I feel like I have zero time to exercise, also I frickin hate it

gallicinvasion
gallicinvasion Posts: 1,015 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Walking outside is wonderful, but I just can't fathom purposeful exercise. I think my attitude is mostly coming from being exhausted after work, and wanting to save my evenings and weekends for fun activities (alone or with friends).

I guess I should think of ways to work activity into my regular day, but I'm so reluctant to start. Do you guys have success adding in physical activity to your day, besides going to the gym?
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Replies

  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
    edited August 2018
    If you like walking...start walking. Could you start with a 20-minute walk once per day? I'm a huge podcast fan so I go for walks and listen to podcasts, but music and audiobooks are good too.

    ETA: I love purposeful exercise but I'm really bad at incorporating activity into my day. The bulk of my non-exercise activity comes from one or two outdoor walks each day (usually with my dog, but sometimes without).
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    I enjoy biking and running, so those are the things I make time for. There are lots of "purposeful exercises" that don't involve going to the gym.

    Also, if you hate it, you probably don't *have* to do it. What are you trying to accomplish with it? Maybe there's an alternative?
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    you don't need to exercise to lose weight but it is good for fitness.
    walking is exercise.
    you might be able to find things you like to do. latin dancing, hiking, hula hooping, yoga, climbing trees.

    i like to run, or hike with my dogs. and to fly thru the air with barely a care. it feels like exercise but it feels enjoyable too
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 5,161 Member
    For me walking outside is exercise. When I started on mfp in 2015 the only exercise I did was walking with my dog. I eventually added in yoga and after I lost my weight I started running, but I have never gone to a gym and the only time I have ever run on a treadmill was at the running store when I had my gait analyzed to get fitted for running shoes. If you enjoy walking then do that.
  • swimmchick87
    swimmchick87 Posts: 458 Member
    edited August 2018
    I have never found an exercise that I think is "fun." However, I do like being fit and feel that I look a lot better with exercise than I do just losing weight through food. I also do find it to be stress relieving at times, and like the sense of accomplishment it gives me. That said, I stick to only 30 minutes 5 days per week. As I get more fit, I plan to up the intensity, but not the time. At one point, I was very fit but I was spending 1.5-2 hours in the gym every day and I hated it. I dreaded going, I was slogging through the workout, it felt like it was taking up all of my free time, and all I felt when I was done was tired and sore. Eventually I quit going all together.

    Now I work out at home with videos. If you're just starting out, you might even start with 15-20 minutes 3 days per week. Anything is better than sitting on your couch. Also make sure you're starting with very beginner stuff and don't push yourself too hard. If you're super sore all of the time, you're not going to want to stick with it. I'm doing a different program now, but when I started working out again this summer I started with Chris Powell's "The Workout." It's free on youtube. Start with level 1. It's only 15 minutes and he's really motivating.
  • lizmcvey
    lizmcvey Posts: 64 Member
    I really believe that long term success surrounds the ability to make dietary and exercise changes that are sustainable. It's exactly how I've kept a majority of my weight off for almost 5 years. (I say almost because I fluctuate within a 10ish pound range). You must find exercise that you enjoy. For me at the beginning, it was Zumba on my Wii. I did it almost everyday. It could do it in my living room, anytime of day that worked, it had all of the flexibility I needed. Now, I've become a pretty serious runner and I run a lot and do Orange Theory and other strength training to make me a better runner. Every now and then I do some Zumba too because it its fun. Exercise isn't one size fits all. You can find all kinds of programs that say they are the best but the best exercise is the exercise you will do.
  • HoneyBadger302
    HoneyBadger302 Posts: 2,069 Member
    Like others said, exercise isn't needed for losing weight, but since your post is focusing on working out, here are my thoughts:

    I sit at a desk all day, but I'm still tired when I get home. By the time I finally get out of work, make the commute home, cook dinner - all I want to do is veg.

    So, I get up to workout before work.

    Working out doesn't need to be going to the gym, and even at the gym, there are a LOT of things to try. Lots of different classes from Zumba to Boot camp style workouts, cardio for those who enjoy it, weight lifting, cross fit - there are a LOT of options.

    Getting up before work can seem nearly impossible if you expect yourself to just jump out of bed 2 hours earlier than you're used to.

    Instead, set your alarm 15 minutes earlier, and spend that 15 minutes just taking a walk around the block, or doing a dance video, or some body weight exercises. Then, after a week or two of that, move it back another 15 minutes. Rinse and repeat. In the meantime, try a few different things. I thought I would HATE Zumba when I first heard about it - guess what? Despite the fact that I look like an idiot, I LOVE it and find it very enjoyable! If you're not familiar with lifting weights, set up a session with a trainer to get familiarized. Maybe a martial art? Dance classes? A sport of some kind?

    I know I HATE steady state cardio. Running, jogging, elliptical, bicycle (unless it's a nice, scenic, mostly flat trail) - if that was the only exercise available, well, I'll pass, thanks.
  • aokoye
    aokoye Posts: 3,495 Member
    jjpptt2 wrote: »
    emmies_123 wrote: »
    I don't consider exercising itself a "Force of nature," I was referring more to the quote of "who have kids, work a full day, do household chores, etc ". Those are forces of nature as they can get everything done and have a nice happy little household, and judge the rest of us for not being as active/busy/productive as they are.

    It took me forever to change my mindset. When I first started exercising I did a stationary bike because I could do my hobby at the same time (watch a show or play a video game), anything else felt like I was robbing myself of something that let my brain relax after work. It wasn't until my brain switched from "I'm trying to lose a little weight" to "I want to get fit" that I could really commit to exercise, and even now I only do 30 mins a day because any more and I would lose out on "fun time."

    I wish i was blessed with naturally enjoying physical activity. I wish I was blessed with no sweet tooth, or a natural love of fruit/veg. But some of us have a little more of an uphill struggle.

    Ok, maybe this is my own sensitivities coming out, but I have a real problem with that. EVERYONE'S path has hills and valleys. Everyone. Period. Some things that are very easy to you are very hard for me. And vise versa. That doesn't mean that either one of our "hills" are steeper than anyone else's. They are just different hills. You yell about being judged, yet here you are judging others for having easier paths in life. You have no idea what other people are dealing with.

    I think what's actually going on, or part of what is going on, is that there is an assumption from emmies that some people, don't have struggles or, at the very least, don't share similar struggles. I think it's actually an easy assumption to make, especially when some of us are told, "well suck it up because at least you aren't dealing with xyz stresser" I wouldn't call what emmies is doing judging, but I don't think that it's necessarily helpful either. Either way I do think it's pretty understandable.

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