Exercise makes me depressed. Anyone else this way?
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sam33a
Posts: 31 Member
I just cannot get myself to exercise. I joined the gym with the aim of going 5 days a week. However, the first week I managed to go 3 days, the second week, again I went for 3 days. The third week I went 2 days and so far this week I haven't been once. I just hate going. It's so time-consuming, it can easily eat 2.5-3 hours out of my day. Plus, the gym is a good 15-minute walk away from my house and I hate walking there and back. The whole thing is just stressful.
I know people will say to do something else instead, but that just never happens either. I have an exercise machine at home and weights, they rarely get used. I have exercise videos I can do, again, never get used. How can I learn to love exercise?
I've had to lower my calories to 1250 so that I can hopefully, still lose weight, but weight loss without exercise is terribly slow. I lose maybe 2 lbs a month if I'm lucky.
I know people will say to do something else instead, but that just never happens either. I have an exercise machine at home and weights, they rarely get used. I have exercise videos I can do, again, never get used. How can I learn to love exercise?
I've had to lower my calories to 1250 so that I can hopefully, still lose weight, but weight loss without exercise is terribly slow. I lose maybe 2 lbs a month if I'm lucky.
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Replies
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Personally not being able to exercise depresses me.
As would eating such a miniscule amount of food - you have my sympathies!
Is there no outdoor exercise you enjoy? Maybe it's the gym environment you dislike?
PS - it's not clear why you hate walking for 15 minutes or why it would take up to 3hrs out of your day. What else would you be doing with this time?7 -
It sounds like you just need to figure out which type of exercise you can get excited about.10
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Maybe do something fun instead? Join a sport or learn a martial art or sign up for a dance class or something.
I loathe exercise for exercise sake, so I play a rhythm video game that makes me dance, duck and jump. Crazy cardio.4 -
Not sure why it's taking up to 3 hours. 15 minutes there plus 15 minutes back is 30 minutes and your cardio is done. Spend 60 minutes on strength training and you are done in 90 minutes.
Do you have an MP3 player? That can make the walk and workout more interesting. I like listening to NPR when I am walking or gardening, and I have an awesome playlist for lifting weights.
Reading between the lines I think it's possible that exercise itself is not the problem, but rather depression and anxiety. Has this been an issue for which you have sought help in the past?
I have struggled with depression and anxiety and what helps me these days more than talk therapy or meds is...exercise!* I often have to force myself to start, but am always glad I did. Are you fine once you start heading towards the gym?
* I am aware that not everyone with depression benefits from exercise, but statistically speaking studies have shown it is indeed beneficial for mild-moderate depression.6 -
Personally not being able to exercise depresses me.
As would eating such a miniscule amount of food - you have my sympathies!
Is there no outdoor exercise you enjoy? Maybe it's the gym environment you dislike?
PS - it's not clear why you hate walking for 15 minutes or why it would take up to 3hrs out of your day. What else would you be doing with this time?
I dislike all forms of exercise. I wish I didn't. Maybe I'm just lazy. As for why I hate walking there. That's 30 minutes there and back in a busy area. I hate crowds of people. I work during the day and I'm also writing my dissertation in the evenings and weekends. I would much rather be studying than working out. I honestly just don't understand how people can enjoy it.10 -
I do my exercise at home because I also can't find motivation to keep going to a gym.
A side effect of that is that my house is filling up with exercise equipment.6 -
I hated to exercise too. I forced myself to do it because everyone else seems to love it, why don't I?? Now that I'm seeing results with the strength training program Ive been using, I'm enjoying working out a lot more. I still don't LOVE it like some people, and if I had to leave my house or be around other people I would never do it. You just need to find an activity you like to do.3
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Also I workout first thing in the morning. If I put it off until later in the day I would never do it.3
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kshama2001 wrote: »Not sure why it's taking up to 3 hours. 15 minutes there plus 15 minutes back is 30 minutes and your cardio is done. Spend 60 minutes on strength training and you are done in 90 minutes.
Do you have an MP3 player? That can make the walk and workout more interesting. I like listening to NPR when I am walking or gardening, and I have an awesome playlist for lifting weights.
Reading between the lines I think it's possible that exercise itself is not the problem, but rather depression and anxiety. Has this been an issue for which you have sought help in the past?
I have struggled with depression and anxiety and what helps me these days more than talk therapy or meds is...exercise!* I often have to force myself to start, but am always glad I did. Are you fine once you start heading towards the gym?
* I am aware that not everyone with depression benefits from exercise, but statistically speaking studies have shown it is indeed beneficial for mild-moderate depression.
I've been a little stressed over the last year but I think exercise makes me depressed. I know, apparently, it's meant to have the opposite effect but not in my case. I can't think of doing it long-term. I'm okay once I'm there and working out. Usually, I spend a good while exercising to make the most of my visit but then I think of all that time it's taken and regret it. I can't say I actually enjoy any of it because I don't.6 -
Personally not being able to exercise depresses me.
As would eating such a miniscule amount of food - you have my sympathies!
Is there no outdoor exercise you enjoy? Maybe it's the gym environment you dislike?
PS - it's not clear why you hate walking for 15 minutes or why it would take up to 3hrs out of your day. What else would you be doing with this time?
I dislike all forms of exercise. I wish I didn't. Maybe I'm just lazy. As for why I hate walking there. That's 30 minutes there and back in a busy area. I hate crowds of people. I work during the day and I'm also writing my dissertation in the evenings and weekends. I would much rather be studying than working out. I honestly just don't understand how people can enjoy it.
If you truly can't find anything in the massively wide scope of exercise/sport/physical activity you can enjoy then maybe just think of it as an investment of time for a reward of improved health and fitness.
A bit like investing in your further education / degree is an investment in your future career?
Not seeing how a gym workout and 30 mins of walking adds up to 3hrs though.
If you don't like being amongst people then maybe getting out and about in the countryside would appeal more?4 -
It is a common misconception that exercise has to be running or weight lifiting or in some other way a big deal. In reality, anything that you do above and beyond your normal routine is exercise. If the gym is too daunting a task (or you just plain hate it), are their little things you can add into your routine? Walking one bus stop farther? Taking the stairs in your school/office/apartment? A social group for an activity you like? A park you could walk to and study? A series of YouTube dance videos with your favorite music?
It’s ok if the gym isn’t for you, but there are lots of ways to incorporate being active into your day. And if you are feeling depressed, demotivsted, or stressed out, a lot of schools (in the US) have counseling centers that are free for students (even grad students, assuming that your dissertation isnpart of grad studies) as part of the student health department. It helped me out a lot when I was in school.7 -
I hated to exercise too. I forced myself to do it because everyone else seems to love it, why don't I?? Now that I'm seeing results with the strength training program Ive been using, I'm enjoying working out a lot more. I still don't LOVE it like some people, and if I had to leave my house or be around other people I would never do it. You just need to find an activity you like to do.
That's what I was hoping. That even if I don't love it, I'll still do it because of the results. However, I don't stick with it long enough to see any. Maybe I should try a class. I've never been to one before because I'm not as fit as I would like to be and would hate to be the only one not able to keep up.2 -
I hated to exercise too. I forced myself to do it because everyone else seems to love it, why don't I?? Now that I'm seeing results with the strength training program Ive been using, I'm enjoying working out a lot more. I still don't LOVE it like some people, and if I had to leave my house or be around other people I would never do it. You just need to find an activity you like to do.
That's what I was hoping. That even if I don't love it, I'll still do it because of the results. However, I don't stick with it long enough to see any. Maybe I should try a class. I've never been to one before because I'm not as fit as I would like to be and would hate to be the only one not able to keep up.
Group fitness is great. I have never been a self motivator. Even now, despite being almost a year into my exercise, I still have trouble motivating if it is just me by myself exercising (I've gotten better, but still struggle). But in a group fitness environment is where I excel. All I feel like I need to do is show up. Once I do that, the motivation gets taken care of fore me.
Don't worry about not being able to keep up. Nobody keeps up at first. If everyone could, there'd be no point to the class. You'll get better.
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everyone is different and I really dont think exercise helps that much with my weight loss and I love exercise, biking hiking, zumba with the gals. I went to the gym for a year and never lose a pound. I got my eating right and lost 30 lbs. I have a friend at church who went to all kinds of active things with her grandchldren, active stuff and had to force herself. She had rather be studying something. I wished I liked to study but accept myself, I am more the active type.1
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kshama2001 wrote: »Not sure why it's taking up to 3 hours. 15 minutes there plus 15 minutes back is 30 minutes and your cardio is done. Spend 60 minutes on strength training and you are done in 90 minutes.
Do you have an MP3 player? That can make the walk and workout more interesting. I like listening to NPR when I am walking or gardening, and I have an awesome playlist for lifting weights.
Reading between the lines I think it's possible that exercise itself is not the problem, but rather depression and anxiety. Has this been an issue for which you have sought help in the past?
I have struggled with depression and anxiety and what helps me these days more than talk therapy or meds is...exercise!* I often have to force myself to start, but am always glad I did. Are you fine once you start heading towards the gym?
* I am aware that not everyone with depression benefits from exercise, but statistically speaking studies have shown it is indeed beneficial for mild-moderate depression.
I've been a little stressed over the last year but I think exercise makes me depressed. I know, apparently, it's meant to have the opposite effect but not in my case. I can't think of doing it long-term. I'm okay once I'm there and working out. Usually, I spend a good while exercising to make the most of my visit but then I think of all that time it's taken and regret it. I can't say I actually enjoy any of it because I don't.
Try shortening the time so you don't resent it as much
Are there any audio books related to your dissertation you could listen to while you are walking/working out? Or something to make the time feel more productive? Or podcasts you like to simply make it more enjoyable?
I too don't like crowds so when I had a gym membership timed my visits to be off peak times. Yes, it was harder forcing myself out of the house later at night, but I was glad for the almost empty gym. As my schedule has changed, I've also gone first thing in the AM and at lunch, but never peak times. I moved and don't like any of the gyms near my new place so now work out at home, which does take more discipline.3 -
brenn24179 wrote: »everyone is different and I really dont think exercise helps that much with my weight loss and I love exercise, biking hiking, zumba with the gals. I went to the gym for a year and never lose a pound. I got my eating right and lost 30 lbs. I have a friend at church who went to all kinds of active things with her grandchldren, active stuff and had to force herself. She had rather be studying something. I wished I liked to study but accept myself, I am more the active type.
I lost almost 60 lbs a few years ago just by sorting my diet out. Ate 1200 calories for 1.5 years, got down to 107 lbs and kept it off for a couple of years. I then gained 35 back. Very quickly. Within a matter of a few months. I just got tired of eating such a low amount and the weight shot back up. I'd love to exercise so I don't have to limit the calories as drastically this time around.2 -
Maybe you like
moving but not exercise which is kinda boring unless you don’t feel like your exercising. You could try something like putting music on at home and see if it helps. Dancing seems to come pretty easily if the music is great. And a great song can get you motivated while exercising.0 -
I just cannot get myself to exercise. I joined the gym with the aim of going 5 days a week. However, the first week I managed to go 3 days, the second week, again I went for 3 days. The third week I went 2 days and so far this week I haven't been once. I just hate going. It's so time-consuming, it can easily eat 2.5-3 hours out of my day. Plus, the gym is a good 15-minute walk away from my house and I hate walking there and back. The whole thing is just stressful.
I know people will say to do something else instead, but that just never happens either. I have an exercise machine at home and weights, they rarely get used. I have exercise videos I can do, again, never get used. How can I learn to love exercise?
I've had to lower my calories to 1250 so that I can hopefully, still lose weight, but weight loss without exercise is terribly slow. I lose maybe 2 lbs a month if I'm lucky.
What the hell are you doing that the gym takes 2.5-3 hours out of your day. A 15 minute there and back is 30 minutes. Another 30-60 exercising...
At any rate, you don't need a gym or exercise equipment or DVDs or whatever. My primary exercise is riding my bike...I also do a little hiking, some rock climbing here and there, and I spend a lot of time playing with my kids in the pool. I don't really do exercise for the sake of exercise...most of my exercise is what most people would consider recreational activity. I'm not real big on the gym at the moment, but even when I was hitting the weight room, it was 3x per week...zero reason for me to get to the gym more than that.
To me, it sounds like you're trying to do too much too soon. You don't have to exercise for hours on end and you don't have to spend 5x per week in the gym.6 -
Personally not being able to exercise depresses me.
As would eating such a miniscule amount of food - you have my sympathies!
Is there no outdoor exercise you enjoy? Maybe it's the gym environment you dislike?
PS - it's not clear why you hate walking for 15 minutes or why it would take up to 3hrs out of your day. What else would you be doing with this time?
I dislike all forms of exercise. I wish I didn't. Maybe I'm just lazy. As for why I hate walking there. That's 30 minutes there and back in a busy area. I hate crowds of people. I work during the day and I'm also writing my dissertation in the evenings and weekends. I would much rather be studying than working out. I honestly just don't understand how people can enjoy it.
If you truly can't find anything in the massively wide scope of exercise/sport/physical activity you can enjoy then maybe just think of it as an investment of time for a reward of improved health and fitness.
A bit like investing in your further education / degree is an investment in your future career?
Not seeing how a gym workout and 30 mins of walking adds up to 3hrs though.
If you don't like being amongst people then maybe getting out and about in the countryside would appeal more?
I include all the time it takes from getting up to go to the gym to coming back home. Take Sunday for example. I headed to the gym at 4pm and returned home at 7pm. I do cardio for around an hour and then another 45-60 minutes on weights. I don't drive and so heading out to the countryside whenever I fancy isn't exactly feasible. I live in a city in England. The countryside is miles away, unfortunately.1 -
I dislike all forms of exercise. I wish I didn't. Maybe I'm just lazy. As for why I hate walking there. That's 30 minutes there and back in a busy area. I hate crowds of people. I work during the day and I'm also writing my dissertation in the evenings and weekends. I would much rather be studying than working out. I honestly just don't understand how people can enjoy it.
I tend to agree, although I keep my thoughts to myself because many people here simply don't understand. If you hate it so much, I think that you have bitten off too much, simply stop going. Given that the vast majority of weight loss is caused by controlling what we eat, just control your intake instead.
I do understand how people can enjoy exercise, but I'm not one of those people.
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