If you don't like exercise, why not?

There definitely seems to be a type that enjoys exercise and they simply can't get why others just don't. A slightly evangelical tone which I find a tinsy bit off-putting. The link I posted earlier about the exercise myths showed that there are a significant proportion of the population who are non-responders to exercise with only about 15% (think it was) who are "super-responders". Effective exercise need only be 3 minutes per day of extreme cardio-vascular type workout. Now, that has appeal!

Well I'm overweight, unfit and have never, ever enjoyed exercise - I've tried step, zumba, the gym, wii fit and have stopped all very quickly.

But... I've started cycling to work and love it . 10 miles a day so good going for me and I think the reason I like it is that it's serving a purpose, i.e. getting me to work and home each day. Any other form of exercise just takes up time I could be mumsnetting doing other useful things, whereas cycling takes the same time as my previous train journey and is useful, rather than a chore.

I am very uncoordinated and have crap balance. There are sports I think I would enjoy if I were only marginally more coordinated, but spending the entire time picking the ball/shuttlecock/whatever up from where it's placidly sailed past you is dispiriting and also not great exercise. I also have very poor balance; I can just about ride a bike in a straight line but I get wobbly if I have to go round a tight corner and taking one hand off the handlebars to signal results in disaster. I might like swimming if I could swim more than glorified doggy paddle but can't find a course that I can fit around DC-related commitments.

I have started learning to run and am quite enjoying that, but again it's tricky to fit around DC as DH works away for a lot of the week, they are too young to be left and babysitters are expensive. I'm just about managing to keep it up 3x a week but sometimes it is Friday + Saturday + Sunday, which is hardly ideal.

Betty, exercise has never got my endorphins going.

Sitting down to a comedy, a slice of cake and a glass of wine however.....

Treacle makes a great point - compulsory bra fitting along with the tampon talk at schools??

I hate exercise and haven't been in a gym since 1995,I do a physical job outside and spend a lot of time being cold and wet,so don't fancy paying for the privilege in a swimming pool.However,I'm outside all the time with work and take the dds riding every day too,so am out in the fresh air doing something physical from 9 until 5.30 most days and probably walk around 15-20 miles a week.

Kat- that's a daft idea! I'd have to make some effort to find it there!

Couldn't you just wheel it over to me here?

I am renowned at karate for having a white flannel tucked into my gi jacket because of the sweating. I agree, if you're self-conscious about it it does make you panic a bit, which of course in turn leads to more sweating. During a four hour grading I've gone through three jackets simply because I find the sweat puts me off.

But since I started doing the c25k (which I'm on week 4 of, so starting to do more running than walking) I appear to be sweating less at karate. I failed Biology O-level so I have no idea why but no doubt somone caould explain.

Point is, I love my sport enough to overlook the downsides. And, frankly, I'm the only one that worries about it- the rest of the class don't take any notice (in fact some are just the same).

It is difficult to find a form of exercise you really enjoy- I was a member of a gym for 4 years and have recently quit because I got bored. But there are so many things out there to have a go at if your only reason is boredom.

Exercise gets the endorphins going hence the feel good factor....I love a good sweat on, no point doing it if you're not gonna go for it.

Yep, another one for the vanity factor.....obv I know its good for your heart too but the main reasons I exercise a lot is apart from the fact I love it, I love looking good(ish)

Anyone who doesn't exercise cos they don't like sweating - and I can relate - one of the best things I ever did was buy a treadmill and some weights. I've kind of gotten over my sweating thing now (though I don't ever exercise out on a very warm day) because I see exercise as being the 'acceptable' face of sweating iyswim. But on v warm days or just for handiness, it's great to be able to exercise inside.

Being honest, vanity is part of it and I actually want to be my optimum weight and look good. Health is also part of it, even though I accept that it's a lottery to which nobody is immune, even people who exercise. At least I have control over some things though.

I agree that it does wonders for mental health.

"I think we were made to sweat sometimes. And why would anyone wear make-up to exercise in? It's that sort of thing that creates barriers to young girls and women being strong and healthy. This preoccupation with our appearance at all times and 'fear' of looking like we have actually worked hard."

Quite. When I am running I am sweaty and often stinky, my hair is all messed up and my face is red. So WHAT? I'm running. If I was gardening I wouldn't worry about having muddy hands. if was cooking I wouldn't mind having garlicky fingers. The sweat, mud and garlic all wash off,.

I hated PE and all exercise at school. Self-conscious, hated team sports, unimaginative lessons, really embarrassed about not being able to swim. Lessons were: winter - netball. Summer - swimming or 'athletics' with dodgy equipment.

As an adult I have been massively overweight and discovered a love of exercise as part of losing weight about eight years ago. I love exercise now, I ride my bike, have run a lot (but prone to injury so don't run much now), go hiking, work out in the gym, practise yoga, and have finally learned to swim. I like the feeling of having worked hard and it does wonders for my mental health.

It's only boring though if its something you dont enjoy, theres so much fab exercise out there.

My main exercise thing is pole fitness, I love love love it, been doing it 3 years now and it never feels like a chore, its very addictive!

I also love spinning and badminton so they are the ones I do mainly, hate running, now that is one excercise I do find boring!

Maybe, but I have been searching for that thing all my adult life and still never found it. I have tried swimming, running, gym, classes, tennis, badminton, yoga, DVDs, cycling. Running is the only thing that has come close to inspiring me but I am still far from loving it.

I don't exercise as I have a very back intensive job which means I have to keep my lop sided spine. Whenever I have gone back to pilates classes which I love, I do my back in again meaning I can't work.

So annoying but a real problem for me

You are probably right there Treacle! I didn't exercise much as a teenager and was overweight, so it was a cyclical thing for me (self conscious re my body but not doing anything to improve it...) Boob thing not an issue as even when overweight they were not big, but I can see why it could be an issue to a 14 year old girl with a large chest.

It's a bit of a vicious circle I think. Once you find something you really enjoy you find time to slot it in a few times a week. It becomes a priority and you make sure you do it because you enjoy it. If you don't enjoy what you do the opposite happens and you find reasons why you can't do it.

Actually, every time I hear some government minister or think tank person on the radion or TV saying 'how can we get more young girls to exercise' I want to scream at them 'bra fitting! that's how!'. Teenage girls do not want their boobs to bounce all round the place (big or small) and have teenage boys gawping at them and laughing (or even other girls gawping at them and laughing). They should have bra fitters visiting schools and kitting girls out with a well fitting sports bra, so that big or small they don't have to feel self concious. The catch is that they would have to be provided free of charge, because they are expensive, and until you can see the difference it makes, it could be hard to persuade parents to part with the cash to buy one, but if £30 per female school pupil got even half of them exercising regularly, it would save the health service millions in preventable illness further down the line, so it would be a sound investment for the country. Can't see it happening though...

I could squeeze a bit in at weekends, but unless it is exciting (surfing or skiing or something), I resent losing precious free time, even though it would be good for me.

I used to hate exercise, and like loads of others it was down to bad experiences at school. I had really big boobs and was horribly self concious (and physically in pain) when being forced to run, I used to try to do it with my arms folded to support myself (they didn't make sports bras in large cup sizes until relatively recently, there were certainly none on the market when I was at school twenty years ago) and then got shouted at by the teachers for being lazy.

I was in my 30s before I got over all that and found that I enjoyed exercise. I love it now. I am fitter and healthier than before. My aches and pains are much better. And most of all, my mental health is much better - I had suffered from depression and been on and off medication since I was a teenager, but once I got into exercise my day to day moods really improved, I could see things much more clearly, sleep better at night, have much more energy and generally feel more positive. Ironically, for people who say they don't have the energy to exercise, I can't recommend it enough, it really does give you energy, but then again I would never have believed anyone who told me that, I had to do it for myself to believe it.

then yes, during the week that would be a problem Born. I manage to find time because we have both finished work by 6pm and so take it in turns to go to the gym, swim etc in the evenings. We also go on Saturday and Sunday, once each. We also work it round DS1's activites, ie I will leave work, go for a run and collect DS1 from Beavers.

And yes, second the point about finding something you like. For example, I can't use swimming as a form of exercise as I get really bored and then I am starving straight away when I get out and eat ravenously!