Exercise... YAY or NAY???

timmy2strikes
timmy2strikes Posts: 99 Member
edited December 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
I am a NAY!

I hate to exercise with a passion. I just don’t like it and actually get depressed just thinking about having to do it. I actually have a mini panic attack if I enter a crowded gym. If you live and love to work out what keeps you going and when is it too much? I have a friend (I use the term loosely since I never see him) here in Denver and all he does is work out. He will only have a part time job so he can have time to jog twice a day, go to the gym twice a day, take classes at the gym, enters marathons and other events and only eats protein shakes gluten free, dairy free, etc. He does not want a girlfriend because he has no time for one, lives in very small studio to save money for his activities and never hangs out with family of friends unless we force him to. He only sleeps 4 to 5 hours so he does not cut into his workouts.

Replies

  • mhuch110
    mhuch110 Posts: 130 Member
    There are a ton of ways you can get exercise into your day without going to the gym. I've never set foot inside a gym and I exercise at least 30 mins a day. I was very anti-exercise until I started this and now I get grumpy when I take my "rest day" and don't work out. Once it becomes a habit, it does get addictive and I love the way I feel when I've finished a workout. Try to find something that you enjoy so you'll be more likely to stick to it! Good luck!
  • jealous_loser
    jealous_loser Posts: 395
    I love my excercise. It is my chance for me. I only do it 30-60 minutes a day for the most part, but it makes me feel like I have accomplished something for the day.

    I was never active when I was younger, and now I am dreading the winter when there is a pile of snow and I can't do what I am doing now!
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    I love the way I feel when I've finished a workout.
    Is that the same feeling as when the dentist's drill finally stops ?
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
    Your friend sounds a little obessed. You don't have to be like that to enjoy exercise and being fit.

    I used to be like you. Exercise hurt, I didn't like to get sweaty, I thought I didn't have time, I didn't want people looking at me, etc, etc, etc.

    But I found some things I really enjoyed (a few workout videos, spin class) and kept going from there. Now, I enter races and events, I'm training for a half-marathon, my weekend excursions with friends are trips to go indoor rock climbing rather than to a bar/club. I have made some changes to my life to accomodate my workouts, but I still see family and friends and do all the stuff I did before (volunteer work, social stuff, etc).

    My life is so much better as a fit and active person, that I can't imagine going back to the way I was before.

    You don't have to go to a gym to exercise. You just need to find something you enjoy. No, you don't need exercise to lose weight, but I do believe it helps build a great foundation for a healthy life.
  • chrishgt4
    chrishgt4 Posts: 1,222 Member
    Is there actually no exercise you like doing? No sports or anything?!

    What do you do with your time?
  • myofibril
    myofibril Posts: 4,500 Member
    I keep doing it for one very simple reason: because I like it. Forcing yourself to do something you hate over a long period of time, unless you have monumental willpower (so in other words a small minority of people) will eventually lead to you giving up. No one wants to feel unhappy.

    You just need to find something you like doing and can do consistently. There are literally hundreds of forms of exercise so I sincerely doubt that there isn't one you would like if you tried it. That's like saying you don't like anything which makes your body move....
  • Jules2Be
    Jules2Be Posts: 2,238 Member
    definitely YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!
  • annieu613
    annieu613 Posts: 143 Member
    Yay exercise! I'm addicted. I get anxious when I have to take rest days, or when I can't work out as frequently as I'd like.

    When I started I really didn't like it. But I made it a non-negotiable and started running and going to the gym and now I work out 6 days/week.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    Yay!! I didin't like it a whole lot at first either - hot, sweaty, breathing hard, a little bit scared about certain machines and wondering how others viewed me. But I also realized that you shouldn't force yourself to do any activity you truly don't enjoy or think you'll enjoy so I stick with what I like and it makes the workouts easier. And who gives a crap what anyone else thinks?!

    If you don't like a crowded gym, workout at home - there are so many DVD programs out there to choose from or if you have the money, invest in a piece of cardio equipment you know you'll enjoy using on a regular basis. Or as long as the weather's nice, get outside and do something. Walk, run, bike, team sports, yardwork etc.

    My personal favorite is a long walk - I'll spend at least 2 hours on a nice day meandering around the twin cities, letting my mind wander and enjoying the weather.

    P.S. Your friend is obsessed! Don't think you need to be like him, a half hour or 3-5 times a week is plenty. And he's an idiot for depriving himself of sleep for his fitness - getting plenty of rest is kind of critical to wellness/fitness.
  • timmy2strikes
    timmy2strikes Posts: 99 Member
    Is there actually no exercise you like doing? No sports or anything?!

    What do you do with your time?

    I do get exercise... I bike to work 3 to 4 days a week and on the weekends I thry to get out on the bike if I can or walk the dogs. It more that I don't like exercise but I like biking to a degree because it's more abount out enjoying nature and seeing the sights and people watching. It's not something that I do that would make me want to ride in a bike marathon. I pass so many people on bikes that are just trying to go as fast as they can and probably trying to reach some goal of there's and I just don't have that mentality.

    I guess I was trying to find out how many people on here have that mentality and how many don't.
  • tjphelps73
    tjphelps73 Posts: 171 Member
    I am a YAY!! I need to excercise to help reduce my stress level. You do not need to hit a gym to excercise and I agree with a previous comment - your friend is obsessed - probably addicted. I have friends also whom are addicted to the gym. Lifting your drink in a glass from the table to your mouth is exercising...so you are fine...no panic attacks when you eat, drink, walk, get up and down from sitting position - which is all motion and exercise.
  • Flafster
    Flafster Posts: 106 Member
    Was a massive Nay until I started C25k in March. Once I got to the 20 min runs it was amazing . Even a bad run is better than not running.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    Yay for exercise. I love running & cycling, playing soccer etc

    Perhaps, though, you should forget the word "exercise" even exists and find activities that you can build into your daily life that you enjoy. It could be as simple as walking to work or going for a bike ride after dinner (you don't to rush out & buy all the spandex stuff and you don't need to ride like you're shooting for the yellow jersey that day). Find a sport you enjoy.

    Just because some of us enjoying running long distances (I suspect there's an element of masochism in there) or lifting weights doesn't mean that's right for you. They may be good for you but there are always alternatives - the whole idea is to build a healthy lifestyle and healthy includes a balanced approach to everything (your friend sounds like he's gone off the deep end.....)
  • 82ale
    82ale Posts: 32 Member
    I really don't like exercising. I am resentful that I HAVE to do it when people like my sister can eat the house and be a size 2, my body sucks. I'm also self-conscious at the gym. So right now I go at 6:30am before work and there are very few people there. It's not as bad as I thought, never in my life would I have thought I would get up that early to work out. I'm not a morning person!
  • jehc
    jehc Posts: 1 Member
    I do love exercise, I love going to the gym, doing classes or just hitting the free weights. It's fun for me. But I recognize that it isn't fun for everyone.

    If you really hate the idea of going to the gym, don't! Think back to how fun it was to be active when you were a little kid. Kids don't exercise, train, or workout. They play, explore, discover and have FUN. Run around, go to a playground, use the monkey bars, swing on the swings! Climb a tree, hang upside down, do a cartwheel! Grab a friend and toss a frisbee, see who can run to the water fountain fastest.

    There are lots of groups and clubs that you can join to play dodgeball, softball, water polo, etc etc. You do NOT have to be any good (I promise! These groups are NOT filled with crazy competitive athletes). Bonus - you will make new friends, and you usually round out the evening by going for a drink afterward. Beers are great motivators, haha!

    Stop thinking of exercise as running on a treadmill - you are not a rat in a cage. Just get your body moving, have a laugh, and enjoy yourself. It will all come in time :)
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