How to get over horrors of School PE?

Superchriddy
Superchriddy Posts: 1
edited November 2024 in Motivation and Support
Hello -waves-

I've managed to improve my eating habits and I'm eating healthily, but I really want to incorporate some more exercise into my day.

Now I've never been overweight, but I grew up learning to walk on the sides of my feet. The doctors said I'd grow out of it. Which I did... but only after stretching the muscles. I have weak knees and ankles and very bad balance.
I've never been fit and find exercise very difficult due to my weak muscles. I know that the only way to fix it is with exercise.

However, at school I was always slow/last/worst at sports. I went to an unpleasant private school which only cared about the best, and I never got any kind of attention (negative or positive) for being so unfit. My mother was very sporty when she was young, but was protective of my weak knees and never encouraged me to do sports. So I developed a 'Why bother' attitude.

My partner used to be a Personal Trainer and has tried to get me to exercise saying I'll enjoy it for the rush and that the pain is a good pain. He has always been sporty/fit and really struggles to understand that I've always seen sport/fitness as a negative and that is has never been 'fun' for me.

TL:DR.

I would like some advice on how to break through this negative view and stop viewing exercise as painful. (I don't even view it as a chore. I do my chores, exercise doesn't even make my list of chores!).
I'd love to hear from others who have always disliked and avoided exercise and how you managed to get motivated to get going (and keep going!)

(I've started exercise regimes before, but have never made them stick after 2-3months I just get derailed/make excuses)


Thank you xxx

Replies

  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    I'm seriously clumsy & workout at home. No one to make fun of me there. I hadn't exercised in (20+) years. It took a long while, but I found what I like, and can't imagine NOT working out.

    The point is ...... this is a lifestyle change ....... it takes time. START again ..... it's OK to start small .... but START. Rent some videos at the library, Netflix streams videos, Hulu.com streams videos, Wii (Xbox) games can be rented. Find something you really like to do.
  • japruzze
    japruzze Posts: 453 Member
    I was never fit. I was always the "fat" girl. Always picked last for the team if I had to be picked at all. Always the one in PE that everyone was waiting to finish the mile run (walk for me), forced to do whatever "had" to be done and made fun of by others in the class. For my 50th birthday (yes, I'm old), I decided enough (I'll be 53 next month). I was worth my time, my energy and my effort. I was worth taking care of as much as I take/took care of others. And no one was going to do it for me. I had to do it for myself. So I started to change my life style (I don't like "diet") including incorporating fitness into my new life style. The past is the past. Not much we can do about that. But I wanted a future and it wasn't going to happen if I didn't do something about it. I started small with fitness...walking was all I did for a long time. I set a time and challenged my self to go farther during the same amount of time each week. I told myself it was "me time". It was all about me. And as I saw myself improve, I started to think of other things I could do that were all about "me" and added more. Start. That's what you have to do. Simple word but it has so much significance on this path. Just start. And forget the past. Forget what everyone else is doing. Just start. You won't be sorry.
  • unhgoose
    unhgoose Posts: 122 Member
    I hated school PE and was always the out of shape one in a fit family, and now I really enjoy exercise. What helped me was doing videos at home and finding ones that I liked. I had a friend that called the feeling after exercise "an inside shower" basically you feel refreshed and strong after working out. I LOVE this feeling. I found things that I like to do like walking my dog on trails or DVDs that I like and now its easy to have exercise be a regular part of my life.

    If I were you I'd experiment at home with different things. See if you like Zoomba, Yoga, Pilates, the Leslie Sanson Walking Dvds, the Firm workouts (the Firm is my favorite). See if you can find something you like and don't have to worry about people judging you (even if all the judging is in your head).
  • 189andFalling
    189andFalling Posts: 58 Member
    Personally I dislike gyms. Working out there, especially cardio, is tedious at best!

    What might work for you is cycling - very low impact and gets you outside! After you've built up some muscle & stamina try running? Start on grass first to save the joints! I'd also recommend swimming (but personally I find that boring as well!).

    For me I just love my morning 20 mile bike rides on the back country lanes, or the 7k run through fields & forest tracks! You get to see all sorts of wildlife and never boring :).
  • firesoforion
    firesoforion Posts: 1,017 Member
    I have the treadmill set up in the garage where no one is around. That helps. Another thing is there are different kinds of exercise, and you could go for a totally different exercise variety. Even at my most hating exercise, I liked these NY Ballet Fitness DVDs, ice skating, and walking/hiking. That's a good start there. Also, weight training is not the same as cardiovascular.
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