to do it, it's very hard to get in the groove, I wouldn't say I hate it, it's just something I should be doing. Years ago, when I was working out regularly, I loved it, a little too much, I would blow off meeting friends or family to work out instead... I miss that, hopefully that feeling will be back soon.
  • TheFlyOnTheWall
    TheFlyOnTheWall Posts: 61 Member
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    I don't love it or hate it either, as someone else posted - I do it out of necessity. Initially I did it (walking 5 miles/day) so I could eat what I wanted and not gain weight, because for a long time I didn't care that I was fat, I just didn't want to get fatter. And it worked, and I was happy.

    But now I'm getting older, BP is rising, and cholesterol too - so it's time to lose weight rather than try not to gain it.

    I just wish I could experience the endorphin rush - that might make me like to exercise more - I've never experienced it, and I guess some just don't.

  • saragd012
    saragd012 Posts: 693 Member
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    I fell in love with the feeling I get AFTER a workout, I still wouldn't say that I love working out, or at least I don't love it as much as I love my bed. Finding workouts I can actually enjoy has helped tremendously (not running, I'll never like running), and keeping up the habit reminds me how much I enjoy it. If I were to suddenly stop I'd have a hard time motivating myself to start again though.
  • quebot
    quebot Posts: 99 Member
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    I don't love it. I love riding my bike and swimming, but that's about it. I can't do those things every day, so I force myself to do other things. I'm not the type of person who gets a runner's high or anything like that. I'm always very proud of myself when I work out though, because I'm doing something that's good for me even when it's just a nice long walk.
  • cyndit1
    cyndit1 Posts: 170 Member
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    Never exercised as a young person...didn't not like it just didn't do anything physical. Started running (very slowly) to help my son out about 10 years ago and got seriously addicted to it. Now I run, spin and lift regularly and can't imagine a life without being active.

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