how to not hate exercise?
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First of all: it takes week, or months to rectify a vitamin D deficiency. If the pills you were prescribed were too low dose then they don't do anything to start with.
Get printouts of all your blood tests with reference ranges. Look through them. Is there anything that is just about within range? If so look up whether this could be the reason for you feeling so tired. I was feeling miserable and low on energy for years. In my case it was my thyroid acting up, being vitamin D and B12 deficient and low in ferritin. Fixing all those got me my life back one by one.
Other than that: find other things you might like. Look at unusual things, like climbing, parkour, swimming in a lake, something similar to pokemon go, whatever. It doesn't have to be a ball sport, it doesn't have to be running (and yes, you run too fast!), or anything else you listed. There's so much more.2 -
I like to do videos at home. Something with good music to take my mind off the "hard work" part of it and make it seem more fun. Working out at home makes prep time super quick. I just put my hair up and workout in my underwear.1
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Moderate exercise is often what I see quoted. From the NIH, "The Guidelines recommend that adults should do a minimum of 2 hours and 30 minutes, or 30 minutes 5 days a week, of moderate-intensity aerobic activity a week." Every minute of intense cardio counts for 2 minutes of moderate.
I wonder if rollerblading might be interesting for you. It might involve having to travel to a place that is more amenable to that (so possibly to NYC), but if you're able to find rental rollerblades it's worth a try. Race walking would also be worth a try, though it is/can be very strenuous from everything I've seen. It's worth a try though and if you don't like it you don't have to keep doing it. If that doesn't work, I'd probably just stick to very long walks for now (given that you're able to do them without much trouble).
Do you know what counts as "moderate"? Rollerblading looks fun but not sure if I have the coordination for it. I have never successfully ice skated, skateboarded, or snowboarded. I racewalked on the track team and was pretty good at it but it is very hard on the joints since it's an unnatural way of movement and I got injured several times.I am sorry but all I hear is excuses. If you don’t want to exercise don’t but don’r ask for ideas when you shoot every one of them down. I cannot imagine hating every type of exercise. But since you asked here is my honest answer, quit complaining and making excuses and just go do it. Cardio of some form for heart health and strength training to help you be stronger and more functionally fit. Don’t like to sweat, than walk, swim. Just do something for even 20 minutes a day.
What is this continuing fiction that I am shooting all the ideas down? I already stated multiple times that there were several suggestions I will look into. Just because I don't take every single suggestion does not mean I am "shooting all the ideas down." Not every suggestion works for my life.I can relate to a lot of aspects of this. I started going to Zumba a few months ago. I went to a few gym classes just to see if anything stuck. I'm absolutely terrible at it, but the instructor makes me laugh and I just generally enjoy how she teaches. It's not necessarily the class, but the energy of the people in it that makes me keep going back. Maybe look for that. I generally hate exercising and am not at all self motivated, but I love this.
Zumba does look like it's meant to be fun and the type of music played is energizing.HeliumIsNoble wrote: »Nah, it's moderate exercise.
If that wasn't enough, remember that consistent moderate exercise every week beats all the sessions of vigorous exercise that you didn't do because you didn't have the energy for them.
That is true.
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laurenq1991 wrote: »Moderate exercise is often what I see quoted. From the NIH, "The Guidelines recommend that adults should do a minimum of 2 hours and 30 minutes, or 30 minutes 5 days a week, of moderate-intensity aerobic activity a week." Every minute of intense cardio counts for 2 minutes of moderate.
I wonder if rollerblading might be interesting for you. It might involve having to travel to a place that is more amenable to that (so possibly to NYC), but if you're able to find rental rollerblades it's worth a try. Race walking would also be worth a try, though it is/can be very strenuous from everything I've seen. It's worth a try though and if you don't like it you don't have to keep doing it. If that doesn't work, I'd probably just stick to very long walks for now (given that you're able to do them without much trouble).
Do you know what counts as "moderate"? Rollerblading looks fun but not sure if I have the coordination for it. I have never successfully ice skated, skateboarded, or snowboarded. I racewalked on the track team and was pretty good at it but it is very hard on the joints since it's an unnatural way of movement and I got injured several times.
Things like walking briskly and biking at ~10 mph count as moderate exercise. There's a very incomplete list here. Is there a roller skating rink near you? That would probably be a good place to try out inline skating (and roller skating) - I just checked my local roller skating rink and they do rent rollerblades.
For what it's worth, I can't skateboard and have never tried snowboarding, but I can ice skate (I took lessons as a child) and rollerblade.0 -
Things like walking briskly and biking at ~10 mph count as moderate exercise. There's a very incomplete list here. Is there a roller skating rink near you? That would probably be a good place to try out inline skating (and roller skating) - I just checked my local roller skating rink and they do rent rollerblades.
For what it's worth, I can't skateboard and have never tried snowboarding, but I can ice skate (I took lessons as a child) and rollerblade.
There is one but it's some distance away and would be difficult to get to regularly without a car.
BTW I still feel really sore and exhausted two days after working out....
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laurenq1991 wrote: »Things like walking briskly and biking at ~10 mph count as moderate exercise. There's a very incomplete list here. Is there a roller skating rink near you? That would probably be a good place to try out inline skating (and roller skating) - I just checked my local roller skating rink and they do rent rollerblades.
For what it's worth, I can't skateboard and have never tried snowboarding, but I can ice skate (I took lessons as a child) and rollerblade.
There is one but it's some distance away and would be difficult to get to regularly without a car.
BTW I still feel really sore and exhausted two days after working out....
My advice would be to go slower/ramp up your activity level slower. It sounds like you biked, did weights, lunges, and attempted push ups a few days ago. You went from lots of walking to all of that which is a pretty big change. Given all of your physical issues I really would start at a snail's pace and potentially augment it with walking (which it sounds like you can do quite a lot of).
The soreness is probably DOMS which isn't much to worry about but isn't comfortable. The exhaustion could be a whole host of things but is potentially benign and related to not ramping up your exercise slowly.5 -
The workouts I have enjoyed the most were not actually started with the intention of working out. Through my life I have loved and continued Ballroom and Latin dancing and Musical Theatre. The biggest takeaway I've had from these wasn't actually the physical exercise, but the fact that doing it makes me feel graceful, beautiful and amazed at what my body can do. I also only ever did this to amateur standard so it wasn't the actual proficiency that was impressive.
If you're after something a bit left of field, how about giving burlesque a go? It's not necessary to do any performances, but the focus of that is on body confidence and feeling good about yourself which seems to be what's lacking here.2 -
Drink preworkout and you will have to get moving then it’ll become a habit without drinking preworkout haha11
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Buy a treadmill. Workout in your living whilst watching tv. 30-40 mins a day, few times a week. At least 2 times a week to start off. Plus having a quick shower won't take long. Max 30mins. No need to have a bath. Training an shower within an hour or so.
I remember on a health poster, it said inactivity increases the chance of a stroke. An hour a day or so is ideal. But doing something is better than nothing. Your heart is a muscle.
Working out an hour from your whole day is not much. You still have time to relax, go work etc.0 -
I know EXACTLY how you feel! I have eczema which makes my skin extremely itchy after sweating. I workout 6x per week and I still hate every day that I have to do it, but if you regularly make yourself work out, it will get easier. I used to do long distance running (actually stopped a couple weeks ago and started cross-training--exercise I still hate, but not as much), forcing myself to get up at 4 AM before school for 12-14 mile runs. I felt so exhausted, not to mention cranky, for the rest of the day. If you hate working out as much as I do, treat it like a task to get over with for the day, and do your best to enjoy the rest of the it.3
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Have you tried Fitness Blender's workout videos?
Pros- at home, quite low on the sweat-factor, indoors, trainers that are pleasant and down-to-earth, Low impact program or Strong (weighted, practically zero aerobic) might be a good option for you..., great community support
Cons, if you can call them cons- 10 dollars for 4 weeks of varied work-outs if you want to get the program (or you can choose from 500+ free videos, and you might actually start enjoying exercising hehe.
By the way, I'm not at all paid to talk about them. They're just amazing and may fit what you are looking for
Hope this helps, and all the best in your journey. We CAN do this 3 -
laurenq1991 wrote: »So I'm actually working out right now. I just did 20 minutes on the bike. Now I'm about to go do weights and conditioning. Here are some thoughts and observations.
*I actually am able to go a lot faster on the bike now than I was the first time I used it. Even though I didn't think I made any progress, I guess I did.
*It is still unpleasant and I am basically counting down the minutes until I'm done, but I think it's slightly less unpleasant than it was the first time. The news in the background makes it more tolerable. It's really when I do it every other day that it becomes more boring each time I do it. If I only do it a few times a month it's fine.
*I only feel motivated to work out when I feel disgusting enough about myself to do it. A recurring problem in my life is that I have no sense of internal motivation. I am only motivated by guilt, shame, and fear, and I was very successful in school for that reason. My parents, teachers, etc. never modeled internal motivation for me so I never learned how. I'm not sure how I would develop that at this time in my life.
*The only part of my body that I really hate due to being out of shape is my upper arms. I believe this is because my mom used to mock me when I was a kid for being out of shape and would particularly mock my arms (which is weird because it's not like a kid is going to go and lift weights....) I've actually hated my upper arms since the age of 9 or 10 for this reason. Even on my wedding pictures I feel grossed out by them because I just see how un-toned my upper arms look and how I should have worn a dress with long sleeves to hide them. Last summer I actually was doing weights 2 to 3 times a week and I did get some muscle tone, but it still wasn't visible unless I actually flexed my muscles (even now I still have some residual muscle tone left over from that time). I don't know if it would have become visible if I kept doing it or if I'm just one of those people where the muscle doesn't really show up that much (I know people like that who are very athletic but you wouldn't tell it by looking at them).
Okay, gonna tell you a secret: exercise works whether you like it or not. You don't have to love it, you just have to do it.
I'm a diabetic. I have to exercise every single day or my glucose levels get out of whack. There are several forms of exercise I enjoy, but sometimes I am just not feeling it. On those days I ride my exercise bike hard, I mean dripping with sweat hard, for fifteen minutes. I figure I could handle being literally set on fire for fifteen minutes, what's riding a bike?
If even fifteen minutes sounds like torture, do tabata for eight. Stationary bikes are excellent for tabata because you can increase the intensity to your own needs. A stationary bike that you own is also in your house, not outside in inclement weather, you don't even have to get dressed to use it, no excuses.
Don't build it up into some huge thing until you're dreading it. In fact, pretend you're not even going to work out that day. Give yourself permission not to work out. Then sneak up on yourself, and just start doing it. Fifteen minutes later you are done.
Now is the time to cherish every good feeling you can come up with. Gosh, I hate that stationary bike, I hate working out, it feels so good to be done.
Then do it the next day.
Re: your arms. Do ten counter push-ups in your kitchen every time you go in the kitchen. Your arms will quickly improve and you won't even notice a difference in your daily routine.
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laurenq1991 wrote: »HeliumIsNoble wrote: »I empathise with so much of your posts, OP, especially the delayed sleep phase disorder. I agree that general sleeplessness is probably making your goals seem more insurmountable. I find exercise mitigates my sleeping issues to an extent.
Some thoughts:
1) it doesn't have to be full-pelt, sweat dripping down your face levels of activity to qualify as exercise and improve your health.
2) any possibility your energy levels could be due to nutritional deficiencies? Have you already been able to discount that?
3) Perhaps the kinds of activity you've tried so far just aren't right for you. To use running as an example, some people are more comfortable running short distances very fast, and other people like to go a bit more slowly for a lot longer. Neither is superior to the other.
4) Arrange your hatreds in priority order and separate them into an Absolutely No Way list and a Can Possibly Begrudgingly Endure list. Then set up a new list called, What I Want My Form of Exercise To Have. If that doesn't give you ideas on what to try, posting your lists on MFP will get you overwhelmed with suggestions!
Thanks for all the suggestions. The sleep problems definitely mess up my whole life. I can't have any routine because of it, since I never know when I will sleep or get up or how many hours I will sleep. My whole life would be different if I didn't have insomnia. Last night I couldn't sleep until 7 am. I got up at noon, the original goal was 9:30 but I knew I would be too tired to get anything done with under three hours sleep. I was also too tired to work out today since I had more important things to preserve my energy for, like work and cooking. It messes up my concentration and cognitive functioning too.
I thought "vigorous exercise" is what the expert recommendations call for. That's why I want to do exercise besides walking.
Just noticed this in the context that you are an app developer. I'm a developer myself and wondered if your screen time is contributing to your sleep issues. I have started using a blue light filter in the hours before bed and it made a big difference in my wakefulness at night.
Re: wheelchair motivation. Considering what you are able do in the context of not being able to do it kinda does work. I know that injuring my knee and being unable to run for three months made me lastingly appreciative of running. Now when I have to get out there on a really miserable day, I remind myself that if I weren't able to run, I would wish I could.4 -
The workouts I have enjoyed the most were not actually started with the intention of working out. Through my life I have loved and continued Ballroom and Latin dancing and Musical Theatre. The biggest takeaway I've had from these wasn't actually the physical exercise, but the fact that doing it makes me feel graceful, beautiful and amazed at what my body can do. I also only ever did this to amateur standard so it wasn't the actual proficiency that was impressive.
If you're after something a bit left of field, how about giving burlesque a go? It's not necessary to do any performances, but the focus of that is on body confidence and feeling good about yourself which seems to be what's lacking here.
Dance classes are something I have been thinking about, but I'm not sure if I can find a non-expensive dance or burlesque class. Historically though when I took dance at summer camp as a kid I was terrible at it so I think it might have the opposite effect on my self-esteem.CatherineLaurel wrote: »Drink preworkout and you will have to get moving then it’ll become a habit without drinking preworkout haha
I'm sensitive to caffeine and can't even drink non-decaf coffee so that's a no from me.Working out an hour from your whole day is not much. You still have time to relax, go work etc.
We already have an exercise bike and weights. The issue is figuring out when to schedule it in due to lack of routine and not being sure what my energy level will be on any given day. Also an hour is 6% of daily waking hours, and if you take out working, chores, etc. it's a very high percentage of free time. If you don't actually like working out that is a lot.forcing myself to get up at 4 AM before school for 12-14 mile runs. I felt so exhausted, not to mention cranky, for the rest of the day.
Wait so when you treated it as a task to get over with then it ruined the whole rest of your day anyway?thattoothfairy wrote: »Have you tried Fitness Blender's workout videos?
Never heard of them but will check them out, thanks!rheddmobile wrote: »Okay, gonna tell you a secret: exercise works whether you like it or not. You don't have to love it, you just have to do it.
Unfortunately I've never seen any concrete tangible results from exercise, in terms of an improvement in my appearance, mood, overall health, etc. Even if I can bike faster or lift more weight, I still feel just as bad (or frequently, even worse than when I don't work out) so it doesn't seem to have a point. If working out was obviously tied to my health like it is in your case, it would motivate me a lot more. Never heard of tabata or counter push-ups but will check out.rheddmobile wrote: »Just noticed this in the context that you are an app developer. I'm a developer myself and wondered if your screen time is contributing to your sleep issues. I have started using a blue light filter in the hours before bed and it made a big difference in my wakefulness at night.
Re: wheelchair motivation. Considering what you are able do in the context of not being able to do it kinda does work. I know that injuring my knee and being unable to run for three months made me lastingly appreciative of running. Now when I have to get out there on a really miserable day, I remind myself that if I weren't able to run, I would wish I could.
I use blue light filters and have the lights off after 12 PM or so. I even take melatonin and it works sometimes, but not always. Also I've always had to do a lot of work on the computer and didn't have this problem until having an issue with anxiety related to sleeping almost three years ago. After the anxiety went away the sleep problems lasted.
I would definitely miss walking if I was in a wheelchair but I doubt I would miss running except in the context of being able to escape from danger more quickly. If I liked running I would be doing it already. In any case I don't think the "you are ungrateful not to do X and enjoy it because people in wheelchairs can't do it" type of argument is pointless. It's not like me not running is putting other people in wheelchairs. They will be disabled whether I run or not.
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I did not read all 7 pages worth of comments but I'll throw my 2 or 3 cents in:
I used to hate getting sweaty. I don't mind it so much now. I know sweat does not equal calorie burn or anything but when I'm doing intense crossfit stuff and dripping all over myself, it gives me a sense of accomplishment. With that said, I think the gym I go to is kept too warm... so when I'm at home, I do everything in the basement. This time of year (Pennsylvania so winter) it's almost too cold. I still get sweaty but it takes much longer and more work.
I also wear my hair wayyyy up high. I know I still sweat all over it but I hate washing my hair at night so if I must, I'll take a shower excluding washing my hair (and then follow up in the morning with a normal shower)
Sometimes I take baths instead. I have a deep jet tub and I LOVE my epsom salt baths.
So I guess I don't have any tips about what sort of workouts you can do, but there's how I got around some of my hangups. Now I come up from the basement and my kids say "Ewww you're all gross" and I respond with "DAM RIGHT I AM" Best of luck! 2 -
Loads of good advice on here but I can really relate with you so wanted to add my 2 cents worth. I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and am hypothyroid. I used to get friends telling me I just had to power through it and it would get better... They were wrong. I would get blinding headaches after a week of working out at the gym. I finally learned that I had to start really, really slowly and add minutes to my "exercise" of choice. In the end I started walking and I walk 45 minutes to an hour 6 days a week. I'm finally adding some simple weight lifting to my routine. I STILL hate getting sweaty so I try to keep myself at a level where I sweat a bit but it's not rolling off of me. Compromise right? Good luck and don't give up. Take it slow and work up to it and as time goes by it gets lots easier.7
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I've read all the comments. Loads of great advice here. Glad you're looking into some of the suggestions. Here's my two cents:
1) You mention that you're not overweight. Do you track your food to know how many calorie you're eating? Is it possible you're eating in a deficit without realizing it? If so, that could contribute to the high fatigue you feel after exercise. I would track food and exercise calories for awhile. There are tons of good threads on MFP about eating back your exercise calories and how to estimate calories burned for various activities.
2) Have you considered whether the timing of when you eat impacts your post exercise fatigue? I worked out with a trainer years ago (current couch potato) and was extremely fatigued. I tend to eat more calories later in the day, so I had to adjust my calories to eat a little more earlier in the day to have energy pre-workout. It helped a lot.
3) I've always had sleep issues, so I feel your pain here. If you're concerned about your health, my recommendation is to prioritize getting this under control over exercise. EVERYTHING is better/easier when you get adequate sleep. I know it isn't a quick fix. I believe you mentioned melatonin working sometimes. I had breast cancer a few years ago, and I was surprised at the dose my doc said was safe to take. (I won't mention my dose because I'm not a medical professional, but I would talk to doc about increasing if you've only taken low dose.) Also, I had acupuncture for something else, and it ended up improving my sleep. You mentioned that the internet is your vice. Do you have good rules about disengaging from it at a certain time each night in order to begin relaxing your mind and readying for sleep? Again, I know it isn't an easy fix, but working hard on creating and maintaing some rules about sleep has really helped me. (I suspect this will always be a struggle.)
4) If you put a may under a mini-trampoline, your neighbors may not hear it.
Good luck!3 -
1) You mention that you're not overweight. Do you track your food to know how many calorie you're eating? Is it possible you're eating in a deficit without realizing it? If so, that could contribute to the high fatigue you feel after exercise. I would track food and exercise calories for awhile. There are tons of good threads on MFP about eating back your exercise calories and how to estimate calories burned for various activities.
I've been in the same range of 10 pounds or so since I was 15 (currently 27) and have been having this problem for as long as I have been working out.2) Have you considered whether the timing of when you eat impacts your post exercise fatigue? I worked out with a trainer years ago (current couch potato) and was extremely fatigued. I tend to eat more calories later in the day, so I had to adjust my calories to eat a little more earlier in the day to have energy pre-workout. It helped a lot.
I've worked out at different times in the day, sometimes in the afternoon, sometimes in the evening, at various times of my life with different schedules, and it's always been the same issue. If I work out in the evening I generally will have eaten most of my daily calories and I usually have 800-1000 calories for my first meal.3) I've always had sleep issues, so I feel your pain here. If you're concerned about your health, my recommendation is to prioritize getting this under control over exercise. EVERYTHING is better/easier when you get adequate sleep. I know it isn't a quick fix. I believe you mentioned melatonin working sometimes. I had breast cancer a few years ago, and I was surprised at the dose my doc said was safe to take. (I won't mention my dose because I'm not a medical professional, but I would talk to doc about increasing if you've only taken low dose.) Also, I had acupuncture for something else, and it ended up improving my sleep. You mentioned that the internet is your vice. Do you have good rules about disengaging from it at a certain time each night in order to begin relaxing your mind and readying for sleep? Again, I know it isn't an easy fix, but working hard on creating and maintaing some rules about sleep has really helped me. (I suspect this will always be a struggle.)
I have prioritized it for years. I've tried everything I can think of. It's probably not going to happen. Maybe if a doctor will actually put me in a study but otherwise, I'm out of ideas. I've read about it a lot and it seems like doctors themselves don't have many ideas for how to fix insomnia and circadian rhythm disorders either. Unfortunately whenever I take melatonin it makes me exhausted the entire next day and sometimes the day after that too, and even worse, I usually end up sleeping more hours and wake up too late anyway. For that reason I try to limit taking it and only take 3-5mg. Honestly if I don't use the internet (with blue light filter) until I'm basically asleep already, my mind keeps going too much and I won't be able to sleep. But I do switch to more relaxing things like ASMR videos when it's close to sleeping time.
Even before my insomnia when I had to get up between 5 and 7 AM for work or school, I had energy problems. I would always need someone to physically get me out of bed. No matter how many hours I slept, I would be exhausted and feeling sick the entire day and taking naps whenever I could. That's why I'm pretty sure I have Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder (it's not even really a disorder though, it's just a natural variation, but it is effectively a disorder just because of how society is set up). Even though I have insomnia now, during the times when it's not so bad and I get a full night's sleep, I do wake up feeling more rested than I did back then. Without the insomnia my natural sleep cycle is going to bed between 2 and 3 AM and waking up between 10 and 11 AM.4) If you put a may under a mini-trampoline, your neighbors may not hear it.
I'm going to look up some videos of it and see how loud it is.
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Do something fun! Dance, maybe?0
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cheryldumais wrote: »Loads of good advice on here but I can really relate with you so wanted to add my 2 cents worth. I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and am hypothyroid. I used to get friends telling me I just had to power through it and it would get better... They were wrong. I would get blinding headaches after a week of working out at the gym. I finally learned that I had to start really, really slowly and add minutes to my "exercise" of choice. In the end I started walking and I walk 45 minutes to an hour 6 days a week. I'm finally adding some simple weight lifting to my routine. I STILL hate getting sweaty so I try to keep myself at a level where I sweat a bit but it's not rolling off of me. Compromise right? Good luck and don't give up. Take it slow and work up to it and as time goes by it gets lots easier.
Thanks, this is good advice. I will try adding things in slowly and not be so hard on myself if I can't work out for an hour straight like other people.1
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