If you don't like exercise, why not?

I did barely any exercise for years, from when I left school until after I had my 1st baby.

When I realised post nataly, that despite losing the weight, I looked a bit doughy, I joined a gym.

That was 13 years ago, and I have kept it up ever since. I can't imagine my life without it now.

I love to work up a sweat; the more the better. I went to a really tough spinning class today. By the end the studio floor was covered in sweaty puddles.

And yy I have suffered with depression and find that exercise really helps.

I am the same as swatch. I actually now enjoy exercising/keeping fit (mostly running), but fit put off by "team sports" at school where I was just made to feel like a numpty all the time. There was no sense of achievement like I get now when I reach a pb etc

I need a smug emoticon to add to that post

It does indeed increase your chances of being healthy - I had a BUPA health assessment recently and they were practically awed by my cholesterol levels, cardiac risk factors and lung health etc

Swedish, I never said it did. But it increases the chances of being healthy. Just like being slim does

Ok, rather than saying you "pounced" on that reaserch, I'll phrase it differently. Why did you chose that bit of research to quote? Because it backs up your choices. Fair enough I suppose

Why is citing research "pouncing" on it? Why not read it instead? It was in response to CurrySpice who said "And you slim people do know that slim doesn't automatically mean healthy don't you?" - "You exercising people do know that exercising doesn't automatically mean healthy don't you?"

It hasn't influenced whether I exercise or not as I already found it boring. Someone did mention that they do it for vanity - now that I can understand.

I have to exercise (most days) because I like my food and would struggle with my weight otherwise...so since I have to exercise I have convinced myself I enjoy it!

hmm didnt realise that cos I was at gym tonight I should have made a mess in the house...or come in and cooked tuna and couscous...

THATS A JOKE before anyone jumps down my throat.

Motherinferior, an organised or uncluttered home is also good for tackling depression. As is diet. I 'could' use that time exercising of course bu have found it makes me grumpy and feel bloody awful about myself whilst white space on the floor makes me feel calmer.

And why you 'ought' to exercise - because our bodies are not designed for the sedentary life style that most of us have these days. It hurts us whether we realise it or not.

You dont HAVE to do it, but it doesnt change the fact that our bodies are designed/evolved to do all those things people dont like above - hurt, sweat, and move an awful lot.

Im studying an nlp practitioner course.

One of the first things it teaches you is, you can either have results, or reasons not to...

Also exercise is very, very good for tackling mild depression. It won't fight the sort that needs serious treatment, but it is an important element of good mental as well as physical health. Another reason why, as someone who has had depression in the past, I need to do it.

The reason people 'ought' to exercise is that pretty well all the medical specialists agree it's important. Look up anything to do with heart health, fighting off cancer, even developing Alzheimer's....honestly, again and again when I write about these 'exercise' comes up, along with 'not smoking'.

I am not sure about a 'type'. I was quite exercise phobic, and I still refuse to have anything to do with organised sports - I am the sort of Bad Mummy who doesn't go to school sports day, I hate it so much. I am lucky to have found that I enjoy swimming.

(Incidentally, I do think we 'ought' to look at the environmental impact of driving and of flying (I don't fly, for this reason) - but that is on a global level, not an individual one. And on the individual level I do very much like cake.)

I'm sure it's A Very Good Thing.
I just CBA with it.

I am perhaps being a bit more strident here than normal but most of these "excuses" or "reasons", if you prefer, not to move about more are pretty weak.

Pouncing on one piece of evidence that most people are not "super responders" to exercise as a reason not to is one example. Because that's much easier than listening to all the information / research / common sense / evidence which shows that exercising is good for you and prloongs your life and quality of life

I am no calendar girl for exercise. Very far from it. But even as one of life's natural couch potatoes, I would recognise that exercising is A Good Thing

Apologies for the typos .

I probably wouldn't tbh, but you would likely be right. I think if someone is doing something that is damaging then someone pointing it out isn't inherently wrong. I am quite glad that we tell people they shouldn't Hirt their children or drink 12 pints and throw up in the street. One of those is illegal which is the bigger 'ought not' obviously - in fact it's a 'must not'. But that hasn't stopped sensible campaigns around road safety and seatbelt wearing that we're based on people being told what they should it shouldn't do. You may chose not to listen to the message and not exercise (or eat cake in my case), but that doesn't make the message- or the fact you have been told it- wrong.

But why 'ought' anyone exercise or stop eating cake?

Who are you to tell someone else what choices they should be making?

How would you like it if I told you you 'ought' to give 40% of your income to charity, you 'ought' to be a vegetarian, you 'ought' to not drive or go on holidays abroad?

But most people do have excuses! About a range of things. Why tip toe around it in some angst ridden tree huggy way FGS?! I have an excuse why I eat cake everyday (I like it and I exercise do I deserve it.) Its not rationale- its an excuse. A reason I come up for doing something I like. Just like 'I don't like sweating' or 'I prefer sitting on the sofa' are excuses for not doing exercise. We should all be moving our arses. The people who cycle everywhere or have a job involving physical stuff are the exceptions, but that isn't the majority of us. So yes we 'ought' be exercising. And I 'ought' to stop eating cake. There are rights and wrongs and that doesn't make advocating the right thing judgemental. It may make someone annoying because you know they are correct.....

But at the point at which you came on to snort, the majority of the people who had said they hated being sweaty were people who did exercise regularly (or who had done so in the past but were on a break for non-sweat related reasons). The thread title is "If you don't like exercise..." after all, not "If you don't take any exercise". If someone doesn't like getting sweaty but still exercises, how is that an "excuse"?

for me exercise is more about the emotional and mental benefits. I've long since stopped thinking I'm doing it to loose weight, but I am doing it to retain my sanity. It forces me to stop thinking and give me a real high. I twigged this about 6 years ago and since then I enjoy it much more

But calling them 'excuses' is judgemental and implies that one 'ought' to exercise or have different priorities to what they have.

Isn't exercise an 'excuse' to get away from your partner, an 'excuse' to feed your kids the same meal as yesterday, an 'excuse' for not calling your mum back, an 'excuse' for leaving the washing up?

What "type" would that be Edith?

I'm not evangelical at all. But I do snort at some excuses